Having the good fortune of growing-up in a hunting family with a father who is an avid firearm historian, collector, gunsmith, and marksman has given me a bit of insight into rifle makes, models, and calibers. More importantly, being able to hunt the woods, mountains, and plains of two continents for over three decades, I have gleaned what most would consider is a fair amount of knowledge regarding the practical, real-world performance and application of the modern hunting rifle. If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that there is no “best” or “perfect” hunting rifle but there are definitely some that perform exceptionally well in specific roles and others that are quite versatile and can be used in a multitude of hunting situations.
(more…)