First Rifle for Wife LH

[Capra]

Hey Guys,

I'm a bowunter for over 30 years, I know how to hunt but im a complete J off when it comes to firearms. I truly only know enough to be dangerous.

My Wife wants to start hunting she has been talking about it for two years now so its time to get her feet wet. She is 5'4" and petite. Game would include Deer, Antelope, Caribou with Hogs being the thickest skin she would likely hunt.

Im looking at 6.5 creedmore? , I wish the savage lady hunter was available in LH it appears to be a no brainer for my goal, however it is not. I'm willing and able to re stock the correct action to get the pull right for her. It is important to me that the recoil is manageable with ballistics that are still lethal and ethical.

With regard to scopes Im open to suggestions. I'm very confident That I can get her inside of 200 yds of most animals so my criteria is a good scope possibly a leoupold or vortex??? from 50-200 yds. Extreme long range is not a concern.

When I say that I dont have a budget I'm saying that I just dont know what the best value is. I have only the best Swaro optics and top of the line equipment so Im of the midset that I would rather Buy once and Cry once. BUT a LH lady set up is a gamble she may kill one pig and decide it is not for her so im looking for a good gun that no one would think twice to take in the field so that she has a good experience and is likely to enjoy all of it but im not headed straight for a gunworks or red rock for a gun that may collect dust.

I appreciate your input !

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I bought a Savage 11 Trophy Hunter XP in .308 Win for my wife a few years back. It was a Bass Pro scoped combo deal with a Nikon 3-9x40 that cost me less than $500 after rebate. It's no Cadillac, but it's plenty good enough for our primary purpose of hunting whitetails in Missouri and I've been pleased with its accuracy out to 300 yds. I wanted a non-magnum caliber to keep recoil mild and chose .308 Win because of the ubiquity of ammunition and wide range of bullet weights.

I would suggest considering a right handed gun even though your wife is a lefty. I'm a lefty but grew up shooting RH guns because that's what was available to me and have only owned one LH gun. It's a bit awkward for me to work the bolt on a RH rifle, but it's definitely doable. A RH rifle would be easier to resell if your wife decides hunting isn't for her.

Edit: I didn't mean to suggest that she actually shoot right handed, just that a RH gun can be operated in a left handed manner. She should shoot whichever way feels more comfortable/natural.

 

[wildwilderness]

Is she left eye dominant?

You will get a lot of recommendations for a tikka since they come in left handed models. I got one for my left eye dominant son. Probably the best overall value for a production rifle. T3x lite comes in LH 6.5 cm and .243

If you want her to like it , get a left handed rifle. I would recommend a .243 but a 6.5 cm would be the largest caliber I would consider. 308 is too much for a petite beginner to enjoy. (Look at a tikka hunter LH in 6.5x55 SE since the tikkas use the long action anyway, and if she doesn’t like it I’ll buy it for my daughter )

The other option is find a left hand rem 700 on, used (look at gunbroker) get a stock from stockys.com and have it custom LOP, cut the barrel to 20” and you have a semi custom rifle for not very much. (I did that with a stainless .243 for my youngest son and he loves it. It’s a shooter, easy to point and I use it a lot since it’s so nice to shoot)

Your cheapest option is a ruger American, Some are shooters, but I just have a problem with the stock, feels too cheap to me. Weatherby also makes LH rifles that are also nice

 

[Capra]

YES she is Left Eye Dominant

Thanks for the input im going to look into your guys suggestions

 

[Catahoula]

My spouse hunts with the 7mm-08 round. I would for sure get your spouse a left handed rifle.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

There are many factors that influence felt recoil, but this might be helpful to you as a starting point for comparing various calibers: https://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

 

[bikinitoboots]

Hey Guys,

I'm a bowunter for over 30 years, I know how to hunt but im a complete J off when it comes to firearms. I truly only know enough to be dangerous.

My Wife wants to start hunting she has been talking about it for two years now so its time to get her feet wet. She is 5'4" and petite. Game would include Deer, Antelope, Caribou with Hogs being the thickest skin she would likely hunt.

Im looking at 6.5 creedmore? , I wish the savage lady hunter was available in LH it appears to be a no brainer for my goal, however it is not. I'm willing and able to re stock the correct action to get the pull right for her. It is important to me that the recoil is manageable with ballistics that are still lethal and ethical.

With regard to scopes Im open to suggestions. I'm very confident That I can get her inside of 200 yds of most animals so my criteria is a good scope possibly a leoupold or vortex??? from 50-200 yds. Extreme long range is not a concern.

