Another choice dilema

[gelandangan]

I am to trade a camera with a rifle. The trade value for the camera is about AUD$400.

Now, the choice of rifle available are a bit different to what I currently familiar with.

Rifle 1. a 22LR pump action Rossi - I have plenty of 22LR but I have no pump action type.

Rifle 2. a 25-20 lever action of I think Marlin brand - I do not know anything about 25-20 cartridge, nor do I know what I could hunt with it.

Rifle 3. a 303 Martini carbine - I think it is a martini Enfield. Again I don't know much of these caliber or action.

Or should I consider to trade with a Ruger MkII pistol purely for target shooting?

Any advice on what to trade for? on merit of each rifle/caliber etc?

This rifle is to be used by my wife a 52kg 153cm tiny girl. She will be shooting at small games up to a goat size.

Gelan

[Bushmaster]

The .25-20 Marlin. It is an old cartridge and I believe you can still get ammunition for it. It should handle small game. The rifle may even be a rather old firearm. That, in itself, may be a negitive facter. Me? The Marlin. I like old guns. I would, though, check on the availability of ammunition in your area first.

[1895ss]

I would guess that you would have to reload for the 25-20. It's a pretty old cartridge, I believe factory ammo would be scarce. Winchester came out with it in about 1893 or so and hasn't been popular in many years. Like Bushy said though it would take small game ok and what the heck there's just something nice about an old lever gun.

[roklok]

The 25-20 is still being loaded by both Remington and Winchester,shouldnt be too hard to find. Marlin chambered the model 1894 CL in this cartridge just a few years ago, as well as all the older rifles chambered in this caliber.

[Dimitri]

gelandangan,

Martini-Metford = Bad the barrels are ment for Black Powder and couldn't deal with the Corrite (Smokeless) powders the British used.

Martini-Enfield = Same as above EXECPT the barrels were replaced to handle the smokeless powders and not wear out as fast.

By the way they are in the standard round the British Empire used up untill the adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO, the 303 British, or one of the many 303Mk__ designations the military gave the rounds.

Dimitri

[guncollector]

The Ruger pistol might be the most valuable of the firearms. Depends on the Marlin's condition. The Rossi and the Martini-Enfield, again depending on condition, are probably worth no more than half of the Ruger or Marlin.

[Grant]

Hmmm...... I have two Martini's. One black powder and the other a 303. The 303, in my opinion, is a great all around caliber. It's recoil isn't bad and I've taken Moose out to 250 yards with no problem at all. The only problem with the Martini is that it's a single shot and came with very nose heavy long barrels. Since the one your looking at is a carbine, that won't be a problem. If you do go with it, I have a great standard load for it and a loaded down cast lead bullet load for just messing around shooting.

[skb2706]

keep the camera

[sniper]

skb2706 wrote:

keep the camera

Yeah, that.
You should be able to find a good used .22 rimfire for about half of that amount.

What is it your wife wants to do with the gun? Shooting rodents at the local landfill is some different than the kind of shooting you have described in earlier posts.

The .25-20 is an older , obsolete cartridge, and I am not sure of the number of rifles it may have been chambered for. Probably good enough for short range deer, which is what it was used for around here, but there hasn't been a rifle chambered for it in a looooong time.

I shot one, a lever action, which belonged to a friend's grandmother. Very old, even then. As I remember, with the stock configuration and steel buttplate, it was a kicker. Much worse than a semi auto Remington 30-06 that I shot the same trip.

Unless you just have to have it, save your money, and let her shoot your .300 Whisper.

The others, I don't know much about, except what Dimitri said about the .303. It is a good caliber, but when I shot an Enfield Jungle Carbine years ago, recoil was a factor with 180gr and greater weight bullets.

A smaller framed person might be o.k., but you never know. If you haven't bought it already, let us know what you get, and why.

[skb2706]

Easy to argue that for $400 US or AU that I could find a gun that more fits the situation than any you listed. One obsolete cartridge gun that unless you are a collector is not worth the trouble to load for, one cheap foreign copy of a Winchester 9422, one British bolt rifle that unless its has some distinct qualities would be less than a desirable gun for a lady to shoot.

None of those a decent choices.

Keep the camera.

Shop for a decent bolt 22-250 or .243 ...stock it to fit her.

[Morax]

skb2706 wrote:

Easy to argue that for $400 US or AU that I could find a gun that more fits the situation than any you listed. One obsolete cartridge gun that unless you are a collector is not worth the trouble to load for, one cheap foreign copy of a Winchester 9422, one British bolt rifle that unless its has some distinct qualities would be less than a desirable gun for a lady to shoot. None of those a decent choices. Keep the camera. Shop for a decent bolt 22-250 or .243 ...stock it to fit her.

i would say go for the .243 but i am bias on them.. a fair one can be had for a couple hundred from a wally world, a savage, then all ya gotta do is put a real stock on it and ye good to go!

[gelandangan]

Hmm.. It seems that the trade is not favorable to me..

I may want to look at his gun safe again I may find another/ better gun...

Btw, the camera I trade for is a 1962 Minox B 8x11mm spy cam. It fits nicely in the pocket but hard to get film and processing for it. I been using a digital camera since year 2000 and have not been shooting with the minox . That's why I want to trade it.

True I am no collector. I buy guns to use and the guns I will trade for is to be used, not to be look at only..

My wife came hunting with me and she is a great shot with iron sight up to 100 meters... I can't even see that far

I gor her a Ruger 77Mkii in 243 before.. it is a bit heavy for her. Imagine if you carry a rifle that weigh 1/10 of your body weight.. that would be a heavy gun. She is 52kg (about 100 pounds) so the rifle should be less than 5 to 6 pounds all up for her to carry it comfortably. I do not want screamer caliber because she may suffer greatly at the recoil.
Then I bought a Ruger 77Mkii CR (shortened version) in 223 and it is also too heavy...
You know, you could not buy anything for a woman... *sigh*

Gelan

[Morax]

dude this is all her
savagearms.com/11fxp3.htm
6 and change pounds, and i can attest recoil? what recoil!

[sniper]

gelandangan wrote:

Hmm.. It seems that the trade is not favorable to me.. You know, you could not buy anything for a woman... *sigh* Gelan

Hmmmmm...
Gelan, It do appear you are running out of options. Short of a custom rifle,(maybe using the action of one of your heavier rifles??) built especially for her, you are not going to find much lighter than the lightweight Ruger, other than the "Featherweight" rifles that were all the rage some time ago,but which are not inexpensive, and the weight advantage would be small.
How 'bout something like the Thompson Center Encore, chambered for the .223, With a good 4X scope, and shortened stock? You'd both enjoy that, I bet.

If you are not enjoying your .243, I would be happy to pay the shipping, and give it a good home, where its long-legged abilities would be utilized Orrrr....if you still have it, have the barrel cut 20 in., recrowned, and restocked to fit your wife's small size, which may lighten it a bit. Put a good sling on it, and don't walk a country mile looking for stuff to shoot. Orrrrr....CARRY it for her.

Or maybe, the Ruger 77-22 in .22 Hornet, rechambered to .22 K Hornet for a bit more power? I think the little 40-45 gr. bullets may be a little light for humane kills on goats, even at ~ 50 yds, but it would be lighter than most.

[gelandangan]

Heh.. I ended up getting a NEW H&R 45LC/410 Survival gun for the camera...
Totally different from what I got for choice before. But then I am not complaining, I got a new gun for a 50 years old camera

It is about 3 kg gun.. synthetic stock

Gelan