Überprüfung der besten Jagdgewehre aus einer persönlichen Perspektive. Wenn mich ein enger Freund fragen würde, welches Jagdgewehr er zu welchem Preis kaufen sollte, wären dies meine Empfehlungen:

Unter 500 $ – Ruger American Predator (Bestellen Sie es online bei Sportsman’s Warehouse) – Ich habe mich für die Ruger American entschieden, weil sie eine zuverlässige Bauqualität und eine anständige Ausstattung hat. Meine Ruger American durchschnittlich 0,8 ″ Gruppen auf 100 Yards.

Unter $600 – CVA Cascade (Bestellen Sie es online bei Sportsman’s Warehouse) – Diese Version der CVA Cascade bietet einen cerakoted Lauf, super glatte Aktion, und ein besseres Lager als eine Ruger American. Es fühlt sich wie ein großer Schritt nach oben für nur weitere $ 100.

Unter 800 $ – Bergara B-14 Ridge (Bestellen Sie es online bei Sportsman’s Warehouse) – Dieses Gewehr beginnt, einen Sweet Spot zu treffen, wo alles, was teurer ist, beginnt, abnehmende Erträge zu haben. Es lässt sich perfekt laden, hat einen extrem stabilen Schaft, einen schwarz keramikbeschichteten Lauf und sieht großartig aus. Oh, und ja, es ist genau. Sehr genau. Ich denke, sie schlägt die Tikka T3x um den ersten Platz.

Unter 1.600 $ – Sig Cross (Bestellen Sie es online bei Sportsman’s Warehouse) Die Sig Cross ist eine revolutionäre Plattform mit einem Klappschaft, erfordert keine Bettung und ist leicht. Sehen Sie sich meinen Sig Cross Testbericht hier an.

Wenn Sie nicht wollen, um diesen ganzen Beitrag zu lesen, springen Sie zu dem Abschnitt für Gewehre in Ihrem Budget.

Klicken Sie hier, um zum Abschnitt Repetiergewehre über $1.500 zu springen.

Sie haben meine allgemeine Antwort, aber unten werde ich mehr Details und Argumente für diese Auswahl, sowie einige Gewehre nicht zu wählen.

Jagdgewehre unter 500 $: Seien Sie vorsichtig, um den Schrott zu vermeiden!

Es ist wirklich schwer, Gewehre in der Kategorie unter 500 Dollar zu bewerten. In dieser Preisklasse verwenden die Hersteller sehr lockere Toleranzen und haben eine sehr schlechte Qualitätskontrolle. Das bedeutet, dass einige Exemplare eines Gewehrs perfekt funktionieren können, während andere sehr schlecht abschneiden.

Ich erhalte viele negative Kommentare zu meinen Rezensionen über Gewehre in dieser Preisklasse, weil ich manchmal auf ein Gewehr hinweise, das ungenau ist, und viele Kommentatoren betonen, dass ihr Gewehr gut schießt. Denken Sie also daran, wenn Sie meinen Bericht über diese Gewehre lesen, dass ich nur das kommentieren kann, was ich persönlich mit jeder Marke erlebt habe.

Ich habe Hunderte von Stunden damit verbracht, Gewehre in der Preisklasse unter 500 $ zu testen. Am Ende gibt es wirklich nur zwei Gewehre unter 500 Dollar, die Sie meiner Meinung nach in Betracht ziehen sollten: Die Ruger American und die Savage Axis II.

Tikka T3X Lite

Ich habe mich ein wenig zurückgehalten, ein bestimmtes Gewehr in dieser Preisklasse zu empfehlen, weil es ein enges Rennen ist. Ich werde jedoch einfach diese Anekdote hinterlassen. Ein Freund schrieb mir letzte Woche eine SMS und sagte, er habe ein Budget von 750 Dollar für ein erstes Jagdgewehr und fragte mich, was er kaufen sollte. Ich grübelte eine Minute darüber nach, aber er zwang mich zu antworten, und ich sagte, er solle sich für die Tikka T3x Lite entscheiden.

Die Tikka T3X Lite ist mit einem absolut fantastischen System ausgestattet. Die Tikka Aktion ist bei weitem die beste in diesem Preissegment, weil es Zyklen Munition perfekt, hat eine seidig glatte Bolzenschieber und ist zu einer hohen Toleranz hergestellt, so dass jeder letzte ich abholen fühlt sich genauso gut wie die nächste. Die Qualität des Verschlusses und des Laufs sorgen für ein sehr präzises Gewehr.

Es gibt einen Nachteil der Tikka T3x Lite. Aufgrund des Schaftdesigns kann sie den Rückstoß nicht gut verarbeiten. Bei unseren Tests hatten wir alle Gewehre gleich geladen, aber sobald einer der Tester die Tikka nach dem Schießen der anderen Gewehre schoss, bemerkten sie alle, dass sich der Rückstoß schwerer anfühlte. Der Schaft ist nicht sehr steif, die Schaftkappe ist zu steif, und die Schaftgeometrie ist nur akzeptabel.

Im Allgemeinen sollten Sie sich also für die Tikka T3X Lite entscheiden, wenn Sie ein leichtes Gewehr mit einem fantastischen System suchen und Patronen schießen wollen, die leichter als eine 7mm Rem Mag oder .30-06 sind.

Bergara B-14 Jäger

Bergara B-14 Ridge

An einer Bergara B-14 gibt es wirklich nicht viel zu meckern. Die Gewehre sind präzise, zuverlässig und gut gebaut. Allerdings bekommen sie nicht genug Aufmerksamkeit von Jägern – vor allem, weil sie sich kaum von den anderen Gewehren im Regal abheben.

Sie sehen standardmäßig aus, haben keine Riffelung auf dem (ziemlich kräftigen) Verschluss oder dem (ziemlich kräftigen) Lauf, der Verschluss und der Lauf sind nur gebläut, der Abzug ist in Ordnung, aber nicht herausragend, der Verschluss ist ziemlich glatt, aber nicht so glatt wie eine Tikka.

Verstehen Sie mich nicht falsch. Ich mag die Bergara B-14 Kamm. Eigentlich mag ich sie sehr. Es ist eines der besten 3 von 8 Gewehren, die wir in dieser Preisklasse getestet haben. Es ist nur schwer zu begeistern, weil es keine einzige herausragende Eigenschaft hat. Es macht einfach alles einigermaßen gut. Es ist wie das Mädchen, mit dem man sich fast verabredet hat, weil man so gut befreundet war und sich gut verstand, sich aber nie in sie verlieben konnte.

