Gun Newb

Get her an AR. They are super versitile, you can hunt everything from varmints to deer with them. Plus they are fun as hell to shoot, not much recoil which makes them perfect for women. They even come in pink
They are pretty ranged as far pricing too. Just make sure you dont have anything more than a 5 round magazine when hunting otherwise fish and game will confiscate it.

 

If she is totally new to firearms, I would recommend starting her out with a .22lr bolt gun. Can't hunt deer with it, but would be a much better choice for a beginner. .22 ammo is the cheapest thing next to spitballs to shoot and getting a bolt operated .22 will allow her to become familiar with the workings of a bolt action. She can learn proper positioning and trigger control without fear of recoil from a larger rifle also. A .243 would be a good choice for her as a deer/general hunting rifle and a great caliber IMO. As far as what manufacture/model of rifle, best bet is to hit the LGS and have her "try some on".

Good advice.

 

ARs are ok, but pricey. A bolt action in 243 would be my recommendation. Some of the low-priced ones (Savage, Stevens, possibly the new Ruger model) have an excellent reputation for accuracy out of the box, better than the typical AR.

I'd go along with the 150 grain recommendation for the '06. That is more than adequate for deer, and has much less recoil. For me, 10 rounds of 220 grain bullets is enough for one session. I can shoot 150s all day without a sore shoulder the next day.

 

answer: one that's she's comfortable w/ ...maybe try out .243 win... that should be a pretty versatile cartridge for the intended range of uses...

 

I was actually looking at this combo earlier: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Centerfire-Rifles/Bolt-Action|/pc/104792580/c/105522480/sc/105523380/Savage174-Arms-111-Trophy-Rifle-with-Scope-Package/1338908.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-centerfire-rifles-bolt-action%2F_%2FN-1102332%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_105523380%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104792580%253Bcat105522480&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat105522480%3Bcat105523380

Thoughts?

Tomorrow morning I plan on disassembling the rifle, clean it, and try to see if I have a burr as mentioned above to locate where the metal shaving came from. I'm sure I'll run into some questions

 

...i don't own one, but have heard savage is pretty well liked... that said, ...i'd recommend taking her around to some gunshops to "look and feel" for herself....

...not sure what the "burr" is you are referring to, ...is it just small fleck of brass or something?...

 

IMO, why would you get a bolt action for a novice. First off, an AR is not more expensive than a bolt action. There are so many options out there for the same price range, get a used one.
Second, you can teach a beginner just as easily on an auto. The versatility is still there without diminished power. Its not like she is going to be plugging bucks at 700 yards (which is still in an AR range BTW). A) You have a quality gun B) You have a weapon that is far more versatile C) You have a gun, that can multi task as a defense weapon or a hunting weapon D) Its a NATO round in case of shit, easily obtainable E) Parts, info, etc are readily exchangeable
The list goes on. Yeah, if you want to get the basics into her head get a .22, after a month when she has the basics mastered, then what? Your shopping again for a higher powered rifle.
Just my opinion. Not trying to preach. I think the more legal, civilian owned combat weapons out there the better.

 

I found a metal shaving in the chamber yesterday and another member said I might have a burr in the barrel. I dunno what it is either but I figure if the barrel doesn't look smooth all the way down then something isn't right.

No thanks for your input. I don't want to get her a 22 because I know she is going to get bored with it fast. An AR would be a great choice for her but finding one that is within her price range and has the capabilities to do what she wants it to do (realistically of course) may prove to be very challenging.

Well I am about to break the gun down now to clean it out real good. Any input?

 

That is a very good method for boresighting if you have a way to hold the rifle perfectly still.

What you are trying to do is get the scope crosshairs onto the same object you see when peering down the barrel some distance away (without the gun moving any).
You adjust the scope up/down/left/right whatever you need to get the crosshairs onto the same object.

That way you won't be perfectly sighted in, but you probably will be hitting a 2 x 2 sized paper target at 100 yards. So you don't have to waste time and shots "finding the paper" when you sight in.

Then when you aim center bullseye and see the actual shots on paper make the necessary fine adjustments to get the crosshairs onto where the gun is putting the holes.

 

So I can't get the safety selector retainer back on and it is also jammed pretty fucking tight in there to the point I can't move it forwards or backwards. I've tried using pliers etc. but nothing is working. WTF.

 

I think that would be a great choice in 25-06. The .223 is legal for deer here, but something a bit larger is probably a better choice for the less experienced hunter. I have a less expensive version of the model 111 in 30-06 (from Cabela's). It has worked flawlessly for me.

 

Good deal. I am starting to lean towards an AR. They are very versatile, customizable, etc. Plus I have always wanted one

Also solved my problem and reassembled the gun. Looked down the barrel several times and didn't see a burr nor a place where the metal "shaving" could have come from. I dry fired the rifle several times and everything was smooth.

 

Would anyone be so kind to post up some beginner reading on AR's? I have started reading through the "So you wanna buy an AR-15" thread but I need to take a few steps back and start with the basics.

 

...this should do it...

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_118/492084_AR15_Discussions__FAQ___Read_First_.html