The "basics" for guns in America

cash_tx · Feb 23, 2026

The Ruger 10/22 would be a great choice, and a few of mine have turned out to be shockingly accurate. Also very easy to operate, and feed quite reliably with a variety of ammo.

That being said, I would recommend an M4 style of AR15 with a collapsible stock, forend light, and good red dot as a standard part of anyone's collection. Thus, you might consider swapping out the 10/22 with an AR equivalent in 22LR so that she can use it for practice on a similar platform; but with less cost and recoil as she builds her skills.

The bolt guns suggested above are great choices, and I would definitely make the most of shopping for it together as a Daddy/Daughter adventure. Such rifles are very much a personal thing, and that is how my daughter wound up with "Laredo" (her chosen name for it) a few years ago.

Firebird · Feb 23, 2026

My slight of build daughters use a featherweight Winchester m70 in 7mm-08. It is a shorter lop and has a slender build, so nice for small framed people. 7mm-08 not a hard recoiler but plenty of killing power for much of big game-

We use a 17hmr savage to get them used to shooting with a scope, but maybe a .22 mag or similar would be just as good-

Schüler Jumbo · Feb 23, 2026

She is not a huntress so best approach would be an AR-15 Platform, 5.56x45, with red dot. In fact you might want to combine the AR 5.56 with a JP Rifles .22 LR AR or the S&W .22 LR AR.

jcs271 · Feb 23, 2026

375 Ruger Fan said:
I am going to buy one of these, the GEN 2 model, for my grandsons. LOP can be as short as 12 inches. Thinking 308 and suppressed.

I have a gen1 in 7.62X39 and a Gen2 in .223.
The G2 Ranch Model is a simply outstanding production rifle. You and your grandsons will be happy.

arniet · Feb 23, 2026

CoElkHunter said:
Savage 110 or the new(er) Savage Axis with a scope combo. Savage has/had a program whereby you could buy the rifle with the shorter youth stock and within five years you could get an adult stock for free. They both have stock spacers included too. I bought my non hunting daughter in law the Axis “Muddy Girl” model in .243 several years ago that came with a Bushnell scope. She likes it and is fine for occasional range fun. 7-08, .25-06 or Crudmore cartridges would be good too.

I agree strongly, but if you reload consider the .308 Winchester and Hodgdon H4895 in reduced loads, down to 60%.

Reduced loads

Tubby’s Canteen · Feb 23, 2026

My sister made good use of a ruger mini in 7.62x39 till the liberals banned their use, replaced it with a ruger 44

MS 9x56 · Feb 23, 2026

Safari Dave said:
My daughter isn't a hunter.

She's not an "anti-hunter," just a non-hunter.

She owns a handgun (S&W 380 EZ) and she can shoot very well.

She's only 5'2", so needs to get shoulder fired firearms that fit, but at a price point that is not excessive.

"Santa" gave her a Pointer Acius O/U 20 gauge for Christmas. The LOP is fine, but the grip is too large for Jack Dempsey.

Recommendations on 2 rifles?

A Ruger 10/22 will probably be one.

The other???

Winchester model 70 featherweight.

tinktink12 · Feb 23, 2026

I being a female scrutinized my choices of a female sized gun. I did not want a youth model or a male sized gun cut down but a female designed and fitted gun.
I looked at both the Weatherby Camilla and the Savage Lady Hunter and chose resoundingly the Savage. It is built for a female body and designed by females. It fit better than the Weatherby and was more accurate at a cheaper price. Win win!
I actually own 3 Savage Lady Hunters now in 3 different calibers. Two of the guns I worked with Effie Sullivan from the Savage Custom shop to make a few adjustments to the already wonderful Lady Hunter. I won’t go into all the changes in order to keep this post shorter. For only a few hundred dollars more than the suggested retail price she modified the gun to my liking. I will attach an article about her after this post. She was wonderfully helpful and knowledgeable and I would not hesitate to reach out to her if you want a caliber not offered in the standard choices or something different.
As for your daughter, I started hunting with a Savage Lady Hunter in 257 Robert’s about 4 1/2 years ago. @skydiver386 suggested the caliber because it had a flat trajectory, had good killing power and not a lot of kick. The only downside was it is sometimes hard to find ammo so we buy the Nosler or the Hornady when we see it on the shelves and we also reload our own with Barnes bullets. In hindsight, after shooting a lot more guns after hunting with it I am very happy with the choice.

