Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada What is the most important thing when selecting a rifle?

What is the most important thing when selecting a rifle?

I do not mean calibre. Let's say that you have decided on a new rifle. What do you look for? We live and hunt in different places, and for different animals, so it's likely that there will be a wide swing of answers.

Consider this a Reader's Digest type of questionnaire. Here are seven considerations.

Rate your choice from most important to least important from this list.

1. Action type?
2. Barrel length?
3. Weight?
4. Overall length?
5. Stock material?
6. Overall appearance
7. Price?

Here is my rating. 1, 5, 2, 4, 6, 7, 3.

Some things to consider.

Action Type

Personally, I look for a bolt action or a single shot. In the picture, you can see a bolt action with a 23.7 inch barrel. Immediately above it, a single shot with a 26 inch barrel. This rifle is 4 inches shorter than the bolt action. Top, a 24 inch barrel for the single shot. You can get a longer barrel on a shorter length rifle. Would you choose a single shot over a bolt action? A single shot can save weight and increase bullet velocity. The only downside is chambering a quick second shot. Is that an honest consideration?



Barrel Length

As a general rule, longer barrels produce more velocity. Most bolt action rifles are sold with 22 inch barrels, but would you choose a rifle with a 26 inch barrel (if you could get one) for the extra horsepower? It's powder dependent, but is an extra 75 to 150 fps the most important thing to you? It might be, if you are looking at a 270, 280 or a magnum.

Weight

How important is a light rifle? Are you climbing hills or mountains? Walking long distances? Or sitting in a stand? Would you sacrifice accuracy or velocity for portability?

Overall Length

This is tied to weight. Some people like a short, light rifle. That's why lever rifles continue to be so popular. An 18 or 20 inch barrel is the cat's meow when you are dodging tree branches and other vegetation. Or is it?

Stock material

The material that cradles your action generates a lot of debate. Forgetting competition rifles, stock material can lighten your rifle, make it impervious to the weather and can be had in many colours and finishes. Or would you rather have wood or a laminate?

Overall Appearance

This is another topic that ties in closely to stock material. When you look for a rifle, would you sacrifice accuracy, velocity or velocity for a nice looking rifle? Do you believe that life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun?

Price

It's nice to say that you would buy a European drilling or custom rifle by a well known maker, but at the end of the day, does the bottom line decide it?
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Okay, it's gonna be tough, but can you put these seven things in order from most to least important?

Accuracy and sighting system not even mentioned.

For a reason. The above seven choices are known quantities.

Few people buy a rifle that they absolutely know is accurate. Sometimes, you buy a dud. You can throw on whatever sighting system you want.

You have to pick from the list.

I'm going with stock fit !

Balance which stock fit and the sighting system both influence.

It has to be a bolt action, so I guess that would be my first. Then it's which bolt action. Wood stock of course. It's beautiful, repairable and adjustable.

Depends on what the user wants. I only hunt Alaska so I want a rifle that goes bang every time I press the trigger. So for me the most important part of a rifle is the trigger and the old Model 70 Winchester trigger is my first choice for Alaska. The old Springfield and Husqvarna Mauser triggers have proven tough and reliable. All the ACCURACY AND GOOD LOOKS IN THE WORLD MATTERS NOT IF RIFLE DOES NOT GO BANG EVERY TIME!

I no like closed trigger housing with tiny springs and hard to clean and see inside. No like ultra light trigger pulls on a big game rifle either, 2.5 to 3 pounds with a crisp break works for me.

Accuracy, I have never seen a rifle that was not accurate "enough" for moose out to 400 yards. Weight, I like them under 9 pounds if above 30-06 and under 8 pounds if 30-06 and smaller. But, I grew up in the era of 9 and 10 pound rifles. Barrel length, some where between 22 and 24 inches works for me depending on caliber.

This rifle went afield once and managed to take a whitetail. I held onto it while it worked its magic. It's a single shot with a laminated stock. 6.5 Grendel. Heavy, at 10 lb, but I like it.

It's heavy because I replaced the plastic OEM stock with a laminated one. Like you, I don't worry too much about weight. Next to action type, I am most concerned with the stock material. You have to be able to beat a rock headed liberal with it and not have it break. Then shoot some more and not have it lose its zero.

Steve;
Good afternoon sir, I hope you're all keeping cool enough and that all who matter in your life are well.

Here's a quote of your list;
1. Action type?
2. Barrel length?
3. Weight?
4. Overall length?
5. Stock material?
6. Overall appearance
7. Price?

Based on the last couple of purchases I made, it'd be 7 most of all, then 6, but the rest will be considered together as part of the overall package.

