Most Versatile Air Rifle		FX Impact	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary With the interchangeable barrel system, the FX Impact is probably the most versatile gun on the market. It’s excellent for small game and predators.
Best Big Bore Air Rifle		Hatsan PileDriver	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary The Hatsan PileDriver in .50 caliber is accurate, powerful, and ergonomic, and puts more game on the ground than any other rifle I hunted with last season.
Best Budget Air Rifle		Air Venturi Avenger	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary This air rifle is a great value and punches way above its price point. It offers excellent performance and is rich with features. Perfect for small game hunting and pest control.

In recent years, there’s been significant development focused on air rifles for recreational shooting, competition, and—my particular area of interest—hunting. While airguns are most commonly thought of for small-game hunting, they have expanded into predator and big-game hunting. The guns for hunting these varied species include spring piston rifles, Pre-Charged Pneumatic (PCP) powered air rifles in standard calibers, and larger-caliber PCP rifles for predators and big game. I’ve used air rifles to hunt small game, predators, and big game species all across the continent and I’ve shot every major air rifle brand. Using that experience, I’ve selected the best air rifles for small game PCP, cross-over guns that can be used for small game and predators, primary predator guns, crossover guns for predators and big game, and primary big game guns. Within each of these categories, there are several purpose-designed guns for just about any application or budget. 

Here are my picks for the best air rifles:

• Best Overall: BRK Ghost
• Best Compact: Hatsan Jet PCP Pistol
• Best Youth: Umarex NOTOS CRK
• Best Semi-Auto: Western Rattler
• Best for Small Game Hunting: Brocock Commander
• Most Accurate: FX Impact
• Best Budget: Air Venturi Avenger
• Best Budget Big Bore: Umarex Hammer
• Best for Backyard Plinking: SIG MCX Air Rifle

The Best Air Rifles Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: BRK Ghost

Brocock

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Key Features

• Interchangeable barrels (Multicaliber)
• Adjustable power with flexible settings
• Fully Shrouded barrel
• Option for 480cc or compact 300cc air bottle
• Fully adjustable, match-style trigger
• Up to 95 fpe (in .30 cal)

Pros

• Modular design with multiple configuration options
• Multiple calibers available (.177, .22, .25, and a .30 on the way)
• Tack-driver accuracy
• Excellent power profile, regulated and fully adjustable
• Very quiet

Cons

• Moderately Expensive

The BRK Ghost is offered in three model configurations and is available in .177, .22, and .25 caliber, with a .30 caliber on the way. This gun is very accurate in all calibers, with the adjustability to allow the shooter to optimize performance for a specific application or projectile. The power output is adjustable in more than 20 discreet steps, and the higher-power models have an additional finger-adjustable dial to fine-tune the regulator pressure. 

The BRK’s sidelever action is a field-proven design, and it is ambidextrous. My only consideration on this air rifle is the price. However, while it is on the expensive side, if you look at competitors in this category, it is quite reasonable. Brocock (rebranding as BRK) has long been a manufacturer I consider to be amongst the best and has obviously benefited from the exchange of technology with its industry-defining sister company, Daystate. This is a compact hunting gun that is ergonomic, built to be rugged and reliable, and designed for hunting. But I think this platform will be equally at home in a competitive environment as well.

Best Compact: Hatsan Jet

Hatsan

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Key Features

• Side-lever, repeating, pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) carbine air rifle/pistol
• Available in .177, .22, and .25 calibers
• Available in single or dual air cylinder configurations.
• Extra single and dual air cylinders available in 4 colors – black, red, blue, and green
• Overall length: 15 inches as a pistol, 24 inches as a carbine

Pros

• Can be configured as a pistol or mini carbine
• Power up to 16.5 fpe
• Up to 45 shots per fill depending on caliber

Cons

• Operating pressure of 250 BAR / 3625 psi
• Barrel length of 7.9 inches limits longer range shooting
• Medium sound level

There are other compact carbines and pistol conversions on the market, but the Jet and Jet II are feature rich, solidly constructed, perform well for their intended mission (plinking and close-range small game hunting), and have a very ergonomic and usable design. And, it comes to market at a competitive price point. I think this will be a great gun to slip into my pack, maybe with an extra air tank, for a weekend of backpacking and squirrel hunting. With no sound suppression the gun does have a little bit of a bark, but I’d still describe it as indoor friendly. All around a practical and fun little gun to plink or do some pest control around the barn.

Read our full Hatsan Jet review to learn more.

Best Youth: Umarex NOTOS CRK

Umarex

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Key Features

• 7 Shot rotary magazine (magazine and shot tray included)
• The SilencAir sound suppression system provides quiet shooting.
• Collapsible, lightweight stock
• Sidelever cocking
• Two-stage, adjustable trigger

Pros

• Lightweight (4lb) and compact
• Regulated (set) for shot-to-shot consistency.
• Solid performance for plinking, target, small game hunting
• Quiet for backyard and indoor shooting.
• Very Attractive pricing

Cons

• High fill pressure required (250 BAR)
• Limited power (13 fpe)

At the SHOT Show this is one of the guns that really caught my attention. The NOTOS Compact Rifle Kit (CRK) is a compact little gun that can be adjusted to fit young shooters and adults alike. This gun has a budget price, but is loaded with features; sidelever cocking, an integrated regulator, an effective sound suppression system, and I think a very nice design aesthetic. The only cons, which are really better described as considerations, are that; the guns operating pressure of 3625 psi is better filled from an air-tank or small compressor than a hand pump. And secondly, the regulator is set for 13 fpe, which is fine for mid-range small game hunting and ideal for backyard plinking, but it is limited.

Read our full Umarex Notos review to learn more.

Best Semi-Auto: Western Rattler .357

Jim Chapman

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Key Features

• Semi-Auto action
• Proprietary hammerless firing system
• Removable 580cc air tank
• Adjustable regulator
• Hammer Forged Nitrate Coated TJ barrel.
• Shrouded barrel

Pros

• Sub-MOA accuracy at 100 yards
• Great shot-to-shot consistency
• Can be optimized for various slug weights
• High shot count (in context of a big bore)
• Quiet
• Air Bottles can be changed in the field.

Cons

• Expensive
• Nonadjustable trigger
• Fixed magazine (can’t be removed)

At the time of writing this, my experience with the Western Rattler has been restricted to the shooting range. However, I have shot a selection of slugs from 100 grains to 170 grains, and have found the accuracy to be outstanding, not only for a semi-auto but compared to any .357 air rifle I’ve shot. And importantly, the operation has been consistent and reliable, which is something I look at closely in semi-auto airgun designs as this is a difficult criteria to meet. The ergonomics and responsiveness of the rifle make it a pleasure to shoot and allows the inherent accuracy to come through. The Rattler is expensive, but if you want a big bore semi-auto this is to be expected. The non-adjustable trigger was a nonissue for me, in that it is set fairly light, breaks cleanly and predictably, and is set up to optimize the reliability of semi-automatic firing. I was worried about a fixed magazine if there was a jam that needed to be cleared. However, besides not experiencing any jams to date, I have also found the break down of the rifle to be quite easy. I’m packing up for a trip down to Texas to hunt predators, javelina, and hogs, and I will be doing a detailed report on the Rattle soon. 

Best for Small Game Hunting: Brocock Commander

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Key Features

• Max Energy: 55 ft-lbs
• Weight: 7.1 lbs
• Shot Capacity: 10
• 480 cc cylinder

Pros

• Powerful
• Accurate
• Adjustable

Cons

• Price

The Brocock Commander has a tactical design that is ergonomic and fits most shooters well. The side lever action is smooth as silk and cycles the 10-shot magazine reliably and quickly. The Commander employs a regulated air delivery system that works with an adjustable hammer and valve to provide a very consistent shot string. Onboard air storage uses either a carbon fiber bottle or aluminum cylinder, and a dual-gauge assembly monitors regulator pressure settings and air supply fill status. 

There is a power adjustment dial located on the right-hand side of the breech that permits external tuning of the rifle. The accuracy is very good, and I feel very comfortable shooting this rifle off sticks at 75-100 yards. When paired with the right pellet, it hits hard with an impressive terminal performance on small- to medium-sized game. The Commander XR is designed to use an AR-15-compatible buttstock and an AK-47 fitted grip. Versions are available with folding or fixed buttstocks in black or tan with a Cerakote or black-action finish. The Commander’s sound signature is reduced by the shrouded barrel, and you can achieve further noise reduction by mounting a third-party suppressor on the 1/2 UNF threaded muzzle. In my opinion, this is the perfect rifle to carry into the woods when heading out on a fall squirrel hunt.

Most Accurate: FX Impact

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Key Features

• Max Velocity: 1020 fps
• Weight: 6.85 lbs
• Shot Capacity: 28
• Two-stage adjustable trigger
• Operating Pressure: 3625 PSI / 250 BAR

Pros

• Tuneable
• Versatile
• Well-balanced

Cons

• Price

My top pick for a crossover rifle that performs well for both small-game and predator hunting is the FX Impact air rifle. This bullpup design has a lot going for it, and the frame is rugged and lightweight, with an adjustable buttstock that accepts standard AR-15 pistol grips: a very comfortable fit. The air storage is a 480cc removable carbon fiber tank that can be charged to 3600 psi, and the design allows extra bottles to be packed and changed in the field. 

The sidelever action is one of the quickest, most tactile, and smoothest cycling that I have used, and reliably indexes the magazines every time. What really seals the deal for me though, is that the modular design lets the shooter swap out barrels, magazines, and probes to optimize the gun for different types of hunting. The hunter can use the .22 barrel for a rabbit hunt, then swap to a .25 barrel that has a liner optimized for slugs to do a long-range prairie dog shoot, then swap again for the .30 caliber barrel to hunt predators.

If you are interested in one of the best air rifles for shooting slugs, check out the FX Maverick.

Best Budget: Air Venturi Avenger

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Key Features

• Regulated 
• Adjustable Trigger
• Max Fill Pressure: 4,350 psi
• Shrouded barrel
• 900 fps in .25 caliber 
• About 20 shots per fill (depending on tune)
• Weight: 6.4 pounds

Pros 

• Accurate
• Consistent velocity
• Handles well in the field 
• Quiet

Cons

• Requires a pump, tank, or compressor to fill 

Air Venturi Avenger is a budget-friendly rifle available in several calibers and wears an ambidextrous synthetic black stock, with an option for a hardwood stock recently released. There are combined 11mm and Weaver-style rails for mounting a scope, and another rail at the fore stock for mounting accessories. It’s a fairly large rifle, but with the synthetic stock only weighs about 6 pounds. The Avenger is cycled with a side-lever cocking action that auto indexes a ten-shot, in .25 caliber, rotary magazine. The trigger is an adjustable two-stage that has a tactile feel, minimal travel, and breaks crisply. The air reservoir fills to 300 BAR, using a quick release fitting and is regulated via an external adjustment, up to 210 BAR, so actual shot count is dependent on how you have this set. All this functionality in a sub-$300 rifle is impressive, and the Avenger is a great platform for new shooters as well as experienced shooters that intend to use it as a platform for building up a custom rifle.

In my full Avenger review this rifle had 19 fps variation over a 30 shot string. That consistency is reflected in the rifle’s accuracy—my Avenger shoots ¼ inch groups at 25 yards. It’s also a fairly quiet airgun, which is nice for introducing new shooters, backyard pest control, and basement ranges. 

Best Budget Big Bore: Umarex Hammer

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Key Features

• 4500 psi carbon-fiber tank
• .50 caliber
• Three full-power shots
• Max Energy: 705 ft-lbs
• Max Velocity: 1130 fps
• Weight: 8.5 pounds
• Made in the USA

Pros

• Powerful
• Consistent

Cons

• Two shot capacity

The last of the most powerful air rifles — the Umarex Hammer .50 — came to market a couple years back, and I had the opportunity to use the first ones while filming a segment of the American Airgunner TV program. This rifle offers some interesting technology: it is the only one of these rifles that is magazine fed, utilizing a linear shuttle mechanism with a two-shot capacity. This shuttle is cycled with a bolt action that operates with little effort. The Hammers onboard air storage is a 394 cc carbon fiber bottle that fills to 4500 psi but is regulated to 3000 psi to ensure shot-to-shot consistency. The stock is a synthetic material, designed and built for Umarex by PolyOne, and uses an AR Magpul style grip. This rifle is a solid piece of gear at just under 44 inches long, a 29.5-inch barrel, and weighing 8.5 pounds. I’ve only had this rifle out once on a fallow deer hunt, and anchored a nice buck putting a 330-grain slug into him that transited end to end on a quartering shot.

Best for Backyard Plinking: SIG MCX Air Rifle

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Key Features

• Caliber .177
• Weight: 7.86 pounds
• Max velocity: 545 fps
• Uses CO2 88/90 gram cartridge
• Unique 30 round rapid fire magazine

Pros

• Very close replica of Sig MCX rifle, great training tool
• Inexpensive ammo

Cons

• Low power
• Heavy trigger

Plinking is an application where CO2 guns rule because it is an inexpensive system to operate, the guns are fairly quiet, the power is low, accuracy can be quite good, and the technology lends itself to being incorporated into traditional firearm replicas. 

The CO2 pellet gun that I’ve had the most fun with is the Sig Sauer MCX pellet rifle. The cosmetics of this CO2 replica are based on the Sig MCX short-stroke rifle. It uses a 30 pellet Roto Belt magazine to support semi-auto shooting as fast as you can pull the trigger. Set up some metal spinners in the backyard and don’t look back, this gun is a blast.

Read Next: The Best PCP Air Rifle Compressors of 2023

More of the Best Air Rifles

There are several other rifles that were barely nudged out of the running of best air rifle or had features that didn’t exactly align with my judging criteria. In no specific order, I will list a few additional rifles that I feel are of note.

The Best Predator Hunting Air Rifle: AirForce Texan .308 Caliber

AirForce

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The AirForce Texan lineup spans several calibers — from .257 to .50 — and all the guns are powerhouses. One of my favorites is the .308 caliber Texan, which has become my go-to predator hunting rifle. This configuration of the Texan can launch a .308 caliber bullet at over 1000 fps, which is very impressive for this caliber in an air rifle. Like all of the Texans, this single shot rifle is easy to cycle and load using the side lever cocking and accessible loading port. The auto-deployed safety can be reached without moving the hand off the pistol grip, and the rifle features a nice, crisp, two-stage trigger. There is both a rifle and a carbine version, and though I generally prefer a carbine, in this caliber, I like both equally. The 490cc onboard air tank is used as the buttstock and provides around 10 shots per fill depending on power adjustment. The Texan is light, the carbine version is compact, and it works well for a gun that might be carried with a lot of additional lights and calling gear. I’ve also been using the .257 caliber rifle version as a long range varmint and predator gun, and believe this is another interesting option for a hunter looking for a primary predator gun.

The Best Air Rifle for Predators and Big Game: AirForce Texan .357 Caliber

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The AirForce Texan makes my list of best air rifles again, this time with the .357 version. All of the dimensions, controls, and features are the same as described for the .308 version. Again, what makes this rifle a top pick for me is the power achieved in a mid-caliber gun. I have a few .357s in my collection that generate between 125 – 175 ft-lb, but with the gun optimized for the 145 grain bullets I’m using, the Texan is generating about 300 ft-lb. In my experience the Texan .357 stands apart from other .357s and provides the flat shooting accuracy I want for predators out past 100 yards but can also reach out and deliver enough energy to drop a buck on the spot.

The Best Big Bore Rifle: Hatsan PileDriver

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The Hatsan PileDriver is a single shot bullpup configured big bore PCP, built on an ergonomic synthetic polymer thumbhole stock with an integrated pistol grip. The stock features an adjustable buttpad with an adjustable locking cheek piece that provides comfort and a consistent sight alignment. The PileDriver delivers over 700 ft-lb in .45 caliber and over 800 ft-lb in .50 caliber, making it one of the more powerful air rifles on the market. This Hatsan air rifle generates enough power in either caliber, to anchor any big game animal in North America. The accessible loading port accepts ammo up to 34mm long and is easy to cycle using a side lever cocking mechanism. This rifle incorporates a 480cc carbon fiber tank that fills to 300 BAR, yielding 4 to 6 shots in the .45 caliber and three to five shots in the .50 caliber. Power is all well and good, but what I like about this big bore is the inherent accuracy, and even though it is fairly heavy at 10 pounds, it is comfortable to shoot offhand. I used this rifle to take deer, hogs, and javelina last season and it did an outstanding job every time.

Best Compact Air Rifle: Ranger XR

My top pick based on a compact design is the Brocock Ranger XR, a compact little air rifle hunting rig that weighs 5.5 pounds, has an overall length of 28 inches, and is equipped with an AR-compatible buffer tube and folding stock mount that allows the gun to fold down to 14.5 inches. The muzzle is threaded and accepts a compact DonnyFL suppressor that matches the gun’s dimensions. The Ranger has a small diameter air reservoir that fills to 200 BAR and generates about 25 to 30 shots per fill.  Multiple power and tuning adjustments permit the shooter to set the rifle up to meet their specific requirements. The integrated regulator can be adjusted to further optimize performance for a specific projectile or a specific application. The .22 caliber version I’ve been using is generating about 20 ft-lb. I think this is a perfect gun for the backpacker, urban hunter, or any other application demanding portability and stealth.

Most Powerful Production Air Rifle: AEA Zeus

The AEA Zeus is a recently-introduced rifle that has pushed airgun power well above the 1000 ft-lb mark. The Zeus is a .72 caliber pcp air rifle that can generate over 1500 ft-lb, which is close to double the power output of the next most powerful production guns on the market. The Zeus is a big rifle, but there are other configurations being offered — with a 24 inch and a 16 inch barrel. As a matter of fact, I am currently shooting the 16 inch carbine, and this compact rifle is a monster. The 650cc air bottle fills to a maximum pressure of 4500 psi and generates three full powered shots per charge. The rifle is not regulated, but the shot-to-shot consistency across the shot string is good. This is a rifle for airgun hunters going after really big game, and should be ideal for my upcoming hog hunts.

How to Choose a PCP Air Rifle

The first consideration for choosing a hunting air rifle is deciding what you’d like to hunt. With today’s accurate and powerful air rifles you can hunt squirrels, predators, wild pigs, and deer. Once you’ve decided on the game you’d like to pursue you can narrow down your choices to the proper caliber, power, and features.

Choosing an Air Rifle for Small Game

The rifles I gravitate toward for small game and varmint hunting are primarily .22 and .25 caliber rifles that generate power in the 20 to 40 ft-lb range. This energy output, in conjunction with sub-1-inch accuracy at 50 yards, makes for an ideal flat-shooting, small-game rig. Features that separate the top picks from the rest of the pack are an ergonomic design, fast cycling action, reliable high capacity magazines, large volume air storage with a correspondingly large shot count, shot-to-shot consistency, and a low sound signature.

Choosing an Air Rifle for Predators

For most hunters, it makes sense to choose an air rifle that can take either small-game or predators. The rifles I use for combined small-game and predator hunting are .30 to .35 caliber, and are designed to shoot Diabolo pellets at 50 to 100 ft-lb. These rifles are fine for shooting a coyote or bobcat at closer range (within 50 yards), but not over-the-top to use on smaller-bodied game, such as rabbits or squirrels.

In my opinion, a primary predator gun should be optimized for solid lead slugs, generate 100 to 150 ft-lb, provide at least 10 consistent shots per fill, and print groups under 1 inch at 100 yards. I don’t mind a single shot rifle, but I want a fast-cycling action, easy access to the loading port, and a light, crisp trigger to enhance accuracy.

Choosing an Air Rifle for Big Game

Big bore air rifles — in the .357 to .72 caliber range — represent a growing segment of the airgun market. In addition to the many regions in North America that permit these rifles to be used to hunt hogs and exotics, there are increasing opportunities to hunt deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, and javelina. I hunt in Texas, where there is a minimum power requirement of 215 ft-lb for a gun used to take big game. And for the traveling hunter, African plains game provides one of the ultimate hunts for the big bore airgun. Big bore airguns used for this typically generate from 200 to 800 ft-lb, though some newer guns are driving the power well beyond this.

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Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. While we always focus our coverage on standout products—because we want our readers to be aware of the latest and greatest gear—we also cover the flaws and quirks of any given product.

Final Thoughts

Top picks are definitely difficult to write about. While there are pretty straightforward, objective measures — such as dimensions, power output, and accuracy — there are other, more subjective, ones such as fit, shootability, aesthetics, and perceived value. It can also be hard to obtain certain information, such as failure rates, customer satisfaction, etc. Every individual’s priority list is very subjective, so in this article, I have identified a number of airguns that have impressed me with their design, performance, ergonomics, dependability, build quality, and aesthetic appeal. I do believe that if you are looking for an air rifle in one of the above categories, any of my suggestions for the best air rifle would be a fine choice and should be on your shortlist.

The post The Best Air Rifles of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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There likely isn’t a more quintessential .22 rifle than a western-style lever action. It’s a class of gun that’s equal parts utility, nostalgia, and fun. I vividly remember the first time I ever shot one—my dad’s Ithaca Model 72, when I was five years old or so. My dad got that rifle at a young age himself and, while raising me, we expended countless bricks of ammunition at tin cans, cottontail rabbits, and prairie dogs. Many of the classic .22 Lever action rifle designs like the Marlin 39A, Ithaca Saddlegun, and Winchester Model 94 are hard to come by—and very expensive these days. That doesn’t mean that you have to write off having a good-looking .22 lever gun of your own.

 A couple years ago, Rossi introduced the Rio Bravo, a lever-action .22 that’s made in Brazil. It resembles the Ithaca Model 72, and carries a friendlier price than much of the competition. The rifle is available in four configurations: black with polymer furniture, black with wood furniture, a gold-Cerakote receiver with dark wood furniture, and, the model I tested, which they refer to as the Wood, Gold trim. It has a polished gold-colored, PVD-finished receiver and stained wood furniture. It rings up at a little over half the price of the similar-looking Henry Golden Boy. The real question is how well do these Brazilian imports shoot, and are they reliable? My 7-year-old son and I have been trying to wear out the Rossi Rio Bravo to answer that question.

Rossi Rio Bravo Gold Specs

Tyler Freel

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• Cartridge: .22 LR
• Capacity: 15 Rounds, tubular magazine
• Weight: 5 pounds, 7 ounces (measured)
• Receiver: Aluminum Alloy
• Receiver Finish: PVD gold finish
• Action: Lever action
• Barrel: 18-inch, alloy steel, 1:16 twist, 12 grooves
• Optics Mounting: Tip-off rimfire dovetail atop receiver
• Stock and Fore-end: Wood, unspecified
• Overall Length: 35.9 inches
• Trigger: Curved shoe, two-stage, 5 pounds, 5 ounces (measured)
• Price: $367

Nuts and Bolts of the Rossi Rio Bravo Gold

The jazzy finish of the Gold, Wood model Rossi Rio Bravo does give it a look like the Henry Golden Boy rifle, while coming in at a more affordable price. Its gold-colored PVD finish is durable, flashy, and presents a posture of Old West showmanship. Finishes like this collect more fingerprints than the ATF, but when it’s wiped down it looks sharp. Aside from the eye-catching gold, it’s actually more similar to rifles like that Ithaca model 72 Saddlegun. 

Rossi Rio Bravo Receiver and Action

The heart of the Rossi Rio Bravo is its aluminum alloy receiver that has a cover plate that encloses the top and sides of the receiver. It’s held in place by four Phillips screws and can be removed for cleaning the barrel and bolt. This style of receiver is characteristic of many .22 LR lever-action rifles, and features a small dovetail for mounting a scope with tip-off rings on top. 

The lever loop is also finished in gold PVD, and in the closed position there’s a half-inch gap between it and the stock. This might seem odd to those accustomed to loops that touch the stock, but it’s not unprecedented. The action operates smoothly and, when closed, the lever has no play or wobble.

The Rossi Rio Bravo has an external hammer and a crossbolt safety. Unlike some lever-action rifles, it does not have a half-cock position, but does have what I’d call an eighth-cock position. When the hammer is retracted slightly, it clicks into a position that keeps the hammer approximately an eighth-inch off the firing pin. The trigger is good for a lever gun. It has a two-stage pull with a long first stage and a crisp, reasonably light break that makes pinging steel rimfire targets a cinch. I measured the overall trigger pull weight at a consistent 5 pounds, 5 ounces on my Lyman trigger pull gauge.

Furniture and Fasteners

This Rossi Rio Bravo is stocked with an unspecified species of wood furniture, with a decent finish that’s in line with the rifle’s price point. I don’t expect the finish to hold up well to a lot of exposure to moisture, and the wood seems to dent easily. Fit of the wood is also in step with the price tag. It’s acceptable, but not at the level you’ll see on more expensive rifles—particularly the fit between the receiver and fore-end.

The stock is capped with a plastic ribbed recoil plate that’s secured by two Phillips screws. It shoulders well, and should hold up just fine. One of few quibbles I have with the rifle’s build is the plastic construction of the two barrel bands—the front one features an integrated sling swivel stud. They are perfectly functional, but steel, or even aluminum, would make a big difference in the aesthetics and overall appeal of a western-style .22 rifle.

Barrel and Blued Parts of the Rossi Rio Bravo

The barrel, magazine tube, bolt, trigger, and hammer all have a blued finish—as do the steel iron sights. The rear sight is a classic buckhorn sight with a steel graduated elevation ramp for adjustments. The front sight is a simple drift-adjustable blued steel blade with a brass bead. 

Although Rossi lists the barrel as a 6-groove barrel, I count 12 on my sample. It reminds me more of the old Marlin Model 39A microgroove barrels than what many contemporary .22 LRs use. The outer magazine tube is steel, and uses a typical removable brass magazine tube and bullet-shaped loading port. It holds 15 rounds of .22 LR, and uses a plastic follower.

The finish on the blued parts is consistent, and the level of wear I’m seeing is in line with what I’d expect. The barrel-to-receiver interface isn’t as nicely executed and tight as I’d like, but it’s within the parameters of a rifle of this price. There’s a small gap where the receiver meets the barrel and some powder fouling has escaped through that crevice onto the barrel. The fit is secure and functionally satisfactory, but it’s a flaw that wouldn’t go unchecked on a more expensive rifle. I’m not a fan of the characteristically Brazilian style of laser-engraving the serial numbers on the barrel and bolt either. 

How Does the Rossi Rio Bravo Shoot?

Many imports and lower-priced guns will automatically draw more scrutiny than their domestic counterparts—understandably so. It’s especially true for rimfire rifles. These cartridges are inherently dirty, and the ammunition is prone to foul just about any rifle. Guns like the Rossi Rio Bravo are affordable, sure, but how well do they run? 

My 7-year-old-son and I put more than 500 rounds through this rifle without a single cleaning and we found it to be pleasantly reliable. The action cycles smooth and feeds many flavors of .22 LR ammunition well. It ejects cases smartly and the only issue we encountered was when my son tried to cycle the lever hesitantly. Sometimes that would cause a cartridge to feed improperly. I never encountered it myself. After firing approximately 400 rounds, we would see an occasional case stick in the chamber and slip the extractor. This is a typical .22 LR issue when wax lubricant from the ammunition builds up in the chamber. Swabbing the chamber with a pipe cleaner and a dab of solvent quickly remedied it.