Weatherby Vanguard in Badlands Camo

Weatherby Vanguard

Die Leute schimpfen auf mich für die Empfehlung der Weatherby Vanguard, weil es im Wesentlichen die gleiche Sache wie eine Howa 1500, aber kostet mehr Geld. Sicher, es ist die gleiche Aktion

Ich vermute, eine bessere Bezeichnung für unsere Hirschbüchse wäre wohl die mittelschwere Jagdbüchse. Das liegt daran, dass fast alle Jäger, die ich kenne, ihre Lieblingswildbüchse auch für andere Wildarten verwenden, wenn sich die Gelegenheit ergibt.

Die Hirscharten, die wir hier in Australien haben, sind sehr unterschiedlich groß, vom kleinen Schweinehirsch bis zum mächtigen Sambar. Im weltweiten Vergleich fallen sie jedoch alle in die gleiche Kategorie von mittelgroßem, dünnhäutigem Wild und werden mit einer Vielzahl verschiedener Kaliber gejagt.

Gewehre
Beste Munition für die Hirschjagd
Vor vielen Jahren, bevor die Regierung in einigen Bundesstaaten Beschränkungen in Bezug auf Kaliber und Geschossgewicht einführte, war eines der beliebtesten Kaliber für die Sambarjagd im viktorianischen Hochland die .243 Winchester, und das nicht unbedingt mit einem 100-Gramm-Geschoss.

Diese alten Jäger haben mit der .243er viele Sambars erlegt, und viele von ihnen empfahlen und verwendeten 80-Korn-Geschosse. Ihre Argumentation war, dass ein „gut platziertes“ 80-Korn-Geschoss aufgrund seiner höheren Geschwindigkeit und Schockwirkung viel schneller tötet als ein 100-Korn-Geschoss. Der Schlüssel hierzu ist ein „gut platzierter“ Schuss.

Etwa zur gleichen Zeit in der Jagdgeschichte war ein weiteres beliebtes Kaliber für Dam- und Rotwild und andere größere Wildtiere die kleine .222 Remington mit dem 50-Korn-Projektil. In den 1960er und 70er Jahren wurde sogar die .243 von vielen als „größere Patrone“ angesehen, aber zu dieser Zeit wurden in Neuseeland Tausende von Hirschen erlegt, und viele dieser Jäger waren mit ihren .222ern äußerst erfolgreich, aber sie waren versierte Schützen und wählten ihre Schüsse.

Davon abgesehen reichen die Kaliber, die heute für die Jagd auf unsere australischen Hirscharten in Frage kommen, von einem realistischen Minimum mit der ehrwürdigen .243 Winchester für die kleineren bis mittelgroßen Arten bis hin zur großartigen .338 Winchester Magnum, die wohl eines der besten Magnum-Kaliber für unsere stärksten Hirsche und andere große Wildtiere ist.

Zwischen diesen beiden bewährten Patronen gibt es ein wahres Sammelsurium an Kalibern und Patronen, aus denen Jäger wählen können. Die Auswahl ist so groß, dass ein neuer Jäger bei dem Versuch, die beste Patrone für seinen Zweck zu finden, leicht an Informationsüberlastung leidet.

Jagdsaison
.243 Winchester
Beginnen wir mit der .243 Winchester, einer alten Lieblingswaffe von mir und der zweiten Zentralfeuerwaffe, die ich je besaß, in einer Sako Forester mit einem 4-10 Pecar-Zielfernrohr. Mit diesem Gewehr habe ich alle Arten von Wild erlegt, darunter Schweine und ein paar Rothirsche mit 87-Grain-Hornady-Geschossen, und es hat wunderbar funktioniert. Seitdem hat sich die Entwicklung und Herstellung von Geschossen stark weiterentwickelt, und heute sind für die .243 erstklassige Geschosse von zahlreichen Herstellern erhältlich, die ihre Leistung als absolut akzeptable Jagdpatrone für unser mittelgroßes Rotwild verbessert haben. Die .243 hat einen geringen Rückstoß, so dass sie von allen, die rückstoßempfindlich sind, oder von kleineren Jägern in leichteren Gewehren effektiv eingesetzt werden kann. Sie ist ein echter Favorit in unserem Hauptjagdrevier und wird von mehreren jüngeren Jägern mit ausgezeichneten Ergebnissen auf Ziegen, Schweine und Damwild eingesetzt. Meine bevorzugte Werksmunition für die .243 ist das 100-Korn Remington Core-Lokt, das sowohl auf Rot- als auch auf Damwild gute Ergebnisse erzielt.

Kaliber .25
Wenn man zu den .25er Kalibern aufsteigt, gibt es einige Patronen, die dafür geeignet sind, obwohl die .25er nie wirklich die Popularität anderer Kaliber erreicht haben. Die .257 Roberts hat immer noch ein paar eingefleischte Anhänger und die .25-06 hat ihren eigenen Fanclub. Aber der Platzhirsch unter den .25er-Kalibern ist zweifellos die verehrte und immer noch recht beliebte .257 Weatherby Magnum. Sie verschießt erstklassige 120-Grain-Geschosse mit 3400 fps, bleibt flach und trifft genau so weit, wie man sie sehen kann, aber sie hat ihren Preis in Form von teurer Munition, übermäßigem Mündungsknall und kurzer Lebensdauer des Laufs.

6,5 mm 6,5×55-Patronen
Die 6,5-mm-Patronen gibt es schon seit langem, aber sie haben auch in Australien nie eine große Anhängerschaft gefunden. Die wahrscheinlich beliebteste 6,5er-Patrone ist die alte 6,5×55 Swedish, die ein 120- oder 140-Korn-Geschoss mit 2700 bzw. 2500 fps verschießt. Sie ist in den skandinavischen Ländern nach wie vor sehr beliebt für die Jagd auf Wild bis zur Größe von Elchen. Der größte Nachteil dieser Patrone hier in Australien ist, dass sie meist in ehemaligen Militärgewehren des Typs 1896 Mauser zu finden ist, die zwar stark genug sind, aber beim Schließen des Verschlusses spannen und damit nicht in die Liga der großen Mauser 98 passen. Die jüngste Antwort von Remington auf die 6,5×55 ist die .260 Remington, die die Ballistik der 6,5×55 nahezu dupliziert und für die meisten Gewehrmarken erhältlich ist. Mit den richtigen Geschossen wäre es ein geeignetes Kaliber, um die meisten unserer Wildarten mit minimalem Rückstoß zu erlegen.