tinktink12 · Feb 23, 2026

NRA Women | 7 Questions For Savage Arms' Legendary Effie Sullivan

Since 1973, this pioneer among women in the gun industry has blazed her own trail with Savage Arms.

www.nrawomen.com

Ray B · Feb 23, 2026

tinktink12 said:
I being a female want a female designed and fitted gun.

Of the more than a thousand hunter education students that I have taught over the last 40 years, about half of which were female, ages 8 to 45, heights from 4'8" to 5'11", weight from 70 to 250 lbs I don't recall any that didn't fit with one of my various sized rifles, which also fit the other 50% of students who were male but of similar age, height and weight ranges.

So please tell me, just what is different about a female designed and fitted gun.

tinktink12 · Feb 23, 2026

Ray B said:
Of the more than a thousand hunter education students that I have taught over the last 40 years, about half of which were female, ages 8 to 45, heights from 4'8" to 5'11", weight from 70 to 250 lbs I don't recall any that didn't fit with one of my various sized rifles, which also fit the other 50% of students who were male but of similar age, height and weight ranges.

So please tell me, just what is different about a female designed and fitted gun.

Women’s rifles have a shorter and lighter stock with a buttstock that is angled away from the body. It has a raised comb (Monte Carlo stock) which provides a better cheek weld. The length of pull is shorter, and the pistol grip is slimmer and angled differently to fit better in a women’s hand. Your guns may fit a woman but once I picked up a gun designed exactly for a woman I said “This is the One!“

Grumpy gumpy · Feb 23, 2026

Ray B said:
Of the more than a thousand hunter education students that I have taught over the last 40 years, about half of which were female, ages 8 to 45, heights from 4'8" to 5'11", weight from 70 to 250 lbs I don't recall any that didn't fit with one of my various sized rifles, which also fit the other 50% of students who were male but of similar age, height and weight ranges.

So please tell me, just what is different about a female designed and fitted gun.

They may have shot them, but it’s unlikely that they fit them, basic anatomy shows a female body bone structure is different. I’m going through this at the moment with a friends girlfriend who has a lot of issues with her rifles in regards to fit. They tend to hunch over the stock and can’t get a good grip on the wrist
Gumpy

Doug Hamilton · Feb 23, 2026

Safari Dave said:
My daughter isn't a hunter.

She's not an "anti-hunter," just a non-hunter.

She owns a handgun (S&W 380 EZ) and she can shoot very well.

She's only 5'2", so needs to get shoulder fired firearms that fit, but at a price point that is not excessive.

"Santa" gave her a Pointer Acius O/U 20 gauge for Christmas. The LOP is fine, but the grip is too large for Jack Dempsey.

Recommendations on 2 rifles?

A Ruger 10/22 will probably be one.

The other???

The 10/22 is always a lot of fun. As for other guns, what might she be interested in? You said she was a non-hunter, but does she have an interest in learning? Would she want to compete? If we.knew what.might be in her future we could probably be more helpful. Good luck!

Safari Dave · Feb 23, 2026

I think she could be persuaded to hunt, if she found the right guy.

I doubt that she would have any interest in competition, but you never know.

Ray B · Feb 23, 2026

Below is a photograph of one of the rifles I used in the HE classes for the smaller students regardless as to their age or sex. The specifics of it are: Weight with scope 7 lb 3 oz; w/o scope 6 lb 8 oz. circumference of forend below rear sight 5". circumference of pistol grip 6.5"; distance from trigger to midpoint of grip 2.5"; Overall length 39"; LOP 12.3"; Drop @ comb .8"; Drop @ heel 1.3" (from centerline of bore) Butt is 1.5" wide @ widest point; 4.8" long;

The poster claims that a rifle designed by & for a woman would be shorter, lighter, have cast-off, a raised comb, shorter LOP, a slimmer grip that is angled "differently" to fit a woman's hand.
Granted the stock does not have cast off- however I do have shotgun with cast-off but it wasn't designed by or for a woman.

