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Dudely had been baiting the area with peanuts. Since most of the trail cam photos of the bears had been taken at night, Jones set up his lock-on stand roughly 500 yards away from the bait site. He was hoping one of the bears would pass by on its way to or from its bed in the nearby swamp.

“I walked to my stand in the dark and waited for daylight,” says Jones, who lives in Greenville. “Before daylight a bear came through in the dark and passed by. But at 7 a.m. another giant bear came down a trail leading back to the swamp. The wind was pretty good, and as he got closer, he stepped behind some thick stuff. That’s when I drew my bow. He stepped into an opening less than 20 yards away, broadside. I grunted like I do for deer. He stopped, and I released my arrow.”

Jones knew he’d made a good hit behind the bear’s shoulder. He saw the bear run into a thick swamp, and while he never heard it fall, he says he heard the bear’s death moan barely 30 seconds later.

“About the time I found the bear, the hunters with dogs showed up, and they all pitched in to help load up my bear,” Jones says. “It took about eight of us to get him in the truck.”

Finding a scale big enough to accurately weigh the bear was also a challenge. Jones says they tried three different places before locating a scale that could handle the massive boar. They finally found one at a meat processor, and it registered 780 pounds.

Read Next: Trolling for Bears in British Columbia

Jones has since notified North Carolina officials about his bear, and he’s been told it could be the heaviest bear ever taken in the state. Outdoor Life was unable to confirm this detail, but if the scale Jones used is accurate, his bear far outweighs the 695-pound black bear that reportedly broke a weight record for western North Carolina in October 2022. It would also outweigh the current Pope and Young world-record black bear, which was killed in New Jersey and weighed 700 pounds.

“Some people are saying it may be a world record bear, but that’s determined by measuring it’s skull, which will take a while,” Jones explains. “Right now, the bear is with a taxidermist, and after the skull is cleaned it will be dried for 60 days, and then measured by a Pope and Young official. We’ll know then just how big a bear it is.”

Read Next: Yellowstone Grizzly Death Under Investigation as Possible Illegal Killing

“I immediately confirmed it was a grizzly bear,” WGFD game warden Travis Crane wrote in an affidavit. “[It had] a large, dished head and large, mostly straight claws on its front feet.”

Months later, in October, the Park County Attorney’s Office charged Proffit but decided not to charge his son. In March 2023, Proffit pled no contest to a misdemeanor count of being an accessory to taking a grizzly bear without the proper license.

“I know from reading the reports [that] you did the right thing immediately, as you should have done. And that speaks well of you,” Juedge Ed Luhm told Proffit during his sentencing on March 30. “I’m looking forward to you being successful here in your probation, so this will be dismissed.”

“If he would have gotten me stuck on a limb coming down [stream], I would have lost that fish,” Hunsicker said. He explained that he’s caught several big trout from the Pohopoco as well as the other small creeks that connect with Beltzville Lake over the years.

Hunsicker ended up keeping the fish, which he said measured 31 7/8 inches with a 20 1/8-inch girth. It weighed 15 pounds, 11 ounces, according to the hand scale he had with him. That would make it roughly five ounces heavier than the standing Pennsylvania state-record rainbow, caught from Jordan Creek in 1986 by angler Dennis Clouse.

“It would have surpassed the record,” Hunsicker said, adding that he didn’t have enough time to take the fish in for official measurements.

Read Next: How to Fillet Trout

Still, he won’t forget that fish anytime soon. The large trout is now being mounted at his taxidermist, according to GoErie.

In other words, Schmid’s chinook is not even close to the heaviest king salmon ever caught—something that many social media users have already pointed out. It likely weighed less than half as much as the true All-Tackle world-record chinook, which was just over 97 pounds. Angler Les Anderson caught that fish from Alaska’s Kenai River in 1985.

Schmid already holds the current All-Tackle Length world record for chinook salmon. He caught that 41-plus-inch fish from the same river in Argentina on Jan. 21. And looking at the IGFA record book, the angler has been on a record-setting mission over the past 12 years. Between November 2011 and today, Schmid has logged a total of 25 IGFA records. Those record fish have come from Texas, Wisconsin, Nevada, Canada, Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. Each one is either a length record or a line-class record, but only 11 of Schmid’s records still stand today.

Read Next: B.C. Angler Releases 105-Pound Chinook Salmon That Could’ve Been a World Record

Chinook salmon are only native to the North Pacific. They were introduced to South America in the 1970s, and there is now a robust population of naturally reproducing wild salmon there. They can be caught in South American rivers from the end of December through mid-April, when they run upriver to spawn.

Long before I was a writer at Outdoor Life, I was an OL reader. I grew up with modest means, so when it came to buying a hunting rifle, I sought out the best information I could in order to spend my money wisely. I know you appreciate value and an honest evaluation, especially when it comes to hunting rifles.

A hunting rifle is a significant purchase for most people and narrowing the field can be difficult. Hunting rifles can range from around $350 to north of $7,000, which is quite a staggering spread. All hunters want to find that sweet spot between price and quality.

So to help find that balance, I’m testing rifles in different price blocks to help define what you’re getting for your money. Earlier this year, I tested four budget hunting rifles, which all retail for under $600.

Now I’ve run mid-priced rifles, retailing from $600 to $1,200, through the same testing protocol. This price range captures many of the most popular hunting rifles on the market. That’s because so many hunters are willing to spend a little more for a nicer rifle, but don’t want to throw down on a $2,000 gun. This price block has traditionally included mainstream flagship rifles like the Winchester Model 70 and Remington Model 700, and it is from this group that the average hunter will likely pick their rifle.

What Can You Expect from a Mid-Priced Hunting Rifle?

You’ll see better-quality parts and workmanship on mid-priced hunting rifles than their bargain basement counterparts. Bargain rifles use cost-cutting parts and construction methods to keep prices down. The rifles that cost a few hundred dollars more will usually have nicer stocks, finishes, fit, and more consistent accuracy. The mid-priced hunting rifle is the bread-and-butter standard to which both lower and higher-priced rifles are compared.

Accuracy Testing Mid-Priced Hunting Rifles

Although all the mid-priced hunting rifles we tested this year are perfectly accurate enough to hunt with, the testing process of these rifles was eye opening.

Real hunting rifle accuracy is one of the most bombastically exaggerated performance metrics in the hunting world, and it only takes reading a few social media or forum threads to see it. We all like to believe that our rifles are the best and we’ll defend their honor, but many folks aren’t objectively evaluating how their rifle actually shoots. It’s tempting to call a rifle a half- or three-quarter-inch gun after clustering a single three-shot group tightly together, but that’s not a realistic representation of the rifle’s true accuracy.

Accuracy testing is one of the most time (and ammunition) consuming parts of evaluating rifles, but we don’t short-change you on it. There’s only one way to feel out a rifle’s accuracy potential, and that’s to shoot it—a lot.

Following the Outdoor Life standard for accuracy testing that we use in our annual gun test (The Best Rifles of 2022), I used 5-shot groups fired from 100 yards to determine each rifle’s accuracy score. I recorded a minimum of 20 groups from each rifle. For each rifle you’ll see the overall average group size and the average of the top 10 groups. The average size of the top 10 groups is a good representation of what a proficient hunter can expect from their rifle with quality hunting ammunition. I tested the rifles with more than 15 different factory loads to give them the best chance to shoot to their full potential. I used mostly hunting ammunition, but included some target loads as well.

The three rifles included in this story that we tested at our annual gun test in April show slightly better accuracy scores than the seven rifles that I tested more recently. They’re all accurate, but it’s worth noting that their accuracy aggregate was based on a larger number of total test groups, and the best ten were a smaller percentage of the total groups fired.

Best Overall: Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak

Why It Made the Cut

From both an aesthetic and functionality standpoint, the Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Black is one of the nicest rifles you can buy for under $1,000. Additionally, it’s one of the most versatile. It would be an excellent mountain rifle but would also function perfectly for just about any hunt that doesn’t involve lots of high-volume shooting. It’s likely the lightest rifle you can buy for the price, and still hangs right with the pack in accuracy.

Key Features

• Cartridge: .308 Win.
• Capacity: 3+1 rounds, detachable box magazine
• Action: Bolt action, controlled-feed, Mauser-style claw extractor
• Stock: Fiber-reinforced polymer, 1-in. recoil pad, Desolve Blak pattern
• Weight: 5 lb. 7 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: Single-stage, 4 pounds, 1 ounce (measured)
• Barrel: 22 in., stainless-steel, threaded with muzzle brake
• Overall Length: 42.6 in.
• Price: $829
• Optic Used: Leupold VX Freedom 4-12 x 40mm CDS
• Average Group Size: 1.85 in.
• Average of Top 10 Groups: 1.37 in.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Great ergonomics
• Accurate
• Versatile

Cons

• Barrel heats quickly

Product Description

The Hunter Pro Desolve Blak from Kimber is a standout in this field of mid-priced hunting rifles. It features Kimber’s stainless-steel 84M controlled-feed action, which is similar to those of the current and pre-’64 Winchester Model 70 and the Mauser, but drastically slimmed down. The body of the bolt in this .308 is .586 inches in diameter, compared to .695 inches on the .308 Model 70 Winchester. The receiver and claw extractor are also more slender. Consequently, the 84M action is light, and so is this rifle.

With its fiber-reinforced polymer stock and detachable magazine, the Hunter Pro Desolve Blak weighs an impressively light 5 pounds, 7 ounces. It’s the lightest rifle in this test and likely the lightest mid-priced production hunting rifle on the market. It’s only about half a pound heavier than the Mountain Ascent which will cost you about $1,000 more.