.270 Winchester
Ah, endlich, mein Lieblingskaliber für Rotwild, die .270 Winchester. Es gibt es schon seit

Übersetzt mit DeepL.com (kostenlose Version)

The right deer rifle will definitely matter on the caliber of the ammo, right? Wrong!

I suppose a better description for our deer rifle would probably be the medium game hunting rifle. This is because just about all hunters that I know use their favourite deer rifle to take other game when the opportunity arises. The deer species that we have here in Australia vary a great deal in size from quite small with the little hog deer to very large with the mighty sambar. However, by world standards, they all fall into the same category of medium-sized, thin-skinned game and are all hunted with a myriad of different calibers.

Best Ammo for Deer Hunting

Many years ago, before government restrictions were introduced in relation to calibers and bullet weights in some states, one of the favorite calibers for hunting sambars in the Victorian High Country was the .243 Winchester, and not necessarily with a 100-grain projectile. Those old hunters took plenty of sambars with the .243 and a lot of them recommended and used 80-grain bullets. Their reasoning was that a ‘well-placed’ 80-grainer killed far quicker than the 100-grain load, due to its higher velocity and increased shocking power. The key here being a ‘‘well-placed’’ shot.

At about the same time in hunting history, another favourite calibre for fallow and red deer and other larger feral animals was the diminutive .222 Remington with the 50-grain projectile. Back in the 1960s and ’70s, even the .243 was considered by many to be a ‘larger round’, but there were thousands of deer culled in New Zealand at that time and a great deal of the deer cullers were extremely successful, hunting with their .222s, but they were well-versed marksmen and they picked their shots.

That being said, the calibres that are considered for hunting our Australian deer species today vary from a realistic minimum with the venerable .243 Winchester for the smaller to medium species, right up to the great .338 Winchester Magnum, which would have to be one of the best Magnum calibres for our heftiest deer and other big feral and game animals.

Between those two tried and true cartridges, there is a veritable smorgasbord of calibres and cartridges available for hunters to choose from. So many in fact, that it is quite easy for the new hunter to suffer information overload while attempting to work out which is the best round for their intended purpose.

.243 Winchester

Let’s start with the .243 Winchester, which is an old favourite of mine and the second centrefire that I ever owned, in a Sako Forester with a 4-10 Pecar scope. I used that rifle to take all manner of game including pigs and a few red deer with 87-grain Hornady projectiles and it worked a treat. Projectile design and manufacture have come a long way since then and premium projectiles from numerous different makers are now available for the .243, which have enhanced its performance as a perfectly acceptable hunting round for our medium-sized deer. The .243 has mild recoil, so can be used effectively by anyone who is recoil sensitive, or by smaller statured hunters in lighter rifles. It’s a real favourite at our main hunting property, with several younger hunters using it with excellent results for goats, pigs and fallow deer. My favourite factory round for the .243 is the 100-grain Remington Core-Lokt, which performs well on both red and fallow deer.

.25 calibres

Stepping up to the .25 calibres, there are a few cartridges that will fit the bill, although the .25s have never really gained the popularity of other calibres. The .257 Roberts still has a few diehard followers and the .25-06 has its own fan club. But without doubt the top dog of the .25s has to be the revered and still reasonably popular .257 Weatherby Magnum. Shooting premium 120-grain projectiles at 3400fps, it stays flat and hits hard, just about as far out as you can see them, but there’s a price to pay with expensive ammo, excessive muzzle blast and short barrel life.

6.5mm 6.5×55 cartridges

The 6.5mm cartridges have been around a long time but have never really had a big following in Australia either. Possibly the most popular of the 6.5s is the old 6.5×55 Swedish, which fires a 120- or 140-grain bullet at 2700 and 2500fps respectively. It’s still a favourite in the Scandinavian countries for hunting game up to the size of moose. The biggest drawback for the cartridge here in Australia is that it’s mostly found in ex-military 1896 Mauser rifles, which are strong enough, but they cock on closing the bolt, taking it out of the league of the great Mauser 98. Remington’s recent answer to the 6.5×55 is the .260 Remington, which almost duplicates the 6.5×55’s ballistics and can be had in most makes of rifle. With the right bullets, it would fit the bill nicely as a calibre capable of taking most of our deer species with minimum recoil.

.270 Winchester

Ah, at last, my favourite deer calibre, the .270 Winchester. It has been around since 1925 when it was introduced by Winchester in its Model 54 bolt-action rifle and has been going from strength to strength ever since. It was specifically designed as a flat-shooting deer cartridge that could be made in relatively light rifles, without excessive recoil. With it, I have successfully hunted most of the feral and game animals available in Australia, including buffaloes and plains game in Africa. With premium projectiles, in the 130- to 150-grain range, the .270 Winchester is a great performer. The only other factory cartridges in this calibre worth considering are the .270 Weatherby Magnum, which is an excellent round that only suffers from a lack of available rifles, and the .270 WSM, which has never really taken off in Australia for some reason.

Other notable ammo worthy for a deer Hunt

There are several popular 7mm cartridges, starting with the 7mm-08, which is ballistically similar to the 120-year-old 7x57mm Mauser. There are several 7mm Magnums in existence and all perform similarly well. They include the 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm Weatherby Magnum and 7mm Winchester Short Magnum. When I was 16 years old, I bought a 7mm Remington Magnum in a new Ruger M77 rifle. It was an excellent performer on pigs and deer, but was heavier and longer than the .270 and I could not really tell the difference on game.

Some of you may have thought, he’s forgotten the .280 Remington! No, I haven’t, I’m just leaving the best until last. This is the cartridge that the .270 should have been, as it’s just a little bit more versatile all round, owing to a better useable selection of projectile weights ranging up to 160 grains.  The .280 is truly an excellent round for all of our deer species.

