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Your suggestions for rifle for novice female shooter

S

sassywpl

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Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 9, 2014
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Northern California
I am new to LR shooting and would like to purchase a bolt-action rifle. Suggestions I have received from guys at shops and my husband include:
Browning X-Bolt Varmint Stalker
Howa Axiom Varminter
Tikka T3 Varmint

I am looking at a 223 Rem / 8. Preferably barrel no shorter than 22" (would like your opinion on this).

Scope -- would like suggestions

Bipod -- Harris

Rings for scope

Budget as high at $2K, preferably keep it closer to $1500.

My goal is to purchase a rifle that is easy to set up, comfortable to use (for a small to medium sized frame female), and is extremely accurate. And it must be a bad ass looking gun!

I checked out the threads and the opinions are all over the board. Would greatly appreciate your suggestions.
 
While the 3 rifles you mentioned are pretty nice, I think you will find the accessory market rather limited. That may become important if you need to get a stock that is adjustable to fit you better (or just make it look more bad ass).

I think with your budget you might be better off starting with some form of Remington 700. Lots of stock options. Tons of bases and accessories in just about any configuration imaginable.

Again, thinking of your total budget, you will be looking at Leupold, Vortex, Nikon and the like. Nightforce and above would kill the entire amount.

Good luck and have fun with the process.
 
Tikka is the no brainer here if you wish to shoot this rifle at any significant range (past ~400-500 yards) without extreme frustration.

Anything slower than an 8-twist (meaning a higher number, like 1:9) will mean 69gr or lighter bullets, significantly reducing the long distance performance. Mind you, you can have fun with 69s (excuse the pun) out to 600-700 yards, but their consistency is terrible if there's ANY wind. An 8 twist will handle 75-80gr bullets which work way, way better for further ranges.

Now, if the rifle will be your trainer, to be used mainly for shooting groups at 100-200 yards, and only occasionally stretched out past 300-400, a 1-9 twist rifle will do just fine, but the Tikka is still the pick of the litter.
 
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I would recommend Tikka, but the only 1:8 Tikka 223 you're going to find these days is used, and it will likely be priced at a premium accordingly.

The new Ruger American Predator 223 comes with a 24" 1:8 barrel, but there is zero aftermarket for that rifle.

A 1:9 223 from Savage, Remington or Howa should work just fine with 75gr HPBT and 77gr SMK/Noslers.

My recommendation:

Howa 24" 1:9 223 barreled action from Buds Gun Shop, ($439 blued, $509 stainless)
Bell & Carlson 6560 or 2998 stock from Red Hawk Rifles ($244)
Timney 611 trigger from Red Hawk Rifles ($96)
EGW or Talley 20MOA scope base ($40-55)
Burris 30mm XTR low rings ($50)
Vortex HS-T 4-16x44 ($559)

If desired:
PTG Howa 1500 short action DBM ($75 on sale)
AICS 223 10rd magazine ($42)

Spend the rest of your budget on components for loading up 69gr SMK, 70-73gr Bergers, 75gr HPBT or 77gr SMK/CCs over Varget, RL15, 8208XBR, CFE223 or PP2000MR.
 
There's a T3 in the for sale section. Right now with a KRG for about 1650 I think. It's an 8 twist too
 
BoilerUP said:
I actually just saw that, and revise my recommendation to GO BUY THAT RIGHT AWAY.
Click to expand...
agreed. that 8 twist tikka will be your best bet. shoot 80gr bullets out of it and she'll be fully capable to 800yds pretty easy. not to mention a super smooth action and amazing trigger.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
Tikka will give the OP everything she wants except one. She said "And it must be a bad ass looking gun" and that is one of the least attractive offerings on the market besides a Browning BLR
 
Hairball said:
Tikka will give the OP everything she wants except one. She said "And it must be a bad ass looking gun" and that is one of the least attractive offerings on the market besides a Browning BLR
Click to expand...
a tikka in a krg xray, w3, mcm a5, or any manners gives me a wet dream every time.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
I know you'll get lots of suggestions on this but I would vote for the Tikka. They're guaranteed to shoot within an inch at 100 yds. They'll do better than that with hand loads or certain factory ammo.

As for a reasonably priced scope, I'd go with a Vortex Viper PST.

I posted groups from my Tikka T3 in 22-250 on page 4 of this thread (#173)
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...15-sh-coldbore-challenge-test-yourself-4.html
Had some "cold shooter" boo-boos too.

Have fun!
 
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That Tikka for sale is also offered with the factory stock for significantly less money now. I am tempted in a bad way.....
 