Since I have appeared to have riled up at least one poster who disliked my question- I will make a a request. Please review your designed by & for a woman rifle and compare its measurements with those listed for my rifle, then get back with a comparison. Thank you.

skydiver386 · Feb 24, 2026

Ray B said:
Below is a photograph of one of the rifles I used in the HE classes for the smaller students regardless as to their age or sex. The specifics of it are: Weight with scope 7 lb 3 oz; w/o scope 6 lb 8 oz. circumference of forend below rear sight 5". circumference of pistol grip 6.5"; distance from trigger to midpoint of grip 2.5"; Overall length 39"; LOP 12.3"; Drop @ comb .8"; Drop @ heel 1.3" (from centerline of bore) Butt is 1.5" wide @ widest point; 4.8" long;

The poster claims that a rifle designed by & for a woman would be shorter, lighter, have cast-off, a raised comb, shorter LOP, a slimmer grip that is angled "differently" to fit a woman's hand.
Granted the stock does not have cast off- however I do have shotgun with cast-off but it wasn't designed by or for a woman.

Since I have appeared to have riled up at least one poster who disliked my question- I will make a a request. Please review your designed by & for a woman rifle and compare its measurements with those listed for my rifle, then get back with a comparison. Thank you.

I'd be glad to explain the differences between your stock, and that of the Savage Lady Hunter.

Notice first the centerline of the bore and it's relation to the butt pad, comb, cheek rest, pistol grip, etc. Your stock has a noticeable drop at both the heel and toe compared to the Savage. The entire butt of the Savage is at least an inch and a half higher that yours. This does a number of positive things for fit, shooting form and recoil control.

On nearly every standard rifle, the comb is far to low, the stock to long, and to much drop from the centerline of the bore. Because of the narrower shoulders, neck length and cheekbones, most women will "crawl" onto a modified standard stock. They tent to lean their head to one side, bend their neck forward, etc , in an attempt to get proper sight alignment. They are attempting to modify their body to the gun, instead of the gun being modified to fit them.

Second is recoil. Look how the centerline of the bore comes very close to the top of the butt pad. Recoil is straight back with very little muzzle rise in comparison to your stock.

Third is the comb and cheek rest. Notice it's not only farther toward the muzzle than a standard stock, it angles down from butt to muzzle, whereas yours angles upward. When the rifle recoils to the rear, the Savage comb actually moves away from the shooters face, where your's moves toward the face. This results in "cheek slap" and "perceived recoil" that many female shooters dislike.

For those wondering if there is room to remove the bolt for cleaning with that high cheek rest, the answer is yes, even on a long action.

Next, look at the distance from the front of the pistol grip to the face of the trigger and the angle of the grip. This was done purposely to bring a woman's smaller hand and shorter fingers closer to the trigger. The grip and wrist area aren't simply whittled down, the angles are completely different.

To cut overall weight and give better balance, a lighter action and thinner barrel profile were used. Savage conducted many studies asking women what they wanted in a Ladies rifle, and one of the biggest complaints was the standard rifle, and even the "Youth " rifles were muzzle heavy.

Savage surveyed hundreds of women of all ages and experience levels when they created this rifle design, and in my opinion they hit a home run.

arniet · Feb 24, 2026

You know, we guys spend a lot of money on bespoke shotguns and rifles, stock bending and so on. My wife is a towering 5'2" with 44's. The shoulders are very broad for her size. Classic round head and face for a lowland German. She won't shoot shotguns, they all are uncomfortable. A bespoke one would probably work. She became very happy when they started selling swimsuit tops and bottoms separately.
Girls are different from guys.
Lots of stuff will work, but some stuff works better than other stuff. If there is a market for girl guns, filling it is a good idea. Savage seems to get it, at a low price point.
Not a gun example, but Dear Wife carries a Smith 642 (she doesn't like pistols, limp wrist) in a Flash Bang upside down clam shell between the boobies. No man would buy that product, but for a woman with the right build, you just don't see it, while looking right at it.