There is probably no other calibre with such a large selection of available bullet weights, or the amount of appropriate deer cartridges on offer than the .30 calibres. Starting with the ever-popular .308 Winchester, which has proved itself worldwide as an apt deer cartridge since its introduction back in the early 1950s. There are several popular cartridges in the magnums including the .300 WSM, .300 Win Mag, .300 Weatherby Mag and .308 Norma Magnums. All are good performers on deer-size game and my son Bill used his Sako .300 WSM in Africa on plains game with excellent results. However, my pick of them would be the .300 Win Mag, as it is easy to obtain ammo and there’s a great selection of reasonably-priced rifles available for it.

Once again, I have left the best until last, the respected .30-06 Springfield, brother to the .270 Winchester. The .30-06 is more than 110 years old and still going strong. It handles projectiles for deer from 130 to 220 grains without a problem. My youngest son Morgan has a Steyr-Mannlicher Pro Hunter in .30-06 and has shot foxes, pigs, goats, fallow deer and a buffalo bull loaded with 180-grain Barnes TSX projectiles. The .30-06 is a great old performer that still punches way above its weight.

The last calibre that I will consider here is the .338. Currently, there are only three cartridges in this bracket that offer any availability of factory ammo. The first and smallest is the recently released .338 Federal, which is based on the .308 case. Its heavy projectiles combined with relatively small case capacity translate into low muzzle velocities and thus curved trajectories, relegating this cartridge to close-range work in wooded environments.

The other two cartridges in this calibre are the .338 Winchester Magnum and .340 Weatherby Magnum. Both work rather well on all medium game and can also be used effectively on big game up to, but excluding, dangerous game. I have owned a .338 Win Mag for more than 15 years and have used it on deer, goats, pigs and buffaloes in Australia. I have also taken quite a few African plains game species with it including zebras, blue and black wildebeests, kudus and warthogs. I only use the one load in my .338 Win Mag for everything, consisting of the 2250-grain Barnes TSX projectiles at 2840fps.

The downside to the .338 Win Mag is that it kicks like a mule, as my rifle is a lightweight Kimber Montana. The all-up weight with Zeiss 3-9×42 scope, mounts, sling and four rounds, is only 8.5lb. It’s a great rifle to hunt with and it kills everything emphatically, but it’s no fun to sight-in at the range.

That pretty well sums up the majority of the currently available cartridges that are on offer for a medium-game or deer-hunting rifle. Of course, there are many others that I have not mentioned here, but there are not enough pages in Australian Hunter to list and talk about them all.

After choosing your calibre, you will need to decide what type of rifle you want it in, as there are literally hundreds of rifles available in whichever calibre you choose, including single-shots, lever-actions, pump-actions and of course, bolt-actions.

There are a couple of single-shot rifles that fit the bill nicely, but in reality, they are usually far more expensive than bolt-actions and are generally relegated to serious experienced stalkers. The Ruger No.1 is a beautiful stalking rifle and probably the most popular of the single-shots and comes in many calibres.

As far as lever-actions go, there are only a few to choose from that are offered in any of the aforementioned calibres, the Miroku MLR and Browning BLR being the main contenders. Years ago, I bought a Miroku lever-action in .243 for my second eldest boy Tom as he is left-handed and back then left-handed rifles were in short supply. So, if a lever-action is your choice, either a Browning or a Miroku will do the job.

There are several pump-action rifles available, but by far the favourite among Aussie deer hunters, is the Remington 7600, which can be had in a calibre to suit any of our deer species, from .243, .308, .270, 30-06 and the hard-hitting .35 Whelen, both in carbine and rifle configurations. In .270, .308, .30-06 and .35 Whelen, it’s a firm favourite with our sambar hunters.

However, the mainstay of most serious deer hunters during the past 100-odd years has been the bolt-action repeater, which affords the hunter with adequate accurate firepower at an affordable price. Personally, I tend to lean towards the Mauser 98-style actions with their large claw extractors for positive case extraction, but virtually every major arms manufacturer offers strong, reliable bolt-actions that will do a good job.

The other consideration is whether you choose stainless steel or blue metalwork or a synthetic or wooden stock. I personally prefer stainless/synthetic rifles for hunting, as they are not affected by extremes of temperature or humidity and a good synthetic stock won’t warp or swell, thus never disturbing the zero of the rifle.

Blue steel rifles can rust and wooden stocks can warp and swell when exposed to excessive moisture. I experienced this firsthand during a five-day pack hunt many years ago where it rained the whole time, swelling the wooden stock on my Parker-Hale .243 to the point where the bolt would not operate properly and the fore-end warped against the barrel. It took a full 12 months for that stock to dry out and shrink back to normal. This is never going to be a concern with a stainless/synthetic rifle. Sure, they don’t have the same ‘eye appeal’ as a deeply blued, walnut-stocked rifle, but they are a far more stable and practical choice for hunting in extreme weather.

Whether you use open sights or a scope on your deer rifle is another question, but in reality, the vast majority of hunters are going to use a scope, and I have addressed this very issue previously in my article on hunting riflescopes in the February 2017 Australian Shooter.

So, there you have it. I hope that I have answered more questions than I have posed, and now the choice of calibre, make and model of your deer hunting rifle is up to you. Enjoy the hunt

Reviewing best hunting rifles from a personal perspective. If a close friend asked me what hunting rifle to buy at each price point, these would be my recommendations:

• Under $500 – Ruger American Predator (Order it online at Sportsman’s Warehouse) – I picked the Ruger American because it has reliable build quality and a decent feature set. My Ruger American averages 0.8″ groups at 100 yards.
• Under $600 – CVA Cascade (Order it online at Sportsman’s Warehouse) – This version of the CVA Cascade offers a cerakoted barrel, super smooth action, and a better stock than a Ruger American. It feels like a big step up for just another $100.
• Under $800 – Bergara B-14 Ridge (Order it online at Sportsman’s Warehouse) – This rifle is starting to hit a sweet spot where everything more expensive will begin having diminishing returns. It feeds perfectly, has an extremely rigid stock, has a black cerakoted barrel, and it looks great. Oh, and yes, it’s accurate. Very accurate. I think it beats out the Tikka T3x for the top spot.
• Under $1,600 – Sig Cross (Order it online at Sportsman’s Warehouse) The Sig Cross is a revolutionary platform with a folding stock, requires no bedding, and is lightweight. Watch my Sig Cross review here.

