I need to buy my wife a rifle
she doesn't give me a chance with mine any more what wil you suggest a 6.5x55,243or 308 please help the feminist are taking over

Not knowing what she will use it for I'd go with .308.

375

Ihave a 460 weatherby that will be perfect for her. It will save you money in the long run trust me.

LOL

Luan

I have a nice trim Mauser 98 in 9.3 X 62 which seems to me to have very little recoil (at least compared to all my other rifles). I think that in South Africa this would be the great all-around caliber anyway. Why couldn't a woman shoot one well?

Never having seen a .243 that gave really first class accuracy (reliably with factory ammo)... the little 6,5x55 is a very pleasant shooting round, and available in a wide range of ammo styles suitable for everything from springbok at 300m (130grn @2990fps) to kudu up close (156grn @2560fps)

quote:

Originally posted by luan:
375

Ihave a 460 weatherby that will be perfect for her. It will save you money in the long run trust me.

LOL

Luan

do you want her to take my 375 aswell you just kastrate me

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
Never having seen a .243 that gave really first class accuracy (reliably with factory ammo)... the little 6,5x55 is a very pleasant shooting round, and available in a wide range of ammo styles suitable for everything from springbok at 300m (130grn @2990fps) to kudu up close (156grn @2560fps)

I was thinking in that direction she loves my 243 but the 6.5 gives her more options im having a silencer fitted to my 308 so ill see how she goes with it.

once i get my 7x57 license it might be a good option too

she shot a 22mm and a 20mm grouping with the 243 my best is 13mm

My vote has to go to the .308 Win
Load it with 130gr GS HV bullets to whatever recoil tolerance she can comfortably shoot. My wife took her first warthog with mine and has never looked back. It will also see her through to when she finally wants to take bigger game like Eland, Gemsbok and Kudu.
One other major + for the .308 in SA is that just about every gunshop across the country is going to stock relaoding component and factory ammo whereas the 6.5 and the .243 are going to be less common.

7X57 Mauser!

My former Mother-in-law hunted very successfully with hers killing just about everything from Duiker to Kudu. Recoil is mild and ammo readily available in SA...

quote:

Originally posted by 375 fanatic:

quote:

Originally posted by luan:
375

Ihave a 460 weatherby that will be perfect for her. It will save you money in the long run trust me.

LOL

Luan

do you want her to take my 375 aswell you just kastrate me

What is she planning to hunt with the gun (apart from you, mate)?

If it's lighter game, what about a 270 or 7x64?

My wife shoots a 260, and she hates recoil, so I think a nice 6.5x55 with a nice fast twist barrel would be great.

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
Never having seen a .243 that gave really first class accuracy (reliably with factory ammo)... the little 6,5x55 is a very pleasant shooting round, and available in a wide range of ammo styles suitable for everything from springbok at 300m (130grn @2990fps) to kudu up close (156grn @2560fps)

Damn!Ganyana, You must have some crappy ammo in your part of the world! I've heard folks say many negative things about 243 Win cartridge, but never cussing their accuracy!?????? Most 243 rifles are simply tack drivers!

I have several .243 Win rifles and all will print 1/2" to 3/4" five shot groups at 100 yds all day long,with my handloads, and 1" groups with factory ammo. I consistantly hit P-dogs at 300 yds from a rest, and have killed a lot of Muledeer,(250-275 pounds) out to 300 yds with one shot kills with 243 Win rifles with 100 gr bullets at 2900-3000 fps!

However,375 fanatic, if I were thinking of takeing her to Africa, then I'd likely get her a 9.3X62, or a 375 H&H, and be done with it! Believe it or not, a 9.3X62, or a 375 H&H rifle will kill deer quite well, and is good practice for Africa!

Regardless of their efficacy (and I greatly admire the 6.5x55) if you're going to POSSIBLY take her hunting in Namibia then legally 7mm is the minimum. Therefore, I'd suggest a 7x57, a 7-08 (both of which are basically identical ballistically) or a .308. If she is recoil shy or even potentially so, in any of the above, start her out with reduced loads (either the factory "low recoils" or handloads), let her practice with them. Then you sight the gun in for her with the selected hunting loads and let her shoot them at game, she'll never know the difference. FWIW my 14 yr old followed that same general pattern and had 6 one shot kills on oryx, warthog, kudu, and impala in Namibia using Fed .308 165 gr TBBC this summer.

