Recommend a deer riffle.

[DitchDR]

All of the suggestions are good ones. Including the 7.62x39. I have taken 11 deer with this caliber using a Colt Match Ar-15 using cheap soft point ammo. I have only had to track one of them.

Another consideration, if she is recoil sensative or is thinkig about a certain caliber but is unsure of the recoil, I recommend a Limbasver recoil pad. It adds a couple of inches to length of pull but its the best $30 I spent on an accessory yet. I use it on a Ruger M77 in .270. I am kinda recoil sensative now that Im getting older. Before the limbsaver, I could only shoot 4-5 rounds and I had to put it down. With the pad I can shoot a whole box and not feel the pain.

[OldmanFCSA]

Going to a semi-auto will help with the recoil also.

I've got a Ruger Mini-30 in 7.62X39 that she may try on for size also.

PLEASE NOTE: ANY RIFLES I HAVE, SHE MAY TRY ON FOR SIZE
(like trying on shoes, when you find the right pair, you will know, it just fits right)
NO SALES INTENDED - Just find the right gun for her.

[rugersol]

this

Jest sayin'


edit: ... or, if that's too heavy, then this

On an AR, with a single lower, ya could have two different uppers ... one 6.5, 6.8, 'er .300 fer deer ... and a .223 fer whatever folks do with .223 AR's.

'Bout $500 to put together a decent upper. Maybe start with the "deer" one ... and pick up a .223, when funds are available?

If she don't practice much, maybe $30/100rd might change that?

... sound investment, anyhow!

[Bulldawg]

Okay, I let it go 3 pages first....

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=25016

[plink]

I haven't deer hunted in years, but the 7.62x39 seems like a really good fit for MN hunting. It's got enough grunt at the ranges you'll likely be hunting at in the woods, but it should fizzle before it puts you into any long range accident liability. Leave the .308 with the 20 power scope for Utah residents.

[Scott Notaeh]

Just grab that ar10 from work. That will do it.

[rukwikenuf]

I haven't deer hunted in years, but the 7.62x39 seems like a really good fit for MN hunting. It's got enough grunt at the ranges you'll likely be hunting at in the woods, but it should fizzle before it puts you into any long range accident liability. Leave the .308 with the 20 power scope for Utah residents.

308 with 20x scope? i don't think they're even using that in Utah. well, not NEEDING the 20x scope at least. i personally think that the 308 is an EXCELLENT platform, plenty of juice behind it to reach out to the 300+ yard shots that there are where i hunted this fall. hell, if it weren't on private land, there was a shot i could have taken at 400 yards. not cool to shoot a deer on a non-hunter's private land with horses everywhere
i have a .270win, and i am more than pleased with it. however, if i had to do it over, i'd go 308win

[AFTERMATH]

.308 is arguably the most versatile rifle cartridge in the world.
It will, in the right hands, take any game in North America.
I believe its the 2nd most common round(after .30-06) as far as commercial availability is concerned.
I've read an article involving an experiment to test deflection.
Don't recall the title, but something along the lines of 'Which is the best brush gun.'
.308 topped the list, narrowly beating .30-06. .30-30 was third, if I recall correctly.
Yeah, it defies the common perception that nothing beats a .30-30 in the brush.
But that perception defies the laws of physics, so....
Weight and recoil is lighter than the .30-06, yet performance is compromised only slightly.
Range/trajectory is more than adequate out to at least 600yrds.

My first rifle was a .308 - If I had only one; it would be a .308. Well probably 7.62 Nato, but that's for another sort of topic.

[ijosef]

Have her go to a good store and handle a good selection of rifles to see what she likes. She may just not care for how your lever gun feels in her hands. Once she picks the style of rifle that feels good in her hands, move on to caliber selection.

I'm a fan of lever guns myself, so maybe she'd like a smaller one like the Marlin .357 magnum carbine. Here's a really interesting article on a .357 mag lever gun for a beginning deer hunter: http://www.gunblast.com/Winchester-Ranger357.htm

[gyrfalcon]

260 Rem youth or ultralight model from anyone.
How bout a CZ 550 in 7.62x39mm?

Or a CZ527 in 7.63x39

WTF is 7.63x39?

[yuppiejr]

Have her go to a good store and handle a good selection of rifles to see what she likes. She may just not care for how your lever gun feels in her hands. Once she picks the style of rifle that feels good in her hands, move on to caliber selection.

I'm a fan of lever guns myself, so maybe she'd like a smaller one like the Marlin .357 magnum carbine. Here's a really interesting article on a .357 mag lever gun for a beginning deer hunter: http://www.gunblast.com/Winchester-Ranger357.htm

Another writeup of the viability of a 357 magnum levergun (the Marlin 1894c specifically) as a deer hunting setup from Chuck Hawks:

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/0 ... 57-magnum/

[rugersol]

Have her go to a good store and handle a good selection of rifles to see what she likes. She may just not care for how your lever gun feels in her hands. Once she picks the style of rifle that feels good in her hands, move on to caliber selection.

I'm a fan of lever guns myself, so maybe she'd like a smaller one like the Marlin .357 magnum carbine. Here's a really interesting article on a .357 mag lever gun for a beginning deer hunter: http://www.gunblast.com/Winchester-Ranger357.htm

Nice article! ... though, I wouldn't be one to recommend a new shooter take "low light" shots. At which, I think, particularly on a levergun, a peep sight makes a lot more sense.

I also wouldn't dismiss a .41 or .44 ... particularly with a nice butt-pad.

I'd be surprised if swapping a 336 Marlin fer a 94 Marlin is gonna make all the difference. I'd guess sghts, scopes, butt-pads, and straight-stock vs. pistol-grip would have a lot more to do with it. At which, it's quite possible to trade down.

[JJ]

260 Rem youth or ultralight model from anyone.
How bout a CZ 550 in 7.62x39mm?

Or a CZ527 in 7.63x39

WTF is 7.63x39?

Your life must completely suck, if the best you can do is nit-pick typo's on a local gun forum.

[ijosef]

I believe the 7.63x39 is just the 7.62x39 loaded with cast lead bullets.

[plink]

I believe the 7.63x39 is just the 7.62x39 loaded with cast lead bullets.

No, it's the brown bear ammo with varnish on it.