When I say that I dont have a budget I'm saying that I just dont know what the best value is. I have only the best Swaro optics and top of the line equipment so Im of the midset that I would rather Buy once and Cry once. BUT a LH lady set up is a gamble she may kill one pig and decide it is not for her so im looking for a good gun that no one would think twice to take in the field so that she has a good experience and is likely to enjoy all of it but im not headed straight for a gunworks or red rock for a gun that may collect dust.

I appreciate your input !

Recoil, felt recoil, whichever, is a big influence in how one perceives the shootability of a rifle. That being said, I hunt with a 6.5 creedmoor-for some things like elk- but pretty much everything else I use a 223. Don’t think cartridge, think bullets. There are a lot of good bullets that will kill most game in North America in 22 and 24 caliber. For women I find a lowest recoil possible, lightweight, small, light trigger with detachable magazines and a super smooth action are the most enjoyable for women to shoot, and therefore enjoyable to practice with.

Lowest recoil possible- think non existent recoil. felt recoil has a lot of different inputs. Most women perceive recoil wayyyy differently than men. Just thinking the rifle is going to recoil causes the shooter to flinch. And if it actually does recoil quite a bit in her eyes, it’s going to cause major shooting problems. Or she could say it’s fine, she feels nothing-and then jumps two feet even before breaking the shot-sending the round who knows where.
I’ve spent the last week antelope hunting. We’ve heard a lot shots going off, but the only time we’ve seen antelope hit the ground in one shot was with our group. I shot one with a 6.5 creedmoor (way too much for an antelope) and one with a 223 (still quite a bit for antelope).

Lightweight-it’s a fact women’s upper body strength is not equivalent to a man’s. 7.5lbs or lighter for the whole setup is ideal. And yes lightweight will increase recoil. Just one more reason to go with a smaller cartridge.
Super smooth action-no hitches or hang ups while working the bolt. It’s a small hiccup to men, for a lot of women it seems to be quite a significant influence. If the action feels like running the bolt down a corncob it’s going to cause issues (#nosavages)
Small equals short and compact. Especially if she’s 5’4! It makes it easier for her to manipulate the gun without help.
Light trigger-hand strength is also different with women. The less strong you are the lighter the trigger needs to be to begin with. A 3lb trigger that’s easy for you, may well feel 2-3 times heavier to her.
Detachable magazines-have you ever watched a new shooter top load an internal magazine?

I really enjoy the Tikka T3x Lite compact. I have a tikka T3 superlite 223 and a howa alpine 6.5 creedmoor that I hunt with . I’m not petite, 5’8, but that compact is awesome. It’s the first rifle I immediately put into my shoulder and could see through. Most women, or any new shooter really, either don’t understand how to, or just plain don’t want to, manipulate their body to get into position to see through the scope. It definitely takes practice to get into position consistently.

Savage-it’s light and you can get them short. The action is terrible and the magazines are ok. The stock on the lady hunter can make it easier to see through the scope-but it’s not good for shooting. The stock design increases recoil=no practicing.

Weatherby Camilla-I thought this rifle was terrible. Everything bad about the savage stock but worse, and no detachable magazines. A stock designed liked that makes a 243 feel like a 308. Every shot will recoil and hit you in the face.

Remington 7/or Remington model 700 youth- no detachable magazines. Action is not as smooth as some. Accuracy and quality control seem to be spotty.

Howa Mini- available in 6.5 Grendel (awesome). Detachable mags, available with a youth stock, inexpensive, action is decently smooth, real short and light. Butttt it doesn’t come in left handed and the stock needs to be slimmed down a bit.

Tikka T3 Compact- my number one pick. Available in 223 with a 1-8” twist to shoot heavy bullets or 243. Great size and weight. Super smooth action. Mags are easy to load. Stock is stiff and compact. Trigger is awesome. Really accurate with good quality control.

223 at close to 300.



6.5 Creedmoor with 147 grain ELD-M at 169 yards


6.5 with 143 grain ELD-X at 197 yards



6.5 143 ELD-X at 150’ish.

 

[wildwilderness]

How much shooting have you guys done? Number one thing I would recommend is get a good accurate .22 LR and learn to shoot. The other option is an accurate pellet gun and you can shoot anywhere. as mentioned just learning to hold a rifle and get on the scope is important.

