If you’re dreaming of hiking in light and packing out heavy this fall, consider these six rifles for your big-game hunting adventures this season. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)
September 30, 2024
By Lynn Burkhead
Many years ago, I learned my very first Western big game hunting lessons about how difficult it was and how underprepared I was on a trip west of the Continental Divide.
You can probably relate if you remember your maiden voyage into the rugged Western landscapes where various big-game critters live. And one of those lessons is that regardless of the weapon type you are choosing for your big-game adventure, you’ll want to choose wisely because the country that mule deer, whitetails, elk, bears, pronghorn, and even Shiras moose live in is massively big and completely unforgiving.
If you’re dreaming of hiking in light and packing out heavy this fall, here are six rifles to consider for your big-game hunting adventures this season:
Mule Deer Photo courtesy of Browning Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter LR .270 Win
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For the mule deer hunter, there aren't many easy hunts where the bucks pogo-stick their way up and down the hilly elevation changes across cactus-studded desert flats and in the coulee country of the High Plains.
Because of the varied terrain, big bodies and the potential for lengthy shots , you'll want a cartridge that can do a little bit of everything in the field when you squeeze the trigger on a big mule deer buck.
Put simply, there aren't many Eastern whitetail chip shots in the empty country where the deer with big floppy ears lives, especially if you want a really big mule deer buck like those that live in trophy-rich spots like Arizona .
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And it's that location—the big empty—then that brings the selection here of a .270 Winchester like the new rifle brought to market this year by Browning with its X-Bolt Western Hunter LR . While some new-school hunters might roll their eyes at this time-honored caliber, the .270 Winchester has been a longtime staple of big-game hunters back to the days when the late, great gun writer Jack O'Connor searched the high country for sheep, elk and mule deer.
And while there are certainly newer cartridges that can fill the bill for a mule deer hunter, old Jack's favorite cartridge, the .270 Winchester, still gets the job done. Except this time, it's with the X-Bolt's impressive accuracy, a 24-inch sporter barrel that has 5/8-24 suppressor-ready threading, a removable radial muzzle brake, an extended bolt handle and a composite stock with an adjustable comb system, all in a package that weighs 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Add in Browning's OVIX camo finish, and this .270 rifle will still rock an old muley buck's world when he slips out from thick cover as the sunlight begins to fade away over the western horizon. MSRP: $1,200 - $1,300
Whitetails Photo courtesy of Savage Arms Savage Arms 400 Legend
Yup, whitetails are certainly big-game critters anywhere they are found, and that’s true out West too where surprising numbers of high-quality bucks can be found roaming the coulees, creek bottoms and ag crop regions of the West.
If you don't believe that, take a look at the Boone and Crockett Club's record book for the state of Montana because the Big Sky Country has two "Top 25" all-time typical bucks listed—both hammers that net score more than 199 inches!
Whitetails are also tough, medium-sized critters in the Western states they are found in , a type of pocket living big-game animal that uses the standard natural foods along with ag crops like alfalfa to withstand the harsh winters that can descend upon the region.
Truth be told, as we reported at the 2024 SHOT Show earlier in the year , there’s no shortage of new deer rifles hitting the market this year if you’ve got a whitetail tag in your back pocket.
One of the more intriguing rifles we saw last January is the Savage 110 Trail Hunter rifle, an offering chambered for the 400 Legend cartridge. That, of course, is a straight-walled cartridge that offers plenty more energy than a 12-gauge slug but also with a lot less felt recoil.
In the new-for-2024 offerings, the Savage 110 Trail Hunter bolt-action rifle weighs 7.2 pounds and comes standard with Savage's adjustable AccuTrigger, an OD Green Hogue Overmolded rifle stock with full rubber cover, a Cerakoted receiver, a 20-inch, medium suppressor-ready carbon/steel barrel with a Cerakote finish and a detachable box magazine ready to hold a supply of 400 Legend cartridges.
You also get one of the more intriguing whitetail cartridges of late and one that has the stopping power necessary for a big Western whitetail buck slipping through the cottonwoods on a frosty November dawn. As long as you shoot straight, that is. MSRP: $639
Elk Photo courtesy of Christensen Arms Christensen Arms Evoke Hunter .30-06 Springfield There's little doubt that when most American hunters think of big-game hunting, their minds drift to an autumn mountainside in the Rocky Mountains filled with quaking aspens and the shrill bugles of elk echoing through the crisp high-elevation air.
