Girl Gun?

[alemonkey]

My wife absolutely loves my Stevens Favorite in .22LR with a peep sight. If I was going to buy her a centerfire I'd think about a Ruger No.1 in .243. Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I love single shots and she likes them too.

 

[DEFOXER]

GRIZZLY WITH A 270????? omg, with a 375 chaser perhaps? I'm not disrespecting the 30-30, plenty use them down here and honestly for a big sambar its probably borderline. With the thick scrub in the bush here the difference with an animal expiring after 50m or 500m is significant; empty freezer...
At the hands of an experienced hunter who can place the shot correctly at an extended range, or at al; great (AI better).
cz85cmbt, you're correct about outgunning yourself in the sense that if you can't place the bullet in the right place, due to recoil or a flinch....step down a notch. At the same time though if you're comfortable step up for the added insurance
British cannons, good one oldfool!

defoxer

 

[cz85cmbt]

Sure, a .270 with the right bullet. The winchester fail safe, nosler, or barnes would get the job done on a grizzly. There are dudes that hunt them with long bows, not that I would. And besides big salt water crocs, all Australia's big beasties are feral. Last time you guys had big wild creatures was the Pleistocene era. Just kidding. My point in not outgunning yourself is to practice a lot and people don't practice with heavy kickers much, and you shouldn't. If you practiced with a 458 win a lot you would develop a flinch. Most heavy magnums don't really out shine their competition until they hit 400 yards and most guys shouldn't shoot game that far away. Here in maine it's hard to find 400 yards of open space.

 

[Stainlessbutcher]

Lots of great suggestions, let me touch on a few points that will perhaps narrow it down a bit. I will be loading the ammo, so I can load milder, but I do want easily accessible brass, so no oddball things like 6.5 carcano and such(I'm new to reloading) Must be able to take a standard scope with no offset. She will eventually learn iron sites, but not to start. CHEAP! I'm not going to invest a boatload of money in a gun she will maybe use three times a year, or perhaps lose interest in after one season. I'll be shopping for used, possibly sportized milsurp as well as the new stuff. *edit* I've got a pre-64 winchester 94 in 30-30, but that is MINE!...LOL

B.

 

[Maverick223]

I've got a pre-64 winchester 94 in 30-30, but that is MINE!

Now, now kids...share.

 

[husker]

rem Mohawk 600 in 243

 

[Maverick223]

rem Mohawk 600 in 243

Not a bad choice (though I believe they have steadily crept up in price over the past few years)...and it reminds me of something: if you plan to have kids later on, this rifle could do double duty (probably thinking way too far ahead...but perfect for both nevertheless).

 

[husker]

YA. there not cheap any more. but i will always have at least 1 Great little walking rifle

 

[DEFOXER]

back to the question though......consider a Stevens bolt action rifle - if you go for a 30-06 you could download (within the safe lower limit though). Beauty of the Savage system is that with a simple barrel nut tool, or even a monkey wrench, and a go gauge you can swap between barrels yourself without a smith. There are plenty of chambered threaded & crowned barrels available. You could start off with a 223 then swap an '06 or 300winmag barrel later or indeed almost ANY cartridge with the correct bolt end/face swapped in. The 378 weatherby case size I would probably not chance as there would remain insufficient meat around the chamber though I think its been done. I awaiting delivery of a 300 win mag in the next fortnight will then acquire a second barrel for swapping either 358STA or a backup H&H
defoxer

 

[billybob44]

Here's another .243 at a much lower price -

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=151837747

Can't go wrong with a Rem. 700. But this one will probably go for 750-$800 before it's sold.

 

[billybob44]

Im in the 243 camp good for varmint hunting also,Mild recoil and with the right bullet more than enough gun.Provided you teach her proper shot placement and give her plenty of range time before season.

I'm kind of with you..6MM Rem. would be another option. A little more case capacity=a little more range+can double as a varmint gun. Can be had in the Rem. 700 models.

 

[oldfool]

I know the 30-30 is historically a popular cal over there in the US of A - story goes however that its lost about as many deer as its taken...probably on account of shot placement more than anything though. Take as much can as you can handle; my other half totes a 375H&H, although she is yet to chase a Sambar with it she handles it & rides the recoil well. Although not really a girl gun, dont think that being female means they should be limited to questionable deer calibre. Over here in the deep deep south (Australia) the minimum is 270 calibre ( with 2 inch shell) for Sambar.

all kidding aside, for those (Aussies and Yankees) that don't already know, Sambar are not whitetail deer...

Whitetails average ~200 # or so, but range in size about 2:1
World record whitetail is ~ 500#, Minnesota
Minnesota whitetail most typically tend to be "larger", Texas whitetail tend to be "smaller"
(Texas whitetail translation for Aussies = "large goat")
Sambar average ~ 450#, and a big one can go 1000-1200#
(Yankee translation for Sambar = "Elk")

most of us yankees would not be recommending 243 or 30-30 for Elk, and many of us would think 270 very suitable for elk , and also agree than a heavier/larger slower bullet than 270 a good choice in heavy brush

 

[Brimic]

.243, .260 rem, 6.5x55 swede.

 

[Art Eatman]

A .243 will kill any deer that ever walked Texas. A handloader can use 100-grain bullets at starting-load velocities and not have undue recoil even in a fairly light rifle.

No such thing as a "girl" rifle. Small-stature, maybe, but rifles generally aren't interested in the sex life of the shooter.

Hunting in woods won't make a bullet hit a limb. Only the shooter can do that. And no bullet of whatever size can avoid being deflected by a limb.

Odds are, one of these "youth" rifles wouldn't need modification of the stock for proper length of pull for a smaller person, and thus wouldn't lose value from being modified. Just something to check into...

 

[jbech123]

there is no such thing as a "girl gun", get over it
your girl just might be a 30-06 or 45-70 girl

You can always find exceptions, but trends do tend to pop up. You hear much more "my girl loves to shoot my ___(.22, AR, 243)" than you hear how much they love to to sit at a bench for a long session with a 378 weatherby. The reason is simple, because on the whole they are of slighter build. Unless they are gun nuts, there are certain things I've noticed with the ladies on a pretty wide scale...they like lighter recoil, and they'd rather shoot than tinker. They can do anything - my wife has shot my 375 h&h and she's all of 120lbs, and one time figured out a broken part on my 1911 before I did. But give her an AR-15 with irons and some 12" steel swinging targets at 300-400 yards and she has more fun than a shopping spree in a jewelry store.

 

[wishin]

But give her an AR-15 with irons and some 12" steel swinging targets at 300-400 yards and she has more fun than a shopping spree in a jewelry store.

Now, that's a keeper!