suggestions for guns for small woman

ladyshooter said:
Hello,

I am a petite woman just getting into big game hunting. I'm 5ft tall, 100lbs soaking wet, and the limit of my shooting experience is a 22-250 rifle. Any suggestions for a good place to start? I should also mention that I am left handed, which seems to make this a challenge (or so I've been told).

Thanks for the feedback!
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I would suggest a 308 in a lighter rifle, The 308 recoil is very manageable and will give you large game ability with some 180 partitions.

I would suggest a 6-7 lb rifle with a 20" or less barrel. Women with a smaller frames will appreciate the shorter rifle which keeps the weight closer to the body due to having less upper body strength and the lighter weight will allow her to shoulder it for a longer period of time without getting tired/requiring a rest.

The more enjoyable the rifle is to shoot, the more she will practice and become a better shooter because of it. Do not buy something cheap/entry level that does not have a smooth action or other features that are difficult for her to work or she will just not like using it (my personal experience)
 
Silvertip13 said:
The problem with modifying a good used gun is the size of the shooter. Most guns are made for a 6 foot person with 6 foot person size hands. If you have ever watched a smaller sized person try and comfortable hold a large rifle then you would know it works but it is not anywhere ideal. I believe in proper fit, as does every serious shooter, whether it is competition or hunting. A small shooter will have their hand around the grip and pull the trigger with the tip of their trigger finger or they will take their hand away from the grip to get their trigger finger forward where reaching the trigger is possible, all leading to a comprimise on shot quality. Yes it will work, I have watched my 5 year old little girls shoot win 94 30-30's and hit the pink milk jug at 50 yards, but it was ackward. Youth/lady stocked rifles are gaining populaity for a good reason.
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You're guessing, right? Regardless of gun length, I don't see that rifle grips are very "thick". Smaller adults don't necessarily have short fingers, but more often have a more narrow hand, which doesn't play into your story. My recommendation stands, for the OPs consideration.
 
My sister-in-law hunted Ontario moose for years with a Parker Hale in .308Win. She still doesn't weigh much over 100lbs. Her husband had it cut down for her.
 
tylert said:
I think there are some great suggestions here. One thing I would recommend is a muzzle brake, it is much harsher on the ears but felt recoil is reduced so much and makes most calibers fun to shoot.
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Go away, that's NOT advice! There is no reason to brake any rifle, except wimpiness, maybe.

Eagleye said:
Ladyshooter; Welcome, and good luck on your quest!!

I am the proud father of 3 beautiful girls [all adults with their own families now] and 2 sons.

My girls are all petite, 2 of the 3 are leftys, and I started them out hunting with the venerable 7x57 [Ballistic twin to the 7-08]

Started with reduced loads and lighter bullets, and worked them up to full power loads over time.

All handled that level of recoil very well. So I have no problem endorsing the 7-08 for your hunting.

As Boomer said, though, anything from the 6.5x55 up to the 308 Winchester would probably work well.

Regards, Dave.
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I once bought a #3, Mk1 a guy had gotten cut down for his wife. Beautiful job, but it hit her WAAY too hard. I got it for a song. I could not shoot it myself very well, but my kids all grew up shooting with it. There was almost no wood on it, but, once loaded with reduced loads, they didn't have a problem. Gently increasing those loads without them knowing it brought them right up to full power. Three of the five still shoot 25 years later. Four of the five took their first animal with it. I still have it today and my second wife is using it for moose. However, my plan is to get her a LadyHunter in .308.

ladyshooter said:
Thanks to everyone for giving me some great ideas, and lots of entertainment reading some of these posts :) Now to get the other half to agree that I'm worth that much money ;)
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You tell him that most guys on here would LOVE IT if their wives would hunt! My wife had a "non-surplus, store-bought" rifle before I did. I got her a Savage 11 in .243 with a youth stock after she shot her first deer with an SKS.

amosfella said:
I'm surprised that a few obvious questions haven't been asked... How far would her normal shots be?? If under 80 yards in tight bush, a 44 mag lever action would be a good gun. Low recoil, and with proper shot placement, leaves an animal Not just bang-flop, but going down like it got hit in the center of the back by the hammer of thor. I use one for work, and have killed many large animals with one.

If she's going out to 250 yards, a 30-30 lever action is a good rifle. Low recoil, very capable killing, and light rifle. That one is so obvious that I"m surprised that no one else has mentioned it. It was commonly used to kill every animal you listed for many years...

If ladyshooter is a good shot with iron sights, both options are available in top eject lever actions, meaning that it's an ambidextrous rifle unless it has a receiver loading gate, then it's only loading that's right handed. The ammo is also pretty common. Every girl except one was comfortable with using either a 44 mag, or 30-30 with full power loads. The one that didn't like those guns was in chronic pain anyways, and nothing bigger than a 22 worked for her...
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She already stated she preferred bolt action to levers. So why are you posting this? Perhaps you didn't read it all the way through?