The rifle has a wonderful feathery feel, and it also has great handling characteristics. In rapid cycling, the bolt does feel a little dainty, but it still functions reliably. Because of the blade-style ejector (which isn’t spring-loaded), you can eject cases with authority by pulling the bolt back harder or ease it back and carefully pluck spent cases from the bolt by hand. The synthetic stock fits the action well and has even inletting on either side of the floated barrel. The grip and fore-end feature a subtle texturing that provides a secure grip.

Shooting the Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak

One of the most obvious characteristics of this rifle is its thin-contour barrel, tipped with a radial muzzle brake. You might expect that thin barrel to heat up quickly—and it does. The Hunter Pro Desolve Blak comes with a three-shot sub-MOA accuracy standard, and mine included three factory targets in the box to convince me of that fact. Kimber doesn’t include targets with their hunting rifles as a matter of course. As with any light or ultralight rifle, this one is sensitive to user input and more difficult to shoot accurately than heavier rifles.

The rifle is fed from a detachable box magazine that sits flush with the bottom of the stock. It’s inserted by placing the tab at the rear of the magazine into the corresponding cutout in the stock, then rocking in from back to front.

I found that with several loads like Federal Premium 165-grain Swift Scirocco II, Hornady Match 168-grain ELDM, and Remington 150-grain Core-Lokt Tipped, the first three shots of a group would regularly range from .75 to 1 inch. After that, the barrel heat consistently opened groups up a bit, but for an ultralight rifle in this price range, the accuracy is good.

Best for the Money: Tikka T3X Lite

Why It Made the Cut

The Tikka T3X Lite is our Great Buy Award winner not only because it’s one of the most affordable in its class, but because it’s an exceptional rifle for the price. It’s more accurate and uses higher-quality parts, and has a better trigger than several pricier rifles in this review.

Key Features

• Cartridge: .308 Win.
• Capacity: 3+1 rounds, detachable box magazine
• Action: Bolt action, two-lug, 70-degree throw
• Stock: Polymer, 1-inch recoil pad, modular grip
• Weight: 6 lb. 9 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: Single-stage, 3 lb. 2 oz. (measured)
• Barrel: 22 in., blued
• Overall Length: 42.5 in.
• Price: $680
• Optic Used: Leupold VX Freedom 4-12 x 40mm CDS
• Average Group Size: 1.96 in.
• Average of Top 10 Groups: 1.33 in.

Pros

• Excellent price
• 70-degree throw, smooth bolt
• Good accuracy
• Great trigger

Cons

• Finish rusts easily

Product Description

The Tikka T3X family has a cult-like following, especially here in Alaska. These rifles are affordable, accurate, and dependable. They aren’t ultralight, but aren’t too heavy either. The Finnish rifles have a proven track record and are never a bad option for someone looking for a mid-priced hunting rifle.

The T3X Lite is a sleek and simple rifle. It’s like a budget rifle, only nicer in just about every way. It features a closed-top action and simple two-lug stainless-steel bolt. It has a short bolt throw for a two-lug action, and it’s exceptionally crisp and smooth for its class. The bolt features a metal rear shroud, and the bolt handle is dovetailed into the bolt body.

The stock is a simple black injection-molded polymer but has excellent texturing on the fore-end and interchangeable grip. It fits the action and barrel nicely. The trigger guard and bottom plate are polymer, and the single-stack polymer magazine extends below the bottom of the stock without impeding single-handed carry.

The rifle is plain but shows good craftsmanship and attention to detail. Even the small textured portion of the bolt release button matches the texture pattern of the stock—a nice touch. Overall, the T3X Lite is a very sleek and clean rifle, with no sloppy machine work or tool marks. It’s very well-balanced for an all-around hunting rifle. The only complaint I could come up with is that the blued sample I have has a finish that is very susceptible to surface rust, so keep it oiled up or pick the stainless model for $190 more!

Shooting the Tikka T3X Lite

Of all the rifles that the internet lauds with unrealistic accuracy expectations, it’s the Tikka. However, it’s not enchanted with the bullet-stacking accuracy of something like the Alterra Arms Mountain Shadow Steel like some folks will insist. The T3X Lite is what it is—an excellent rifle for the price.

The T3X Lite has a great factory trigger that is crisp with virtually no take-up or overtravel. That plus the rifle’s good balance, and the comfortable grip make it comfortable to shoot for a sporter-weight rifle. I tested 11 different factory loads in my T3X Lite, focusing my efforts on loads that it shot better, to see its full accuracy potential.

Like some of the other rifles, I noted that with several loads, the Tikka would print the first 3 shots in a tight group, under an inch on average. Also, like other rifles in its class, groups consistently began opening up by rounds four and five.

The T3X Lite is a fast rifle to run, and very comfortable in field positions. The plunger ejector spits out empties robustly, and the bolt closes and locks effortlessly.

Best Long Range: Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter LR

Why It Made the Cut

The Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter LR is far-and-above the best choice in this set for long-range shooting and hunters who might have to make a shot at long distance. The rifle is still light enough to pack around the hills, but the adjustable cheek piece and heavier barrel are well-suited for accurate and consistent shooting at long range. It shot the best groups of the test.

Key Features

•  Cartridge: 6.8 Western
• Capacity: 3+1 rounds, detachable rotary magazine
• Action: Bolt action, three-lug, 60-degree throw
• Stock: Composite, In-Flex recoil pad, adjustable comb
• Weight: 8 lb. 2 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: Single-stage, 3 lb. 12 oz. (measured)
• Barrel: 24 in., blued, sporter SR contour, threaded
• Overall Length: 46.25 in.
• Price: $1,000
• Optic Used: Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 x 50mm
• Average Group Size: 1.28 inches
• Average of Top 10 Groups: 0.93 inches

Pros

• Smooth action and crisp trigger
• Adjustable comb on stock
• Medium-heavy barrel is suppressor ready
• Very accurate

Cons

• No rail for bipod

Product Description

The Browning X-Bolt is a highly popular flagship model rifle, and for good reason. They’re generally accurate, dependable, and come in a variety of configurations. Many of their configurations pushes them beyond the category of mid-priced hunting rifles, but the X-Bolt Western Hunter LR can be found at retailers for under $1,200.

The X-Bolt is a three-lug push-feed action that’s fed from a rotary magazine with a rounded bottom, which sits flush with the profile of the stock. It uses an M-16-style extractor and single plunger ejector. It has a two-position safety on the tang that locks the bolt closed when engaged, but the bolt has an override button to allow the shooter to open the bolt or unload while the rifle is on “safe.” The cheek piece is comfortable, and the pistol grip aids with consistent hand placement and trigger pull.

This rifle is a middle ground between more standard sporter-weight and lightweight rifles like the Speed and Mountain Pro, and some of their heavier target models. As the name implies, the Western Hunter LR is designed to be a rifle that’s handy enough to pack around, but capable of shooting game at longer distances.

To hit that middle ground, the standard X-Bolt action is fitted with a medium-heavy 24-inch threaded barrel and sits in a standard-sized stock like you might see on the X-Bolt Speed. However, this stock includes an adjustable cheek piece, and the action comes fitted with a 20-MOA Picatinny rail. The metal is all blued finish, and the camo stock is now being made in Browning’s OVIX pattern, although mine is in ATACS.

Shooting the Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter LR

Within this price bracket, there is some wiggle room for hunting rifle features, and the Western Hunter LR leans toward the slightly heavier, long-range features. Because of that, it was unsurprisingly the most accurate rifle in this test group.

My sample is chambered in the relatively new 6.8 Western cartridge, and I did my test firing with a thread protector rather than a muzzle brake. Ammunition choices are more limited than with the .308 Win. rifles, so I had four loads to work with. The two most accurate loads were Winchester’s Expedition Long Range with 160-grain Nosler Long-Range Accubond, and Browning’s Long Range Pro Hunter with 175-grain Sierra Tipped Game King bullets. The Browning LRP load generally carries more energy across the board than the 6.5 PRC and surpasses the energy of factory .300 Win. Mag. loads like the Barnes 180-grain Vor-Tx TTSX at about 400 yards. It’s got some pep.

The Western Hunter LR shot each load I tried consistently. The average of the top groups came in at under an inch, and the best five-shot group was 0.69 inches. That group was with the Winchester 160-grain ABLR load, but I had only half a box, so the sample size was small. Over half my groups (12 exactly) were with the Browning 175-grain LRP load, and the standard deviation in group size was only .38 inches.

Winchester Model 70 Featherweight

Key Features

• Cartridge: .308 Win.
• Capacity:  5+1 rounds, hinged floorplate
• Action: Bolt action, two-lug, pre-64-style controlled-feed
• Stock: Black Walnut, Pachmayr recoil pad, Featherweight checkering and Shnabel fore-end
• Weight: 7 lb. 0 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: Single-stage, 4 lb. 2 oz. (measured)
• Barrel: 22 in., blued, Featherweight contour, recessed target crown
• Overall Length: 42.25 in.
• Price: $950
• Optic Used: Leupold VX3HD 4.5-14 x 40mm CDS
• Average Group Size: 2.26 in.
• Average of Top 10 Groups: 1.79 in.

