Now that that post-pandemic dust has settled over the firearms industry, things seem to be getting back to normal for Ballistic’s Best Hunting Rifles review. The new normal saw a flurry of pent-up new models released last year, with a few less this year. In all, we reviewed 10 new bolt-action hunting rifles in six different chamberings. New this year a couple of newer cartridges, the 6mm ARC and 300 Ham’R, joined the popular favorites.

Ballistic’s Best Hunting Rifles: The Game

Let’s take a closer look at the evaluation process before we dive into Ballistic’s Best hunting rifles. To shoot and evaluate 10 new bolt-action hunting rifles, two experienced riflemen joined me at my home range in Middle Tennessee. 

Again, each of these rifles earned a score of 1 to 5 points each for aesthetics, ergonomics, sight mounting ease, trigger, recoil control, reloading ease, accuracy, reliability and value to price. 

The cost of these rifles went from $729 MSRP to almost $3,600. For that reason, we broke the rifles into two categories. Budget-grade rifles under $1,000 and those that ring the cash register higher.

Hornady supplied the majority of the ammo for the test again this year, with more than 1,500 rounds of 6mm ARC, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm PRC and .308 Win. going down range. Variety is the spice of life, or so I’m told, so we added a couple of new ammo suppliers for our testing this year. Different rifles often have a preference of a particular load over others, so we added more ammo manufacturers. Sako added a couple of cases of 6.5 Creedmoor 120-grain Powerhead Blade, and Lehigh Defense supplied an ample amount of .300 Ham’R 115-grain solid copper to test as well. We threw in a couple of boxes of Federal 7mm PRC, too.

We owe another shout-out to Leupold, Riton, and Swarovski for providing scopes for this rifle test. 

Testing Course of Fire

The course of fire this year was for each shooter to fire a minimum of four 5-shot groups (per load) at 100 yards from a benchrest and record the smallest groups at each distance. Various loads were tested to find the best-shooting ammo. The tightest shooting loads were used for accuracy evaluation and then averaged between shooters.

Several rifles also presented threaded muzzles, so we added a few suppressors to the test, too. Silencer Central’s Banish Backcountry, Buck 30 and Banish 30 silencers got screwed onto appropriate rifles and more groups fired. If the rifles produced their smallest group with a can, we used it in the calculus. When the groups were measured in inches, center-to-center, and the results tabulated, the inch measurements were converted into MOA. As a refresher, 1 MOA measures 1.047 inches at 100 yards. 

Note that many rifle makers offer a “Sub-MOA Guarantee.” It’s nearly always a 3-shot group at 100 yards, which is much easier to attain than a sub-MOA 5-shot group. After we finished the precision part of the test, we burned up some more ammo taking shots from various positions at steel from 100 and 500 yards to get a feel for handling, utility and field-type accuracy.

During evaluation, the rifles’ velocity data was recorded for each rifle with a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph. Check out the accompanying PERFORMANCE table to see each rifle’s average muzzle velocity, as well as their 200-yard energy capabilities with the ammo that produced the tightest groups.

The Riflemen

Putting these rifles through their paces, a team of three men with varied experience joined forces. 

Throwing my hat in the ring again for this rifle test, I’ll refresh my qualifications for the unfamiliar. I have hunted big game and varmints and have been shooting hunting and target rifles for more than four decades. From the time I turned 16 and joined the local gun club I’ve been shooting competitively. I’ve also hunted big game in 30 states, much of which was during the past 37 years as a hunting or gun magazine editor. No stranger to long-range rifle pursuits, I enjoy a 1,000-yard range a literal stone’s throw from my back door. 

Rich Modzelewski, joined us again this year for this Ballistic’s Best test. He’s a former Marine who got his start shooting on his high school’s rifle team. After his time in service and a tour in Afghanistan, Modzelewski trained at Colorado School of Trades’ Gunsmithing school. He now owns his own gun shop in Echo 3 Armory in Chapel Hill, Tennessee, where his days are filled with everything from repairing old hunting rifles to building long-range tack drivers.

