womens rifle

[klee]

Im a girl looking for a rifle for deer. I've never own nor shot one before. I've only hunted in a slug zone. I'm 5ft 3in and 230 lbs. I shot a 20ga and 12ga before but i think a 20 ga would do the job. I'm looking to spend under $700. The guns I own now are mostly youth size because it fits me good and I feel comfy handling it. I'm guessing it would be the same with a rifle. Now I'm just having some problem determining what caliber to get, so any of ya ladies or gents with wives who shoot would recommend what you have or like. Mention the pros amd cons. Thanks!

[Ufatz]

Look for a nice Ruger in .308-just the ticket for what you want to do. Modest recoil, plenty effective for killing deer and the rifle itself will not be overly heavy.

[midwesthunter]

This will be my girlfriends first year of deer hunting. We opted for the Savage Model 11 Trophy Hunter XP Youth gun in a 7mm-08.

Great shooting gun, came with a Nikon scope, and fit her well.

The 7mm-08 is a low recoil round but still is plenty big for deer with either 120 or 140 grain bullets.

[Tom7227]

Where are you going to hunt? What if any guns do you own? You mentioned shooting a 12 and a 20 gauge - were you shooting shot shells or slugs? You can get a long way towards an acceptable deer gun if you start with a 20 gauge shotgun. If you own one what make/model and what barrel?

What zone are you hunting? Public or private ground? Wooded or open?

How do you think you can do handling the kick of a gun?

Most deer in MN are shot at less than 100 yards, probably the biggest percentage at less than 75 yards in most areas of the state. If you define your expectations/location/equipment you will get a lot better advice.

[Archerysniper]

If your looking at just shooting deer in Mn I would go with a .243 or 6mm both are great youth guns with great ballistics and low recoil. If I was looking to shoot bigger animals at some point I would look at the .308 or .270.

[klee]

We hunt Minnesota and Wisconsin shotgun only zones, but will be hunting a Wis rifle only zone next year that is about 90 acres of wooded and open field. I own a 20ga Beretta that I use to shoot birds and use smoothbore for deer. I don't shoot anything further than 15 yards with a smoothbore. We hunt public land for slug zones in mn and private in Wis. next year we will be hunting on private rifle zone only, I figure I should plan ahead and get some practice in and just to shoot for fun at the range. We hunt mostly wooded areas. For the rifle, I’d probably say I would be comfortable shooting less than 30 yards. I haven't tried it yet, but the distance seems good enough. I’ve read some articles and stuff, but they mostly recommend a 243 and some people have stated that it won't kill the deer if it’s too far away. I can handle some kick, but I prefer something that will not make me hate shooting a rifle. I've shot a browning gold 12ga and I like it because it doesn't kick like other 12ga I’ve tried before. We own a few Browning, Ruger, Remington, and Beretta at the moment.

[K_Josh87]

I have a .243 Tikka T3 lite i shoot for yotes. Its a nice, accurate, and light to carry gun... I'm 6-3 and 250... so I'm not a great comparison, My girlfriend does shoot it as well and does quite well with it... a 300 yd shot on a yote with my .243 I would not blink an eye. I would need to shoot heavier rounds and study there abilities before determining how far I would shoot at a deer with it... Others who hunt deer with a .243 would know better, but I would think 200yds or less shouldn't be a problem for a .243. It doesn't matter how big of a gun you carry, you have to be comfortable shooting it, and be able to place that bullet where you want it... A 20ga. slug will make a deer just as dead as a 12ga. slug... .243 will make a deer just as dead as an 06, but you have to stay within the guns capabilities, and your own comfort zone... a .243 and 30yds on a white tale.... I see zero issue with that...

[Dave S]

I would recommend the 7mm-08 or a 25-06.

You say you plan to keep your shots within 30 yards and at that rate, you could save your money and stick with a 12 ga and slugs.

A rifle will be more than sufficient in those ranges but allows you to extend your shots accurately to 150 yards.

It sounds as though you plan on practicing for a year prior to the hunt and to that, I commend you for taking the right steps to familiarize yourself with a different gun before hitting the woods.

[Tom7227]

Klee,

Your 20 gauge Beretta can easily do the job for you. The only thing I wonder about is whether the kick of a slug in that gun is something that you will have trouble with.

I suggest that you buy 2 boxes of at least 3 different kinds of slugs. Then go out to a range and set up at 25 yards. Use the sandbags they will have there, and if you don't see them or know how to do this ask the range officer for help. Shoot 3 shots with each of the brands of slugs. I expect one will be superior to the others and will have a tighter pattern. If you can do it then move to the 50 yard range and do it again.

Different brands of slugs work differently in every gun. Once you find the right one for your gun stick with it. You should be able to shoot 25 yards with confidence once you get set up.

[klee]

The Beretta is gas operated and kicks with the slugs. I can still handle it though. The only slugs that worked well with this gun was the federeal truballs so that's all I shoot out of it. I think I need to invest in some kind of shoulder padding because it hurts after shooting 1 pack.

[Scott K]

I will add that when deer hunting you usually have a few layers to pad the gun, along with adrenalin that you usually dont notice the kick. The problem is practicing, and shooting without all the layers on.

I would either get a .243, or use your 20ga you already have. The .243, is a great shooting gun, with very little recoil. My wife used one, and my son and daughter as well.

[KJMinion]

I would recommend a .308. I bought a Savage Model 11 for our step-daughter two years ago when she was 12, and she shoots very well with it. I let her use the 150 grain bullets for target practice and deer hunting and then go with 180 grain bullets for bear hunting. It also came with a very nice recoil pad that really softens the kick.

There are many great lighter calibers to go with however the reason why I chose a .308 is because she enjoys bear hunting and I wanted to get something with a little more knockdown power when needed and the bullets can be found everywhere.

[Comstock]

A few years ago i bought my oldest daughter, she is 5'3" and about 100#'s a Savage model 14 in 7mm-08 and i see now they have it in a few other models for youth and women. I think the latest is the model 11 "ladyhunter". I would highly recommened the Savage with the accu trigger and the 7mm-08 is a great light recoiling caliber. The model 14 we have I had the stock slightly shortened so the length of pull is 12 1/2" fits her and her 11 year old brother very well. Both are comfortable shooting the rifle and handle the recoil with no complaints or worse yet flinching! One more suggestion for stating a young person shooting a rifle, invest in a SledBed and load it up with sand bags to reduce the recoil to almost nothing. That way they are comfortable shooting the rifle and when a deer is in the X-hairs recoil is the last thing on thier minds. It has worked for us and both my son and daughter have filled thier tags with this rifle. Have a 9 year old daughter too so that means i am back in the market for another rifle and it will be a 7mm-08 for sure!

Good Luck!

J