One of the thorniest dilemmas an NRA Woman faces is the question of how to select the best rifle for our target shooting, hunting or home-defense needs. It’s a little bit of a “Catch-.22,” if you don’t mind our inserting a decimal. Usually, the best way to pick a gun that’s right for you is to shoot it first, but many gun shops won’t let you take a brand-new rifle for a “test drive.” Why, it’s almost enough to make a woman gun owner throw up her hands and say, “I might as well just use my horoscope.” The good news is that we just went over your star chart, and the constellations say we have just the right rifle for you!
Aries the Ram, March 21-April 19
The very first star sign in the zodiac, Aries the ram comes charging into the fray with the boldness and ambition of a Dall sheep summiting Denali. Aries isn’t one to sit around waiting for Life to hand her what she wants—she goes out and gets it. That’s why the LWRCI Diadem AR-15 rifle is perfect for you, Aries, and if you’re not convinced, check out what our friends at Shooting Illustrated had to say when they gave the Diadem their 2018 Women’s Innovation Award: “LWRCI sought the opinions of more than 100 women affiliated with The Well Armed Woman organization to create the ideal AR-15 rifle for female gun owners, and the resultant LWRCI IC-Diadem is just that … LWRCI incorporated multiple changes to its IC-DI line to ensure fit, comfort, recoil mitigation and a touch of pizzazz.” LWRCI.com
Taurus the Bull, April 20-May 20
Let’s clear some things up right now: Taurus may be represented by a bull, but definitely not the kind that wrecks china shops. In fact, Taurus probably owns that china shop, because she’s a lady who loves luxury. That’s why the rifle of choice for a Taurus is the Weatherby Mark V Camilla Deluxe. With an MSRP that starts in the $2,700 range, the Mark V Camilla is a bit of a splurge … but Tauruses know that quality sometimes costs. Here’s what Karen Mehall Phillips at American Hunter magazine had to say about the Mark V Camilla Deluxe: “This masterpiece debuts as the number of female hunters continues to spike. In 2011, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey revealed women comprised 11 percent of hunters… Fortunately, Weatherby is offering us the right tool for the job.” Weatherby.com
Gemini the Twins, May 21-June 20
The strength of the Gemini is her adaptability, but it’s also her greatest weakness … the NRA Woman with Gemini as her star sign sometimes can’t quite make up her mind. But is that always a bad thing? Sometimes, versatility is just what the zodiac ordered, and Gemini’s rifle of choice is precisely that: the Rossi Circuit Judge chambered in .45/.410. Did you notice that dual chambering? That’s because this carbine, which is built on a revolver action, can shoot either .45 LC or .410-bore shotshells. Here’s what our friends at American Rifleman had to say about this “neither fish nor fowl” firearm back in 2012 when it was introduced: “For new shooters, firing the Circuit Judge with the double-action trigger may prove more intuitive than learning to cycle the slide of a pump-action shotgun or the bolt of a bolt-action rifle.” RossiUSA.com
Cancer the Crab, June 21-July 22
Cancers are known as sensitive, emotional homebodies who are all about creating a safe haven. But as any angler or beachgoer can tell you, the Crab has claws and she’s not afraid to use them to keep her safe haven, safe. That’s why the NRA Woman born from June 21 to July 22 will find that her star sign dictates a Smith & Wesson … specifically, the S&W M&P15-22 Sport. Devastatingly accurate, easy to shoot, easy to customize to your body and utterly devoid of recoil, this sporting rifle is so much fun that every single NRA editor who has tested it has insisted on buying one of their own. Smith-Wesson.com
Leo the Lioness, July 23-August 22
All NRA Women have the hearts of lions, but none more so than you, Lady Leo. Dramatic, confident and dominant, you’re Queen of not just the jungle, but of recoil too. That’s why, when it’s time for your rifle to speak to dangerous game, it does so in a roar—the roar of a .458 Winchester being sent downrange by a Winchester Model 70. The Model 70 isn’t a new gun, of course; it’s a classic that’s been taking dangerous game since before World War II. In fact, there’s very little in the way of big game that a .458 Win. won’t handle. When Leo steps into the woods with her Winchester, she “ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest, because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest is her.” WinchesterGuns.com
Virgo the Maiden, August 23-September 22
Virgo takes the stage as summer gives way to autumn. She’s methodical, deliberate and a perfectionist. That means her ideal rifle must turn in sub-MOA performance, every time. She’s also very practical, with an eye on her budget, and that’s why the stars have dictated that Virgo’s rifle is the Savage Lady Hunter. This bolt-action beauty boasts a design created around “the female geometry” and one of the best factory triggers in existence, the AccuTrigger. Here’s what Karen Mehall Phillips noted when she first reviewed this rifle: “In a nutshell, those who fired the Lady Hunter alongside me on the range were quick to note what a pleasure it is to shoot a high-performance rifle that fits. From a sheer cosmetic standpoint, the rifle’s custom-looking walnut stock and fore-end aren’t bad either. And an MSRP of $819 makes the Lady Hunter quite a fair deal.” SavageArms.com
Libra the Balance, September 23-October 22
