Rating of the best hunting rifles for 2024

The gun room is a longed-for dream of any hunter, and its filling is as exciting a craft as the hunt itself. And each piece of the collection is undoubtedly more valuable than any of the trophies. The article is devoted to the qualitative and rational content of the collection. Let's talk about the best hunting rifles.

The classic version of the minimum filling, is subordinated to the basic principle of formation: the smaller the number of rifle copies, the higher the quality of each of them should be.

Upkeep of the gun room

• Ripped Smoothbore Shotgun

It is necessary for hunting any kind of game, but if there is a rifled weapon in the collection, it is mainly used for hunting birds. It is a double-barreled gun with horizontal or vertical barrels.

• Pump

Single-barreled shotgun with manual reloading of the magazine located under the barrel.

• Sliced

It is used for hunting predators, large and medium-sized ungulates, wild boar. The advantage over a shotgun equipped with a bullet is its range and accuracy.

• Rifle

• Carbine

Differs in greater compactness and steeper rifling of the barrel, which gives the bullet a high rotation speed around the axis, as a result of high accuracy and long range.

• Stand

A rifle for practicing the skills necessary for successful hunting: throw to the shoulder, target tracking, smooth descent.

Horizontal or vertical sight: what to choose

Comparative characteristics of shotguns with vertical and horizontal barrels should start with shooting accuracy. The factor that has a major influence on accuracy is recoil. For a gun with horizontal barrels, the recoil forms a displacement in two directions, in the direction opposite to the barrel from which the shot was fired, and in a vertical plane, the weapon throws up. A shotgun with a vertical arrangement of barrels is devoid of horizontal displacement, therefore it takes less time and effort to return the barrel to the sighting line, this is its indisputable advantage.

Hunting with double-barreled guns often requires a second shot, after a miss, or to finish off the prey, the fate of the hunt often depends on its accuracy, many for this reason alone make their choice in favor of vertically arranged trunks.This is a comparison for shooting with shot and buckshot, when using bullet charges, the accuracy of the vertical is even higher, and at its distances, up to 100 meters, in skillful hands, it can match the accuracy of a rifled weapon.
The insignificant disadvantages of vertical double-barreled guns include high windage, in the presence of strong winds, which makes it difficult to aim and track the target.

• A simpler constructive diagram of the barrels - butt - stock connection simplifies the disassembly and assembly of the gun;
• The horizontal position makes it more convenient to grip when throwing up and tracking the target;
• Lack of windage under any wind loads, eliminates aiming errors;
• A target planted in a hollow between the barrels gives the hunter more confidence when accompanying, which has a positive effect on shooting accuracy;

• greater displacement of the barrel when fired.

The choice also depends on the chosen method of hunting. If fishing is carried out from huts with decoy ducks or loopholes of storage sheds, where aiming with an emphasis is possible, the convenience of the horizontal is undeniable.

Everyone decides for himself which of the guns to choose, but the widespread practice of selection shows that in a decent gun room there are both options. Novice hunters first acquire a horizontal-barreled shotgun and then supplement the collection with a vertical-barreled shotgun.

When choosing a shotgun, you should take into account the features of the distinctive characteristics of this type of weapon:

• Choke, payday - this is the size of the muzzle restriction, which affects the accuracy of the battle. The greater the muzzle constriction, the higher the accuracy of the battle, the smaller, the larger the affected area;
• Caliber 12; sixteen; 20 is the diameter of the barrel, not measured in millimeters, but in the number of rounds of bullets that can be cast from one pound of lead. 12 gauge is the most common and popular. In general, the difference between these characteristics lies in the amount of gunpowder and shot that fit in one case. The larger the caliber, the higher the indicator.

When compiling the rating, the following factors were taken into account: the choice of a gun is a matter of prestige, budget and personal taste. The presence of domestic weapons is justified, since Soviet times an excellent rifle industry has survived in the country, one of the few capable of competing in the foreign market. But when choosing budget options, it must be borne in mind that civilian guns are a by-product of production, and therefore high-quality gun steel can be combined with low-quality assembly and fit of parts. If you own a file and a file, this drawback can be easily eliminated.

The best horizontal double-barreled shotguns

The rating presents models developed and produced back in the USSR, used for decades by hunters, fishermen and amateurs who went through fire, water and copper pipes. Their half-forgotten popularity is due to the smooth-bore machine guns with large-capacity magazines that have come into fashion, but this does not diminish their merits in the least.

TOZ 63

The legend of the Tula arms factory, the cherished dream of every Soviet hunter. In the USSR, only a few had a permit for storing rifled weapons, and an ordinary shotgun was used to hunt any game.