Silvertip13 said:
The problem with modifying a good used gun is the size of the shooter. Most guns are made for a 6 foot person with 6 foot person size hands.
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I am near 6'2". I find the LOP quite short on many rifles I have shot. Most rifles I can only shoot well in the winter when I have loads of layers on. During the off season, I wear a Past recoil pad under my shirt to extend the LOP. So, I don't completely believe your statement.
 
Odd Shot said:
softer recoil big game gun

...I'd suggest the Browning BAR Long-Trac. The semi-auto action soaks up a lot of the recoil. It's a great rifle.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?fid=002B&cid=031&tid=537

Browning-BAR-LongTrac-Left-Hand-Oil-Finish-031537-495l.jpg
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I think you mean BAR Shorttrac.
Yes a Shorttrac in 7-08 has light recoil,...I had one and I liked it alot,..very nice gun,..fun to shoot,..and plenty accurate. Length of pull can be adjusted by changing recoil pad,..they come standard with a 3/4" but you can get 1/2" and 1" as well. These also come with shims to adjust the stock for a custom fit.
Like a dummy I sold mine, and kick my ass every time I see one.

and they work flawlessly,...no jamming at all.

BUT,...as I said before, I think the Browning Micro Midas LH is the way to go, and chambered in 7mm08.
 
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Tabacco Brook said:
I think you mean BAR Shorttrac.
Yes a Shorttrac in 7-08 has light recoil,...I had one and I liked it alot,..very nice gun,..fun to shoot,..and plenty accurate. Length of pull can be adjusted by changing recoil pad,..they come standard with a 3/4" but you can get 1/2" and 1" as well. These also come with shims to adjust the stock for a custom fit.
Like a dummy I sold mine, and kick my ass every time I see one.

and they work flawlessly,...no jamming at all.

BUT,...as I said before, I think the Browning Micro Midas LH is the way to go, and chambered in 7mm08.
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Man that's nice!!:)
 
Just get her a 6.5x55 Swede done deal mice to moose. Son dropped two cow elk with his 6.5 a month back on a cull hunt and neither went over 75 yards after a 140 Partition through the lungs.
 
ladyshooter said:
I was thinking of bear, deer, wolf, and moose for big game. I have used lever, bolt and semi so far, and find I prefer bolt action for my comfort level thus far. I'm looking for something that will be able to take down large game without the bite of a bigger rifle, as I'm not used to it, and would prefer to avoid any bad habits that may come from a big recoil.

Thank you for the feedback!
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Did You know that (to a point) being small like me and You is a plus when it comes to recoil. It's a double edge sword. On one side we don't have extra --- covering our bones but on the other hand our bodies move with the recoil. I take firing full house 600 gr loads out of my lott when some guys at my range that have a 100 pounds on my can't take it
 
rookie wildcat said:
Go away, that's NOT advice! There is no reason to brake any rifle, except wimpiness, maybe.
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How would that not be good advice. Why were muzzle brakes invented? To make big sounds, no its to redirect propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted rising of the barrel.Did you even read the post made by the author of this thread. Whats her main concern?

I was thinking of bear, deer, wolf, and moose for big game. I have used lever, bolt and semi so far, and find I prefer bolt action for my comfort level thus far. I'm looking for something that will be able to take down large game without the bite of a bigger rifle, as I'm not used to it, and would prefer to avoid any bad habits that may come from a big recoil.

Thank you for the feedback!
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Looks like the main concern is getting bad habits from big recoil. Would a muzzle brake help with hard recoil. Absolutely it would, i didn't say this is what she has to do but only a suggestion, and in my opinion it is a great suggestion. How is using a muzzle brake making anyone a wimp, couldn't the same be said about using a limb saver... That response was ill thought out. It really looks like you just wanted to troll everyones response to this lady.
 
ladyshooter said:
I was thinking of bear, deer, wolf, and moose for big game. I have used lever, bolt and semi so far, and find I prefer bolt action for my comfort level thus far. I'm looking for something that will be able to take down large game without the bite of a bigger rifle, as I'm not used to it, and would prefer to avoid any bad habits that may come from a big recoil.

Thank you for the feedback!
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amosfella said:
Had a severe migraine for the better part of 2 weeks... Must have missed it. However, it's something she should consider.
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I would say she has considered it.
 
tylert said:
How would that not be good advice. Why were muzzle brakes invented? To make big sounds, no its to redirect propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted rising of the barrel.Did you even read the post made by the author of this thread. Whats her main concern?



Looks like the main concern is getting bad habits from big recoil. Would a muzzle brake help with hard recoil. Absolutely it would, i didn't say this is what she has to do but only a suggestion, and in my opinion it is a great suggestion. How is using a muzzle brake making anyone a wimp, couldn't the same be said about using a limb saver... That response was ill thought out. It really looks like you just wanted to troll everyones response to this lady.
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Have you looked at the other posts? The lady wants a moose rifle. Therefore, she doesnt need a hard hitting shoulder bruiser. No one is suggesting a large, heavy-recoiling rifle. They have all suggested light rifles, cartridges below the .30-06 range (because that's pretty much where felt recoil begins) loaded with lighter bullets, and a well-fitted, short LOP stock with a decent recoil pad. All of these things contribute to reducing felt recoil better than shoving some ugly, noisy chunk of metal on the end of a nicely configured rifle.