Put simply, elk are the biggest big-game animals that most of us will ever hunt, and because they live in some of the continent's most amazing landscapes, they’re probably the toughest big-game animals we’ll ever hunt too .
Because elk are massive—a big bull can weigh several hundred pounds—and offer a freezer full of wild protein and recipe possibilities as well as trophy racks headed for the wall, you’ll need to be careful in cartridge selection.
These are big animals, offering moderate distance shots of 200 to 400 yards for most hunters in some of the toughest-to-navigate habitats between the Atlantic and the Pacific. All of that demands a cartridge that performs when the trigger is pulled—a round that will fly accurately, deliver the necessary energy downrange and penetrate deep into the boiler room of Mr. Record Book Wapiti.
While there are certainly a good number of cartridges that will do that—including some amazing new-school rounds—one that still gets the job done after all of these years is the .30-06 Springfield. None other than Craig Boddington , expert rifleman and longtime writer for our Outdoor Sportsman Group sister publication Petersen's Hunting says it is still worthy: "Not exactly modern, not sizzling, hot or sexy. The old .30-06 remains an awesome elk cartridge."
We agree, partly because it works and partly because you're likely to find a box of .30-06 ammo in the nearest mountain valley country store if you suddenly find yourself needing a new box of cartridges because you left the old box at home.
One new offering in this caliber is the Christensen Arms Evoke Hunter model introduced in recent months, a modern rifle in the company's proprietary camo. It also comes with the gunmaker's stainless steel action complete with a six-lug bolt and 60-degree bolt throw, adjustable TriggerTech trigger, a 416R stainless steel suppressor-ready barrel with an RFR-style brake, an adjustable cheek riser and a rifle that is backed by Christensen Arms' Sub-MOA Guarantee.
Available in .30-06 Springfield, the new Evoke rifle from Christensen Arms is also offered in 10 other chamberings ranging from the .243 Win to the .300 PRC and the .350 Legend, the latter two being introduced this summer. MSRP: $898
Pronghorn Photo courtesy of Weatherby Weatherby V Live Wild .25-06 Rem Press me for my favorite Western big-game species to hunt, and I’ll almost always opt for the pronghorn antelope that can be found throughout the West in the desert lowlands, high prairies and even on the lower rolling flanks of mountain ranges.
I love the wild country where you can see for miles, the challenge of getting close with a bow or rifle , the tasty wild protein that fills my freezer, and the unique smell of a pronghorn’s coat as you let your skinning knife go to work. For that matter, I also like using the antelope’s hollow hair that floats high for springtime fly rod bass bug patterns, but that’s another story for another time.
When it comes time to gear up for pronghorn, remember that they live in spots on the map that are often a bit windy and wild with plenty of thorns to pepper your knees and backsides throughout the day. The terrain certainly can be rolling, but in general, it's much flatter than you'll encounter for other big-game species, so a speed goat hunter looking for a record book specimen will need a cartridge that is a flat shooter and can reach out a good distance.
If the terrain is one thing you'll have to overcome in putting a tag on a record size antelope, the pronghorn's telescopic vision—the equivalent of 10X binoculars—and their 320-degree field of vision means that if you take one step too many in your approach, you'll quickly understand their speed goat nickname as they blaze away at speeds of up to 60 mph.
To combat these natural defenses that keep hunters far away, many antelope hunters rely on the time-honored .25-06 Remington, a flat-shooter that starts fast, bucks the wind relatively well, has enough range and offers recoil that is tolerated well by most shooters. While some might opt for the newer 6.5 Creedmoor, the .25-06 Remington remains a solid choice even a quarter of the way into the 21st century.
If this is the cartridge of choice for your speed goat adventures, one new.25-06 Rem rifle to consider this year is the Weatherby Mark V Live Wild rifle , designed in partnership with renowned western big-game hunter Remi Warren. Built on the Mark V action, this rifle comes with an adjustable TriggerTech trigger; a carbon grey Cerakote spiral fluted barrel; a carbon grey Cerakote triggerguard and receiver; a graphite black Cerakote bolt, bolt knob, and safety (with a 54-degree bolt throw); a radial Accubrake ST; and a hand-painted black and grey sponge pattern accented polymer stock.
With plenty of great features for a high plains speed goat adventure, the elimination of antelope spooking flash from a shiny barrel or receiver, and a weight of 5.8 pounds ensures that this rifle will help you live wild and put a tag on the pronghorn of your dreams. Add in Weatherby's guarantee to shoot a three-shot group of .99 inches or less at 100 yards (SUB-MOA) from a cold barrel, and this is a top-shelf rifle that is built to order for an antelope hunter. MSRP: $1,649
Shiras Moose Photo courtesy of Mossberg Mossberg Patriot Synthetic .300 Winchester Magnum Ironically, even as big as the Shiras moose is when hunters fortunate enough to draw a tag first encounter them in the field, they aren’t that big when compared to their other moose cousins found in portions of Canada and Alaska.