Lifelong sportsman Brent Spicer from Thompson Station, Tennessee, joined the fun again this year, too. He focuses mainly on deer hunting with a rifle or recurve bow. To gain more proficiency with a smoke pole, Spicer frequently shoots out to 800 yards with his rifles. He’s killed several mature whitetails, too. His biggest is a 140-class buck. 

Hunting Rifles under $1,000

Taurus Expedition

The Taurus Expedition, the first bolt-action rifle from Taurus USA is designed by hunters, and based around the durable and incredibly popular Remington 700 action. Taurus claims the Expedition often delivers sub-MOA accuracy from its .308 Win. version, thanks to its hammer-forged barrel. Another user-friendly touch is that Expedition feeds from commonly available AICS-pattern magazines. The Taurus’ stock features a scalloped cut, designed to make the gun rest perfectly in gun saddles. Hunters could also utilize the MLOK attachment point on the bottom of the stock, or the integrated Spartan Precision attachment point.

Regarding performance, the Expedition averaged 1.276 MOA for five shots at 100 yards. The trigger, accuracy and reliability detracted from is score according to evaluators.

CVA Cascade LRH 6.5 PRC

The new CVA Cascade LRH (Long Range Hunter) designed for hunters seeking precision at extended distances at an affordable price. Borrowing features from long-range target competition rifles, the Cascade LRH features a 4140 steel receiver and a three-lug bolt with a tactical bolt knob. 

The key to the Cascade PRH’s performance is a medium-heavy barrel contour and a stock designed for stability and fit. A flat and wide forend and adjustable length-of-pull and comb height are features that offer personal customization. 

The muzzle, tipped with a radial muzzle brake attached with 5/8-24 TPI threads, attaches to your own muzzle device. The trigger is externally adjustable for slight tweaks in pull weight.

This rifle tips the scales at 8.5 pounds, and it offers a 4+1 capacity.

As is most common these days, the Cascade comes fitted with a Picatinny rail for scope mounting. A Leupold Mark 4HD 4.5-18×52 fit this rifle’s profile perfectly.
Covered in Realtree Hillside camouflage finish, the Cascade retails for $925.

Ruger American Ranch 6mm ARC

The winner in the under $1,000 category this year is Ruger’s Gen II American Ranch chambered in 6mm ARC. In this configuration it will serve as a handy deer or predator rifle.

A splatter finished stock provides excellent grip without being too sharp or abrasive. Its soft rubber recoil pad features a large radius on the heel for easy shouldering and improved geometry that progressively collapses to reduce felt recoil.

Removing the installed spacer allows for length of pull adjustments from 13.75 to 12 inches.

A removable comb improves sight alignment to magnified optics; it also removes when utilizing low-mounted sights. Professionally applied Cerakote coating on barrel, muzzle brake, receiver and bolt handle results in a durable, easy-to-maintain finish.

The Ruger American Gen II is packed with features. Its medium contour barrel features deep spiral flutes that reduce weight at the muzzle end of the barrel to improve balance without sacrificing stiffness or accuracy.

The barrel comes threaded at the muzzle with a radial port muzzle brake. Ruger has mastered barrel making, with their budget-grade rifles regularly paper punching sub-MOA groups.

A Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger offers a crisp release with a pull weight that is user-adjustable between 3 and 5 pounds.

The American’s patented Power Bedding integral bedding block system positively locates the receiver and free-floats the barrel for outstanding accuracy.

A factory-installed, one-piece Picatinny scope base made mounting an optic a breeze.

The rifle tested came with an AR-style 10-round magazine. The overall weight is 6.7 pounds, and it retails for $729.

