What Gun Should a New Female Hunter Get?

Selecting the right firearm plays an important role in a new female hunter’s success. Photo by Realtree.

Choosing a firearm as a new female hunter can be intimidating, with so many options and configurations to select from. Just like their male counterparts, female hunters deserve a gun that is accurate, reliable and comfortable. But a gun that provides all of these qualities for a man might not be the best pick for a woman. Females are typically smaller than males, and the difference in stature can make a larger firearm ill-fitting, heavy and awkward to shoot. Height, arm length, and strength play a role in how a gun feels and performs in the field. A lighter rifle with a shorter stock might provide better maneuverability and comfort for a smaller frame, and a well-balanced shotgun makes knocking down birds second nature. Choosing the right firearm is important for success. To help you make the best decision, we've interviewed five female hunting guides, who guide for everything from small game and turkeys to elk. They’ve found the right guns to help them get the job done, and their suggestions might help you.

JENNIFER DRAKE

Jennifer Drake is Michigan’s first female hunting guide and founder of Drakes Guiding Service in Afton. She started hunting as a young child with her dad and uncles and fell in love with the sport. She guides for deer, coyotes, bear, and bobcats, but mostly loves guiding for elk. She has a few rifle preferences. “I grew up hunting with a Remington Model 788 in 6mm, which they don’t make any more. My uncle, who was one of the ones who taught me how to hunt, gave it to me,” Drake said. “He taught me how to shoot a deer and how to shoot long distance with that rifle. It comes on every single hunt with me. It’s my go to-choice for anything, except for small game, like squirrel and partridge.”

Drake said she also likes her Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5. In fact, she bought her daughter a Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 for distance hunting as well. She especially loves the Ruger trigger system setup.

Jennifer Drake recommends selecting a gun that is suitable for your size and build. Photo provided by Jennifer Drake.

When helping new female hunters with rifle selection, Drake advises them to not go above what they can handle in recoil. Drake stands 5-feet, 1-½-inches tall and weighs 105 pounds. She lets her clients shoot her guns, saying if she can handle them with her small frame, most other women can, too.

“If it kicks too much, and you anticipate that kick, you’ll flinch and ruin your shot,” she said. “I recommend starting off with a .243 and working your way up to see what you can handle from there. Of course, the gun you select should also depend on your size and build and what you can handle kick-wise. Each woman is different. Some are stronger than others. Some women have weaker shoulders.”

AMY RAY

Amy Ray, founder of Sisterhood Outdoors, a team of 28 women who host mentored hunting events for women across the country, says her shotgun of choice is a Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus Shotgun.

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“The A400 Xtreme is a machine,” she said. “It does what I need it to do all year long. It runs like a boat paddle. It gets in the mud and still shoots.” Her dad’s custom Gunwerks 300 Rum long-range rifle with a Nightforce scope is her go-to elk gun. But she also loves the versatility of her Beretta BRX1 308 Win rifle. The reversible ambidextrous linear bolt allows the user to take the bolt out and switch the ejector for left-handed shooting with just a few pushes of a button. It also has interchangeable barrels of various calibers.

Amy Ray says some new female hunters might want to opt for a heavier gun for reduced recoil. Photo by Amy Ray.

“The versatility is huge, especially for instructors. It’s very successful for big-game hunting,” Ray said.

“Most importantly, buy a rifle you can adjust the cheek piece on or take the stock pads off. Length of pull and the stock also matters. One thing I like is weight. I don’t want a lightweight rifle. A bit heavier gun, like 8 or 10 pounds, reduces the recoil, which is important. Good optics are also extremely important. Spend your money on a good scope.”

STEPHANIE GREGOR

Stephanie Gregor, of Elkridge, Maryland, mentors female hunters on whitetail, sika deer, and turkey hunts through Sisterhood Outdoors. She says her favorite turkey gun is a Browning BPS 20-gauge shotgun.

