# Rifle for women



## Ray (May 10, 2018)

Getting the wife a new rifle and was wondering if you guys could make some recommendations? 

I was looking at the Weatherby Camilla Wilderness and the Savage Lady Hunter but started wondering if if it’s even necessary to get a woman specific rifle?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

There is no reason to get her a gender specific rifle as long as the rifle that you get for her fits. 

I think that the ones from the manufactures that point towards our lady friends have a shorter length of pull on the stock and a few other things. 

I'd take her to a store that has a selection and have her try on a few to see what she likes and what feel comfortable to her.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I'll echo critters remark. I will add this though....Have her put a heavy coat on to try the rifle fit. You might have to adjust the scope for her to get a full field of view with heavier cloths on.


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## gphunt (Oct 25, 2021)

I picked up the Camilla and haven’t looked back, it changed hunting for me. I’m on the smaller side (hands, height, etc.) and never felt comfortable with any other rifle. Besides a smaller hand and pull, it’s fitted for a longer neck that women (generally) have and different shoulder angle. I have the Mark V, but any Camilla stock should be the same. Send me any questions, I love it.

When I was looking a couple years ago, the Savage was just a kids gun. Fit me about as well as 12-year-old boy clothes (not a bit).




Ray said:


> Getting the wife a new rifle and was wondering if you guys could make some recommendations?
> 
> I was looking at the Weatherby Camilla Wilderness and the Savage Lady Hunter but started wondering if if it’s even necessary to get a woman specific rifle?


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## DIRTYS6X6 (May 19, 2021)

I bought the ruger american rancher in a 6.5 Creedmoor for my wife. she has taken bear, moose, and a deer in the last two seasons.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

My two daughters are small frame young women and shoot normal full size rifles just fine as far as length of pull goes. I would throw in something important is the size of her grip. If she has smaller, more petite hands, then a rifle with a smaller handgrip portion on the stock is what you should look at.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

My oldest daughter shoots a Winchester Model 70 .30-06, my younger daughter shoots the same gun in .270. My youngest daughter took her last buck with my 300 wsm.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

taxidermist said:


> I'll echo critters remark. I will add this though....Have her put a heavy coat on to try the rifle fit. You might have to adjust the scope for her to get a full field of view with heavier cloths on.


This was the issue with my rifle, she couldn’t see through the scope at all with her coat on, once the sun came out and she took it off, she still had to find the scope but was able to see through the dang thing


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## taskswap (Mar 11, 2021)

I got my wife the Weatherby Camilla in 7mm-08 and she loves it. It has three things better suited to ladies. The butt stock is cut at a negative angle, because ladies typically have differently-shaped shoulder/collarbone pockets. It has a raised comb built into the stock (longer necks). And a shorter length of pull. It's actually 1/4lb heavier than my rifle because it has a heavier stock (she opted for walnut). It's a great gun and fits her perfectly. The only thing I don't personally love is it doesn't have a removable magazine. I know they have their advantages but as a personal preference I'm not a huge fan of top-loaders. YMMV.

Before the pandemic, the guy at the counter was telling us Weatherby was also planning on introducing a matching shotgun. Apparently that never happened. It's a shame, because that would have been an amazing set. As it is, it's still a great gun and my wife loves shooting it. So consider that one vote on that side?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Mrs Goob shot the same rifles as the kids and I. She did have a Rem 700 in 30-06 with a muzzle break that was hers but preferred our 25-06s, particularly a rare Smith n Wesson Model 1500 carbine. I cut the stock shorter and put a recoil pad on it for her. LOP was 13" to 13.25", my guess. Sitting on the padded shoulder harness of her day pack that was just fine.

She was a good shot in spite of being recoil sensitive. (Got cut on the eyebrow by a scope)


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

Youth from 5'5" to men beyond 6', weighing anywhere from under 130lbs to over 300lbs have used non-gender rifles for a long time. Fit matters most. My wife is taller than most of the Hushin guys or any flat brimmers so if they can use it she probably can 🤣 

Really a gun store where she can pull up on a few guns, and even finding them on UGA to just go LOOK at (that also gives you the benefit sometimes of having a scope mounted) are smart ideas. It's the winter so take your time, get her to shoulder a few, and see how it goes. 

As for caliber there isn't anything wrong with a 7mm-08, 25-06, 260, 270, 308... Pretty much any of the nonmagnums are a breeze to shoot.


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## TheOtherJeff (Oct 7, 2021)

RandomElk16 said:


> As for caliber there isn't anything wrong with a 7mm-08, 25-06, 260, 270, 308... Pretty much any of the nonmagnums are a breeze to shoot.


(Not that Ray doesn't know this but for the benefit of anyone coming across this thread in 2029...)

.308 is about the point where I have to start thinking about the details on shootability. I've got a .308 with a very light synthetic stock, and it doesn't quite seem to have the heft to absorb the recoil that I'd like. It's fine for the field but after about 30 rounds at the range I'm getting definitely pulling the trigger a bit more gingerly. My Lee-Enfield No. 4, OTOH, weighs a ton thanks to a full length wood stock but I can shoot it all day. Or at least I could if I could find some .303 British.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Take a quick drive to Scheels and let her handle all of the guns they have in stock. Have her shoulder a Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 or a Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 or a Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 . . .