Hunting Rifles $1,000 or more

Savage Ultralite Elite 110 7 PRC

One of Savage Arms new rifles this year is their 110 Ultralite Elite. With its exclusive Proof Research carbon fiber wrapped stainless steel barrel and MDT HNT26 folding carbon fiber stock, the 110 Ultralite Elite can achieve lighter weights for higher altitude hunts and longer treks for big game. The muzzle is threaded 5/8×24 and wears an Omniport muzzle brake.

An MDT HNT26 Chassis with carbon fiber forend, pistol grip and buttstock

and Magnesium center section kept the rifle tested at 6.2 pounds, which is trim for a 7mm PRC. 

A one-piece 20 MOA Picatinny scope rail readily accepted a Leupold Mark 4 HD 4.5-18×44 optic. Another key feature is acceptance of an AICS-style detachable box magazines. MSRP is $3,299. Accuracy results speak for themselves from each of our evaluators. A common complaint is the rifle’s recoil management, even with a muzzle brake.

Sako Peak 90 6.5 Creedmoor

The three-lug-bolt Sako 75 evolved into the Sako 85, and now evolves further into the push feed Sako 90 with twin ejectors. The Sako 90 Peak tested is one of the lightest bolt action rifles on the market, built on a renewed Carbonlight platform. Its carbon fiber stock is robust to handle recoil, and noise dampened. One of the things I’ve noticed about some synthetic stocks is their tendency to be noisy when carried through thick brush. The Sako 90 Peak is designed for stealth.

This ultra-light hunting rifle features a carbon fiber stock with a texturized surface, a right-hand palm swell, and cheek support. With an approximate weight of 5.73 pounds, the Sako 90 Peak with S-action is exceptionally comfortable to carry.

The Sako 90’s trigger is multi-adjustable and offers users the choice of five different pull weight settings without disassembling the rifle. The trigger blade position is also adjustable, all without disassembling the rifle.

The Sako 90 Peak retails for $3,599, which cost it heavily in overall evaluation. Once our evaluators got past the recoil for a relatively mild cartridge, the 6.5 Creedmoor, scores in the different categories picked up nicely. The other negative that hammered this rifle’s score was the sticky magazine release. It took two people, a hammer and a punch to drop the magazine. A rifle this expensive should have had this kink worked out before leaving the factory.

Wilson Combat NULA .300 Ham’R

Wilson Combat’s NULA Model 20S joined the competition this year. The micro action sporter in 300 Ham’R was fun to shoot. We put a lot of rounds down range from this lightweight. It’s 4.82-pound weight will be a delight to carry afield come deer season.

As a refresher, the 300 Ham’R cartridge is a .223 Rem case with the shoulder blown out and neck increased to .30 caliber. It is quite comparable to a .30-30 in power and range.

A Timney Elite Hunter Trigger set at 2.75 pounds broke clean and crisp every time on the NULA. A lightweight carbon fiber stock fitted with a Limbsaver recoil pad also features Nitride-coated sling studs. Scope Base Torx Screws are a beefy 8-40 TPI.  The receiver is machined and EDM cut from 4140 bar stock with an Armorlube DLC coating. 

The bolt is fully machined from 4340 bar stock. Barrel threading is 5/8-24 with a nitride coated thread protector. Topping everything out, the rifle comes with corrosion resistant 17-7 stainless springs.

Lightweight Sporter

“This is a light, great-handling rifle,” Spicer said. The Wilson Combat NULA Model 20S Mini Action bolt-action rifle “is an impressive tool for avid hunters.” This rifle features exceptional accuracy and comes with a sub-MOA guarantee. Weighing in at an incredible 4.82 pounds (without scope), it is also one of the lightest.

This top-of-the-line rifle boasts many premium features that experienced hunters will appreciate, including a precision Wilson Combat 416R stainless honed and double-stress-relieved button-rifled barrel. Timney’s Elite Hunter trigger produced a smooth, consistent 3-pound, 1-ounce trigger pull on the rifle tested.

An ultra-lightweight AG Composites carbon fiber stock includes reinforced receiver walls for added strength without adding weight.

