Rifles for Ladies?

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Mastrogiacomo

Mastrogiacomo

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I asked this on another thread but it probably makes more sense to ask it separately. My father got a Remington rifle recently which I love but at 24" it's a little too much for me. I had considered getting a Winchester Model 70 compact but it's not available in the .223 caliber.

Other guns I'm looking at are the Remington Model Seven 20" (I'd like to attach a scope on the gun) and the Ruger M77 Compact II which is 16 1/2." I'm not a hunter so this would be just to have a gun in this caliber to head to the range with my father. I've never had a rifle so now that my father bought one, I'm itching to have one of my own. Any thoughts or suggestions? I'm about 5'2" and 117 lbs. so finding the right barrel length that is most comfortable is important. Thank you. :)
 
Nice gun, but not quite in my price range. I was hoping to find something a little more reasonably priced in Remy, Ruger, or Winchester. Thanks though, if I had the cash, I'd probably spring for the Bushmaster.... :)
 
I think you'd probably be pleased with a Remington Model 7 or a Winchester M70 Featherweight. You might also consider the fine CZ products as well. IIRC you're leaning toward .223 and all of these are available in a short action.

I haven't seen the particular Ruger model you'd mentioned, but I'm sure it's a fine rifle. If you have the opportunity to search for a 'previously loved' rifle, if there was an opportunity to check out the Beretta bolt action carbine in .223 you'd be impressed with the lightness and quality they have; they haven't been imported in quite awhile and I don't know of the availability in the secondary market up there, but it bears a look should you find one.

Same goes for Tikka and Sako.

Regards,
Rabbit.
 
Maybe a lever?

Actually if it's going to be a range gun (instead of for hitting prairie dogs at 400 yards), maybe you should consider something that could also be for HD. A winchester compact '94, maybe; the stock might fit you well, and it has an external hammer, short LOP, very short OAL, etc. Very good for home defense, IMHO.

Although Model 7s are very nice.
 
I plan to pick up the Winchester 94 in a .357 caliber. It's a nice looking gun. I'm looking at the .223 simply because I'd like to have a long gun in that caliber too.
 
Hrmm.. from playing with both the Remington and Ruger offerings, I think if I were interested in a target piece I'd want the Remmy, if a field/hunting rifle I'd go Ruger. Obvisouly, either can serve either purpose, but given your stated needs I think I like the Model 7 advice.
 
Look at a CZ 527

I would suggest a CZ 527 in .223 caliber. My father has the carbine in 7.63X39 and the craftmanship is amazing compared to the American counterparts. I have been wanting to get the varmint with a 24" heavy barrel but there are many options to choose from. Unlike some guns they have a true mini-action (like a little mauser action with improvements) and a detachable magazine. Good Luck!

P.S. I would also like to add that you will loose the performance of the .223 cartridge at longer ranges if the barrel is less than 20" in length.
 
There is always the Kel-Tec SU-16. It's .223 and hovers right around 400 dollars, giver or take a few. The added bonus is it's one of those eeeevil black rifles but doesn't count as one for most of the various state level bans, heck it is even legal in California. 19 inch barrel, all polymere except the barrel, gas system, and the bushing that holds the barrel in the reciever so it is definately light weight.
 
Something I just thought of- if you're only shooting this rifle at the range, probably off the bench, you could put a Harris bi-pod under it and make it more stable regardless of the barrel length. Like I say, a little longer barrel cuts down on the effect of the muzzle blast on you-the-shooter. Also, if you wanted to go prone and wrap in, that's pretty stable if you like to do that way. While I personally, don't shoot from prone, I'm thinking barrel length won't matter then. I keep thinking length of pull- distance from trigger to buttplate- is the bigger issue over barrel length.

I was just thinking to show you Savage's Model 11G, but it's got a 22" barrel, because Savage is getting a lot of praise and has been known for good accuracy for a long time among the hunting crowd. In fact, I'm planning my own in .243 soon as a save a few more pennies.

On the Model 7 Remington, if it's 100yd (or so) target work you're wanting to do, there's a lot of it gets done with aperture sights too. That's a matter of taste, I guess. Reason I bring that up is that the Model 7 comes with sights on the barrel so you'd already have a front sight and that's another direction you could take it if you wanted to.
 
You can pick up a single shot scoped Rossi rifle (break open action) for about $200 in .223. Since this is a "range toy", rate of fire isn't exactly an issue. And the little single shots fit women well in length of stock, they also don't weigh much.
 
I just bought an Armalite AR180B in 5.56 and I amazed at how little recoil there is to the rifle and how light it is. If I remember off hand I think the rifle weighs around 6.5 pounds unloaded and 7.5 loaded with a 30 round mag. It is an amazing rifle, VERY accurate, not a hard kicker, VERY light, and one you can shoot all night- and hell, you can even look cool firing it. They don't cost much, but they give a whole lot.

Also, I have a CUR 2 Romanian AK 74, and it also would be very good for a female shooter. The rifle itself isn't all that light, but the 5.45 round gives almost no kick (not too much more that a 10/22) and it is a dream to shoot and has that good old Kalashnikov reliability. Once less experianced people get over the "evil g-dless communist rifle" bollocks, I think anyone could fall in love with a 74 chambered in 5.45x39.
 
On the break-open single shots, H&R makes 'em too, and in my opinion H&R does a better job of fit and finish as well as being an American product. The prices are running about the same around my part of the country.

As for semi-autos, my first .223 is my Mini-14. While I have no problem with a semi, there's a reason why semi's in general are considered "thinking man's guns". More moving parts you really ought to know the functions of. If all you want to do is punch paper, I'd suggest sticking with the US-made bolt action or the H&R break-open. But, the H&R is more a hunting rifle than a target rifle, in my opinion.
 
One more vote for a CZ 527 in .223. They are a beautiful little rifle, scaled down and wonderfully accurate with an adjustable set trigger as standard .... nice price too.

Spinner
 
For Bolt guns, the Browning Micro Hunter is a nice choice, as it is light and compact, plus the stock is a bit shorter than average at a 13" length of pull.

This one is in .308 Winchester, which I bought for mountain hunting out west - you can get them in lighter calibers.
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Winchester also makes a Model 70 Compact, with similar dimensions. If you prefer a classic Mauser style action, they are a good bet.
 
You might take a look at the Remington 700 ADL youth rifle,($400ish at Wal-mart) I think they come in .223. From your description it sounds like the Youth type rifles may fit you a bit better. The newer Youth 700's & Mod 7 come with a handy 20" barrel. The older ones had a 18 1/2" barrel and If you look around some you might be able to find one in that length. Several guys on another board I visit bought the 700 ADL youth for their kids and the kids lost intrest. The guys put full size stocks on them and found them to be supprizingly accurate. They LOVE them for calling rifles. I have a SS Mod 7 in 7-08 and like it very very much and don't think you would go wrong with either.

The Browning Micro series is a nice rifle as well.

Darkside
 
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