My wife has been hunting more and more...I bought her a savage lady hunter in a 308 and she loves it..she has taken rams, whitetail deer,and 2 hogs with it...she had a blaser r93 she took to Africa and took Kudu and impala...before the savage but it did not fit her..so fit is important... I am looking at getting her a bigger rifle...nilgai,Cape buffalo,hippo,and some large plains game might be on the agenda...

On the menu:

1 ruger guide gun 375 ruger (in the lead with adjust LOP and built in muzzle break--price is attractive to with these features)

2. Sako Kodiak 375 h&h

3. Nosler 48 outfitter 9.3x62 or 375 ruger


Anything else??? Anybody do anything for their wife/girlfriend hunting partners?

Browning Abolt in .375 H&H is about 7.5 pounds, has an excellent trigger, is well finished and accurate. Kevin Robertson writes in The Perfect Shot that he loads the .375 down and it kills better at that velocity. That is a good way to lessen recoil though my wife at five-three and one hundred twenty pounds has used factory ammo for years with no difficulty. CZ makes a carbine in 9.3x 62 with a Kevlar stock and 21" barrel. That is a great option also. It has the 550 action. Proper length of pull and a Decelerator recoil pad are mandatory.

A lightweight 460 Weatherby (7 lb. range) should fit the bill nicely. :-)

Anything in 375 that fits her well would be my choice. Make sure she gets something that fits her and she is comfortable with. Any reason you left the CZ off the list? I would try to go somewhere around the 9-10 pound mark and if you go with a brake I would suggest you get a threaded one with a thread protector and get comfortable shooting off sticks without the brake. Your/her PH will appreciate it. Many think 10 pounds in a 375 is overkill, but for the ladies I think it is a good choice.

ED, you know it depends entirely on a gal's physical build, don't you? Only she could answer how much recoil she's up for or how heavy a gun she could tote.

For DG what seems sensible is the most powerful she can handle.

Between the two of us here, I do the shooting and she sits beside me in the deer blind. And I watch one side and she watches another, and she helps clean it and drag it. And does a bit of dove shooting. All of which she enjoys. But that's about it. Even an M-70 '06 is too heavy and her arms aren't long enough.

For DG if your gal can handle a 375 I'm impressed. But if you can find the guns to do it, I'd experiment first with a 300 Magnum, then a 338, then a 375 and see what happens.

Most of the CZ's are pretty heavy.. She has shot my 375 Ultra mag and found it obnoxious... Which it can be... She has also shot my Sauer 9.3x62 and while not pleasant...found it tolerable.

Ed

Just remember,

14yo teenage girls have proven they can very effectively drop an Elephant with a 7x57
(vs)
grown-up men who have proven they can completely miss an elephant with their .500bore

.....

The CZ Kevlar carbine is about seven pounds, has a Decelerator pad. Federal makes Barnes X and banded solid cartridges. Add a scope and it will break eight pounds. Remember that recoil is brief but gravity is continuous if your wife carries her own rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Trax:
Just remember,

14yo teenage girls have proven they can very effectively drop an Elephant with a 7x57
(vs)
grown-up men who have proven they can completely miss an elephant with their .500bore

.....

quote:

Originally posted by Trax:
Just remember,

14yo teenage girls have proven they can very effectively drop an Elephant with a 7x57
(vs)
grown-up men who have proven they can completely miss an elephant with their .500bore

.....

and there you have it folks- from the guy who has NEVER BEEN THERE,DONE THAT!!
A 9.3X62 is a good legal caliber for such as you described with less recoil than a .375 and available in fairly light rifles..

and there you have it folks Someone like jdollar who says they have Trax on 'ignore' but can't resist quoting me.

and from my knowledge virtally no recreational hunter on AR has effectively taken an elephant with a 7X57,
but many such novices[for lack of confidence,experience & skill] will tell you its not a suitable calibre, However PH Mr.Selby with 53 full seasons in Africa, saw it as suitable for a 14yo girl to use.
...course if the AR xperts were are around at the time, they would have better advised young 14yo Gail Selby, cause what would Mr.Selby know..

Selby & other PHs of those times combined extensive experience over the decades was that medium-bore like .375 resulted in quicker kills of DG,
because the clients could more regularly & confidently place the shot.
Selby is quoted as saying that clients with big-bore doubles completely missed the DG animals they were aiming at....with the .375 forging a better track record of quick kills.
and the reason such results were so noted by Selby and the like, is that they as PHs noticed they had much less incidences that require the [preferably avoidable] dangerous follow-ups on wounded DG.

Saeeds extensive results with his wildcat .375 against hundreds of DG, also confirm how consistently effective a medium is.
There is nothing to suggest a larger bore would be any more effective.

The rather extensive empirical experience based evidence - of the likes of Saeed,Selby and Bell, all point to the same thing,
Shot placement trumps calibre.

Of course if you have the vast extensive experience that outmatches & contradicts those 3 exceptionally well accomplished and credible fellows, please share it with the forum.

and if anyone thinks that very effectively killing an elephant with a 7x57 is a stunt,.. then what would you call a hopeless novice that completely misses with a .500bore?