Pros

• Classic Featherweight feel
• Good metal-to-wood fit
• Pre-64-style controlled-feed action
• Classic wood-stocked hunting rifle

Cons

• Mediocre Accuracy

Product Description

The Winchester Model 70 Featherweight is one of the longest-running mid-priced hunting rifles that’s still in production. The featherweight was first released in 1952, and the signature “Featherweight” stock was introduced in 1982. The rifle has seen some changes, but the current production model has a pre-64-style controlled-feed action that Model 70 fans love.

The Featherweight was a lightweight rifle for its time and introduced in the brand new .308 W.C.F. cartridge of 1952 (what we now know as the .308 Win.). That’s what I tested the current production model in, and with the post-1982 Schnabel fore-end and signature checkering, it’s an authentic Featherweight.

The controlled-feed action features a two-lug bolt and Mauser-style claw extractor, as well as a coned breech for feeding reliability. It also uses a blade ejector rather than a spring-loaded plunger. The blade ejector ejects cases with a force proportional to how hard the bolt is pulled to the rear. Need to reload in a hurry? Grip it and rip it. On the bench though, you can slowly pull the bolt to the rear and hand-pluck your spent case from the bolt face. Because the claw extractor grabs and controls the cartridge as soon as it’s stripped from the magazine, you don’t have to close the bolt to withdraw the cartridge from the chamber like you do with most push-feed rifles.

The wood stock is warm and comfortable and features good wood-to-metal fit with only a couple uneven spots on my sample. Unlike older models, the stock features bedding around the recoil lug and at the tang to help reinforce the wood and provide a more stable connection. My only complaint with the stock is that it’s slightly thicker and blockier than older model Featherweights, particularly in the grip and around the magazine floorplate.

The metal on the rifle features a nice satin blued finish, and the muzzle has a recessed target crown that’s well-protected. An older Model 70 Featherweight I have possesses only a slightly contoured crown, and the muzzle shows some wear from riding around on the floorboards of a pickup.

Shooting the Model 70 Featherweight

The Featherweight in .308 Win. is a well-balanced hunting rifle that is more of an average-weight rifle today. The geometry of the stock and the Pachmayr recoil pad make it comfortable to shoot, and Winchester’s MOA trigger system is crisp and not too heavy.

For accuracy, the Featherweight came in about how I expected—acceptable, but not exceptional. Across a wide variety of factory ammo, there weren’t any loads that shot lights-out, but for a production wood-stocked rifle with a lightweight barrel, it’s not bad. Most deer certainly wouldn’t notice. As with several rifles in this category, there’s a notable difference in the accuracy the rifle can hold for three shots versus five.

For a walking hunting rifle, or for anyone who still loves the classic wood-stocked feel, it’s a great choice. The Featherweight is very comfortable and reliable in handling drills and rapid cycling. It’s also a plus that the magazine holds a whole 5-rounds—something that isn’t as common anymore.

Howa 1500 Kuiu Verde

Key Features

• Cartridge: .308 Win.
• Capacity:  5+1 rounds, hinged floorplate
• Action: Bolt action, two-lug, push-feed, tactical gray Cerakote
• Stock: Hogue synthetic, pillar-bedded
• Weight: 7 lb. 9 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: Two-stage, 2 lb. 13 oz. (measured)
• Barrel: 22 in., tactical gray Cerakote, threaded ½-inch x 28
• Overall Length: 42.5 in.
• Price: $736
• Optic Used: Leupold VX6HD 2-12x42mm CDS ZL
• Average Group Size: 2.20 in.
• Average of Top 10 Groups: 1.62 in.

Pros

• Three-position bolt-locking safety
• Durable, comfortable stock
• Excellent trigger
• Threaded muzzle

Cons

• Ejecting brass nicks receiver finish

Product Description

The Howa 1500 is another long-running hunting rifle that has models in the $600-$1,200 price range. The Model 1500 has been in production since 1979, and it’s been a staple, affordable rifle for many hunters. I killed my first coyote with a 1500 in .223 that my dad bought when I was a kid, and one of the most accurate rifles I’ve ever owned was a heavy-barreled Model 1500 with a laminated thumbhole stock in .308 Win.

Like many rifles, the 1500 comes in a variety of configurations and price ranges—including carbon-fiber barrels and high-end stocks. One of the base models that fits this category perfectly is the Kuiu Verde in .308 Win. The rifle features a tactical gray Cerakote finish, sporter-weight barrel, and a Hogue Kuiu-camo stock with a wide fore-end, meaty grip, and soft recoil pad.

The Howa Model 1500 action is a simple two-lug push-feed action—much like the Remington 700. Unlike the 700, it features an M-16-style extractor, but does have a single plunger ejector on the bolt face. The recoil lug is machined into the action, and Howa’s trigger group is attached to the action with a single Allen screw.

Sitting in the stock, the barrel channel is even, and the barrel is free floated completely back to the receiver. The stock is beefy, but comfortable to shoot. It has a wide fore-end, and a thick, nearly vertical grip which makes a perpendicular pull on the trigger easy.

The barrel has a slightly recessed crown, and the muzzle is threaded, although it’s notable that the thread pitch is ½-inch x 28 (a threading that is most common with .22-caliber chamberings) rather than the more common 5/8-inch x 24. The muzzle is ready to be fitted with either a brake or suppressor. Because the barrel is a relatively light sporter weight, expect major point-of-impact shifts when adding a can.

Shooting the Howa Model 1500 Kuiu Verde

The Model 1500 Kuiu Verde is a very easy hunting rifle to shoot. Its weight and stock ergonomics provide a stable platform, and the light two-stage trigger breaks very crisply. Often, two-stage triggers feel lighter than they are because a portion of the weight is taken up before hitting the rigid stop at the second stage. A little more weight added breaks the trigger over. This one pulls at less than three pounds on my Lyman trigger pull gauge, and it feels exceptionally light for a factory production hunting rifle.

I felt confident in my shooting with this hunting rifle, but accuracy wasn’t fantastic. I tried 10 different factory loads, and there weren’t any standouts. A couple of loads the rifle really didn’t like dinged its overall average group size, but most ammunition averaged between 1.5 and 1.75 inches. The two most accurate loads were Remington’s 150-grain Core-Lokt Tipped, and Federal Premium 180-grain Trophy Bonded Tip.

The rifle fired and cycled reliably, but I did notice that the ejector tended to flip the case neck into the rear portion of the receiver, nicking the Cerakote finish. This is something I’ve noticed on another Model 1500 as well.

Savage 110 Storm

Key Features

• Cartridge: .308 Win.
• Capacity:  4+1 rounds, detachable box
• Action: Bolt action, two-lug, push-feed, Stainless-steel
• Stock: Synthetic, adjustable Accustock with bedding block
• Weight: 7 lb. 9 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: Single-stage, Savage Accutrigger, 3 lb. 4 oz. (measured)
• Barrel: 22 in., Stainless-steel
• Overall Length: 42.25 in.
• Price: $750
• Optic Used: Maven RS.2 2-10 x 38mm
• Average Group Size: 2.18 in.
• Average of Top 10 Groups: 1.46 in.

Pros

• Adjustable stock with quality texturing
• Good, user-adjustable trigger
• Stainless-steel parts offer good corrosion resistance
• Steel Magazine is durable

Cons

• Excessive tool marks in the bore on my sample
• Magazine bottom plate shows spot rusting from ambient humidity

Product Description

The Savage Model 110 is a stalwart of the mid-priced hunting rifle category and has been since its introduction in 1963. In-fact, it was one of the major competitors that pushed Winchester to adopt a push-feed design for the Model 70 in 1964, according to Jack O’Connor’s writings at the time.

The Model 110 is a simple push-feed, bolt-action rifle that features a second set of lugs behind the forward set. This could still be considered a two-lug bolt because only the forward lugs rotate and lock into the receiver, but the rear ones spin freely around the bolt body and remain in the raceways while the bolt is locked into battery. The bolt handle is cast, and the bolt features a small plunger ejector and an extractor that’s fitted into the right-hand lug (something the push-feed Winchester Model 70 used as well).

The Savage Model 110 is a hunting rifle that was designed to be affordable and accurate, and it carries a reputation for both. The Model 110 Storm that I tested features a stainless-steel receiver and barrel, and a detachable 4-round magazine. I like the design of the magazine because it’s durable, but I did notice that the stainless-finish bottom plate has picked up some surface spot rusting simply from the ambient humidity. The loaded magazine takes firm pressure to insert into the rifle, but it springs free with authority when the magazine release is pressed.

The rifle features a 3-position tang safety that locks the bolt in its most rearward position. It also uses Savage’s Accutrigger—a user-adjustable trigger with a center safety tab. It’s a well-liked and crisp-breaking trigger that certainly aids with the shootability of the rifle.

Savage has made great improvements in their synthetic stocks in the last few years. They were often cheap-feeling with flimsy fore-ends, but the one on the Storm is well-executed, and has an internal bedding block. The floated barrel fits evenly in the barrel channel, the stock’s lines are clean, and it has an excellent rubberized grip texture on the fore-end and grip. The stock adjusts for comb height and length of pull.

Shooting the Savage Model 110 Storm

My only significant complaint with my sample M110 Storm is that the bore on my sample has excessive tooling chatter marks that run perpendicular to the rifling. I noticed it after an initial firing and cleaning of the rifle. The marks are noticeable to the naked eye, and I could feel them by running a dental pick lightly along the inside of the bore. It’s not the norm on rifles that I’ve seen from Savage, but it’s something that I will be careful to look for in the future.

