I remember growing up, hunting rifles were blued steel and walnut and handcrafted one at a time by skilled American gun builders. I also remember my dad spending hours carefully bedding actions, floating barrels, tuning triggers, and developing handloaded ammo that would meet his demand of a 3-shot sub-one inch group at 100 yards. While that type of accuracy expectation hasn’t changed in the last few decades, the rifles certainly have.
Most of today’s modern bolt action rifles wear some type of synthetic stock, with barrels that are coated instead of blued. While most may not exhibit the rich grain of American walnut, most modern production bolt action hunting rifles can generally achieve that 3-shot sub-one inch group, with the right optic and ammunition.
Triggers have gotten better, most stocks have some type of bedding system, and most barrels are free floated from the factory. Most of the popular firearm’s manufacturers have developed methods of production that have allowed them to build mass produced, and accurate rifles that formerly required hours of painstaking labor.
Just as our fathers and grandfathers gravitated to bolt action rifles in the hunting scene after returning from World War II, the current generation of young hunters are heavily influencing the definition of what a hunting rifle is.
Enter the “Modern Sporting Rifle”, or “MSR”. Many of today’s hunters served our country proudly in the global war on terrorism. Their familiarity and skill on the battlefield with the M16 and M4 translated to the development of the AR15 and AR10 style hunting rifles that are rapidly becoming popular in the hunting world. These Modern Sporting Rifles are highly customizable, capable of extreme accuracy, and the caliber options seem to get better every year. The capability of these modern hunting rifles is very impressive.
Regardless of whether you are a blued steel and walnut stocked traditionalist, a tactical-minded precision hunter, or wanting the familiar feel of a modern sporting rifle, the experienced staff at Buck & Doe’s Mercantile can help you out. Our selection of hunting rifles, ammunition, and optics is sure to satisfy your hunting rifle needs.