Opinions Needed - Farm Gun for the wife
- Thread starter Lupara
- Start date
This would be the ideal gun for a righty! I have one, and with hornady lever evolutions it is fantastic, and would be deadly at close range with a 240 gr bullet. And it is like carrying a toy!
Huge apple orchard, 3 kids who love apples, dump down the road, sometimes we see 3 or 4 different bears in a day. I have been so close to them, before I noticed, I could have spit on them. We had an outfitter taking out a half dozen bears a year, did not slow them down. We have since moved, but you get the idea...
My girlfriend has been packing my Marlin 1894 in .44mag here in the Yukon when we are in the bush together. Standard handloads are at about her recoil limit, but she can shoot them very accurately! I really like the 10 round capacity, and it weights exactly 7lbs with sling, 10 rounds, and a williams WGRS peep sight. The rifle is a 1975 model, I feel that the pre safety marlins are safer in the bush. Last spring I had two run-ins with two different bears in one evening, one was charging. At that time I was carrying a late model stainless .44. I find that the crossbolt safety can be very inconvenient, if it is accidently engaged the rifle still cycles and 'fires', but just goes 'click'. Which can be very disconcerting at the wrong moment! So the stainless .44 is gone now in favor of my 1975 vintage model....
Now my girlfriend has her own rifle, a model 36 marlin in 30-30. We are hoping it will be the ideal all round rifle for her.....
Now my girlfriend has her own rifle, a model 36 marlin in 30-30. We are hoping it will be the ideal all round rifle for her.....
Iron Glove
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Hope and Tulameen
I pack a Marlin 44 Mag, the petite wife carries an H&R Compact single shot in .243.
As she's a wee girl, we needed something that was small & light more than something that has multi shot capacity.
I also feel a lot safer if she only has one chance at shooting me.
As she's a wee girl, we needed something that was small & light more than something that has multi shot capacity.
I also feel a lot safer if she only has one chance at shooting me.
and good luck finding one! I've been looking for a 99/44 for yrs! (I want the rotory)
I just picked up a nice lil shorty at the gun show for sledding on the forest trails. A Stevens 305 with a 12 inch barrel in .22WMR and a case of Hornady 30 gr V-max ammo. I know it's no bear stopper, the bears will be sleeping, but there are wolves out there! It will have to do until I find something that is small and light and can throw bigger lead. If anyone has a spare DM or two for the 305, I will say "I'll take it".
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Maybe a pre-owned Winchester Trapper in 44 magnum or 30-30. Without the crossbolt safety perhaps. Get one of them in the Angle Eject model and one could mount a red dot optic of some sort. Ammunition, they are kind of pricey but you can get Nosler Partition loads for both of them. Winchester Partition Gold 250 grain in a 'hollow point' for the 44, and IIRC Federal Premiuim 170 grain round nosed Noslers for the 30-30.
One 44 option would be handloads using the 265 grain Hornday SP.
maybe
One 44 option would be handloads using the 265 grain Hornday SP.
maybe
would be a dandy one if one was on foot, you can have it loaded, but on a machine, not so good, it has to be unloaded (to be legal) and they are slow to load. I guess I'm going with worse case senerio, zippen along a forest trail and here comes a wolf or wolves running at you. With a pre-loaded DM, you can slam it in fast, but with an empty tube mag, you may be dead in the water, so to speak!
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
And without an optic mounted, it's equally easy to open the action and toss a single live round into the chamber.
And to unload it, merely lever the live round out or it's gone downrange already.
And without an optic mounted, it's equally easy to open the action and toss a single live round into the chamber.
And to unload it, merely lever the live round out or it's gone downrange already.
I hear what you are saying, but that's only one round, a DM has more, the more the better before them teeth sink into you!
Levers are great ideas. I would skip the ranch hand unless you plan to replace the stock with a full length one. The mini 30 is a great choice. As is the 20 gauge slug.
Considering that this might be on a tractor or quad, a double barrel 20 gauge would be a good idea. You can load it fat and with two shots you have a better chance. One slug the other buck shot.
Considering that this might be on a tractor or quad, a double barrel 20 gauge would be a good idea. You can load it fat and with two shots you have a better chance. One slug the other buck shot.
how about a 20g semi auto shotgun with slugs. the idea is to stop an agressive bear right? 5 slugs dumped in a hurry will slow it down and make it re think its life decisions. My wee gf is 5'1 98lbs, her hunting rifle is a ruger 44mag carbine from 1970, fits her well and shes enjoys shooting it. They are some what hard to find tho. Somthing else to think about is the fact that under stress, a semi auto will always re load until all rounds are fired or the threat is gone, manual action's can be short stroked due to panic, regardless of the type of action it is. Everyone has done it once, last thing you want it that to happen to your wife as she is trying to fend off a bear. as far as carring a firearm with an empty chamber...sure, nice idea, unless she spooks somthing that needs t obe shot right now, this goes back to the moment under stress, why take that extra step of chambering a round then fireing? also, if you run with a round in the tube, you can also run with a full mag, so there is one extra round, just in case. She needs a gun she will be comfy carrying and using, in a round YOU fell will do what needss done when under stress and meters count. YOU also need to put a lotta rounds through what ever she buys to prove that its also reliable, that its gonna work when it HAS to work. keep an eye out for the ruger 44mag, try looking at a few 20g semi's that fit her, and a mini 30 with a few extra mags would be my last pick, with soft points, not fmj's
As stated in my post#8 above, the Ruger Mini 30 with good hunting ammo would be great. It also has a flat profile and is easy to transport. A left handed person could even learn to shoot it right handed if you are concrned about the ejecting cases.
Another option for your wife, possibly suited for all predators, excluding bears, would be the 22 Magnum (22 WMR) Ruger 10/22, loaded with 40gr jacketed hollow points, or the deeper penetrating 45gr Winchester Dynapoint. The good news is you may still find an original Ruger, or get one of the newer (copies) made my Magnum Research. My original Ruger cost me about $450 3 years ago, and the new MRI are available from Accuracy Plus for $799. The good news is (to the best of my legal understanding) that the 25 round mags are legal, being rimfire, and there is no pistol in which it fits. I think most people underestemate the 22 WMR when fired from a rifle. I know it is not a bear stopper, but would work well for other predators.
My Ruger is absolutely reliable, and even with the 9-shot mags which are not expensive, it gives you a usefull rifle which can be carried empty as per our legal requirements. The action may be open, but rifle empty. Also, CCI has some very useful 22 WMR shotshells which work well on small pests (rodents) and is a greener option than putting out poison. Recoil of the 22 WMR is non-existing, and ammo not too expensive.
Another option for your wife, possibly suited for all predators, excluding bears, would be the 22 Magnum (22 WMR) Ruger 10/22, loaded with 40gr jacketed hollow points, or the deeper penetrating 45gr Winchester Dynapoint. The good news is you may still find an original Ruger, or get one of the newer (copies) made my Magnum Research. My original Ruger cost me about $450 3 years ago, and the new MRI are available from Accuracy Plus for $799. The good news is (to the best of my legal understanding) that the 25 round mags are legal, being rimfire, and there is no pistol in which it fits. I think most people underestemate the 22 WMR when fired from a rifle. I know it is not a bear stopper, but would work well for other predators.
My Ruger is absolutely reliable, and even with the 9-shot mags which are not expensive, it gives you a usefull rifle which can be carried empty as per our legal requirements. The action may be open, but rifle empty. Also, CCI has some very useful 22 WMR shotshells which work well on small pests (rodents) and is a greener option than putting out poison. Recoil of the 22 WMR is non-existing, and ammo not too expensive.