If you don’t want to read this entire post, jump to the section for rifles in your budget.

• Click here to jump to the section bolt-action rifles over $1,500

You have my general answer, but below I’ll provide more detail and reasoning for those selections, as well as some rifles not to pick.

Hunting Rifles Under $500: Be Careful to Avoid the Junk!

It’s really hard to review rifles in the under $500 category. In this price range, manufacturers use very loose tolerances and have very poor quality control. This means some copies of a rifle can come out working perfectly, and others perform very poorly.

I get a lot of negative comments on my reviews of rifles in the inexpensive price range because I sometimes harp on a rifle that is inaccurate, and many commenters point out that theirs shoots well. So keep in mind as you read my review of these guns that I can only comment on what I have personally experienced with each brand.

I have spent hundreds of hours testing rifles in the under $500 price range. In the end, there are really only two rifles under $500 that I personally think you should consider: The Ruger American and the Savage Axis II.

Tikka T3X Lite

I’ve been a little coy about recommending one specific rifle in this price range because it’s a tight race. However, I’ll simply leave this anecdote. A friend texted me last week and said he had a $750 budget for a first hunting rifle and asked me what he should buy. I stewed over it for a minute but he made me answer, and I said to go with the Tikka T3x Lite.

The Tikka T3X Lite comes with an absolutely fantastic action. The Tikka action is by far the best in this price point because it cycles ammo perfectly, has a silky smooth bolt slide and is manufactured to a high tolerance so every last one I pick up feels just as good as the one next to it. The action quality, as well as the barrel, produces a very accurate rifle.

There is one drawback to the Tikka T3x Lite. It doesn’t handle recoil well because of the stock design. In our testing, we had all of the guns chambered alike, but as soon as any of the reviewers shot the Tikka after shooting the other rifles, they all commented that the recoil felt heavier. The stock is not very rigid, the butt pad is too stiff, and the stock geometry is only acceptable.

So in general, pick the Tikka T3X Lite if you want a lightweight rifle with a fantastic action, and you’re going to be shooting cartridges lighter than a 7mm Rem Mag or .30-06.

Bergara B-14 Hunter

Bergara B-14 Ridge

There really isn’t much to complain about on a Bergara B-14. The rifles are accurate, reliable, and built well. However, they really don’t get enough attention from hunters–mostly because they make few attempts to really stand out from the other rifles on the shelf.

They look standard, don’t include fluting on the (rather beefy) bolt or the (rather beefy) barrel, the action and barrel are just blued, the trigger is fine but not outstanding, the action is quite smooth but not as smooth as a Tikka.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the Bergara B-14 ridge. Actually, I like it a lot. It’s one of the best 3 out of 8 rifles we tested in this price range. It’s just tough to get excited about because it has no single stand-out feature. It just does everything reasonably well. It’s like the girl you almost dated because you were such good friends and got along with great, but just never could fall in love with.

Weatherby Vanguard in Badlands Camo

Weatherby Vanguard

People harp on me for recommending the Weatherby Vanguard because it’s essentially the same thing as a Howa 1500, but costs more money. Sure, it’s the same action and barrel, but it’s dressed up completely differently, and I think it changes the gun significantly.

The Weatherby Vanguard comes in several different editions. The one I tested was in Badlands camo, and is probably the most common edition I see on store shelves. The stock feels like it is created of a very tough polymer. It feels almost as rigid as concrete, and that’s a good thing.

The also Cerakote the barrel which lowers the need for oiling the metals on your gun, and protects it in rainy or otherwise wet conditions.

In our testing, the Weatherby Vanguard shot the most accurately, although the difference between it, the Bergara and the Tikka was so small that I doubt we could call it statistically significant.

The Vanguard does come in quite a few cartridges, but retail stores will only give them so many spots on the shelves, and since Weatherby is always pushing its own cartridges, it’s common to not find the chambering you’re looking for without special ordering it.

Other Options Under $1,000

If the Tikka, Bergara, and Weatherby offerings still aren’t meeting your needs, there are other choices for you to consider.

CVA Cascade – I love the CVA Cascade. It packs in some really nice features for the money. I would generally prefer the Bergara Wilderness Ridge, but for a little less money, the CVA Cascade is great.

Savage 110 Switchback – The Savage 110 comes in many different models, but the Switchback that we tested did not convert us to Savage in this price point. It was very inaccurate and poorly designed.

Howa Hogue – Picture the Weatherby Vanguard. Remove the Cerakote and the cool paint job. Now remove the well-constructed and rigid stock. Replace that stock with a giant high bouncy ball (shaped like a rifle stock). You now have a Howa Hogue. The stock is not at all rigid, which is likely what caused our accuracy issues. It also looks and feels really cheap. There are Hogue rifles built with other stocks, but the one we tested doesn’t get Backfire’s recommendation.

Kimber Hunter – The Kimber comes with a controlled-round feed which is rare to see in this price point. It’s a good action as long as you aren’t too ginger with the bolt as you cycle rounds. It’s also an accurate gun and extremely lightweight. However, I hate the stock design. It’s an old-school sporter stock in a very light rifle, so it’s tough to shoot accurately in a typical hunting situation.

The Rifle to Avoid: The Remington 700

The Rem 700 has been the de facto standard hunting rifle for many decades. Most all other hunting rifles are patterned after the Remington 700. Remington (now Rem Arms) has made a lot of noise about how they are going to clean up the reputation and start producing quality products, but I’ve heard that for years. I’ll believe it when I see it.

If Remington starts producing a better rifle than the other options on the gun shelf, I’ll be thrilled to buy one and recommend it. But until then, do not buy a Remington 700 unless you’re planning to do significant work to the gun and use it as a platform for a custom build.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Yao7mYsrio?feature=oembed Best Bolt-Action Hunting Rifles Under $1,500

There are several manufacturers producing rifles in the $1,000 to $1,500 price range, but the options are more limited than in some of the cheaper price ranges.

In my opinion, the best options around $1,200 are the Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed, the Savage 110 Ultralight, the Bergara HMR, and the Sig Sauer Cross.

First, let’s discuss the Bergara HMR. It’s an excellent rifle for long-range shooting, but it’s just too heavy in my opinion for most backcountry hunting situations. In fact, that goes with most of the offerings from Bergara. They make a great rifle, but except for their Mountain 2.0 rifle (around $2,000), they just don’t seem to be creating light enough rifles to suit today’s shooter.

