Best Hunting Rifle for the Lady

June 19, 2018
Mia Anstine

I’ve been asked “what hunting rifle would be best for a lady” many times. First and foremost, you need to assess what game animals the lady intends to pursue. Research the regulations in the area she’ll be hunting. Determine what caliber is legal in that hunting unit, then begin your search for her rifle.

First off I’ll disclose that I’m a Colorado resident, a hunting guide, a hunter education instructor, a mother and a

elk

small statured woman. Around here we’ll primarily be hunting elk, mule deer and black bear.

The "best" rifle for a lady is the one that fits. Don’t worry about surprising her. You need to take her to the range and demo several models. Have her shoot from a rest, sticks and off-hand. Shooting sleds are perfect for sighting in, but when she’s testing a rifle, she won’t get the true feel if it’s anchored in a sled.

Remember to practice working the safety and cycling the bolt in between shots. Make sure it’s not awkward for her to reach these mechanisms. If she’s left-handed, there are models available designed for her, but a well-practiced lefty can run the bolt on a right-handed rifle with ease.

Caliber
A few men have said their wives are very small. They’re worried about getting her to large caliber when they purchase her rifle. What should they get?

I recommend a .270, a 7mm-08, .300, .308… the list is endless. We could debate calibers for days. Look for something that’s flat shooting and teach her good posture at the range to help manage recoil.

Sizes Available
Many rifles are available in Youth Models (YM). YMs come with shortened stocks for shooters with smaller arms and frame. Manufactures are now making stocks contoured to a women’s build. They have raised combs, smaller grip circumferences and cant/twist designed to accommodate for women’s longer necks. If you’re shopping for new, check out the women’s models.

Stocks
If you have a rifle in your safe that you’re willing to give up, you can purchase a new stock or reduce the existing one. She must be able to reach the trigger and forearm support comfortably during a shot. If she has to stretch to reach the trigger, she may pull the shot off target. If she can’t reach the forehand she many not be able to adequately support the rifle in the field.

Shorter stocked rifles make it easier for her to acquire a proper eye relief when mounting the scope. Since her neck may be longer than yours, getting the ocular end of the scope to the appropriate distance from her eye may be a challenge if the stock’s too long.

With the talk about standard or short stocks, comes the issue of what type of stock. Recoil is a factor but so is

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the work of packing around a hunting rifle.

We primarily spot-and-stalk in Colorado and some seasons are as long as nine days. What if she hunts until the last day? What does she want to be carrying around? Right off you may think "I'll get her a lightweight composite stock.” Good thought, but with the lighter stock comes more recoil.

Recoil
What do you do about recoil? Wood stocks are heavier and absorb the energy of recoil, but then you have added weight to carry around. It’s a trade-off and one that should be decided by the shooter.

You can purchase accessories to reduce recoil. Think butt pads, muzzle brakes and shoulder pads. All of these items reduce the feel of recoil. An extended butt pad will extend the length of pull; Same goes for the shoulder pads. Think about this while you’re at the range practicing. Consider how she’ll manage the rifle when she’s wearing thick layers during a winter hunt.

The muzzle brake can collect debris in the field and is going to direct the percussion of the shot back to her. She’ll need to be sure to wear her ear protection during the hunt. All of these accessories are personal preference and together the two of you can choose which ones are best.

Success
I shoot a .270 WIN. "Awe. That's not big enough to kill an elk." Every time I hear this I have thoughts of the tool guy "Grunt! Grunt! Grunt! Bigger is better.” — Well. That's simply not true. I've shot plenty of elk, mule deer and black bear with a single shot from the .270 WIN. It packs a good punch and is a flat shooter. It has a composite stock and I'll admit it kicks more than some of my wood stocked guns.

I chose the lighter weight because "kick" is not important to me when I'm hunting. That groove that it cuts into my shoulder after packing it around for a week lasts longer than the recoil of a shot.

Bottom Line
Choosing a lady's hunting rifle is all about personal preference. Assess the style of hunting, the legal methods of take and trade off's that may need to be done. REMEMBER LADIES You can have your OWN rifle. You do not have to borrow your husband's.

Best of luck on all your hunts! ~ Mia

To find out more about Mia Anstine visit her website and YouTube pages. She offers great articles, podcasts, photography, videography and educational opportunities for all shooters.

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