Can't go wrong with the Tikka. The Remington has a lot of accessories available and the Varmint/HB 700's are nice rifles. But the T3 is a phenomenal rifle and can be modified to suit.

You can get a fine base model T3 with synthetic stock and put the $$ into scope and, more importantly, ammunition.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
I think we need to see a picture to get a true idea of frame size and make a solid recommendation. This is very critical for female shooters.
 
While I am the guy with the T3/KRG in the sale section, I would say one advantage of the KRG for a novice shooter is the weight of the chassis helps absorb more of the (admittedly mild) recoil.
I'd say the Tikka T3 Sporter is a pretty good alternative for a new rifle for just under $1500 @ eurooptic - 24" barrel, 1:8 twist as well - pretty much a mini TRG. I like the stock, some dont...
I've never seen the SWFA 3-15, but I've been happy with my Weaver 800363 3-15 mil/mil illuminated, which is priced in the same ballpark.
 
You mentioned that you want to get into LR shooting, I'm not sure what the exact application will be, but if you are trying to do Long Range shooting which usually means something in the 600 to 1000 yard + range, a .223 rifle is going to be a bit of a handicap, while yes it can get out there, it is by no means ideal.

I would suggest you look at something in the .243 range with a fast twist barrel, as with a nice break it is still very soft shooting, but depending on your load can push past 1000 yards easily & you also get a lot of different bullet and load options to play with.

The scope you pick depends a lot on what you will be shooting & how far you are planning on shooting.
Good glass makes a huge difference and an excellent scope can last several rifle upgrades, most likely you'll want to at least be near the 1K mark if you want a decent scope for LR shooting.

Your height and frame size make a big difference, but if you are on the smaller side, having the scope as low as possible can make it a lot easier to feel comfortable behind the rifle.
 
My first centrefire was a Tikka T3 super varmint in .223 with the 1:8 twist though mine came with a threaded 20" barrel from the factory. It loves 75gn A-Max projectiles and I'll be doing some load development with 80gn VLDs and SMKs soon.

I'm over in Australia so I know what's available is a little different and prices are very different over your end of the world but I would recommend any heavy barreled Tikka, the Sako barrels are very good and they are a solid action, the only real down side is the short magazine but that is easily fixed.

I've put a Vortex Viper PST 4-16 x50 on mine and I love it, I'll have a KRG X-ray as soon as they land over here in about 2 weeks.

The aftermarket options for Tikka are growing all the time and it should shoot every well out of the box.

As others have said, .223 isn't a great long range round compared to a lot on offer these days so you will be peddling up hill even with the heavier bullets but if you plan to use this rifle as a step up .223 is a good starting place due to the low cost of ammunition/components, mild recoil and long barrel life.
 
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Tikka. Only thing that looks bad-ass is the shooter who knows how to use his/her rifle and gets the hits when and where necessary.
 
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Here is my 'non bad ass tikka' 308







Also have a 223 varmint, superb rifles. Both are hammers
 
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Many thanks for everyone's suggestions. I am considering all options, and please keep posting your great suggestions.

Couple more questions:
.243 suggestion. How much of a recoil difference is there with a .223? And cost for ammo?

"Your height and frame size make a big difference, but if you are on the smaller side, having the scope as low as possible can make it a lot easier to feel comfortable behind the rifle." I am 5'4" and small/medium framed. What does this mean having a scope as low as possible? How do I achieve this?

Your thoughts on the Remington trigger. Is that a factor to even consider?

Lots of support for the Tikka. What are other options? I am interested to know more about BoilerUps suggestion for the Howa. Any more thoughts?

Thanks!
 
sassywpl said:
Many thanks for everyone's suggestions. I am considering all options, and please keep posting your great suggestions.

Couple more questions:
.243 suggestion. How much of a recoil difference is there with a .223? And cost for ammo?

"Your height and frame size make a big difference, but if you are on the smaller side, having the scope as low as possible can make it a lot easier to feel comfortable behind the rifle." I am 5'4" and small/medium framed. What does this mean having a scope as low as possible? How do I achieve this?

Your thoughts on the Remington trigger. Is that a factor to even consider?

Lots of support for the Tikka. What are other options? I am interested to know more about BoilerUps suggestion for the Howa. Any more thoughts?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

For your budget, I would suggest a Remington 700 Tactical. I think it's 1/9 twist, which will stabilize 69gr's. My 18" Noveske gas gun will hit 5" gongs all day at 500yd with 69 gr's. It's a 1/7 twist, but with 69 gr's 1/9 is OK too. Guns America has them for less than $700 shipped. If you are wary of the X Mark Pro trigger recall, a Jewell is $140.

