Women's Rifle or Youth Model?

[accool]

Hello everyone! My husband has been getting me into hunting the last few years. I've been using his old Winchester 70 30-06 for elk and deer hunting in Colorado. I have to use a rest or I feel like I'm going to tip over nose first. It's time I get my own rifle! We've been debating a youth rifle with a cheek raise or a women's specific model (Savage Lady Hunter 7mm-08 or Weatherby Camilla). I'd appreciate some input from the more experienced folks on this forum! If it helps, I'm 5'5"/130.

 

[TxxAgg]

Grab a tikka in 6.5cm or 7mm-08 with a compact stock.

 

[TaperPin]

If you like Winchester rifles, my first wife was just a little shorter than you and really liked a featherweight Winchester cut to her length of pull. It’s available in all sorts of good cartridges, but a 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm08 would be hard to beat in a light rifle. The classic style stocks look good shortened. If your budget is a little higher, the Kimber 84 is really light weight and is very similar to a Winchester action. Buying a youth model is the easiest way to go, but any gunsmith can shorten a standard stock and recontour the recoil pad.

The women’s stocks aren’t bad if you like the way they look and feel. We’ve heard from others that the shape of the Women’s rifle from Savage wasn’t as useful as they had hoped. As long as the length of pull is correct it’s hard to go wrong with any light weight rifle.

 

[eightyeight mag]

What’s your budget??

 

[119bowhunter]

Might not be an issue for you but my wife grew up hunting with her dads Browning 7mm-08 and loved it, after we got married I bought her a Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08…it weighs 6 pounds 8 ounces with the scope and she hated shooting it because the recoil was much more than what she was used to coming from a full sized rifle

We ended up getting her a Winchester model 70 extreme weather in 6.5 CM and she’s been much happier with that….I did keep the model 7 though because it’s a pleasure to carry around compared to some of my other options

 

[LongWayAround]

Tikka compact .243 or 6.5 Creedmoor with the vertical grip module.

There's been threads on here that say the recoil management of that lady hunter stock is terrible. You want the recoil to move in a straight line from the muzzle through your shoulder.

 

[accool]

Wow, thanks for the suggestions! I'm not familiar with Tikka but I clearly need to check them out. Good to know the "women's fit" rights are probably just another example of the pink tax.

 

[Huntingfarandwide]

Remington Model 7 if you can find them.

 

[Eleven]

My girlfriend struggled for years with finding a good fitting rifle for herself. When she found the savage lady hunter she stopped looking. Her’s is a 6.5 CM. She is great with it and she loves the fit and recoil management. I just told her I was responding to your post and she said ‘I don’t need to adjust myself to fit it, it already fits me’.

 

[peterk123]

My wife shoots a savage ladyhunter in 6.5 creedmor. She loves that thing. The stock is specifically designed for a woman. Has a great trigger and the accuracy is incredible. Great rifle. One of the few truly designed for a female.

 

[Small-foot]

I transitioned to a Tikka with the vertical grip a while back after a lot of misery with an old hand me down Remington .270 then a ruger american 30-06…after attending a shoot2hunt course and watching multiple non tikka rifles have issues, as well as spending a lot more time shooting, lower caliber for recoil management and a good stock will do you wonders for both accuracy and enjoyability. Tikka’s are relatively reasonable in terms of price, especially if you can find a used one and really stinking reliable. The RokStok is the way to go in terms of non factory stocks, but a tikka with a vertical Grip is next. For reference, I’m just under 5’4” and my true length of pull is about 12.5” which most factory stocks are 13” or more. However, I can shoot a standard tikka just fine even with layers and the compact stock is almost perfect for me. I’ll also add from a recoil management and ergonomics point of view the weatherby women’s stock is atrocious.

 

[Rat]

I purchased a Weatherby Camilla in 7mm-08 for my daughter a couple of years ago, she loves it and my wife and her were taking turns using it so just last month I purchased another one for my wife. They both love their guns, I highly recommend the Camilla vanguard. Very accurate with the right ammo. My wife is 5'5" and my daughter is 5'1". My wife was using a Remington 700 in 25-06 before the Camilla and she says it feels much more natural for her.