The 223 is capable for hunting but I feel it has limitations. Most factory ammo is not for hunting. Will have to make sure it’s premium bullets. It’s also illegal in some states to hunt big game with a 22 cal, and I don’t like the small holes it makes. The .243 win makes a big step up to me in terminal performance and not much more recoil. I shoot 85 tsx out of it. The increased diameter helps

That brings up the point- the weight bullet affects recoil- lighter less recoil. So a 6.5cm shooting 147gr bullet will kick more than a 308 shooting 100gr bullets. But if you load up some 180grs in the 308 it will kick a lot more. So many options.

Rem 700, laminate stock cut to 12” lop, 20” barrel ,243 win 85gr tsx, 11yr old boy 95lbs, 5’2”

 

[260madman]

My wife uses a Remington M7 in 260Rem topped with a Loopy VX1 3-9x40. I reload 120 TSX for it and she has no complaints shooting in a T-shirt. I don’t care for Leupolds too much but you can’t beat the eyebox on them. They are so easy to get behind to take a shot. She doesn’t dial so it holds zero with the mild recoil.

As far as a LH rifle my only advice is to find a large gun shop somewhere and let her hold everything and decide from there. If you’re lucky they’ll have some used ones with scopes on them to help out with positioning. Everybody is different and their preferences are the same way. It sounds like bikinitoboots did the same thing and made her decision.

 

[Wapiti1]

I agree with those that suggest a small bore to learn to shoot, then move up to the larger caliber. Anything from a .243 to a .308 would be what I would suggest. Keep in mind that all of these offer bullet choices from tiny to as big as you can shove down the bore.

My wife shoots a 7mm Mauser. We started with .22LR to get the mechanics down, then moved to a .243, and finally 7mm Mauser. My wife is 5'4" as well and her rifle has a 12.5" LOP (length of pull).

Rifle choice is UP TO HER. Take her to the store and have her shoulder the rifles, and get into field positions to she how she feels. Try all of the Left Hand rifles they have with a short length of pull. Length of pull is going to be critical in fitting her. The wrong LOP will make the recoil feel worse. Short is better than too long.

A couple of quality rifles to look at are the Browning X-bolt Micro Midas LH, and Remington 700 SPS Youth LH. If Weatherby offers the Camilla in left hand, that is one to look at.

Other possibilities are any left hand rifle with a wood stock. Have a gunsmith cut it down to fit her and put on a new recoil pad (should cost about $150 to do this).

Jeremy

 

[Dexter Grayson]

Can't go wrong with Tikka. My wife shoots a tikka .300 WSM. Disclaimer: it has a Brake! I've tried to get her a smaller caliber but she says no. Bears don't like small calibers.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Recoil, felt recoil, whichever, is a big influence in how one perceives the shootability of a rifle. That being said, I hunt with a 6.5 creedmoor-for some things like elk- but pretty much everything else I use a 223. Don’t think cartridge, think bullets. There are a lot of good bullets that will kill most game in North America in 22 and 24 caliber. For women I find a lowest recoil possible, lightweight, small, light trigger with detachable magazines and a super smooth action are the most enjoyable for women to shoot, and therefore enjoyable to practice with.

Lowest recoil possible- think non existent recoil. felt recoil has a lot of different inputs. Most women perceive recoil wayyyy differently than men. Just thinking the rifle is going to recoil causes the shooter to flinch. And if it actually does recoil quite a bit in her eyes, it’s going to cause major shooting problems. Or she could say it’s fine, she feels nothing-and then jumps two feet even before breaking the shot-sending the round who knows where.
I’ve spent the last week antelope hunting. We’ve heard a lot shots going off, but the only time we’ve seen antelope hit the ground in one shot was with our group. I shot one with a 6.5 creedmoor (way too much for an antelope) and one with a 223 (still quite a bit for antelope).

Lightweight-it’s a fact women’s upper body strength is not equivalent to a man’s. 7.5lbs or lighter for the whole setup is ideal. And yes lightweight will increase recoil. Just one more reason to go with a smaller cartridge.
Super smooth action-no hitches or hang ups while working the bolt. It’s a small hiccup to men, for a lot of women it seems to be quite a significant influence. If the action feels like running the bolt down a corncob it’s going to cause issues (#nosavages)
Small equals short and compact. Especially if she’s 5’4! It makes it easier for her to manipulate the gun without help.
Light trigger-hand strength is also different with women. The less strong you are the lighter the trigger needs to be to begin with. A 3lb trigger that’s easy for you, may well feel 2-3 times heavier to her.
Detachable magazines-have you ever watched a new shooter top load an internal magazine?

