Rifle for daughter

[Colt Henderson]

A pre 64 Winchester 70 in 30-06 is never a wrong answer. If you hunt around a little you can find them in good condition for 1200 or a little less. At 5'8" she should fit the rifle okay. Try to find one with a pad instead of the steel plate then if it needs to be shortened there is less headache and you can get a new pad.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Why don't the two of you build her a 30-06 on Mauser 98? I have a 30-06 barrel from the action I built into 404 Jeffery that is just gathering dust. I don't know who the maker was but it clearly did not see much use. The fella who recently sold me a very nice stock also has a couple of Czech vz.24 98 Mauser actions similar to mine he is thinking of selling. I could put you in touch with him. I'm not sure if it would even require opening the bolt face (I don't think so). If not, all that would be required from gunsmith is attaching the barrel and setting the headspace (cheap), then tapping for a scope and/or iron sights. You can find lots of stock options online. Fitting and bedding the action into stock is not rocket science. Lots of videos online to help with that. Same with finishing the stock. You might want help with fitting the recoil pad but that's typically cheap job. Finishing the stock is definitely something the two of you could do. This would be a very memorable project that would last forever. Back in 1962 my dad built this 30-06 for me from a WWII Springfield. Regrettably, at age ten I was too young to be involved in the project. I still hunt with it almost exclusively. Dad checked out on the West Glacier golf course back in 1999 but he still hunts with me every time I load that rifle.

Edit: I forgot about changing the bolt handle for scope. That would require some expertise. Cost would depend on whether you prefer fancy custom bolt handle or forge bending the existing handle. Sometimes modified bolts can be found online at reasonable cost. The great thing about 98 Mauser is the abundance of aftermarket stuff that's available. It is without doubt the most popular action to build on ... CRF action anyway.

 

[poco]

I just bought a m70 featherweight 270win for $600 it’s a sweet little rifle
as is my Remington 788 308win $500
a 30-06 would sling some 180gr better than a 308 imo but that’s subjective as 165gr ttsx makes it a equalizer
i am fond of 8x57 and 7x57 also

 

[Bearkat]

Thanks for all the great discussion and suggestions! Building a rifle is a great idea! We would both learn a lot in the process. Next to that, I think going to a shop when she is in town in a must. It would give her a chance to handle different rifles. Luckily we are near Houston, so we have access to some stores with large selections. I keep thinking of other calibers such as the .308 or 7mm-08, 7x57, etc., but knowing her she is going to be set on the 30-06 as it has meaning to her now.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Thanks for all the great discussion and suggestions! Building a rifle is a great idea! We would both learn a lot in the process. Next to that, I think going to a shop when she is in town in a must. It would give her a chance to handle different rifles. Luckily we are near Houston, so we have access to some stores with large selections. I keep thinking of other calibers such as the .308 or 7mm-08, 7x57, etc., but knowing her she is going to be set on the 30-06 as it has meaning to her now.

Smart girl! When I was twelve I started hunting with the 30-06 Dad built and I was probably smaller size than your daughter. Definitely not too much gun for her. She has chosen the most versatile caliber in the world. Better listen to her, Dad!

Lots of us here have built rifles and we can give you a hand. I started thinking about building a 404 Jeffery on a Mauser 98 just about a year ago. I finished it in time for my fourth safari at the end of August (except for bluing which was done shortly after returning home).

After a horsewreck I restocked my Springfield back in '81 and that was the sum of my gunbuilding experience before the 404 project. It was quite a challenge turning a standard action into a thumper gun but it turned out great. Your project, converting 8mm Mauser to either 308 or 30-06, would be relatively simple. Much easier. Or you could keep your eye out for a Springfield 03A3 barreled action already in 30-06, like Dad's rifle. Those are great CRF actions. Don't figure on sporterizing a full dressed military rifle. Those sell for over $1K these days. They are collectibles and getting hard to find. But finding buggered rifles with chopped off military stocks, etc. is not hard and they are usually cheap. Even if the barrel is toast, it's no problem finding another good one in 30-06 or 308. Gun nuts are always playing with those rifles and "upgrading" to some new fangled wildcat cartridge.

 

[SETH RINGER]

THE NOSTALGIA OF GRANDPA'S STUFF SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED. RESTOCK THE 06 TO FIT HER NOW AND HER OR HER CHILDREN CAN USE THE ORIGINAL STOCK LATER.

 

[Kalthoff]

Priority one: Find a stock that fit her perfectly.

Priority two: Make sure she likes the look of the stock.

