rifles

Question
i am a 16 year old girl and i go hunting with my dad, i own a mossberg 500 pump action 12 gauge and i am looking to buy a rifle but i don't know which i should buy and would be the best for me..
I would like a rifle that is left handed and that i could use for deer hunting, i live in New York and i will be hunting in the cattaraugus county so rifles will be allowed there.
since i live in New York there is snow during deer season as well.
i'm not sure what other information should be included into this but i would like to know what rifle you would choose for me.

thank you,
Jenny

Answer
Jenny,

I can only give you some very general guidelines about what kind of rifle might be good for you since I don't know very much about you with regards to physical size, strength, etc.  Your shotgun is a good general purpose shotgun (I own a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 myself) and so I'm probably going to stick with some recommendations regarding rifles along the same lines.

For a good quality, reliable rifle that could be used in a variety of shooting situations, I'd usually suggest that you go with something like a Remington 700.  The Remington 700 is a highly proven platform with exceptional build quality for the price.  While  you might be thinking that a bolt action is not good for a left-handed shooter, Remington makes a left-handed Model 700 SPS Compact calibered in .243 Winchester and 7mm-08.  

While some might think that the .243 Winchester is not suitable for deer hunting, I have it on good advice from someone who has taken many deer with a .243 Winchester that the cartridge is definitely up to the task.

If you are a smaller person, the shorter length of pull on the compact frame will make the gun easier for you to manage.  If you are on the taller side and have longer arms, you can certainly go with a standard version of the SPS.  If you go with the standard version, I'd suggest that you select the .270 Winchester version.  It has a little less recoil than the 7mm and is still a good round for taking mule deer and elk.

You'll probably want to put some kind of optic on the gun.  A Bushnell variable power scope gets my vote as one of the best price performers.  There are lots of different models.  If I had to pick I think the Bushnel Banner is probably one of the best scopes in it's price range as long as you're using it within it's capabilities, which means I don't think it would be a good choice in a place where you need to take a 400 yard shot.  There are far better scopes suited for extended range shooting but If you're using the Banner in ranges out to the 250 yard range you're all set.

Jenny, I hope this helps you out and I am very happy to see you involved in the shooting sports like this...I wish more of our young people did what you are doing.

All the best to you...have fun this winter!!

Doug Little