Thanks guys luckily we are in africa she is not hunt yet one enjoying the range but we will get her hunting soon

9.3x62 or 9.3x74R.

quote:

What calibre for a woman

I haven't shot many women but they can get mean and nasty on occasion! Prone to charge... especially with your card when you're stuck with paying the bill! I dunno... 458 Lott?

375 Fan,
I am not sure what she will be hunting or rather if she will be hunting DG?

But IMO the lightest recoiling rifle I would use on any animal on this planet is either the .308 or the great 7x57 and I would probably opt for the 7x57 with the long mean and lean 175 gr. bullets..It's not the best of choices but it has worked for me on dangerous game and I have seen a couple of elephants killed with it using the heart shot, and it really let the blood out of them, I was impressed...and certainly she would be backed up in such a situation, so your good to go on the 7x57 under those circumstances. As to plainsgame it needs no introduction, its been doing that for ions.

270 WSM with a Christensen : extremely light, no recoil at all...

My wife used her 308 in Zimbabwe on Zebra, kudu, and wildebeast with no problems.

After she gets so can shoot it good, for bigger stuff, eland buff etc I would get her a matching 9,3x62 ahd have her shoot 286gr bullets at about 2200fps.

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:

quote:

What calibre for a woman

I haven't shot many women but they can get mean and nasty on occasion! Prone to charge... especially with your card when you're stuck with paying the bill! I dunno... 458 Lott?

what do you do when you see your mother in law full off blood in the garden.............?

take a deap breath reload slowly aim properly and shoot again

I am a female hunter/shooter. I have used my .308 exclusively for antelope up to several elk. I even shot a good kudu with it.

For Africa I now primarily use my .375 H&H from Dik-Dik to elephant.

Glad you a grooming another female hunter!

Best regards, D. Nelson

quote:

Originally posted by D.Nelson

I am a female hunter/shooter. I have used my .308 exclusively for antelope up to several elk. I even shot a good kudu with it.

For Africa I now primarily use my .375 H&H from Dik-Dik to elephant.

I agree with D.Nelson.

To me gender has nothing to do with what caliber firearm to use for game. The women that I've hunted with have used anything from a .30-30 to a .338 WinMag for North American game. For dangerous game in Africa there is no question that the minimum should be the .375 H&H, regardless of the gender of the hunter (huntress).

Either the 6.5x55 or .308 will make her happy - the .308 being being more versatile.

Namibiahunter

My wife had never shot a rifle until three years ago. She went to SA with me as an observer in August/Sept. 2006. Decided she would like to hunt after that experience. We decided on a 7MM Weatherby Accumark as a place to start. In 2007 and 2008 she shot a total of 16 animals with the 7MM, mostly one shot kills. Everthing from a Steenbuck to a 51 inch Kudu. Including a Blue and a Black Wildebeest, a Nyala, a Black, a White and a Common Springbuck, three Warthogs, a Red Hartabeest, an Impala and two Blesbuck.

FWIW I got my wife a 308 because zebra was her primary animal on our last hunt (the only previous time she had fired a rifle was the Ph's 7X57 on our first safari). Since I'm a handloader, I started her with some 130gr hollowpoints with a mild charge of powder at about 2100fps. As she got used to the recoil and more comfortable with the rifle, I increased the charge. Once she was off the bench, the load we settled on was a 165gr Barnes turning 2650fps. She never noticed the recoil. As a handloader my biggest attraction to 30 cal is the wide assortment of bullets in every style and weight.

quote:

Originally posted by namibiahunter:

...To me gender has nothing to do with what caliber firearm to use for game.....

E
Namibiahunter

Exactly.

I have often wondered why men argue that this or that is too light for this or that and then say a 7mm-08 is okay for anything if it is a woman pulling the trigger.

I've experienced female clients hunting with anything from 260's up to 9.3 x 62 and larger, it all comes down to what she is comfortable shooting.
A good starting point would be a 270 with good ammunition and if she can handle a 30-06 she does not realy have to look further.
Make sure the gun fits her and take her out to do a lot of shooting.

quote:

what do you do when you see your mother in law full off blood in the garden.............?

Now we're talking double-rifles...

Not knowing anything about your wife--

My oldest daughter shoots a 7x57
My youngest daughter shoots a 7mm-08
They both received thier rifles at 10 years of age. They work great here in Idaho/Wyoming (deer, antelope, elk, and bear) as well as plains game up to zebra, wildebeest, etc.