My son was quickly smitten with the looks of the rifle and took to it right off. After getting a feel for the action, he was hitting steel targets out to 50 yards from a bench. It’s a little heavy for him to shoot offhand for long periods of time, but the only thing I regularly have to help him with is twisting the small magazine cap to the closed position on a full stack of .22’s. It’s stiff, but locks up securely.

Rossi Rio Bravo Accuracy

For accuracy testing, I temporarily mounted a Leupold VX2 2-7×33 scope to the Rossi Rio Bravo and fired 15 5-shot groups at 50 yards with three different types of ammo: Browning 40-grain Pro 22, Remington Eley Match, and CCI Mini-Mag. The overall average group size was 1.9 inches, and the Remington Eley ammo was most accurate, averaging 1.68 inches.

What the Rossi Rio Bravo Gold Does Well

This Rossi Rio Bravo looks good, and runs reliably. It’s a load of fun on the range and just a great nostalgic .22 rifle that’s priced and built to be used rather than kept in the safe.

Where the Rossi Rio Bravo Gold Could Be Better

I think the rifle falls right into the quality and finish level of its price point, but a couple simple touches like cleaner serial numbers, nicer receiver screws, and steel or aluminum barrel bands would make an appreciable difference at a minimal cost.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been very happy with the performance of the Rossi Rio Bravo and, in Gold trim, this one looks good too. It’s priced well, functions reliably, and is easy to clean and maintain. It’s not a collectors item that you’ll be hesitant to take out of the safe or cabinet, but I don’t have much interest in guns that are built to collect dust. Shooting it will put a smile on just about anyone’s face.

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Great Plains Stalker		Tikka T3x Lite	SEE IT
Great Value		Savage 110 Hunter	SEE IT
Northwoods		Henry Lever Action X Model	SEE IT

As everyone knows, the best deer rifle is the one you already own. There might be other rifles like it, but that one is yours and therefore is superior to the rest. But every now and then, someone needs—or wants—to buy another deer gun. Perhaps you’re familiar with the sensation? From personal experience I can say this has only happened to me 10 or 12 dozen times over the years.

So if you’re a new hunter who is looking to invest in one of the best deer hunting rifles, or a gun nerd who has a hard time saying “no,” this list is for you.

• Northwoods: Henry Lever Action X Model
• Alaska: Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan
• Beanfield Sniper: Christensen MPR
• Western Mountains: Sako 85 Finnlight
• Great Value: Savage 110 Hunter
• Southern Piney Woods: Bergara B14 Ridge
• Technical: Proof Research MTR
• Great Plains Stalker: Tikka T3x Lite Stainless
• Family Heirloom: Winchester Model 70 Super Grade
• Straight Wall Shooter: Mossberg Patriot
• Pennsylvania Stalwart: Remington 760 and 7600

How I Picked the Best Deer Rifles

I structured the list loosely based on geography and hunting style to give it a bit of variety and to help provide some ammunition to whoever finds themselves arguing with their significant other over the justification for buying a new gun. “But honey, I can’t take that rifle, I’m going hunting in Kansas…”

These are also deer rifles that my colleagues and I have shot, tested, and hunted with and have passed muster. We didn’t include any that we don’t have hands-on experience with. All but one of the rifles are currently in production, and most are affordable, though we threw in a couple that are worth saving for or aspiring to.

But the bottom line is that these rifles are ones you can rely on to handle any deer hunt you might encounter, whether that is on your family’s plot of land in farm country, in the snowy hardwoods in the North Country, in a stand of alpine timber, or in the distant rainforests of coastal Alaska.

Northwoods: Henry Lever Action X Model

Henry

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One sure sign of the decline of Western civilization is the scarcity of new lever-actions to choose from. Marlin is thankfully back on its feet, but their iconic 336 isn’t yet in production. Henry Repeating Arms, however, hasn’t missed a beat since it was founded in 1996, and has added new guns to its lineup at a pleasing clip.

The X Model in .30/30 is one of the more recent additions. While the bones of the X Model are rooted in tradition, the rifle is finished with modern hunters in mind.

It is stocked in a nearly indestructible synthetic material with recessed sling attachment points molded into the fore-end and butt stock. The fore-end also has a section of Picatinny rail up front to mount a light for night-time shooting applications. That section also has M-Lok slots to mount accessories compatible with that format.

The tubular magazine holds five rounds and can be loaded through the gate on the receiver or by dropping cartridges into the cutout at front end of the magazine tube.

It comes with a nice set of adjustable fiber optic sights but in keeping with modern tastes the receiver is drilled and tapped for mounting a scope.

Being chambered in .30/30 Win., the X Model will do its best work within 150 yards, but for most deer hunting that is plenty adequate. You can also get the X Model chambered in .45/70, .45 Colt, .357/.38 Spl., .44 Mag./.44 Spl as well if you want to go with a straight-wall cartridge.

Alaska: Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan

Ruger

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By many accounts, the small Sitka blacktails that live in Alaska are the finest table fare of any venison. While these little blacktails don’t require anything special in the way of shooting, the best deer rifle for this country takes into account the other critters in their neighborhood—coastal brown bears, which do require an adequate amount of gun to deal with.

The Hawkeye Alaskan is currently available in three chamberings, .375 Ruger, .338 Win. Mag., and .300 Win. Mag. The .300 is a good compromise cartridge for this thick brushy terrain, but if a hunter wanted to shoulder one of the other cartridges, it’s not as if the deer would notice. The rifle ships with a muzzle brake to help tame the recoil of these thumpers.

The Alaskan holds three rounds in its hinged-floorplate magazine, has as 20-inch barrel, and measures a handy 42 inches from muzzle to recoil pad. The Hawkeye is the heir to the old M77 Rugers and has a non-rotating full-length Mauser style claw extractor and a fixed-blade ejector. Those classic turn-bolt design features have been giving hunters the warm fuzzies since the late 1800s and will appeal to sportsmen who like traditional rifles.

The Alaskan comes with fixed sights geared toward dangerous game, with a shallow V rear express-style sight and a bold bead on the front post. But the Alaskan can easily accommodate a scope as well.

Even if you don’t hunt deer in bear country, this rugged rifle is a good option for those who live by the “use enough gun” and “can’t be too dead” mantras.

Beanfield Sniper: Christensen MPR

Christensen Arms

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The term “beanfield rifle” was coined by former Outdoor Life shooting editor Jim Carmichel when reviewing the hyper-accurate bolt-actions made by master riflesmith Kenny Jarrett. Kenny is one of the godfathers of hunting rifle accuracy and incorporated benchrest rifle technology into his exquisite firearms.

Why “beanfield?” Well in some stretches of ag land down south those fields that deer favor can be many hundreds of yards in length, and when the beans have grown high, they don’t leave much of a deer’s body as a target. Thus, you had the need for a rifle that reaches out with pinpoint accuracy to guarantee success.

Jarrett still makes those wonderful rifles, but their stratospheric price tags—many are north of $10,000—put them out of reach of all but the well-heeled or ballistically irresponsible.

The Christensen MPR doesn’t look much like Kenny’s creations, but what it has in common is the ability to shoot tiny groups. When the MPR debuted I tested it and produced five-shot groups with factory ammo that averaged .557 inch across a wide variety of brands and bullet weights in 6.5 Creedmoor. Several of the loads I shot from Norma, Barnes and Hornady averaged in the .4s. Today, you can get it in .223 Rem., 6mm Creed, 6.5 Creed, 6.5 PRC, .308 Win., .300 PRC, or .338 Lapua Mag.

For beanfield hunting, the flat-bottomed fore-end makes for a stable platform when positioned in a blind or stand. Without question, it is one of the best lightweight long-range rifles in production.

It’s a modern, sexy looking rifle with lots of carbon fiber and an adjustable folding stock and will appeal to hunters who are sci-fi nerds. Though not cheap, it costs a fraction of the original beanfield rifle. 

Western Mountains: Sako 85 Finnlight

Sako

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There’s no shortage of mountain rifles to pick among for hunting deer in vertical terrain. The first criteria hunters consider is weight because a rifle that’s too heavy to lug uphill isn’t going to do you much good.

But there’s more to a quality mountain rifle than a sub-6-pound readout on a scale. A good mountain rifle must be able to handle awful weather, survive in an unforgiving rocky environment, and be able to deliver an accurate first-round shot on what might be the hunt of a lifetime.

The Sako Finnlight checks all these boxes through its rugged construction, excellent ergonomics, and superb accuracy. The Finnlight I tested a few years ago was chambered in .308 Win. and delivered 5-shot groups measuring less than .6 inches with factory Hornady ammo.

The fact that they were five-shot groups is key. To reduce weight most mountain guns have pencil-thin barrels that heat quickly and cause shots to walk and the groups to open up as the round count increases. For that reason, the accuracy guarantees for most rifles, especially mountain rifles, are based on three-shot groups. That the Finnlight was able to keep shooting tight groups even with a hot barrel is a testament to its quality.

The rifle comes with a smartly designed flush-mounted staggered magazine that’s easy to load and won’t accidentally get bumped and fall free of the action. The three-position safety next to the bolt shroud has a middle position that keeps the gun on safe but lets the shooter open the action to unload the rifle.

The Finnlight is available in numerous chamberings in addition to .308. You can have it in a number of great deer cartridges including .243 Win., .25/06 Rem., .270 Win., .260 Rem., .30/06, .300 Win. Mag., .300 WSM, .270 WSM, 6.5×55 Swede, 7mm-08 Rem., and 7mm Rem. Mag.

Great Value In a Deer Hunting Rifle: Savage 110 Hunter

Savage

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Nothing warms the collective heart of the Outdoor Life gun test team than a great gun value. We’re lucky to live in an era with plenty of rifles that are budget friendly and accurate. While the Ruger American and Mossberg Patriot certainly deserve a spot on anyone’s list of smart buys, Savage Arms, more than any other modern company, has made accuracy and performance available to the masses.

I don’t know how many different iterations of the Model 110 have been built over the years—there’s been quite a pile of them—but the basic 110 Hunter is still the standard by which to measure a budget-conscious investment.

There are some cheaper guns on the market, but what makes the Model 110 Hunter so appealing are the upgrades that it comes with. That includes the AccuFit stock system which incorporates a bedding-block to create a solid connection between the stock and action, which helps with accuracy.

The stock also has modular sections to alter the length of pull and comb height. It’s a rifle that a young shooter grow with as their body fills out. The length of pull can adjust from 12.75 to 13.75 inches. It also lets a shooter fine-tune the stock dimensions for a better fit, which will translate to better performance in the field.

The rifle comes with Savage’s AccuTrigger, which is one of the original user adjustable designs to debut on a mass-market hunting rifle. In fairness, the quality of the AccuTriggers can vary, so it makes sense to spend time dry firing a sample in your local gun store before committing to a specific rifle.

The detachable box magazine holds four rounds in all cartridges except .300 Win. Mag., where it holds three. Chamberings include .243 Win., .25/06 Rem., 6.5 Creed, .30/06, .308 Win., 7mm Rem. Mag., 7mm-08, and, my favorite, .280 Ackley Improved.

The 110 Hunter isn’t as hardened against the elements as some other rifles, so some diligence and care is called for with the carbon steel barrel, especially if it is going to be exposed to the elements. Other than that, the rifle is ready to take a beating and keep placing accurate shots on game.

Southern Piney Woods: Bergara B14 Ridge

Bergara

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Some of the most pleasant deer hunts I’ve experienced have been down in the Piney Woods of the Southeast. Alabama’s Black Belt, in particular, with its fertile soils, cranks out impressive bucks and is great habitat for turkeys and upland birds as well.

The hunting tends to be civilized as long as the mosquitos aren’t out in force, but when a cold front rolls though you might find yourself dealing with some rougher conditions that run contrary to our notions of Southern hospitality.

The Bergara B14 Ridge fits this type of hunting to a tee. It is a well-mannered and capable bolt action that delivers solid performance at a good price and while it has plenty of nice touches it isn’t a flashy rifle by any means.

Depending on action length and chambering, the rifles weigh about 7.5 pounds unscoped, give or take a few ounces. Barrel lengths run from 18 to 24 inches, with most short-action cartridges using 22-inch barrels while standard-length chamberings have 24-inch tubes.

This middle-of-the-road configuration is perfect for 90 percent of deer hunting. The B-14’s heft and balance allow it to run easily from the shoulder and brought into play in a smooth, efficient manner.

Though the rifle is built in Spain—Bergara makes extremely nice barrels over there—it is configured with the American hunter in mind. The synthetic stock has “American classic” dimensions, with its flat comb, the metalwork is treated with black Cerakote finish for durability, and the muzzle is threaded 5/8-24.

Caliber choices include .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .308 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., .270 Win., 7mm Rem. Mag, .30/06, .300 Win. Mag., and .300 PRC. The internal box magazine has a hinged floorplate and holds 4 rounds of the standard cartridges and 3 of the magnums. Because the 6.5 PRC and .300 PRC are chubby, the B-14’s magazine only holds two of them.

Technical Deer Hunting Rifle: Proof Research MTR

Proof Research

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For the technically inclined deer hunter, Proof Research’s MTR (Mountain Tactical Rifle) is an intriguing option. It is a great example of a modern deer rifle that borrows heavily from the tactical and competition shooting world to create a high-performance rig that is accurate, portable, and able to handle the most demanding hunting conditions.

Proof uses a Zermatt Arms Origin action on the MTR, which is known for its remarkably tight tolerances, reliability, and accuracy. Proof, of course, puts one of its carbon-fiber barrels on the MTR and the mating of the Zermatt and barrel delivers exceptional accuracy. In fact, I’ve used this rifle in competition and know that it is able to place precise shots on distant targets under demanding time constraints and from practical field positions.

The stock is also of Proof’s design and is made of carbon-fiber as well. Depending on the cartridge, the naked rifle weighs about 6.5 pounds to a touch over 7 pounds. The stock has a raised comb and vertical pistol grip, both of which are common on tactical rifles. The comb helps align the shooter’s eye with larger optics that tend to sit higher on the rifle (the action has a full-length Picatinny rail) and the vertical grip enhances the shooter’s control over the rifle and the trigger pull.

The MTR uses detachable box magazines and will feed from AICS pattern mags. It ships with a single polymer magazine. The rifle feeds with dead-nuts reliability and can handle dust, moisture, and other debris without any issues.

The barrel is threaded 5/8-24 for a brake or suppressor and the rifle comes with a sub-MOA accuracy guarantee. Among the available cartridges are three short-barrel options. One is the 6 ARC with a 16.5-inch barrel, and the others are .308 Win. and .223 Rem. with 20-inch barrels. You can also get it in 6 Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem. Mag., .300 Win. Mag., and .300 PRC, all of which come with 24-inch barrels.

Great Plains Stalker: Tikka T3x Lite Stainless

Tikka

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It still amazes me to come across deer hunters who haven’t checked out a Tikka. When the company started making a serious push into the American market about 15 years ago, their virtues were still not widely known. But at this point Tikka’s praises have been sung loudly from the hilltops, yet there are still some poor souls who haven’t gotten the message.

For an all-around, do-anything deer rifle, the Tikka T3x Lite Stainless is as versatile a big-game rifle as you can find, especially considering its price. The Tikka’s bones are similar to those in its sibling brand Sako. Many parts of the Tikka are borrowed directly from the more expensive Sako, in fact.

The three-lug action runs smoothly, the magazine system is among the best you’ll find in terms of how easy it is to load and its reliability, and the general handling of the Tikka T3x is superb, which isn’t a surprise given that European hunters place great emphasis on how a rifle manages quick shots on running game.

In the Lite Stainless trim, the Tikka tips the scales at roughly 6.4 pounds, meaning that with a good light scope it will be easy to carry across any terrain.

This isn’t a fancy rifle with a lot of adornment. The barrel isn’t fluted, though the muzzle threaded 1×14. The black stock has textured panels molded into the grip and fore-end for a secure handhold, but otherwise is fairly plain.

But don’t let that fool you. This is a very capable gun and one of the best deer hunting rifles. I used one in Mongolia last year to make a very long and challenging shot on a sheep and never felt compromised by its basic design.

Cartridge options include .243 Win., 6.5×55 Swede, .270 Win., .30/06, 7mm Rem. Mag., .308 Win., 300 Win. Mag., 6.5 Creedmoor, and one of the best all-around big-game cartridges on earth, the 9.3×62.

Family Heirloom: Winchester Model 70 Super Grade

Winchester

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In a world of black rifles and synthetic stocks it is nice to see that some companies still make guns that harken back to deer hunting’s roots. Pretty much any kid who grew up in a deer-hunting family cast an envious eye toward their dad’s, or granddad’s, or uncle’s well-worn rifle hoping to inherit it someday.

Well, if you’re going to dream, dream big I say. The Winchester Model 70 Super Grade combines the iconic M70 action with drool-worthy wood and is the kind of gun that will get passed from one generation to the next.

The stock is made of AAAA Maple, and has a soft honey-colored hue with tiger-stripe figuring through the wood and a raised cheekpiece with a shadow line. The stock also has an ebony-tip and diamond-pattern checkering on the fore-end and grip that is both attractive and functional. A solid-black Pachmayr is a visual bookend to the ebony tip and imparts a harmonious look to the rifle.

Outdoor Life editor-in-chief Alex Robinson acquired one of these beauties last fall and had good things to say about it. Being a thoroughly traditional rifle, it delivered traditional accuracy, which is to say five shots in about 1.5 inches at 100 yards with select ammunition. Forget the social media boasting about half-inch groups (“all day long,” of course), that level of accuracy is more than sufficient for all but the most demanding deer hunts.

The Model 70 Super Grade comes with a hammer-forged barrel with a polished blue finish that’s even and well executed. The action is what Winchester calls a pre-’64 action, though in truth it is better made than the vintage M70s.

One upgrade is Winchester’s MOA trigger, which has a minimal amount of take-up for a clean crisp break. (Though there’s something to be said for a properly tuned old-school M70 trigger.) The action comes with a three-position safety and a jeweled bolt body as well.

If you want to go all-in on the vintage appeal of this rifle, get it chambered in .264 Win. Mag. with a 26-inch barrel. That will channel all your deer-hunting forefathers and make them smile from their place in the Happy Hunting Grounds beyond.

It’s also available in the very modern 6.8 Western as well as the usual suspects: .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win., .270 Win., .30/06, 7mm Rem. Mag., and .300 Win Mag.

Straight Wall Shooter: Mossberg Patriot

Mossberg

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As more states that previously had not allowed use of centerfire rifle rounds for deer hunting relax their regulations so that straight wall cartridges can be taken afield, gun makers have responded with new offerings.

For a hunter who wants to take advantage of the recently introduced .350 Legend (basically a lengthened .357 Magnum that is geared for these straight-wall states) but doesn’t want to spend a lot of money to do so, the Mossberg Patriot is the best deal going.

The Patriot has made several of our best rifle lists over the years and it continues to impress us with its solid design and good accuracy at a price that can’t easily be beat.

Mossberg is chambering two rifles in .350 Legend, one a plain synthetic stock rifle that can be had for less than $400, and an upgraded version in walnut that costs a bit more. Other than the stock material and the price, they are the same.

Both have 22-inch barrels and take four-round detachable box magazines. The magazines are light and easy to load and clip in and out of the action without a fuss. The rifles have Mossberg’s user-adjustable LBA trigger that can be set to break between 2 and 7 pounds.

The bolts have spiral flutes on them which help the guns run a more smoothly and add a bit of visual flair to the rifle’s otherwise basic aesthetics.

The rifles come with cross-slot bases affixed to the receiver so one only needs to buy a pair of rings to mount a scope.

In my experience the accuracy of these rifles has been pretty good, though the .350 Legend isn’t a round designed to shoot small groups. You can expect five-shot groups to measure about 2-inches at 100 yards based on what I’ve seen .350 Legend factory ammo do so far. While that isn’t going to win you internet bragging points, it is a heck of an upgrade from the slug guns that the .350 Legend is displacing. Plus, with its softer recoil it is much more pleasant to shoot.

Pennsylvania Stalwart: Remington 760 and 7600

Remington Arms

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You can’t talk about the best deer rifles without including one of the all-time greats, the Remington 760 and 7600. It might not be in production today, but for hunters in Pennsylvania and other parts of the Northeast, these slide-action repeaters will forever have a place in deer camp.

The calling card of these rifles is their fast-handling and ability to deliver quick follow-up shots. Picture still-hunting through a stand of hardwoods and jumping a heavy buck from his bed and you have the scenario that the 760 and 7600 was designed for.

Most 7600s came with 22-inch barrels and a four-round magazine. The rotary bolt system is actuated by the two action bars connected to the fore-end and is as slick as a bobsled run.

Most are stocked in walnut, though Remington made synthetic stocked 7600s—but to me those all-black guns miss the point.

The 760 and 7600 have shotgun-like stock dimensions so they are optimized to be shot with the fixed sights on the barrel. The receivers on the 7600 are drilled and tapped to take a scope, however. If you go that route, consider adding a raised cheek piece to the stock to get correct alignment with the optic.

By modern standards, the triggers are pretty rough, but shotgun shooters will feel right at home with a 7600 in their shoulder.

Remington started building the 760s in 1952 up through 1981, after which the 7600 was rolled out. The Model 7600 was made from 1981 until the company went bankrupt for the second time a couple years back. The current management of Remington Arms (as the company is now called) still has the 7600 list on their web site, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for new versions to be made any time soon given all the challenges that Big Green is facing.

You can still find them online and in used gun stores, however. The prices vary, but usually aren’t crazy. Even though the 7600 is beloved, it doesn’t carry around an inflated sense of its self-worth.

When production was halted, Remington was chambering the 7600 in .270 Win., .30/06, and .308 Win. But you can find some that were made in .243 Win., 6mm Rem., .35 Whelen and, my pick, .35 Remington.

FAQs About the Best Deer Hunting Rifles

Final Thoughts On The Best Deer Hunting Rifles

Selecting your best deer hunting rifle involves weighing a lot of factors. First and foremost is your budget. Start with a price tag you can live with that gets you a good rifle and quality scope and work from there.

Ideally, you want a rifle that you will enjoy shooting and will be able to shoot a lot without getting beat up. Excessive recoil can lead to flinching, which can be tougher to eradicate than rats from the NYC subway system. Better to avoid this potential problem and shoot a rifle and cartridge that is comfortable. With today’s selection of excellent hunting bullets, mild cartridges like the .243 Win., 7mm-08, and 6.5 Creedmoor are deadly on big game.

Lastly, you want a reliable rifle that will perform under the most adverse circumstances. All the rifles listed here check that box, meaning you could take any one of these afield with a high degree of confidence.

The post The Best Deer Hunting Rifles of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Budget		Ruger American Vortex Crossfire II Combo	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary A basic but functional hunting rifle setup with a ton of value for the price.
Best Overall		Browning X-Bolt Speed Suppressor Ready	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary An awesome-looking rifle with extreme versatility.
Editors' Pick		Nosler M21	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Built with high-quality materials, this gun functions perfectly in tough environments.

The .308 Winchester turns 70 years old in 2022, and despite being rather long in the tooth, this round still ranks among the most popular hunting and shooting cartridges in the world, especially for hunting rifles. There’s no doubt that newer cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor and PRC and Winchester’s new 6.8 Western have some ballistic efficiencies over the .308, but that hasn’t eroded the .308’s mass appeal. If you’re looking for a short-action cartridge that offers ample punch for most big game animals, moderate recoil, and plenty of factory hunting loads from which to choose, then the .308 is still a solid bet. Here’s a list of the best .308 hunting rifles that I’ve used in the field or on the range.

• Best Overall: Browning X-Bolt Speed Suppressor Ready
• Best Budget: Ruger American Vortex Crossfire II Combo
• Best Lever Action: Henry Long Ranger
• Best Crossover: Springfield Waypoint 2020
• Best Youth: Mossberg Patriot Youth Super Bantam
• Best Semiauto: Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter
• Best for Elk: Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak
• Best Truck Rifle: Mossberg MVP Scout Rifle
• Editors’ Pick: Nosler M21
• Best Value: Winchester XPR

Things to Consider When Buying a .308 Hunting Rifle

Action
With its overwhelming popularity and 70-year history, there are plenty of options for those who want to hunt with a .308 rifle. There are so many options, in fact, that picking the best .308 can be a challenge. But determining what type of action you want is a great place to start. Most .308 hunting rifles come in bolt-actions, and there are many great options. If you’re familiar with semiautos, then the AR-10 platform is perfect. But if you prefer something lighter and more classically styled, Browning’s BAR rifle combines the classic look of a hunting rifle with the convenience of a semiauto. Lever guns like Browning’s BLR and Henry’s Long Ranger utilize box magazines and, therefore, will work with the .308 cartridge. But there are also single shots like Ruger’s vaunted No. 1.

Accuracy
Almost all modern rifles, regardless of price, have suitable triggers and offer reasonable accuracy. Some, like the Ruger American, blend superb accuracy and exceptional value. 

Weight
Weight savings in the form of carbon fiber stocks and carbon fiber-wrapped barrels come at a price, so if you plan to carry your .308 on high-altitude, leg and lung-burning hunts, those weight savings might offer you a better chance of success in the field. A pound or two of weight adds up over time, especially in the thin air altitudes where elk, goats, and sheep thrive.

Threaded Barrel
If you’ve invested the time and money to purchase a suppressor then you’ll want a threaded barrel (preferably one that matches your thread pattern—adapters are widely available but easy to lose or forget) that is short enough so that the overall length of the rifle is still manageable. The Springfield Waypoint 2020 .308 rifle I used for a pronghorn antelope hunt in the fall of 2021 came with a 20-inch carbon fiber pipe, but with a suppressor in place overall length increases by as much as nine inches. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate shorter barrels because I exclusively hunt with suppressors when that’s an option, but short barrels also make a rifle much easier to maneuver in dense forest or in a blind or treestand. Thankfully, .308 rifles perform well with short barrels.

Ammunition
Ammo selection is critically important to wring the best in-field performance from your .308 rifle. There are light .308 loads available with bullets under 150 grains, but these are typically designed for varmint hunting or reduced recoil loads. As with other .30-caliber rounds, you can stuff 200-grain bullets in a .308 case, but velocities are so low that I’ve never seen 200-grain .308 ammo as a viable option. If you want a hard-hitting .30-caliber, 200-grain bullet, there are lots of great cartridge options including the .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 WSM, .300 Weatherby Magnum, 30 Nosler, and .300 PRC, all of which gladly handle heavy .308-inch bullets.

Best Overall: Browning X-Bolt Speed Suppressor Ready

Browning

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Why It Made the Cut
With its Smoked Bronze Cerakote finish and new OVIX camo stock, the X-bolt Speed Suppressor Ready is an awesome-looking rifle with extreme versatility. 