When your zodiac sign is represented by a set of scales, you cannot help but be all about balance, symmetry and moderation. That means that Libra’s rifle must, first and foremost, balance well when shouldered. Secondly, Libra’s rifle should be one that can give the most value to the greatest number of shooting sports. Finally, it must provide tremendous value for the price … and that’s why Lady Libra shoots a Ruger Precision Rifle. This AR-15-style shooter is available in 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Win., and .308 Win., all of which are flat-shooting rounds that work just as well for hunting as they do for precision shooting—the hottest shooting sport discipline around these days. Here’s what our friends at American Rifleman had to say about the RPR: “The end result? There’s an oft-used phrase in gun circles that you have undoubtedly heard on an untold number of occasions, ‘This gun shoots better than I do’. Well, triteness be danged, this is nonetheless an apt expression in the context of the Ruger Precision Rifle in my hands.” Ruger.com
Scorpio the Scorpion, October 23-November 21
We managed to restrain ourselves from putting a Taurus gun under the Taurus zodiac sign, but our self-control is at an end. The good news is that the long gun that shares your name, Scorpio, is so cool you won’t mind. Based on the CZ Skorpio submachine gun, the civilian-legal CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1 is a semi-automatic … handgun? Yes, that’s right, that’s technically a pistol. You see, Scorpio (like all the other astrological signs) is “ruled” by two planets. One of them is Mars, but the other one is Pluto—which, as you already know, isn’t really a planet anymore. That’s why we figure that a pistol that looks more than a little like a carbine rifle would be perfect for you, Scorpio! (It’s definitely not just because we couldn’t resist the gun’s name.) For a full review check out this article from our friends at Shooting Illustrated, or just visit Cz-usa.com
Sagittarius the Centaur, November 22-December 21
Sagittarians are known for their senses of humor, which is a good thing if your upper half is always saying “yay” even as your lower half says “neigh.” Sagittarius is always depicted with a bow and arrow—centaurs and archery go together like peas and carrots in classical literature—and that’s going to make things a little tough when we’re talking rifles. If only there was some way to meld the concept of the rifle with the idea of archery … and there is. It’s called the Hatsan Harpoon, and although it shoots crossbow bolts, it’s actually an air rifle. Our friends at NRA Family described it thusly: “Hatsan's Harpoon isn't the first air rifle/archery chimera on the market. However, it is definitely among the coolest-looking, with its bullpup design. It also boasts a pretty tacti-cool synthetic pistol-grip stock that's textured for all-weather use, and an elevation-adjustable cheek rest and buttpad. All of the above renders the Harpoon a very compact, easy-to-carry and user-adjustable little shooter despite its 9-pound weight.” HatsanUSA.com
Capricorn the Sea Goat, December 22-January 19
Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of a “sea goat.” Now that all of you have your hands folded in your laps, we’ll acknowledge that there’s no such thing and add our suspicion that the zodiac is just messing with us now. According to the star charts, Capricorns are disciplined self-starters who, like real goats, are always on the climb. If the NRA Woman Capricorn in question is a sheep hunter, then she’s definitely going to need to pack a Kimber 8400 Mountain Ascent up that mountain after the ram of her dreams. Our friends at American Hunter were so impressed they highlighted it in a recent #SundayGunday video, noting that this “lightweight hunting rifle designed for the high country is based around a controlled-round feed, front-locking bolt-action. Coming in both short- and long-action variants, the rifle boasts a fluted barrel, bolt and bolt knob, among many other features.” KimberAmerica.com
Aquarius the Water-Bearer, January 20-February 18
Without delving into the score for the musical “Hair,” we’ll simply point out that Aquarians are all about “power to the people,” as well as “having it their way.” Now, the fact of the matter is that people build their own rifles—especially AR-15s—all the time, and there’s no one kind or kit that can be everything to everyone, so for our Aquarians, we’re going not with a rifle but a rifle company, CMMG. Why? Well, because CMMG offers the widest selection of factory-provided Cerakote coverings for their guns that we’ve seen to date! Flat Dark Earth, Bronze, Bazooka Green, Stormtrooper White, Sniper Gray, Titanium, Slate, Midnight Bronze … there’s something for (almost) every taste. CMMGinc.com
Pisces the Fish, February 19-March 20
There are those who say that women who share the Pisces sign benefit from all of the wisdom garnered by all of the signs that come before it. Pisces’ wisdom is matched only by their work ethic, and it’s rare that a Pisces makes an ill-considered move. That’s why the Remington Model 700 American Hunter rifle belongs in the gun cabinets of Pisces everywhere—because this rifle was created “to order” alongside the editorial staff of NRA’s very own American Hunter magazine: “To the Model 700, the most popular bolt-action rifle platform in the world, we added a cold-hammer-forged, fluted, 20-inch barrel to minimize length and ease handling. Its heavy contour ensures maximum rigidity while firing to enhance accuracy. Its muzzle is threaded to accept a suppressor. A fat bolt handle ensures a good grip for quick cycling. Remington’s X-Mark Pro trigger is single-stage, adjustable and factory-set to 3.5 pounds’ pull weight. All exterior metalwork wears Cerakote, and the magazine is engraved with the nameplate of everyone’s favorite hunting magazine.” What could be wiser than that? Remington.com
