The EJ Churchill Gun Room reveal their favourite guns that are ideally suited to female shooters
Over the last few years, the major gun brands have answered the growing demand and come up with a variety of gun options dedicated to ladies. These commonly have a high comb, perhaps a Monte Carlo stock, a shorter length of pull and a condensed grip.
These guns have made a dramatic difference to performance and comfort for lady shooters. The days are long gone when you had to stick on a rubber comb and chop a piece of wood off the butt.
Each brand has found ways of differentiating themselves from the others, perhaps with stock measurements, engraving and wood quality.
Here is our pick of the best sellers, including some of the most sought-after ladies’ guns on the market.
Beretta Vittoria
RRP from £2,145
Within the 690 series, the Beretta Vittoria in all its variants has been undoubtedly the ladies’ best seller in our gun room for the last two years. The reasons for that are clear. First, the brand name has certainly a major influence on the customers. Second, the stock measurements are absolutely perfect for the majority of lady shooters.
Another reason why it has been so successful is that there are both clay and game versions available, in a variety of wood grades, engravings, calibres and barrel lengths.
The success of the Beretta Vittoria therefore resides in the fact that just about every lady shot will be able to find a Vittoria that will suit her needs.
Blaser F16 Intuition
RRP around £3,000
Blaser shotguns have earned their stripes on the British market, first with the F3 and more recently with the F16. With a non-gender orientated name, the F16 Intuition was designed by the German engineers to fit smaller-framed shooters.
The reality is that it is mechanically the most advanced gun available for ladies at a sensible price. Specifications such as the adjustable trigger and the weight system in barrels and stock make the F16 Intuition customizable and personal to the shooter. It’s available only in 12-bore at present, but there are rumours that a 20-bore version will be launched soon.
Browning Liberty Light
RRP £2,100
The Browning Liberty light is designed to make shooting with a 12-bore easier for any shooter with a smaller frame – like the F16 Intuition it doesn’t specify ladies in the name.
The Liberty Light is available only in 12-bore, and has an aluminium action which drastically decreases the weight of the gun. The downside of a light gun is that there is a big kick when shooting heavier shells – so Browning recently launched a limited edition with a steel action, bringing the weight of the gun up and reducing the felt recoil.
The dimensions of the stock are sensibly bigger than some of its competitors, which makes it a better fit for some ladies. Though originally designed as a clay gun, it also behaves really well on game. It also easily fits on a game shoot by simply changing out the external chokes for flush-fitting chokes.
Sauer Artemis
RRP around £1,500
The Sauer Artemis is the cheapest ladies’ option in this list. Although it is a dedicated game gun, it deserves its place in this list as it’s one of the nicest looking and well-priced options for ladies.
Available in 12-bore and 20-bore, the gun is named after the Greek Goddess of hunting. It stands apart thanks to its Prince of Wales rounded semi-pistol grip, laser treated timber and classic old school Silver pad. The 20-bore version is particularly well balanced.
Rizzini V3
RRP £1,985
At the opposite end of the spectrum to the Artemis, the Rizzini V3 is a dedicated competition gun, which will suit lady shooters who are determined to perform well on registered shoots. A heavier gun, it will bring steadiness, balance and less felt recoil for better performances on competition targets.
This model also features a Trap fore-end, and it has a pronounced palm swell to increase comfort and control. Available in yellow & black or pink & black, and in either 12-bore or 20-bore, this gun is a fantastic option for any lady competitive shot in the UK – and it’s retailing for great value too.
Caesar Guerini Tempio Syren Sporting
RRP around £3,000
Another very good choice of competition gun for ladies is the Caesar Guerini Tempio Syren Sporting.
Very well balanced, it features lightweight barrels allowing great speed and movement. Available in 28, 20 and 12-bore, the Tempio Syren Sporting includes a long list of performance features that make it a serious competition gun.
The barrels are over-bored and have 5in forcing cones to reduce recoil and increase ballistic performance. The trigger is adjustable for length-of-pull, and is tuned to a crisp 3¼ lb pull weight. Designed as a claybuster, this gun will also be a nice fit on a game shoot.
More shotgun round-ups from Clay Shooting Magazine
- Best clay guns for 2020 – Our top picks
- Top shots’ gun choices
- Sporting Clay shotguns: The editor’s choice
- 10 Best shotguns for every budget – from low to high
- Best semi-auto shotguns – our top picks
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