I guess, in your opinion, what we should be doing is advising her to get a 15lb Savage 110 in .338LM with a 26" barrel and stick another few ounces on it right out on the end of it so that it's even heavier when she is standing or kneeling. 'Cuz, that way she could be tacticool even if she can't hit anything. Since this was only your ninth post from mommy's basement, I will wait for a bit to see those pics of your tacticool, muzzle-braked 10/22's and SKSs that you simply won't be able to resist posting. Recoil can be tamed far better with research and customizing than it can with add-on junk. BTW, the addition of a recoil pad does NOT piss off the other shooters around you. Can you say THAT about a brake?

And, cool, I'm a troll.
 
tylert said:
How would that not be good advice. Why were muzzle brakes invented? To make big sounds, no its to redirect propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted rising of the barrel.Did you even read the post made by the author of this thread. Whats her main concern?



Looks like the main concern is getting bad habits from big recoil. Would a muzzle brake help with hard recoil. Absolutely it would, i didn't say this is what she has to do but only a suggestion, and in my opinion it is a great suggestion. How is using a muzzle brake making anyone a wimp, couldn't the same be said about using a limb saver... That response was ill thought out. It really looks like you just wanted to troll everyones response to this lady.
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Have you looked at the other posts? The lady wants a moose rifle. Therefore, she doesnt need a hard hitting shoulder bruiser. No one is suggesting a large, heavy-recoiling rifle. They have all suggested light rifles, cartridges below the .30-06 range (because that's pretty much where felt recoil begins) loaded with lighter bullets, and a well-fitted, short LOP stock with a decent recoil pad. All of these things contribute to reducing felt recoil better than shoving some ugly, noisy chunk of metal on the end of a nicely configured rifle.

I guess, in your opinion, what we should be doing is advising her to get a 15lb Savage 110 in .338LM with a 26" barrel and stick another few ounces on it right out on the end of it so that it's even heavier when she is standing or kneeling. 'Cuz, that way she could be tacticool even if she can't hit anything. Recoil can be tamed much easier and better by research than by shoving an ugly chunk of metal on the end of a nicely configured rifle. BTW, the addition of a recoil pad does NOT piss off the other shooters around you. Can you say THAT about a brake?

And, cool, I'm a troll.
 
Have you looked at the other posts? The lady wants a moose rifle. Therefore, she doesnt need a hard hitting shoulder bruiser. No one is suggesting a large, heavy-recoiling rifle. They have all suggested light rifles, cartridges below the .30-06 range (because that's pretty much where felt recoil begins) loaded with lighter bullets, and a well-fitted, short LOP stock with a decent recoil pad. All of these things contribute to reducing felt recoil better than shoving some ugly, noisy chunk of metal on the end of a nicely configured rifle.
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I do fully agree with what you have to say here. Muzzle brakes are a tool for reducing recoil and thats all i was presenting, im sure people know how to google and see the pro's and cons of a muzzle brake. What if she did buy a rifle with the proper length of pull and recoil pad and it still bothers her. Could a muzzle brake maybe be forseen in the future yes but thats talking theoretically and most likely not going to be the case but it is something to think about later down the road. I have quit e a few friends who have braked their firearms and shoot plenty better, and yes even the smaller calibers.

guess, in your opinion, what we should be doing is advising her to get a 15lb Savage 110 in .338LM with a 26" barrel and stick another few ounces on it right out on the end of it so that it's even heavier when she is standing or kneeling. 'Cuz, that way she could be tacticool even if she can't hit anything. Since this was only your ninth post from mommy's basement, I will wait for a bit to see those pics of your tacticool, muzzle-braked 10/22's and SKSs that you simply won't be able to resist posting. Recoil can be tamed far better with research and customizing than it can with add-on junk. BTW, the addition of a recoil pad does NOT piss off the other shooters around you. Can you say THAT about a brake?

And, cool, I'm a troll.
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I would really like you to re-read this section of your post and understand what your incuating towards me. No where at all i said go buy a "savage 338" surprised you didn't say Barrett 50bmg to really make your point come across as valid. Im 25 years old, i own a condo and 1/4 section of land that im planning to build on. This is only my 9th post because i rather not deal with people who attack others on a simple debate. I got my first and only 10/22 12 years ago and the only mod i have done to it is a extended mag release and 25 round clips for shooting gophers. Stock wood and all, but i guess that could be considered tacti cool with the mag release. My mosin and sks are stock and will stay that way till i die. The only "tacti-cool" rifle i come even close to is my Tikka t3 varmint which i have posted and you can take a look at it. I own one rifle with a muzzle brake out of the 25 i do own. Your attack on me was uncalled for and very far from the truth.
 
I'd bet if she had a wee t3 lite stainless in 308 and stayed in the 165 gr range (preferably hand loads) she would be delirious.

On another note she's not replied in 34 posts so we may be making noise for nothing
 
You could always load a .308 with .300 Savage data pata cake recoil and good for 300 yards.........Harold
 
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