Good gun for my girlfriend?

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meat hook

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My girlfriend is looking to contribute to the freezer this year and wondering what would be a good primary game-getter for her. She is quite small, so it would probably have to be a youth model. She hasn't shot very much, but has cracked off a couple from a 7mm rem. mag. hee hee. Was thinking of perhaps a 7mm-08 or a .243. any thoughts or other suggestions for caliber or brand would be great! An old 250-3000 Savage may also be an option...
 
What sort of game is on the menu? If deer is the biggest thing you're going after, stick with the .243, anything bigger, well, everyone loves a 7mm-08!
 
if she is just hunting deer a 243 is plenty of gun with no recoil, if she wants something a little bigger try a 6.5x55, again little recoil and areal cool cartridge.
 
You say she's quite small. I'd look into a Ruger Compact. Smaller gun, 16" barrel. Comes in both .243 and 7mm-08. The one I have is in .223, and the accuracy is impressive. Haven't really heard anything bad about them.
 
wow. that was quick! gonna see if i can find anyone around that has any of these to try on. deer are probably as big as she'll end up with. Ill just tell her to take my 7mm out if she wants a moose. thanks for all the replies so far! Im just getting into reloading too, and i would assume that these are all somewhat readily available for reloads?
 
meat hook said:
Im just getting into reloading too, and i would assume that these are all somewhat readily available for reloads?
Click to expand...

In the case of the 6.5x55 reloading is pretty much required to truly get the most out of it. Factory ammo has mnimal selection and is pricey, while being loaded soft to be safe in old Krag Jorgenson rifles. Full house reloads in a modern action, OTH, are superb and perform well on everything from deer to moose.

Great caliber, though. Super accurate, low recoil and far more effective on game than the numbers would suggest. If you are willing to buy used, Tradex has many sporterized M96 Swede Mausers for good prices, often already drilled and tapped with bases installed. Mine had a very short stock, so it would have been a good choice for a smaller shooter than me.

Mark
 
well first off as you said buy her a gun that will fit her. second is she is worried about recoil then look at light calibres ie 243 or look at a semi, sine the action of the semi eats up a lot of the recoil.

just for a comparison my GF is 5'2" and 135 and she shoots a 3006 Remington 7400 carbine.
 
My wife shoots my sporterized mauser 96 in 6.5x55.

7x57 or .257 roberts would also be good. A ruger hawkeye might be a good one to check out.
 
I'd say focus first on finding a rifle that fits her well. Weight, barrel length, length of pull are all important factors. Yes, a Youth-style rifle is going to likely be your best bet.

Then worry about the cartridge choice available. Anything from .243 to .308 would be fine.
 
Stevens 200 if longer shots need to be made, otherwise one of those break action NEF/H&R's. They're just easier to figure out. If you go with the blind mag on a Stevens without having her practice a lot before next hunting season, you're going to run into trouble. Either rifle will run you into the $300 area. Add a low power scope that is relatively insensitive to eye position so she doesn't have to jockey back and forth to find the perfect spot.

For deer only, 7mm-08 or 243 are both fine. 25-06, 270, or 308 are ok as well if she can take a bit more recoil.
 
My experience is that the Puma M92 rifles are completely hit and miss on getting a good one.

When my 20" barreled s/s M92 in 454 Casull arrived the chamber had a huge groove from when it was machined plus the stock as already cracked straight from the box.

I have after several hundred shots had the extractor/ejector break and it took months to get it up and running again.

Myself if I were to recommend a lever to your daughter it would be a Marlin 1894 in 44mag

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/1894centerfire/1894SS.asp
 
ladies rifle

Before investing in anything, let her shoot a variety of action types and calibres. She might surprise you with her choice.

My petite wife owns both a .243 and a 6mm, shooting both with 100 gr RN bullets and just under max loadings with Varget or 4350. She handles a 12 ga '97 pump well, so recoil isn't a factor.

Once knew a lady who's rifle of choice was an older Husqvarna in .30-'06. Her load was Win. factory 200 gr. !!! Why? It shot the best for her, in her opinion.
Deer dropped as the bullet went right through without slowing down.

My daughter drops moose with a Howa .30-'06. Her choice. When I'm not packing a BPCR, I'm carrying a .308.

Women generally don't appreciate recoil or muzzle blast and their egos don't require the latest 'moose-blasting', whizz-bang magnoon to hit the market.
 
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