What Makes a Good Hunting Rifle?

That’s good news overall, but it can be overwhelming for a new hunter. How do you choose from among the rows and rows of guns hanging from the wall?

We’ve published “best of” lists for deer hunters, youth hunters, rimfire hunters, and backcountry hunters. Those lists are a good place to start, but I wanted to take a step back and think bigger-picture: what are the attributes of a good hunting rifle? How do you select the best rifle for you out of the dozens of potential options? Here are six criteria you should consider as you answer that question.

No one would disagree that a hunting rifle should be accurate. But how accurate it needs to be (not to mention how that accuracy should be measured) has been the subject of bar fights and Internet feuds the world over.

These days, a rifle that can’t shoot consistent sub-one-inch groups at 100 yards is considered an inaccurate firearm. In my experience conducting accuracy testing on hundreds of rifles, the ubiquity of true sub-MOA hunting rifles is overblown. It’s certainly possible to shoot one or two sub-MOA groups, and rifles will often shoot one bullet weight or style quite well. But if your rifle averages 1.2- or 1.5-inch five-shot groups, it’s still accurate enough to take into the field.

In reality, your gun needs to be as accurate as your hunting scenario–meaning, it needs to be able to hit the vital area of your target animal from the distance you plan to shoot.

If you’re a big woods deer hunter taking 50- or 80-yard shots leaning against a tree, a rifle that can produce minute-of-paper-plate (as Mark Kenyon once described to me) is probably sufficient. But if you’re chasing muleys out west and want to make a 400-yard shot across a canyon, your gun needs to be significantly more accurate.

To determine whether your gun is accurate enough, test it. And then test it again. Set up a target at the maximum distance you plan to hunt and make sure you can hit within an animal’s vital area. Give yourself some room for error to account for nerves or an awkward shooting position, but don’t let some benchrest forum warrior convince you that your deer gun isn’t up to the task.

The trigger is one of the most important features of any firearm, especially a firearm meant for precision shooting. Anyone can hold a reticle on target–the trick is to keep that reticle on target while you pull the trigger. That sounds easier than it is, but a good trigger can help (a lot).

A heavy trigger is difficult to pull all the way through while staying on target, so look for a trigger set between two and four pounds. That range isn’t absolutely necessary, but less than two pounds increases the risk of unintentional firings, and there’s no reason to go heavier than four.

A good trigger is also what various gun writers (including myself) have referred to as “clean” or “crisp.” This is a shorthand way of describing a trigger that isn’t mushy prior to the break and doesn’t feel gritty during the break. Both of these negative attributes make it tough to keep the reticle on target.

The good news is that the vast majority of new hunting rifles have what, by historical standards, are excellent triggers. Most are adjustable between two and four pounds, and most have the kind of glass-like breaks that old-timers could only dream about. Plus, if for some reason you don’t like the trigger on your gun, there are plenty of aftermarket trigger companies that likely have what you’re looking for.

A rifle’s weight can dictate not only how comfortable you are walking through the woods, but also the kinds of shots you feel comfortable taking in the field. A rifle that’s too heavy to fire off-hand (i.e., from a standing position) or leaning against a tree could significantly limit your shot opportunities. This might not be a concern if you’re hunting in open country or from a box blind, and you feel confident you can use your bipod or backpack to fire from the prone. But a light, well-balanced rifle is a must if you’re hunting the big woods and might need to make a quick, off-hand shot.

Of course, a rifle can also be too light for the caliber. What counts as “too light” depends on your recoil tolerance, but an ultralight rifle chambered in a magnum cartridge can be too painful for extended sessions at the range. That can have cascading negative effects, including missed shots due to a simple lack of practice or because you’re anticipating the recoil.

A good hunting rifle is made with durable, weather-resistant components. This includes polymer or carbon fiber stocks that won’t crack or warp with moisture and temperature changes, along with stainless steel or Cerakoted barrels and actions. Most factory-new rifles are constructed with these kinds of components, but it’s a special concern for hunting rifles that need to function in the most extreme conditions.

If you’ve ever tried to teach a youngster to fire a rifle with a gun that doesn’t fit, you know how important this one is. A good hunting rifle is set up to be as comfortable as possible. The length of pull (i.e., the distance from the trigger to the end of the stock) should be customized so you can fire from any shooting position without having to reach for the trigger. The comb height should be set up so you can put your cheek to the stock, glance up, and get a good sight picture.

A good hunting rifle should also have a properly mounted scope. This isn’t an attribute of the rifle, per se, but some rifles make scope installation easier than others.

The scope should be level, of course, but it should also be the correct distance from your eye. If you plan to take a shot from a bipod or the prone, it should be slightly farther forward since your head will be farther forward on the stock from that position. If you think you’ll be taking a standing shot, the scope can be farther back. If you aren’t sure, split the difference. The idea is to make sure you aren’t struggling to get a good sight picture with game in sight.

Aesthetics is a more important rifle attribute than we sometimes let on. Sure, we’ll ooh and ahh over a custom-made wood stock or intricate engravings, but we don’t like to admit that we prefer a particular rifle for no other reason than it looks cool. I think that’s a shame–not to mention dishonest. A rifle you like looking at in the safe will be more fun to bring into the blind. You’ll be more excited to show it off at the range and in the grip-and-grin you post on social media.

None of that is central to the hunting experience, but it still has value. Archeologists have discovered decorated weapons used by hunter-gatherers over 10,000 years ago, and I’d be surprised if the first human hunters didn’t prefer one of their pointy sticks just because it had a nice color or unique shape. A firearm can be a work of art, and any good hunting rifle should be both functional and pleasing to the eye.

“This is all wonderful advice,” you may be thinking, “but how do I go about finding a rifle that puts all of this together?”

Those “best of” articles I mentioned are a good place to start. If any of those rifles are in your price range (and you like the way they look), head down to your local gun store and see if you can get your hands on one. That will let you feel the weight, test the trigger, and shoulder the gun. I’ve found that actually holding a rifle for five seconds can tell you way more than pouring over spec sheets for a month.

You usually can’t test a rifle’s accuracy before finalizing the purchase. Fortunately, gun reviews (including the ones we publish) usually include accuracy testing results. There’s no guarantee your rifle will replicate those results, but it won’t be too far off base. Then, once you finally get a chance to take the rifle to the range, bring along four or five boxes of hunting ammunition. If the gun is from a major manufacturer, it will almost certainly shoot 1-1.5-inch groups with one of those boxes.

Someone on the Internet (possibly Chris Rock) once said that wealth is about having options rather than money. If that’s true, and you’re looking for a hunting rifle, you’re living large. Use the criteria above to narrow down your list, pull the trigger on a rifle, and get out to the range.

Because here’s the most important attribute of a good hunting rifle: it’s the rifle you’re most comfortable and effective with in the field. That proficiency won’t happen by itself, so find the shooting iron that fits you best and start sending lead downrange.