Barrels with muzzle constrictions for choke and pills have excellent accuracy with shot, buckshot and cartridge.
In terms of reliability, simplicity and resource of use, TOZ 63 is even today out of competition with domestic smoothbore guns and the overwhelming majority of foreign-made smoothbore guns.

The TOZ 63 barrels are solid-drawn, labor-intensive technology is no longer used, so this shotgun is one of the few in which the chamber and barrels are made from the same blank.

Triple barrel locking: two under the barrel hooks and a Greener bolt. For this reason, shotguns that have served for decades have no barrel play.

Powerful mainsprings break any primer igniter, a misfire for these shotguns is extremely rare.

• simplicity of design;
• reliability:
• a huge resource.

• not found.

IZH - 58

This shotgun was not inferior in popularity to TOZ. Classic layout, barrels are made of high quality steel developed at IZHMASH.

In 1986, at the Leipzig Fair IZH - 58 she received a gold medal. The quality of this shotgun is such that it is a valuable piece for foreign collections.

Muzzle constrictions left - choke, right pay. The bore and chamber are chrome-plated. Kick firing mechanism. Triple locking of the bolt two under the barrel hooks and the bolt lever. Rifle weight 12 gauge 3.2 kg.

The stock and stock were made of birch or beech, covered with a sufficiently high-quality varnish.

• simplicity;
• reliability;
• resource.

• not found.

The best vertical shotguns

IZH - 27 and TOZ - 34 have become the undoubted leaders in this class, since their appearance on the market. Produced by the two most eminent Soviet enterprises, each of the guns has a lot of its supporters, but none of them have opponents. Supporters of TOZs praise them for their reliability, reliability and accuracy, IZH fans are delighted with the same qualities of their shotguns.

IZH 27

The connection of the barrel and receiver is made using a locking frame and an underbarrel hook. The method is simple, reliable and durable.

IZH 27 is equipped with a ventilated aiming bar, an ejector that accelerates the extraction of spent cartridges. The series includes 12 guns; sixteen; 20 calibers. The bore and chamber are chrome-plated. When the barrel is opened, the hammers are automatically cocked, the fuse is automatic.

• reliable locking mechanism ensures a long service life.

• the factory stock and the buttstock, made of wood, may require replacement.

TOZ 34

The shotgun is of good quality barrels, their attachment and locking to the receiver is done using annular joints and a locking frame. The wedge connection provides a lower barrel fit.
The line includes 12 barrels; sixteen; 20; 28 calibers. The weapon compares favorably with competitors in its lower weight, good design, excellent application and balance.

• excellent barrel quality;
• high accuracy of the battle.

• on some models, the outer surface of the barrels is not blued and corroded.

The best pump action shotguns

Mossberg 500

Simplicity, reliability and popularity are the companions of this type of weapon. No action movie is complete without scenes involving a pump-action shotgun.

According to some sources, the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun is the most common model of smooth-bore weapons in the world. With an impressive appearance and a 12-caliber barrel, it has a low weight of 3 kg, the result is achieved due to the receiver, made of durable aluminum alloy.

The Mossberg 500 has been designed with maximum loads in mind, so the gun can easily handle the intensity of fire it can handle for extended periods of time.

The highlight of the model is the fuse located at the top of the receiver, which makes it equally convenient for right-handers and left-handers.

• simplicity;
• reliability;
• versatility.

• not found.

MP-133

Domestic pump-action, smooth-bore shotgun of 12 gauge. In the classic form, it is produced with a beech or walnut stock and forend with a semi-pistol grip. Standard magazine with a capacity of 4 rounds. The design provides for the installation of a more capacious store.

If desired, you can find modifications made of impact-resistant plastic with a folding stock. The shotgun is not as famous as its rated neighbor, but it has its own and very weighty advantages, and the main one is the budget price.
The MP-133 is distinguished by a high degree of safety even in comparison with eminent foreign competitors. The firing mechanism has three locking modes, a shot cannot be fired when the shutter is not fully closed:

• trigger lock;
• blocking the bolt carrier;
• the cutter blocks the supply of the cartridge.

The pump recharge mechanism of this model is quite noisy, but very reliable. In addition, in certain circumstances, this disadvantage turns into an advantage.

• budget price;
• reliability and ease of use.

• due to noise, it is not suitable for all types of hunting;
• lack of other calibers, except 12.

Best rifles

Remington 700

The rating is headed by the Remington 700 sliding bolt rifle produced by the American company Remington Arms, which was founded in 1816. The first place for the model, which has been produced since 1962, is well deserved, because for 57 years a lot of new modern types of weapons have appeared on the market, but all this variety could not be shaken the popularity of this rifle.

The bolt box is locked using lugs located in its front part.

