need help finding the right deer rifle for me.

Lots of good suggestions and lots of good questions for you. For light recoil in a bolt action I would suggest .243 win, 7mm-08, or perhaps .270 win.

I would also caution you NOT to go with the lightest bolt rifle you touch. The lighter the rifle, the more recoil is felt.

If you would like a semi auto, you could go with any of these calibers or move up to a 30-06 because the gas system will absorb a lot of the recoil.

If you choose a rifle and find the recoil a bit heavy for your comfort, try the Federal Fusion or other brand of "reduced recoil" ammo. I am partial to the Fusions because I have had great results with their bullets in that round.
 
.243 Winchester or 30-.30 Depending on location

My recommendation based on the information given is a Remington 700 SPS chambered in .243.

Its a reasonably priced entry level rifle that has the legendary Rem 700 action and the .243 is a very recoil friendly round without having to be careful of what ammunition you are buying. Light recoil or reduced power or whatever. Find a box that says .243 Winchester on it, buy it. Walking down the ammunition aisle at a good sporting goods store can be overwhelming for someone new to the game.

If you are going to be hunting a more wooded area then I say get a Marlin 336 youth model chambered in 30-.30. Well, handle the youth model and the regular model in a store if you can, though I think you will find the youth model to fit your build better.

Being a woman, don't be surprised if there is no shortage of people wanting to help you at any firearms counter you ever approach.

You guys recommending .257 Roberts and 6.5X55, get real. This young lady is looking for her first rifle, not learning the intricacies of BC and having to buy ammo online or reload. Sheesh, sometimes I think people lose perspective.
 
A superb deer caliber,IMHO, is the 250-3000, lighter felt recoil than the 243, a decent selection of bullet weights (if you reload) and plenty of energy for deer,or even elk with proper bullet/placement.
 
As stated, there is a lot of info needed to really give any good direction.

You may have already done this, but look at the rules and regulations for the area you plan to hunt. The rules and regs may not allow semi-auto rifles, or they may not allow centerfire rifles of any kind (only shotgun or muzzle loader). What are the requirements for long guns that can be used to hunt deer in your area?

No matter which firearm you choose, make sure the stock and firearm fit you well. You will be more accurate, quicker and there will be less felt or perceived recoil.

If you are new to shooting rifles, I suggest checking out the NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Course. Choose the course on the left side under the Basic Courses heading. The courses on the right side are courses to become a NRA Certified Instructor.
http://nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx
 
.223 gets left out with good reason.

.270 is a good all around round, very wide selection of rifles are chambered in .270


I personally chose .308 T3 Stainless lite

As for the actual rifle, that's all on you and how it fits.
 
Get youself a Tikka T3 Lite in .260, 7mm08 or 6.5x55. The Tikka is one of the lightest rifles and it's not bulky so the grips are not to big for a girls hands, it's also well balanced (My Wife is around the same height and weight as you and has no worries shooting the Tikka). The calibers I mentioned above are IMHO perfect deer (medium sized game) rounds and have very little recoil even in a light gun like the Tikka T3 Lite.
EDIT: I forgot to say a 3-9x40 size scope is what I would recommend for the Tikka something like a Zeiss Conquest, Sightron S11 Big Sky or Vortex Viper (in that order).
 
At least they mean well......

Some of the advice here has been good. A lot of it is good intentions. Whether you reload or not, for your first deer rifle, choose one in a caliber that is easy to find ammo for at the best prices. If you get a lever-action rifle like a Marlin or Winchester, insist on a 30-30. If it kicks more than is acceptable, put a slip-on recoil pad on it and it will be remarkably more comfortable to shoot. If you choose a bolt action, it should be a 243 Winchester or 270 Winchester. The 270 will kick more than the 243. Lighter bullets generally kick less than heavier ones. So with a 30-30 you might prefer 150 grain bullets vs the heavier 170's; and likewise in the 270, the 130 grain bullets will kick less than the 150's. With the 243, the lighter bullets are generally for use on varmints and thus are unsuitable for deer. Use heavier bullets available in the 243, like 100 grains for example. Recoil will not be an issue with a 243 and thus it may be your best choice. After you get your rifle, practice with it. I don't recommend a semi-auto rifle. I hope this was helpful.
 
