I have 2 things to say about Joe's wording here...

First off, "Good rifle"... A Steven's 200 is a "good rifle". A Ruger ranch rifle is a "good rifle". A Vanguard is a "good rifle". I can't think of anything from the major players that aren't "good guns". There are guns out there that aren't "Good", like a hi-point pistols, or Jennings pistols, but by and large, the major manufacturers do a good job at producing even "budget friendly" or "entry level" rifles that do a good job.

Personally, a "good rifle" is probably a "GREAT hunting rifle". I'd never knock an entry level rifle as a hunting rifle, and I certainly wouldn't necessarily just call it "a good rifle".

The 2nd thing is "if I ever needed one"... 90% of hunters are guys that sighted their rifle in at 50 or 100yrds and read a balistics chart to guess-timate where it's going to hit at 200, 400, and 600yrds, then they keep their rifle in the closet all year, then go fire a group or two before season to double check the zero (maybe not) and take it deer hunting... And they always come home with meat for the pot. (One of my uncles is still hunting out of the same 4 boxes of ammo he bought 40yrs ago the day he bought his rifle-only sighted in once).

My point is, unless you just WANT something a little more refined (read: drive a luxury car), or you have another USE for the rifle, like precision competition, then the average hunter would never NEED anything more than an entry level gun.

Luxury rifles: A Lexus doesn't necessarily last any longer than a Honda Civic, it just looks better doing it. A Weatherby might not last any longer, or shoot any straighter than a Vangaurd (same company), it just looks better doing it...

Precision rifles: A NASCAR car doesn't last NEARLY as long as a Honda Civic, but the demands for it's short life are MUCH higher. A hunting rifle like a Stevens 200 might last for generations without ever needing any work done, while 1,000yrd shooters can go through a barrel every few months.