Hunting rifles are a joy to use and foster a lifelong love of hunting. That’s what makes picking your hunting rifle such a challenge. You have to get exactly the right one, or your hunting experience could be ruined – not because you don’t like it, not because you’re not good at it, but because you had the wrong rifle for the situation.
And that’s what it all boils down to: the situation. There are two common environments for using a hunting rifle, and what kind of rifle you get depends on which of those environments you’re most likely to be in when hunting season rolls around.
If your environment is deep woods or dense brush, then you’ll need a short- to medium-range rifle, between 25 and 200 yards. Your rifle should be light and mobile, preferably under 9 lbs. with the scope, and it should be no longer than 22 inches. Because your game can quickly find cover, you want a rifle that’s even quicker, so automatic rifles and lever-action rifles are preferable in these conditions if you need to take a second shot. In case you have brush between you and your target, you’ll want a larger caliber that won’t be stopped by a few bushes. Anything .270 or larger with a 120-grain bullet should work for you. You want to avoid anything faster than 2200 feet/second, though, and your scope should have a 3X or 4X option on it – but if you’re in closer than 50 yards, then open sights will work best.
If your environment is the open range instead, then you’ll want longer-range rifles, no less than 200 yards, but 300 yards or more is most likely. Portability is a good exchange for accuracy and velocity here, so go heavier than 9 lbs and longer than 22″ as necessary. Ideally, you’re only going to need to shoot once, so you don’t need automatic or lever-action varieties as much as your deep-woods hunter. Any caliber from 6mm (.243) on up will work for you, too, and 100-grain bullets or larger will be fine. You shouldn’t need to break through any brush cover. Ideal scopes have 6X-9X variable power at least, and greater power would not be a bad thing.
Personal preferences also play a part. Follow the guidelines above based on your primary terrain, but be willing to try out a few options at your local rifle dealer or firearms range before you buy.