Assuming you are hunting whitetail..

In bolt action, I would recommend a .243 if the range is 150 yards or less. I would recommend the .25-06 if you are going to be hunting at longer ranges, say 300-400 yards. Both light recoiling, but have good hunting bullets aviailable who will get the job done.
 
you are young. You are small. You didn't give any information about your physical capacity, endurance, pain tolerance, etc, and the guys here have asked all the proper questions.

Under the circumstances, I'm going to set 2 recommendations before you. The same recommendations I would give to a 13 or so year old light framed boy who would be hunting moderate sized deer at moderate to short ranges.

First, a .243 in bolt action. Get a reliable one, a savage or winchester or remington.

Second, a lever in .44 magnum, a full sized rifle, not a short barreled carbine. This is for the shortest range shooting, between point blank and a block or so. (100 yards.)

These are versatile, low recoil, capable rounds, and should be fine for a petite build. They will not bruise you.

a third choice would be to find a 20 gauge shotgun that would be effective with slugs, and use non magnum slugs. you can go pump, semi auto, or even single shot slug guns. This weapon is ONLY for shots under 100 yards, from a stand. It is not a genuine deer hammer; it may even be called a little marginal, and accuracy is not going to be stellar.

Good luck. Please when you are considering weapons, remember that old fashioned shooters tend to forget what it was like when they weighed 85 pounds and their stupid uncle bob had them fire the magnum goose load at the clay pigeon and they wound up in traction. Recoil is a concern, and you just need to avoid it unless you are used to it.
 
I'm no rifle expert but I just picked up a marlin xl7 .270 and let my gf shoot it she's about your size ad it was the very first rifle she ever fired ad she really enjoyed it. She was also very accurate with it her groups were only about .25" bigger than mine. Idk if that means she's a natural or I suck but..
 
I've hunted deer for a little over 50 years now. That said, I think a
Weatherby Vanguard in .243 Winchester (or any caliber) would be
an excellent choice for a deer rifle. The .243 with 100 grain bullet
should be good out to 200-250 yards easily.
 
If it is legal to use a 22 cal centerfire get an AR-15 with an 8" twist barrel and shoot 70 gr Barns triple shock bullet.

If you can't then I would look for one of the following.

243
6mm rem
257 roberts
25-06
260 rem
7mm-08
 
I put up another vote for the .243 because you can get light varmint rounds and also heavier rounds for deer. It's ammo is readily available at any sports or outdoor store and usually has a wide selection. 7mm-08 is fine but usually can only be found in one or two brands with only 140 gr bullets.
 
I had a 6.5 Arisaka carbine that was very soft, even with Norma hunting ammo. Take that as a starting point, not as a direct suggestion for purchase.
I'd say anything between .243 (6mm) and 7mm would work for you.
 
My niece is probably about 5'6" and less than 100lbs. She shoots a youth stocked 7mm-08 that my brother installed a limb saver pad on. shooting 120gr bullets it kicks like a .243. The youth stock is important, as it helps to keep her from leaning back to much, and if you are leaning back, it doesnt matter what you shoot, its going to knock you back.
 
Thank you to everyone. It will be mostly be white tail and other small game. However, I can use my 12ga for the smaller game, such as coons, opossums, squirrel, and bunnies. I have shot a slug out of my 12ga once and didn't realize it. I got tricked into doing it. However, it did not kick nearly as bad as I thought it would. If i was ready for it, I don't think it would have knocked me off balance nearly as bad. I live up within 40mi of the Iowa border in Missouri. Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top