That leaves you with about $1000 for scopes after bipod and rings/base. Scopes I would recommend:

SWFA 3-15x
Viper HS T line
Viper PST line
Bushnell Elite 3-12

Never sacrifice image quality for magnification. 15x will get you as far as a .223 will ever go. I heavily recommend the SWFA line, I've owned 4 of them and they've all tracked brilliantly.

GL!
 
sassywpl said:
Couple more questions:
.243 suggestion. How much of a recoil difference is there with a .223? And cost for ammo?
Click to expand...

243 definitely has more recoil than 223, but its not a huge increase - very manageable.

Two significant issues with recommending 243:

1. Factory 243s come with a 1:9.25 or 1:9.125 twist which isn't optimal for "heavy" 6mm bullets
2. Factory 243 match ammo is pretty much unavailable (Copper Creek has 105gr VLD load and HSM has a 95gr VLD load), leaving you with hunting and varmint loads which aren't really tailored for long range.

If you don't reload and/or aren't made of money to buy high-end ammo, 223 is really the best option unless you step up to 6.5 Creedmoor.
 
As far as the Howa option, I can also concur on their value for the price. XLR will inlet their chassis (if they don't have that inlet already) for no charge. I have really liked the Howa's I've had; all of them good shooters (one fell into the "scary accurate" category). They'd make a great entry level platform IMHO...

Legacy Sports - Barreled Actions

Edit: Crap, just checked XLR's website and they do offer the Howa inlet (and have updated the website).
 
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Try the 6mm group or the 6.5Creedmoor. The 6mm use less powder then the 243, they get better barrel life and combined with a brake are soft on the recoil side. The other benefit is once you get comfortable and start shooting at longer range, they all have the capability to go past 1000yd mark with ease. Some choices require reloading. Don't be afraid of adding some weight it will help with the felt recoil. What ever your choice a brake or can will reduce the felt recoil making it much more enjoyable.
 
I recommend a 308 with a good brake if you're wanting an entry level lr shooting rig. My wife loves shooting my 308 's with brakes. I like Benny Cooley brakes by JP Enterprise's.
You can drop a 700 or a T3 into a chassis after a while and have one bad ass looking rifle. A great starter scope that won't break the bank I would suggest the Vortex Viper HS-T.
 
sassywpl said:
Couple more questions:
.243 suggestion. How much of a recoil difference is there with a .223? And cost for ammo?
Click to expand...

A .243 Win shooting 105s has about double the recoil as a .223 shooting 75s in a 12 lb rifle. While a .243 has much better ballistic performance, has much less barrel life (not really a concern if just a hunting rifle), and can be used for hunting deer (many states 6mm is min legal limit). The .223 is more ubiquitous, has more match ammo selections, and costs less to shoot.

sassywpl said:
"Your height and frame size make a big difference, but if you are on the smaller side, having the scope as low as possible can make it a lot easier to feel comfortable behind the rifle." I am 5'4" and small/medium framed. What does this mean having a scope as low as possible? How do I achieve this?
Click to expand...

You don't want to struggle with the rifle to get a good sight picture. Having your scope nice and low really helps. The ring height depends on the size of the objective and the barrel contour of the rifle, unless you get something like an AIAX chassis for the barreled action. There is a thread in the scope section about choosing the right ring height. As for what scope to get, [MENTION=47204]BoilerUP[/MENTION] suggestion of the 4-16x44 HS-T is a pretty good one.

sassywpl said:
Your thoughts on the Remington trigger. Is that a factor to even consider?
Click to expand...
There is nothing wrong with a properly tuned Remington trigger. Lots of shops can tune them up for a bit less than an aftermarket. An older style Rem trigger, tuned up, is quite nice.

sassywpl said:
Lots of support for the Tikka. What are other options? I am interested to know more about BoilerUps suggestion for the Howa. Any more thoughts?
Click to expand...

If it was me, I would get a Rem 700P or a Rem 700 5R in 223 and drop it into a XLR element chassis with the tac lite stock. That would look badass! With the 1/9 twist, you won't be able to shoot the massive heavies (75gr+), but many have had luck with the 69 grain bullets.
 
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LCDR JGB said:
With the 1/9 twist, you won't be able to shoot the massive heavies (75gr+), but many have had luck with the 69 grain bullets.
Click to expand...

