Thinking about getting a new hunting rifle? These tips may help you make a good choice.
by Leon Pantenburg
Hunters love to talk about guns, knives and boots, preferably around a campfire. The discussions and debates have gone on over the millennias, ever since the first hunters sat around a fire at night and debated topics such as chert versus flint knives, best ways to avoid sabertooth tigers and bears, the best way of hafting spears and arrows, the best ambush spots for mastodons and barefoot versus moccasin stalking etc.
Today, we still talk about the best hunting gear, preferably around a campfire. We modern day hunters tend to focus on knives, boots and rifles. So, let’s talk about what we look for in hunting rifles. In no particular order of importance, here are my opinions, and some of these “tips” may work for you. Let me know what you think!
Looks: Hunting rifles should have walnut and blued steel. This makes me a traditionalist (or old geezer, take your pick!) I enjoy sitting on a deer stand and appreciating the figure of the wood, the quality and depth of the bluing on the steel and the marriage of the two into a piece of artwork. My Remington 7mm-08 is one such rifle.
That said, my most-carried rifle is a Remington 700 7mm Magnum with a black composite stock. It is plain-looking. Over the past three decades, the rifle has been carried over hundreds of miles of mountain and desert hunting. It has had the hell beat out of it. The gun has been rained, snowed and sleeted on, and has been so hot you could fry an egg on the barrel. (OK, a slight exaggeration, but what hunting story isn’t?) Point being, looks may be secondary to function.
Action: Bolt, single shot, semi-automatic or pump? I’ve used them all and don’t have an over-all favorite. For deer and elk, I prefer a bolt action rifle. In the Mississippi swamps, where a long shot may be 50 yards, I might choose a 870 Remington pump shotgun over any rifle. In deciduous woodlands, my choice may be a single-shot black powder rifle and I often hunt with a flintlock.
Some authorities recommend getting similar actions for your shotgun, .22 rimfire and deer rifle. That idea has merit.
Handling: We’ve all picked up rifles that felt alive in your grip. We’ve also handled rifles that felt like a club. Take your time and find one that feels right.
This segues right into fit.
Fit: I am close to the average American male size: 5′-10″ and 185 (pre COVID) pounds. I wear a 16-1/2″ by 34-inches sleeve shirt size. Subsequently, most long guns fit me well. The gunmakers cater to us average-sized people since there are more of us. But if you’re not in that demographic, give some thought to getting a custom stock.
Caliber: Every experienced hunter probably has an opinion on this. My whitetail rifle 7mm-08 has served me well since the early 1980s. My well-used 7 MM Remington is my western deer and elk rifle. A 30.06 is never a bad choice. A .50 caliber Lyman Great Plains rifle is my choice for blackpowder seasons. Everybody needs a .22.
What about “brush-busting” calibers? Well, a leaf or small twig can divert any bullet off target. Generally speaking, get a caliber that is legal to hunt with, with adequate knockdown power and practice with it. All sorts of new calibers are introduced regularly, and you can find the one that suits you best.
Accurate: What is good hunting accuracy? IMHO, a rifle that will regularly group three shots within one to two inches at 100 yards is very accurate and more than adequate for most big game hunting. Surprisingly, accuracy can be extremely important at close range in heavy brush. You may only have a one-to-two inch hole in the brush to shoot through.
One way to make your rifle more accurate is to take up reloading, and tailor a load for it. I handload all my hunting cartridges, and some tweaking of components may result in a super accurate load.
Good trigger: A heavy, stiff trigger pull is an abomination and it can affect how well you shoot. The triggers of most rifles can be adjusted to your preferences. You’ll want a trigger pull with a crisp break. You decide how heavy the trigger should be, but get it adjusted to the point where you can shoot it accurately. Get a qualified gunsmith to do the work. Don’t compromise the safety of your rifle.
Durable: My 7 mag is a plain-looking hunting tool. Over the past three decades, the rifle has been carried over hundreds of miles of mountain and desert hunting. It has had the hell beat out of it in heavy brush, timber and swamp. The rifle has been rained, snowed and sleeted on, and has been so hot you could fry an egg on the barrel. (Actually, that’s kinda an exaggeration, but what hunting story isn’t?) Point being, looks may be secondary to function. In the backcountry, I depend on all my equipment.
I do a perfunctory sight-in on my 7 Mag at the start of any hunting season, but I haven’t needed to tweak the zero in several years.
Sling: All my hunting firearms, except for my blackpowder rifles, have slings. Climbing up into a tree stand is much safer if the rifle can be slung over a shoulder. Dragging a deer out is a lot easier when your hands are free because the rifle is safely carried on your shoulder.
As a shooting aid, IMHO, the double loop leather military sling has not been improved upon.
Scope mount: You will probably want a scope on your rifle, so make sure that will work out. Check to see that the stock will work with a scope and that your favorite scope will fit on the action.
Iron sights: Several years ago, I did something I swore I never would: An aimpoint was put on my old reliable Lyman Great Plains rifle. The rifle had killed its share of deer with the traditional sights, and it was frequently my rifle of choice, even when modern rifle deer season was on. But as the sun was setting one evening in a Mississippi swamp, I realized that it was still shooting light, but I could not clearly see the iron sights. I won’t shoot at a game animal unless I’m sure it can be killed it in its tracks. It was either attach some sort of optical enhancer, or cut my hunting short at dawn and dusk.
On rifles that will be carried into the backcountry, iron sights are a backup in case the scope gets broken or damaged.
So those are my thoughts on picking a hunting rifle. What’s your feedback?
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