Best rifle for women

[bruce moulds]

going custom is probably not wise until you REALLY know what you want.
partly knowing what you want comes fron finding out what you don't want by experience.
among modern factory rifles there are now many features that once were only available in custom.
modern stock designs are so far ahead of older ones that it is not funny.
it is easy to chase extremes in such things as light weight, but this is not the place to start.
middle of the road has evolved for a reason - it is what works the best in compromise for most people.
stock length is easily adjusted and is the most likely requirement.
factory riles can usually be bedded in such a way as to improve accuracy, and triggers on many can be improved or replaced.
where true custom comes in is having correct cast in the stock with the correct twist, the pistol grip to fit the hand, and comb to align the individual's face correctly.
very few stockmakers do this, and it comes at a price, done properly.
bruce.

 

[Rob404]

I think a 7x57 would be a great rifle for you 7-08 would be my second choice

 

[flatwater bill]

WAB.......I was going to suggest my favorite rifle maker, Hartmann & Weiss, but wanted to keep the price down ....................FWB

 

[wesheltonj]

Is this an Africa only gun? Or a use everywhere gun, except DG and Brown Bear? My use everyday answer is: I bought my daughter a 7mm-08 and it's still in the box, she now hates hunting. She is quite small. That said, you really can't go wrong with a 308, very easy to find lead, comes in lots of grain sizes and recoil is not bad.

The your next question is what do I want to spend on said gun. An inexpensive gun, that will end up being sold later, because you want a nicer one. Or just start with a nice one to begin with. I bought my daughter a SAKO 85 Bavarian, it's a nice gun. If I was starting fresh I would seriously look at Blaser. You just get two different bolt heads (Regular and Magnum) and you are good for just about every caliber your would want to hunt with, unless you also want to get a .223 barrel. The down side to Blaser is the price and those plastic parts.

If it's an Africa or Brown Bear gun, then get a 375 H&H and deal with the recoil. You can legally shoot everything in Africa as its the minimum for DG and you never know when you will need the firepower.

 

[BWH]

Howdy.... consider 7mm-08

 

[curtism1234]

I would use the current rifle / caliber as your baseline and adjust accordingly.

Is the lop too long or is the gun too heavy to carry? If so, you are probably going to be looking at a short action bc that's what is offered in say a remington model 7 or Browning xbolt mico midas type rifles. I think either are fine rifles that are quite serviceable. They may be a little on the pricey side for what you get, but they should last a lifetime.
I personally would not buy a rifle and cut the stock, there are too many factory rifles out there that are already made that way. Imo

If you are going to be looking for a short action, then I think the 7-08, 308, or 300wsm make sense. If recoil is a problem then scratch the 300wsm. If you are hunting larger animals, then I'd probably scratch the 7-08. The 308 is a good compromise and should do almost everything the 30-06 can do, almost.

If your husbands 30-06 fits you then you have a ton of options when you consider both short action and long action. In addition to the 7-08, 308, and 300wsm you can think about the 25-06, 270, 30-06 (though I'd also say stay away just bc of logistical issues getting them in one case), 7mag or 300winmag.

My guess is you don't want anything to recoil more than the 30-06. Therefore I think the 25-06, 7-08, 270, and 308 are your top contenders depending on what rifle you need and what animals you think you will hunt. You can always borrow your husbands rifle if you need more umph. Hard to go wrong with a 308

 

[IA diver]

Since you asked...my wife loves her Tikka compact in 6.5 Creedmoor. Not fearing recoil results in accurate shot placement and allowed her to take everything from gemsbok on down.

 

[WAB]

WAB.......I was going to suggest my favorite rifle maker, Hartmann & Weiss, but wanted to keep the price down ....................FWB

Like I said FWB, you have good taste!

 

[bruce moulds]

do hartmann and weiss do a pink one?
a pink double in 7x57 rimmed or 7x65 rimmed has a certain ring to it.

 

[BigSteve57]

I have officially caught the hunting bug from my husband and his family. It’s about time I admitted it to myself, after all.

I am looking to get my own hunting rifle so I’m not having to share my husband’s 30-.06 on hunts.

Any advice on which gun manufacturers make plains game caliber rifles that fit women well? I’m looking at a 30-.06, 300 win, or 7mm right now.

Welcome to the forum! I am one of those lucky guys who has a wife that hunts. In fact it was SHE that got me into hunting as she was the farm girl and I was the city boy. My advice is based on hunting for 30 years with a 5'5" woman weighing 125 lbs.

30-06 is a great caliber and I recommend staying away from the exotic calibers for hunting. Reason? You want a cartridge that you can obtain anywhere. Things go wrong. Ammo gets lost.

With that out of the way I'd recommend getting a rifle that fits you - length of pull is very important. Get the stock custom fit as we did.

After that it's managing recoil esp. if you have a small frame. Don't go with the lightest rifle out there because you think you can't carry it - you can because most of the carrying while hunting is done on a sling. Your shooting will likely be done from sticks, seated or prone and not offhand so weight isn't the total deciding factor. Heavier rifles recoil less and I'll bet you'll shoot better with a 7-8 lb rifle (less scope & ammo), given how I think you'll be shooting, than one of the super-lights.