For instance awhile back I decided I wanted either an original converted 92 or a 92 clone in .357 Mag and in a Trapper configuration so 16" barrel.

Once enough cash was sitting in the "fun fund" it was a matter of buying the first one I found that fit in the fund.

The last purchase was going to be a reasonably accurate .22 rimfire bolt gun with a 16" barrel, so again I set aside enough to get a couple choices if I could find them, but soon I'd decided it'd be a Tikka T1X so it was trying to find one with a 16" barrel in Canada.

I admit I'm tough to buy for and even when purchasing something will typically go for something quite specific nowadays.

If for reasons unforeseen I'd be looking at replacing some of the main hunting rifles, then I'd be a bolt gun, with no more than a 22" barrel, that didn't weigh more than 7lbs loaded and scoped and handled well. It'd be a synthetic stock most likely and could be a proverbial mud fence to look at if it met the initial criteria. It'd still have to fit into the price point first of course too.

Hopefully that all made sense and at least somewhat stuck to the given criteria.

All the best to you all this weekend Steve.

Dwayne

Yup.

flintlocke;
Good afternoon sir, I hope the week treated you acceptably and all in your life are well.

For sure for a "serious" hunting rifle I'm with you and Paul 100%.

That said, when for instance I decided I "needed" a 92 Trapper, I knew it wasn't going to fit me any differently than the rest of the 92's I've played with, you know?

Somehow I differentiate or at least rationalize there's a difference between hunting rifles and "fun guns" for lack of a better term.

All the best and have a good weekend.

Dwayne

Dwayne, Through an endless and shameless round of arse kissing, I was allowed to fondle the collection, and shoot a few, bespoke guns of a multi millionaire Yank, who would not get caught dead with anything but English guns. By happenstance, I was in size and limb length a near clone of this fellow, what an eye opener that was...guns that actually fit are difficult to miss with, given a few basic rules of marksmanship. Actions, weights, mean little with the simplest test the curator taught me.... pre select a target downrange..mount the gun in the most rapid and natural manner.... with the eyes closed...open your eyes, and with a properly fitting gun, the sights will be nearly aligned. It's a lost and arcane art, fitting a gun. There are two generic storebought rifles that do fit me well, the older 99 Savage with a 14 inch pull (Iron sights of course) and the horrible old Remington Model 30 Express (lots of stock drop by today's standards) and a long 14 inch pull, low mounted scope. Strange choices by the standards of today's fashion. I have built a lot of surplus Mauser sporters over the years, and just don't have the talent to whittle out a stock that fits.
Sincere hopes your people get a handle on those fires, that mess in Lytton was tragic.

I'm a little south of you fine gentlemen but It's pretty much the same everywhere these days. #s 3 and 4 are the most important for me and my style of hunting....Gotta be light, Gotta be short enough to maneuver in the thick stuff.

Stock material is a given....Tupperware belongs in the kitchen. My rifles are stocked with wood.

The action don't really matter to me as long as it sports a lever or a slide. I own and hunt with a bolt action .22 simply because my parents bought it for me at Christmas 37 years ago....I like it.

I "still" hunt through the thick stuff.....If I happen to get a shot, It is usually real quick and at moving game. One time, I killed one at about 30 yards with the 4th shot from my Winchester '94....The first 3 chopped down some brush.

Last year I fired 3 from the old 760 carbine at a doe doing mach 3 through the swamp.....The hundreds of saplings in the 20 yards between us caught them all.

The following morning, I snuck up on one bedded alongside an old abandoned logging road.....She never left her bed.

flintlocke;
Thanks once again for the reply sir, it's much appreciated.

For sure the fire in Lytton is tragic.

The construction firm that my good wife and eldest daughter work for built a school up in Lytton and were scheduled to head up that Monday to do some finishing touches. Now that they're using the school as a community center that all is of course on hold. I should add that at this juncture it appears two folks lost their lives, which while terrible of course is better than it might have been.

Thanks too for the story about English gun fitting, it's really something picking up an arm that seems like a magic wand is it not?

Over the years I've built a bunch of stocks as well and after some trial and much error arrived at one that fits me and a few other people actually - quite well.

I'm a bit tough to fit in that I'm a towering 5'6" but have to buy large shirts to get sleeves long enough. My good wife believes I've got a higher percentage of Neanderthal genes in me as I can scratch the back of my calves while standing straight up....

Well okay not quite, but it's a bit of a challenge.

Anyways sir, here's the stock that works for me. The rifle started life as a Liberty Model 77 in .338 Win Mag, then it got a Ramline wood grain stock, then it became a .308 Norma and finally I ordered in a blank from Richards Microfit and just rasped everything away that didn't feel right.