Regardless, I wanted to see what this rifle would do, and it shot damn well (all things considered). I fired 24 groups total, with seven different types of ammunition. Most of the ammunition didn’t shoot well, averaging 2.58 inches. There were a few good groups, but accuracy was erratic. One load that the rifle did like was the Remington 150-grain Core-Lokt Tipped. Ten groups with that ammunition yielded an average of 1.61 inches, and many of the larger groups were spoiled by a single erratic impact.

The bore certainly didn’t do this rifle any favors for accuracy, but the average of 1.46 inches for the top 10 of 24 groups isn’t bad for a hunting rifle of this class. Frankly, it’s remarkable that it shot as well as it did. The rifle functioned reliably, although the M110 has a stiff bolt lift, and the slightly rough stainless finish in the raceways gave my sample a gritty feeling when operating the bolt.

Weatherby Vanguard First Lite

Key Features

• Cartridge: 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum
• Capacity:  3+1 rounds, hinged floorplate
• Action: Bolt action, two-lug, push-feed, Cerakote finish
• Stock: Synthetic, First Lite Cipher camo finish
• Weight: 7 lb. 10 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: Two-stage, 3 lb. 3 oz. (measured)
• Barrel: 26 in., fluted, threaded with muzzle brake and thread protector, Cerakote Finish
• Overall Length: 48.5 inches (with muzzle brake)
• Price: $1,000
• Optic Used: Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18 x 44
• Average Group Size: 1.96 in.
• Average of Top 10 Groups: 1.64 in.

Pros

• Great trigger
• Weatherby in-house Cerakote finish on metal parts
• Fluted Barrel
• Comfortable raised Monte Carlo comb on stock

Cons

• 6.5-300 chambering likely isn’t the most accurate choice for this rifle

Product Description

If you notice the resemblance between the Weatherby Vanguard series and the Howa 1500, it’s because they are very similar. Howa makes the barreled actions for the Vanguard line, though Weatherby finishes them in Sheridan, Wyo. by adding the stock, trigger, barrel fluting, finishes, etc. The Vanguard series was introduced in 1970 to offer a lower-priced option than the premium Mark V line, and firmly fits the bill for a quality mid-priced hunting rifle.

Like the Model 1500, the Vanguard is a two-lug push-feed action—nearly identical except for a few differences. One is that the Vanguard’s bolt features three small gas vent holes that are visible on the ejecting side when the bolt is closed. The Model 1500 only has the forward hole. Additionally, the Model 1500 has three larger vent holes in the bolt body that point down towards the magazine when the bolt is closed. The Vanguard only has one.

The Vanguard First Lite features a relatively slender, high-quality synthetic stock. The fore-end is slightly widened at the bottom with a slimming taper closer to the barrel. The Monte Carlo comb provides a comfortable and firm cheek weld, and the subtle texturing on the grip and fore-end make the rifle easy to handle and hold. The stock is finished with First Lite Cipher camouflage pattern.

One notable feature is the rifle’s Cerakote finish, which is even, good-looking, and done in-house at their Sheridan, Wyoming factory. The rifle includes both a slim radial muzzle brake and thread protector—both machined to fit the barrel profile perfectly. The fit is precise, and it’s hard to see the seam when the muzzle brake or thread protector are tightened.

Shooting the Weatherby Vanguard First Lite

In an apples-to-apples comparison, it’s probably not fair to shoot a fluted, sporter-weight 6.5-300 Wby Mag. against similar-class rifles in .308 Win. The 6.5-300 is an incredibly fast, flat-shooting cartridge, but it will heat up a barrel quickly and is generally much less forgiving than cartridges like the .308 Win. and 6.5 Creedmoor. However, the only sample Weatherby had available was chambered for 6.5-300, and I was excited to see how it would fare.

I had two loads to work with, Weatherby Select 140-grain Hornady Interlock, and Weatherby Select Plus 127-grain Barnes LRX. I can tell you from experience that the latter of those two loads will shoot clean through a bull moose at 500 yards. Like the other rifles, I fired five-shot groups without breaking position, letting the barrel cool completely between groups.

The Vanguard shot a little better than I expected, and it’s top 10 groups averaged just over 1.5 inches. The rifle was clearly affected by the heat and followed a consistent pattern. Approximately seven out of ten groups would start with the first three shots printing at or under an inch, then on round four or five, that barrel would go running for the hills. Often, the overall group size was still OK, but it printed more than a handful of 2.5 to 3-inch groups.

This rifle in 6.5-300 Wby. Mag. would make an excellent “maximum point blank” rifle for a hunter who might be presented with longer shots but doesn’t want to mess with holdover reticles or adjustable turrets. However, it’s not consistently accurate enough to be a dedicated long-range rig in my opinion.

From the 2022 Gun Test

A benefit of Outdoor Life’s annual gun test is an accumulation of quality data, and the Best Rifles of 2022 test featured several good mid-priced hunting rifles. The only significant differences between testing the rifles already mentioned and the ones to follow are the chamberings and volume of data. In April, we had a team of five shooters shooting groups with each rifle, giving us a large amount of data. When interpreting the average size of a rifle’s top ten groups, keep in mind that a larger overall data set will often yield a smaller “top 10” average group size.

The three rifles were chambered in either 6.5 Creedmoor or 6mm Creedmoor and shot their best groups with match ammunition. I handled and fired groups for accuracy for each of these rifles back in April, and they certainly belong on this list.

Franchi Momentum Elite

Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Capacity: 3-round detachable box magazine
• Weight: 7 lb. (measured)
• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Trigger: 3 lb., adjustable (measured)
• Barrel: 24 in., threaded with muzzle brake
• Overall Length: 46.25 in.
• Price: $800
• Average of Top 10 Groups: .887 in.

Pros

• Excellent accuracy for the price
• Crisp 3-pound trigger
• Short bolt throw
• Optics rail included

Cons

• Magazine only holds 3 rounds
• Our sample had a rough chamber, scratching cases on extraction

Product Description

The Franchi Momentum Elite is a sleek mid-priced hunting rifle that posted excellent accuracy scores at our 2022 gun test. It features a 3-lug push-feed bolt with a short, crisp throw that makes the rifle quick and easy to cycle. Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, it favored Federal Premium’s 140-grain Sierra Match King and Nosler’s 140-grain RDF target loads.

The Momentum Elite handled well, and the only real complaint I had with it was that the magazine only held three rounds, and the magazine release is inside the trigger guard.

The Momentum Elite’s stock is slender with good ergonomics, and it features and integral recessed sling swivel stud that’s molded into the stock. It also has a rubber stopper inside a tapped hole for a standard sling swivel stud in case you want to attach a bipod.

The rifle has a nice finish and includes a radial muzzle brake and one-piece optics rail. You can also get the Momentum Elite in 6.5 PRC, .308 Win., .300 Win. Mag., and .350 Legend.

CZUSA 600 Alpha

Key Features

• Caliber: 6mm Creedmoor
• Capacity: 5-round detachable box magazine
• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Weight : 7 lb. 10 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: 1 lb. 11 oz., adjustable (measured)
• Barrel: 22 in., threaded 5/8-24
• Overall Length: 42.2 in.
• Price: $710
• Average of Top 10 Groups: .814 in.

Pros

• Very accurate
• Stock has good texture and ergonomics
• Simple adjustable trigger
• Threaded muzzle

Cons

• Stock fore-end is a little bit flexible

Product Description

New for 2022, the CZ 600 series is a complete divergence from their previous actions, and the 600 Alpha is the base model for the 600 series. It’s a three-lug, push-feed action that’s fed from a detachable box magazine. Our sample was chambered in 6mm Creedmoor and featured a medium/heavy contoured barrel, and the stock features sharp lines and a grippy, rubberized texture.

The CZ 600 Alpha features an exceptionally idiot-proof adjustable trigger and is very comfortable to shoot. It also has an over-sized bolt knob and threaded muzzle. The rifle has elements of both target and hunting rifles and could fulfill several roles for a hunter who’s looking for bang for their buck. It’s not light, but it’s not exceptionally heavy or long barreled either.

The safety mechanism on the CZ 600 is interesting, as it’s a thru-tang safety that you press down into the tang to disengage, and up from the bottom to engage. The safety locks the bolt, but there is a bolt release button that can be pressed to open the bolt while the rifle is on safe.

The 600 Alpha we tested in April was very accurate and favored Nosler’s 105-grain RDF and Hornady’s 108-grain ELDM target loads.

CVA Cascade SB

Key Features

• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Capacity: 4-round detachable box magazine
• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Weight : 6 lb. 15 oz. (measured)
• Trigger: 2 lb. 7 oz. (measured)
• Barrel: 18 in., threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 38.5 in.
• Price: $687
• Average of Top 10 Groups: 1.07 in.

Pros

• Handy 18-in. barrel
• Threaded Muzzle
• Oversized bolt knob
• Magazine can be top loaded

Cons

• Plastic magazine isn’t the most durable

Product Description

The CVA Cascade SB (the SB stands for short barrel) is a handy and affordable rifle that’s designed for hunters who operate out of tight spaces and/or run suppressors on their rigs. The rifle is a two-lug push-feed action that feeds from a plastic detachable magazine. I liked that the magazine can be loaded from the top while it’s in the rifle, but its plastic construction is a little vulnerable when it’s not securely snapped into the gun.

The stock has a tacky, grippy texture, and it’s comfortable to handle and shoot. The Cascade SB has double sling swivel studs on the fore-end for mounting a bipod, and a single stud at the rear of the stock.

