Opinions Needed - Farm Gun for the wife

Lupara

Lupara

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Hey Fellas,

We have some land in some pretty rough country, plenty o'bear and wolves. I want something for my wife to carry that is convenient enough that she will actually carry it. So obviously has to be NR.

Im thinking handgun calibre carbine.

Also, not too much recoil, and she is left handed. (That rules out the Kel Tec Sub 2000, as I have read of lefties having issues with them, and I don't like the plastic.) JR carbines are kind of big.

As far as I can see the only real option is the Rossi Ranch Hand. However, not available in 9mm. I would like to stay away from 45LC as it is expensive to shoot. What would the recoil on a 357 magnum ranch hand be like ?

Am I missing any other options ?

Thanks !
 
What about a carbine 3030 with a 16" barrel? A lever in 4570 is fairly light and factory 405gr loads are very mild and it would be much better against a bear then a pistol round
 
Because she is left handed a lever action carbine is a good choice, my wife and daughter both shoot my Marlin .357 with ease. Another choice could be a good coachgun in 20 or 12 gauge, depending on her capacity to absorb recoil and, or, her general interest in the use of firearms.
 
If it is for bear defence, pick an appropriate caliber in a rifle that she is comfortable with, and easily carried. I would recommend you stay away from pistol rounds like the 357, although they can and will kill a bear at close range when you have the time and cool head to aim carefully, for defence that is just a silly cartridge.

A good handy shotgun might be a better option for such things.
 
Not sure how you feel about this type of rifle, but the CZ 858 is very lightweight, cheap to shoot, and extemely low recoil. Something to consider.
 
The 30-30 carbine loaded with 170gr bullets would work well if feeding is reliable. I bought a brand new Marlin 336 with 16.5" barrel last year and it would not feed at all. Dealer took it back and gave me back my money.

The 308 Savage Lady and Lightweight are also great and well priced. A 20" Marlin 1894 in 44 Mag, loaded with the 225gr Barnes Pistol-X bullet will also work well and be softer than a 12gg in recoil. Avoid bullets over 250gr; mine does not feed them reliably, even after polishing all moving parts. The best factory ammo commonly available in Canada for bear will be the 250 gr Partition Gold, but these are $1.50 per shot; still much cheaper than beer.

If you go to a 12gg shotgun (even a 12 -14" compact Canadian legal), slugs may be very heavy in recoil. Get a 3" chamber, but use 2 3/4" ammo,; = less recoil and easier to load the mag to full capacity. If you need pellets (for wolves), try the excellent Federal FliteControl. It groups well even out to 30 yards, but it is nothing special in any rifled barrel. In a smooth bore, it is great.

The stainless Ruger Mini 30 is also great, but may be a problem for a lefty. Just avoid cheap military ammo for serious work.
 
I owned a Rossi 16 "carbine in 44 mag,reasonably accurate with low recoil, borderline for bear defense in my opinion but light and convenient
 
Thanks Fellas, I am leaning towards the 30/30, but I have a CZ 858, and that may not be a bad idea with a folding stock, esp as the ballistics are similar to 30/30. Also the practice ammo would be cheap, you could load with premium in the woods, it's light, and having 2 of the same gun means parts interchangeability etc.

I really should get her out in the woods to try these rifles, will give me a better idea. At this point, were working on the .22

The robarms is out of the question ($$), and .308 is too much as is the 12 gauge (recoil). If pistol cals are marginal for bear, I will avoid them. SKS is too big for her.\

You replies have been very helpful, that is why I asked on here.
 
An sks is cheap (100 to 200 $) but heavy.
You might be able to get over the size problem with a collapsing synthetic stock which cost approx 100/120.
I have two sks decked out with big mags and scopes and my bill was still less than $400 ea
 
A 20g would be fine bear medicine except that it's hard to find better slugs than the soft Foster types unless you move up to the pricy saboted stuff. 12g reduced-recoil loads for practice and good brenneke or Challenger slugs for carry might suit her, she probably won't notice the added recoil much if she's actually face to face with a threatening bear. A gas-operated semi would soften up the recoil some too.

Whatever you get her, make sure it's something she'll enjoy shooting a lot for fun. When the adrenaline starts flowing operating the firearm needs to be 100% second-nature to her.
 
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