Key Features

• Three-lug X-Bolt
• Adjustable gold-plated Feather trigger
• Removable rotary magazine
• Short (18 to 22-inch) barrel with 5/8×24 threads
• Weight: 6.2 pounds

Pros

• Sweet looks
• Lightweight 
• Reasonable price considering the quality and accuracy

Cons

• Stubby barrel steals a bit of muzzle velocity
• Requires X-Bolt specific mags and scope bases

Product Description
With a suppressor, the overall length of this gun is manageable but without one, this gun has an overall length of just 38-inches, which makes it perfect for a blind or tree stand. And while there are plenty of great options in the X-Bolt family, I believe this one is the handiest of the lot.  

In my experience, X-Bolt rifles are real tack-drivers, and I’ve never had one that didn’t shoot well. Browning doesn’t plaster promises of sub-MOA accuracy all over their website, but it’s reasonable to expect these guns to shoot under an inch with ammo that the rifle likes. And a shooter who knows what they’re doing won’t hurt either. With a can, a good scope, and a dialed-in load, this gun is perfect for most any game in any terrain.

Best Budget: Ruger American Rifle Vortex Crossfire II Combo

Ruger

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Why It Made the Cut
This basic but functional hunting rifle setup has a crisp adjustable trigger, and it’s light enough for most hunting situations. Plus, you simply can’t beat Ruger’s accuracy to cost ratio. 

Key Features

• Includes Vortex Crossfire II 3-9×40 scope with Dead Hold BDC
• Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger
• Three-log bolt with 60-degree bolt lift
• Power Bedding integral bedding block
• Weight: 7 pounds
• Detachable rotary magazine

Pros

• Accuracy matches more expensive rivals
• Tons of value for the price

Cons

• Austere look
• Heavier than other options

Product Description
The basic rifle/scope combo is, well, basic. The Crossfire might not make it on the best rifle scopes list, but it’s more than capable for most hunting situations. And if you want to add some color to your hunting rig check out the Go Wild camo version.

I’ve tested several Ruger American rifles in various calibers and—no surprise to anyone who’s familiar with these guns—every one shot well. On a bear hunt in Alberta, I managed to harvest two bruins with this rifle, neither of which made it out of view before expiring. With an American rifle chambered in .308 you can hunt most of the world’s game. So do you really need a more expensive rifle?  

Best Lever Action: Henry Long Ranger

Henry

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Why It Made the Cut
With its two-piece oil-finish American walnut stock and rich bluing, the Long Ranger is a modern take on the classic lever-action hunting rifle.

Key Features

• Anodized aluminum receiver
• Four round magazine capacity
• Drilled and tapped receiver
• Six-lug bolt locks into barrel extension
• Weight: 7 pounds

Pros

• Beautiful finishes
• Accessible hammer design
• Detachable magazine

Cons

• Runs on the heavier side
• Not as accurate as some bolt guns in this price range

Product Description
The .308 lends itself well to a variety of action types, including lever guns like the Long Ranger. And the rack-and-pinion system is smooth and fast, so you can deliver quick follow ups with this rifle. I’m glad that Henry used a transfer bar hammer instead of sullying the look of this gun with a manual safety, and the side-mounted push button magazine release is intuitively positioned.

When I tested this rifle I mounted it with a low-mount scope, and the Henry’s short, steeply-angled hammer stayed well out of the way. Accuracy wasn’t half-MOA, but this rifle certainly is accurate for a lever-action, and it even challenges some bolt-actions. Plus, there’s nothing like the feel of a lever gun.

Best Crossover: Springfield Waypoint 2020

Springfield Armory

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Why It Made the Cut
The Springfield Waypoint is accurate enough for long-range target shooting yet light enough to carry in the field, which makes it the ultimate dual-purpose .308 rifle for hunting and competition.

Key Features

• Cylindrical receiver with integral machined recoil lug
• AG Composites carbon fiber stock
• Optional fluted steel or carbon fiber barrels
• TriggerTech Trigger
• Weight: 6 pounds, 9 ounces to 7 pounds, 11 ounces

Pros

• Capable of .75 MOA accuracy
• Feels like a custom rifle
• Adjustable trigger

Cons

• Expensive
• Limited stock and Cerakote color options

Product Description
No part of this rifle has been overlooked, and the Waypoint’s bolt slips through the wire EDM raceway with surgical precision. This gun costs a couple grand but feels like it should be priced higher.

Of course, four-figure guns better come with precision and luckily, this Springfield does. The .308 I tested shot just over an inch for three rounds at 200 yards, and I had no trouble dropping a Wyoming antelope at just over 400 while hunting with Kody Glause of Heart Spear Outfitters. I trusted the rifle to make any reasonable shot and hated to see it go. And I’m still kicking myself for not buying that gun. 

Best Youth: Mossberg Patriot Youth Super Bantam

Mossberg

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Why It Made the Cut
The Mossberg Patriot Youth Super Bantam is a durable and affordable gun that’s perfectly suited for small-statured or growing shooters.

Key Features

• Adjustable LOP
• Trigger is adjustable from 2 to 7 pounds
• Detachable box magazine 
• Fluted barrel
• Includes a 3-9×40 scope on Weaver bases
• Rifle/Scope Weight: 7.5 pounds

Pros

• Fits and grows with young hunters
• Reasonable accuracy for the price
• Budget friendly

Cons

• Functional but not fancy
• Bolt doesn’t lock

Product Description
This rifle comes equipped with a bore sighted 3-9×40 scope, so it provides a hunter with everything they need to start hunting at a bargain price. While this rifle is technically youth sized, the adjustable LOP(length of pull) means that hunters can grow with it.

There’s nothing particularly fancy about the Mossberg (save the Muddy Girl pink camo finish), but these are workaday guns that punch tags without pretensions. The LBA trigger is reliable and safe, and I’ve never seen a Mossberg Patriot rifle suffer from reliability issues. After carrying Patriot rifles while chasing Coues deer in Mexico, whitetails in Kansas, and ibex in Spain, I’m a fan of this purpose-built bolt gun.

Best Semiauto: Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter

Wilson Combat

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Why It Made the Cut
The Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter is a tack-driving AR-10 rifle that’s built with premium components. 

Key Features

• Wilson Combat flat top billet upper and lower receivers
• Rifle-length gas system with Lo-Profile gas block
• Wilson Combat match grade barrel 
• TTU trigger
• Armor-Tuff finish
• Weight: 7 pounds, 13 ounces

Pros

• Exceptional accuracy
• Dependable
• Premium features
• Optional upgrades

Cons

• Super expensive
• Heavy

Product Description

I’ve spent considerable time behind Tactical Hunter rifles chambered for .308 Winchester and Bill Wilson’s sorely underrated .300 Ham’r cartridge. I went on a hog hunt with Bill at his ranch in Texas and took a nice boar with one shot before shooting the Tactical Hunter out to 1,000 yards. 

Understandably, the Tactical Hunter is priced like a premium AR rifle, but there’s no better option if you’re looking for a semiauto .308 hunting rifle. And if you’re wondering why there’s no category for best .308 varmint/predator rifle, it’s because this gun wins that award, too.

Best for Elk: Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak

Kimber

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Why It Made the Cut
The Hunter Pro Desolve Blak brings a new look to the Hunter line of rifles and at 5 pounds, 9 ounces, this gun is perfect for hunting the high country.

Key Features

• Kimber 84M controlled round feed action
• Three-position safety
• Reinforced polymer stock with pillar bedding
• 22-inch sporter contour match grade barrel
• Weight: 5 pounds, 9 ounces

Pros

• One of the most affordable rifles on this list
• Accurate
• Lightweight

Cons

• More recoil than other rifles on the list
• 7/16 x 28 muzzle threading requires an adapter to accommodate most muzzle devices

Product Description
I own one of these guns in .308, which I purchased after an evaluation. Why did I buy it? I wanted a lightweight .308 rifle that I could use for anything, especially for hunting big game in the high country. And the Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak fits the bill. My Kimber is a bit finicky about loads, but it absolutely loves Black Hills’ 152-grain Dual Performance. With that load, it would shoot under an inch at 100 yards for five-shot groups, and that’s my go-to rifle/load combo for big game hunting. With the light weight, you do gain a bit of recoil from this rifle, but it’s not unmanageable. But with this gun’s accuracy, if you’re lucky enough to pack an elk out, you’ll forget all about recoil. 

Best Truck Rifle: Mossberg MVP Scout Rifle

Mossberg

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Why It Made the Cut
With a forward-mounted scope and ten-round magazine this versatile Mossberg is the perfect rifle to ride shotgun in your pickup.

Key Features

• Push-feed action 
• 11-inch extended top rail for standard or EER scopes
• Utilizes Magpul P-MAGs (one 10-round included)
• Polymer stock is pillar bedded and offers rails on right and left side
• LBA Adjustable trigger
• Weight: 7 pounds

Pros

• Relatively affordable price
• Versatile
• Picatinny rails for additional accessories

Cons

• Not as accurate as some other rifles on this list
• Dual lug design creates a bit of bolt slop

Product Description

The MVP is an affordable introduction to the world of Scout rifles. I’ve successfully hunted elk and mule deer with this rifle, but it’s also my go-to hog hunting weapon. And with subsonic loads it’s a super training and self-defense rifle. In fact, I probably shoot my MVP Scout rifle more than any other centerfire that I own. Is a Scout rifle ideal for hunting elk? Not under all circumstances, but my Mossberg placed a 165-grain Partition in the top of a bull’s heart from a couple hundred yards away and that, as they say, was that.

The side Picatinny rails make this rifle more versatile. For AR hunters who want a bolt gun that offers  them a place to mount all their swag, this is it. Because I shoot this rifle often I shoot it pretty well, and I believe Cooper was right when he said that the speed of a Scout rifle is unmatched by other bolt guns. 

Editors’ Pick: Nosler M21

Nosler

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Why It Made the Cut
The M21 is designed to function perfectly in tough environments, balance well, shoot accurately, and it’s built with high-quality materials. It’s a dependable all-around hunting rifle that will last a lifetime.

Key Features

• Weight: 6.8 pounds
• Barrel: Stainless steel, 22-inch, 1:10-inch twist
• Threaded muzzle

Pros

• High-quality components 
• Intuitive design
• Top-level accuracy for a production hunting rifle
• Bolt features tool-less takedown for field maintenance

Cons

• Expensive

Product Description
The Nosler Model 21 is a fantastic hunting rifle, and it won Editor’s Choice in our 2022 rifle test. It’s a medium-lightweight, well-balanced rifle meant to take on any hunt. Though it’s an expensive rifle, you get a high-quality, long-term piece of equipment for the price.

The M21 isn’t ultra light, but it’s light enough to take on a mountain hunt and substantial enough to be easy shooting. It features a bolt that’s fluted to minimize receiver contact and utilizes an M16-style extractor.

The Triggertech trigger is user-adjustable, and the rifle is suppressor-ready. I really appreciate the bolt’s tool-less takedown feature. And the action is designed with user-friendliness in mind. If you want a rifle that can handle anything, consider this one. —Staff Writer Tyler Freel

Best Value: Winchester XPR

Winchester

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Why It Made the Cut
The Winchester XPR is an affordable but rugged and accurate hunting rifle. I’ve hunted with the XPR quite a bit and have found it to be a great value.

Key Features

• Weight: 6.75 pounds
• Barrel: 22-inch, Perma-Cote steel, 1:12-inch twist
• Detachable magazine

Pros

• Affordable
• Accurate and dependable
• Good weight and balance
• Corrosion-resistant finish

Cons

• Fit and stock aren’t what they are on high-end rifles

Product Description

The Winchester XPR represents a great value for a hunting rifle and is one of the better “budget-priced” guns on the market. It features a no-frill synthetic stock, coated barrel and receiver, and a detachable single-stack magazine.

For the price, the XPR is typically a performer, and I’ve had the opportunity to hunt with several of them, including .308, .300 WSM, .338 Win Mag, and 6.5 Creedmoor. They’re almost all very accurate for their price and hold up to the elements well. The XPR is a simple, affordable rifle, but you don’t have to feel like you’re sacrificing performance. -Staff Writer, Tyler Freel

FAQs

Methodology

For this review, I compiled a list of the best .308 hunting rifles that I’ve personally used at the range or hunting. I considered factors such as, price, accuracy, weight, and the quality of materials and components of each rifle for determining which ones made this list.

Final Thoughts on the Best .308 Hunting Rifles

It’s no accident that the .308 has been so popular with hunters for seven decades. Today’s rifles and ammunition are better than ever, and that brings out the best in an already outstanding hunting cartridge. So finding the best .308 hunting rifles to fit your own needs shouldn’t be a problem. In the future the .308 will only face more competition, but this classic hunting cartridge isn’t going to disappear from American game fields anytime soon.

The post The Best .308 Hunting Rifles of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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FOR A WEEK we had been hunting chukars above the Snake River in eastern Washington, my son Chris and I, laboring along those god-awful lava slopes each day and getting back to camp late, bone-tired and rock-sore. We were set up just across the river from Lewiston, Idaho, where Jack O’Connor lived. I’d meant to call him and let him know we were around. But as the week wore on and we wore with it, getting raunchier by the day, we didn’t figure the O’Connor hearth would be much enhanced by our presence.

I should have known better. The next time we stopped at Paul Nolte’s Lolo Gun Shop in Lewiston there was a message waiting: “Dammit, call me. O’Connor.” 

By phone, Jack told me he didn’t give a hoot how we looked. He’d seen dirty Levis before. “When you get in from hunting today, come on up to the house,” he barked. “We’ll have a libation and look at some stuffed animals. Then we’ll eat beefsteaks someplace. Adios.” Click. 

The libations were waiting when we got there, and the stuffed-animal tour got under way. It was something, it really was, although I can’t recall many details. Hides, horns and tusks, cases of superb custom rifles and shotguns that dreams are made of. Shelves of classic books bound in buckram and leather. And in the high-ceilinged trophy room, the big heads the grand slam of sheep, the stately racks of elk, caribou, moose, mule deer, kudu, and orderly benches with reloading presses, and racks of dies and components. Then back by a slightly different route, past more hides and oiled walnut and blued steel. 

If I was dazed by all this, 19-year-old Chris was stunned. He hadn’t said a word. When we got back to the living room, Jack asked: 

“Tell me, Chris, have you ever seen anything like that before?” 

“No, sir. I sure haven’t.” 

“What do you think of it?” 

“Well, sir,” said Chris thoughtfully, “you don’t fish much, do you?” 

In the 20 years I knew Jack O’Connor, it was the only time I ever saw him at a loss for words. 

As a matter of fact, Jack hated fishing. And for a gun editor, surprisingly, he wasn’t exactly breathless about handguns, either. But when it came to the long guns, and applying rifle and shotgun to the taking of game, he was deeply experienced and expressed that experience in some of the best writing that’s been done on the subject. 

Jack was one of my guiding lights in the late 1930s, when I was beginning to shoot and hunt. He was one of a special band of dream-spinners called gun writers—men like Bob Nichols, Col. Townsend Whelan, Maurice Decker, Ned Crossman, Phil Sharpe and Elmer Keith. I savored their exploits on the target range and in the field, coveted with wonderful guns they pictured and praised, and tried my best to apply what they taught me to my old low-wall .22 and the local farm thickets. 

I don’t know how many of those old-time gun writers and editors really hunted. Some of them, like some of today’s shooting writers and editors, probably hunted little or never. But there’s no denying O’Connor’s credentials in that department. His hunting skill went beyond basic shooting ability and coolness in the presence of game, although he had developed great measures of each. Jack also knew the game he hunted. He knew what it took to hunt and kill that game decently, and even more important, he knew what the game needed from the land if it was to withstand hunting pressure. He wasn’t just a sometime shooter who could turn a clever phrase. He was a hunter who’d been there and done it, and it showed. It always shows. 

Jack relied heavily on personal experience, but he was enough of a technician to distrust isolated examples and fluke occurrences. He preferred to test a bullet, cartridge or rifle in many ways before drawing a conclusion. I don’t think he ever felt really familiar with a particular cartridge until he had hunted with it. Sure, he reported on new loads and rifles tested only on the bench, but his gilt-edge endorsement was generally reserved for guns and ammo proved under rigorous field conditions. 

To the shooting public, Jack O’Connor’s middle name was “.270 Win.” He was the cartridge’s official press agent—so outspoken in its praises that he had a sort of spiritual copyright on it. The .270 may have been Winchester’s baby, but Jack was its adopted daddy. This got a bit wearisome in his later years. He was sometimes a little touchy about his public identification with the .270, but he brought it on himself with glowing anecdotes like this one from his story “Up to Our Necks in Deer”: 

“Whoopee!” said Zefarino. “That’s the kind of rifle I like, one that has power. One shot and the buck doesn’t move. How do you call it?” 

“The .270,” I said. 

“The same you shot the ram with, no?” 

“The same. 

“With the .30 you shot a buck and it ran. Then the smaller boy shot a buck with the .25 and it ran. Now the large boy shoots a buck with this rifle and it is dead in its tracks. How good a rifle, this .270!” 

“It shoots a good ball,” I said. “A very fast ball.” 

So spoke O’Connor, and the .270 flourished apace. And characteristically, Jack knew whereof he spoke. He’d wrung out the .270 on three continents. He shot at least 36 species of big game with this cartridge. These included more than 30 rams (four grand slams of American mountain sheep and four Old World species), an even dozen moose, more than a dozen black bears, two grizzlies, at least 18 elk, 17 caribou and several species of deer. How many deer? I doubt if even Jack knew. He also used the .270 in Africa on such tough game as oryx and zebra, as well as ibex, gazelle and antelope in Iran and India. 

In many ways, Jack was in the catbird seat as a gun writer. He developed during the 1920s and 1930s when great advances were being made in really modern rifles, sights and cartridges. It was a time when the bolt-action sporting rifle and its high-intensity cartridges began to really come into their own. New powders and primers and revolutionary bullet designs were appearing, telescopic sights and mounts were evolving rapidly, giant strides were being taken in fitting rifle actions and barrels into one-piece stocks, and men were revising what they’d known about accuracy. Jack O’Connor knew many rifles and shotguns, but he’ll always be most closely identified with the superbly accurate, strongly breeched, bolt-action rifle with ’scope sight and fast, jacketed bullet. After all, he was mainly a man of open country, of mountains and plains and deserts, and this showed in his interests and preferences. 

As a gun writer who depended heavily on hunting mileage, he had plenty of grist for his mill. Born in Arizona Territory in 1902, he grew up in a hunter’s paradise that still had overtones of the Old West, next door to the game-rich desert wilderness of Mexican Sonora. He’d begun writing during a period when new road systems and air travel were opening up many remote hunting ranges in the West, British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska. He had served his apprenticeship at the close of one era and the beginning of another. 

I first met him in the fall of 1958, at the first Winchester Gun Writers’ Seminar, at Nilo Farms in southwestern Illinois. Those were some fandangos, those early seminars, including such scribes as Warren Page, Pete Kuhloff, Larry Koller, John Amber, Pete Brown, Dave Wolfe, Elmer Keith, Les Bowman, Col. Charley Askins, Bill Edwards, Tom Siatos and such notable drop-ins as Col. Townsend Whelan, Nash Buckingham and Andy Devine. 

I’ve never laughed harder, learned more, or had days and nights pass any faster than at those early Winchester seminars. Rich talk and wild tales, all leavened with deep experience and salty humor. How I wish we’d taped some of those sessions in the old Stratford Hotel! About half the guys were more or less deaf, of course. A conversation between Jack O’Connor, Lee Bowman, John Amber and Elmer Keith could be heard through most of the hotel. A stranger might get the idea they were violent antagonists yelling at each other. Not so. They were good friends just trying to hear each other after too many years of unshielded muzzle blasts. And later on, after dinner, we’d all convene for the main bullshoot with half of us sitting on the floor while actor Frank Ferguson, Pete Kuhloff, Andy Devine and other masters vied in round-robin story contests that would send us to bed at 3 a.m., completely laughed out. 

Yet, I don’t think I ever heard Jack O’Connor tell a joke at one of those shindigs. He just wasn’t a joke-teller. His style of humor was anecdotal. You never belly-laughed at an O’Connor story; it was wry, dry and low key. His humor lay in the sardonic twist of real experience, and he often used it to make a point. For instance, this comment on rifle stock design: 

“Sometimes very slight changes in curves and angles make the difference between a beautiful and graceful stock and a homely and ordinary one. I am thinking of two sisters I once knew. Both were blond, witty and charming. But one (though she was a fine cook and had a heart of gold) was a rather ordinary-looking lass who got by on her good disposition and winning ways. The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands. Yet actually those two girls looked much alike. It was easy to see they were sisters. What made the difference was an angle here, a line there, small dimensional differences in eyes, noses, mouths. And so it is with stocks.” 

Jack was a great admirer of the late H. L. Mencken and shared many of that great man’s views on the sad state of the English language and the world in general. Like Mencken’s, even Jack’s compliments could have a wire edge. I once spoke at a dinner meeting that Jack attended. I can’t remember the subject now, but Jack came up afterward and said: “Well, that wasn’t quite as bad as I thought it would be. It was fairly tolerable—although as a rule I hate afterdinner speakers like God hates St. Louis!”’ 

He spoke with authority, for his wife, Eleanor, was a St. Louis girl. Jack met her at the University of Missouri. Still, I couldn’t let that slight to one of my favorite cities go unanswered. I loved to needle Jack. 

A couple of years later, coming into Lewiston from Missoula, I passed a pulp mill whose sulphite stink tainted the air for 10 miles up the Clearwater. When I saw Jack, I gave it to him: “O’Connor, don’t you ever badmouth St. Louis again! Why, I can’t wait to get back to the Mississippi and away from this west Idaho stench! Come home with me, Jack, and breathe some good air for a change!” 

He gave me a long, level look through those wire-rimmed glasses of his. You could almost hear the gears meshing. He asked: “Madson, tell me something. How much does Remington pay you to work for Winchester?” 

“Not enough!” I said without thinking. 

“AGREED!” Jack yelled triumphantly. It made his whole day. 

We had some good yarning sessions on guns and hunting, although near the end of his life it seemed that Jack was less disposed to talk about guns than other subjects. And a thing he never tired of discussing was writing. 

Jack was a trained journalist with years of teaching at Arizona universities. All that showed, too. His work was disciplined, carefully controlled and structured. It wears well. Jack never used a heavy word when a light one would do, and he seldom used any word carelessly. He was a relentless self-editor who knew that simplicity and directness are the essences of good communication. His sentences were short, crisp and to the point. No, come to think of it, they weren’t always short. As a fine double-gun seems lighter because it is well-designed and balanced, so Jack’s longer sentences usually seem shorter than they really are. 

Jack was a durable man and well designed for his calling, seemingly made of slabs, laths, bits of wire and scraps of leather. He had to be named O’something. With that long upper lip and wire-framed specs, he was Paddy to the life—and the older he got the more Irish he looked. Now and then he’d wear a shapeless tweed hat that someone had given him; all he needed then was a blackthorn stick to be the image of a reformed Donegal poacher. 

He was also inclined to be a dour man. He was outspoken and intolerant of those he considered fools, phonies or bores, and some of his bitterest opinions were reserved for writers who produced what he called “the vast amount of vague, windy, sloppy and sometimes dishonest writing that is put out about rifle accuracy.” 

Most of Jack’s career was linked with Outdoor Life. He wrote his first piece for OL in 1934—a conservation story titled “Arizona’s Antelope Problem.” He did several more stories for the magazine during the mid-1930s, and late in 1936 editor Ray Brown asked him to write exclusively for OL. Jack accepted, and took a year’s leave of absence from teaching journalism at the University of Arizona to write magazine stories and work on a book. Thus he entered the rarefied world of freelance writing. 

He was back at the university full-time, and still doing articles for Outdoor Life, when shooting editor Ned Crossman committed suicide in 1939. Jack was asked to replace him, and began doing a regular department called “Getting the Range.” In the June 1941 issue Jack was named arms and ammunition editor and continued in that job until 1972. During his years with Outdoor Life he wrote more than 200 articles for the front of the book, in addition to shooting columns that appeared almost monthly for about 43 years. No other gun writer has racked up that much mileage with one magazine. 

Jack retired officially from Outdoor Life in 1972 although he served as shooting editor for another year after that. During those last years I hunted upland birds in level fields with him. He got along fine, but his mountain days were about over. He’d been in a bad car wreck in 1957. 

Jack died on Jan. 20, 1978, aboard a cruise ship returning from Hawaii, just two days before his 76th birthday. His wonderful wife and favorite hunting companion, Eleanor, was with him at the end—and followed him within the year. 

A few years before Jack left Outdoor Life we were yarning away an autumn evening in Lewiston, talking about hunting in general and gun writing in particular. Jack had been reflecting on the old-timers—Whelan, Sharpe, Nichols, Crossman and the rest-when he suddenly turned to me and said: “John, how in hell can they ever replace me? Who can they find who’s seen what I’ve seen, and can write about it?’’ 

My first impulse was to land on him for such a typical O’Connor remark, but after a moment’s reflection I understood. No one could really replace him. He was the product of a special time, and we’ll not see his like again, for the country and experience that shaped Jack will never exist again. He couldn’t be replaced; he could only be succeeded and by a younger man who’d write for today’s shooters, sharing their problems and hopes and not letting the rich memories of vanished places and long-ago hunts sour today’s adventures. A successor like Jim Carmichel, who Jack approved as “a good writer and a very knowledgeable young man.” Coming from O’Connor, that was about as good as anyone will get. 

The epitaph of Western artist Frederic Remington is simply: “He knew the horse.” If two generations of shooters and hunters were to rephrase that, Jack’s stone would say: “He knew the rifle and loved the game.” 

Good hunting, old friend. See you in camp at sundown.

This story, “Remembering Cactus Jack,” originally appeared in the July 1980 issue. Read more OL+ stories.

The post The Legacy, and Last Years, of Jack O’Connor appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Overall		Nosler M21	SEE IT
Best Lever Action		Marlin 336 Classic	SEE IT
Best Value		Stevens 334 Walnut	SEE IT

The best hunting rifle for any outdoorsman needs to satisfy a trio of requirements. It must be suitable for the task at hand, mesh with your personal tastes, and fit within your budget. Of these, the first two are the most important. With respect to the third, that’s why the good lord invented payday loans.

Whether you hunt deer in the hardwoods, elk in the mountains, or bears in the Alaskan bush, there’s a hunting rifle for you. The landscape you hunt, your hunting style, and the game you chase will all influence your selection.

But there’s more to it than mere utilitarian concerns. Your rifle defines in part who you are as a hunter, whether it is a budget beater that lives in your truck for much of the year, an old-school lever action, or a pricey long-range hammer. We’ve made that task a little easier by narrowing down the field to the best hunting rifles we’ve tested.

