What makes a great hunting rifle?
 

What qualities do you look for in a great hunting rifle? Range? Clip capacity? Durability? Camouflage? Engraved Pictures? Action?

The old whole is the sum of its lock,stock and barrel. Golden means proportion great but must have...
Accuracy and Dependability.

Accurate and reliable with only enough weight to achieve the first two requirements.

Magazine capacity is way down the list for me. I often hunt with a single shot. Reliability, weight, accuracy and fit....in no particular order.

reliability, weight, and accuracy. magazine capacity is the least of my worries. One good shot is all you need. I hear so many people take multiple shots and just think wonder why. A lot of public land hunters i've ran into spray and pray, unsafe to say the least.

Fit = I first look for a rifle fits me comfortably (without this, accuracy will be an issue)

Accuracy = I haven't had to put a second round in to an animal in a very long time, first shot is really all that matters...(I have missed a time or two though...hahaha)

Safety = location of the safety is big for me...I really prefer a side safety (like on the Remmy 700's and my Tikka)

Durability and well built = I want a gun that will last a lifetime, while I have several in the safe...90% of my hunting is still done with 2 rifles...

Mag capacity (see accuracy) isn't really an issue...I mostly hunt with my 270 WSM and 3 + 1 is all I get...

What makes a great hunting rifle is the one behind it!!! If the shooter can't aim it correctly, it don't matter what the rest is.

My .02 cents. Correct cartridge for the job. Plenty of optic and quality for the task being asked of the weapon. Quality weapon for the environment and hunting style most likely to encounter. Don't ask a K-Mart rifle to shoot Benchrest groups. Learn your weapon and its limitations BEFORE going afield and try taking game!!! You owe it to yourself and the animal.

Very personal ~ the one I choose for me & the one you choose for you !

Accuracy is everything !

Accuracy and power enough to kill what I'm hunting to the ranges I want to hunt them.

I want as much magazine capacity as I can get. When I'm meat hunting for deer, if I can get all of my doe on the ground from one group, the better for me. If I'm calling coyotes and a flock of them come in, I want them all on the ground. Load up in the morning, hunt all day without running out... That's what I want... I run 30rnd magazines on my AR's when I'm calling coyotes. My 6.8spc, I run 10rnds for deer (better feeding than my 26rnd mags). Upland hunting, I stoke 9rnds of 2 3/4" 12ga in the tube and start walking. Migratory birds (duck, geese, dove) are the only times I'm limited on mag capacity, which has happened about 4 times in the last 5yrs.

Trigger should be crisp, short 2.5-3lbs.

Weight isn't as big of an issue to me as handling and shootability. I almost never carry my rifle at low-ready while hunting anymore, even when stalking, so whether it's 7lbs or 17lbs, I just want it to be well balanced. I'm in good enough shape to hang whatever rifle I want over my shoulder for the hunting I do (rarely over 1/2mi from the truck, haven't been over 5mi from the truck in 5yrs).

Reliable and sure feeding, period.

Good optics. Clear, good performance across the gammut of low light to high light.

Stopping power good enough to pound DRT's whenever I put one on the button. Don't want to do too much meat or pelt damage, but I don't go afield undergunned.

I'm with emtrescue6 on the first most important item ... #1. FIT!

After finding a rifle that fits me well and handles comfortably from length of pull to scope to safety (prefer 3 position's like Winchester) I then like the features in the following order ...

#2. Simplicity of breakdown and cleaning --- I own quite a few complicated weapons, and enjoy tinkering with them, but I don't want that in the field. This would include things like Stainless Steel, Synth stock, simple adjustments for trigger and such, bolt disassembly, etc.

#3. Accuracy to be better than average ... but most guns shoot better than most shooters.

#4. Round/cartridge. I'm not dead set on ANY cartridge but prefer mild kicking rounds that can be loaded heavy for caliber (like 6.5 X 55). However if I can't get a rifle in 6.5 X 55 I'll be very happy with a 308 or 30/06, though there are others I'd investigate first.

Thats about it for me ... I am easily placated by the array of stuff out there today.

Here is what he posted above: All he wants is lots of firepower! Good grief.

"I want as much magazine capacity as I can get. When I'm meat hunting for deer, if I can get all of my doe on the ground from one group, the better for me. If I'm calling coyotes and a flock of them come in, I want them all on the ground. Load up in the morning, hunt all day without running out... That's what I want... I run 30rnd magazines on my AR's when I'm calling coyotes. "

Were doomed. With new gun enthusiasts coming up like that were doomed.




"

Now I understand the moniker; Nomercy ~ LOL !!!

For starters, Welcome to Huntingnet Savage 99.

Secondly, Thanks RR and Sheridan for the back up here, nice to get a tip of the hat from some of the statesmen here.

I don't feel the need to defend myself against Savages comments, if he wants to come in and take shots at me, I welcome the criticism, but since he's new, I'll give him the low-down on why I feel the way I do...

Sure, I'm a big believer in "burn as much powder as you need to". I like to play long range (not regularly as long as Ridge yet, but I'm getting there), but playing outside of 400yrds takes a bit more punch than inside. Frankly, I don't think anyone here (except Savage 99 obviously) would mis-represent that I have any semblance of "magnumitus"...

