One more point on the subject is the rifle weight. Opt for a heavier rifle, 8-9 pounds and the recoil will be very nice. Of course you will be lugging that through the woods, but ideally you'll lug it and then hand it to your wife when she's ready to shoot.
for example, I have shot a 30-30 model 94 and that thing kicks badly with the 6.25 pounds and a skinny butt plate ...
George