You have many suggestions here on what to do. Here is what I did for my first wife and depending on how you view the final outcome it was or was not the right thing to do.

I started with a fairly nice 6.5 Carcano carbine. Removed the folding bayonet and front sight. Machined off the rear sight and put a bunch of radial grooves along 3/4 of the 16" barrel. I replaced the trigger gaurd and magazine with a simple loop trigger gaurd and welded in a light, fixed single shot follower.Cut the stock about an inch shorter and put on a thin recoil pad. Took off a fair amount of wood and inletted and finished the stock.

I than rechambered it to 6.5 X 55 , modified the bolt face and extracter and soldered on the lightest sights I could find. This is one super light rifle. The first shot didn't kill her but it damn near broke her shoulder. roger

Thanks for the help folks. I showed my wife this thread, pointed her at a couple books and turned her loose. She's got enough info to make an informed decision now, we'll see what she comes up with.

Dean

When this decision was presented to us we went shopping together. We shopped on the internet then went to the stores. Ended up she got a Browning A-bolt camo-stalker in .270win with a vari-x3 2.5-8 scope. That rifle has taken a two elk and too many deer to count.

We're constantly going through this exercise with my wife. Her problem is compounded by the fact that even though she's right handed, she shoots from the left (eye). She's always been happy to use a right handed varmint rifle, 'cos that was what we had, but mainly because slow shots from a bench or bipod allow the use of wrong handed rifles.

For her first pig shooting trip she bought a Rem 7600 Police. It's size was perfect, and recoil was well tamed, but she ultimately had some issues with the action (quite easy for a small person to 'short stroke', and thus jam), and she sold it. Next came a Marlin 336 in 30/30. Yet to be used on the pigs, but its size and handling seem perfect.

But she would also like a 'general' hunting rifle. Something that could be used on pigs, goats, and perhaps even deer. So, we're looking for a left handed bolt action. It will probably be a Remington, mainly for the availability of aftermarket bits. The simple option will probably be to buy a CDL in 270 or 30/06. We'd probably restock with a HS stock with a shorter LOP and a Sims pad. Also considering a brake, though we would want the ability to turn it off, or to remove it. The alternative is to have the smith make something up, in which case rounds like the 260R, 6.5*55, and 7/08 become interesting.

jb, I am also right-handed and left-eye dominant. I am shooting a .300 win mag - see the thread "my new gun" on this forum for details. I really like the gun and am having H-S Precision make me a .375 almost exactly the same. Good luck!