I have a Whitworth 375 I modified to use at the Safari rifle shoots. I added a muzzle brake and mercury recoil reducer. It was very effective, I loaned to a friend to use at the shoot, he had never shot more than a 223 and he had no problem. I would say it is about like a 30-06
If you were closer I would let her try it out.

Mark

I own a CZ in 9.3 x 62.It is the shorter 550 Battue model . I have had numerous Ladies ( and Gentlemen ) use the rifle. Recoil is very acceptable. All my sons have started using it from the age of 12. The rifle has accounted for numerous Big Game animals over the years and has converted many a hunter to this fine calibre.

Something Saeed has mentioned using and no one so far has listed it.
A PACT pad.

IF that for some reason don't suit her. I had a neighbor shooting a light weight .458 that beat him real bad. He sewed up a section of dense foam like those sleeping pads are made of.
Wrapped nicely with naugahyde and straps that wrap around my middle to hold it in place. Sure works wonders for me. One thing I have noticed with it. Shots are 2" higher than without it.

Shucks have a gun bearer carry it and then get a bit heavier gun that will help reduce the kick.
Good luck to the lady,
George

505ED

I know you mentioned a Blaser didn't fit. Was it too long or what?

I suggest you try an R8 in the new classic stock. Have it cut to size if need be or the comb worked abit or event he grip trimmed.. Whatever it takes:-)
375 H&H "semi-weight" (19mm) 23" fluted barrel topped with a good scope for general hunting, for DR I highly recommend the Aimpoint H34L/S or H30L/S. Something about the aimpoints/reddot sights people tend to shoot them well.
I feel that with Red dots, having no magnification, shooters don't get all tensed up when the crosshairs are bobbing around. This is especially true with shooters not experienced with shooting off/sticks/field positions..rests that aren't bench steady.

Try to keep the weight down to where its manageable, strike a balance between shootability and being able to carry/get into action. You or your wife wouldn't want someone else carrying her rifle when THE opportunity does present itself... We do it but its not always ideal.

I was sold on Blaser last year when I tried a professional in 416 Rem aluminium receiver . Couldn't believe the way it handled and was great to shoot:-) compared to my G&H which is spunky.

Agree with Jan 9,3 is very pleasant to shoot and very effective however I find the 375 more forgiving.

The 500J (steel receiver) has been has been nicknamed "Snappy";-)

Good luck in your search/project

Leon

quote:

Originally posted by Jan Dumon:
I own a CZ in 9.3 x 62.It is the shorter 550 Battue model . I have had numerous Ladies ( and Gentlemen ) use the rifle. Recoil is very acceptable. All my sons have started using it from the age of 12. The rifle has accounted for numerous Big Game animals over the years and has converted many a hunter to this fine calibre.

+1 cz 550 fullstock nice and short easy to handle and carry 375 or 9.3

ED,

IMO the Ruger Guide Gun might be perfect for your wife. You have a nice trim package, adjustable LOP and effective muzzle brake.

Mark

If you want to try out the Ruger Guide Gun, let me know and you can borrow it or try it (for some reason I believe you are in the Houston area). I used it on my trip in October 2013 and really liked it. The muzzle break is very effect and the gun handles nicely. I am even one of those demented souls that thinks it actually looks sort of cool.

I would get a Double 9.3x74 s/s single mechanical trigger (selective if possible) fit a low magnification scope and a doctor sight in quick detachable mounts. Not more recoil than a 16ga shotgun light and handy. Fit a decent recoil pad and go hunting!

Cheers

Check out the .380 Howell that Wayne Jacobsen has at AHR. Beautiful rifle.

My wife really loves my Whitworth in 365 H&H.....she has practically claimed it as her own.....

I started her with lighter loads and worked her up a bit over time........She never notices recoil when shooting at game.


.

J, I know you meant 375 H&H, not 365.

Anyway, I remember seeing those 375 Whitworths when they came out years ago. Wanted one, but never got around to it. I'm still interested in it.

I do have a Whitworth action on a custom Mauser. It's a short barrel .416 Rem Mag. I'm really, really not so sure about a gal trying to shoot that though.

Oh, one 375 I would NOT recommend for a lady, the Weatherby.

My niece, who got her first buff last year in Zim With CMS, loves her M70 375H&H. She weighs less than 105 #s dripping wet. We shortened the stock till we got the correct LOP on it. Off sticks or off-hand she cycles the bolt with out dropping the rifle from her shoulder after a shot.

quote:

Originally posted by Jan Dumon:
I own a CZ in 9.3 x 62.It is the shorter 550 Battue model . I have had numerous Ladies ( and Gentlemen ) use the rifle. Recoil is very acceptable. All my sons have started using it from the age of 12. The rifle has accounted for numerous Big Game animals over the years and has converted many a hunter to this fine calibre.

I believe I've shot a lion with that gun Jan?

The OP did not mention if his wife is recoil shy or not. If not, a 375 is the legal minimum almost everywhere for DG. I'd highly recommend your choice of 375 Ruger, as the rifle in 'African' weighs only 7.75 lbs. If recoil is troublesome for her, I think the same Ruger African model in 9.3x62 would be perfect, but the caliber is not legal in all countries for DG, and Ruger has discontinued the caliber, but it can still be found.