My wife took over my 30-06 for the same stuff and has used my 338 and 375 on occasion as well. I'll never get the 06 back but she does let me shoot it once in a while.

I think stock fit is very important for those just getting started and I would load some reduced loads for her to use until she gets up to speed. More and more women are getting into hunting so good for you and your wife.

My first choice for a a new hunter women or not might be the 308. It's a 100 fps behind the 30-06 which most anybody will say is adequate for anything but DG. It can be had in a very light and portable rifle that is very shootable by almost anyone.

I had a Mod 7 KS that was extremely light, was very accurate and would shoot the 150 BT and 200 NP to the same POI at 100 yd. How's that for a all round rifle for moderate range?

Mark

I got my wife a Tikka T3 in .30'06, put some Remington reduced recoil loads in it (125gr) and sighted it in for her. She never got to the range with it before we went hog hunting. Her first shot DRT'd the pig in his tracks. She said it had less recoil than her 20ga. Citori. She will work up to 180gr. for Africa and longer shots here in Texas.

Looks like you've got plenty of opinions already! I'll add mine just the same. My wife has a synthetic stocked M98 Mauser in .308, which she shoots very well. The caliber isn't harsh on recoil, is very accurate, ammo is widely available and it is suitable for anything but dnagerous game within 200 meters. That said the 6.5X55 is also one of my favorites. It was my oldest son's first centerfire and still his only one. Also mild, accurate and available. Flip a coin on these two but I consider the .243 marginal at best for impala upwards. If I get theis photo stuff right here's one of my missus.

While my wife likes her 308, when it came time for to hunt cape buff she took my [well now she calls it hers ] 450/400 double, and proceded to shoot a Monster Cape Buff.

One shot kill.

I had her practice with it quite a bit at the deer lease. Never let her shoot it off the bench, always in the field at "stuff".

quote:

Originally posted by 375 fanatic:

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:

quote:

What calibre for a woman

I haven't shot many women but they can get mean and nasty on occasion! Prone to charge... especially with your card when you're stuck with paying the bill! I dunno... 458 Lott?

what do you do when you see your mother in law full off blood in the garden.............?

take a deap breath reload slowly aim properly and shoot again

That is when you need a double

When my wife showed interest in hunting something on her own, I worked her up the recoil scale starting with the 223. Then 257 Bob, 257 Roy, 30-06, then even 338 and 375. And while she will shoot the last two, she pretty well tops out at the '06. Which is a pretty good place to be.

She still shoots more 223 than anything else, but always gets in a few shots with the '06.

And to nobodys surprise, a 165 TSX worked just fine for her this year on a zebra.

Guys just too put you in the picture look at this
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1411043/m/331101039

this was the first time she shot a rifle bigger than a pellet

i think it was awesome i took her shooting the saturday again she shot a 150mm group with my 38 s&w she is a natural

My wife was afraid of recoil but wanted her own big game capable bolt gun. I was thinking 7-08 but managed to coax her into trying my .30-06. The grin on her face after the first round down range told the story. Now, she is in love with her Ruger 77 in .30-06 and and has no problem putting a couple of boxes of 180 grain rounds down range. She plans to use it in Namibia next year when we hunt with Karl S.

Many things mentioned in this thread bear repeating. First and foremost is the fact that "caliber for a woman" is somewhat of a misnomeer indeed. Yes, the fact the shooter is female has little to do with the choice. Although generally speaking women are smaller in stature and much less "macho" driven. Men typically shrug off recoil. In front of their buddies at least, then go home and whine about the bruises for a week!
Women are generally honest enough to just not shoot it in the first place. Hence the search for something the shooter (regardless of gender) can shoot comfortably and as a result be more at ease with.
As for the ability of many women to shoot well. This has been another observation I've made after many years as a firearms instructor. Women are generally less likely to have as much "heritage" in the shooting sports and thus don't bring any bad habits to the table. As a result they typically are a quick study and outstanding student! The fist time my own wife ever shot a rifle (a .22) she was shooting cigarette butts off the backstop at 50m. by the time she got to the second magazine. Natural ability or excellent instruction? The subject can start an argument today as easily as it did then.

Wait, can you really not use a 6.5x55 in Namibia to hunt?

My daughter went from a .22LR to a .300WM, by her own choice, for Africa. All one shot kills. It was her 21st birthday

Gave my wife a 7 x 57 and she loves it including 175 grain factory ammo. I plan on loading some 165 grain TSX for her after I work up a load.

My dream is for her to shoot my cat bait on the next Safari.