Sig Cross – Great rifle, but some people get a lemon

The Sig Cross: Amazing design after some early quality control issues

The copy of the Sig Cross that I received was excellent in almost every way. It shot nice little groups, the build quality was excellent, and the folding stock made for a supremely portable rifle.

However, too many other reviewers have received lemon copies of the Sig Cross. There was the NutnFancy review of the Cross early on showing an extremely dangerous instant-recall-inducing trigger malfunction. Then the Military Arms channel did a review showing another dangerous condition with a safety that didn’t quite get into position when selected. My safety eventually developed that same issue.

However, as I’ve owned the Sig Cross for almost a year now, I’m surprised by how frequently it’s the gun I reach for in the safe. In fact, I frequently find myself out shooting with a Sig Cross even when I have much more expensive guns that I could be choosing. It has become one of my favorite guns.

I like the Sig Cross because it’s lightweight, easily adjustable to fit me or my kids, very accurate, and the short barrel and folding stock make it easily packable for hunts. I’ve fallen in love. Highly recommended.

Tikka Wilderness

Tikka T3X Lite Veil Wideland

I really like the Tikka Veil Wideland chambered in 6.5 PRC. It comes with a popular veil camo pattern on the stock (though I wish they had made the grips to match the camo), a Cerakoted barrel, fluting on the bolt and barrel, and a threaded barrel.

However, I do feel like it’s missing some things in this price point. No carbon fiber barrel or stock, the stock doesn’t have a high enough comb for a good cheek weld, and the butt pad is far too stiff to be effective. Also, the trigger comes in at 4 lbs, 7 oz which is about twice as heavy as most serious shooters prefer.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/TKURL4G_-ys?feature=oembed Savage 110 Ultralight

I love this gun. It comes with a very plasticy, but well-designed stock, and has adjustable length-of-pull and comb height to make it fit well. The standout feature of this gun, though, is certainly the Proof Research barrel. That’s a $900 barrel on a gun you can buy for $1,200. Very impressive.

The only things I don’t like about the Savage 110 Ultralight is the very plasticy magazine and mag well. It did affect feeding, and putting in the mag is a chore. I wouldn’t call the feeding unreliable, but it’s not as reliable as the X-Bolt or the Tikka. Also, the stock is well-designed, but it does still feel like cheap plastic.

Someone described this gun to me the other day as “a $500 gun with a $900 barrel.” That’s not far off the mark. Still, they look good, function well, are incredibly accurate, and Savage rarely has quality control issues.The browning X-Bolt is a great gun, but plan to take out the trigger and put in a Timney.

Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed

The Browning X-Bolt in Hell’s Canyon Camo has been so popular that Browning now makes the rifle in about two dozen different configurations. They all use essentially the same barreled action and stock material, though. So I’ll review the X-Bolt as if it’s one gun, and you can decide what configuration is best for you.

The Browning X-Bolt has a tremendous action. It feeds extremely reliably. I also am a fan of Browning’s 4-screw-per-ring system for attaching a scope ring. Also, the styling of the Browning is by far the best in this price range.

There really is only one thing that I don’t like about the Browning X-Bolt. The trigger! Don’t get me wrong. It’s a premium quality trigger (hello, the blade is gold!), but the trigger is simply too heavy for accurate shooting in my opinion. The copies I’ve tested had a trigger pull weight of about 4 pounds, 5 ounces.  

So should you buy a Browning X-Bolt? Yes! Just plan to pay an additional $175 on a Timney trigger that you can easily add into the rifle with no gunsmithing skill necessary. It’s easy. My 10-year-old did it for me (not kidding).

Jim, You Gotta Come Up with a Winner for the Best Rifle Under $1,500

Argh. It’s so hard to decide between a Savage 110 Ultralight, a Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed, and the Sig Cross.

Browning X-Bolt HC

• Poor stock adjustability
• Good accuracy
• Better stock
• Poor trigger
• Excellent feeding
• Pick this one if you want your gun to look good, have a great action, be reliable, and shoot well.

Savage 110 Ultralight

• Good stock adjustability
• Best accuracy
• Good stock
• Good trigger
• Good feeding
• Pick this one if you want 3/4 MOA groups, light weight, and can look past a cheesy stock.

Sig Sauer Cross

• Best stock adjustability
• Better accuracy
• Best stock
• Best trigger
• Excellent feeding
• Pick this one if you value something adjustable, packable, light, accurate, and fun to shoot.

I. Just. Can’t. Decide! These are three great options. If I could only pick one, though, it’d be the Sig Cross. Over the last year I’ve just found myself choosing it so often that it has to be my pick.

Best Bolt-Action Hunting Rifles Over $1,500

This is probably the easiest section of this post to write. If you’re buying a rifle between $1,500 and $2,500, I can sum up my recommendation in just 5 words: get the Springfield 2020 Waypoint. Period.

However, if you’re spending more and want to get into the <$3,000 price point, then the Fierce Reaper just can’t be beaten. It looks like it was designed for a video game, it’s light, has all the creature comforts of a fine precision rifle, and shoots like a dream.

Springfield 2020 Waypoint

The only problem with a Springfield 2020 Waypoint is they don’t offer it in enough chamberings. If they sold one in 7mm SAUM using a long action and long enough magazine to give me full freedom to reload, I’d buy one so fast it’d scare the neighbors.

I don’t say that lightly. I’m well aware that there is stiff competition in the “semi-custom rifle” category. The Bergara Mountain 2.0, Kimber Mountain Ascent, Bergara Premier, Browning X-Bolt Pro, Seekins Havac, Weatherby Mark V, Fierce Edge, Christensen Ridgeline, and others are all rifles I’m familiar with. Still, it’s the 2020 Waypoint in my opinion

Having said that, in this price range, a lot of the decision is matching the rifle to your unique circumstances and preferences. So, here are my quick thoughts on some of the competition for the best premium factory rifle under $2,500.

Christensen Ridgeline – So many people have asked me to review one, and I just can’t justify spending $2,000 on one because I’ve heard so many reports of inconsistent manufacturing quality. Some people get a good one, others get a lemon. So if I review it and love my copy, I’d be convincing people to buy one and they very likely may not have the same experience. Christensen needs to improve its quality control in my opinion. Plus, it uses an old-school sporter stock that just isn’t what today’s long-range shooter is looking for.