My wife had no trouble in Africa with my Browning Bolt action (9 lug) "Lightning Bolt" 30-06 in Africa and I'm terribly proud of her. It weighs 9 lbs with scope, sling & fully loaded.

 

[sgt_zim]

I second the notion on the 7mm cartridges named so far
7mm Remington Magnum
280 Remington
7x64
7x57
7mm-08

The last two are virtually identical in both recoil and ballistics, and very mild on the recoil. My daughter's first rifle was a 7mm-08. She shoots it well, and no flinching or anything. 160 gr bullets out of either of these are sufficient for everything below eland.

The other three will give you a bit more distance, but if you aren't practicing at the kind of distance they can go (300 yds and further), then all you're going to get out of them is more recoil without any difference in lethality at closer distances from 7x57 and 7mm-08

Every cartridge named by the other folks so far will be more than adequate inside 300 yards. 300 Winchester magnum will let you stretch out to 400-500, depending on what your target is. But again, if you aren't practicing at 400-500 yards, all a 300 WM is going to get you is more recoil and won't kill anything any deader at distances nearer than 300 yards than a 30-06 or .308 or 7x57 or 7mm-08.

 

[gizmo]

I’m a huge fan of the good old fashioned 270. Flat shooting and hard hitting. It has mild recoil and just about everyone in the universe makes one. Also load options are limitless and ammo is readily available.

 

[cls]

Here's my 2 bits, on our first trip to Africa we had a day at the end where the PH talked my darling into thinking that it would be a good idea to hunt a critter as I was done. Well as the only rifle she had ever shot was a 22 I told the PH he would have to teach her how to shoot with my 7mm mag. Dang if he didn't have her shooting 10s at 100 yds.
Long story short she took a blesbok at 250 yds one shot. So 7mm mag will do the trick.

 

[Jfet]

As you go through life you will find that rifles are like shoes ...

You will always need another one

Welcome to AH!!!

You are a blessing to TeamFet

 

[bruce moulds]

gizmo,
if you like the 270, you must absolutely love the 280/7x64.
bruce.

 

[Shootist43]

Nursefet you made a good choice when you asked AH member to help you decide which rifle to get. After all, what does your husband know about women's rifles. There are two distinct issues here, one is the rifle, the other is caliber. IMHO rifle fit should be your primary consideration. There are a number of calibers that can take care of your needs each with it's own set of limitations and or pros and cons. Another thing, I'll bet "Hubby" is reading our replies as much as you are. Take him along when you go shopping and let him guide you. BUT... and there is always a but... do not let him make the choice for you.

BTW I don't recall seeing any replies from you re. the "advice" you are getting.

 

[Ragman]

In the past few years I have managed to get my better half to move up from shooting gophers with a .22 to shooting center-fire rifles and deer hunting. I have a Ruger American in .223 and a TC Venture in .243 that she practiced with. She became very deadly with that TC and has killed two deer in two years with 2 shots. She has since informed me that it is her gun and that I can just use one of my others for my hunting! Lol. If African game was on the menu though, I think I would try to move her up into a 7mm-08 or .308 rifle. But like what was mentioned above, make sure you get the rifle that fits you like it is a part of you. Caliber is secondary. And welcome aboard!

 

[Rick Cox]

Most rifle manufacturers make 'compact' rifles designed for smaller frames. The best thing is to find a large gun shop with a helpful staff. My bet is the folks there will be thrilled to offer all the advice they can.
Another thing you might try is to get hubby and his buddies to make a few trips to the rifle range with an array of calibers to try and see how recoil affects you. Size doesn't have much to do with it. Man Mountain might close his eyes to yank the trigger on a .22, while his willowy daughter will squeeze off a few boxes of 12 gauge with no issues.
It might be best to limit the guns you try at the range to just a few per session, so that you don't sensitize yourself to the recoil.
Have fun!

 

[Art Lambart II]

Savage, Weatherby and Remington all make rifles for women but they tend to be on the lighter side and are chambered in low recoiling rounds like the 243, 6.5 creedmore and 7mm-08. All of those rounds are good but the 30-06 is a much better. In your OP you said you caught the hunting bug using your husbands 30-06, IMO unless you plan on shooting past 300 yards their is no need for a 300 or 7mm Magnum, under 300 yards the 30-06 is more than up to the task. I would start with a rifle that looks good to you, you wouldn't carry a purse you thought was ugly so don't carry an ugly rifle, the more you like your equipment the more confidence you'll have in it and the better you'll shoot it. I would also recommend a rifle with a lite or adjustable trigger, a good trigger on any firearm is a must, many modern rifles come with an adjustable trigger so this shouldn't be a problem. What ever choice you make, make sure its your choice, pick the rifle and caliber you are comfortable with.

Good luck, let us know how things turn out.

 

[NurseFet]

As you go through life you will find that rifles are like shoes ...

You will always need another one

Welcome to AH!!!

You are a blessing to TeamFet

This is coming from the man that's already purchased 2 rifles this year, and really this last one should count as 2 guns since it is double-barreled.