As far as magazine capacity goes, I still stand by it.

From 2001-2006, if there was meat in the freezer, it was a fair bet that it was killed and butchered by my own hand. I'd get 9 tags a year, and put 9 deer in the deep freeze. With our limited rifle season, it was nice to be able to score doubles or triples when I could. I put 4 doe in the dirt one morning in 5 shots. It's nice to get meat down early so you're panicking during late season about what you're going to be eating if you don't fill your tags. You WILL miss when you are shooting more than two deer at once, so having a few extra rounds in the mag to read the lead on the last of a triple is pretty convenient.

As far as blasting coyotes, Yup, that's what I'm after... I started calling coyotes over 20yrs ago with my family, only reason we called was to protect our livestock at that time. Still doing this service today. I put up fur, and make decent side money by taking care of my hides. When half a dozen dogs come into the call over wide open CRP or cow pasture, I want to put as many on the rack as I can. Do I "spray and pray"? No. Never said I did. But when I hammer one on static, swing to a second, third, and pray I can get to a fourth before they sneak out of sight, I need 1) a fast rifle, 2) low recoil, 3) good glass, and 4) enough downrange pop to do the job on the last dog that had more than a second or two of dead run to gain ground against me... There is a reason that it's hard to get permission to hunt deer, yet I get CALLED to come hunt coyotes. Deer are a limited commodity. Coyotes are an overpopulated nuisance, damaging to myself and my neighbors, I want to perforate every single one of them that I can.

Another two times that I use high capacity mags, or even multiple rifles, is on colony vermin (which are a great way to burn up barrels) and wild hogs. Before the fires in TX, a cattle partner of mine had hogs on his place so think that it has gotten out of control. I take two rifles to keep barrels cool, lay prone in a blind we built on top of one of his barns, pick off hogs for 10hrs a day a few times a year. As slow day was 20hogs, a good day would be 40, anywhere from 100-800yrds, some a touch farther. Did I miss a few times a day? Yup. Did a few require fast follow up shots to anchor them? Yup. Was I glad I was throwing 140-180grns at them? Yup.

So don't assume that your hunting experiences apply for everyone. Again, Welcome to the board.

1) Accuracy
2) Simplicity
3) Reliability

Has to have these qualities, all equally,for me to buy a gun.

Often if you listen, you can hear the difference between opinion and experience.

"We" are blessed with some who are willing to share ~ just say, Thank you !


RR, Nomercy, & Topgun, my NAHC buddy (among many others) - THANK YOU & Happy New Year to you ALL !!!

Here's to 2012, and here's to high hopes for 2013! :party0005: Happy New Year's back at you Sheridan, and to our other fine members here at Huntingnet! Been using here a long time, and there's a reason I keep coming back!

Very well said...I agree 110%!

Accuracy is most important to me.

Do you think you could hit this.......................



again :D

I guess you were accurate he was DOA when he met the ground.

Yup... That and a Savage rifle, more especially the .308 cartridge.

I'm not bragging, alright? I mean, I ain't the most incredible, legendary, shooter or anything. But, my Savage .308 did THIS at 100 yards while totally secured into a bench rest. (I have since clicked my scope up 4 clicks, so I'm 1" high at 100 yards, and haven't touched it since.)

Really was into rifles years ago. Worked in a gun shop. Many guns are great hunting rifles. I have always preferred bolt actions for the strength, performance for a given cartridge, etc. When I was working at the shop, I picked up a used gun that I will use until I can't hunt anymore, then give it to my son. Husqvarna M 8000 with a silky smooth, very strong action, and light weight. Put it in a Brown Precision fiberglass stock. The rifle (30/06) shoots under MOA, handles loads that showed pressure signs in most of the other /06s that I had over the years. Just lucked into a gun that is good enough that I have no desire to buy any other. Never thought I would say that.

For me it's fit. A rifle that you can throw up and your already looking at your animal through the scope is perfect fit. Accuracy is a given your either shooting your rifle good or your not. Triggers depending on which rifle they all have a different feel but several can be close to the same feel and release. And that saying I don't want to know when the rifle is going to fire is a myth to me. I do a lot of offhand shooting and I don't mind a little pull but anything over 4lbs is not a very good trigger. Weight has never been a issue for me I actually prefer to hold the weight. I don't own a non accurate firearm, granted I've traded a few off that were sub par. So I say if your rifle don't fit how you shoot get rid of it. Living in elk country I'd say 80% of my shots have been under 10 second time frame. So being a successful hunter year after year means you may not get that perfect set up to make a perfect shot. So you better know your rifle well and be able to shoot it in all positions well. If you and the rifle can do that then you have a great hunting rifle.

Nice looks, effective caliber, effective range, light weight, and accuracy

1. Overall fit & balance

2. Trigger pull crisp & 2.5 lb. or a bit less

3. accuracy, which the first two play a large part in.

4. Very flat shooting. Exact caliber would depend on what I would use it for.

5. Action would depend on my intended use, bolt action most likely.

this right here. New Haven 70 in 300 wsm, high grade FW stock bedded to a stainless barrel and action. Zeiss and warne rings. To me thats pure hunting heaven right there.

Beautiful wood.................. nice gun !!!

Thank you sir. Sure is a fine shooter too.