Any one of a hundred calibers will be appropriate, and while you still want a good trigger, you’re not too concerned about weight or length. If you’re primarily a treestand whitetail hunter, you have a lot of leeway in what constitutes your ideal rifle. And the kicker? For some hunters, when they change quarry or intended use, the “ideal rifle” changes. Of course, it needs to be accurate and functional, with a good trigger. It can’t weigh so much that it’s burdensome to carry, but the weight has to be balanced to keep recoil manageable.
The ideal rifle needs to come chambered for a cartridge that’s appropriate for the intended use. While some will buy whatever gun is on sale and shoot it in all big-game applications for the rest of their life, others invest considerable time and money searching for that Goldilocks rifle: Not too big, not too small, not too powerful, but just right.Īnd what does “just right” mean for a hunter? It’s an entire matrix of qualities, which makes the hunt for the elusive “ideal rifle” equal parts exciting and frustrating.
For many hunters, a rifle is an intensely personal thing.