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

I was actually looking at the tikka t3 lite in 270 win for her


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Ray said:


> I was actually looking at the tikka t3 lite in 270 win for her


Honestly, if I didn't have 7mm-08, I'd be packing a 270. Check out gunbroker, or local stores, bets are that you'll be able to find 270 shells at near normal prices. Get a limbsaver recoil pad for the lite and it'll hardly recoil (or feel like it does). For reference, I have an eight year old son who tips the scale at 56 pounds and he shoots my 7mm-08 every Friday morning without any issues.

I've killed antelope, mule deer, elk, caribou, and soon to be whitetail with the 7mm-08. I've never once felt undergunned and would never feel undergunned with a 270.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

another added benefit for the 270 for me is I already have 160 rounds of it, so that’ll keep her busy for a bit.

thanks for the input gents, will be taking her to Scheels tonight


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I nearly got my wife a Camilla for last years Christmas... still considering it for this years. I'd go 7mm08. They are very pretty rifles. The stock angle raises the rifle in relation to the shoulder placement, so its a bit easier to mount and look down optics. Enough to matter? /shrug



GunBroker.com - Error



-DallanC


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

gphunt said:


> I picked up the Camilla and haven’t looked back, it changed hunting for me. I’m on the smaller side (hands, height, etc.) and never felt comfortable with any other rifle. Besides a smaller hand and pull, it’s fitted for a longer neck that women (generally) have and different shoulder angle. I have the Mark V, but any Camilla stock should be the same. Send me any questions, I love it.
> 
> When I was looking a couple years ago, the Savage was just a kids gun. Fit me about as well as 12-year-old boy clothes (not a bit).


Welcome to the Forum!!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> I nearly got my wife a Camilla for last years Christmas... still considering it for this years. I'd go 7mm08. They are very pretty rifles. The stock angle raises the rifle in relation to the shoulder placement, so its a bit easier to mount and look down optics. Enough to matter? /shrug
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a cool rifle. Thanks for the link.


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## cdbright (Aug 24, 2016)

i got my wife a 300 PRC and threw a different break on it and she shoots it all day. All 90 lbs of her even stays on the chair. Once i started adding breaks to all my rifles, she will shoot anythign you put in front of her. Even took an elk at 500 yards with my 28 Nosler, and kept throwing lead at him like we told her to do.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

CPAjeff said:


> Take a quick drive to Scheels and let her handle all of the guns they have in stock. Have her shoulder a Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 or a Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 or a Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 . . .


By any chance, are you a fan of the Tikka T3X chambered in 7mm-08?


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

High Desert Elk said:


> By any chance, are you a fan of the Tikka T3X chambered in 7mm-08?


Just a little bit!!


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Lots of great recommendations and ideas so far concerning "out of the box rifles". Now, if you want a perfect fit rifle and caliber, just drop 4-6K and have a custom made to fit rifle. Not everyone can spend that kind of cash on a rifle, but it also improves the accuracy of the person pulling the trigger. Not from being custom made, but from being custom fit. I have 4 rifles my Dad built in the 60's and 70's that are custom fit to him. He was a left handed shooter so they aren't that comfortable for me to shoot. One of my daughters is a lefty and guess what she's going to end up with?


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

taxidermist said:


> Lots of great recommendations and ideas so far concerning "out of the box rifles". Now, if you want a perfect fit rifle and caliber, just drop 4-6K and have a custom made to fit rifle. Not everyone can spend that kind of cash on a rifle, but it also improves the accuracy of the person pulling the trigger. Not from being custom made, but from being custom fit. I have 4 rifles my Dad built in the 60's and 70's that are custom fit to him. He was a left handed shooter so they aren't that comfortable for me to shoot. One of my daughters is a lefty and guess what she's going to end up with?


If she is left hand and left eye, then that's a good route to take. I'm left eye and learned to shoot using a right hand.


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

Lots of good advice by a lot smarter folks than me. Maybe consider a .243? That'll get the job done on about everything. It's a little light for elk, but doable. That doesn't have near the recoil. Or a .25-06- another great gun. I fell trap to the 6.5 Creedmore craze, I'm not regreting it. But I love simple loads you can find anywhere in any hole in the wall sporting good store. .243, .308, .270, .30-06.

One option would be to find the right fit (I think a Savage may be helpful as they have fairly short stocks in my experience). They're one of the most accurate guns out of the box and don't take much maintenance. Spend money on the scope, obviously. 

I know my wife and daughter don't love recoil or really loud noise. You could opt for a supressor that reduces both significantly, then you can get whatever caliber you want that fits her. 

I shot my elk last year with my FIL's .338 Lapua that was suppressed. Never would shoot that without the suppressor.


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## 7mm Reloaded (Aug 25, 2015)

Can’t go wrong with a 270 win . To hell with all these new fancy Azz calibers


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Took my wife out to Cabelas to handle a Weatherby Camilla just now. It has a distinctly different feel than a normal rifle. 

Thinner grip, the barrel sits higher than the comb making head alignment a little higher. She said it felt much more natural to her than her Model 700, and she had a easier time mounting it (even with a bulky coat). It has a 20" barrel which to me is a negative with a slight fps loss, but it felt more natural to her.

Its definitely geared towards a smaller shooter in terms of fit and feel. I'd suggest if you are looking for a womans gun, she handle one in person and see if she can tell a difference... and if she likes it more or less than other style rifles.

-DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Not going to be much of a surprise come Christmas, but I ordered up a Camilla in 7mm08 for my wife. We've already got dies and lots of components so reloading is easy peasy. Overall, I like the quality of the gun. Should be a fine rifle. Guarenteed to be sub 1MOA for 2 years.

-DallanC


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