The short 18-in. 6.5 Creedmoor barrel was accurate, and this Cascade SB is a perfect affordable rifle to fill a number of utilitarian roles. It’s top ten groups averaged just over an inch for our test team, which was middle-of-the-pack of the rifles we tested at the 2022 gun test—most of which were chambered in 6.5 Creed.

Our test team didn’t like how difficult the CVA brand sticker was to remove from the stock, but for the rifle itself, we think it’s a good buy.

Final Thoughts on Mid-Priced Hunting Rifles

The biggest takeaway from accuracy testing mid-priced hunting rifles is that they are generally a step above the budget rifles in accuracy. They will shoot a wider variety of loads with better consistency, but you still might have to spend some time on the bench to find what they really like. Several of the mid-priced rifles have MOA accuracy guarantees for three-shot groups, and I found them all to satisfy their claims.

Most rifles in this price block do fall short of the accuracy of premium rifles when it comes to five-shot groups over time, but this probably won’t bother the average hunter. Many people will claim that their mid-priced rifles will shoot just as accurately as any rifle in the $2,000 to $4,000 range, but that’s usually not true. For example, the worst five five-shot groups that I recorded while testing the Fierce CT Rival were with a couple of loads the rifle didn’t like. They averaged 1.66 MOA. The best five groups averaged 0.52 MOA. The overall average five-shot group for all the mid-priced hunting rifles I tested was 1.95 MOA, and the average of all the rifles’ best 10 groups was 1.42 MOA.

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“Some of the other photos I have—I hate to say it, but they almost look fake,” Enloe tells Outdoor Life. “I mean, my God, it looks so dumb. A 37-inch girth, and I’m a 35-inch waist. It was just incredible. That fish doesn’t even look 47 inches long because it’s just so fat.”

The fat female appears to be full of eggs, but Enloe clarifies that it wasn’t. Lakers spawn in the fall, and Enloe says the fish’s enormous belly was actually full of kokanee salmon, which are the main food source for lake trout in this particular waterbody. (At first, Enloe tried to hide the location where he and Hunter caught the fish. By Monday, however, word had spread that they were on Blue Mesa Reservoir, which is the largest man-made lake in Colorado.)

Unable to fit the massive laker in their livewell (which was also too small), the father and son photographed, measured, and weighed the fish as quickly as possible. They were determined to release it alive. Hunter’s scale topped out at 50 pounds, while Scott’s registered 73.29 pounds. Altogether, that process took around two minutes, and a series of Instagram videos show them releasing the fish back into the lake.

“I never even considered killing the fish,” Enloe says. “This is [one of] the largest lake trout that’s ever been caught. Period. And I could have made it easy to put in the [IGFA] book, but I would have had to kill it. And I was not going to kill that fish.”

Because the lake trout was released, Enloe says there are some additional hoops to jump through before it can be officially declared an all-tackle world record by the IGFA. He thinks that because he and Hunter were meticulous in their measurements and filmed the entire process, his fish could very well replace the current all-tackle world record laker—a 72-pound fish caught in Canada’s Northwest Territories in 1995.

“I would love to have the world record, and it is the world record,” Enloe says confidently. “But if we don’t get it … I know what I caught, my son knows what I caught, and I’m okay with that.”

Read Next: South Carolina Captain Catches Would-Be Record Hammerhead Shark, Decides to Release It Instead

At the very least, Enloe’s laker will go down in the IGFA book as the all-tackle length world record. (The current length record for the species is around 42.5 inches.) Whether or not the fish will be accepted as a Colorado state record also remains to be seen, but Enloe’s fish was at least 20 pounds heavier than the current weight record. (Using a formula based on the trout’s length and girth, Enloe’s fish would have weighed around 80 pounds.)

In addition to being one of the largest lake trout ever caught, Enloe’s fish was also very old. After speaking with Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials and some of the local guides in the area, many believe the fish was one of the original lakers stocked by CPW in 1966, when Blue Mesa Reservoir was built. That would make it around 57 years old. (The oldest lake trout on record was around 62 years old, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.)

Read Next: The Biggest Trout of All Time

“That’s almost a 60-year-old fish, and I wasn’t gonna kill that fish out of respect,” Enloe says. “I fooled it once, and it might have been the only time it’s ever been fooled. But I’m not gonna take it’s life for that.”

For the second year in a row the Outdoor Life gun test team converged on Gunsite Academy to generate our decades-long roundup of the year’s best rifles, best handguns, and—as a bonus to you old-school pistoleros—a test of the best 1911s.

We’ve been conducting this massive gun test for decades now. It is the most time-consuming, ambitious, and costly editorial project Outdoor Life does each year. No other publication or group comes close to duplicating this singular effort. More on that in a bit.

First and foremost, the test is motivated by our desire to provide valuable and unbiased data and insight. There’s a lot of low-quality information about new guns out there. A combination of evaluators with questionable skills, limited resources, and a desire to please sponsors and advertisers results in a preponderance of ballistic drivel.

This test is an antidote to that.

Beyond providing our audience with top-quality, honest content, the Outdoor Life gun test team also derives tremendous professional satisfaction from this project. The opportunity to shoot all these guns side-by-side with a nearly inexhaustible supply of ammunition at hand gives a perspective that you can’t acquire shooting them individually. Evaluating firearms in the context of their peer group is remarkably illuminating.

Best Rifles of 2023: Return of an Icon and Some Amazing Values

• Best Rifle of 2023: Marlin 336 Classic  (Editor’s Choice)
• Best Rifle of 2023: Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical (Great Buy, Precision Rifle)
• Best Rifle of 2023: Stevens 334 Walnut (Great Buy, Hunting Rifle)
• CVA Cascade XT
• Fierce Firearms Carbon Rogue
• Nosler CCH (Carbon Chassis Hunter)
• Henry Repeating Arms Homesteader
• Bergara Wilderness Ridge Carbon
• Browning X-Bolt Target Max
• Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti

This year’s rifle field was smaller than last year’s. (The bursting of the post-Covid bubble accounted for the unusually large number of introductions in 2022.) But it still included an interesting variety of long-guns spanning a spectrum of price points and uses.

One dominant theme among the best rifles of 2023 is budget guns that punch above their weight class. The Stevens 334 Walnut and Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical both distinguished themselves in that light and earned this year’s Great Buy awards. We also gave high marks to the CVA Cascade XT for the value it represents. In 2023, bargain-minded shooters have some good options to pick from.

Another takeaway from the gun test is that Marlin’s resurrection by Ruger can now be deemed a complete and legitimate success. The new Marlin 336 Classic we evaluated is the latest in a string of fabulous lever actions that have been rolling off the production line at Ruger’s facility in Mayodan, North Carolina. In conjunction with the Marlin 1895 SBL we tested and the Marlin 1895 Trapper we’ve been using—both in .45/70—the Marlin 336 Classic cements the iconic brand’s comeback.

We were so smitten with the Marlin 336 Classic that it was the unanimous selection as this year’s Editor’s Choice.

How We Tested the Best Rifles

As I alluded to above, Outdoor Life’s gun testing protocol is unlike any other in the outdoor industry. This test is different, and always has been. We pit the entries head-to-head and when the dust settles we tabulate the scores and whoever wins, wins. There’s no favoritism at play. Unlike other awards you see touted, our Editor’s Choice and Great Buy honors are not for sale.

We shoot the hell out of each rifle for accuracy and practical field handling. We go over each with a critical eye to pick apart their construction and evaluate workmanship.

Our published accuracy results are the averages of the 10 best five-shot groups for each rifle. While it is fun to highlight some of the smallest groups in the test—which we do as well—this 10-group average is much more meaningful with respect to a rifle’s true in-the-field performance. (And, incidentally, is a much tougher standard than you’ll see in other gun reviews.)

It takes a long time to gather that much accuracy data. The five shooters on the team spent days shooting a collective 375 five-shot groups for record. One reason we shoot that much is that we want each rifle to shine as brightly as possible. We shoot a variety of ammo, bullet styles, and bullet weights. (With respect to the ammunition I have to give special thanks to our industry partners who support us in this including, Federal, Nosler, Winchester, Hornady, Remington, Black Hills Ammunition, Berger, Weatherby, Wilson Combat, and Freedom Munitions.)

And in between groups we cleaned the rifles if needed and refouled them to get the most accuracy out of each. When the accuracy work was done, we ran each rifle through dynamic shooting drills from field positions.

How We Grade Guns

Each rifle is evaluated on nine categories and given a score of 1 to 5 from each judge, except for the accuracy score, which is based on the data from the groups shot. We average the scores for each category and use that to determine the ranking and awards. The categories are handling, accuracy, workmanship, aesthetics, ergonomics, meets purpose, versatility, reliability, and value.

Read Next: The Best Handguns of 2023

The scores then translate to the grades on the report cards for each firearm. Performance consists of the scores from handling, accuracy, ergonomics, and reliability. Design includes workmanship, aesthetics, meeting its purpose, and versatility. Value stands on its own.

To earn an “Excellent” rating, the average of that score must be 4.5 or higher, a difficult mark to hit. “Very Good” is an average score of 3.5 to 4.5; “Good” is from 2.5 to 3.5; “Fair” is from 1.5 to 2.5; and “Poor” is under 1.5.

