Your Hunting Rifle
- Thread starter Spruster
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Hard to go wrong with most anything these days, they're tools.
Some people like nicer stuff. That's cool. Have a big appreciation for wood and bluing done right...but not essential.
Any of a dozen actions, any of a dozen chamberings, good to go
I'll agonize between em all for days lol.
Some people like nicer stuff. That's cool. Have a big appreciation for wood and bluing done right...but not essential.
Any of a dozen actions, any of a dozen chamberings, good to go
I'll agonize between em all for days lol.
Dorian Gray
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Stock: as long as the LOP is around 13.5" to 13.75, I'm good.
Trigger: 2-3 lbs preferably.
Colour: I like everything from stainless/synthetic to blued/wood. Just no pink or purple guns for me.
Weight: 8-9 lbs scoped is ideal
Balance: Right under the action. No front heavy guns for me.
Barrel length: 20" is perfect but I just got a 22" Ruger #1 and I find that to be a really nice barrel length for that rifle.
Manufacturer: I'm not married to one. Whoever puts out a decent rifle with the specs that I want will get my attention.
Accuracy: Depending on the rifle, I'm happy with 1.5-2 inch groups for where I live and for what I do. Ideally, I'd like .5-1" groups though. And most of my rifles will shoot under an inch most of the time. But not all of them. And I'm okay with that.
Trigger: 2-3 lbs preferably.
Colour: I like everything from stainless/synthetic to blued/wood. Just no pink or purple guns for me.
Weight: 8-9 lbs scoped is ideal
Balance: Right under the action. No front heavy guns for me.
Barrel length: 20" is perfect but I just got a 22" Ruger #1 and I find that to be a really nice barrel length for that rifle.
Manufacturer: I'm not married to one. Whoever puts out a decent rifle with the specs that I want will get my attention.
Accuracy: Depending on the rifle, I'm happy with 1.5-2 inch groups for where I live and for what I do. Ideally, I'd like .5-1" groups though. And most of my rifles will shoot under an inch most of the time. But not all of them. And I'm okay with that.
I've had a lot of hunting rifles over the years (certainly over the 100 mark). Mostly that's because I am a gun nut. I try one, or two per season, sometimes more if I go after more species. Oddly enough, I think that makes me less fussy. Accuracy for the cartridge and game, enough power to take it cleanly. Some I just take out because they have become like old friends, of a sort. - dan
Agreed Dan.
Less fussy, more accommodating.
I think as time goes on the search for the best gun/tool dwindles as you realize that your skills and enjoyment as a hunter are not affected by equipment as much as you thought they’d be. Variety in different hunts, different guns, different people makes it more fun for me.
Less fussy, more accommodating.
I think as time goes on the search for the best gun/tool dwindles as you realize that your skills and enjoyment as a hunter are not affected by equipment as much as you thought they’d be. Variety in different hunts, different guns, different people makes it more fun for me.
Top 3:
1) Left handed or lefty friendly
2) Chambered in a cartridge I am interested in
3) Quality firearm - fit, finish, balance, handling, and accuracy - capable of 1" or better - (overall price does not necessarily equate to quality - have owned some less expensive firearms of good quality)
Bottom 3:
1) Life is too short to own an ugly gun!
2) Unreliable and unsafe!
3) Cheap box store rifles - it may be a tool - but it must be quality and provide a sense in pride in owning and using
1 - Carry/Packability
2 - Balance
3 - Weight
Personally I feel all three above are inherently connected as one regardless of whether it’s a LW Mtn/Backcountry or HB/CF type Long Range rig. It’s the three/one mains I consider when looking at or for a new rig.
Everything else like stock, trigger, load development/accuracy and can be addressed as you go.
2 - Balance
3 - Weight
Personally I feel all three above are inherently connected as one regardless of whether it’s a LW Mtn/Backcountry or HB/CF type Long Range rig. It’s the three/one mains I consider when looking at or for a new rig.
Everything else like stock, trigger, load development/accuracy and can be addressed as you go.
There are three essentials to a hunting rifle; reliability, shootability, and accuracy. Take any one of those elements away and the rifle is not worth owning.
Reliability: simply put, it must feed, fire and eject with monotonous regularity. The sights, scope or iron, must stay attached to the rifle and stay zeroed.
Shootability: This comes down to fit, weight and balance, and they're not carved in stone. The factors that make a good thick cover deer rifle will be different from the requirements for a sheep rifle or a dangerous game rifle. A heavy-barrel, target stocked rifle will certainly kill a deer, but it's hardly the ideal configuration.
Accuracy: means more than tiny groups. A good rifle should put it's bullets into the same spot, hot, cold, wet, dry, clean, dirty, day after day. I don't care if a rifle shoots 1 1/2" groups, as long as those groups don't wander all over the paper if the stock gets wet or the barrel gets hot.
Reliability: simply put, it must feed, fire and eject with monotonous regularity. The sights, scope or iron, must stay attached to the rifle and stay zeroed.
Shootability: This comes down to fit, weight and balance, and they're not carved in stone. The factors that make a good thick cover deer rifle will be different from the requirements for a sheep rifle or a dangerous game rifle. A heavy-barrel, target stocked rifle will certainly kill a deer, but it's hardly the ideal configuration.
Accuracy: means more than tiny groups. A good rifle should put it's bullets into the same spot, hot, cold, wet, dry, clean, dirty, day after day. I don't care if a rifle shoots 1 1/2" groups, as long as those groups don't wander all over the paper if the stock gets wet or the barrel gets hot.
Reliability and it must point where I look when I bring it up. Sure I like more higher end stuff but my traditions buckstalker 50 cal is by far the must inaccurate gun I own. Often 5" group at 100 yards for 5 shots. However it fits perfect and I can drop whitetails with it in the woods like I'm shooting rabbits with a scattergun. 4 of my top 5 whitetails were shot with that rifle. So I'd say there's a case for shootability
Other than that it's if I want it. If it brings me happiness in ownership the experience is justified the expense
Other than that it's if I want it. If it brings me happiness in ownership the experience is justified the expense
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