Interestingly my other walking around rifle has a "Monte Carlo" type stock and fits not too, too badly either other than I'd change the grip a wee bit if it wasn't a fiberglass molded stock.

Thanks for the well wishes regarding our fires sir. It's summer in BC again and somehow this has become part of that the last few years.

All the best.

Dwayne

So most of you prefer Savage Axis rifles - with the Accutrigger of course - because of the fit, workmanship and quality polymers.

I thought so. Carry on.

Omitting cartridge choice is counterproductive. If a rifle is not chambered in a cartridge that does what I need done, it's not useful. So to fix your list I'll add it as #8.

Second omitting accuracy is counterproductive. It's #9.

Third omitting fit is counterproductive. It's #10

Now we can talk the correct ordering.

8,1,10, 9, 2/4/3, 5, 6, 7

[Cartridge]
This is obvious - it must do what is needed, or the rifle is not useful.

[Action Type & Rugedness]
The action must reliably feed the cartridge in question and not break or get itself into an unusable state. A jammed or broken rifle is a club. The VAST majority of rifles do not meet this simple criteria - they jam, have fragile parts, eject their rounds at the press of some exposed button, allow their bolts to open and fall out, depend on faulty magazines etc. They're clown rifles for clowns. The aiming system must also be rugged, and many application require an iron sight alternative to an optic that may fail.

Some applications require a repeater, and some even a "fast" repeater like a lever or autoloading action.

[Fit]
The rifle must fit you so you can use it well.

[Accuracy]
The rifle must be practically accurate for the intended purpose. The level of accuracy that implies depends on the purpose. This includes field or positional accuracy - the ability to hold zero when fired from different positions and in different conditions. The aiming system and sling are included here.

Once you have these first four, you have a rifle that is at least minimally functional for your application. it may not be good, but at least it can be used. The first four could be ordered in any order, since you need all four.

[Barrel length, overall length, and weight]
These are related since the majority of the weight of most rifles is in the barrel. It is a rare circumstance where shortening a barrel takes a given cartridge from suitable to non-suitable for a task. The velocity loss is simply too small for all but the most extreme barrel lengths.

Lighter, shorter rifles handle better. They also recoil more. Tolerable recoil is more important than light weight, but once it's tolerable you don't need to mitigate recoil more for experienced adult shooters for most applications. So you cut weight and length to that point or until velocity is an issue. Using a good recoil pad lets you have an overall lighter rifle.

[Stock Material]
This should really say weather tolerance, which can be achieved with either synthetic or wood, although it's easier with synthetic. Stock rigidity is an aspect of practical accuracy and is already covered above.

[Appearance]
Get a rifle you like the looks of. It rarely costs much additional, and see the comment on price below.

[Price]
Rifle prices are cheap compared to the price of using them for their intended hunting (or other) purposes. Get what you need.

A general purpose hunting rifle has to fit most importantly. Some rifles just feel better in your hands. Like a shotgun your success goes way up if you can subconsciously throw the gun up and on target. Hold a Tikka or Sako rifle and then hold a Ruger American or a Savage and then ask your self which is worth the asking price.

I would have added an excellent trigger should be on a list of must haves. It's the one thing that allows the shooter to shoot to the limits of his rifle.

Not as important in pistols and shotguns but critical in rifles.

I have a very hard time selecting any of those things in and of themselves, Steve. I need to look at the whole rifle, the sum of its parts. How does it fit/handle relative to the use to which it will be put. In other words, I can not rank these things, other than to say, if I can't afford it, I just can't afford it. (But there are a lot of rifles I can afford.)

1. Action type? I am partial to bolt actions or falling blocks, but also have a number of lever guns and a few semi-autos I'm very fond of, along with one break action rifle
2. Barrel length? I am not a big fan of short barrels. I want a barrel that balances the rifle overall and is long enough to keep the speed up and the noise down. That said,
I do have a number of rifles in the 16 - 20 inch range
3. Weight? Is probably the least of my concerns. The rifle will weight what it has to weigh and I won't compromise on anything else to save a few ounces or a couple of pounds
4. Overall length? It needs to be what it is for the rifle to handle/balance well for its intended use. I have some rifles with 26" barrels that are pretty long. I also have a few that I can carry down at my side with my hand around the wrist of the stock and the muzzle won't hit the ground.
5. Stock material? I prefer walnut. That said, I have some synthetic-stocked rifles I really like.
6. Overall appearance The lines should flow gracefully. The rifle should look like it would come up to your shoulder of its own volition. I like a classic stock and a scope or irons
that blend with the overall visual flow. Of course, I'm okay with the way my AR's look too.
7. Price? Whatever it takes to get what I want, but certainly my resources restrict my choices. I've only spent over $2000 on a rifle a couple of times, and over $3000 once.
(Shotguns, that's another issue.)

