Naturally the BEST thing to do is establish what brand she likes and go from there. I don't know your wife but based on helping other women choose rifles over the years let her handle a Browning A-Bolt/X-Bolt in Micro Medallion or whatever they call the youth model or a Remington or even Savage in .260 or better yet 7mm08. I 1st started my daughter out with a 7mm08 and her very 1st year she got 2 clean 1 shot kills at the ripe old age of 11!