My wife weighs 120 lbs. and is 5'4". She has shot my 458 Lott and experienced instant headaches. She has shot my 416 Rigby and it is manageable for her, but more recoil than she likes. She has shot my 375s and is happy. But she LOVES her 9.3x62 and has informed me that she is not interested in any other bigger calibers. She is also not impressed with rifles that weigh a lot either.

For such persons, I think rifles that weigh 7.5 to 7.75 lbs., seem just about right. That quality, I believe, reduces the power of the rifle to manageable levels. I have therefore come to the conclusion, for my wife at least, that a 9.3x62 or a 375 downloaded to about 2400 fps (as Kevin Robertson suggests, along with high praise for his 600 clients who have used the 9.3x62 for Cape buffalo) in a rifle under 8 lbs. weight is just about enough. I and our PH will be there for backup if needed.

505ED

As a woman hunter who has had many different rifles, my rifle of choice is a M70 .375 H&H. I've taken everything from elephant to dik dik with it and won't use anything else in Africa.

I know you already know this, but the FIT is the most important thing to consider. I wouldn't recommend using a borrowed gun (even MJines ) unless you have it fitted for her!!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

While not female, I am a bit on the vertically-challenged side: 5'7" and 155#. I have done a fair amount of hunting with an M70 .375 and found both carrying and shooting it very manageable.

505ED
My wife started of with my CZ 375H&H which she found heavy and cumbersome for a big bore. She has come to prefer the Ruger No1 rifles because their centre of gravity is closer to her body and easier to hold offhand than a bolt.
Her favourite rifle is a No1 in 416 Rigby which she uses for every thing. She has fired up to 18 shots in a sitting without complaint. For a show rifle she has a custom 8lb 500NE on a Ruger No1 action. She fires 510gr at 2200fps in the rifle for her weight of 110lb.
This rifle she doesn't fire just to burn propellant. I developed loads for her and zero the rifle. She'll double check my zero for her over shooting sticks and further shoot it for hunting and big bore competition purposes. In competition she has fired 8 shots in a row and in hunting 6 shots in a buffalo battle.

Your wife will have loads of fun with a 375 and probably even a 416. Buy her the gun she likes.

I would opt for anything 9.3 x 62. The light CZ mentioned prior, a Ruger #1 would also be quite nice. I have taken 3 Buff, Eland, Hippo, Croc, Leopard and lots of smaller stuff with this caliber. Ammo is really easy to find here in the States and overseas as well. Hand loading it lets you come up with all sorts of recoil and big game getting options.

The 9.3 x 74R double gun was mentioned (that's what I am taking to Moz. this year) is OK, light to carry, easy to shoot, but lacks a little in comparison to the "62" bolt gun for things over 75 yards in distance.

I personally see no reason a 9.3 x 62 would not do any job asked, and be a real joy for your lady to shoot.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
Sabatti 'trash' 9.3 x 74R Double Shooter
R8 Blaser - 9.3 x 62
DRSS

If you are going to load a 375 anything down, go with a 9.3x62 that fits her. Game won't know any different. My wife could never get used to the recoil of a 375 H&H but shot both the 9.3 as well as my 416 Taylor just fine. The ph on two safaris were amazed at how she handles the Taylor!

404 Jefferey in a custom fitted rifle for the big game and the rest to whatever she shoots in the US

My wife Melanie shoots a 375 with ease. She's all of 4'11" and maube 125 pounds. Fit is what counts...

Thanks for all the replies guys... I am working on a deal right now in a 9.3x62...

Ed

Ed, she's right-handed, I hope (unlike you) :-)

quote:

Originally posted by 505ED:
Thanks for all the replies guys... I am working on a deal right now in a 9.3x62...

Ed

Good choice.

Reading this thread reminded me that I have a Ruger # 1 in 9.3x74 for the gals and that might be a good choice for your bride.

And I have a NIB Ruger Alaskan stainless in 375 Ruger, with the soft-touch Hogue stock, if that would help.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
And I have a NIB Ruger Alaskan stainless in 375 Ruger, with the soft-touch Hogue stock, if that would help.

Did you not just buy it !!!!!

"I would get a Double 9.3x74 s/s single mechanical trigger (selective if possible) fit a low magnification scope and a doctor sight in quick detachable mounts. Not more recoil than a 16ga shotgun light and handy. Fit a decent recoil pad and go hunting!"


What he said.

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:
505ED

As a woman hunter who has had many different rifles, my rifle of choice is a M70 .375 H&H. I've taken everything from elephant to dik dik with it and won't use anything else in Africa.

I know you already know this, but the FIT is the most important thing to consider. I wouldn't recommend using a borrowed gun (even MJines ) unless you have it fitted for her!!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

+1

The new M70's are very nicely made; whereas I've seen a few Sako's with terrible chambering jobs etc.....wouldn't touch one.

My lady can handle a rifle well but I couldn't imagine her using anything more than the 9.3 or 375F