 

[freefall]

THE NOSTALGIA OF GRANDPA'S STUFF SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED. RESTOCK THE 06 TO FIT HER NOW AND HER OR HER CHILDREN CAN USE THE ORIGINAL STOCK LATER.

What he said!

 

[wesheltonj]

My daughter shot her first and only deer with a Husqvarna .243 Win that I shot my first deer and my father shot his first deer. After that hunt, I purchased her a SAKO 85 Bavarian in 7mm-08 Rem. It's still sitting NIB. My suggest is buy something cheap first to make sure she will want to continue to hunt, then buy a nicer gun and sell the cheap one.

 

[Houston Bill]

My daughter shot several deer and hogs in Texas and several plaines game animals in Africa with a Tikka T3 in 308 Win. Was a very accurate rifle and I modified the wood stock to fit her. But I agree with @SETH RINGER, if Grandpa's 30 06 has meaning for her restock the 30 06 to fit her

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My daughter shot several deer and hogs in Texas and several plaines game animals in Africa with a Tikka T3 in 308 Win. Was a very accurate rifle and I modified the wood stock to fit her. But I agree with @SETH RINGER, if Grandpa's 30 06 has meaning for her restock the 30 06 to fit her

Perhaps think about removing the recoil pad from grandpa's rifle and installing a thin rubber butt pad like the one on my Springfield above. 30-06 does recoil but it's not a shoulder buster. Without recoil pad the LOP should shorten an inch which should be enough for 5'8". You can always load the cartridges for less recoil if needed. Try it and see how she handles the recoil. No problem going back to original setup if she doesn't like it.

 

[AHT081]

She would like 30-06.

 

[John Telford]

Howa in either 6.5 Grendel or .308 win.
There are quite a few aftermarket stock options to customise to the little ladies taste. I’ve seen pink camo…
My daughter shoots the Grendel bit will upgrade to the .308 next season.
I recently sold a 7x57 brno to a friend who bought it for his slight of frame daughter.

 

[Rez Exelon]

I'd say a Sako 85 in 7mm but that's because I'm biased as I think about selling mine.

 

[Oldnerd]

Start by finding a rifle that fits her properly, then proceed. For my daughter, I opted for a Ruger Hawkeye equipped with a 338 Federal.

 

[wolfhunter]

the 30-06 will take almost anything she will shoot at with proper bullets let her get used to one rifle and she will become good with it

 

[wolfhunter]

My preference is a winchester model 70 tika is nice .

 

[freefall]

Did none of us read the OP where he said he wanted a CRF? Or are we just all that much smarter than him (and his daughter)?
I will reiterate. Give her Grandpa's '06, buy yourself a new gun if you need to.

 

[375Ruger416]

Kimber or Win 70 Featherlight. Ruger guide gun in 30-06.

Non CRF Tikka T3x Compact in 308. I got one for my step daughter in 243 - has a spacer so it can go from 12.5 to the standard 13.5” LOP. Handy little gun. If it fits her, a T3x Laminate in 30-06. Love those black pepper laminate stocks. Let us know what you end up with!

 

[Woodcarver]

Did none of us read the OP where he said he wanted a CRF? Or are we just all that much smarter than him (and his daughter)?
I will reiterate. Give her Grandpa's '06, buy yourself a new gun if you need to.

What, we're supposed to actually read what the question is now?!? That would really limit the number of posts the OP has to read to find an actual answer to his question.
Btw, you're spot-on. Let the daughter use Grandpa's '06 that she likes and is used to. At 5'8", LOP should not be an issue, so no cutting of Grandpa's stock should be needed.

My daughter has found the joy of hunting this past year and am looking to purchase her a rifle. Her hunting experience is limited to taking an Impala in the Eastern Cape with a 30-06 and a whitetail with a .45 cal muzzleloader. She has also shot a .243 from the bench since then. I offered to let her hunt with .243, but she insisted on using her grandfather's 30-06 as she liked shooting the outfitter's, which was a custom rifle built on a K98 action. Would you all have any suggestions on models to consider? I want something that is CRF and am not opposed to purchasing a used rifle and modifying the stock if needed. She is just shy of 5'-8".

If you really want to get her her own, new or new-to-her rifle that is CRF, look for a CZ 550 American, Ruger M77, pre-64 M70, a sporterized 03A3 or 1917 Enfield, in 30-06. She can obviously handle the modest recoil of an '06. These are all I've actually had/have that are CRF and can speak to. The 30-06 is hard to beat for versatility and ease of finding ammo or loading for.