Thread: Firearms for women

And the model 7 is always a good light base to start with if you want to rebarrel to something else .

I think arguing about calibers gets a little academic - most hunters won't use more than a couple of packets of ammo a year. For the average person, a rifle plus required bits, ear protection and some basic maintenance gear are the first purchases and that will come with a couple of boxes of ammo. Provided it's a half decent caliber capable of anchoring medium sized game animals it doesn't matter exactly what caliber it is. Plenty of ladies use .308 and do well, I have seen a few on the range using .223 and no complaints for that either. Put another way, it might say gucci or louis vuitton - but it's still a bag...

Getting onto a range with someone that knows what they are about and getting proficient so you can plant the pill within a few target squares of where you are aiming it is more important than the actual name and numbers on the box of ammo, as does knowing what the ammo does when you shoot it in that rifle. The only way to do that is shoot it.

Whatever the caliber, make sure it's readily available in your area in a flavour that works well in the rifle and buy a couple of hundy rounds and spend the first half on the range getting used to the thing and working the bugs out. Then go hunting.

I ended up buying a Howa .308 20" barrel, with a dpt supressor and optional muzzle break cap. Pretty happy with it... but now also wanting a 243... im gonna need a bigger safe.

why do you want a 243 as well? its just a necked down 308 at the end of the day

Don’t listen to him. You can have as many rifles in what ever flavour as you like

Originally Posted by Sidetrack

Don’t listen to him. You can have as many rifles in what ever flavour as you like

but might as well when starting out getting something for all occasions. start with 22lr, 12gu and a decent centerfire like 308 before expanding out

Originally Posted by AlwaysLearning

.243 is always on my mind. And old mate uses only that... im just concerned if I need to drop a deer with that my shot placement i would assume needs to be spot on... as a beginner, what if I'm not that good. K don't want to injure and not kill anything. That's why I thought a .308 would do the job even if I'm slightly off... I know my big stag I shot was a bit off, but he dropped within 20 to 30meters. If I had a .243 would that have happened? He was so good 70m away. Im just concerned I won't have the skills.

Smack deer through shoulders and it's not going anywhere. The older culler/ writers who used 243 Holden,Orman and Burden all loved them. Orman recommended the 100 GRN and shoulder shot.....projectiles have come a long way from the basic cup n core of the sixties.... But they all still work just as well as ever did.

The Howa Mini has the magazine sticking out where I want to carry it. YMMV but something to check before buying.

Originally Posted by Bol Tackshin

The Howa Mini has the magazine sticking out where I want to carry it. YMMV but something to check before buying.

I hate this too, Jeffersons bottom metal on my 223 fixed that. And I trimmed the mag down on the 7.62 for a flush fit, it holds three rounds now which is ok, I still have a full mag if more rounds are needed.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

Bear in mind that other things being equal women tend to be better shots than men.

My mother has only fired five shots in her life. With an old Tikka LSA55 in .243, lying prone, she put five shots into half an inch at 100m. We didnt even know the rifle could do that.

Originally Posted by AlwaysLearning

.243 is always on my mind. And old mate uses only that... im just concerned if I need to drop a deer with that my shot placement i would assume needs to be spot on... as a beginner, what if I'm not that good. K don't want to injure and not kill anything. That's why I thought a .308 would do the job even if I'm slightly off... I know my big stag I shot was a bit off, but he dropped within 20 to 30meters. If I had a .243 would that have happened? He was so good 70m away. Im just concerned I won't have the skills.

There is nowhere you could shoot a deer with a .308 that a .243 in the same place wouldnt kill it too. With a light fast bullet a .243 will actually do more damage than some .308 bullets.

Everybody shoots the .243 well. The little bullet is a killer. The cartridge is better looking. It is cuter. The name is even better, the numbers go together -they roll off the tongue like a poem. Two Four Three.
Get a .243, you will not regret it. It will become a friend for life.

Originally Posted by AlwaysLearning

I ended up buying a Howa .308 20" barrel, with a dpt supressor and optional muzzle break cap. Pretty happy with it... but now also wanting a 243... im gonna need a bigger safe.

If you can find someone to hand load for you, that opens things wide up with the 308. Lighter projectiles can still shoot things dead in the 308! Just ask @Shootm about what his daughter is shooting. My favourite load with the 308 is still the 125gn Sierra Prohunter over 46gn of 2208, pretty mild compared to some but still very effective to moderate range, would be doing around 2750 fps in a 20" barrel. Loose a bit too much velocity in anything shorter than 20" though...

But don't let me talk you out of a 243 - just bought my first one myself (for my son of course!)

Yeah she loves my Sako .308. 125gn Pro Hunters @2850

Originally Posted by Tentman

The Bergara Stoke model is expressly designed for folks with a small frame and smaller hands. Comes in a range of calibres and is very reasonably priced. A good bit more refined than a Howa IMO.

Bergara QC tho...