Hello out there.
I am thinking of getting a new rifle for my fiance. I should mention that my fiance is jus a lil thing, maybe 110lbs soaking wet. She is still pretty new to the shooting scene but really enjoys it(another happy convert). Her biggest problem is the recoil. She has been shooting my 10/22 but would like to start shooting something with a lil more range. I was thinking
22-250, 223 or something similar. I have never shot anything in that caliber range so I have no idea what the recoil is like. What is your take? Should I be looking at something smaller? All input is welcome and apreciated. Thanks
Anthony

.223. The 22-250 wouldn't be no bad choice either but the .223 would give you 250 yards which is a long way. The recoil of the .223 will be only slightly greater than the 10/22. Ammo is so cheap that you can hardly afford to reload (do save your brass as that time will come). If you do reload, components are very cheap. .223's can be had in small, light packages(Remington model 7 comes to mind) that are easy to carry. Also, because of the light recoil, you don't have to mortage the house to buy a scope; but rather, one of the medium priced scopes will work. In short, the .223 is just fun to shoot. You may get a lot of info about exotic barrel twist and such, trying to make a .243 out of the .223 but just get a plain vanilla .223 and enjoy.

The .223 sounds like the best option, ammo is inexpensive, so are the rifles, for the most part. They usually shoot well, and are easy to load for, if you do that. Just make sure that your friend uses plenty of hearing protection, as the noise is the worst part for a new shooter. It will provide a lot of enjoyment and it'll ease her into bigger calibers pretty well, AND, it makes a dandy varmint rifle for both of you.

In my opinion, the next step up would logically be the .223 Remington. This ubiquitous round is available everywhere and ammo is cheap.

The recoil is nonexistant and the noise is reasonable. That does not mean you can overlook ear protection when at the range or plinking, etc.

I think the .223 Remington would work just fine for your needs.

R F

thanks for the input. we have plenty of ear and eye protection. That is an absolute must. I was looking at the savage 12 series varmint. anyone have any experiance with this rifle?
Thanks again
anthony

Anthony:

I own a Savage 12VSS in .22-250 and it definately is a shooter. It has a 6-24x40 B&L 4200 scope on it and on a calm day off a bench it will shoot a 100-yard, 10 shot group that you can cover with a nickle.

The draw back is the weight of the rifle if you plan to carry it or worse if your wife has to carry it. I'd guess that it weights three to four times what your 10/22 does and after a few hours of packing it around that old sling starts to really grind on your neck and shoulder.

Get a rifle that fits her. You might have to go with a youth model, depending on her size. I'd try to steer clear of the laminated stock/heavy barrel combinations because they're apt to be too heavy for her. A light barrel and a synthetic stock would be pretty hard to beat, I'd say. Thats my .02, anyway.

Check out gunsamerica.com for a youth model Model 7 in a .223 Remington. The LOP will be shorter to fit your lady, they are light, very accurate, and the price is right. Later on, if you decide to restock it, you can pick up a standard stock with the proper lenght of pull and go from there as most of them now come with a 20" barrel, which is fine for a .223.

Thanks again for the input. more good options to consider. she would be shooting off the bench more than 90% of the time so weight isn't all that big of a deal. She is fairly tall though so a youth model might be out of the question, and she can hold my M70custom 300wby with little to no problem, she just won't shoot it.
Thanks again for the input, we shall do some more re-search
Anthony

22-250 if you reload, 223 if you dont, just my opinion

Antonio,

The 223 would probably be her best bet, unless she plans on hunting big game in the future. Then I would go with a 243. As long as its just targets and varmints the 223 is all shell ever need.
Fordfreak

Antonio...

I agree with the caliber advice of most...the .223 is a good choice. The nice thing about the .223 is that you can usually watch where your shots go without being adversely affected by recoil (having your scope "bounce" off the target). The Savage 12 series is an excellent choice...inexpensive and accurate. One other thing to consider, if her shooting is indeed going to be from the bench, is that a heavy laminate/barrel combo is actually preferred. This weight will also translate into even less felt recoil. However, she won't want to shoot one of these offhand very much at all!

If you reload, another consideration is the .221 Fireball...most of the range of the .223 with even less recoil. There are new Remington 700 Classics in this caliber that are wood/blued, and would much easier to shoot offhand than a heavy target model. Depending on your budget, the Remingon 700 LVSF in .221 Fireball or .223 would also be a great choice, epecially since it is a great compromise between all out target setup and portability.

My .02 worth.

223 is cheaper to load and shoot than almost any other and does a nice job.

I really like my little Ruger M77 Mark II. short barrel. Everyone that has shot it wants it no matter what their size is. It does have an aftermarket trigger though. Will do dimes at 100 with bulk Winchester 55 sp and surplus powder.

antonio I think the .223 would be perfect also, but I don't think I'd go with a Savage 12 for a petite young thing. They weigh in at about 10 lbs. and have the Wundhammer palm swell type grip, takes a pretty good sized hand to get around.
Chris

I think by now you've settled on the 223, can't go wrong there. No one has yet mentioned the CZ527 Varmint (Laminate stock, medium heavy barrel). This is a good compromise between the heavy Savage and Featherweight types. It's a fantastic value. For the price you get a somewhat rough action, but that will smooth out in the first 100 rounds. Polish up the mag's feed lips a bit and you've got a CHEAP, extremly accurate rifle. The single-set trigger is a joy.

I've had great succes with the Black Hills 50gr VMax moly ammo.

I thank you all for the input. I do belive we are going to go with the 223. Like I said earlier she will be shooting from bench only so weight isn't a problem and besides that helps tame the recoil, which she likes the idea of. I had actualy been wondering about the CZ-527, so good timing. When I asked her what one she would like more, as I went over the specifics of the rifles she gave the "typical" women response and said "I want that one it's pretty." She later informed me thats she was just pulling my leg, but still did like the looks of it. I can't even remember which one it was. She got me wound up with that response, as I went off on not being able to buy a firearm just on looks. Some people huh?

Thanks again
Anthony

I can pretty much bet she wasn't talking about the Savage. It's probably the ugliest rifle out there. BUT, that won't stop me from adding one to the collection just as soon as I can. That accuracy makes up for a lot of ugly.

There's a good chance she was talking about the CZ with the Laminate stock. As long as you're not expecting a jewel quality polish/finish on the CZ you'll be happy.

Looks are just a plus. What it all boils down to is how well the firearm performs and how reliable it is.
Just don't tell that to her. In a few weeks we will order one, just not sure which one as of yet. So many choices maybe one of each. I don't think I could get away with that even if they are realy pretty.

good shooting to all and to all a good shot
Anthony

I would recommend a 223 caliber and a Savage model 12 would be a good choice. The rifle is relatively inexpensive and it shoots extremely well. I have one chambered in 22-250. It is a great rifle but, as others have already pointed out, the 223 ammo is more readily available and cheaper if you by in any reasonable quantity.

Regarding recoil, both of these have minimal recoil. The Savage model 12 is a heavier rifle which further reduces the felt recoil as compared to other lighter weight rifles.

Good luck,
douglast