• Best Overall: Nosler 21
• Best Lever Action: Marlin Classic 336
• Best Value: Stevens 334 Walnut
• Best Mid-Priced Rifle: Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak
• Best NRL Hunter Rifle: Tikka T3X UPR
• Best Long Range: Proof Tundra
• Most Versatile: Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout
• Best Long-Range Varmint Rifle: Seekins Havak HIT
• Best Bear Rifle: Ruger Guide Gun
• Best Mountain Rifle: Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 TI Carbon
• Best Rimfire: Ruger 10/22 Competition
• Best Plinker: Henry Homesteader
• Best Air Rifle: Air Venturi Avenger 

How We Picked the Best Hunting Rifles

The list here includes many of the best rifles in our annual gun tests, the most in-depth (and honest) evaluation in the industry. But we’ve added in some of our personal favorite hunting rifles as well. These are guns that have proven themselves on the range and in the field—rifles that we are willing to stake the success of our hunts on, whether we’re headed to our family farm, hiking mountains, or crossing oceans in pursuit of game. 

The Best Hunting Rifles: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: Nosler 21

Tanner Denton

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Key Features 

• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Weight: 6 pounds, 10 ounces
• Stock: Carbon fiber composite
• Barrel: 22 inches, threaded, 5/8-24
• Trigger: 4 pounds, 4 ounces, adjustable
• Price: Most models are around $2,500

Why It Made the Cut

The Nosler 21 is both a great performing rifle, and aesthetically pleasing. It’s accurate and superbly balanced.

Pros

• Great weight and balance
• Great price for the performance
• Very accurate
• Tool-less takedown for field serviceability

Cons

• Bolt handle could use a drop of thread locker

The Nosler 21 is a finely crafted bolt-action that won our 2022 Editor’s Choice award and remains the best all-around production hunting rifle you can buy.

At just under 7-pounds, the Nosler 21 it is wonderfully balanced and is built with a carbon fiber synthetic stock, stainless-steel Mack Brothers Evo action, and stainless-steel Shilen No. 3 contour barrel.

The carbon fiber stock is reinforced with Aramid, features a 1-inch recoil pad, and aluminum bedding pillars. Fit of the barreled action into the stock is nice and tight. The Mack Brother’s action on this rifle utilizes a two-lug bolt that features tool-less disassembly for cleaning and maintenance in the field.

With the action, adjustable Triggertech trigger, and Shilen barrel, this package delivers excellent accuracy, and out of the hundreds of 5-shot groups we fired in our gun test, this rifle shot the tightest one (0.266 in.). Even tested against more-expensive rifles, it was impossible to argue with the results the Nosler 21 produced. —T.F.

Best Lever Action: Marlin 336 Classic

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Key Features

• Caliber: .30/30 Win. (.35 Remington later in 2023)
• Weight: 7 pounds, 1 ounce
• Stock: Walnut
• Barrel: 20 inches
• Trigger: 8 pounds

Why It Made the Cut

The Marlin 336 Classic marks the return of an iconic Northwoods deer rifle. Like other Ruger-made Marlins, the 336 Classic is among the finest lever-actions to carry the brand’s name.

Pros

• Superlative fit and finish
• Fast handling and well-balanced
• Reliable action
• Good accuracy

Cons

• Limited availability

This lovely rifle won over the hearts of the Outdoor Life gun test team this year, earning our coveted Editor’s Choice award in a stacked field of contenders.

The reason this old-school rifle-action and cartridge combination—which date to the late 1800s—managed such a feat is because they are so well made.

Historically, Marlins produced in Connecticut were built on antiquated machines operated by skilled gun makers, many of whom were third and fourth generation Marlin employees.

The lever actions they made required a lot of hand fitting and savvy that could only be acquired through long years of experience.

Today, Marlins are built on modern CNC machines that have removed the slop—and the need for such extensive hands-on gunsmithing—from the process. The result is the finest, tightest fitting, and highest quality production lever actions to wear the Marlin name and logo.

The action is smooth and everything on the rifle runs to perfection. The 336 Classic holds 6 rounds of .30/30 in its magazine tube and is able to accurately place them on target in rapid succession.

Our sample put five-shot groups on paper at 100 yards that averaged 1.627 inches, making it a legit 200-yard cartridge. It’s a good feeling knowing that this rifle can take full advantage of everything the .30/30 has to offer.

For anyone looking to go old-school with their deer (or elk or bear) hunting, this rifle is a fantastic choice. —J.B.S.

Best Value: Stevens 334 Walnut

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Weight: 7 pounds, 14 ounces
• Stock: Walnut
• Barrel: 22 inches
• Trigger: 5 pounds, 10 ounces

Why It Made The Cut

Everyone likes affordable accuracy, and the Stevens 334 Walnut has that quality in spades.

Pros

• Affordable
• Accurate
• Good three-position safety

Cons

• Aesthetics reflect its price

The Stevens 334 Walnut was one of the biggest surprises of this year’s gun test. It is a basic wood-stocked bolt action imported from Turkey, and at first glance doesn’t seem to be anything special.

While the stock is nice enough, the metalwork and design of the action is basic—though in keeping with the rifle’s modest $489 price tag. After dry firing the trigger, you’d have no reason to anticipate any particular ballistic magic, either. The 5-pound, 10-ounce trigger has a bit of mush before it breaks.

But handsome is as handsome does, and the Stevens 334 charmed the entire test team once we started shooting it for accuracy. Its five-shot groups averaged less than ¾ MOA, making it one of the most accurate rifles of the test.

It shoots way better than it has any right to, was our collective takeaway.

It has other features we liked as well. The three-position safety locks the bolt down when fully engaged, while the central position lets the shooter clear or check the chamber without putting the gun on “fire.”

The polymer single-stack magazine loads easily and holds three rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor, though the rifle is also available in .308 Win. and .243 Win.

The three-lug design, with its 60-degree bolt lift, is surprisingly smooth and easy to operate from the shoulder. It comes with a Picatinny rail that runs the full length of the action which makes mounting an optic a snap.

In sum, the Stevens 334 Walnut is a wonderful rifle for the price, which is why it won the Great Buy award winner in the hunting rifle category in 2023. —J.B.S.

Best Mid-Priced Rifle: Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak

Kimber

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Key Features

• Caliber: .308 Win.
• Weight: 5 pounds, 7 ounces
• Stock: Fiber-reinforced polymer
• Barrel: 22 inches, threaded 7/16-28
• Trigger: 4 pounds, 1 ounce
• Price: $829

Why It Made The Cut

This versatile and good-looking rifle can handle most hunting chores and is one of the nicest rifles made under $1,000.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Great ergonomics
• Versatile
• Decent accuracy

Cons

• Barrel heats quickly

This lovely little number won top honors in our roundup of the best mid-priced rifles. The M84 action that it uses has some features that appeal to traditionalists. It is controlled round feed, for starters, and takes its cues from the pre-’64 Winchester Model 70s and Mauser actions but is significantly slimmed down.

It incorporates a fixed-blade ejector that allows the shooter to control the force with which the brass exits the action based on how hard the bolt is run.

It also has a three-position wing safety on the bolt shroud which is one of the best—and most classic—safeties ever devised.

This rifle is light enough to hunt the mountains but is accurate enough that it can hang with heavier-barreled deer guns—at least for the first three rounds. Like other Kimbers it comes with a three-shot sub-MOA guarantee and our sample easily met that standard. But when putting five shoots in quick succession through it the groups tended to open up, which isn’t surprising on a featherweight rifle wearing a svelte barrel.

Still, ours managed a 1.37-inch average 5-shot group size for the ten best groups we put through it—which is solid performance from what is essentially a bargain priced mountain rifle. Our sample was chambered in .308 Win., but it is also available in 6.5 Creedmoor. —J.B.S.

Best NRL Hunter Rifle: Tikka T3X UPR

Tanner Denton

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Weight: 7 pounds, 14 ounces
• Stock: Synthetic, with adjustable cheek piece
• Barrel: 22 inches, threaded, 5/8-24
• Trigger: 3 pound, 13 ounces, adjustable
• Price: $1,299

Why It Made the Cut

A great cross-over rifle for big game and NRL Hunter competition that is supremely accurate

Pros

• Great accuracy
• Wonderful ergonomics
• Slick, reliable action

Cons

• A bit heavy

The NRL Hunter competition series has taken off in the last couple years as a hunter-oriented shooting sport. The appeal is that a shooter can take a standard deer rifle and be competitive without the need to invest thousands of dollars in arcane gear that has no application during hunting season.

In the “factory” division— where a rifle can’t weight more than 12 pounds with scope and added accessories—the Tikka T3X is one of the most popular choices. The UPR (ultimate precision rifle) model in 6.5 Creedmoor is the cream of the crop.

Mine shoots factory Hornady 140-grain ELD-M bullets like nobody’s business. Topped with a Leupold Mark 5HD 3.5-18×44 (incidentally the most popular scope in the factory division) it averages .677-inch 5-shot groups, which is more than accurate enough to win any NRL competition. You can see my full review of the Tikka T3x UPR here.

Even shooting hunting ammunition, like Federal’s excellent 135-grain Berger Hybrid Hunter bullet, or the tried-and-true Hornady 143-grain ELD-X, it shoots to that same level of precision.The action is remarkably smooth, the stock’s ergonomics—as with all Sako and Tikka rifles—are excellent, and its reliability is such that putting 200-rounds through it over the course of a two-day match won’t bother it in the least. —J.B.S.

Best Long Range: Proof Tundra

Proof Research

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Key Features 

• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Weight: 7 pounds, 2 ounces
• Stock: Carbon-fiber composite
• Barrel: 24 inches, threaded, 5/8-24
• Trigger: 2 pounds, 10 ounces, adjustable
• Price: $7,799

Why It Made the Cut

The Proof Tundra is top-notch when it comes to materials, manufacturing, fit and finish, and accuracy. It was the most accurate hunting rifle of the 2022 Outdoor Life Gun test.

Pros

• High-quality materials and fit of all components
• Adjustable trigger
• Carbon-fiber adjustable cheek piece
• Accurate

Cons

• Expensive

Proof’s Tundra is the barrel-maker’s own semi-custom hunting rifle designed to maximize looks and performance in almost every category. It features a carbon-fiber stock with adjustable carbon fiber cheek piece, into which a Proof carbon fiber-wrapped barrel and the Defiance two-lug bolt action are perfectly fit and bedded. Our sample came in a silver-on-black netting-style finish, but a variety of options are available.

The Tundra is a price-be-damned rifle that exhibits excellent craftsmanship and performance. The fit and attention to detail was unmatched among the competition in our 2022 gun test. The combination of the rifle’s features—from the top-loading BDL-style magazine, to the lightweight stock with an adjustable cheek-piece— has resulted in one of the best rifles for long-range hunting you can find.

The Tundra comes with a 3-shot, ½ MOA accuracy guarantee, which it easily achieves. During our evaluation its 5-shot groups averaged .683 inches—which was only bested by the two precision competition rifles in the test. The Tundra has excellent balance and is light enough to not be an encumbrance on any hunt.  —T.F.

Most Versatile: Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout

Christensen Arms

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Weight: 5 pounds, 14 ounces
• Stock: Carbon-fiber composite
• Barrel: 16 inches, carbon-fiber, 5/8-24 threaded
• Trigger: 2 pounds, 1 ounce, adjustable
• Price: About $2,100

Why It Made the Cut

The Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout is a short, handy rifle that can do just about anything, whether it’s hunting hogs in the brush or sheep in the mountains.

Pros

• Short, handy, and well-balanced
• Uses AICS-pattern magazines
• Suppressor or muzzle-device-ready
• Great accuracy

Cons

• Flat trigger shoe doesn’t fit well with grip angle

An ode to the scout rifle concept pioneered by Jeff Cooper, the Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout is a light and versatile bolt action. It features a black nitride-coated action with a two-lug bolt and skeletonized bolt handle. The carbon-fiber stock is slim with classic lines but includes a section of rail that incorporates a barricade stop at the front of the forend for attaching a bipod. Under the hood, the stock incorporates stainless steel bedding pillars.

The action includes a rail optics mount and over-sized magazine release and is compatible with AICS-pattern magazines—both polymer and steel. It has a 16-inch threaded carbon-fiber barrel that comes with a 3-prong flash suppressor but would make a perfect host for a suppressor.

The Ridgeline Scout is short, but accurate. In our 2022 gun test, it averaged .784-inch 5-shot groups—even better than the 3-shot sub-MOA guarantee. The only thing we weren’t fans of was the fit of the flat trigger shoe with the classic-style sporter grip angle— a curved trigger shoe would be a better choice with the stock’s geometry.

The rifle’s handiness and accuracy make it more-than-ideal for a number of tasks ranging from a ranch rifle to an NRL hunter competition gun, and just about anything in-between. It would be just as at-home in a Midwest deer stand as it would be spot-and-stalk hunting black bears on the beaches of Prince William’s Sound. —T.F.

Best Long-Range Varmint Rifle: Seekins Havak HIT

Seekins Precision

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 PRC
• Weight: 11.5 pounds
• Stock: Seekins folding aluminum chassis
• Barrel: 24-inch threaded 5/8-24
• Trigger: 2 pounds, 8 ounces, adjustable
• Price: Around $2,000

Why It Made the Cut 

The Havak HIT is an incredibly innovative, versatile, and accurate precision rifle—all at a great price.

Pros

• Extremely accurate
• Switch-barrel and cartridge capability
• Adjustable trigger
• Great Price

Cons

• Doesn’t have integral ARCA rail on chassis

The Seekins Havak HIT was one of the stars of our 2022 Gun test. It was one of the most accurate rifles we shot—second only to the Accuracy International AT-X, and not by much. The Havak HIT we received in 6.5 PRC printed 5-shot groups that averaged .542 inches. It received both a Best Value and Innovation Award—a rare and well-deserved double win.

The Havak HIT action and chassis are entirely unique to Seekins Precision. The only non-proprietary component is the trigger, which is a Remington 700-pattern adjustable trigger. The aluminum chassis features easy comb and length-of-pull adjustments, and has a folding stock, AR-style vertical grip, and compatibility with AICS magazines. The only thing it lacks is an ARCA rail, though one can be added to the fore-end.

The switch-barrel system is a big part of the rifle’s innovation. By loosening a set screw, the barrel can be removed and replaced, and only the bolt head needs to be swapped out to shoot a different caliber. Weight can be added to the rifle for stability in competition, but as-is, it makes an excellent long-range varmint rifle and is chambered in light-recoiling long-range cartridges like the 6 Creed and 6 GT. —T.F.

Best Bear Rifle: Ruger Guide Gun

Ruger

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Key Features

• Caliber: .338 Win. Mag.
• Weight: 8 pounds
• Stock: Green Laminate Wood
• Barrel: 20 inches, stainless-steel, threaded, 5/8-18
• Trigger: 4 pounds, 2 ounces
• Price: Around $1,300

Why It Made the Cut 

When it comes to coercing bears out of the brush, the Ruger Guide Gun is hard to beat. It’s short, handy, and chambered in several heavy-hitting calibers.

Pros

• 20-inch barrel is handy in the brush
• Includes muzzle brake and equally-weighted thread protector
• Mauser-style controlled-feed action and fixed ejector
• Length-of-pull is adjustable with included stock spacers

Cons

• Shorter barrel gives up some velocity

Ruger’s Guide Gun—an adaptation of their long-successful M77 action—is one of the best bear rifles out there when it comes to dealing with them at close range. As the name suggests, the idea behind the Guide Gun is as a bear-stopping rifle in tight quarters when it really hits the fan.

The Guide Gun is a simple rifle, essentially a short-barreled M77 that’s designed to be quick, handy, and powerful. The Mauser-style controlled feed action is ultra-dependable and only gets smoother with age and use. It features a fixed (not spring-powered) ejector for reliable ejection that only gets more powerful the harder you stroke the action. The action also features a non-rotating extractor, 3-position safety, and Ruger’s proprietary integral scope bases.

The green laminate wood stock is heavy but designed to withstand the weather and heavy recoil—it features a soft rubber butt pad and optional spacers to change the length-of-pull. The action and barrel are stainless-steel, and the barrel is fitted with a sling swivel stud barrel band and express-style iron sights. The muzzle is threaded, but each caliber is threaded in pitches that aren’t compatible with typical suppressor adapters. The rifle comes with a removable radial muzzle brake, matching-weight thread protector, and smaller thread protector.

I’ve long used the M77 platform for bear backup rifles, and the Guide Gun is the handiest one of them yet. It’s offered in .30/06, .338 Win. Mag., .375 Ruger, and .416 Ruger—all great options. I recently killed a grizzly coming towards me at 15 yards with mine chambered in .338 Win. Mag. —T.F.

Best Mountain Rifle: Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 TI Carbon

Weatherby

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Weight: 5 pounds, 2 ounces
• Stock: Carbon-fiber composite
• Barrel: 24 inches, carbon-fiber, threaded
• Trigger: 3 pounds, 4 ounces, adjustable
• Price: Around $3,500

Why It Made the Cut

The bottom line when it comes to mountain rifles is weight, and the Backcountry 2.0 TI Carbon excels while bringing the performance needed to instill confidence on the mountain.

Pros

• Lightweight
• 24-inch carbon-fiber barrel is accurate and strong
• Great ergonomics
• Short bolt throw

Cons

• Titanium action is a little sticky
• Fit and finish could be better considering price tag

The Mark V Backcountry 2.0 TI Carbon is an update to Weatherby’s original Backcountry series, which focuses on lightening up the famous Mark V action and producing a truly ultralight mountain rifle. For the 2.0, a couple key upgrades are the option for a carbon-fiber barrel and a re-design of the 3D-printed recoil pad (the original would hold a smashed-down shape when the rifle was rested on the recoil pad).

The Backcountry 2.0 TI Carbon features the 6-lug Mark V action, which uses 2 rows of 3 lugs for a light, but strong action tailored to Weatherby’s rebated rim cartridges. The titanium action and carbon-fiber barrel help to achieve an impressively low weight of just over 5 pounds with the 24-inch-barreled 6.5 CM we tested. The short bolt throw makes cycling the gun a pleasure, and although titanium actions tend to be sticky, it’s a worthwhile compromise in this case.

The full carbon-fiber stock adds rigidity at a minimal weight penalty and although we feel some of the fit and finish could be improved, it has a very comfortable grip and grip angle. Light rifles can be difficult to shoot well, and the ergonomics of this rifle helped. It shot pretty well across a variety of loads in our 2022 gun test, and the average of our best ten 5-shot groups was .824 inches. We did notice that the groups started to open up as the gun warmed up—especially on the fifth shot—but for most mountain hunting situations, it’s that first one or two that really matter. —T.F.

Read Next: Weatherby Mark V Hunter Review

Best Rimfire: Ruger 10/22 Competition

Ruger

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Key Features

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Weight: 6 lb. 3 oz.
• Stock: Synthetic with adj. cheek piece
• Barrel: 16.12 in., threaded ½-28 with muzzle brake
• Trigger: 2 lb. 14 oz.
• Price: $929

Why It Made the Cut

 A do-everything rimfire that comes in a left-handed configuration.

Pros

• Great trigger 
• Good fit and finish 
• Accurate
• Utterly reliable

Cons 

• Spendy

The Ruger 10/22 has come out in more variations than the IPAs at your local brewery. This iteration is from the Custom Shop and is one of the most refined 10/22s to date. 

It takes the classic 10/22 action—the 350 Chevy short block of rimfires—and tricks it out with a series of upgrades to create a high-performance, grown-up .22 LR. And in a nod to all the wrong-handed folks out there, Ruger is offering it in a lefty version as well.

The trigger on my sample is outstanding, breaking at a crisp and consistent 2 pounds 14 ounces. Combined with the hammer-forged barrel, it delivers excellent accuracy at 50 yards. To help with the rifle’s long-range potential, the action is topped with a 30 MOA Picatinny rail for mounting optics.

Being a 10/22, it would be a chore to make the gun not shoot well, and it runs like crazy, digesting every type of .22 LR I stuffed into its 10-round rotary magazines.

The Competition model has an ergonomic mag release integrated into the trigger guard that is easy to manipulate and relatively unobtrusive. The attention to ergonomics extends to the stock which has an adjustable cheek piece that goes up and down and can slide fore and aft with a single throw lever. As handy as that feature is, the hardware is a bit clunky looking and it is the one aesthetic sore spot on the rifle.

Everything else on the 10/22 competition is nicely finished. The barrel is fluted and comes with a racy and effective muzzle brake. The laminate stock has an attractive speckled gray coating that provides a bit of grip. And the fore-end has a beaver-tail-like contour that is comfortable and gives a good purchase.

One thing to know is that if you do opt for the left-handed model, regular right-handed 10/22 magazine won’t work. The lefty rotary mags spool up the other way. —J.B.S.

Best Plinker: Henry Homesteader

Tanner Denton

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Key Features

• Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
• Weight: 6 pounds, 10 ounces
• Stock: Walnut
• Barrel: 16.37 in., threaded ½-28
• Trigger: 6 pounds, 10 ounces
• Price: $928

Why It Made the Cut

This fun, versatile truck gun takes popular magazines from Sig, Glock and Smith & Wesson and is one of the most enjoyable PCCs around.

Pros

• Takes common pistol magazines
• Simple design makes it utterly reliable
• Runs on cheap ammo

Cons

• Isn’t inexpensive

The fun factor of the Henry Homesteader is undeniable. This simple 9mm PCC, which operates from standard pistol magazines on a blowback design, quickly established itself as an Outdoor Life test team favorite.

It is reasonably accurate, has negligible recoil, doesn’t cost a ton, is super handy, and fires cheap ammo. What’s not to like? I wrote about the Homesteader at some length after I first got it, and it turned out that the other judges at this year’s gun test shared my positive impression.

We ran the rifle a lot on Gunsite’s famed Scrambler, where it was right at home ringing the steel targets that are about 50 to 100 yards downrange. It functioned flawlessly here and throughout the week-long evaluation.

The team was split on the looks of the blocky fore-end. It reminded me of my old Crossman 7600 BB gun as a kid and brought images of the M1 Thompson to another judge, good associations both. Another judge thought it could benefit from a bit of contouring.

No matter what you think of its aesthetics, as a pure plinker it is at the top of the class. It’s also one of the most enjoyable guns you could choose for hunting brushpile rabbits or varmints. —J.B.S.

Best Air Rifle: Air Venturi Avenger 

Air Venturi

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Key Features

• Regulated 
• Adjustable Trigger
• Max Fill Pressure: 4,350 psi
• Shrouded barrel
• 900 fps in .25 caliber 
• About 20 shots per fill (depending on tune)
• Weight: 6.4 pounds
• Price: $350

Why It Made the Cut

The Air Venturi Avenger has excellent accuracy, power, and shot-to-shot consistency. 

Pros 

• Accurate
• Consistent velocity
• Handles well in the field 
• Quiet

Cons

• Requires a pump, tank, or compressor to fill 

In a time when ammo is still hard to come by, an air rifle is an attractive alternative because pellets are readily available and even a few bucks cheaper than bulk .22 LR ammo. I recommend skipping past the pump and spring pellet guns you’re probably familiar with, and instead jumping into pre-charged pneumatic air rifles. PCPs use a pressurized air tank that is filled via a hand pump, compressor, or scuba tank. The main advantage is that the air power source makes them more accurate, powerful, and easier to shoot. They also don’t need special scopes that spring air rifles require. 

The best PCP airgun to get started with is the Air Venturi Avenger, an impressively accurate, affordable air rifle. Airgun expert, Jim Chapman, chose it as one of the best air rifles, and as Avenger owner myself, I agree. In Champan’s Avenger review his rifle had just a 19 fps variation over a 30 shot string. That consistency is reflected in the rifle’s accuracy—my Avenger shoots ¼ inch groups at 25 yards. It’s also a fairly quiet airgun, which is nice for introducing new shooters, backyard pest control, and basement ranges. 

This sub $400 air rifle has features you’d typically only find on top-tier guns. One of those is that it’s regulated. This means that you can set the regulator to a specific psi and it will shoot every shot at that exact psi until the pressure drops below the setting. As a result, you get drastically improved consistency over an unregulated gun in which the pressure changes with each subsequent shot. This also allows the gun to be fine-tuned to work with a specific projectile or for a specific application. —S.E.

Other Top Rifles

Benelli Lupo Limited Edition

Benelli

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Weight: 7 pounds, 6 ounces
• Stock: Walnut
• Barrel: 24-inches, threaded 5/8-24
• Trigger: 2 pounds, 8 ounces

Why It Made the Cut

The Lupo Limited Edition is a fast-handling, sleek hunting rifle with an elegant European feel that’s made to be fired offhand.

Pros

• Excellent handling characteristics
• Two-position safety is quick and comfortable to operate
• Customizable stock fit
• Great-looking wood, lines, and finish

Cons

• No sling swivel studs

The Benelli Lupo Limited Edition is a 3-lug bolt-action that feeds from a flush-fitting detachable box magazine. It has sleek, futuristic lines and feels utterly European in its design and handling characteristics. It’s a rifle that was made to be shot from standing or kneeling positions, and walking or driven hunts are where this rifle would be most at-home.

The rifle features a handsome walnut stock and forend that are finished to look high-class, and blend well with the bright finish of the steel. The sharp angles of the trigger guard look like what you’d see on a shotgun, but the grip angle, contour, and location give the shooter a nearly perfect finger position for the trigger—the rifle is very comfortable and intuitive to shoot.

Although the bright-blued-looking finish might turn off some harsh-weather hunters, it’s treated with Benelli’s proprietary surface treatment (acronym BE.S.T.), we just wish they didn’t print “BE.S.T.” in bold letters on the otherwise sleek and elegant-looking receiver. —T.F.

Browning X-Bolt Mountain Pro

Browning

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.8 Western
• Weight: 6 pounds, 4 ounces
• Stock: Foam-filled carbon-fiber
• Barrel: 24 inches, threaded, 5/8-24
• Trigger: 3 pounds, 5 ounces, adjustable

Why It Made the Cut

The Browning X-bolt is an accurate, dependable, and capable hunting rifle—and the Mountain Pro is the most-optimized version yet.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Well-balanced
• Muzzle brake and thread protector included
• Short bolt-throw for quick, smooth cycling

Cons

• Good, but not stellar accuracy for the price

The X-bolt has firmly established itself as a go-to platform for Browning—and for good reason. The rifles are consistently good-shooters, reasonably lightweight, well-balanced, and dependable. The Mountain Pro is the latest iteration of this platform, and one of the best.

Optimized for mountain hunting, the new Mountain Pro features a fluted steel barrel, bolt, and bolt handle, a foam-filled carbon-fiber stock, and bronze or tungsten-colored cerakote finish on all parts. It’s of course built on the smooth-running short-throw X-bolt action that’s fed from a detachable rotary magazine.

The Stock on the Mountain Pro is light and tough, with a nicely contoured grip swell and comfortable grip angle. It’s an easy rifle to shoot and has great balance for carrying up the mountain one-handed. It has an intuitive tang safety and a generally good trigger. Compared to many popular titanium actions, the steel X-bolt action is slick and fast with its short throw.

Accuracy of the X-bolt’s is generally good, and in my testing at temperatures of -10 to -20 degrees, my Mountain Pro averaged 1.18-inch 5-shot groups with Browning’s Long Range Pro 175-grain Tipped Game King load. The accuracy didn’t wow me, but I wasn’t disappointed either. In November of 2021, I placed 3 shots in a group the size of a baseball at 420 yards on a West Texas aoudad. —T.F.