“It’s the gun I grew up shooting,” she said. “It’s consistent and accurate, and it’s been a great tool for me as a mentor because it’s ambidextrous. It loads and ejects on the underside and the safety is in the middle. The reduced recoil helps ease a new hunter into it. Many of these women that I teach hunting and shooting to have never handled a gun before. So, they come in scared of the gun. Just having a gun with reduced recoil and that’s comfortable to shoot helps a lot.”

Stephanie Gregor says a youth model gun might be the best option for smaller-framed women. Photo provided by Stephanie Gregor.

For whitetail hunting, Gregor shoots a Savage Model 11 .308 Win. She likes the versatility and light weight. “It’s easy to find ammunition for it,” she said. “It’s a great all-around gun that I can use for predators, bear, hogs, moose and more. It’s light compared to some of the bigger rifles, so it’s easier to carry through the woods.”

She recommends that new female shooters look for guns that have the option to switch out the stocks.

“Any gun that comes in a youth model is always great because of the shorter stock,” she said. “I’m short compared to most guys, who guns are designed for. I’ve had to alter most of my guns. I don’t have the wingspan to hold a long gun close to me to shoot it properly.”

MICHELLE HARMES

Michelle Harmes, of Pikeville, Tennessee, also mentors with Sisterhood Outdoors, and says she likes to hunt hogs, bear and deer with her Remington 450 Bushmaster.

“It hits really hard and gives all of the energy to the animal right away,” she said. “I never have a very long blood trail. Even if I’m nervous and have a crazy shot, it does the job. Where I hunt, there’s a lot of sticks and branches, and it takes the guesswork out of having to find an absolutely clear spot.”

Michelle Harmes recommends not purchasing a gun until you’ve tried out several models. Photo provided by Michelle Harmes.

Harmes said she tells new female hunters to go to a range with a friend and try out several guns.

“Rent a gun,” she said. “See what fits you best. Make sure the weight feels good for you. And make sure you have a good sling if you’re going to be walking through the woods with it. You don’t want to go out there without confidence in your equipment.”

ERIN CRIDER

Erin Crider, founder of Uncharted Outdoorswomen, a service guided and owned by women, based out of Colorado, says her small frame made it difficult for her to find a gun that worked for her when she started hunting.

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“I’m 5 feet, 1 inch,” she said. “I’m a tiny thing. When I first started looking for a shotgun, I went into a sporting goods store and held all of these guns, but none of them fit. I could tell the salesman just wanted to sell me something so I’d get out of there, but I wasn’t about to spend $2,000 on a gun that didn’t feel comfortable. Then he handed me a Benelli M2, and I thought, this is what it’s supposed to feel like. This fits me.”

She said she loves her M2, which she has in a compact 26-inch barrel.

“It’s my go-to for everything,” she said. “It’s super light, which is what I need because I hike for miles through the woods with it. A lightweight gun doesn’t typically have enough weight to hold it back from kicking you, but the M2 has a great recoil system. When I first started shooting clays with it, a woman at the range told me I was shooting high because I have high cheek bones, which is common for women. So, I got a cheek riser on it and it fits much better.”

Erin Crider says the lighter the gun is, the better, especially for long treks. Photo by Erin Crider.

For whitetails, she shoots a compact .243 Ruger youth model.

“It’s lightweight as well,” she said. “I’m thinking about using it on my upcoming black bear hunt.”

She also hunts with a 7mm Rem Mag Tikka, which she likes for its light weight.

“I really just think the lighter weight, the better, especially if you’re hunting the back country and not sitting in a deer stand,” she said. “I typically chase game for miles, so my gun has to be light. I want to be able to attach it to my pack and get through brush without issues.”

Just like male guides, female guides must navigate a variety of terrains, conditions and scenarios when guiding clients, and they need a firearm they can depend on at all times.

Female guides typically choose lightweight rifles that ensure accuracy and ease of handling and shotguns designed for versatility in various scenarios. The same qualities are important for any female hunter. Ultimately, the best gun is one that the hunter feels comfortable and confident carrying and shooting.