Best Rifle of 2023: Marlin 336 Classic  (Editor’s Choice)

Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Very Good
• Accuracy: 1.627 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Marlin 336 Classic Specs

• Action: Lever
• Stock: Walnut
• Caliber: .30/30 Win.
• Capacity: 6+1
• Weight: 7 lb. 1 oz.
• Trigger: 8 lb. 0 oz.
• Barrel: 20 in.
• Length: 38.5 in.
• Price: $1,239

The biggest trend in rifles for the last decade and a half has been in bolt guns pushing the boundaries of accuracy and long-range performance. In other words, precision rifles—whether for competition, hunting, or general recreation.

So it is rather surprising to see a rifle that traces its roots to 1893 firing a cartridge that was introduced in 1895 anointed as the best rifle of 2023. But indeed, that is the case.

The Marlin 336 Classic in .30/30 Win. is a throwback rifle and cartridge but has been made relevant again by Ruger, which is producing them in North Carolina. Even though I grew up shooting Marlins produced in North Haven, Connecticut, there is no doubt that these new lever actions are the finest to wear the signature bullseye logo in their stock.

The fit and finish on our 336 was superlative and the quality of the wood, metal polish, and bluing make this rifle a real looker. As much as we were smitten by its svelte lines and attractive workmanship, we also praised it for its balance and handling.

The 336 handles exactly how a big-woods lever action should. It’s quick to shoulder, points instinctively, and—for a lever gun in .30/30—is pretty accurate.

It’s also a hell of a value—assuming you can find one for the MSRP. For the time being the demand will continue to outstrip the supply but be patient and sooner or later you’ll be able to acquire one.

As an aside, Marlin will be chambering the 336 in .35 Remington again too. Expect to see those later this year. Nor would it shock me if they chambered some in the new 360 Buckhammer as well.

Best Rifle of 2023: Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical (Great Buy, Precision Rifle)

Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Excellent
• Accuracy: .582 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic chassis
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 10
• Weight: 8 lb. 11 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 9 oz.
• Barrel: 22 in.
• Length: 42.3 in.
• Price: $1,085

We have been shooting, hunting with, and broadly praising the Mossberg Patriot rifle in its many variants since it was introduced in 2015. New this year is the Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical, which matches the familiar two-lug action with a chassis stock and heavy barrel.

Line extensions like this tend to be ho-hum affairs, eliciting little in the way of remark, let alone excitement. That’s not the case with the Patriot LR Tactical.

This precision rifle is one of the best deals going for affordable long-range shooting and trotted off with a Great Buy award in the precision rifle category.

This LR Tactical configuration suits the workmanlike Patriot action to a tee. This rifle is very accurate. In fact, it turned in the tightest group of the test, a .247-inch five-shot group by editor in chief Alex Robinson with Federal 140-grain Berger Hybrids. (Ours was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, but you can also get them in .308 Win. and 6.5 PRC.)

The rifle also handles surprisingly well. Though the barrel is heavy, the rifle isn’t cumbersome. It weighs 8.75 pounds without a scope and was easy to maneuver in and out of position during the practical shooting portion of the evaluation.

The action isn’t the smoothest but we were still able to cycle it quickly while running through a variety of drills. The rifle takes AICS pattern magazines, which are widely available and come in varying capacities. The effective paddle magazine release made reloads a snap.

The stock adjusts for cheek height and positions the hand nicely thanks to its vertical grip. The texturing on the grip is fairly aggressive and gives a solid purchase. The chassis stock also has slots to mount M-Lok compatible accessories.

Best Rifle of 2023: Stevens 334 Walnut (Great Buy, Hunting Rifle)

Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Excellent
• Accuracy: .724-in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Stevens 334 Walnut Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Walnut
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 3+1
• Weight: 7 lb. 14 oz.
• Trigger: 5 lb. 10 oz.
• Barrel: 22 in.
• Length: 43 in.
• Price: $489

The Stevens 334 Walnut was the most surprising gun of the rifle test. It is a basic wood-stocked bolt action imported from Turkey, and at first glance doesn’t seem to be anything special.

While the stock is nice enough, the metalwork and design of the action is basic—though in keeping with the rifle’s modest $489 price tag. After dry firing the trigger, you’d have no reason to anticipate any particular ballistic magic, either. The 5-pound 10-ounce trigger has a bit of mush before it breaks.

But handsome is as handsome does, and the Stevens 334 charmed the entire test team once we started shooting it for accuracy. Its five-shot groups averaged less than ¾ MOA, making it one of the most accurate rifles of the test, and easily the most accurate hunting rifle we evaluated.

It shoots way better than it has any right to, was our collective takeaway.

It has other features we liked as well. The three-position safety locks the bolt down when fully engaged, while the central position lets the shooter clear or check the chamber without putting the gun on “fire.”

The polymer single-stack magazine loads easily and holds three rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor, though the rifle is also available in .308 Win. and .243 Win.

The three-lug design, with its 60-degree bolt lift, is surprisingly smooth and easy to operate from the shoulder. It comes with a Picatinny rail that runs the full length of the action which makes mounting an optic a snap.

In sum, the Stevens 334 Walnut is a wonderful rifle for the price and is our Great Buy award winner in the hunting rifle category in 2023.

CVA Cascade XT

Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Very Good
• Accuracy: .858 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

CVA Cascade XT Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 4+1
• Weight: 7 lb. 7 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 12 oz.
• Barrel: 22 in.
• Length: 43.6 in.
• Price: $850

The CVA Cascade XT is another solid value among this year’s new rifles. Like other rifles in the Cascade family, it has a three-lug, large-diameter bolt and a two-position safety that is easy to manipulate.

Larger and heavier than the other Cascade rifles, it was built with hunting at longer distances in mind. It comes with a stout No. 5 contour barrel, dual swivel studs on the fore-end, a radial muzzle brake, and a user-adjustable trigger.

It isn’t an elegant rifle. Nothing on it can be considered svelte. But for its intended purpose—placing accurate shots at longer distances—it hits the mark.

The rifle’s weight, stock design and brake do a good job mitigating recoil, so it is a rifle you can put a lot of rounds through without beating yourself up.

The polymer double-stack magazine holds four rounds of 6.5 Creed. (The rifle can also be had in .223 Rem., .308 Win., .450 Bushmaster, .350 Legend, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem. Mag., and .300 Win. Mag.) It loads effortlessly and is easy to insert and remove from the mag well.

The double-stack design and open-bridge configuration of the action make it easy to top-load the magazine when it runs dry. That’s a good thing, because when we fed the rifle with single rounds after emptying the magazine they often had difficulty chambering.

The synthetic camo stock has a tacky rubber-like texture and effective checkering molded into the fore-end and grip, so you won’t need to worry about this rifle slipping from your grasp.

Fierce Firearms Carbon Rogue

Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Good
• Accuracy: 1.033 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Fierce Firearms Carbon Rogue Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Carbon fiber
• Caliber: 6.5 PRC
• Capacity: 3+1
• Weight: 6 lb. 4 oz.
• Trigger: 3 lb. 1 oz.
• Barrel: 24 in.
• Length: 45.5 in.
• Price: $2,199

We’ve been a big fan of Fierce Firearms’ rifles. This semi-custom maker based in Redmond, Utah, makes high-quality lightweight big-game rigs that perform under trying conditions. Their prices, while not cheap, represent a good value for the quality.

New this year is the Carbon Rogue, which Fierce introduced as a more affordable carbon-fiber barreled mountain rifle at $2,199. To get the cost down, the Carbon Rogue uses a stainless two-lug action, rather than the titanium actions found in the flagship Edge ($3,995) and Rival ($3,050).

The fit and finish on the rifle is superb. The hinged floorplate magazine, for instance, is nicely inletted so that it sits nearly flush with the stock. Likewise, the gap between the barrel and barrel channel is small and even.

The accuracy of our sample in 6.5 PRC didn’t wow us. At 1.033 inches it was good but not outstanding. We had some feeding issues with our sample too. The second round in the magazine rarely fed properly because of how it would tilt in the magazine. This is something that wouldn’t be too difficult to resolve, but it did cost the rifle some points.

Other than that, the rifle impressed us. Most of the judges loved the shape of the stock, which has a moderate swell at the grip—though one of our evaluators who has smaller hands found it awkward.

Like many carbon-fiber stocks, the one on our sample is a bit slick. Some hunters make a big deal out of that, while others don’t care. It’s a matter of personal taste.

One thing about the stock we all liked was the short section of Picatinny rail recessed into the fore-end. It’s a great mounting surface for clamping on a bipod in a flash. The rail has a QD cup in it as an attachment point for a sling, and the buttstock of the rifle has a QD cup as well.

The spiral fluted bolt can be taken apart without tools in the field for maintenance, and it incorporates dual ejectors and a nicely designed extractor. We didn’t have any issue with extraction and ejection of the empties.

At 6-pounds 4-ounces, the empty weight of the rifle makes it portable but it still has enough heft to handle properly. During the dynamic drills the rifle was nimble and steady. Fierce is chambering these rifles in a slew of cartridges ranging from the .22 Creedmoor to the .300 PRC.

Nosler CCH (Carbon Chassis Hunter)

Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Fair
• Accuracy: .913 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Nosler CCH Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Carbon fiber folding chassis
• Caliber: 6.5 PRC
• Capacity: 4+1
• Weight: 6 lb. 10 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 13 oz.
• Barrel: 26 in.
• Length: 45.25 in.
• Price: $5,295

Any notion you might have had of Nosler as an old-school firearm and ammunition company that caters to your grandpa is dispelled by the new Carbon Chassis Hunter (aka CCH). This thoroughly modern rifle is a marked departure from the traditional lines of the M48 that Nosler launched their firearms business with nearly 20 years ago.