It is completed with magazines with a capacity of 3 and 5 rounds. The high level of production and excellent build quality allow you to get consistently high results from the factory weapon when firing, without fine-tuning and zeroing.

• simplicity;
• reliability:
• efficiency.

• a large number of component suppliers have resulted in poor quality parts on the market.

Browning x-bolt

Compact, lightweight rifle with good balance. Chrome plated breechblock with triple lock. Silent dual mode fuse.

The stock and buttstock with a pistol neck are made of walnut coated with a varnish resistant to mechanical damage. A structural grill is applied to the forend and neck of the butt for a more tenacious retention of a wet surface. Standard magazine for 4 rounds.

Equipped with Minox ZE 5i 2-10 × 50 telescopic sight, EAW swivel arm. Barrel length 1,080 mm, weight with optics 3.94 kg.

• excellent build;
• light weight;
• excellent accuracy of the battle.

• noisy fuse;
• hard descent.

Best carbines

The carbine is the most prestigious and expensive weapon in existence. The presence of a Blaser or Mauser in the gun room speaks not only of the wealth of the owner, but also of the love for weapons, dedication to hunting.

The high cost places high demands on the performance and appearance of the gun. It was on these grounds that the selection in the rating below was carried out.

Blaser R8

The undisputed favorite in sales, over the years, no one has succeeded not only in displacing him, but at least narrowing the gap in the number of sales.

If theoretically there was a standard of the ideal weapon for hunting, then the Blaser R8 would unconditionally be very similar to it. Lightweight, compact, instant rechargeable, safe and very accurate.

This characteristic would be sufficient for any weapon, but not a carbine. It is extremely versatile and can be upgraded to suit any application. Even barrel swapping, an option available on the Blaser R8 and its highlight, is not available to any of the competitors.

• unique accuracy and accuracy of the battle;
• multifunctionality

• not found.

Mauser M98

An excellent carbine and the main competitor of the previous model. Reliable, prestigious, the M 98 is a typical representative of the timeless classics.

This carabiner is also the most popular, but for safari. The shot power of this weapon is very high, and has good stopping power, which is very important when hunting buffaloes, rhinos, elephants and other large animals.
The shutter is locked on 6 lugs, the ammunition is replenished with the magazine removed or from above.

• unparalleled reliability and reliability of the Mauser shutter.

• not found.

The best assault rifles for self defense

Initially, the assault status was firmly entrenched in submachine guns, their compactness and rate of fire were out of competition. But after the Second World War, this segment attracted the attention of specialists and was replenished with weapons with large-caliber cartridges capable of coping with this function perfectly. As a result, today the choice of assault weapons is very diverse.

Smooth-bore carbine Vepr-12 Hammer

An effective multi-purpose shotgun of domestic production. All types of weapons are equipped with Picatinny rails, allowing you to equip the shotgun with an optical sight, flashlight and other devices.

The fore-end, pads and gas vent mechanism are copied from the Kalashnikov light machine gun. The folding stock with a metal frame has increased durability. The designers provide for the adjustment of the stock in length and height of the fit, which are necessary when using optics. To extend the resource, the barrel bore is chrome-plated.

• reliable and easy to maintain;
• a huge selection of tuning.

• heavy weight;
• price.

Saiga 12

Initially, the appearance of this smoothbore rifle caused a mixed reaction among experts and hunters. But after a number of improvements, the Saiga 410 model was replaced by the Saiga 12, and the situation has changed, the new rifle claims to be the world's best smooth-bore weapon for practical shooting.

The first thing that attracts attention is the external resemblance to the Kalashnikov assault rifle. The impression is not deceiving, the rifle borrowed not only some structural elements, but also reliability and unpretentiousness.
Saiga weight 12 - 3.6 kg, loaded, removable magazine for 4 or 10 rounds. Automatic principle of operation, recharge with waste powder gases. For quick magazine changes, the 12K model is equipped with a thumb reset button.

• resistant to adverse factors;
• ease of maintenance;
• reliability.

• the design of the fuse does not allow firing at the head.

FN F2000

The task facing the Belgian rifle developers - the creation of a weapon that is effective in all situations, was accomplished perfectly.

The patented frontal extraction system for spent cartridges makes the FN F2000 equally comfortable for right-handers and left-handers. The design of the rifle allows the use of any attachments, from a laser rangefinder to a suspended grenade launcher.

• receiver design allows you to fire, even if damaged;
• simple assembly and disassembly of weapons.

• when using a grenade launcher, the balance of the rifle is disturbed.

The choice of guns for hunting is wide, so you should rely on who and in what conditions you have to hunt, what budget you have, and whether the status of the acquired weapon is important.