Allow me to let renowned bowhunter and moose authority Chuck Adams explain : “Shiras moose, sometimes called Wyoming moose, are found only in the Lower 48 states–Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Washington and Colorado. They are the smallest of the three moose varieties, seldom weighing over 1,000 pounds and seldom growing antlers more than 45 inches wide.”
Because Mr. Adams has been quite successful at chasing big moose with his compound bow over the years, I’ll defer to his expertise. But even as the “smallest” of the moose subspecies (the others are Alaska-Yukon and Canada moose), a Shiras moose bull demands the right rifle to take one down, send the antlers on to the taxidermist and put a few hundred pounds of incredible tasting wild meat into the freezer.
While there are several rifle cartridges that veteran moose hunters will choose—renowned big-game hunting authority Craig Boddington penned a wonderful Shiras moose hunting story for Game & Fish m agazine last fall that praised the .338 Marlin Express —one rifle cartridge that can't be overlooked is the .300 Winchester Magnum.
The .300 Win Mag is a classic cartridge for larger North American big game, including the Shiras moose, because it can shoot accurately at longer ranges, has plenty of stopping power for big-bodied game and will work on a number of big-game animal species found across the continent. If you’re looking to add this moose-stopper to your gun safe as you await the luck of catching lightning in a bottle and draw a Shiras moose tag, one rifle to consider is Mossberg’s Patriot Synthetic .300 WIN MAG model .
As a rifle from the well-known Connecticut gun maker, this offering from O.F. Mossberg & Sons is a spiral-fluted bolt action with a synthetic black stock with high-end performance in the field and superb value when you reach for your wallet at the gun store checkout counter.
The rifle comes with a matte blue fluted and threaded barrel in 20-, 22- and 24-inch lengths, a drop-box magazine with a 3+1 capacity and Mossberg's patented LBA user-adjustable trigger. The .300 Win Mag rifle weighs in at 6.5 pounds and has the goods to put the brakes on a Shiras moose bull. MSRP: $500
Black Bear Photo courtesy of Henry USA Henry Steel Lever Action .360 Buckhammer Writing about hunting bears can be tricky because some hunters think of grizzlies or brown bears in Alaska when the campfire discussion turns to chasing bruins. Others think of springtime bowhunts for big pumpkin-headed black bears in the central Canadian provinces as the smoky discussion around the dying embers continues.
Truth be told, others still think of smaller-sized black bears found in the Rocky Mountain West , the upper Midwest and even places back east.
For this story, we'll focus on Western and Midwestern black bears, which may not be as dangerous as a brown bear sow with cubs or a big bruin cheated out of his or her salmon fishing spot. But, they are still plenty big, unpredictable and at times dangerous across the Lower 48.
We’ll also focus on the recent trend of some states relaxing their hunting equipment regulations with the addition of rifles chambered for straight-walled cartridges. (Editor’s Note: Always verify what's legal where you'll be hunting before heading afield).
With that in mind, the choice here for this final spot in our big-game hunting rifle story is the .360 Buckhammer—a cartridge that our own Game & Fish m agazine digital hunting editor Greg Duncan recently profiled .
And if that's the cartridge selection, the rifle of choice will be the Henry Steel Lever Action .360 Buckhammer , a showstopper when a big old black bear steps onto the last light stage.
Designed to be a king in the deer woods, this rifle—developed in a partnership between Henry USA and Remington Ammunition —is accurate out to 200 yards, brings more energy and higher velocity, and a flat trajectory when you're settling the crosshair on a bear’s boiler room.
Offered in this lever-action rifle with a 20-inch round blued steel barrel that has a rate of twist of 1-in-12, this rifle weighs 7 pounds and comes drilled and tapped for a scope. With an attractive American walnut stock and a black rubber recoil pad, you can also opt to leave the scope at home, choosing the fully adjustable semi-buckhorn sight with a diamond insert along with the brass bead front sight for any close-quarters shots in thick brush and timber.
With any luck, you’ll squeeze the trigger, work the lever action for a new round, and soon be standing over a big old bruin headed for the taxidermist’s shop, as well as an incredible hunting story that will get told around the campfire for many years to come. MSRP: $1,088