Christensen MPR – I came so close to buying an MPR a couple weeks ago. Of all of the guns Christensen produces, the MPR is by far the best in my opinion. The thing that keeps me from buying is that when I watch reviews, it’s the same story. They are just sending too high of a percentage of lemons out the door. But boy that MPR looks good.

Browning X-Bolt Pro – I like the X-Bolt Pro. I owned one in .28 Nosler and it was a very poor choice for that heavy-recoiling of a cartridge. It’s a good option for light cartridges, but the light weight and stock design don’t make for a good match on heavy cartridges. Also, I think the X-Bolt Pro just isn’t bringing enough to the table for doubling the price over a regular X-Bolt. In today’s market, it needs a more modern stock design, carbon barrel, and premium trigger to be worth the price they are asking.  

Kimber Mountain Ascent Subalpine – I just don’t like the Kimber Mountain Ascent. I owned one and sold it. The controlled-round feed action is great. People say it’s the most consistent action, but I only sort of agree. I think in theory controlled feed is better, but they also generally don’t feed well (or at all) if you try to feed by dropping one in, rather than mag feeding. Also, it works great if you quickly manhandle the action. If you go slow while trying to be quiet in a hunting situation, it may not feed right. Also, the very aged sporter stock design doesn’t lend itself well to shooting long range–especially in such a light rifle. It’s not for me. .

Fierce Rival – I really like my Fierce Rival chambered in 6.5 PRC. Of all the rifles I own, if you just said “Grab a rifle and go hunting” without any more specifics of where I’d be hunting or what I’d be hunting, I’d grab that rifle. Fierce rifles are accurate, built well, look great, come with good triggers, and feed perfectly. There are only two critiques I have of the Rival: (1) The front of the stock blocks “slide-on” Picatinny attachments such as the MDT Ckyepod or the Hatch bipod, and (2) I do wish the cheek piece went higher like on the AG Composites Alpine Hunter stock. 

 Fierce Reaper – I just love it so much. I seriously am not sure how you can improve on it. Excellent in every way… but it’s expensive.

Weatherby Mark V – Weatherby makes a fantastic rifle. Every Weatherby I’ve ever shot has been exceptionally accurate and well-built. I rarely hear manufacturing quality concerns about Weatherby rifles. Really, the only thing that keeps me from owning more of them is that I can rarely find them in the chamberings I want. Their ammo is INSANELY expensive, so I wouldn’t invest in a Weatherby chambering. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a Weatherby if you find one in a cartridge you like, or if you don’t mind shooting Weatherby’s overbore cartridges.

There are so many other options to consider, but hopefully, that gives you a solid starting place if you’re looking for a premium hunting rifle.

I’m holding my breath for the comments section on this post. I know there will be a lot of hate because I’ve been very frank about my opinions, but I test so many rifles that I just wanted one single post that I keep up to date where I can just say it how I see it without any politically correct crap.

Jim Harmer

Jim Harmer is a host of the Backfire Youtube channel. He has managed multiple gun ranges, and has hunted around the world. He is a well-known entrepreneur, having started many successful online brands, and lives in St George, Utah.

A lot of shooters agonize over achieving acceptable accuracy in their hunting rifles and suffer significant frustration in the process.  Certainly, I did over the years. That was until I had an epiphany of sorts and changed my attitude.

Firstly, I must say that getting the best accuracy out of any rifle is a worthwhile goal, and there is a wealth of good advice available on how to achieve that.  Seeking the Holy Grail of immaculate accuracy is certainly a necessary vocation for bench rest and varmint shooters.

Likewise, for those folks who are devotees to that new form of hunting, using range-finders, ballistics charts or calculators, heavy-barrelled magnum rifles and big scopes. If you aspire to slipping a 200 grain boat-tail into the shoulder of a big old boar that is 500+ meters out on the plain, then you will need all the accuracy you can muster.

200 meters is long range

However, I am an old school type hunter and I suspect a lot of hunters out there are too, even if they have not recognized that fact. For me, 200 metres IS long range!  I subscribe to the closer-the-better club.

As an old school hunter it eventually became clear to me that my quest for text book accuracy in my hunting rifles was misdirected; counter-productive even. Suddenly, a lot of the old advice that I had garnered over the decades fell into place and now made good sense.

Benchrest shooters, varminters and game-snipers need read no further.  The following is for old school hunters.  So, what is an old school hunter?  Old school hunters get out and about seeking their quarry.  Encounters with game are generally random and variable.  They take their shots at game from hastily assumed field positions. Generally they will be on foot, even if a vehicle or other means of transport has taken them to the area.

Old school hunters travel light, with minimal gear. Their rifle shoots flat over the ranges they intend to shoot their quarry from and they do not need to consider wind or projectile drop. The rifle is sighted to be a maximum of 50mm above the line of sight at apogee. The flat shooting range of a rifle is the distance from the muzzle to where the projectile drops more that 50mm below the line of sight.

Rifle shooting range

The flat shooting range of a rifle depends on the calibre and the loading.  For a 22 rimfire the flat shooting range would be about 75 metres.  For a 257 Weatherby Magnum the flat shooting range is getting out to about 270 metres. My 7×57, using 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips, shoots flat to about 200 metres.

The field accuracy of the rifle and the shooter mean that there does not need to be any consideration of trajectory. Even with a hunting rifle of great accuracy, capable of shooting one-hole groups off the bench, there are very few shooters who could produce groups under 2 MOA from field hunting positions with such a rifle.  Field position means standing, kneeling, crouching or squatting, most likely on an uneven surface, perhaps using a sapling, log, rock or other solid object as a lean; the position you suddenly find yourself in when your quarry presents for a shot that must be taken quickly, or not all.

That 2 MOA (minute of angle) translates, without getting too finicky about the technicalities, to a 50mm circle at 100 metres.  That is close enough to 100mm at 200 metres and 150mm at 300 metres.

The only consideration old school hunters needs to make is simply whether the target is within the flat shooting range of their rifle, and whether they feel confident they can take the shot. That being so, the cross hairs of the reticule are place on the intended point of impact and the trigger squeezed.