I gotta have a stock that fits.Kinda hard to shoot well with a rifle that doesn't fit.
Great trigger is is a must.Light with no creep.I like 2.5-2.75lbs on a hunting rifle
Weight.I like heavier rifles.If I was hunting high mountain country with a lot of walking I would want something lightweight,but I don't.
Barrels.I like 24-26",light varmint or varmint.
Bolt action
Stock material.Wood or synthetic is OK as long as it has a good feel and fit
Accurate.Must be under 1" and not really picky with what it shoots
Appearance.As once said "Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun"
Price.I'm happy with a rifle + or - 1K as long as it meets my criteria.

Barrel must be stamped 270 Winchester.

It's funny that no one has talked about rifle fit.

But I guess it's rare that you would find an off the rack rifle that fits, so it is something that has to be corrected later...that is, if the rest of the rifle suits you.

When I read the list my first thought was what I called overall comfort in handling, carrying and aiming. In other words, how the stock and rifle fit me.

New 2 99's , Wyo and BC 30Cal and others of us are expressing variants of this, I think. That comfort/fit would be my # 2, crowding close to my number 1, which would be action.

Smooth, balanced, natural -- and when the stock comes to shoulder the sights are in line with my eye on the target. I've only owned one rifle that had all of those things but once I pick the action, I'm looking for as close as possible to that kind of fit.

I'm talking about a hunting rifle, of course.

Fir me it's the action first, cartridge second, unless of course it's stamped 270 Winchester .
Unless I plan on rebarreling that is deal breaker !
I am a single shot looney as far as hunting rifles go , I adjust stocks to fit me, and as far as irons go those ate in the fore front , but I can live with a scope mounted rifle
Cat

I am still waiting on a 7.62x54r barrel for a Pro Hunter. It should be here very soon.

The human body is adjustable. Probably more important for a shotgun or a jump-shoot rifle.

Price and accuracy for me. I don't have any beauty queens (well, two of them were, once!) , but they shoot- and were relatively inexpensive. I just wanna kill and eat things.

Giterdone!

This makes sense. I think it's fair to say that most off the rack rifles need to be tweaked in order to work their best. For the majority of rifle buyers, I wonder how many get rejected because of fit versus the sticker price? Put another way, is fit so important that price is secondary? ex. I wanted to build a 6x45, so this 223 Axis morphed into what you see.



When I check out rifles these days, most are polymer stocked and made for the company mannequin "Mr. Average". I almost always end up modifying or replacing the stock to get what I want. I rarely care who made it because it isn't going to be the maker's rifle by the time I'm done.

Consider the "Savage Axis" above. It started as an Axis, but it now has a new barrel, trigger, bolt handle and stock. The only thing that's Savage about this rifle is the receiver. I chose this because of the low price. I knew that most of it was being removed. So, is it a Savage, or a Frankenrifle? I call it a Frankenrifle.

Mr. Mannequin

Depends on the reason for acquiring a piece and how it might be put to use.
A build project rifle might give priority to action type since weight, stock, barrel length are all variables over which some control can be exercised during the build.
With a hunting blind rifle where shots might be made in more than one direction, a short barrel length might be the first concern.
A varmint rifle for prairie dog shooting might put priority on a relatively long and heavy weight barrel.

Sometimes price and availability trump the other considerations....that was the case with my first center fire rifle: a "sporterized" 1891 Argentine Mauser. And also with my last two acquisitions: a .460 S&W TC Encore barrel( MGM barrels were not available last fall) and a Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor (sale priced comparably with a new TC Encore stainless barrel!).

Looking back, action type has typically been my first consideration followed by price. Bolt, falling block, kipplauf. Then size of gun kitty when something was available. The other five aspects are generally a wash. I did pick up a short barreled synthetic stocked bolt carbine based solely on weight once when afflicted with tennis elbow and handling an 8+lb piece was painful.

Rifle attribute priorities have also varied over time for me as I learn more about how these attributes impact accuracy, shootability, portability, and evolution of general rifle loonieness.

Trigger…it makes the thing go boom when you want it to go boom. I don’t consider it to be part of the action.

I consider beating rock headed liberals with my rifle secondary to using a aluminum baseball bat. I finally came to the conclusion that endurance is more important than that satisfying sound wood makes when it hits something solid.