It takes the same action as their award-winning Model 21 and pairs it with a folding carbon-fiber stock made by MDT to cater to technically savvy (and well-heeled) hunters.

If I had to describe the CCH in one word, I’d go with slick. Slick describes the smooth-running action, which was our favorite of the test, as well as the feel of the non-textured chassis stock.

The slickness of the chassis, which in theory makes the rifle more difficult to hold on to, is largely mitigated by the pistol grip, which allows for a strong handhold on the rifle. The flat-bottomed fore-end, which has an integral ARCA rail machined along its length, is easy to grasp firmly, too.

Our sample, chambered in 6.5 PRC, has a 26-inch barrel. Normally that makes for an unwieldy rifle, but the light weight of the carbon fiber barrel helps the rifle balance well. Even with that long tube, the rifle tips the scales at just over 6.5 pounds.

Because the stock folds flat, transporting the rifle is more convenient too. I carried this rifle last fall on a spot-and-stalk mule deer hunt in Northeast Montana and slinging the rifle with the stock folded made for easy hiking.

The accuracy of our rifle was good, but we found it a struggle to get great groups out of it. We turned in a handful of five-shot groups between .65 and .85 inches, which is quite good. But most of our shooting was right around the 1 MOA mark.

There’s nothing wrong with that level of precision, but for the price you couldn’t blame a guy if he expected a bit more.

Speaking of the price: If the CCH has an Achilles heel, it is cost. Nosler spared no expense assembling best-in-class components to build the rifle and—for better or for worse—that expense is passed along to you. The Proof Research barrel, Mack Bros action, TriggerTech trigger, and MDT Chassis aren’t cheap. With an MSRP of $5,295, this isn’t an everyman’s hunting tool.

It’s capable, fun to shoot, pretty accurate, has wonderful balance and handling—but whether the shooting public will take a shine to it to the tune of 5Gs remains to be seen.

Henry Repeating Arms Homesteader

Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Very Good
• Accuracy: 2.21 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups @ 50 yd.)

Henry Repeating Arms Homesteader Specs

• Action: Semi-auto
• Stock: Walnut
• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 10
• Weight: 6 lb. 10 oz.
• Trigger: 6 lb. 10 oz.
• Barrel: 16 in.
• Length: 35.75 in.
• Price: $928

The fun factor of the Henry Homesteader is undeniable. This simple 9mm PCC, which operates from standard pistol magazines on a blowback design, quickly established itself as a test team favorite.

It is reasonably accurate, has negligible recoil, doesn’t cost a ton, is super handy, and fires cheap ammo. What’s not to like? I wrote about the Homesteader at some length after I first got it, and it turned out that the other judges shared my positive impression.

We topped it with a couple very fine LPVO scopes—a Leupold Mark 5HD 2-10×30 and a Nightforce ATACR 1-8×24. Both pieces of glass are, admittedly, overkill but we wanted to get the best accuracy possible from the carbine while testing for accuracy.

This rifle doesn’t require an optic at that level to perform, however. A simple red-dot reflex sight mounted on the rifle’s Picatinny rail is all the Homesteader really needs.

We ran the rifle a lot on Gunsite’s famed Scrambler, where it was right at home ringing the steel targets that are about 50 to 100 yards downrange. It functioned flawlessly here and throughout the week-long evaluation.

Getting picky about the rifle’s design, we did note a few things that could stand improvement. The recoil pad is thicker and squishier than needed. A thinner, harder pad would shorten the length of pull and make the rifle less likely to hang up on clothing as it is shouldered—both good things.

The team was split on the blocky fore-end. It reminded me of my old Crossman 7600 BB gun as a kid and brought images of the M1 Thompson to another judge, good associations both. Another judge thought it could benefit from a bit of contouring.

But in the end we were united in our appreciation of this fun little gun. If we gave out an award for top plinker, the Henry Homesteader would have it.

Bergara Wilderness Ridge Carbon

Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Very Good
• Value: Fair
• Accuracy: 1.346 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Bergara Wilderness Ridge Carbon Specs

• Action: Two-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 5+1
• Weight: 7 lb. 0 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 15 oz.
• Barrel: 22 in.
• Length: 43 in.
• Price: $1,599

Our impressions of this new rifle from Bergara were mostly positive. We liked how it handled and balanced. It operated flawlessly, feeding, cycling, and ejecting everything we shot through it. Its intuitive controls make it easy (and fun) to operate.

That said, it didn’t exactly win our hearts either. For $1,599 we were expecting a bit more—particularly with its fit and finish and its accuracy.

It’s 1.346 in. five-shot group average was near the bottom of the test and is humdrum for a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. It did manage three groups (from three different shooters using three different types of ammo) that were just above 1 MOA, which was encouraging. It was consistent, if not super precise.

The stock also isn’t commensurate with a rifle costing this much. It’s a bit basic, as the kids say. The so-so fit of the hinged floorplate and the overall look and feel of the Remington style stock doesn’t scream “premium.”

The metal work is more in keeping with the price. The Sniper Gray Cerakote on the receiver contrasts nicely with the polished stainless bolt body, which has spiral flutes along its length that are offset in black. And the wrap on the carbon-fiber barrel is also attractive.

Overall, it struck us as a capable hunting implement. It comes with an effective radial muzzle brake that makes recoil a non-issue in 6.5 Creed. (The rifle is also chambered in .308 Win., 6.5 PRC, and .300 Win. Mag.) The single-stage trigger broke at a clean and crisp 2 pounds 5 ounces.

Browning X-Bolt Target Max

Report Card

• Performance: Very Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Good
• Accuracy: .719 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Browning X-Bolt Target Max Specs

• Action: Three-lug bolt
• Stock: Synthetic chassis
• Caliber: 6.5 CM
• Capacity: 10+1
• Weight: 9 lb. 9 oz.
• Trigger: 2 lb. 5 oz.
• Barrel: 26 in.
• Length: 47.75 in.
• Price: $1,799

The Browning X-Bolt Target Max is in its element when you have steel targets hundreds of yards down range, variable winds to figure out, and a pile of accurate ammo to burn through. Everyone on the team really enjoyed shooting this hefty rifle from Browning that comes with a 26-inch barrel, three-port muzzle brake, and substantial competition-style stock.

Ours delivered good precision, with the average of its 10 best five-shot groups coming in at .719 inches. One judge on our test team, who isn’t as experienced with long-range precision rifles as some of the others, really liked the familiar feel of the X-Bolt controls, which include the two-position tang-mounted safety and short three-lug bolt throw.

But the experienced precision rifle shooters liked it as well. The Target Max ran smoothly and reliably with one exception: It was very picky about which magazines it accepts. Like many precision rifles it is designed to accept AICS detachable magazines. The Browning ships with one polymer 10-rounder from MDT.

During the week of shooting we’ll run many different magazines through rifles of this type and that’s where the Target Max fell short.

We had a hard time inserting and seating most magazines in the mag well. On top of that, the magazine release button was difficult to manipulate, making mag swaps a chore. Browning placed the magazine release button on the side of the rifle between the trigger guard and magazine well unlike the typical paddle release you see on the bottom metal of most precision rifles.

The rifle could benefit from a couple upgrades to its feature set, too. QD cups (rather than swivel stud type attachments) should be standard on a rifle of this type and while the section of Picatinnny rail on the fore-end is useful for mounting a bipod, an ARCA rail (ideally running the whole length under the fore-end) would be an improvement.

The stock earned high marks otherwise. The vertical grip is well done and has some very nice texture molded into it. The rifle has a cheek piece that can be raised or lowered as needed and it comes with a spacer to adjust the length of pull.

Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti

Report Card

• Performance: Good
• Design: Good
• Value: Fair
• Accuracy: 1.459 in. (Avg. of 10 best five-shot groups)

Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti Specs

• Action: Six-lug bolt (two rows of three)
• Stock: Carbon fiber
• Caliber: .338 Wby. RPM
• Capacity: 4+1
• Weight: 5 lb. 5 oz.
• Trigger: 3 lb. 3 oz.
• Barrel: 18 in.
• Length: 38.5 in.
• Price: $3,449

In many respects this rifle was the most interesting of the test—in part because it occupies a very curious—and small—niche. It’s expensive. It’s ultralight. And it’s chambered the brand new .338 Wby. RPM, a hard-hitting thumper of a magnum that is reasonably accurate, but no long-range wonder.

On the one hand, it seems kind of like a guide gun. It has an 18-inch barrel, compact 38.5-inch overall length, and 4+1 magazine capacity. But we’ve been around a lot of guides and not many are going to throw down $3,449 on a rifle they are going to beat the snot out of. On top of that, though the rifle is portable, it isn’t going to outshoot a less expensive .45/70 lever action, 12-gauge slug gun, or .338 to .375 magnum-type bolt gun when trying to cope with an irate bear.

I’m sure that some hunters will take to the rifle and cartridge as long as they don’t mind the 1.5 MOA performance. I could see humping it while slogging through a willow thicket in search of a trophy bull moose—or brown bear—where the shots will be relatively close. But it’s a fair bit of money to spend on a rifle with that small sweet spot.

Shooting it prone for accuracy was not the most fun we had during the test. Even though it has a good muzzle brake, it still hits fairly hard. But we had a lot of data to gather on the rifle and new round and soldiered through.

We shot four different loads through the rifle and recorded data using a Labradar. We were impressed by the results. The ammo was very consistent in terms of the standard deviation (SD) and extreme spread (ES)—especially for a short-barreled rifle shooting magnum powder charges in factory loaded ammo. All the data here are from 10-shot shot strings.

