Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Plains game women's rifle/loaner rifle

If you don't want to spend a lot of $$, you could buy one of the discontinued Marlin XS7 in 308. If she is a smaller woman, you could buy the compact/youth style with a shorter LOP, either via Gunbroker for under $400.

EDIT: Guessing what someone would like can be an inexact science. Last year I bought rifles for 4 boys, XS7s in 243, and they didn't want them! The boys in Colorado wanted lever action saddle guns and the boys in Vermont want pump action rifles. I ended up buying them rifles in the styles that they wanted and have the four NIB Marlins on a shelf.

Like everyone else has said, get the .308. I took one on 3 different trips and had no issues with it. Take as much ammo as you can with 180 grain Barnes bullets and call it a day.

I'm no African hunting expert or experienced hunter with women, were I to look for a rifle for my wife, I'd be non other than an FN Super-Grade featherweight Model 70 Winchester in 7X57mm, I'd work her up a load featuring the 150 gr Partition at around 2700-2750 fps, outfitted with a matte 2.5-8 Leupold in dual dovetail bases and rings and a nice comfortable sling for her, she could easily do it all inside of 300 yards with this setup.

When I grow up, I want to be Gunner. EXCELLENT POST.

You are beyond a dipshit. Did you read my OP post???? NOT GONNA BUY HER A PRE 64 M70!!!!. He does not reload!!! Its assclowns like you that spoil these threads. She/he gets a. Affordable rifle. FN SUPER-GRADE FEATHERWEIGHT MODEL 70 WINCHESTER IN 7X57MM??? there is a very special stupid for people like you.

Not leaving rifles in my name!!! I am giving as a gift rifles. I have done this before!!!! I have to pay the VAT tax on them, they register the rifles in their names. People, if you haven't done this, and have no concrete Zimbabwe knowledge of their laws please just leave your 2¢ on the rifle choice. My last gift was a 12 gauge pump that I brought over. Reciet was from Walmart! VAT on $289.00

Z, I don't know squat about zim laws and regs. Gunner did not suggest a RARE pre 64 SG, but a current production model. May still be over budget, but a whole 'nother animal. Peace brother.....

You have to go to the police station with the rifle and the PH, along with the paperwork customs stamped when you brought the rifle in. He will need to bring his PH license and gun license with him. They will transfer the rifle to him and give you a piece of paper that you can show to customs when you leave as an explanation as to why you are not leaving with the rifle you brought in. Ditto for the ammunition. Not a big deal.

Dude, I know... Done this a few times. The customs women knows me 1st hand.

"FN Super Grade"? They don't make FN Super grade in 7x57mm, not for USA markets for many years in 7x57mm, if ever? Is he saying a FN Belgium Pre Browning? Any way it's not a " truck gun" for Zim that I said. A current Super grade is $1500. And 7x57mm is not an option.

Sorry for the bother. I don't buy new Winchesters and did not realize 7x57 was not available. Good day,

Zengela:

I beg your pardon, sir. Last November, I bought an FN BACO Model 70 Super Grade Featherweight 7x57 here on the 'Fire. 22" barrel, good wood, Howell inletted sling swivels, wrap around checkering, red rubber recoil pad. FN made a run of less than 200 of them in 2014. I feel fortunate to have found this one. The last time I looked, there were still a few available on Gunbroker.

Gunsmith mounted a Swaro Z3 on it in dual Leupold dovetail bases and adjusted the trigger to a crisp 3 lbs. Under an inch @ 100 yards with Norma 156 grain Bonded Oryx ammunition and mild recoil.

Do a search of my posts or posts from BrandonC on November 16, 2016 and you can see pics of the rifle and the price I bought it for. The rifle was absolutely immaculate when it arrived, as NIB, with box, papers and everything you would expect.

I don't care what you do, but would respectfully suggest that if you had provided more detailed information, perhaps if you'd set a budget ceiling, you would have narrowed the scope of responses. Remember that different folks have different levels of discretionary income, such that while $1K might be a lot of money to pay for a gift for some guys, it would be pocket change for other guys.

Zengela, how about the Interarms Mark X 7x57.

LMAO, yes, I read both posts, they both spoke of possible handloading by your buddy, and brass and bullets brought over by you.

Better informing yourself with rifles available for purchase, what they are and are not will go along way, so will ponying up past cheap for a gift, be it for a loaner or anything else, I've found nothing to do with Africa cheap, friends, women, PH's AND the animals don't deserve cheap, they all deserve good accurate properly functioning weaponry.

You are correct on one estimation, I am King Dipschit if I want to be, carry on.

Yes, that is more like it. People telling me of stories of Swarovski scopes and limited runs of now discontinued Winchesters of only 200 made rifles. I'm trying to be realistic. A simple affordable easy to obtain rifle. I will set the price figure at $750.00. That should narrow it down.

Ruger Hawkeye 308.

There's a Synthetic Stocked, Blued Metal version available on CDNN for 500 bucks right now.

Yeah, and the .308 will do anything the 7x57 will, with factory ammo you can actually buy even in Africa. I know this because of having taken a lot of big game with both rounds, up to 800-1000 pounds, and watched both in action in the hands of others.

Of course, a .308 doesn't gratify the inner rifle loony like a 7x57, which is of course the reason so many are insisting on the 7x57. It's what THEY would want, even though it's not as practical for the parameters suggested by the OP.

I quite agree. Jerry nails it yet again. I note that he did not try to answer the OP's question directly, but simply stated what he would do if it was HIS wife going on HIS hunt. I fail to see the provocation the OP apparently sees.

Of course, I also agree completely with Mule Deer, for the practical reasons he cites, which seem to meet the OP's requirements. I am personally a huge fan of the .308, and both my son and daughter have .308's, as does my stepson, now. I have a ton of rifle loony rifles and calibers and I love 'em all, but a Ruger American .308 would do nicely for this purpose.