Rifle for my wife
#12
#14
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,358

Thanks for the words of advice! We will be visiting a couple of places for her to check things out.
Semi-auto is not an option, for two reasons:
- she has a ruger .44 mag right now for NH hunting, she likes that, but it's short range.
- at least one of the states we are planning to hunt in the near future says no semi's
as with her bows, she wants one that is "hers" not a hand me down (.44 used to be my dads)
Semi-auto is not an option, for two reasons:
- she has a ruger .44 mag right now for NH hunting, she likes that, but it's short range.
- at least one of the states we are planning to hunt in the near future says no semi's
as with her bows, she wants one that is "hers" not a hand me down (.44 used to be my dads)
#15

For MY wife I'd use a MINIMUM of a 375 H&H. I'd be afraid of her if I just grazed or wounded her with a marginal caliber. When my ol lady gets ill it AINT purty... now that I think about it I'd say just go on ahead & jump up to a 458 & take no chances!
Hell hath no fury.....
Hell hath no fury.....

#16

My stalking rifle is 85 years old, I really want to buy her a Styer Scout.

#17

Considering the hunt you wish to take in a couple of years I would suggest something on the order of a .270 in a lightweight rifle. My wife does most of her deer and pronghorn hunting with either a 257 Roberts or a .25-06, but when larger game such as elk are possible she carries a 700 Mountain Rifle chambered in .270.
#18

No sense beating a dead horse. You have a plan by taking her to different places to try several out. I'd worry about fitting her up first then chambering. Find one she likes, find out what chamberings it comes in and determine what would be the best all around one for what she will be hunting. If she can handle the .270 as many suggested, that would be a fantastic choice. So would the 270 WSM. I've heard good things about that relatively newbie. But anything from a .243 up would be suitable for deer sized game. I'll likely leave a few out but .243, .260, 7-08, 308, 270WSM, 257, just to name a few all come in short actions which fit nicely into a youth size rifle.
#19

For MY wife I'd use a MINIMUM of a 375 H&H. I'd be afraid of her if I just grazed or wounded her with a marginal caliber. When my ol lady gets ill it AINT purty... now that I think about it I'd say just go on ahead & jump up to a 458 & take no chances!
Hell hath no fury.....
Hell hath no fury.....

-Jake