What's it going to be used for? The answer to this question will greatly effect the type of gun you're best getting her.

Are you buying a rifle for her so she can go to the range and shoot with you (something I HIGHLY recommend wives do BTW, if they're at all interested)? If so you probably want to get her something that kicks gently that she can shoot for extended sessions without discomfort. When I started my wife shooting I let her use her Ruger 10/22 (notice I said HER 10/22. It used to be mine, but after she shot it, she commandeered it and made it her own!). Then one day she said to me "I want a gun that will shoot farther than the .22 and be more accurate," or something to that effect. So now she has a Ruger M77VT MkII in 22-250 Rem, which she likes so much she rarily lets me shoot it, even though I am the one who loads the ammo for it. But hey, it allows us to have both "range time" and "quality time," so who am I to complain. It keeps her happy...and when momma's happy...you know the rest! [8D]

Now if you're planning on taking her hunting for deer, you're going to need to take a step up in caliber. I'd recommend that if you're wanting to hunt deer only, then you'd be well advised to get her something along the lines of a .243 Win, 6mm Rem, 25-06, 25WSSM (if you don't mind jumping into an unproven cartridge, from a market standpoint), or even on the top end a 7mm-08 or .270 Win. I'd probably steer clear of the 7mm-08 or .270 if you aren't 100% sure she can handle them. Unlike men, women aren't macho and won't "suck-it-up" and feign tolerance of what they consider to be excessive and uncomfortable recoil. They will just put the rifle down and tell you flat out that they don't want to shoot it again. So I'd say err on the side of caution and stay on the lighter end of adequate cartridges.

The most important things to remember are to find a rifle that fits her WELL. If the stock doesn't fit her frame right, it'll exaggerate the effects of recoil and make her shoot more poorly than she ought to.

Secondly, be prepared to put a quality recoil pad on it and have the stock fitted to length. Most factory recoil pads are for little more than decoration, so do her a favor and drop the $50-75 or so it'll take to have a 'smith install a good one. The SIMS Limbsaver and the Pachmeyr Decellerator are both very good pads for the money.

Third, don't buy her the lightest rifle you can find. Ultra light rifles are great for humping up and down mountains, but will kick her butt on the range.

Lastly, let her shoot at her own pace. Don't push her to shoot more than she wants to, because not only will she associate shooting with pain and avoid it, but it'll also cause her to develop a flinch that could take a long time to cure, if ever.

Take it from a guy who's wife likes to shoot as much as I do. Getting her into shooting is the best thing you can do. Not only is it great to always have a range buddy, but it also helps her understand why you "JUST GOTTA HAVE" whatever cool item you just spotted for the first time at the gun store. Just be prepared to buy her one of her own too!

Mike