I really enjoy the Tikka T3x Lite compact. I have a tikka T3 superlite 223 and a howa alpine 6.5 creedmoor that I hunt with . I’m not petite, 5’8, but that compact is awesome. It’s the first rifle I immediately put into my shoulder and could see through. Most women, or any new shooter really, either don’t understand how to, or just plain don’t want to, manipulate their body to get into position to see through the scope. It definitely takes practice to get into position consistently.

Savage-it’s light and you can get them short. The action is terrible and the magazines are ok. The stock on the lady hunter can make it easier to see through the scope-but it’s not good for shooting. The stock design increases recoil=no practicing.

Weatherby Camilla-I thought this rifle was terrible. Everything bad about the savage stock but worse, and no detachable magazines. A stock designed liked that makes a 243 feel like a 308. Every shot will recoil and hit you in the face.

Remington 7/or Remington model 700 youth- no detachable magazines. Action is not as smooth as some. Accuracy and quality control seem to be spotty.

Howa Mini- available in 6.5 Grendel (awesome). Detachable mags, available with a youth stock, inexpensive, action is decently smooth, real short and light. Butttt it doesn’t come in left handed and the stock needs to be slimmed down a bit.

Tikka T3 Compact- my number one pick. Available in 223 with a 1-8” twist to shoot heavy bullets or 243. Great size and weight. Super smooth action. Mags are easy to load. Stock is stiff and compact. Trigger is awesome. Really accurate with good quality control.

223 at close to 300.
View attachment 126287


6.5 Creedmoor with 147 grain ELD-M at 169 yards View attachment 126288


6.5 with 143 grain ELD-X at 197 yards
View attachment 126289


6.5 143 ELD-X at 150’ish.
View attachment 126290

There is a guy who is a big fan of Tikka 223s that occasionally posts on here. His SWFAs are taped up a lot like yours

 

[rodney482]

My 90# 15 yoa daughter uses a lefty Ruger American in 6.5 CM. Leupold VXR w lighted reticle. She is solid out to 200 yds. The rifle shoots .5 groups w factory ELD-x

 

[Capra]

Thanks for all of the input!! There are defiantly some good options that I was un aware of. With any luck we may find some of those locally where she can actually handle them.

I should have include that yes, we have been working on mechanics and basics with small calibers.

 

[260madman]

There is a guy who is a big fan of Tikka 223s that occasionally posts on here. His SWFAs are taped up a lot like yours

I wasn’t going to ask but yeah I noticed also.

 

[bikinitoboots]

You mean to tell me everyone doesn’t tape their scopes like that?!!! Damn my teacher...I wanted my scopes to be pretty.

I wasn’t going to ask but yeah I noticed also.

There is a guy who is a big fan of Tikka 223s that occasionally posts on here. His SWFAs are taped up a lot like yours

 

[Wrongside]

Thanks for all of the input!! There are defiantly some good options that I was un aware of. With any luck we may find some of those locally where she can actually handle them.

I should have include that yes, we have been working on mechanics and basics with small calibers.

Good on your wife for getting after it. You've had some great input. bikinitoboots covered things off very well, and I agree with her Tikka recommendation. My wife has just gotten her Hunter's Ed and will be needing a rifle of her own. She loves shooting my Tikka 6.5CM and is very accurate with it out to 500 meters. So I'll probably get her a RH Compact version and top it with a 6x SS.

Which brings me to this point- While I do agree that the Compact T3x is a great option for female or youth shooters, I don't believe the Compact models are available LH. Unfortunately.

 

[bikinitoboots]

Which brings me to this point- While I do agree that the Compact T3x is a great option for female or youth shooters, I don't believe the Compact models are available LH. Unfortunately.

I think you’re right. I held one somewhere, but I guess tikka doesn’t import all the rifles. But tikkas are on sale everywhere! Buy a lh t3x lite and cut the barrel to 20” and cut the stock down. Put a recoil pad back on it and voila!! LH compact tikka!

 

[Wrongside]

I think you’re right. I held one somewhere, but I guess tikka doesn’t import all the rifles. But tikkas are on sale everywhere! Buy a lh t3x lite and cut the barrel to 20” and cut the stock down. Put a recoil pad back on it and voila!! LH compact tikka!

Haha. Another member and I were just PMing about that very thing. Definitely a good option! A person could even put together a 'rare' SS Compact.

 

[DFP]

7mm-08

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