Fierce Firearms Carbon Rogue

Tanner Denton

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 PRC
• Weight: 6 pounds, 4 ounces
• Stock: Carbon fiber
• Barrel: 24 inches, threaded 5/8-24
• Trigger: 3 pounds, 1 ounce
• Price: $2,199

Why It Made The Cut

Company owner John Mogle wanted to make his excellent rifles more attainable for regular folks—and the Carbon Rogue does just that.

Pros

• Great ergonomics
• Excellent fit and finish
• Good value for the feature set

Cons

• Our sample had minor feeding issues

We’ve gushed about the high-end rifles that Fierce Firearms makes in the past, but one thing about high-end rifles is that they come with high-end prices. The Carbon Rogue, while not a budget gun, costs significantly less than the company’s other models, yet still brings a lot of excellent features to the table.

With its carbon-fiber barrel and carbon-fiber stock the rifle tips the scales at 6 pounds, 4 ounces which puts it in a sweet spot in terms of how easy it is to carry versus how it balances and handles.

The shape of the stock is well done, too, making the Carbon Rogue easy to run from the prone and other positions while remaining lively during dynamic drills. We also really like the recessed section of Picatinny rail on the front of the fore-end and the QD cup attachment points for a sling. These are quality touches.

The bolt can be taken apart without the need for tools, which is a comfort for anyone who hunts the backcountry. The bolt incorporates dual ejectors and a smartly designed extractor as well.

The accuracy of our sample was pretty good, but not stellar. The average of our best 10 groups was 1.033 inches, which means the rifle will be effective on big game at any reasonable distance.

You can get the rifle in a whole host of cartridges from 22 Creedmoor up to the 300 PRC, so you’ll be sure to find something that works for you. —J.B.S.

Winchester Model 70 Super Grade

Winchester Guns

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Key Features

• Caliber: .30/06
• Weight: 8 pounds, 2 ounces
• Stock: AAAA Maple
• Barrel: 24 inches, high gloss
• Trigger: 2 pounds, 9 ounces

Why It Made the Cut

The “Rifleman’s Rifle” in its modern Super Grade iteration combines classic features and vintage looks with modern conveniences.  

Pros

• Beautiful maple stock
• Pre-64 style action, controlled feed
• Runs smoothly, quickly
• Points and handles nicely

Cons

• Hefty rifle for carrying
• Mediocre accuracy

We cannot all claim a mint, pre-64 Winchester Model 70 as our deer hunting rifle, but with the modern Super Grade you can get close. First let’s discuss the stock, because it immediately catches your eye. The AAAA grade stock is carved of red maple (though some sugar maples make the grade, too) harvested from the Appalachian Mountains. Each log is inspected and purchased individually by Tech Woods USA. The stock blank is heat treated, graded, certified, and then sent to the Winchester factory in Portugal where they machine, checker, finish, and then bed the stocks onto the rifles. There’s also a walnut version of the stock, which looks just as nice.

The rifle has a controlled-feed action similar to the style on those coveted pre-64 Winchesters. Though it’s not identical.  For example, the bolt handle and the bolt body are two pieces not one single part. Winchester collectors could pick at the new rifle with small quibbles like this, but for hunters none of this really matters in the field. The modern Winchester Super Grade does have a classic three-position safety.  

What does matter is that the rifle points and handles wonderfully. It comes to my shoulder quickly and naturally and is easy to shoot offhand. This has become my go-to whitetail deer hunting rifle, so handling is a priority. It weighs 8 pounds but does not feel that heavy in hand. The trigger is excellent for a deer rifle, at a crisp 2 pounds, 9 ounces. As for accuracy, with a variety of standard deer hunting loads my five-shot groups range from a little over an inch to 1.75 inches on the upper end. This is not excellent accuracy for a modern rifle, but it’s more than adequate for Northwoods deer hunting. Plus, for all the looks and features built into this rifle, it’s surprisingly affordable and makes a strong case for new wood-stocked deer hunting rifles. —A.R.

Savage Impulse

Savage

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Weight: 8.8 pounds
• Stock: Synthetic, with adjustable length of pull and comb height
• Barrel: 22 in., fluted and threaded ⅝-24
• Trigger: 3 lb. 1 oz., user-adjustable AccuTrigger

Why It Made the Cut

This innovative American-made rifle is an affordable straight-pull bolt gun. 

Pros 

• Ambidextrous
• Accurate
• Affordable for the type

Cons

• A bit heavy

The Savage Impulse was one of the unexpected delights of 2021. I don’t think many people had “American-made straight-pull bolt-action” on their bingo cards, let alone one that wouldn’t break the bank. 

To their credit, Savage got the platform correct out of the gate. Pulling off an all-new design is no easy feat, yet the Impulse functioned and performed extremely well. 

I have one in 6.5 Creedmoor that I’ve hunted with and have shot extensively, and after several hundred rounds it is still humming along.

Mine is a solidly sub-MOA rifle, turning in good groups with several different types of ammo and I used it to good effect on a very nice Texas aoudad. 

The Impulse is available in several different trims. Mine is the Big Game, decked out in KUIU’s Verde pattern. There’s also the Hog Hunter, which has a shorter barrel, the Predator, which comes with a 10-round detachable box magazine, and the Elite Precision, which was introduced this year, and is built on an MDT chassis stock. 

If you’re a 6.5 Creedmoor hater, fret not. The Impulse is available in a variety cartridges, including .22/250 Rem., .243 Win., 6 Creedmoor, .308 Win., .30/06,  .300 WSM, .300 Win. Mag., .300 PRC., and .338 Lapua. —J.B.S

Mossberg Patriot Predator

Mossberg

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Weight: 6 lb. 8 oz.
• Stock: Synthetic
• Barrel: 22 in. threaded ⅝-24
• Trigger: User adjustable

Why It Made the Cut 

The Mossberg Patriot Predator is one of the best values in a big-game hunting rifle. 

Pros

• Affordable
• Tough
• Accurate

Cons

• Fit and finish in line with price point

I’ve hunted with Mossberg Patriots from Mexico to Alaska and plenty of points in between—mostly in the Predator configuration, which is my favorite among Mossberg’s offerings. It is a rugged, go-anywhere, hunt-anything rifle that delivers a lot of performance at an excellent price.

The initial Patriot Predators were available in 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Win., and .308 Win. But since its introduction, the Predator line has expanded to include short-barrel thumpers in .450 Bushmaster, the stuff of prairie dog nightmares—the .22/250 Rem.—and the 6.5 PRC. 

In terms of features, it has the basics you need and little else. The barrels are threaded for muzzle devices. The action comes topped with a Picatinny rail. And it uses a lightweight and easy-to-load detachable box magazine that helps the rifle feed flawlessly. 

The two-lug action is pretty smooth, and the Predator’s slightly oversized bolt handle makes running the rifle that much easier. 

In terms of aesthetic touches, the barrel has some fluting as does the bolt. But this rifle isn’t about winning beauty contests. Instead, it is a gun you wouldn’t mind hauling around in your truck while at the same time being a tool you can count on during a high-stakes big-game hunt. —J.B.S

Read more about the Mossberg Patriot Predator and see how it compares to other budget hunting rifles in our Best Budget Hunting Rifles test.

Allterra Arms Mountain Shadow Steel

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Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 PRC
• Weight: 6 lb. 12 oz.
• Stock: Carbon fiber
• Barrel: 22 in. sporter, threaded ⅝-24
• Trigger: 2 lb. 8 oz. TriggerTech Primary adjustable

Why It Made the Cut 

This High-end rifle with custom features delivers high-end performance.

Pros

• Exceptional accuracy
• Great fit and finish
• Excellent customer service

Cons

• Expensive

Allterra Arms goal is to build the finest bolt-action rifle money can buy and to make sure that the rifle lives up to their high standards.

Lofty words, but the craftsmen at Allterra Arms have the skills to back it up. They make five different rifles currently, and each is customizable depending on the customer’s preference and budget.

I went with the Mountain Shadow Steel, which I took on a bighorn sheep hunt in Alberta last fall. Like all Allterra rifles it is based on their C2 action, which is milled to incorporate an integral recoil lug and makes extensive uses of EDM machining to precisely cut the receiver, which they say holds .0005 in. (half a thousandth of an inch) tolerance.

That level of persnickety engineering is maintained throughout all steps in the rifle’s build. As a result, Allterra has a 3-shot .5-inch guarantee with quality factory ammo.

My rifle, decked out in a very cool, and slightly trippy, swirling green, white, and gray pattern on its stock, hits that standard without any issues.

With its 22-inch barrel, the rifle is handy to wield and can accommodate a suppressor without becoming cumbersome to haul about. I got mine chambered in 6.5 PRC, but you can choose from a long list of cartridges should you want to add one of these premium rifles to your collection. —JBS

How to Choose the Best Hunting Rifle

There are great all-around hunting rifles, and there are highly-specialized niche rifles, but there are no one-size-fits-all hunting rifles. So to choose the best hunting rifle for you, you must consider several factors including caliber, weight, accuracy, aesthetics, fit, handling, and price. Then compare hwo those factors match with how, where, and what you hunt.

Caliber

Many hunters over-think cartridge selection. The truth is that most common medium-to-large calibers are completely adequate for most North American big game when paired with the right bullet. Caliber is still relevant however, and in-general, you want to pick a chambering that’s got adequate power for the distances and game you plan to shoot, but not so powerful that you can’t shoot it comfortably and consistently.

Weight

Hunting rifle weight might mean everything, or it might not mean much at all—it just depends on your situation. If you’re primarily backpack hunting in the mountains, you might want to look for a rifle that weighs less than 7 pounds without an optic. The farther you have to carry your rifle, the more important weight becomes. For an all-around hunting rifle, medium-to-heavy rifles (7 to 9 pounds) have advantages—namely that they are much easier to shoot accurately but they’re still not too heavy to carry through the hills. If you don’t have to carry your rifle far, a heavier rifle on a solid rest can be easier to shoot.

Accuracy

A lot of value is placed on rifle accuracy, and understandably so. It’s one of the key metrics we use to evaluate rifles. But it can be over emphasized as well. While it is comforting to have a rifle that consistently shoots  ¾-inch 5-shot groups—and many of the rifles in this list will do just that—most hunting rifles don’t meet that threshold. What matters more is how a rifle performs under real-world conditions, and if you have a rifle that can put a 3-shot group on paper at 200 yards that measures 4-inches from a practical field position, you are good to go. 

Accuracy becomes more critical when hunting wide open country, where longer shots are the norm. If your rifle is a 1.5 inch-gun from the bench, you can hunt with it out to 400 yards with complete confidence. Beyond 400 yards, it gets more complicated. Not only is rifle accuracy a paramount concern, but a host of other factors have an outsized influence on where your bullet strikes. Understanding the wind and the exact drop of your bullet, having consistent ammo, and employing good shooting fundamentals are all critical. 

Aesthetics, Handling, and Fit

Some hunters don’t care how ugly their rifle is, as long as it functions flawlessly and shoots accurately. Other hunters place a lot of value on nice-looking rifles. Just make sure to pick one that looks good to you—it doesn’t matter what your buddy’s tastes are. More importantly, get one that fits you well. The rifle should come up to your shoulder naturally and function smoothly in your hands. Choose a rifle with a quality finish that will hold up to the weather conditions you’ll be dealing with. Ugly or gorgeous, you want a rifle that will last.

Price

Good guns have never been cheap, but everyone still wants the most bang for their buck. Many hunters find that budget-priced hunting rifles ($500 to $600) work just fine for them—and there are some gems out there. But if you have the money, spend it. With higher-end rifles you’re generally getting better quality, better aesthetics, more accuracy, and more features.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Searching around for the best hunting rifle is fun. It’s so fun, in fact, that you’ll probably want to do it many times over the course of your hunting career. So don’t worry too much about finding a rifle that does absolutely everything. Start with a gun that fits your needs now and know that there are other “best hunting rifles” waiting for you as you gain more hunting experience. There are too many great hunting rifles out there for you to own just one.

The post The Best Hunting Rifles of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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IN CELEBRATION of its 100th anniversary, Griffin & Howe decided to build a small number of rifles worthy of the occasion. As you can see in the photographs, they are stunners—but there’s more to these beauties than meets the eye. These inspired creations commemorate not only the founding of the illustrious gun company but also its special connection to Townsend Whelen and Outdoor Life.

That’s a lot to take in, so allow me to dial the clock back to the early decades of the 20th century.

Whelen—most often referred to as Colonel Townsend Whelen—was a career Army officer who loved hunting the wilderness and had a deep appreciation of fine rifles, ballistic innovation, and the art of precision marksmanship. He communicated these passions with a clear, straightforward writing style that earned him a wide following and eventually the unofficial title of dean of the outdoor writers.

His most enduring legacies are the statement that only accurate rifles are interesting—which was the title of a story he wrote for American Rifleman in 1957—and the cartridge that bears his name: the .35 Whelen.

Little surprise that a man of his (ahem) caliber was one of the first shooting editors of Outdoor Life, a position he held for many years before passing the mantle to Jack O’Connor. 

By way of context, since 1898, the year of OL’s founding (we’re celebrating our 125th anniversary this year), we’ve only had five shooting editors. In order, they are: Charles Askins Sr., Col. Townsend Whelen, Jack O’Connor, Jim Carmichel, and your humble correspondent.

The Genesis of Griffin & Howe

Whelen started writing for Outdoor Life around 1906 and contributed to the publication well into the 1930s. At some point during the 1910s, he caught wind of a talented stock maker, Seymour Griffin, who had built a reputation for turning homely government-issue Springfield 1903s into lovely sporting pieces.

Whelen was already an influential force in the development of sporting and military arms and munitions by that time. His day job was director of research and development at Springfield Armory and commanding officer of Frankford Arsenal.

In 1921, Whelen met James Howe, a gunmaker and foreman of the Frankford Arsenal machine shop. Together they started working on a new family of cartridges based on a .30/06 necked up to different diameters, including .400, .375, and .35. Of these “Whelen” cartridges, only the .35 Whelen made significant inroads with the shooting public—and even so, it remained a wildcat from 1922 until 1988, when Remington finally offered it as a commercial load.

Whelen introduced Griffin and Howe and urged them to go into business together. Acting as an official advisor, he helped them procure financing.

Griffin & Howe, a sporting goods store and custom gunmaker, opened on June 1, 1923, at 234 East 29th Street in New York City. Though his name isn’t on the company’s trademark, Whelen is rightfully acknowledged as one of Griffin & Howe’s founders.

The business quickly grew, and Griffin & Howe developed a worldwide reputation for making fine hunting rifles; it soon became one of the premier sources for hunters and sportsmen looking to get outfitted for adventure. Its clientele included Ernest Hemingway, Robert Ruark, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, President Dwight Eisenhower, and other luminaries.

Over the past 100 years, the company has had its share of ups and downs but continues to endure. Today, its home base is Hudson Farms in Andover, New Jersey, and it is under the directorship of company president and CEO Steven Polanish.

A Perfect Pair

About eight years ago, Griffin & Howe expanded its rifle line with the introduction of the Long-Range Precision Rifle and since then has added the Highlander and All-American models.

The rifles here are Highlanders, which are built on control-round feed actions produced by Defiance Machine and have a classic three-position safety mounted on the bolt shroud.

Both rifles are chambered in .35 Whelen, naturally, and blend traditional design elements with interesting innovation.

Because of Whelen’s role in getting Griffin & Howe off the ground and his position at Outdoor Life, OL and G&H have always enjoyed a strong connection and friendship. It’s a relationship that’s lasted throughout the decades and is the reason I was able to get a first look at these special guns.

Unique Sights

The carbon-fiber barrels, which are made by Proof Research, may have caught your eye. They were constructed to accommodate an island rear sight, which, to the best of my knowledge, has never been done on a carbon-fiber barrel before, and certainly never as a standard offering.

These sights are a thing of beauty. They’ve been regulated to hit spot-on at 100 yards and have a single leaf that flips up for 200-yard shots.

While I spent a lot of time shooting these rifles for accuracy off the bench with the Swarovski Z8i 1-8x24s they came with, I couldn’t wait to pull the optics off—both rifles feature Griffin & Howe’s proprietary quick-detach scope mounts—and run them with open sights.

I was able to easily ring the 10-inch gong at 100 yards with every shot. The bead on the front post is protected by a sturdy shroud and settled nicely into the notch of the shallow “V” formed by the rear sight. A vertical white line running up the middle of the rear sight helps the shooter center the front bead precisely in the notch.

When I moved to 200 yards, it took me a couple shots to spot my bullet impact—I was hitting a bit high—but I made the adjustment and went two for three at that distance.

In my mind’s eye I was no longer at a shooting range, but rather I was hunting in East Africa back in the 1950s, putting down a Thomson’s gazelle for camp meat or stalking close to a kudu bull crowned with horns spiraling toward the heavens.

Not many rifles can transport a shooter that way, but these do. A rifle bearing the Griffin & Howe name, chambered in the Whelen, and topped with nothing more than crisp and effective open sights, was something to aspire to back in the day. It still is.

Wonderful Wood

The rifle with the composite stock is built for hard work and is pleasant enough to look at for a gun of that type, but it pales in comparison to the glorious wood on the other rifle.

The French walnut that Polanish selected—he purchased both of these rifles, which have serial numbers GH35000 and GH35001—is a great canvas on which to showcase the stock maker’s art.

The stock maker in question is Dan Rossiter, the shop foreman at Griffin & Howe and a member of the prestigious American Custom Gunmakers Guild.

The hand-cut checkering is perfect, with the diamonds on the fore-end and grip in line with the border, as it is supposed to be.

The raised Monte Carlo cheek piece, with its negative comb, is outlined with a sharp and attractive shadow line. The ebony tip on the fore-end and leather recoil pad bookend the highly figured wood, completing the elegant execution of the stock.

The grip was cut with a slight palm swell. It isn’t enough to distract from the rifle’s classic lines, but it is a nice modern ergonomic enhancement that shows how the old and new can coexist in a modern hunting rifle. 

Flawless Fit and Finish

I handed the rifle at one point to a friend of mine in his early 30s who is an accomplished long-range shooter and knows his way around modern precision rifles—and, in fact, builds them for a living. But he’d never seen a rifle like this and was puzzled by the seamless fit between the stock and barreled action.

He asked whether that was normal, and it drove home how mating a stock and action this way has become a relic of another era. Free-floating barrels isn’t new—Whelen was advocating it decades ago—but it has become so ubiquitous that the old-school technique of tight stock fitting has all but disappeared. 

That level of fit and finish is evident everywhere else on the rifle, too. The inletting around the bottom metal, the ejection port, the grip cap, the tang—all of it is done to less than a hair’s width of tolerance.

One thing worth mentioning is that the Torx-head guard screws are going to be replaced with proper slot-head fasteners soon. In the hurry to get the rifle ready for my hunt, that small corner was cut.

Next-Level Engraving

The wood stock and carbon-fiber barrel create the initial visual impression of the rifle, but as soon as you get close to it, what really stands out is the adornment on the metal.

One of the things that’s so appealing about this rifle is that it is a family affair. Chris Rossiter—brother of stock maker and shop foreman Dan—is also a member of the ACGG and did the engraving.

All told, Chris put 198 hours of meticulous handwork into the rifle using hammers and fine-pointed chisels that, depending on their shape and local custom, are known as burins, gravers, tints, or spitstickers. Every metal surface on the Highlander has some engraving and each is delightful to behold.

The engraving on the magazine floorplate is particularly intricate. It features a portrait of a bighorn sheep—which has been part of Griffin & Howe’s logo since day one—surrounded by vines and scrollwork and framed within a border consisting of elegant curving lines.

The vines and pattern of wavy lines are repeated on other sections of the rifle. The deep relief on the right side of the action is simply amazing, though, in fairness, that description applies to all the engraving.

From a personal standpoint, I also greatly admire the lettering on the rifle. The bold “Griffin & Howe” engraved on action is done in a gorgeous font that reflects the art deco aesthetic that was in vogue when the firm was founded in 1923.

Much of the rifle is still in the white, which really shows the engraving to full effect, but some elements have been color case hardened. The scope rings, scope bases, front and rear sights and grip cap got that treatment.

Mixing those colors and textures isn’t exactly traditional, but it does showcase Griffin & Howe’s rifle-building chops in a dramatic fashion.

Of course, no two of these rifles will be the same. Griffin & Howe is making only 10 of the wood and 10 of the composite stocked models, and each will be built according to the customer’s preference. That includes choice of wood, stock dimensions, type of recoil pad, and style and quantity of engraving.

In the Field

In one of the more audacious moves of my career, I decided to take these Highlanders hunting. The wood stocked Highlander has a base price north of $20,000 and a bit more than that in the engraving, for a total cost of $44,000, give or take. By comparison, the synthetic stocked version is a budget gun at $12,400. I’ve never hunted with a pair of guns as costly, but that didn’t stop me from loading them into the back of my pickup and driving 1,000 miles north from Montana to a remote area near Alberta’s Lesser Slave Lake.

On the drive to camp I picked up Steven Polanish at the airport in Edmonton and we continued on our way to chase bears with John and Jenn Rivet, who own Livin the Dream Productions.

We spent a week in the woods, a thick mixture of poplars, birch, and spruce, watching bears from tree stands and ground blinds during the long northern evenings.

Polanish shot a bear of a lifetime during the hunt—a huge color phase cinnamon bear that squared more than 7½ feet. My bear, a 7-footer, was no slouch either.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has experience with the .35 Whelen that the rifles and cartridge performed well. Both of our bears were flattened with one shot and hardly moved.

The ammo we used was Barnes factory 180-grain TTSX FBs. The shots in this country aren’t far—anything more than 25 yards would qualify as a poke—so the bullets are carrying nearly every bit of their velocity upon impact. From the wood gun, muzzle velocity averaged 2941 fps, while the barrel on the synthetic gun was a touch faster at 2961 fps.

Those tough monometal bullets passed through both bears, leaving exit holes that indicated impressive expansion.

The recoil generated by the rifles is a bit more than what you’d get with a .30/06. Shooting 20 or 30 rounds at the range isn’t cumbersome, but with longer range sessions, the kick of the .35s will wear down your shoulder.

That’s the price, however, for a hard-hitting medium-bore cartridge like the Whelen, and that’s why it is an excellent choice for elk and other large game.

A Longstanding Legacy

With the creation of these rifles, Griffin & Howe has done an impressive job memorializing the milestone of their 100th year and the contributions Townsend Whelen made to their success.

In my own nod to tradition, I’m going to engage in the time-honored practice among gun writers of contrarianism.

Whelen got most things right, but when he said only accurate rifles are interesting, he missed the mark. Jim Carmichel and I discussed this point years ago over martinis, and we agreed that inaccurate rifles are often more interesting because they present a problem to be solved—and the process of coming up with a solution makes the gun writer’s profession fascinating indeed.

But whether a rifle is interesting hinges on more than if it places bullets in precise clusters, and I think these rifles are proof of that.

They are both accurate and capable of leveraging everything the .35 Whelen brings to the party in terms of exterior and terminal ballistics. But, really, that’s not the yardstick by which they should be judged.

They are expressions of the highest form of the traditional gunmaker’s art but executed with nods to modern trends and sensibilities that are surprising and refreshing to see. The blend of old and new contained within the format of barrel, action and stock that is as familiar to riflemen as their reflection in a mirror is a remarkable achievement.

I don’t know if I could change Whelen’s mind on his assertion. We ballistic scribes tend to stick to our guns, literally and figuratively. But if nothing else, he was always forward thinking with respect to rifles and marksmanship and had, dare I say it, a progressive mind when it came to innovation.

I know he would feel humbled and honored if he could hold and shoot these rifles. Despite his remarkable achievements, Whelen was never one to put on airs. And once he got a closer look and could see what went into their crafting, I’d be shocked if he didn’t say to himself, These are…interesting.

Read more OL+ stories.

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		FX Impact M3	SEE IT
		Hatsan PileDriver	SEE IT
		Umarex Hammer	SEE IT

I started my big bore airgunning journey back in 2002 with a .308 semi-custom rifle built for me by the father of the modern big bore airgun, Dennis Quackenbush. Then, later that year, he built another rifle in .50 caliber for me to hunt hogs and exotics down in Texas. Over the years, Dennis produced another dozen rifles for me in a range of calibers—including the .457 caliber used on most of my airgun hunts in South Africa. At that time, if you wanted the most powerful airgun for hunting, Quakenbush was the only show in town. And even though this was a niche market, and arguably it still is, there was enough business to keep his order book filled with a long list of potential buyers just waiting to give him their money. The Quackenbush rifles were uncomplicated, solidly built, and extremely shootable hunting air rifles that were truly made for the field.

As the demand for guns grew, along with the waiting time for a Quackenbush rifle, other small-scale manufacturers came to market with rifles of varying quality. This situation persisted for a few years as the market continued to grow.

Then, a couple of important events occurred over a few short years. The American airgun manufacturing giant Crosman and later the smaller, more experienced PCP air rifle manufacturer AirForce Airguns, released true big-bore air rifles. Concurrent with this, other manufacturing companies started to gain traction, some small-scale startups such as Professional Big Bore Airguns (PBBA), and other large-scale manufacturers such as Hatsan Airguns, offered a large and evolving lineup of powerful big bore rifles.

The benchmark for the most powerful air rifles is power output, which makes sense, even though I firmly believe that accuracy trumps this and field handling is close on its heels. But all things considered, once you have achieved a level of accuracy and come up with a design that works for shooters, more power is usually better. So, with this in mind, I will present a few of the most powerful airguns available today. It’s not possible to cover all the calibers and configurations, but I’ll pluck out a few of my favorite hunting rifles.

• The Most Powerful Air Rifle: AEA Zeus
• Best Budget: Umarex Hammer .50 caliber
• Best for Accuracy and Power: FX Impact .30 caliber
• Hatsan PileDriver
• AirForce Texan
• Airguns of Arizona Bushbuck

Evaluating Air Rifle Power

Every manufacturer wants to be known as having the most powerful air rifle in the world, and until recently, this was a fluid state between a couple of the companies. The “correct” answer of who made the most powerful rifle was a bit difficult to assess because shooters were modifying their guns to up the power. So, to provide context, I always look at peak power in an out-of-the-box configuration.

It is worth noting that in the world of airguns, ammunition (slugs, bullets) and calibers are decoupled from the power produced by the gun. As an example, two .457 rifles with 26-inch barrels of different designs using the same projectile, can deliver vastly different power outputs. I have two .50 caliber rifles from different manufacturers, one generates 220 ft-lbs and the other 700 ft-lbs using the same slug. The power output is a function of barrel length and the valve design and setup, the fill pressure, and the airflow through the transfer port. Of course, it is possible to get more power by going to a larger caliber, optimizing the valve, and driving it at higher pressures. Still, caliber alone is not the primary factor.

With that said, let’s look at my list of the most powerful air rifles available today, which all have power in common, but they represent a mixed bag of features and styles.

