Very interesting thread, and regardless of your particular preferences, it’s hard not to notice the trends on the shelves at the big gun shops. I also liked it better when there were more real choices out there, not so much “what paint job” on your econo-rifle. If I’m budget shopping, give me bare bones and good guts, not extra fluff and bedazzling. I was always a huge fan of a moderately priced stainless sporter that could be something special with just a stock swap. As I’ve got most of what I need in that department, my last couple of hunting rifle purchases have concerned what I feel to be actually useful evolutions of this Tactical surge, being a Sig Cross and a lightweight AR10. But they were still bought with hunting as their main purpose. If I had to tell somebody what to look for in a lifetime hunting rifle at the store right now, the choices are much slimmer than they were a decade ago.