The Wilson Combat New Ultralight Arms is the perfect choice for a lightweight rifle with superior performance. The MSRP is $2,995. 

The rifle tested wore a 16-inch barrel chambered in 300 Ham’R, which produced multiple sub-MOA 5-shot groups with Lehigh 115-grain loads.

Christensen Arms Modern Carbon Rifle 6.5 Creed

The Modern Carbon Rifle is a futuristic weapon that borrows from features that work for experienced hunters. Starting with a miraculously lightweight yet incredibly durable FFT carbon fiber stock, the rifle features an adjustable push-button FFT cheek riser, full-length M-LOK on the forearm, front and rear QD attachment points, adjustable length of pull via spacers, and an integrated forward Picatinny rail section. 

Christensen’s MCR utilizes a Remington 700-style action topped with an optic-ready 20-MOA Picatinny rail. It features a skeletonized bolt handle with an FFT carbon fiber bolt knob, too.

Married to the action is a free-floating, hand lapped, button-rifled Christensen Arms Aerograde carbon fiber barrel with a Match chamber and suppressor-ready threaded muzzle equipped with a premium side-baffle brake. Rounding out this powerhouse of a rifle is an ergonomically designed hybrid grip and a crisp, adjustable TriggerTech trigger.

Elite Trigger

This rifle’s trigger broke at a very consistent 3 pounds, 10 ounces. This along with other accurizing features gave this rifle bragging rights in the accuracy department. Shooting the 6.5 Creedmoor, all three evaluators produced multiple sub-MOA groups with the rifle. This rifle preferred Hornady 143-grain ELDX hunting loads, and recorded 5-shot groups as small as 0.562 inches. All three shooters’ best groups culminated in a 0.766 MOA average.

This rifle’s $2,400 MSRP is pretty strong for a rifle with this much carbon and a light weight of 6.7 pounds. To give some perspective on the price of this rifle, take into account that a carbon fiber barrel for your own custom rifle would set you back $800 to $1,100, and you would wait six to eight months for delivery. Christensen makes all of their barrels in house.

The only negative that tarnished this rifle’s ability to win Ballistics Best Hunting Rifles category was the magazine floor plate. Not only would it not open freely, it took two people to finally get it to open. Being able to drop live rounds from the magazine when unloading is important.

Benelli Lupo HPR 6.5 Creedmoor

Benelli’s all-new LUPO HPR establishes an enviable benchmark for a factory-guaranteed sub-MOA (3/4-inch, 5-shot) long-range shooting and hunting bolt-action rifle. Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor for this test, it comes in several more long-range chamberings. The new Lupo HPR matches a revolutionary custom-fitment stock system with a heavy-contour, straight-fluted CRIO barrel to deliver a long-range rifle that incorporates the function of a chassis rifle with the handling grace and accuracy of a custom bolt-action. This hybrid platform will work well for stationary hunters, owing to its 9.5 pound weight before adding an optic. Length of pull is adjustable from 13.8-14.75 inches.

The finish is an attractive tan synthetic with black webbing.

This rifle arrived from the factory with two-piece Weaver style bases. The barrel is a 24-inch tube that comes threaded for a muzzle device, too.

This Lupo version accounted well for itself in the accuracy department. It averaged 0.993 MOA for five shots with all three shooters, which is pretty close to the manufacturer’s claim for accuracy.

MSRP is $2,949.

Sig Cross Magnum Sawtooth 7 PRC

The Cross-Magnum Sawtooth Series has a lot going for it as a futuristic hunting rifle, earning it the runner-up slot in this competition. It combines a one-piece Cross Magnum receiver with a 24-inch Proof Research Carbon Fiber barrel. This combination of features delivers lightweight performance and pinpoint accuracy in a high-country hunting rifle. 

Additional standard features include an ultra-light folding adjustable precision stock. A lightweight ARCA/M-LOK handguard with dual slings points and a Cerakote Moss Finish round out some of the features. 