Forget about the minute variations

There is no point in trying to assess minute variations in point of aim required to cater for estimates of distance and wind.  Such variations are within the accuracy capability of the hunter/rifle combination and there is simply no need to try and allow for such things under normal hunting encounters.

When I finally understood that my hunting capability improved significantly.  I have seen the same result in other hunters too.  Once the shooter ceases to worry about minor, irrelevant adjustments to their point of aim and concentrates purely on getting the shot away, hunting success improves.

Of course, a lot of old hunters knew that instinctively and that is how they hunted.  Quick target acquisition and shot taking pays off in the field.  And that brings me to the other part of my revelation; accuracy.

Over the years I have owned quite a few different rifles, pretty much all hunting rifles. For a long time I laboured for the goal of accuracy as defined by ten shot groups. I used to get very frustrated by rifles that would put the first five or so shots into very promising small groups, only to blow right out by the time the tenth shot had been fired.

Your shooting will get better over time

Over time my shooting improved as I learnt more about re-loading, barrel cleaning and shooting technique, but I have only ever had a couple of rifles that would consistently give me sub MOA groups with ten shots.  Along the way, there were experiences that I did not appreciate until much later.

A great example of that was my friend Errol’s bunny gun.  We used to regularly visit local farms and spotlight hares off the lucern and bunnies from around the edges of the paddock.  Our technique was to walk about with a backpack containing a car battery hooked up to a spotlight.

We generally carried a small bean bag too, which we placed on top of the big corner fence posts, as a rest for the rifle.  We used a number of different rifles on these expeditions, but the outstanding performer was Errol’s Ruger No 3 carbine in 22 Hornet. It just seemed to be one of those “can’t miss” rifles you are occasionally lucky enough to find. It invariably delivered spectacular one-shot kills on hares and bunnies, right out to the limits of the spotlight.

A rifle on the range can be different to one on the field

What really intrigued me though was that, by my standards, it was not much of a performer at the range.  By the time you had put 5 shots through it, the group started to widen considerably.  However, what made it, and any rifle for that matter, a great hunting rifle was that those first three shots were always a clover leaf group at 100 metres.

In a game hunting situation we generally only get a chance for one or two shots in succession when an opportunity arises. The first shot would normally be deliberate, at a stationary target.  Second and subsequent shots would likely be at a moving target.

Under these conditions the field circumstances over-ride the inherent bench accuracy of your rifle. In taking an off-hand shot at a fleeing pig, a rifle that can shoot 0.3MOA off the bench confers no advantage at all over a fast-handling scrub gun that only delivers 3MOA.  In fact, depending on the scope, stock and balance of the rifle, your bench-accurate rifle may actually be a disadvantage.

It took me a long time to appreciate just what was really the key criteria for a reliable hunting rifle. My definition of what is acceptable accuracy for a hunting rifle now centres on three shot groups, not ten.

Sight your rifle in for the load you are using

While I will strive to develop loads that deliver MOA, or less, off the bench I have hunted successfully with new loads that did not group very well at all.  Obviously, your rifle needs to be sighted for the load you are using and you need to know just what sort of accuracy is being achieved.

When testing new projectiles, before much load development has been done, I have gone hunting with loads I knew were only giving about 3 MOA.  Under those circumstances I reduce my hunting range a little to compensate.  If the projectiles performed to my satisfaction on game then I would persevere with load development, seeking to get to MOA, or better, off the bench.

The key is having the discipline to only shoot over the range you are confident of placing your shots accurately.  A few months ago, a fellow came to the bench beside me at the range with a brand new rifle in 35 Whelen and a single packet of factory ammo.  He was leaving the next day for a Sambar hunt in Victoria. It took him half a dozen shots to get his rifle on target at 50 metres.  Then he shot another five shots to check his grouping.

The group was a large one, probably 150mm at 50 metres, which is about 12 MOA, but he was not fazed at all.  He told me he expected to be shooting within 50 metres and that his new rifle was adequate for the task.  He did not intend hand loading and would probably only fire a few shots a year from then on.  He had no intention, or need, to seek a more accurate load in his rifle.

Selecting the correct scope for yoru rifle

For a hunting rifle, too large a scope is also a disadvantage.  In hunting medium game, such as pigs, goats and deer, where encounters can sometimes be at fairly close range, a smaller scope is actually much more effective than a larger one.

For hunting purposes, lower powered scopes make for quicker target acquisition and shot taking.  I use variables on my hunting rifles, 1 to 4 on the larger calibres and 3 to 9 on the rest.  I always set the scopes to minimum power when hunting, and check that regularly as matter of habit.

If a higher magnification is required for a longer shot I will dial up the power for that and then reset the scope to minimum as part of the ejection procedure, before moving on.  If game suddenly pops up close by, as often happens, I have a distinct advantage compared to someone with an 18X scope, for example.  It can be difficult to even get your quarry in the field of view when it is close and your scope is set to high magnification.  Then, when you do, all you can see is hair!

When I finally appreciated the flat-shooting aspect of various calibres, just what acceptable field accuracy was and what constituted a good hunting scope, my hunting success definitely improved.

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Your rifle should be well balanced

Having made that transition, I then became aware of other key requirements for a good hunting rifle.  The rifle should be well-balanced and pointy.  That is, it is comfortable to carry and handle, readily springing to shoulder, coming to point of aim with minimal, virtually sub-conscientious effort.

As I embraced these concepts it then began to dawn on me how important bushcraft was for successful hunting.  Learning to move quietly, and slowly through the bush, with an awareness of wind and animal habits, honing my observation skills was what paid dividends.  It is surprising how fast you will acquire bush skills once you open your eyes and simply pay attention!

I then finally understood the attitude of the old fellows I hunted with all those years ago, which had seemed incomprehensible to me at the time.  They were totally uninterested in the technicalities of scopes, magnum calibre trajectories and bench groups.  The rifle was almost inconsequential to them, so long as it was safe and functioned okay.  They were largely indifferent to calibre too.  But, they were outstandingly successful hunters.

The essentials for a successful hunter are to know the accuracy and range of your rifle, limit your shots accordingly, use bush skills to get close to your quarry, then kill it instantly with a well-placed shot. 

Bush skills, stalking know-how and good shooting technique are far more important to being a successful hunter than single-mindedly pursuing minute ten shot groups on the range.