Dealer Light-weight deer rifle for my wife

[Gary Fowler]

I have my dads old .308 semi-auto and it is pretty lightweight but has better ballistics than a 30.06 but it does kick a bit. First deer rifle my brother got was a .243 and while it is light and doesnt kick much, the bullet is a little light for any brush shooting. Just a small leaf or twig will turn the bullet enough for a complete miss. If I wanted a good light weight rifle for female use, I would go with just a bit larger caliber in the .270. More mass to the bullet and better performance for very little price difference and the recoil is not that great.

 

[Lou66]

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Here a few guns my wife has,, she turned our hot tub room into a gun storage room,, because it has a nice humidifier and the gun save is full.. I use a camera for all of my shooting.. as you can see.. Lou

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[nybirdman]

The great gun debate!The .243 is fine for deer with "premium bullets".My daughter-in-law uses one to great effect.I would recommend a Savage with the Accutrigger.If you would like to step-up a little,the same gun in 7mm-08 is even better.

 

[Zebrafive]

A .243 would be a great choice, but I would pick a 7mm08 for better bullet selection. Both are based on the 308 case necked down to the proper size. These are both short action compared to .270, .25-06, or .30-06; which are long action. I think the shorter throw of a short action would be easier to use. I would get a bolt action rifle, any major brand.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I've read this thread with interest. Really haven't seen a bad answer! No guns are cheap, and if budget is a major consideration, a decent 20 ga. pump would be good if ranges aren't too bad; not good for open ground hunting, however. Overall, I'd lean to the .243 or 7mm-08. I've taken out a lot of critters with .243, and a friend has been very successful with the 7-08. I'd hesitate to recommend any of the .22 centerfires; they're just too small to be reliable on deer. As has been already been said, bullet placement is the key, so practice is essential.
If your wife is of smaller stature with short limbs, look for one of the smaller rifles and make sure it's a good fit. Pay attention to the eye relief on the 'scope, too. No black/cut eyes would be appreciated, I'm sure.
Every once in a while, an old bolt action Savage in 30-30 shows up on the market in good shape. That would be an attractive option with a low power scope. That caliber has killed a lot of game in the northern US.

 

[Gary Fowler]

There is a good reason that sniper rifles are .308 caliber and that is because of the excellent ballistics. If you are going to go to bigger .30 cal bores, you cant beat a .308 for range, knock down and flat trajectory. The old 742 Woodmaster carbine semi-auto I inherited from my father still shoots a tight grouping at 200 yds and is fairly lightweight with not too much recoil.

 

[lostcause]

your original post said light-weight and .243, so i'll simply reply with the ruger american. 6.25 lbs and even marketed as 100% american made, if that is important to you.

i started reading the other posts, but everyone seems to be telling you what they want, and not what you want.

 

[yanmars]

I do not own a .243 but if I purchased a rifle for my wife or daughter I would give that caliber serious consideration.

 

[jbwrangler]

I got my son a Rem 700 Mountain LSS in 7mm-08. Light weight and no recoil. Good rifle

 

[GManBart]

I'm a newbie to tractors, but have been shooting, reloading, carrying, and competing with guns for 30 years. The .243 is an excellent choice for a mild-recoiling gun to use on deer. Two others to consider are .260 Remington, and the venerable .257 Roberts. The nice thing about .243 is the availability of ammo, and variety of rifles it's chambered in. The .260 and .257 are slightly more powerful, and the larger diameters allow heavier bullets, that give you a few more options in bucket weight. In addition, the slightly larger diameter, and heavier bullets lead to greater sectional density, which increases terminal performance....i.e., they should kill more cleanly.

One word of caution, from someone with a tiny wife who shoots, don't go too light on the rifle...it makes them easier to carry, but can make them too unpleasant for your wife to shoot comfortably, which means safely, and accurately. I wouldn't go much below 6-6.5lbs....under that and it'll be snappy.