The Hornady 75gr HPBT works great through a 1:9 barrel, and a 77gr Sierra or Nosler should be plenty stable as well.
 
sassywpl said:
I am new to LR shooting and would like to purchase a bolt-action rifle. Suggestions I have received from guys at shops and my husband include:
Browning X-Bolt Varmint Stalker
Howa Axiom Varminter
Tikka T3 Varmint

I am looking at a 223 Rem / 8. Preferably barrel no shorter than 22" (would like your opinion on this).

Scope -- would like suggestions

Bipod -- Harris

Rings for scope

Budget as high at $2K, preferably keep it closer to $1500.

My goal is to purchase a rifle that is easy to set up, comfortable to use (for a small to medium sized frame female), and is extremely accurate. And it must be a bad ass looking gun!

I checked out the threads and the opinions are all over the board. Would greatly appreciate your suggestions.
Click to expand...

My two cents...

.223 Bolt: I would say a Remington 700 as this was my first .223. As I am checking Remington.com so far I am not seeing a twist faster than 9. Because you mentioned LR I would suggest no slower than 8 twist to run heavier bullets with accuracy if going past 600 yards. LR to me personally is greater than 600 yards. Remington 700's have a ton of aftermarket hardware out there for you to choose from. I myself swapped my factory Remington trigger for a Jewell shortly after purchase. I have the 'no-longer-made' VTR Recon. She was very accurate with 69 grain factory BVAC though I never took her past 100 yards. By the time I went 1000 yards with a .223 it was with my custom build. She has hit gallons of water at 900 and 1000 yards with AMax 75 grainers. She is extremely accurate. Thank you Jamie! :)

Possible Future: With a 700 Action you can always upgrade to a faster twist barrel and still have all aftermarket hardware at your disposal.

Scope: I personally do not have experience with GOOD hardware in the price range you mentioned. I did have a Nikon Scope (6x-18x) on VTR which was pretty good for price but would probably look at Leupold and Vortex.

Bipod: Harris

Rings: Leupold

If you have not done so already you will find this sport can get expensive. Buy ONCE - Cry ONCE is how I run now. Almost every item I purchased was ultimately replaced with the higher priced item I initially wanted but chose not to purchase due to price.

Side note:, I can't express how much fun I have shooting with my wife (She is 5' 3" medium build). For a woman who WAS once closer to ANTI she has flipped to our side. I had her shooting my CZ 22LR a few times last year but because ammo is so hard to come by I told her she had to step up to my .223 which I hand load for. The VTR mentioned above is in pieces as I never completed hardware upgrade so a few weeks ago I took wife out and had her shoot my custom .223. BIGGEST MISTAKE I EVER MADE. Not only did she shoot a 12 shot X Ring group at 100 yards on her SECOND day out. Now every time she refers to the custom .223 she uses the word MY and MINE in same sentence. :confused: That's what I get introducing her to this sport. :eek:
 
I am with nuke man. I have been following the thread because i worked for a large gun shop for a long time and have sold my share of firearms to women. I believe that you would be great with a 308 and brake. Savage has an option the is in your price range and a buddy of mine has one and it shoots very well. Under 1 moa to 100k with 178 gr bullets.

My 0.02 cents on the 308 is you can get ammo any place and not over priced. It will shoot to 1000k with no worries and recoil is not an issue with a brake. I have neice shoots a broke 308 she is not a "shooter" and is 5'3" 100 lb. and does not bother her.

As far as scopes i agree a swfa, vortex, bush elite or burris. All god choices and can be bought used or new without worry. None should brake the bank either. Hope that helps if you have any questions pleae ask i'll help with what i can
 
I'll add a few things that I've noticed from my wife. She's about 5' 7" 130lbs and isn't a weakling by any means but when she tries to shoot my match guns which are in heavy to me (13.5-15lbs) she has a hard time moving them around (precision rifle style shooting) and usually ends up sore the next day just from holding the thing in odd positions. I'm having her a 6mm Slr built (very little recoil and easily makes it to 1500 yards). It will use a carbon XLR chassis, titanium action and carbon fiber wrapped barrel and hopefully will come in at a pretty light weight. It will have a break so recoil is still not a concern. The XLR also provides a ton of adjustability for length of pull etc. I will probably shoot it more than she will but at least she will hopefully be comfortable while shooting in the matches which she has yet to shoot. Bottom line is if you will be doing that type of shooting then make sure it's comfortable and easy to move around.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
Many thanks for all the suggestions. My shoulder is recovering from surgery & it hurts shoot anything larger than a 22. It will be several months before I can consider purchasing a LR rifle. Will keep reading the hide posts...let you know what I decide to purchase.
 
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