tinktink12 · Feb 24, 2026

skydiver386 said:
I'd be glad to explain the differences between your stock, and that of the Savage Lady Hunter.
View attachment 748345
Notice first the centerline of the bore and it's relation to the butt pad, comb, cheek rest, pistol grip, etc. Your stock has a noticeable drop at both the heel and toe compared to the Savage. The entire butt of the Savage is at least an inch and a half higher that yours. This does a number of positive things for fit, shooting form and recoil control.

On nearly every standard rifle, the comb is far to low, the stock to long, and to much drop from the centerline of the bore. Because of the narrower shoulders, neck length and cheekbones, most women will "crawl" onto a modified standard stock. They tent to lean their head to one side, bend their neck forward, etc , in an attempt to get proper sight alignment. They are attempting to modify their body to the gun, instead of the gun being modified to fit them.

Second is recoil. Look how the centerline of the bore comes very close to the top of the butt pad. Recoil is straight back with very little muzzle rise in comparison to your stock.

Third is the comb and cheek rest. Notice it's not only farther toward the muzzle than a standard stock, it angles down from butt to muzzle, whereas yours angles upward. When the rifle recoils to the rear, the Savage comb actually moves away from the shooters face, where your's moves toward the face. This results in "cheek slap" and "perceived recoil" that many female shooters dislike.

For those wondering if there is room to remove the bolt for cleaning with that high cheek rest, the answer is yes, even on a long action.

Next, look at the distance from the front of the pistol grip to the face of the trigger and the angle of the grip. This was done purposely to bring a woman's smaller hand and shorter fingers closer to the trigger. The grip and wrist area aren't simply whittled down, the angles are completely different.

To cut overall weight and give better balance, a lighter action and thinner barrel profile were used. Savage conducted many studies asking women what they wanted in a Ladies rifle, and one of the biggest complaints was the standard rifle, and even the "Youth " rifles were muzzle heavy.

Savage surveyed hundreds of women of all ages and experience levels when they created this rifle design, and in my opinion they hit a home run.

@skydiver386 Very well explained! Better than I did!!!

tinktink12 · Feb 24, 2026

arniet said:
You know, we guys spend a lot of money on bespoke shotguns and rifles, stock bending and so on. My wife is a towering 5'2" with 44's. The shoulders are very broad for her size. Classic round head and face for a lowland German. She won't shoot shotguns, they all are uncomfortable. A bespoke one would probably work. She became very happy when they started selling swimsuit tops and bottoms separately.
Girls are different from guys.
Lots of stuff will work, but some stuff works better than other stuff. If there is a market for girl guns, filling it is a good idea. Savage seems to get it, at a low price point.
Not a gun example, but Dear Wife carries a Smith 642 (she doesn't like pistols, limp wrist) in a Flash Bang upside down clam shell between the boobies. No man would buy that product, but for a woman with the right build, you just don't see it, while looking right at it.

Well. the shotgun I use is also built for a women and she may like it. Check out FabArms Syren Elos D2. I use the 20 gauge for hunting and sporting clays. There are other models which are more geared towards trap and skeet.

Ray B · Feb 24, 2026

skydiver386 said:
View attachment 748345

I wonder if Savage had to pay any royalties to Winslow, Weatherby or the long range marksman stocks for their clear copies of the 70 year old "California" designs.

If you like something, go ahead and use it. It makes no difference.

The "basics" for guns in America

cash_tx

Firebird

Schüler Jumbo

jcs271

arniet

Tubby’s Canteen

MS 9x56

tinktink12

tinktink12

NRA Women | 7 Questions For Savage Arms' Legendary Effie Sullivan

Ray B

tinktink12

Grumpy gumpy

Doug Hamilton

Safari Dave

Ray B

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