Most Powerful Air Rifles: Reviews and Recommendations

The Most Powerful Air Rifle: AEA Zeus

Jim Chapman

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Key Features

• Available in .58 and .72 caliber
• Barrel Lengths: 16, 24, and 32 inches
• Up to 1500 ft-lbs for .72 cal.
• Weight: 12 pounds
• Sidelever action
• Hardwood sporter style stock
• Threaded for DONNYFL moderator

Pros

• Very powerful
• Wide range of configurations (calibers and barrel lengths)
• Compact in shorter barrel lengths
• Purpose-designed moderator available

Cons

• Heavy (very heavy in long barrel versions)
• Loud (Unless suppressed)

For years the airgun companies have all claimed to manufacture the most powerful air rifle, and in fairness, this has been open to debate as they were close in performance. However, the AEA Zeus in .72 put that argument to rest, as it is clearly the most powerful. Do you need all that power? In most cases, probably not, but the intrinsic energy produced by this power plant allowed AEA to design short rifle and carbine versions of the .72 and add the .58 while maintaining a high-power output.

The AEA Zeus is a traditionally styled big-bore air rifle with a hardwood sporter-style stock. The wood and metal work on these rifles is solid to the point of being over engineered, not a bad thing in a gun generating power output up to 1500 ft-lbs. The added weight helps to dampen the recoil generated by a 500-grain slug traveling down the barrel at 1025 fps. I’ve used this gun to take a couple of massive Texan boar, and the terminal performance is outstanding. In my experience, the Zeus is a solid big game gun for the largest quarry.

Read our full AEA Zeus review to learn more.

Best Budget: Umarex Hammer

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Key Features

• .50 caliber
• Weight: 8.5 pounds
• Delivers approximately 700 ft-lbs of energy 
• Up to 5 shots per fill
• Incorporates a 2-shot shuttle magazine
• Utilizes Umarex Lightspeed valve

Pros

• Accurate
• Shot-to-shot consistency for three full power shots
• Lightweight and ergonomic

Cons

• The barrel is longer than I prefer (Carbine version to be released soon)
• Loud

I’ve hunted deer, hogs, and javelina with this rifle, and the overall performance has been impressive. This gun is fairly lightweight for a big-bore air rifle and carries well for long slogs through rough terrain. The accuracy is spot on in the 50 to 80-yard range I typically prefer, but it can reach out farther when called on to do so. The Hammer lives up to its name regarding terminal performance, and I’ve seen the proprietary Umarex 510 grain slug cleanly anchor some big hogs.

The Umarex Hammer is a .50 caliber rifle designed to accelerate a greater mass faster using proprietary technology from the company’s Lightspeed valve. The design of this air management system, coupled with a .510 caliber, 550-grain lead slug, is capable of generating over 700 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle. The cocking action of the Hammer is very light and requires about 2 pounds of effort to operate. This short, effortless action actuates a two-shot shuttle magazine for fast follow-up shots when required.

Best for Accuracy and Power: FX Impact M3

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Key Features

• Max Velocity: 850 fps
• Weight 6.85 pounds
• Muzzle Energy (65.5 grain): 128 ft-lbs
• Shot Capacity: 21
• Max Shots Per Fill: 85
• Sideliver

Pros

• Very accurate (Used to win RMAC many times)
• Customizable
• High shot count
• Excellent for coyote and small game hunting

Cons

• Not meant for big game hunting

My top pick for a crossover rifle that performs well for both small-game and predator hunting is the FX Impact air rifle. This bullpup design has a lot going for it, and the frame is rugged and lightweight, with an adjustable stock that accepts standard AR pistol grips. The air storage is a 480cc removable carbon fiber (other options available) tank that can be charged to 3600 psi, and the design allows extra bottles to be packed and changed in the field. 

The sidelever action is one of the quickest, most tactile, and smoothest cycling that I have used, and reliably indexes the magazines every time. What really seals the deal for me though, is that the modular design lets the shooter swap out barrels, magazines, and probes to optimize the gun for different types of hunting. The hunter can use the .22 barrel for a rabbit hunt, then swap to a .25 barrel that has a liner optimized for slugs to do a long-range prairie dog shoot, then swap again for the .30 caliber barrel to hunt predators.

Hatsan PileDriver

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Key Features

• Available in .457, .50, and .62 caliber
• Adjustable synthetic thumbhole stock
• Sidelever cocking action
• Easy access loading port accepts longer projectiles
• Several Picatinny rails for mounting accessories

Pros

• Accurate and powerful
• Rugged construction, reliable
• Generates six full power shots per fill

Cons

• Big and heavy 
• Single shot (though loads rapidly)

I’ve been shooting the Hatsan Piledriver in the .457 and .50 caliber versions for a few years now, and have used it to take several deer, hogs, javelina, and exotics. This year Hatsan added the .62 caliber version to the lineup, generating over 750 ft-lbs with a 650-grain hollow point slug. This gun is a great performer with respect to accuracy, power, and reliability.

The PileDriver .62 is a bullpup configuration, but it is still a big gun. However, the .62 caliber clipped 4 inches off the 33-inch standard barrel bringing the overall length to 42 inches, and reducing the weight to a tad over 9.5 pounds. The synthetic thumbhole stock has an adjustable length of pull and cheekpiece. It uses a 480 cc carbon fiber tank to deliver up to five shots. The single-action gun cycles with a smooth side lever action, and loads quickly through easy access to the loading port. It also has Hatsan’s two-stage Quatro trigger, which is crisp, with a medium pull out of the box, and can be adjusted.

Read Next: The Best PCP Air Rifle Compressors of 2023

Honorable Mentions

AirForce Texan

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The AirForce Texan big bore air rifles have become the most popular of the big bores over the last few years, and there are several reasons for this. The bottle for a buttstock design and inline valving are well proven in the field. The guns are adjustable and lend themselves to customization and personalization. They are also very well made and available in several calibers, including .257, .308, .357, .457, and .50. The performance of the Texan, with respect to both accuracy and power, is rock solid. I’ve used mine to take several species of North American big game. The most powerful version of this gun out of the box is the Texan LSS .50-CF, which is a .50 caliber gun generating over 800 ft-lb. The rifle features a 490 cc and 250 BAR tank that delivers three to four shots per fill. That’s moving a 620-grain slug at 620 fps for about 805 ft-lb. I find that the Texan’s excellent trigger helps wring the most accuracy out of the Lothar Walther barrel and the rifle as a whole.

Airguns of Arizona Bushbuck

Airguns of Arizona is a major U.S. retailer that is especially well known as an importer of high-end European guns. But a few years ago, they began manufacturing a big bore rifle called the Bushbuck. To my eye, this is the best looking big bore rifle on the market. It is a bolt action sporter style rifle in .452 that is dressed in a laminate stock with stippling on the forestock and grip, with an adjustable cheekpiece. This rifle is solidly built and weighs in at 10.2 pounds with an overall length of 49.5 inches and a 30-inch barrel. My Bushbuck is the compact version. It is 43.5 inches long with a 22.5-inch barrel. After a point, I am usually willing to trade off some power for a more compact gun. The 285 cc air reservoir fills to 4500 psi using an unobtrusive under-barrel tube that helps maintain the rifle’s sleek lines, while providing two to four shots per fill. The single-shot Bushbuck has two power settings and generates over 600 ft-lb in the high setting. I’ve carried and used this gun on both North American and South African hunts, and it is a capable rifle for any non-dangerous game. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Most Powerful Air Rifles

The most powerful air rifles are quite different, but there are similarities connecting them all. I would be happy using any one of them when out after deer or hogs, though my preference would change based on the specific situations and conditions. All of these rifles are accurate, generate more than sufficient power, and have an acceptable shot count for big game hunting. But air usage, number of shots, sound level, anticipated range, and size and weight of the gun are variables each hunter needs to assess based on their own needs and preferences.

Other factors to consider are, how will you keep the gun filled? Will you get a compressor or refill tanks at a local paintball or dive shop? Can, or will, the local shop in your area charge the tank up to over 4500 psi? It’s a lot easier to keep a gun charged at 3600 psi than 4500. Can you reduce the power if hunting in an area where limited range is advantageous, or so as to reduce air usage? Is noise an issue, and do you need to have the lowest possible sound signature? Will most hunting be from a blind or a stand, or will you spend hours covering large tracts of land on foot? 

Each shooter needs to weigh the importance of these variables to find what suits them best. I can honestly say that — my own personal preferences and biases aside — any of these rifles could be a perfect big game rifle depending on what you like and what’s important for you and your intended uses.

The post The Most Powerful Air Rifles of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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For the second year in a row the Outdoor Life gun test team converged on Gunsite Academy to generate our decades-long roundup of the year’s best rifles, best handguns, and—as a bonus to you old-school pistoleros—a test of the best 1911s.

We’ve been conducting this massive gun test for decades now. It is the most time-consuming, ambitious, and costly editorial project Outdoor Life does each year. No other publication or group comes close to duplicating this singular effort. More on that in a bit.

First and foremost, the test is motivated by our desire to provide valuable and unbiased data and insight. There’s a lot of low-quality information about new guns out there. A combination of evaluators with questionable skills, limited resources, and a desire to please sponsors and advertisers results in a preponderance of ballistic drivel.

So I get why many readers react to gun reviews with reflexive cynicism. Sadly, that jaded response is often justified.

This test is an antidote to that.

Beyond providing our audience with top-quality, honest content, the Outdoor Life gun test team also derives tremendous professional satisfaction from this project. The opportunity to shoot all these guns side-by-side with a nearly inexhaustible supply of ammunition at hand gives a perspective that you can’t acquire shooting them individually. Evaluating firearms in the context of their peer group is remarkably illuminating.

Best Rifles of 2023: Return of an Icon and Some Amazing Values

• Best Rifle of 2023: Marlin 336 Classic  (Editor’s Choice)
• Best Rifle of 2023: Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical (Great Buy, Precision Rifle)
• Best Rifle of 2023: Stevens 334 Walnut (Great Buy, Hunting Rifle)
• CVA Cascade XT
• Fierce Firearms Carbon Rogue
• Nosler CCH (Carbon Chassis Hunter)
• Henry Repeating Arms Homesteader
• Bergara Wilderness Ridge Carbon
• Browning X-Bolt Target Max
• Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti

This year’s rifle field was smaller than last year’s. (The bursting of the post-Covid bubble accounted for the unusually large number of introductions in 2022.) But it still included an interesting variety of long-guns spanning a spectrum of price points and uses.

One dominant theme among the best rifles of 2023 is budget guns that punch above their weight class. The Stevens 334 Walnut and Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical both distinguished themselves in that light and earned this year’s Great Buy awards. We also gave high marks to the CVA Cascade XT for the value it represents. In 2023, bargain-minded shooters have some good options to pick from.

Another takeaway from the gun test is that Marlin’s resurrection by Ruger can now be deemed a complete and legitimate success. The new Marlin 336 Classic we evaluated is the latest in a string of fabulous lever actions that have been rolling off the production line at Ruger’s facility in Mayodan, North Carolina. In conjunction with the Marlin 1895 SBL we tested and the Marlin 1895 Trapper we’ve been using—both in .45/70—the Marlin 336 Classic cements the iconic brand’s comeback.

We were so smitten with the Marlin 336 Classic that it was the unanimous selection as this year’s Editor’s Choice.

How We Tested the Best Rifles

As I alluded to above, Outdoor Life’s gun testing protocol is unlike any other in the outdoor industry. This test is different, and always has been. We pit the entries head-to-head and when the dust settles we tabulate the scores and whoever wins, wins. There’s no favoritism at play. Unlike other awards you see touted, our Editor’s Choice and Great Buy honors are not for sale.

We shoot the hell out of each rifle for accuracy and practical field handling. We go over each with a critical eye to pick apart their construction and evaluate workmanship.

Our published accuracy results are the averages of the 10 best five-shot groups for each rifle. While it is fun to highlight some of the smallest groups in the test—which we do as well—this 10-group average is much more meaningful with respect to a rifle’s true in-the-field performance. (And, incidentally, is a much tougher standard than you’ll see in other gun reviews.)

It takes a long time to gather that much accuracy data. The five shooters on the team spent days shooting a collective 375 five-shot groups for record. One reason we shoot that much is that we want each rifle to shine as brightly as possible. We shoot a variety of ammo, bullet styles, and bullet weights. (With respect to the ammunition I have to give special thanks to our industry partners who support us in this including, Federal, Nosler, Winchester, Hornady, Remington, Black Hills Ammunition, Berger, Weatherby, Wilson Combat, and Freedom Munitions.)

And in between groups we cleaned the rifles if needed and refouled them to get the most accuracy out of each. When the accuracy work was done, we ran each rifle through dynamic shooting drills from field positions.

How We Grade Guns

Each rifle is evaluated on nine categories and given a score of 1 to 5 from each judge, except for the accuracy score, which is based on the data from the groups shot. We average the scores for each category and use that to determine the ranking and awards. The categories are handling, accuracy, workmanship, aesthetics, ergonomics, meets purpose, versatility, reliability, and value.

Read Next: The Best Handguns of 2023

The scores then translate to the grades on the report cards for each firearm. Performance consists of the scores from handling, accuracy, ergonomics, and reliability. Design includes workmanship, aesthetics, meeting its purpose, and versatility. Value stands on its own.

To earn an “Excellent” rating, the average of that score must be 4.5 or higher, a difficult mark to hit. “Very Good” is an average score of 3.5 to 4.5; “Good” is from 2.5 to 3.5; “Fair” is from 1.5 to 2.5; and “Poor” is under 1.5.

Best Rifle of 2023: Marlin 336 Classic  (Editor’s Choice)

Scott Einsmann

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Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Very Good
• Accuracy: 1.627 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Marlin 336 Classic Specs

• Action: Lever
• Stock: Walnut
• Caliber: .30/30 Win.
• Capacity: 6+1
• Weight: 7 lb. 1 oz.
• Trigger: 8 lb. 0 oz.
• Barrel: 20 in.
• Length: 38.5 in.
• Price: $1,239

The biggest trend in rifles for the last decade and a half has been in bolt guns pushing the boundaries of accuracy and long-range performance. In other words, precision rifles—whether for competition, hunting, or general recreation.

So it is rather surprising to see a rifle that traces its roots to 1893 firing a cartridge that was introduced in 1895 anointed as the best rifle of 2023. But indeed, that is the case.

The Marlin 336 Classic in .30/30 Win. is a throwback rifle and cartridge but has been made relevant again by Ruger, which is producing them in North Carolina. Even though I grew up shooting Marlins produced in North Haven, Connecticut, there is no doubt that these new lever actions are the finest to wear the signature bullseye logo in their stock.

The fit and finish on our 336 was superlative and the quality of the wood, metal polish, and bluing make this rifle a real looker. As much as we were smitten by its svelte lines and attractive workmanship, we also praised it for its balance and handling.

The 336 handles exactly how a big-woods lever action should. It’s quick to shoulder, points instinctively, and—for a lever gun in .30/30—is pretty accurate.

It’s also a hell of a value—assuming you can find one for the MSRP. For the time being the demand will continue to outstrip the supply but be patient and sooner or later you’ll be able to acquire one.

As an aside, Marlin will be chambering the 336 in .35 Remington again too. Expect to see those later this year. Nor would it shock me if they chambered some in the new 360 Buckhammer as well.

Best Rifle of 2023: Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical (Great Buy, Precision Rifle)

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Excellent
• Accuracy: .582 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic chassis
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 10
• Weight: 8 lb. 11 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 9 oz.
• Barrel: 22 in.
• Length: 42.3 in.
• Price: $1,085

We have been shooting, hunting with, and broadly praising the Mossberg Patriot rifle in its many variants since it was introduced in 2015. New this year is the Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical, which matches the familiar two-lug action with a chassis stock and heavy barrel.

Line extensions like this tend to be ho-hum affairs, eliciting little in the way of remark, let alone excitement. That’s not the case with the Patriot LR Tactical.

This precision rifle is one of the best deals going for affordable long-range shooting and trotted off with a Great Buy award in the precision rifle category.

This LR Tactical configuration suits the workmanlike Patriot action to a tee. This rifle is very accurate. In fact, it turned in the tightest group of the test, a .247-inch five-shot group by editor in chief Alex Robinson with Federal 140-grain Berger Hybrids. (Ours was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, but you can also get them in .308 Win. and 6.5 PRC.)

The rifle also handles surprisingly well. Though the barrel is heavy, the rifle isn’t cumbersome. It weighs 8.75 pounds without a scope and was easy to maneuver in and out of position during the practical shooting portion of the evaluation.

The action isn’t the smoothest but we were still able to cycle it quickly while running through a variety of drills. The rifle takes AICS pattern magazines, which are widely available and come in varying capacities. The effective paddle magazine release made reloads a snap.

The stock adjusts for cheek height and positions the hand nicely thanks to its vertical grip. The texturing on the grip is fairly aggressive and gives a solid purchase. The chassis stock also has slots to mount M-Lok compatible accessories.

Best Rifle of 2023: Stevens 334 Walnut (Great Buy, Hunting Rifle)

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Excellent
• Accuracy: .724-in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Stevens 334 Walnut Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Walnut
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 3+1
• Weight: 7 lb. 14 oz.
• Trigger: 5 lb. 10 oz.
• Barrel: 22 in.
• Length: 43 in.
• Price: $489

The Stevens 334 Walnut was the most surprising gun of the rifle test. It is a basic wood-stocked bolt action imported from Turkey, and at first glance doesn’t seem to be anything special.

While the stock is nice enough, the metalwork and design of the action is basic—though in keeping with the rifle’s modest $489 price tag. After dry firing the trigger, you’d have no reason to anticipate any particular ballistic magic, either. The 5-pound 10-ounce trigger has a bit of mush before it breaks.

But handsome is as handsome does, and the Stevens 334 charmed the entire test team once we started shooting it for accuracy. Its five-shot groups averaged less than ¾ MOA, making it one of the most accurate rifles of the test, and easily the most accurate hunting rifle we evaluated.

It shoots way better than it has any right to, was our collective takeaway.

It has other features we liked as well. The three-position safety locks the bolt down when fully engaged, while the central position lets the shooter clear or check the chamber without putting the gun on “fire.”

The polymer single-stack magazine loads easily and holds three rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor, though the rifle is also available in .308 Win. and .243 Win.

The three-lug design, with its 60-degree bolt lift, is surprisingly smooth and easy to operate from the shoulder. It comes with a Picatinny rail that runs the full length of the action which makes mounting an optic a snap.

In sum, the Stevens 334 Walnut is a wonderful rifle for the price and is our Great Buy award winner in the hunting rifle category in 2023.

CVA Cascade XT

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Very Good
• Accuracy: .858 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

CVA Cascade XT Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 4+1
• Weight: 7 lb. 7 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 12 oz.
• Barrel: 22 in.
• Length: 43.6 in.
• Price: $850

The CVA Cascade XT is another solid value among this year’s new rifles. Like other rifles in the Cascade family, it has a three-lug, large-diameter bolt and a two-position safety that is easy to manipulate.

Larger and heavier than the other Cascade rifles, it was built with hunting at longer distances in mind. It comes with a stout No. 5 contour barrel, dual swivel studs on the fore-end, a radial muzzle brake, and a user-adjustable trigger.

It isn’t an elegant rifle. Nothing on it can be considered svelte. But for its intended purpose—placing accurate shots at longer distances—it hits the mark.

The rifle’s weight, stock design and brake do a good job mitigating recoil, so it is a rifle you can put a lot of rounds through without beating yourself up.

The polymer double-stack magazine holds four rounds of 6.5 Creed. (The rifle can also be had in .223 Rem., .308 Win., .450 Bushmaster, .350 Legend, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem. Mag., and .300 Win. Mag.) It loads effortlessly and is easy to insert and remove from the mag well.

The double-stack design and open-bridge configuration of the action make it easy to top-load the magazine when it runs dry. That’s a good thing, because when we fed the rifle with single rounds after emptying the magazine they often had difficulty chambering.

The synthetic camo stock has a tacky rubber-like texture and effective checkering molded into the fore-end and grip, so you won’t need to worry about this rifle slipping from your grasp.

Fierce Firearms Carbon Rogue

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Good
• Accuracy: 1.033 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Fierce Firearms Carbon Rogue Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Carbon fiber
• Caliber: 6.5 PRC
• Capacity: 3+1
• Weight: 6 lb. 4 oz.
• Trigger: 3 lb. 1 oz.
• Barrel: 24 in.
• Length: 45.5 in.
• Price: $2,199

We’ve been a big fan of Fierce Firearms’ rifles. This semi-custom maker based in Redmond, Utah, makes high-quality lightweight big-game rigs that perform under trying conditions. Their prices, while not cheap, represent a good value for the quality.

New this year is the Carbon Rogue, which Fierce introduced as a more affordable carbon-fiber barreled mountain rifle at $2,199. To get the cost down, the Carbon Rogue uses a stainless two-lug action, rather than the titanium actions found in the flagship Edge ($3,995) and Rival ($3,050).

The fit and finish on the rifle is superb. The hinged floorplate magazine, for instance, is nicely inletted so that it sits nearly flush with the stock. Likewise, the gap between the barrel and barrel channel is small and even.

The accuracy of our sample in 6.5 PRC didn’t wow us. At 1.033 inches it was good but not outstanding. We had some feeding issues with our sample too. The second round in the magazine rarely fed properly because of how it would tilt in the magazine. This is something that wouldn’t be too difficult to resolve, but it did cost the rifle some points.

Other than that, the rifle impressed us. Most of the judges loved the shape of the stock, which has a moderate swell at the grip—though one of our evaluators who has smaller hands found it awkward.

Like many carbon-fiber stocks, the one on our sample is a bit slick. Some hunters make a big deal out of that, while others don’t care. It’s a matter of personal taste.

One thing about the stock we all liked was the short section of Picatinny rail recessed into the fore-end. It’s a great mounting surface for clamping on a bipod in a flash. The rail has a QD cup in it as an attachment point for a sling, and the buttstock of the rifle has a QD cup as well.

The spiral fluted bolt can be taken apart without tools in the field for maintenance, and it incorporates dual ejectors and a nicely designed extractor. We didn’t have any issue with extraction and ejection of the empties.

At 6-pounds 4-ounces, the empty weight of the rifle makes it portable but it still has enough heft to handle properly. During the dynamic drills the rifle was nimble and steady. Fierce is chambering these rifles in a slew of cartridges ranging from the .22 Creedmoor to the .300 PRC.

Nosler CCH (Carbon Chassis Hunter)

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Fair
• Accuracy: .913 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Nosler CCH Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Carbon fiber folding chassis
• Caliber: 6.5 PRC
• Capacity: 4+1
• Weight: 6 lb. 10 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 13 oz.
• Barrel: 26 in.
• Length: 45.25 in.
• Price: $5,295

Any notion you might have had of Nosler as an old-school firearm and ammunition company that caters to your grandpa is dispelled by the new Carbon Chassis Hunter (aka CCH). This thoroughly modern rifle is a marked departure from the traditional lines of the M48 that Nosler launched their firearms business with nearly 20 years ago.

It takes the same action as their award-winning Model 21 and pairs it with a folding carbon-fiber stock made by MDT to cater to technically savvy (and well-heeled) hunters.

If I had to describe the CCH in one word, I’d go with slick. Slick describes the smooth-running action, which was our favorite of the test, as well as the feel of the non-textured chassis stock.

The slickness of the chassis, which in theory makes the rifle more difficult to hold on to, is largely mitigated by the pistol grip, which allows for a strong handhold on the rifle. The flat-bottomed fore-end, which has an integral ARCA rail machined along its length, is easy to grasp firmly, too.

Our sample, chambered in 6.5 PRC, has a 26-inch barrel. Normally that makes for an unwieldy rifle, but the light weight of the carbon fiber barrel helps the rifle balance well. Even with that long tube, the rifle tips the scales at just over 6.5 pounds.

Because the stock folds flat, transporting the rifle is more convenient too. I carried this rifle last fall on a spot-and-stalk mule deer hunt in Northeast Montana and slinging the rifle with the stock folded made for easy hiking.

The accuracy of our rifle was good, but we found it a struggle to get great groups out of it. We turned in a handful of five-shot groups between .65 and .85 inches, which is quite good. But most of our shooting was right around the 1 MOA mark.

There’s nothing wrong with that level of precision, but for the price you couldn’t blame a guy if he expected a bit more.

Speaking of the price: If the CCH has an Achilles heel, it is cost. Nosler spared no expense assembling best-in-class components to build the rifle and—for better or for worse—that expense is passed along to you. The Proof Research barrel, Mack Bros action, TriggerTech trigger, and MDT Chassis aren’t cheap. With an MSRP of $5,295, this isn’t an everyman’s hunting tool.

It’s capable, fun to shoot, pretty accurate, has wonderful balance and handling—but whether the shooting public will take a shine to it to the tune of 5Gs remains to be seen.

Henry Repeating Arms Homesteader

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Very Good
• Accuracy: 2.21 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups @ 50 yd.)

Henry Repeating Arms Homesteader Specs

• Action: Semi-auto
• Stock: Walnut
• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 10
• Weight: 6 lb. 10 oz.
• Trigger: 6 lb. 10 oz.
• Barrel: 16 in.
• Length: 35.75 in.
• Price: $928

The fun factor of the Henry Homesteader is undeniable. This simple 9mm PCC, which operates from standard pistol magazines on a blowback design, quickly established itself as a test team favorite.

It is reasonably accurate, has negligible recoil, doesn’t cost a ton, is super handy, and fires cheap ammo. What’s not to like? I wrote about the Homesteader at some length after I first got it, and it turned out that the other judges shared my positive impression.

We topped it with a couple very fine LPVO scopes—a Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10×30 and a Nightforce ATACR 1-8×24. Both pieces of glass are, admittedly, overkill but we wanted to get the best accuracy possible from the carbine while testing for accuracy.

This rifle doesn’t require an optic at that level to perform, however. A simple red-dot reflex sight mounted on the rifle’s Picatinny rail is all the Homesteader really needs.

We ran the rifle a lot on Gunsite’s famed Scrambler, where it was right at home ringing the steel targets that are about 50 to 100 yards downrange. It functioned flawlessly here and throughout the week-long evaluation.

Getting picky about the rifle’s design, we did note a few things that could stand improvement. The recoil pad is thicker and squishier than needed. A thinner, harder pad would shorten the length of pull and make the rifle less likely to hang up on clothing as it is shouldered—both good things.

The team was split on the blocky fore-end. It reminded me of my old Crossman 7600 BB gun as a kid and brought images of the M1 Thompson to another judge, good associations both. Another judge thought it could benefit from a bit of contouring.

But in the end we were united in our appreciation of this fun little gun. If we gave out an award for top plinker, the Henry Homesteader would have it.

Bergara Wilderness Ridge Carbon

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Fair
• Accuracy: 1.346 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Bergara Wilderness Ridge Carbon Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 5+1
• Weight: 7 lb. 0 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 15 oz.
• Barrel: 22 in.
• Length: 43 in.
• Price: $1,599

Our impressions of this new rifle from Bergara were mostly positive. We liked how it handled and balanced. It operated flawlessly, feeding, cycling, and ejecting everything we shot through it. Its intuitive controls make it easy (and fun) to operate.

