Some of the best shooters in the history of shooting sports have been women. Back in the 2016 Summer Olympics, Kim Rhode became just the first ever woman to win a medal in six consecutive Olympic games in history. Additionally, she is the only woman to have ever win an olympic medal in skeet, trap and double trap categories.
Today, there are more women involved in shooting games than at any other time in history. Women gun owners category is also rising.
However, most gun manufacturers continue to design their guns with male customers in mind. In fact, the average gun is made to match a 5’10” tall, 180-pound male. Although there are women with such stature, it is pretty uncommon.
Apart from the size and muscles, women’s frames, cheekbones and hands are different to men’s. In order to have a perfect shooting, there should be a close interaction between the hands, shoulders, and cheekbone with the gun. Improper fit would create an uncomfortable experience or even pain.
In this article, we will look at shotguns that are designed specifically to suit women or whose attributes make them viable for women.
Syren XLR5 Waterfowler
Syren is a product of Italian shotgun company Ceasar Guerini, and was designed exclusively for the women shooters. Considering Caesar Guerini is known for manufacturing top-quality guns, you can imagine what to expect in the Syren.
Syren is an engraving of steel and highly figured wood. The XLR5 Waterfowler is a semi-automatic 12-gauge that targets women who hunt geese, ducks, or other waterfowl in extremely harsh environments. This shotgun is covered with an outstanding Realtree Max-5 camo, with soft finish on the buttstock.
XLR5’s elegance and features make it ideal for female shooters and hunters. This shotgun perfectly fits the female’s hands and body, with the reduced grip radius shortening the distance between grip and trigger.
To make it easy to carry, the manufacturer reduced the weight to approximately 7 lb. However, reducing the weight means increasing the felt recoil, especially for waterfowl who have to use non-toxic cartridges.
Siren XLR5 has both right and left-hand configurations, making it a fit both right and left-handed shooters. In most guns stores in Michigan, standard right-hand XLR5 retails for around $2,325, while the left-handed one has a $200 premium.
Franchi Affinity Catalyst
Franchi is a household name in Italy known for making top-quality shotguns. The Affinity
The catalyst variant belongs to Franchi’s excellent Affinity 3 category but specifically targeting the female market. The Affinity Catalyst’s cast, pitch, drop and length are optimized for women. The comb is raised to accommodate a woman’s cheekbone, enabling the women shooters capture a clear cheek weld without necessarily lowering their eye too far from the bone.
Affinity Catalyst is Benelli-engineered with inertia-driven action and has slightly lighter shells. For small shooters, this is a great combination. The Catalyst has 3 removable chokes, 5 stock drop, and weighs just about 6.6 lbs.
Beretta Vittoria
Beretta was established in 1526, and has cemented its position in the firearms industry. Beretta’s guns inventory ranges from clay shooting to premium shotguns. Beretta introduced the Vittoria line in 2017. The line had several models, but 686 Silver Pigeon | Vittoria was appealed to female shooters. Most 686 Silver Pigeon are silver-colored, with their engraved finish portraying a premium feel. For female shooters who appreciate performance over beauty, the Silver Pigeon Vittoria’s features is a great option.
Over the last seven years, Beretta has reintroduced a number of Vittoria shotgun models. However, Vittoria-model Beretta shotguns are still available in many shotguns’ retail outlets.
Conclusion
Whether you enjoy hunting traps, skeet, or waterfowl, ensure you keep your firearms in a safe place. You can either go for the basic safes or more sophisticated ones. Whichever you choose, ensure that it is not only accessible but also away from children.
Gun manufacturers are beginning to consider the female market segment seriously. It is expected that this category will even have more options, and new models could be on the horizon. Although there are a good number of female-oriented shotguns, the three types explained above seems to be quite popular at the moment.