• 225-grain Nosler AccuBond (MV: 2686 fps / ES: 32 / SD: 10)
• 225-grain Barnes TTSX (MV: 2624 fps / ES: 30 / SD: 8)
• 225-grain Hornady Interlock (MV: 2688 fps / ES: 40 / SD: 13.0)
• 185-grain Barnes TTSX (MV: 2909 fps / ES: 42 / SD: 14.2)

When we started shooting the rifle during the practical field evaluation, we enjoyed it a lot more. The recoil isn’t bad when your body can rock with the blow, and the rifle is lithe and handy when working the bolt.

We really liked the ergonomics on the rifle. The stock has a negative comb with a quasi-hogsback shape and the recoil pad, the latest version of Weatherby’s 3-D printed design, is the best yet. Both help mitigate recoil.

The finish on the stock improves on what we’ve seen from Weatherby since they opened shop in Sheridan, Wyoming as well. The inletting is tight and even and the grip is smooth and clean with no signs of sanding or other handwork.

Final Thoughts on the Best Rifles of 2023

When it comes to the best rifles of 2023 we can borrow the favorite saying of shady pitchmen in infomercials, “But wait, there’s more!” Due to lingering supply chain issues, limited sample availability, and other factors, a bunch of gun companies have plans for new rifles this year which weren’t quite ready in time for the gun test.

Read Next: The Best 1911s, Tested and Reviewed

As the months progress we’ll continue to update this story with other relevant new rifles. And even though I’m not yet allowed to divulge specifics I can state that we’re going to see several high-end rifles that strive to balance the often incompatible qualities of being lightweight and extremely accurate.

In the meantime, 2023 is off to an encouraging start for rifle aficionados, especially those looking for great values.

About Gunsite

This year’s test of the best rifles was once again graciously hosted by Gunsite Academy in Paulden, AZ. As the home of the legendary Jeff Cooper and one of the first firearm training facilities that offered classes to the general public, Gunsite became one of the premier gun training destinations in the country.

At Gunsite we got to work with top-line instructors, and use their excellent ranges and facilities. The genuinely friendly, helpful, and overly-accommodating staff at Gunsite allowed us to conduct our most ambitious gun test to date. You can experience the magic of Gunsite, and improve your skills, by signing up for a class.

“It was just before daybreak, and with our sonar we [saw] a big fish about 200 feet deep,” says Shoults, 59, who runs the Mollie out of Destin, Florida. “We marked the fish, got close to it, and sent down a live 5- to 8-pound blackfin tuna bait. But the marlin didn’t take it.”

The crew repeated this exercise four more times, Shoults tells Outdoor Life, pinpointing the marlin each time on their electronics. On their fifth attempt around 6 a.m., the marlin came in fast, swallowing the bait along with the 12/0 circle hook it was attached to.

“The marlin just charged the bait and took off on a blistering run,” Shoults says.

“Brian Stover was on the rod, and he’s an excellent, very experienced billfisherman. He was on that fish for [over] 4 hours, and it was a grueling battle.”

The marlin never jumped again, but it continued to fight deep and doggedly. Most of the battle took place within sight of the Mollie’s crew, and they had more than a few close calls trying to boat the billfish.

“For about two hours the fish was close to our boat, less than 60 feet deep, and we could see it plainly,” Shoults says. “My mate Casey Wherhahen had the leader to the fish 15 to 20 times, trying to pull it close to the boat. But every time the fish surged away, and we had to fight it in again and again.

“Finally, though, the sun got up about 10 a.m., and we saw the fish was very deep-bodied and broad across the back. We knew it was a giant. At 10:30, over four hours after we hooked it, Casey got ahold of the leader, the fish rolled sideways, and we got her close to the boat.”

It then took two crewmen, Jacob Castle and Colton Guthrie, to hit the fish with flying gaffs and haul the massive marlin aboard.

“It’s the biggest marlin I’ve caught in the gulf, and I knew we had a chance to win the tournament,” says Shoults. He says the fish’s head was so big that it looked like a dinosaur coming out of the water.

Read Next: South African Crew Catches Second Biggest Atlantic Blue Marlin Ever

With the multi-day tournament still underway, the crew stayed offshore another night before heading back to the marina in Orange Beach on May 20. With an ice maker on board, Shoults says they were able to keep the fish well preserved, so it never lost any weight before hitting the dock.

When they arrived back at Wharf Marina, a crowd watched the crew hoist the marlin onto the official tournament scales. The 10.5-foot marlin weighed 776.4-pounds, making it the heaviest blue marlin in tournament history. The crew took home $183,000 in winnings.

By the late 19th century repeating shotguns had gained favor among hunters and target shooters alike. But some game-changing innovations came along from 1900 to 1920. Single and double-barrel break-action shotguns were still flying off hardware store shelves. But the genius of John Browning would once again change shotguns forever. The development of the Auto-5 put a stranglehold on the shotgun market and it became the most iconic autoloader ever produced. Winchester’s Model 12 was no slouch either. It was arguably the most widely sought-after pump gun for decades, until the Remington 870 came along.

Here is a look at the shotguns that defined the first 20 years of the 20th century, plus a shotgun that would have been better left on the cutting room floor.

1. Browning Auto-5

Talk about someone who never rested on his laurels. Browning had just designed the first highly successful pump-action shotguns with the models 1893 and 1897 when he began working on the semi-automatic shotgun in 1898. With patents accepted in 1900, a new era began with the Automatic-5.

Browning turned to Remington to manufacture his shotgun, but that deal fell through as well. So Browning packed his bags and headed overseas to Belgium. Fabrique Nationale (FN, which is now the parent company of Browning and Winchester) of Herstal got the honor of producing the first A-5 shotguns.

Remington got their chance to make the coveted design with a licensing agreement in 1905; their version was named the Model 11. Around 850,000 of the Remington guns were made up until 1947, when the Model 11 was discontinued in favor of the 11-48. Remington also built the war time Browning’s while Belgium was in World War II turmoil (the Germans took over their factory). FN continued to crank out A-5s in 1952 and did so until Browning moved the gun to Miroku factories in Japan in 1975. Deemed too expensive to manufacture, the A-5 was dropped in favor of the Browning Gold 3.5-inch gas-operated design in 1998.

2. Winchester Model 12

Winchester dropped the ball with the Auto-5, but the company hit a mammoth home run with the Model 1912. T.C. Johnson was back in 1912 with a vengeance after the ultimate failure of the 1911 SL (which I’ll get to later), with this pump shotgun earning a reputation as “the perfect repeater.” Anyone who has handled a Model 12 in any gauge will tell you that the magic of this gun lies in its ergonomics.

Its design compliments the strengths and abilities of most shooters and minimizes their limitations. The Model 12 does that with a combination of stock design, balance, and the inherent accuracy benefits of the slick pump-action operation. In simple terms, the gun points where you look.

Johnson borrowed some elements from Browning’s 1897, but a huge change was the enclosed internal hammer. There was no need to cock or lower a hammer with cold hands anymore; the gun was ready to fire after the round was chambered. It was a step forward in safety even though the early guns could still be slam-fired by holding the trigger down and pumping the action.

The Model 12 was offered in multiple gauges. In fact, the first Model 12s to hit the market were 20-gauge guns although 12- and 16-gauge offerings came out in 1913 and the 28-gauge debuted in 1934. The Model 42, a .410 version of the Model 12 that’s light and nimble, was built in 1933. Be careful with early Model 12 guns. The chamber lengths of some 20 gauges was 2.5 inches and the 16 came in at 2 9/16ths. Standard 12-gauge was 2¾-inch, with the Heavy Duck 3-inch guns coming out later.

Around 2 million Model 12s found their way into sportsman’s hands for hunting, skeet, and trap. One of the most famous Model 12 aficionados was Ernest Hemingway. The author owned several in his lifetime, purchasing his first in 1928. Hemingway took the gun to Africa in case he needed to dispatch wounded leopards, among other tasks.

3. Remington Model 10

As popular as the Model 12 was, Remington actually beat Winchester to the internal hammer pump shotgun with the introduction on the Model 10 in 1908. John Pedersen designed the gun with a tubular magazine and bottom ejection. Bottom eject pumps would become popular with the elegant Ithaca Model 37, but they were unknown before Remington’s offering.

The Model 10 shotgun was never widely popular but a limited number of them designated as the 10-A found their way into World War I service. These guns sported 23-inch barrels covered with wooden heat shields and bayonet lug adapters. Only 3,500 were built, so an original condition 10-A is highly collectable and quite valuable.

Read Next: 9 of the Most Underrated Semi-Auto Shotguns of All Time

4. Winchester Model 1911 Self Loader

This shotgun was more notorious than famous. It took engineer Thomas Crossley a full 10 years to come up with a gun outside the patent infringement of the long action recoil-operated mechanism similar to Browning’s Auto-5. The drawback of the Winchester’s Model 1911 SL was that it wasn’t nearly as safe to operate: the dangerous design required shooters to load it by pushing the barrel into the receiver.

You are always supposed to point a gun in a safe direction, but people have been severely injured or killed by manipulating a 1911 shotgun barrel when an accidental discharge occurred. Many times, this discharge was caused by a paper shell swelling and jamming in the receiver, and the gun’s operator trying to clear that jam with the gun pointed at their own face. Never a good idea. As a result, the SL became known as the “Widowmaker.”