That said, it didn’t exactly win our hearts either. For $1,599 we were expecting a bit more—particularly with its fit and finish and its accuracy.

It’s 1.346 in. five-shot group average was near the bottom of the test and is humdrum for a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. It did manage three groups (from three different shooters using three different types of ammo) that were just above 1 MOA, which was encouraging. It was consistent, if not super precise.

The stock also isn’t commensurate with a rifle costing this much. It’s a bit basic, as the kids say. The so-so fit of the hinged floorplate and the overall look and feel of the Remington style stock doesn’t scream “premium.”

The metal work is more in keeping with the price. The Sniper Gray Cerakote on the receiver contrasts nicely with the polished stainless bolt body, which has spiral flutes along its length that are offset in black. And the wrap on the carbon-fiber barrel is also attractive.

Overall, it struck us as a capable hunting implement. It comes with an effective radial muzzle brake that makes recoil a non-issue in 6.5 Creed. (The rifle is also chambered in .308 Win., 6.5 PRC, and .300 Win. Mag.) The single-stage trigger broke at a clean and crisp 2 pounds 5 ounces.

Browning X-Bolt Target Max

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Good
• Accuracy: .719 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Browning X-Bolt Target Max Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic chassis
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 10+1
• Weight: 9 lb. 9 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 5 oz.
• Barrel: 26 in.
• Length: 47.75 in.
• Price: $1,799

The Browning X-Bolt Target Max is in its element when you have steel targets hundreds of yards down range, variable winds to figure out, and a pile of accurate ammo to burn through. Everyone on the team really enjoyed shooting this hefty rifle from Browning that comes with a 26-inch barrel, three-port muzzle brake, and substantial competition-style stock.

Ours delivered good precision, with the average of its 10 best five-shot groups coming in at .719 inches. One judge on our test team, who isn’t as experienced with long-range precision rifles as some of the others, really liked the familiar feel of the X-Bolt controls, which include the two-position tang-mounted safety and short three-lug bolt throw.

But the experienced precision rifle shooters liked it as well. The Target Max ran smoothly and reliably with one exception: It was very picky about which magazines it accepts. Like many precision rifles it is designed to accept AICS detachable magazines. The Browning ships with one polymer 10-rounder from MDT.

During the week of shooting we’ll run many different magazines through rifles of this type and that’s where the Target Max fell short.

We had a hard time inserting and seating most magazines in the mag well. On top of that, the magazine release button was difficult to manipulate, making mag swaps a chore. Browning placed the magazine release button on the side of the rifle between the trigger guard and magazine well unlike the typical paddle release you see on the bottom metal of most precision rifles.  

The rifle could benefit from a couple upgrades to its feature set, too. QD cups (rather than swivel stud type attachments) should be standard on a rifle of this type and while the section of Picatinnny rail on the fore-end is useful for mounting a bipod, an ARCA rail (ideally running the whole length under the fore-end) would be an improvement.

The stock earned high marks otherwise. The vertical grip is well done and has some very nice texture molded into it. The rifle has a cheek piece that can be raised or lowered as needed and it comes with a spacer to adjust the length of pull.

Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Fair
• Accuracy: 1.459 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti Specs

• Action: Six-lug bolt (two rows of three)
• Stock: Carbon fiber
• Caliber: .338 Wby. RPM
• Capacity: 4+1
• Weight: 5 lb. 5 oz.
• Trigger: 3 lb. 3 oz.
• Barrel: 18 in.
• Length: 38.5 in.
• Price: $3,449

In many respects this rifle was the most interesting of the test—in part because it occupies a very curious—and small—niche. It’s expensive. It’s ultralight. And it’s chambered the brand new .338 Wby. RPM, a hard-hitting thumper of a magnum that is reasonably accurate, but no long-range wonder.

On the one hand, it seems kind of like a guide gun. It has an 18-inch barrel, compact 38.5-inch overall length, and 4+1 magazine capacity. But we’ve been around a lot of guides and not many are going to throw down $3,449 on a rifle they are going to beat the snot out of. On top of that, though the rifle is portable, it isn’t going to outshoot a less expensive .45/70 lever action, 12-gauge slug gun, or .338 to .375 magnum-type bolt gun when trying to cope with an irate bear.  

I’m sure that some hunters will take to the rifle and cartridge as long as they don’t mind the 1.5 MOA performance. I could see humping it while slogging through a willow thicket in search of a trophy bull moose—or brown bear—where the shots will be relatively close. But it’s a fair bit of money to spend on a rifle with that small sweet spot.

Shooting it prone for accuracy was not the most fun we had during the test. Even though it has a good muzzle brake, it still hits fairly hard. But we had a lot of data to gather on the rifle and new round and soldiered through.

We shot four different loads through the rifle and recorded data using a Labradar. We were impressed by the results. The ammo was very consistent in terms of the standard deviation (SD) and extreme spread (ES)—especially for a short-barreled rifle shooting magnum powder charges in factory loaded ammo. All the data here are from 10-shot shot strings.

• 225-grain Nosler AccuBond (MV: 2686 fps / ES: 32 / SD: 10)
• 225-grain Barnes TTSX (MV: 2624 fps / ES: 30 / SD: 8)
• 225-grain Hornady Interlock (MV: 2688 fps / ES: 40 / SD: 13.0)
• 185-grain Barnes TTSX (MV: 2909 fps / ES: 42 / SD: 14.2)

When we started shooting the rifle during the practical field evaluation, we enjoyed it a lot more. The recoil isn’t bad when your body can rock with the blow, and the rifle is lithe and handy when working the bolt.

We really liked the ergonomics on the rifle. The stock has a negative comb with a quasi-hogsback shape and the recoil pad, the latest version of Weatherby’s 3-D printed design, is the best yet. Both help mitigate recoil.

The finish on the stock improves on what we’ve seen from Weatherby since they opened shop in Sheridan, Wyoming as well. The inletting is tight and even and the grip is smooth and clean with no signs of sanding or other handwork.

Final Thoughts on the Best Rifles of 2023

When it comes to the best rifles of 2023 we can borrow the favorite saying of shady pitchmen in infomercials, “But wait, there’s more!” Due to lingering supply chain issues, limited sample availability, and other factors, a bunch of gun companies have plans for new rifles this year which weren’t quite ready in time for the gun test.

Read Next: The Best 1911s, Tested and Reviewed

As the months progress we’ll continue to update this story with other relevant new rifles. And even though I’m not yet allowed to divulge specifics I can state that we’re going to see several high-end rifles that strive to balance the often incompatible qualities of being lightweight and extremely accurate.

In the meantime, 2023 is off to an encouraging start for rifle aficionados, especially those looking for great values.

About Gunsite

This year’s test of the best rifles was once again graciously hosted by Gunsite Academy in Paulden, AZ. As the home of the legendary Jeff Cooper and one of the first firearm training facilities that offered classes to the general public, Gunsite became one of the premier gun training destinations in the country.

At Gunsite we got to work with top-line instructors, and use their excellent ranges and facilities. The genuinely friendly, helpful, and overly-accommodating staff at Gunsite allowed us to conduct our most ambitious gun test to date. You can experience the magic of Gunsite, and improve your skills, by signing up for a class.

The post The Best Rifles of 2023, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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It’s no easy feat determining the best rifles of 2022, but it’s a task that the editors at Outdoor Life took on with delight as we converged at Gunsite Academy in late March. I’ve been to Gunsite countless times over the years, but never had I arrived in such style—at the wheel of a rented RV stuffed to the gills with guns, ammunition, optics, tools, targets, and the other myriad bits and pieces required to conduct this annual event.

For the first time in the gun test’s history, we took it on the road. Previously, we held the test on our home turf. For the last 12 years that meant in Montana, where I live. And prior to that, we held the test in Tennessee, where Jim Carmichel, my predecessor as Outdoor Life’s shooting editor, hails from.

But enduring winter after winter of brutal weather for the gun test had taken its toll, and we all agreed it was time to head to warmer climes. So, I pointed the RV south, and covered the 1,000 miles between Bozeman and Paulden, Arizona, hauling the largest lineup of new guns we’ve ever tested.

The Rifle Test 2022 Award Winners

• Best Hunting Rifle: Nosler 21
• Great Buy Hunting Rifle: CZ-USA 600 Alpha
• Best Precision Rifle: Accuracy International AT-X
• Great Buy and Most Innovative Precision Rifle: Seekins Precision Havak HIT

Best Rifles of 2022: A Broad Field

The rifles this year were especially diverse. We had ultralight mountain rifles, lever guns, semi-auto carbines, scout rifles, heavy-barreled precision rifles, handy deer guns, one very specialized urban sniper rifle, and plenty of hybrids designed to serve multiple roles.

So what trends, if any, can be gleaned from such a mixed lot? One thing noticeable by its absence were any bargain-basement price point guns. Of the 17 rifles that survived the test (as usual, we had some casualties that couldn’t keep up), we only had three with MSRPs under $1,000. Those included the CZ-USA 600 Alpha ($749), which took home a Great Buy award, the Franchi Momentum Elite ($899), and the CVA Cascade SB ($670). The average MSRP across the field was $2,524, an eye-catching figure even in these inflationary times.

That average was driven higher by some very expensive—though undeniably cool—niche rifles such as the Proof Tundra ($7,999), the B&T SPR300 Pro ($5,200), and the Accuracy International AT-X ($4,999), which won an Editor’s Choice award in the Precision Rifle category.

How We Test

The Outdoor Life gun testing protocol is unlike any other in the outdoor industry. No other publication goes to the lengths we do to objectively test new rifles, shotguns, and handguns. The reasons for that are many, but these are some of the major ones: the costs are enormous, you need highly-skilled and objective judges, and you have to be willing to put the interests of your readers above the desires of the gun companies.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but many of the other awards that get tossed about the industry are vetted by those publication’s advertising departments. If you’ve ever wondered why small niche companies, some of whom have put out amazing products over the years, never win those awards, it’s because they don’t have the advertising dollars to compete with the big boys, who win year after year.

But this test is different, and always has been. We pit the entries head-to-head and when the dust settles we tabulate the scores and whoever wins, wins.

We shoot the hell out of each rifle for accuracy and practical field handling. We go over each with a critical eye to pick apart their construction and evaluate workmanship.

Our published accuracy results are the averages of the best ten 5-shot groups for each rifle. While it is fun to highlight some of the smallest groups in the test—and we will do that—this 10-group average is much more meaningful with respect to a rifle’s true in-the-field performance. (And, incidentally, is a much tougher standard than you’ll see in other gun tests.)

It takes a long time to gather that much accuracy data. The five shooters on the team spent two full days to shoot 374 5-shot groups for record. One reason we shoot that much is that we want each rifle to shine as brightly as possible. We shoot a variety of ammo, bullet styles and bullet weights. And in between groups we will clean the rifles if needed, and refoul them to get the most out of each. When the accuracy work was done, we ran each rifle through dynamic shooting drills from field positions.

How We Grade

Each rifle is evaluated on nine categories and given a score of 1 to 5 from each judge, except for the accuracy score, which is based on the data from the groups shot. We average the scores for each category and use that to determine the ranking and awards. The categories are handling, accuracy, workmanship, aesthetics, ergonomics, meets purpose, versatility, reliability, and value.

The scores then translate to the grades on the report cards for each firearm. Performance consists of the scores from handling, accuracy, ergonomics, and reliability. Design includes workmanship, aesthetics, meeting its purpose, and versatility. Value stands on its own.

To earn an “Excellent” rating, the average of that score must be 4.5 or higher, a difficult mark to hit. “Very Good” is an average score of 3.5 to 4.5; “Good” is from 2.5 to 3.5; “Fair” is from 1.5 to 2.5; and “Poor” is under 1.5.

Best Rifle of 2022, Hunting: Nosler 21

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Very good
• Design: Very good
• Value: Very good

Nosler M21 Specs      

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Carbon-fiber composite         
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 4-round, hinged floorplate magazine
• Weight : 6 pounds 10 ounces
• Trigger: 4 pounds 4 ounces, adjustable
• Barrel: 22 inch, threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 41.25 inches
• Price: $2,295

We’ve sung the praises of Nosler’s new Model 21 over the last year, so this win wasn’t unexpected. The way it handled for me on a dangerous game hunt in Zimbabwe last year certainly left a positive impression (read our full review on the Nosler Model 21 here). That said, this win wasn’t a sure thing either. The competition among the hunting rifles this year was fierce. Strong showings by Proof, Christensen Arms, Marlin, and Weatherby kept the race neck-and-neck until the end.

The Nosler 21 delivered solid scores across the board. Its handling, workmanship, and aesthetics impressed all the judges. In a field of extremely accurate rifles, it held its own. It happened to turn in the tightest group of the test, a 5-shot .266-inch bughole with Federal’s 140-grain SMK, and averaged .885-inch groups across the board.

A couple things in particular tipped the scales in the Model 21’s favor. The quality that the test team mentioned repeatedly in their notes was the rifle’s superb balance. Not only in terms of how well the gun ran, but with respect to its design, features, and price.

The rifle’s 7-pound 4-ounce weight hits a sweet spot for a big-game hunting rifle. It’s light enough to haul over rough ground, yet has enough heft so that it manages recoil and unsupported shooting positions like a dream.

The carbon-fiber stock is stiff and has good texturing for a secure grip and the Mack Brothers Evo action ran extremely well. It fed without any issue, but a couple of testers felt that the case ejection was a bit insipid from time to time. (The Model 21 uses a single plunger-style ejector.) The rifle comes with a TriggerTech trigger that I dialed down to a 3-pound setting, and gave a crisp, consistent break.

Internally, the rifle has some great features as well, such as toolless takedown of the bolt so it can be serviced in the field, and an innovative self-indexing recoil lug design that gives the barrel extra thread engagement.

One point of irritation was the bolt handle, which kept spinning loose. A drop of thread locker would remedy that, but it should come from the factory that way.

Other than that minor issue we felt that for $2,295 the Nosler delivered a lot of performance for the money. For a solid all-around big game hunting rig, you won’t find a better rifle. And that’s exactly why it won the Outdoor Life Editors’ Choice award for 2022.

Best Rifle of 2022, Precision: Accuracy International AT-X

Tanner Denton

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Report Card   

• Performance: Excellent
• Design: Very good
• Value:  Good

Accuracy International AT-X Specs

• Action: Six-lug bolt (two rows of three)
• Stock: Aluminum chassis
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 10-round AI AW magazine
• Weight : 13 ounds
• Trigger: 10.4 ounces, adjustable
• Barrel: 24 inch, threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 42.75 inches
• Price: $4,995

Accuracy International threw down the gauntlet when they introduced the AT-X last year. They wanted to put all the makers of rifles for long-range competition on notice. AI, as you might know, makes some of the best sniper rifles in the world and their historic focus has always been on military and law enforcement.

Despite the expense of their rifles and the fact that they are built with the battlefield in mind, rather than shooting matches, a devoted number of civilian shooters have used their rifles in competition, including myself. For me and these other shooters the exceptional accuracy and ruggedness of AI’s rifles makes up for some of the competition-specific features the rifles have lacked.

Well, we don’t have to compromise anymore. The AT-X is AI’s first purpose-built competition rifle, and it has a number of design elements that shooters in field-style matches, like the NRL, PRS, and RTC, will find appealing.

The fore-end has a flat bottom that incorporates an ARCA dovetail that extends straight back to the magazine well. This is the most notable change in the stock from other AI chassis. The mag well has a cut to easily insert and remove magazines, which are released by a broad paddle-style lever in front of the trigger guard. The stock is festooned with AI’s proprietary Key Slot cuts to attach accessories. AI’s Key Slot predates (and is superior to) the often-derided Key Mod system, but it does mean a shooter will have to invest in AI-specific hardware to affix rails and other accessories to the stock.

The action uses AI’s six-lug system (two rows of three lugs) that has been a mainstay of the company for decades. The short, snappy bolt throw helps the shooter cycle the rifle quickly and the more wear and tear (and grit and grime) the shooter exposes the rifle to, the better the action seems to run. The three-position safety mounted on the bolt shroud is smooth, positive, and bomb-proof.

One very nice feature is the quick barrel-change system. By loosening a single set screw, the shooter can swap barrels. Our sample was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, but barrels can be had in .308 Win., 6mm Creedmoor, 6 BR, and others.

The two-stage trigger is remarkable and provides outstanding control. The trigger on our rifle broke at 10.4 ounces, has a flat face and is adjustable for trigger reach, one of the many dimensions that the shooter can alter for a custom fit. (The rifle also comes with a heavier spring for the trigger that will set the minimum break weight to 1.5 pounds.)

The stock as you might imagine can be altered every which way as well. The length of pull, comb height, comb orientation, and recoil pad position all adjust. LOP and cheek hardware are secured by allen-key bolts while the recoil pad adjusts with a single wheel that the shooter can tweak on the fly.

The rifle runs off AI AW magazines, which are compact 10-round double-stack magazines that are easy to load, even through the ejection port with the magazine in place.

This short (and incomplete) list of features doesn’t really capture the essence of what makes the AT-X special, however. Of course, there’s the rifle’s accuracy, which was far and away the best of the test. The average 5-shot group measured .456 inches, which is outstanding for factory ammunition. But beyond this was how well the rifle handled. The AT-X is so steady and responsive that only the most insensible clod could fail to shoot better when running it.

The rifle delivers exceptional feedback. All the members of the test team commented on this quality. Even when shooting tiny groups, which the AT-X does at will, it was easy to call our shots when the trigger broke. The bullet holes appeared exactly where you expected them to. The AT-X inspires confidence.

Perhaps the only thing we didn’t care for was what isn’t included in the base $4,995 price. You don’t get any of the proprietary Picatinny rail sections (and an ability to attach a sling to the front of the stock). Nor does the stock fold. It would also be a benefit if the various fasteners all used the same size Allen-key. As it stands now, you need a small tool kit to service the rifle.

These critiques aside, the AI AT-X wooed the entire test team and sets a new standard for what a factory rifle can deliver.

Great Buy and Most Innovative Rifle of 2022, Precision: Seekins Precision Havak HIT

Tanner Denton

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Report Card   

• Performance: Very good
• Design: Very good
• Value:  Excellent

Seekins Precision Havak HIT Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Folding aluminum chassis      
• Caliber: 6.5 PRC
• Capacity: 5-round AICS magazine
• Weight : 11.5 pounds
• Trigger: 2 pounds 8 ounces, adjustable
• Barrel: 24 inches, threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 43.5 inches
• Price: $2,100

At the risk of venturing into dad-joke territory, HIT is an apt name for this rifle because it is an unqualified homerun for Seekins Precision. We’ve come to expect good things from Glen Seekins, but even when stacked against our lofty expectations, this new, innovative, accurate, versatile, and fun rifle blew us away.

Let’s examine each of those qualities in turn.

Some guns are newer than others. Some are built on pre-existing parts shared across different companies. Not the HIT. Except for the trigger, this rifle is entirely of Seekins’ design and the chassis and barrel change system are new as of late last year.

There are a lot of innovations stacked in this rifle. To change the barrel, for example, all that’s needed is for the shooter to loosen an easily accessible set screw positioned at the base of the forward edge of the Picatinny rail and then unscrew the barrel from the receiver. Changing to a cartridge with a different sized bolt face is simply a matter of removing the bolt from the action and swapping bolt heads, a process that takes about a minute.

With the proliferation of precision rifles, there’s no shortage of chassis on the market, and many gun makers have gone to after-market suppliers. Some of those chassis are very good (and expensive) and others are just okay, but affordable. It’s a roll of the dice for any gun maker to build their own, but the gamble paid off for Glen. Not only is his folding-stock design excellent, but by keeping those costs in-house he’s able to offer the HIT at an incredible price, which is why this rifle was a unanimous Great Buy pick.

The ultimate yardstick by which any precision rifle is judged is its accuracy. The Seekins Havak HIT makes the grade with room to spare. It was second in accuracy only to the Accuracy International AT-X, but even that doesn’t really reflect the rifle’s performance as the AI had a couple advantages over the Seekins. Specifically, the AI was run with an optional weight system installed that boosted its scoped weight to nearly 20 pounds versus the 14-pound, 2-ounce weight of the Seekins with its scope. Next, the Seekins was chambered in 6.5 PRC as opposed to the 6.5 Creed in the AI. With more factory loads to pick from, a rifle in 6.5 Creed will have an easier time finding more accurate ammunition, plus there’s the minor (but not negligible) disparity in the relative recoil of the two cartridges.

So that makes the average 5-shot group size of the Seekins—.542 inches—all the more impressive. It shot Hornady 147-grain ELD-M bullets especially well, with several sub-.5 MOA groups. But it also turned in excellent results with Federal’s 130-grain Terminal Ascent and Hornady’s 143-grain ELD-X, both of which are very effective long-range hunting bullets, with numerous groups between .5 and .6 inches from each.

That speaks in part to the versatility of the rifle, which wowed the judges as well. Down the road we’ll probably see carbon-fiber barrels for the HIT, which will drop it’s 11.5-pound weight to something that’s more in keeping with standard big-game rifles. With its folding stock, it can be stashed within a pack making it a viable option for hunters on the move. Conversely, there are numerous attachment points to add weight to configure it for precision rifle competitions where 20-pound guns are the norm.

The current list of available drop-in barrels includes 6mm GT, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, and .308 Win. The 6s and 6.5s barrels all have 1:8 twists, while the .308 is 1:11.25.

For a bunch of gun nerds like the Outdoor Life test team this adds up to a rifle that is a blast to run. The rifle is responsive, well-balanced and has great ergonomics. None of the rifles in this year’s test posted such high scores across the board, which is what drove it to an impressive (and rare) double award win.

Great Buy, Hunting Rifle: CZ-USA 600 Alpha

Tanner Denton

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Report Card   

• Performance: Very good
• Design: Good
• Value: Excellent

CZ-600 Alpha Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Caliber: 6 CM
• Capacity: 5-round detachable box magazine
• Weight : 7 pounds 10 ouunces
• Trigger: 1 pound 11 ounces, adjustable
• Barrel: 22 inches, threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 42.2 inches
• Price: $749

The 600 series is the future of CZ’s centerfire rifles. Introduced in late 2021, this platform replaces the previous actions, which while beloved, were comparatively complicated to produce and out of step with more modern firearms manufacturing that favors modular platforms. (Read our full review on the 600 Alpha introduction here).

That modularity was evident with the product launch. CZ kicked off the 600-era with four distinct configurations creating rifles with vastly different missions.

The Alpha is the base model, the economy version if you will, and while the other 600s might have fancier stocks and more tricked out features, none of them can match the Alpha for pure value. In fact, none of the other new rifles could match the Alpha in value either, which is why it won this year’s Great Buy award by a comfortable margin.

The Alpha is a solid, all-around big-game rifle that won’t break the bank. And it is built in such a way that it will happily do just about anything you ask of it. It would be perfectly at home in a deer camp, hanging in the rear-window rack of a pickup, taking a bead on a prairie dog, or just punching holes in paper.

It was more accurate than a number of rifles costing twice as much (or more). The average 5-shot group from the Alpha measured .814 inches, with a number of groups measuring less than .75 inches.

Our sample was chambered in 6mm Creedmoor. Among the different types of factory ammo we shot, the CZ did well with Nosler’s 105-grain RDF, Hornady’s 108-brain ELD-M, and the Berger 105-grain Hybrid.

The 600 series has a couple interesting innovations built into it, including one of the better, and more idiot-proof, adjustable triggers we’ve ever seen. The adjustment screw is located right in front of the trigger and has four easy-to-see settings you can choose from. At the lightest setting, ours trigger pull was a sweet 1 pound, 11 ounces.

It also has a curious safety that is a crossbolt that runs vertically through the grip, with the top just behind the bolt shroud and the bottom located just behind the trigger guard. Pushing down on the plunger puts the rifle in “fire” mode and with the safety up the bolt locks into position, which is a useful feature on a hunting rifle. You can still open the bolt with the rifle on safe by depressing the ergonomic bolt release tab just aft of the ejection port. With a little practice the safety becomes intuitive to manipulate.

The detachable box magazine sits nearly flush with the stock and because it has a double-stack design, it’s able to hold 5 rounds. To insert the magazine correctly you need to rock in place pushing on the rear of the magazine first. The fact that you can’t just push the magazine straight in and have it seat home irritated some of the judges. Removing the magazine requires no similar digital manipulation. A push on the slightly recessed mag release in front of the mag well will pop the magazine free.

The Alpha has two rail sections on the receiver for mounting a scope, another nice value-added element. The barrel is threaded for suppressors and the like. If you’ve read about the CZ-600 before, no doubt you heard about its switch-barrel capability. Unfortunately, CZ has had to walk back on that feature. Going forward, all 600s will have their barrel permanently affix in place and they’ve issued a recall for the 600s they shipped out prior. You can read about the issue here. I know they are looking at ways to reincorporate this feature down the road, and I hope they do, because it is another cool feature of the platform.

Proof Tundra

Tanner Denton

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Report Card   

• Performance: Very good
• Design: Very good
• Value: Fair

Proof Tundra Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Carbon-fiber composite
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 5-round hinged floor plate magazine
• Weight : 7 pounds 2 ounces
• Trigger: 2 pounds 10 ounces, adjustable
• Barrel: 24 inches, carbon fiber threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 43 5/8 inches
• Price: $7,699

The Proof Tundra is an undeniably sexy rifle with a price tag to match. It is more than just a pretty face, however—it’s a shooter. The two most accurate rifles of the test were the Accuracy International AT-X and the Seekins Precision Havak HIT—both heavy-barreled precision rifles—but the Proof Tundra nipped at their heels with an average 5-shot group size of .683 inches making it the most accurate hunting rifle of the evaluation.

Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor it shot its best groups with 140-grain loads. All but two of the top 10 five-shot groups were with 140s from Federal, Nosler, and Hornady.

That accuracy takes some of the sting out of the $7,699 cost, but what else does the Tundra offer to motivate a hunter looking to spend the kids’ inheritance? A couple things come to mind. First, is the Tundra’s excellent balance. At 7 pounds, 2 ounces it hits a sweet-spot for a versatile big-game rifle. It handles nimbly from practical field positions with a lively, capable feel. It came quickly to shoulder and cycled well. Some testers felt the trigger reach was a bit excessive for their tastes, but other than that no one had any issues with the rifle’s function.

The fit and finish is one area where the Tundra really shines. The inletting between the stock and action is perfect and upon close inspection it is easy to see the level of craftsmanship that went into the Tundra, elevating it above the other high-priced hunting rifles in the test. The perfectly flush line where the stock and ejection port meet is one example.

The adjustable cheek piece on the stock is a useful feature and well executed. Often, adding an adjustable comb comes with a significant increase in weight, but Proof’s design is light and allows for quick in-field adjustments.

The team was split on the stock’s finish. Some of us liked the snake-scale pattern, which added a bit of texture for a secure handhold, others thought it looked too much like fishnet stockings for their taste. Given that Proof offers the rifle in a number of finishes, including custom paint jobs, this isn’t likely to dissuade a potential buyer.

