Need help for daughter. UPDATED

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ko4nrbs
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Need help for daughter. UPDATED

Post by ko4nrbs »

My 36 year old single daughter has just informed me she wants me to take her deer hunting. I am now tasked with recommending her a rifle and crossbow. I chose 30-30 caliber for her and will go with a lever action. Whether it’s a Marlin, Henry, etc. is up to her.

Ok I need some recommendations from you all on an Excalibur for a 5’ 5” woman. Her arms are fairly short and she has small hands.

She is an extreme hiker and is in excellent physical condition.

I have 3 other daughters that as of yet have shown no interest in hunting.

I am still in shock she wants to hunt and she assured me she is serious.

Bill
Last edited by ko4nrbs on Sun Oct 17, 2021 1:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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xcaliber
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by xcaliber »

Mag 340 with a Charger crank.
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janesy
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by janesy »

308 Short. Get the MOBU model and then you can easily fit a full size micro stock if you need the option later
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by flightattendant100 »

If you can find one of the discontinued Sapphire models it would be a great choice. Shorter stock, Matrix limbs(less trouble) and still a pretty short cocking stroke. Since she is in such good shape ,with proper technique ,she can probably cock it without the crank. Just a thought.
Hope that she loves the hunt and you get a new hunting buddy!
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robertyb
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by robertyb »

I think I would get her either a rifle or a crossbow depending on which she can hunt with first and take her hunting and see if she really wants to become a hunter. Let her make a kill and if she still wants to hunt then buy the other for her. I have seen quite a few want to hunt young folks back off when it comes time to kill or after making their first kill. JMO
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Boo
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by Boo »

330 Bulldog. Everything is just right for a beginner or advanced hunter or just recreational shooter. Its the best bow for speed vs cocking effort. The only thing easier to cock is the GRZ which wouldn't be a bad choice if all she is going to do is hunt.
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AJ01
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by AJ01 »

Okay...this is really a "loaded question". No pun intended! Okay, maybe just a little. :lol:

Sorry, but I would NOT buy her a "30-30" for her first rifle. I know they have killed a million deer since coming out, but, let me explain.
She's 5'5"...stock design has a lot to do with "felt recoil". And let's face it, the stock design leaves a little to be desired on 99% of all lever guns.
In my humble opinion, it's not a good choice for a novice hunter. :eusa-snooty:

If I had to pick a single round for a novice hunter, I would take either the 7mm-08, or the .260 Remington. Either round will kill anything in the lower 48. True, might be a little on the light side for Elk or Moose. But in a pinch, it would do the job with the right bullet.
Rifle would be a standard bolt action made by anyone and it would be topped with a piece of good quality glass. If needed the stock could be "cut down" to fit the length of pull needed to properly fit the shooter.
Sure you can cut down the stock on a "30-30" but that only succeeds in increasing the amount of "felt recoil" to the shooter. :eusa-doh:
Stock design goes a long way in making an accurate shooter out of someone. Proper eye relief with the scope. Proper and consistent check weld every time you plant you face to the stock. Bolt guns just make sense.
Ever see a National Match winner shooting a lever gun?? :eusa-naughty:

And like Chris said...get her a 308 Short as her crossbow. Can find one of those, then a GRZ!!

And lastly....as we ALL know, opinions are like another part of one's anatomy. Everyone has one. :lol: :lol:

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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by Boo »

While you’re absolutely right AJ, if I was going to do it all over again, I would have started with a lever 44 magnum in a Marlin. Recoil is a whimper and it is super easy to load lead slugs at an even more modest speeds for putting holes in paper.
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AJ01
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by AJ01 »

Boo wrote:
Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:07 am
While you’re absolutely right AJ, if I was going to do it all over again, I would have started with a lever 44 magnum in a Marlin. Recoil is a whimper and it is super easy to load lead slugs at an even more modest speeds for putting holes in paper.
Boo, you are correct. The Marlin line of lever guns to me, are the best levers out there. I owned one back in the early 70's. A Model 336 in "30-30". Had a 4x Weaver on it. As a teenager here in East Texas, I carried it thru a lot of "Pine Thickets" but never fired a single shot at a deer!! :wink:
Don't know if it was me or the gun, but at that time, one of us didn't know diddly about hunting!!! :lol: :eusa-doh: :lol:
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Boo
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by Boo »

AJ01 wrote:
Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 am
Boo wrote:
Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:07 am
While you’re absolutely right AJ, if I was going to do it all over again, I would have started with a lever 44 magnum in a Marlin. Recoil is a whimper and it is super easy to load lead slugs at an even more modest speeds for putting holes in paper.
Boo, you are correct. The Marlin line of lever guns to me, are the best levers out there. I owned one back in the early 70's. A Model 336 in "30-30". Had a 4x Weaver on it. As a teenager here in East Texas, I carried it thru a lot of "Pine Thickets" but never fired a single shot at a deer!! :wink:
Don't know if it was me or the gun, but at that time, one of us didn't know diddly about hunting!!! :lol: :eusa-doh: :lol:
Yep, feels like your carrying a stick!
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by xcaliber »

A .44 Marlin lever action has been on my list for a while, after a lot of serious thinking I bought a CVA .44 single shot break action and have had zero regrets. That said I would still pick a crossbow for the purpose of teaching the Hunter to be patient enough to let the shot get close. This is to teach them to practice good wind skills, hygiene, and make sure they have identified their quarry. In that I think a small bow based on her size would handle better and the crank would keep it fun at the range too! The 340 would be helpful with the extra power on quartering shots that might be less than perfect!
My hunting buddy years ago bought his daughter several hunting outfits, boots, and a compound bow. She got really good with the bow and on her second hunt gut shot a doe. After hours of tracking her we found her, she vomited on site and never hunted again. Just some point I think you know.
Good luck, maybe have her hang around when someone in the group gets a deer to make sure it’s something she wants to do!
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by Hi5 »

Well said, Dan.
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by wheelsquad »

My opinion, focus your excalibur search on models with a shorter LOP since she is only 5'5". It's a lot easier to put a stock extender on a short LOP than it is to shorten a long one. So that narrows your choices down to the 308 Short, Matrix Sapphire, and Vixen 2, I believe.
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by DuckHunt »

My daughter is 5'6" and has harvested a few deer with my prior Exomax with a crankaroo. It was too tall for her to cock it manually. With my recent upgrades, prior to this season I gave my daughter her choice of my Micro 335 or Matrix 350. After shooting both and marveling at how crazy accurate the Matrix was, she still chose the Micro 335 based solely on size and maneuverability. She was able to cock it manually, but admitted that she hopes to never have to do that. She's quite happy with the Charger crank and hard case to complete the package.

As for rifles, my daughter carries a Remington 700 youth model in .308 Win. She moved up to .308 from a .243 in the same platform. The youth model of the Remington 700 is quite a bit shorter. While it seems pretty short to me, it seems perfect to her. As for accuracy, it'll shoot 1" groups at 100 yards with a 20" barrel. I've got other full size guns that can't do the same.
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ko4nrbs
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Re: Need help for daughter.

Post by ko4nrbs »

Lot’s of really good suggestions!! Lot’s to ponder.

I will take her to Cabelas and let her shoulder some rifles and crossbows. She really likes my Exomax but no way would she be able to pack it very far.

Bill
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