The Sig Cross Magnum Sawtooth is available in 7mm PRC and the larger .300 PRC calibers. The rifle tested was chambered in 7mm PRC.

Every rifle comes with a certified sub-1 MOA test target included in the box.

This Sig offers an adjustable two-stage trigger that broke cleanly at 2 pounds, 12 ounces. Features like these helped the Sawtooth produce multiple sub-MOA groups, the best measuring 0.702 inches for five shots at 100 yards.

The Proof barrel comes threaded 5/8-24 and wears a heavy profile radial brake to tame these magnum cartridges’ recoil.

Set up for long-range shooting, the Sawtooth comes with a 20-MOA Picatinny Rail. To feed this beast it comes with a 6-round double stack steel AICS Magazine.

The safety is the familiar ambidextrous AR-style. The rifle tested weighed 8.1 pounds and it carries a $2,851 MSRP.

This rifle only missed the top slot by 1/3 of a point in tight competition.

Springfield Armory Boundary 7 PRC

This writer was one of the fortunate few who got his hands on a Springfield Armory Model 2020 Boundary in 7mm PRC a few weeks ago ahead of its launch date in early August. The Boundary easily maintained the company’s ¾ MOA accuracy guarantee and did it with 5-shot groups instead of just 3-shot clusters.

Wearing a well-worn military-grade Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR II-I this Boundary accompanied me on an African adventure with Amathanda Safaris in South Africa. 

So equipped, the Boundary handled well in tight cover, with its first shot on game coming at 35 yards on a fine Burchell’s zebra. Over the next five days, longtime friend Paul Cook and I tagged seven species and nine total animals with the Boundary. The furthest shot was 494 yards on a crop-raiding baboon.

The Boundary Model 2020 gathered excellent marks during this thorough 3-man multi-rifle test, too. 

The action features dual locking lugs on a fluted bolt that runs down EDM raceways for smooth cycling. In addition, an optimized extraction cam provides robust, reliable operation in any condition.

More Features

A few other key features of the Model 2020 action include a low-profile bolt stop, 90-degree bolt throw and a removable blot knob, as well as a Picatinny rail with two recoil pins. The top of the action mimics a Remington 700 long action, which gives you the highest degree of flexibility for aftermarket optics mounting.

This action’s lock time — the interval from trigger break to primer strike — is fast. The Model 2020 boasts a lightning-fast 1.9 milliseconds primer strike, outpacing competitors by up to 45 percent. Swift lock time minimizes deviation from aim. Couple this with a TriggerTech Field trigger, this rifle performs consistently.

The barreled action on the Model 2020 Boundary is precisely fitted to a 100 percent carbon fiber AG Precision Sportsman stock with hand-painted Rogue camouflage. The stock’s 13.5-inch length of pull fit me perfectly. Two front and rear QD flush cups and a 1-inch Pachmayr Decelerator pad enhance shooting comfort. Bipod attachment options are greatest with M-Lok slots. I had an M-Lok standard sling swivel stud handy, which mated well with a trusty old Harris bipod. In keeping with the trim theme of this hunting rifle a light-weight hinged aluminum floorplate facilitated speedy unloading. The Boundary is available with either a carbon fiber or traditional fluted stainless steel free-floated barrel. The carbon barrel version was the one tested. A removable SA Radial Brake does its job, and a thread protector is included, too. This rifle shot exceptionally well with a Silencer Central Banish Backcountry suppressor, too.

READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

For our 2024 Ballistic’s Best, our experts evaluated over 90 firearms, firing literally thousands of rounds downrange. They used our scoring system, drilling down on features such as accuracy, reliability, and more. Then the experts picked the very best performer from each and every group. 
Our readers, that’s you, get to vote on the very same groups our pros tested out on the range.

Check out our poll; for hunting rifle over $1,000, CLICK HERE to cast your vote. For hunting rifles coming in under $1,000, CLICK HERE to vote.