In addition to the 6.5 Creedmoor, the Tundra comes chambered in 6 Creed, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem. Mag., 28 Nosler, .308 Win., .300 Win. Mag., .300 PRC, and for those who just can’t have enough recoil, the .300 RUM, and .338 Lapua.

Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout

Tanner Denton

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Report Card   

• Performance: Very good
• Design: Very good
• Value: Very good

Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Carbon-fiber composite
• Caliber 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 10-round AICS magazine
• Weight : 5 pounds 14 ounces
• Trigger: 2 pounds 1 ounce, adjustable
• Barrel: 16 inches, carbon fiber threaded 5/8-24 with flash hider
• Length: 37.5 inches
• Price: $2,199

Christensen Arms has been one of the most exciting gun makers in recent years. They’ve been on a roll of late and it looks like for 2022 they have another winner with the Ridgeline Scout (read our full review on the Ridgeline Scout here).

The Scout comes with a 16-inch carbon-fiber barrel that is threaded and ships with a cool-looking (but superfluous) three-pronged flash hider. The short barrel is one of the key elements of the Scout-rifle concept. Also in keeping with the Scout vibe, the Christensen Arms is fed by a detachable box magazine (an AICS pattern) and is sub-6 pounds at 5 pounds, 14 ounces.

Scout rifles are meant to be handy general-purpose rifles that can work for hunting, personal protection or any other rifle-related chores and the jack-of-all-trades versatility of the Ridgeline Scout was immediately evident to all the gun test judges.

We could see it as a mountain rifle for sheep in Alaska, as a handy tree-stand deer rifle in the Midwest, as a suppressed hog gun in Texas, as a walking varmint rifle, and even as a viable option for the NRL Hunter competition series.

The rifle’s good accuracy helps inspire this confidence in its potential. It averaged .784 inches, with a number of five-shot groups smaller than .6 inches. The rifle can be had in five chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, which was what we tested, .300 BLK, .223 Rem., .308 Win., and 6mm ARC.

Universally, we found the rifle fun to shoot. We ran it several times through the Gunsite Academy Scrambler, where its virtues really shone. The oversized bolt handle made cycling the action a snap and even with a suppressor attached, the rifle’s balance and dynamic handling was excellent.

The rifle comes with a short section of Picatinny rail on the fore-end that incorporates a barricade block and serves as a mounting point for a bipod. The stock is carbon fiber and has stainless steel bedding pillars, and is stiff, strong and comfortable. The black nitride finish keeps the action running smoothly, but we did need to clean the rifle occasionally to keep the bolt lift from getting gummy.

The only misstep with the rifle’s configuration is the flat-faced trigger. The trigger itself, a TriggerTech, is excellent, but the flat face doesn’t work with the stock’s geometry. The trigger finger ends up bearing unevenly on the trigger face because of the curved radius of the stock’s grip. A normal curved trigger would work better.

But that didn’t prevent us from shooting the Ridgeline Scout nearly nonstop during the week-long evaluation. Even at $2,199 we thought it a wonderful value and and a strong choice for a do-it-all rifle.

Marlin 1895 SBL

Tanner Denton

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Report Card   

• Performance: Very good
• Design: Very good
• Value: Very good

Marlin 1895 SBL Specs

• Action: Lever
• Stock: Laminate
• Caliber: .45/70 Government
• Capacity: 6+1
• Weight : 7 pounds 4 ounces
• Trigger: 6 pounds 7 ounces
• Barrel: 19 inches, stainless threaded 11/16-24
• Length: 37 1/4 inches
• Price: $1,399

The reintroduced Marlin 1895 SBL, now being produced by Ruger at its Mayodan, North Carolina, factory has garnered a lot of attention, and for good reason. Not only has Ruger rescued the beloved Marlin brand from the brink of destruction, but it’s making the finest production Marlin lever guns ever (read our full review on the Marlin 1895 SBL here).

The 1895 SBL was Marlin’s first model to go into production following the acquisition of the company by Ruger. It is an appealing configuration, a short-barreled .45/70 in stainless steel stocked with an attractive gray laminate stock and equipped with an oversized lever loop and an XS Sights rail and ghost ring sight set.

We removed the ghost ring sight in order to mount a Leupold Mark 6 1-6×20, which is an ideal optic for the platform, allowing for close-up fast shooting while be able to reach out for the longer shots that the 1895 SBL is capable of making.

The 1895 cycles through the six rounds it can hold quickly, and did so in a reliable, consistent manner. The precise-fitting CNC-machined and EDM-cut components eliminate the slop that can bedevil some lever guns and make them hang up.

The average 5-shot group from the Marlin came in at 1.66 inches. Hornady’s 325-grain FTX load delivered the best accuracy with groups that averaged 1.28 inches. With that kind of performance, you can really reach out despite the .45/70’s rainbow trajectory. With the right elevation and windage hold, the Marlin is capable to 300 yards.

But its happy place is shooting that’s up close and personal. Once we got done with the accuracy portion of the evaluation, we were able to let loose and give the steel targets at Gunsite a proper workout with the heavy .45/70 slugs. The rifle’s 7-pound, 4-ounce heft, broad recoil pad, hand-filling fore-end, and polished lever loop make it comfortable to shoot even with stout loads.

The fit and finish of the stock and metalwork is a step above the Marlins of old. The checkering is the best I’ve seen on any modern Marlin production gun, while the engraving on the metal is tasteful and attractive. By any yardstick, Marlin is back and its prospects are brighter than ever.

Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti Carbon

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Very good
• Design: Very good
• Value: Good

Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 Ti Carbon Specs

• Action: Six-lug Bolt (Two rows of three)
• Stock: Carbon-fiber Composite         
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 4+1
• Weight: 5 pounds 2 ounces
• Trigger: 3 pounds 4 ounces, adjustable
• Barrel: 24 inches, carbon fiber threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 36 1/2 inches
• Price: $3,850

We were fans of the original Backcountry from Weatherby, and the new 2.0 version is a smart evolution of the model. It comes in four different configurations, and we tested the flagship offering, which has a carbon fiber barrel and titanium receiver.

This is a true mountain rifle. Tipping the scales at a scant 5 pounds, 2 ounces, it is just what you want for a high-altitude hunt where you’re cutting the tags out of your underwear to save weight. That figure is especially impressive given that the rifle comes with a 24-inch barrel.

For such a light rifle, the accuracy was quite good. The 5-shot average of the best 10 groups was .824 inches. The rifle’s accuracy was remarkably consistent across different brands and weights of bullets, though, like many of the other 6.5 Creedmoors in the test, it favored the 140-grain projectiles.

The rifle tended to heat up quickly—not surprisingly—and we did note that often the fifth shot in a string would open up the group quite a bit. Point being, in a real-world hunting situation you can expect the rifle to deliver excellent accuracy for the first trigger pulls.

A bunch of the weight savings comes from the titanium receiver, a material that’s becoming more common in rifles with each passing year. The biggest knock on titanium is that it isn’t nearly as slick as steel, and titanium actions tend to stick and hang up. The Mark V action did this a bit, but not as much as other titanium actions I’ve used in the past and as we put more rounds through the rifle it seemed to smooth out some. Regular cleaning and drop or two of oil helps mitigate this as well.

The 6-lug action has Weatherby’s short 54-degree bolt throw and is a pleasure to run. We didn’t have any functionality issues during the test and the rifle digested everything we put through it.

The innovative recoil pad has been updated from the first-generation Backcountry. It has a similar 3-D printed construction, but the pad is not nearly as squishy and doesn’t take a set when the rifle is resting on it.

From an aesthetic standpoint, we felt the rifle could use some improvement, particularly in light of its nearly $4,000 price tag. The fit and finish of the stock wasn’t as sharp as we would have liked and where the top of the grip blends into the tang of the action showed some clumsy file work on our sample. It’s also probably time for Weatherby to update their Mark V safety as well. The folded tab of metal is functional but not very elegant and seems out of place on a modern premium rifle.

One great thing the Backcountry series has going for it is options. The rifles can be had with either steel or titanium actions, and steel or carbon-fiber barrels. On top of that, Weatherby is very lefty-friendly. In the 2.0 Ti Carbon, for example, the rifles are available in .257 Wby., .300 Wby., 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5-300 Wby., and 6.5 Wby. RPM. Of those, left-handed actions can be had in the .257, .300 and 6.5-300. 

Other variants of the Backcountry 2.0 are available in other calibers, both right- and left-handed as well. And while none of them are cheap—the base model with steel receiver and steel barrel starts at $2,699—any hunter looking for a rugged, accurate mountain rifle will be able to find something that suits their needs.

B&T SPR300 Pro

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Very good
• Design: Very good
• Value: Good

B&T SPR300 PRO Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Folding Aluminum Chassis
• Caliber: .300 BLK
• Capacity: 10-round AR-15 style magazine
• Weight : 8.5 pounds
• Trigger: 3 pounds, adjustable
• Barrel: 9.8 inches, included suppressor
• Length: 39.7 inches
• Price: $5,200

Look, guns are serious. This is a serious review of the best rifles of 2022. And the B&T SPR300 Pro is undeniably a serious gun designed for professionals doing serious work. That said, this firearm does an incredible job of turning gunpowder into smiles.

The B&T SPR300 Pro is a takedown rifle with a short, 9.8-inch barrel that is encased in a long suppressor that’s designed for sub-sonic .300 Blackout loads. With its folding stock it stows away in a very discreet case and makes a Hollywood-quiet pffft sound when you pull the trigger. It’s also remarkably accurate in a cartridge that isn’t known for superior accuracy.

In other words, it is exactly the kind of rifle that Jason Bourne, or his real-world counterparts, would take into an urban environment. And while you or I will never be called upon to take out the head of a global terrorist cell strolling across some bridge in Prague, you can justify the $5,200 price of this rifle with the knowledge that you possess the ultimate suburban whitetail rig. Or nighttime hog gun. Or maybe you just wanted to go all out for your kid’s first deer gun.

However you rationalize it, it is difficult to overestimate the amount of fun you’ll have watching 220-grain bullets arc downrange, dropping into small clusters on paper or steel 100 yards away. With your scope’s power dialed back far enough to provide a good field of view you can watch the whole show through your optic. What price can you put on such entertainment?

The barrel’s 1-in-8 twist stabilized the 220-grain .300 Blackout bullets well enough to deliver an average accuracy of 1.036 for 5-shot groups. Both Sig Sauer’s and Black Hills Ammunition performed well in the rifle. Both loads were essentially interchangeable and remarkably consistent with the spread between the best ten groups going from .843 to 1.2 inches. The 200-grain load we ran through the rifle shot 1.5 inches on average and the 125-grain OTM bullets grouped consistently at 2 inches.

It’s worth mentioning that the rifle kit includes two cases (one hard, and one soft that goes inside the hard case—both of them of good quality), a bipod, and scope rings. The clear-sided polymer magazine is a standard AR-15 pattern, so you won’t have any issues finding extra mags for the rig.

CVA Cascade SB

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Very good

CVA Cascade SB Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity:  4-round detachable box magazine
• Weight : 6 pounds 15 ounces
• Trigger: 2 pounds 7 ounces
• Barrel: 18 inches, threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 38.5 inches
• Price: $670

CVA’s newest offering in the Cascade family has an 18-inch barrel (the SB stands for short barrel) and was designed for hunters who use suppressors and operate out of ground blinds and in tree stands.

We found the Cascade SB a fun little gun at a good price. At $670 it was the most budget-friendly of the year’s new rifles. The three-lug bolt-action ran with snappy assurance and while the rifle isn’t going to win any beauty contests, we liked its rugged, stubby, and utilitarian appearance. If for some reason you were inclined to treat it as a safe queen, don’t. It has a strong truck-gun vibe.

At the range it turned in a middle-of-the-pack accuracy average of 1.070 inches, which is more of a commentary on how good today’s rifles shoot than it is on the performance of the CVA. The plastic detachable-box magazine functioned well and was easy to load, insert, and remove from the gun. The receiver is topped with two short Picatinny rail sections for mounting optics, augmenting the rifle’s value.

The stock has a tacky coating and panels of diamond-shaped checkering on the fore-end and around the grip for a very secure hand hold. Moderate palm swells on either side of the grip are a nice touch too. The stock comes with dual swivel studs up front and one on the buttstock.

The one thing we found annoying about the rifle was the CVA sticker on the bottom of the fore-end. Stickers of this type are ubiquitous. Gun makers employ them so their wares have a chance of standing out among the sea of black stocks on your gun dealer’s shelves. But usually the stickers peel off easily. Not the Cascade SB’s. It was as tenacious as the impound stickers placed on car windows by big-city police departments and to this day we’ve only managed to remove about a third of it from the stock.

CVA is offering the Cascade in 6.5 Creedmoor, which we tested, .308 Win., and in .300 Blackout with a 16.5-inch barrel for an even more compact profile. In all cases the barrels are threaded 5/8-24 at the muzzle.

Benelli Lupo Limited Edition

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Fair

Benelli Lupo Limited Edition Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Walnut
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 5-round detachable box magazine.
• Weight : 7 pounds 6 ounces
• Trigger: 2 pounces 8 ounces
• Barrel: 24 inches, threaded
• Length: 44 5/8 inches
• Price $2,199

This upgraded Benelli Lupo, called the “Limited Edition,” is a quirky and charming rifle. The “Limited” refers to the upgraded wood and metal finishes that give the rifle a more sophisticated and European air compared to initial Lupo that Benelli introduced in 2020.

Before delving into the rifle’s aesthetics, which are a bit of mixed bag, let’s talk about the rifle’s handling, which the test team unanimously praised.

Even though the Lupo has made some inroads with American hunters, it was designed with European shooters in mind. While it can handle a variety of hunting scenarios, driven hunts and shooting from elevated stands are its happy place.

The stock geometry, slick three-lug action and protruding bolt handle favor nimble handling for shots at running game. And during our evaluation, it was dynamic shooting scenarios where the Lupo excelled. We loved running it off-hand and from kneeling positions while moving between shots. The relation of the shooter’s trigger finger to the trigger is spot-on, and the deep radius of the grip, with its slight palm swell, in conjunction with the trim angles of the fore-end make for superior handling. The two-position safety, located on what would be the tang if the Lupo had one, is extremely positive and comfortable to manipulate.

Though we didn’t fiddle with it, the Lupo’s stock can be adjusted in numerous ways to customize its fit. By messing with the included shims that fit between the butt stock and receiver and swapping cheek pieces and the length of pull spacer, a shooter can alter all critical dimensions including trigger reach.

Shooting prone, the Lupo was no slouch either. The best 10 five-shot groups averaged .928-inches in our 6.5 Creedmoor. Unlike some of the 6.5 Creeds in the test, the Lupo’s best groups included a variety of bullet weights: 140s, 143s and 147s. It even managed to print a .429-inch group with Winchester’s 140-grain BTHP.

If you count yourself among the 6.5 Creedmoor-haters club, you can get the Lupo in .243 Win., 6 Creed, 6.5 PRC, .270 Win., 7mm Rem. Mag., .308 Win., or .300 Win. Mag.

In terms of appearance, we like the treatment given to the stock to make the wood look fancy. And the look and construction of the detachable box magazine, which sits flush with the angle of the stock and loads easily while offering the cartridges a measure of protection via its double-stack design, is something we appreciated as well.

What we didn’t care for is the bright white lettering on the receiver that says “BE.S.T.” which is an acronym that stands for Benelli Surface Treatment. The treatment itself is fantastic—a combination of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technologies that create a barrier between the steel and the elements. But the lettering on the lustrous black finish of the barrel is out of place, especially in light of the other colors and textures on the action—brushed metal, a gold “Lupo,” and matte black magazine. If Benelli fixed that, either by blacking out the “BE.S.T.” or, better yet, getting rid of it all together, there would be hardly anything about the rifle to criticize.

CZ-USA 600 Range

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Good

CZ-600 Range Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Laminate
• Caliber: .308 Win
• Capacity: 5-round detachable box magazine
• Weight : 10 pounds
• Trigger: 1 pounds 7 ounces, adjustable
• Barrel: 24 inches, threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 44.9 inches
• Price: $1,199

We had CZ send us the range along with the Alpha for the evaluation. The Range is geared for long-range shooting from the prone position thanks to its heavy profile barrel and adjustable stock. The action has all the same features as the Alpha described above, except that this rifle doesn’t come with any scope bases.

Our sample was chambered in .308 Win. and while the rifle handled extremely well while shooting prone, we didn’t take a shine to it the way we did with the Alpha. Two issues contributed to this. First, the Alpha was more accurate than its big brother, which took some of the wind out of the Range’s sails. (.814 inch average group versus .941 inches.) Secondly, the Range didn’t cycle with the same flawless assurance of the range. It had weak extraction and didn’t eject empties all the time.

But we did like the geometry of the stock. The fit of the palm swell and the adjustable cheek piece made for very comfortable shooting off our bellies. 

Henry Long Ranger Express

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Good

Henry Long Ranger Express Specs

• Action: Lever
• Stock: Laminate
• Caliber:.223 Rem.
• Capacity: 5-round detachable box magazine
• Weight: 7 pounds 7 ounces
• Trigger: 5 pounds 4 ounces
• Barrel: 16.5 inches, threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 37 inches
• Price: $1,235

Like most rifle fanatics, I have a big soft spot in my heart for lever guns. And one of the great success stories in this realm is Henry Repeating Arms, which is celebrating its 25^th year of production in 2022. One thing I love about this company is that they aren’t afraid to think outside the box and build guns that are just plain fun.

The Long Ranger Express falls into that category. It is a nimble .223 Rem. that’s fed by a detachable-box magazine that can hold 5 rounds of spitzer-style (pointed) bullets.  It’s compact (37.75 inches overall) yet has enough heft (just under 7.5 pounds) making it both easy to maneuver in close quarters and shoot accurately off-hand and from other non-supported field positions.

The accuracy with the rifle, which we topped with a 1-6X scope, was pretty good, certainly good enough for deer and coyotes within reasonable ranges. Average five-shot group at 100 yards was 1.29 inches. When we put a higher-magnification optic on it, we got a handful of groups that were under an inch.

We liked the smooth operation of the lever, which cycled all the ammo we put through it without no failures, though the edges of the loop are sharp enough so that your hand will notice. Given that the rifle is designed to take a scope—there are no fixed sights and the receiver is topped with a Picatinny rail—shooters will probably want to add a pad of sorts to the comb so they can have a proper cheek weld when their eye is aligned with the optic.

The muzzle is threaded so you can run the Long Ranger Express with a suppressor. So equipped, it would be an especially-nice deer gun for a new hunter or a truck gun for predators.

Franchi Momentum Elite

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Fair
• Value: Fair

Franchi Momentum Elite Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 3-round detachable box magazine
• Weight: 7 pounds
• Trigger: 3 pounds, adjustable
• Barrel: 24 inches, threaded with muzzle brake
• Length: 46.25 inches
• Price: $899

Like many of the other rifles in this year’s roundup, the Franchi Momentum Elite delivered very good accuracy. It’s .887-inch 5-shot group average is solid performance for a sub-$1,000 rifle. Shooting Federal’s 140-grain Sierra Matchking and Nosler’s 140-grain RDFs, it turned in groups just north of a half inch.

Everyone on the team liked the Franchi’s crisp 3-pound trigger and we had good things to say about the 3-lug action’s short bolt throw. These were two big checkmarks in the plus column for this hunting rifle. The rifle ships with a Picatinny rail for easy scope mounting.

But the rifle isn’t without shortcomings. The single-stack magazine, while easy to load, holds a stingy 3 rounds. More concerning was the rifle’s rough chamber, which made extraction and ejection difficult at times. Upon inspection, empty cases from the rifle showed consistent signs of scratches and marring which cleaning the chamber didn’t alleviate.

The camo synthetic stock has integral attachment points for a sling. The benefit of that is that you don’t have annoying swivel studs jutting off the rifle. You can attach a bipod to the stock still, however. There’s a threaded hole that comes with a rubber plug that you can screw a standard swivel stud into for that purpose.

The 24-inch barrel comes with a radial muzzle brake so the rifle’s 7-pound weight doesn’t generate much recoil. Our sample was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, but you can get the Momentum Elite in 6.5 PRC, .308 Win., .300 Win. Mag., and .350 Legend.

Savage Impulse Elite Precision

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Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Fair

Savage Impulse Elite Precision Rifle Specs

• Action: Straight pull
• Stock: Aluminum chassis
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 10-round AICS magazine
• Weight : 11 pounds 15 ounces
• Trigger: 2 pounds 15 ounces, adjustable
• Barrel: 26 inches, threaded with muzzle brake
• Length: 48 3/4 inches
• Price: $2,649

Savage Arms has moved quickly to expand their line of Impulse straight-pull rifles. On the heels of their successful 2021 introduction of this new action in a big-game rifle, they’ve taken aim at the long-range precision world.

The Impulse Elite Precision is stocked with an MDT ACC chassis, which is one of the most popular (and successful) designs in precision rifle competition. It is optimized for positional shooting. Used in conjunction with a shooting bag and bipod, the rifle can be shot off rocks, barricades, tree stumps, 55-gallon drums, tractor tires, and other obstacles while keeping the reticle steady on the target.

The stock is fully adjustable for all critical dimensions, has an ARCA dovetail that extends the full length of the fore-end, has numerous mounting positions for add-on weights to tune the rifle’s balance, comes with a barricade stop in front of the magazine well. It incorporates thumb rests on either side of the grip. The MDT ACC chassis is a top-of-the-line rig.

The action can be set up for right- or left-handed shooters by moving the bolt handle from one side of the bolt body to the other. The action also includes a 20 MOA Picatinny rail and has Savage’s user-adjustable Accu-Trigger.

The Accu-Triggers can be hit or miss in terms of quality, and unfortunately the trigger on our sample was not very good. The amount of grit and creep leading up to the 2-pound 15-ounce break was excessive. Another issue affecting the rifle’s performance is that the action isn’t very smooth. One of the key features of a quality competition rifle is the ability to keep the reticle on target while running the bolt. In theory a straight-pull should do this better than a turn-bolt, but in practice it isn’t so with the Impulse.

The accuracy of our rifle while not bad—it averaged .895 inch 5-shot groups—wasn’t on par with the other precision rifles in the test. As with many of the other 6.5 Creedmoors, it heavily favored 140-grain bullets.

Smith & Wesson Volunteer M&P15 XV-Pro 14.5

Tanner Denton

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Report Card

• Performance: Fair
• Design: Good
• Value: Poor

Smith & Wesson M&P15 Volunteer XV-Pro 14.5 Specs

• Action: Semi-auto
• Stock: Collapsible
• Caliber: 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem.
• Capacity: 30-round magazine
• Weight : 6 pounds 10 ounces
• Trigger: 4 pounds 14 ounces
• Barrel: 14.5, with pinned muzzle brake
• Length: 33.5 inches
• Price: $1,569

This was the only AR-15 rifle submitted for this year’s test. With the Volunteer series, Smith & Wesson is looking to ship well-appointed rifles that are ready for duty or competition right out of the box. This is accomplished by blending their base MSRs with top-notch furniture and accessories.

In the case of this carbine, it comes with a 14.5-inch barrel with a pinned PWS muzzlebrake to push the length to 16-inches to avoid SBR regs. It has Williams Gun Sight Company Folding Sights, a 2-inch section of M-Lok Picatinny rail, a B5 Systems SOPMOD stock, and is set up with a mid-length gas system.

On paper, it’s a sweet system, and for $1,569 it should be. Unfortunately, this rifle was less than the sum of its parts. While the flat trigger felt nice, it was creepy and at 4-pounds, 14-ounces, too heavy. The safety was very stiff, requiring excessive effort to manipulate. And the accuracy (2.65 inches) was run of the mill. It performed like a typical and basic MSR, not like one costing twice the price.

Notable Trends in the Best Rifles of 2022

With respect to rifle construction and functionality we continue to see more rifles incorporate carbon fiber into their designs, both bringing down weight and helping contribute to rising costs. While not a ubiquitous trend, rifles with switch-barrel systems are becoming more common as well. The Accuracy International AT-X and Seekins Havak HIT, both award winners in this year’s roundup, can change barrels by loosening a single screw.

A less notable, almost imperceptible shift has happened with rifle barrels. I speak of the humble threaded muzzle. It wasn’t so long ago—say 15 years—that relatively few rifles came from the factory with a threaded barrel. Today, nearly all do. In our field of 17, all but one of the rifles were threaded for muzzle devices, including both lever actions. The sole exception was the Smith & Wesson M&P15 XV-Pro 14.5, which is only excluded on a technicality. Its barrel is threaded, but because of the 14.5-inch barrel length, its brake is pinned in place to keep the barrel length over the 16-inch minimum so as not to trigger the BATF short-barreled rifle (SBR) rule. With the rise in practical field-style steel matches and a greater awareness of the risks associated with hearing loss, many shooters and hunters are opting to run suppressors on their rifles, which is part of the reason threaded muzzles have become standard fare.

Best Rifles of 2022: Accuracy Report

We continue to see excellent accuracy from factory rifles shooting factory ammunition. Of the 17 rifles, 11 of them averaged under an inch, which is remarkable given that each rifle did that with 50 shots with varying brands of factory ammo. Three rifles in particular delivered stellar performances. The Accuracy International AT-X lead the way with a .456-inch group average, followed by the Seekins Havak HIT at .524 inches, and the Proof Tundra with a .683-inch average 5-shot group.

What about the rifles that didn’t hit that 1 MOA accuracy mark? Even there the news isn’t bad. Four of those rifles—the two lever actions and the two modern sporting rifles—aren’t really built for that kind of work. And the other two bolt guns shot just over an inch: the CVA Cascade SB (1.07-inch average) and the B&T SPR300 Pro (1.036-inch average).

Excellent Performance from Factory Ammo

Running a gun test of this magnitude requires a lot of ammo, and in these lean times several companies stepped up to the plate to help us out. Federal, Winchester, Nosler, Hornady and Black Hills Ammunition were all extremely generous with both rifle and handgun ammunition—to the tune of many thousands of rounds. Heck, we put more than 2,000 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor and 5,000 round of 9mm alone—to say nothing of the other cartridges.

I’m going to break down the performance of the ammunition in another story but two loads in particular are worth mentioning. Federal’s 140-grain SMK and Nosler’s 140-grain RDF. Both delivered stellar accuracy. The average 5-shot group size for the best ten Federal groups was .501 inch, while the Nosler 140 RDF was just a smidge larger at .510 inch. Factory guns shooting factory ammo at that level makes me reconsider all the time I spend handloading for my long-range rifles.

About Gunsite Academy

This year’s test was graciously hosted by Gunsite Academy in Paulden, AZ. As the home of the legendary Jeff Cooper and one of the first firearm training facilities that offered classes to the general public, Gunsite became one of the premier gun training destinations in the country.

At Gunsite we got to work with top-line instructors, utilize their excellent ranges and facilities. The existing range setups, number of target stands and faces, an exclusive range, and the genuinely friendly, helpful, and overly-accommodating staff at Gunsite allowed us to conduct our most extensive gun test ever. Even better, you can go do your own training by signing up for a class.

The post The Best Rifles of 2022, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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