Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:29 am
Best Hunting Rifle
If you were hoping to find the best hunting rifle in this section we are sorry to disappoint you. There is no such thing as the perfect rifle due to the fact that there are many styles of hunting that basically depend on the game, weather and the environment so in our opinion, we believe that the best hunting rifle is an all-around rifle that can be efficient in many hunting situations, not just for one particular type of hunting. The weight of the rifle is also a very important aspect, the lighter the rifle is, the easier it will be to carry and maneuver it.
The cartridge plays an important part when choosing a hunting rifle that is why every hunter must pay attention before choosing the cartridge. Realistically speaking, an efficient all-around cartridge must be powerful enough in order to shoot “flat“ to a minimum of 300 yards and also hit hard enough in order to quickly kill any game. When you are on the look for a one-size-fits-all kind of cartridge we recommend that you start looking from the top because there is no such thing as "too dead”.
What you need to do is to establish the upper limit on the game size, with other words you must think which is the largest animal you will be hunting in the future. As an example, let’s say that the largest animal you will hunt is a moose, which means that the minimum caliber recommended is the .257. From statements made by different experienced hunters the minimum for a deer is 1,000ft-lbs and about 1,500ft-lbs for elk although of course, less energy will do the job right under perfect conditions. Still, a 1,000ft-lbs minimum is required in order to have a good chance.
With a pointed boat-tail 140-grain bullet type the .264 Win. Mag. generates 1,491 ft.-lbs. at 500 yards which should be (at least on paper) adequate for hunting moose or elk at all normal hunting ranges that is why we will consider it the minimum all-around cartridge. From this point and upwards, everything will work just fine. Of course summarizing all these aspects will lead to a large number of rifles but when taking into consideration the weight, the list of rifles will get smaller.
As a general rule when taking into consideration the weight aspect, rifles that use magnum cartridges in most cases have a 24-26 inch barrel and a minimum weight of about 7 pounds. The big magnum kind of rifles are difficult to carry around that is why lighter rifles are more appropriate. The Remington and Winchester short magnums require less weight and length in order to generate almost as much velocity and we think that these two are the best all-around cartridges at the moment.
Another aspect that many hunters usually don’t take into consideration is the fact that after purchasing a rifle, practice is a crucial process that should be done by every rifle hunter. The hunter needs to get to know the gun, accommodate with it, learn the ins and outs of the rifle so that he will be as accurate as possible in the hunting field. Don’t forget about the gun safety - the hunting rifle must be locked away and stored in a safe place so that children won’t have access to it. The gun must be kept at all times unloaded because although hunting can be a very exciting adventure, safety comes first all the time.
The cartridge plays an important part when choosing a hunting rifle that is why every hunter must pay attention before choosing the cartridge. Realistically speaking, an efficient all-around cartridge must be powerful enough in order to shoot “flat“ to a minimum of 300 yards and also hit hard enough in order to quickly kill any game. When you are on the look for a one-size-fits-all kind of cartridge we recommend that you start looking from the top because there is no such thing as "too dead”.
What you need to do is to establish the upper limit on the game size, with other words you must think which is the largest animal you will be hunting in the future. As an example, let’s say that the largest animal you will hunt is a moose, which means that the minimum caliber recommended is the .257. From statements made by different experienced hunters the minimum for a deer is 1,000ft-lbs and about 1,500ft-lbs for elk although of course, less energy will do the job right under perfect conditions. Still, a 1,000ft-lbs minimum is required in order to have a good chance.
With a pointed boat-tail 140-grain bullet type the .264 Win. Mag. generates 1,491 ft.-lbs. at 500 yards which should be (at least on paper) adequate for hunting moose or elk at all normal hunting ranges that is why we will consider it the minimum all-around cartridge. From this point and upwards, everything will work just fine. Of course summarizing all these aspects will lead to a large number of rifles but when taking into consideration the weight, the list of rifles will get smaller.
As a general rule when taking into consideration the weight aspect, rifles that use magnum cartridges in most cases have a 24-26 inch barrel and a minimum weight of about 7 pounds. The big magnum kind of rifles are difficult to carry around that is why lighter rifles are more appropriate. The Remington and Winchester short magnums require less weight and length in order to generate almost as much velocity and we think that these two are the best all-around cartridges at the moment.
Another aspect that many hunters usually don’t take into consideration is the fact that after purchasing a rifle, practice is a crucial process that should be done by every rifle hunter. The hunter needs to get to know the gun, accommodate with it, learn the ins and outs of the rifle so that he will be as accurate as possible in the hunting field. Don’t forget about the gun safety - the hunting rifle must be locked away and stored in a safe place so that children won’t have access to it. The gun must be kept at all times unloaded because although hunting can be a very exciting adventure, safety comes first all the time.
