Rating of the best hunting rifles for 2022

The gun room is a longed-for dream of any hunter, and filling it is just as exciting a craft as the hunt itself. And each copy 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 subject to the basic principle of formation: the smaller the number of gun copies, the higher the quality of each of them should be.

Gun room maintenance

• Smoothbore shotgun with broken barrels

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

• pump-action

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

• rifled

Used for hunting predators, large and medium ungulates, wild boar. The advantage over a shotgun equipped with a bullet is the range and accuracy of fire.

• Rifle

• Carbine

It is more compact and has a steeper barrel rifling, which gives the bullet a higher rotation speed around the axis, resulting in high accuracy and long range.

• poster

A gun for developing the skills necessary for successful hunting: vskid to the shoulder, tracking the target, smooth descent.

Horizontal or vertical sight: what to choose

Comparative performance of shotguns with vertical and horizontal barrels should begin with the accuracy of shooting. The factor that has the main influence on accuracy is recoil. For a gun with horizontally located barrels, the recoil forms a displacement in two directions, in the direction opposite to the barrel from which the shot was fired, and in the vertical plane, the weapon throws up.A shotgun with a vertical arrangement of barrels is devoid of horizontal displacement, and therefore requires less time and effort to return the barrel to the aiming line, this is its undeniable 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 only for this reason make their choice in favor of vertically located trunks. This comparison is 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 capable hands, it can correspond to the accuracy of a rifled weapon.
The insignificant disadvantages of vertical double-barreled shotguns include high windage, in the presence of strong wind, which makes it difficult to aim and track the target.

• A simpler design scheme for connecting barrels - butt - stock simplifies disassembly and assembly of the gun;
• The horizontal arrangement makes the grip more comfortable when throwing up and tracking the target;
• Lack of windage under any wind loads, eliminates errors when aiming;
• The target planted in the inter-barrel cavity gives the hunter greater confidence in tracking, which has a positive effect on the accuracy of shooting;

• 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 storehouses, where aiming with an emphasis is possible, the convenience of a horizontal line is undeniable.

It is up to each individual to decide which gun to choose, but common selection practice shows that both options are available in a decent gun room.Novice hunters first acquire a shotgun with horizontal barrels, and then supplement the collection with a shotgun with a vertical barrel arrangement.

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

• Chok, pay - this is the size of the muzzle constriction, which affects the accuracy of the battle. The greater the choke, the higher the accuracy of the battle, the smaller, the larger the affected area;
• Caliber 12; 16; 20 is the diameter of the barrel, measured not in millimeters, but in the number of bullets of equal circumference 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 placed in one sleeve. The larger the caliber, the larger 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; an excellent gun industry has been preserved in the country since Soviet times, one of the few capable of competing in the foreign market. But when choosing budget options, it must be taken into account that civilian shotguns are by-products of production, and therefore high-quality gun steel can be combined with low-quality assembly and fitting parts. If you own a needle file and a file, this disadvantage can be easily eliminated.

Best Double Barrel Horizontal Shotguns

The rating includes models developed and produced back in the USSR, used for decades by hunters, fishermen and amateurs who have gone through fire, water and copper pipes.Their half-forgotten popularity is due to the fashionable smooth-bore machine guns with large-capacity magazines, but this does not detract from their merits.

TOZ 63

The legend of the Tula Arms Plant, the cherished dream of every Soviet hunter. In the USSR, only a few had permission to store rifled weapons, and an ordinary shotgun was used to hunt any game.

Barrels with choke and payload choke have excellent accuracy of shot, buckshot and cartridges.
In terms of reliability, ease of use and resource of use, TOZ 63 is still out of competition with domestic smoothbore guns and the vast majority of foreign-made smoothbore guns.

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

Triple barrel locking: two under the barrel hooks and a Griner bolt. For this reason, shotguns that have served for decades do not have barrel backlash.

Powerful mainsprings break any primer igniters, misfires in these shotguns are extremely rare.

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

• not detected.

IZH - 58

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

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

Choke left - choke, right pay. The bores and chamber are chrome-plated. Hammer shock - trigger mechanism. Triple locking of the shutter with two under the barrel hooks and the shutter lever. The weight of the 12 gauge rifle is 3.2 kg.

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

• simplicity;
• reliability;
• resource.

• not detected.

The best over-and-under shotguns

The undoubted leaders in this class, from the moment they appeared on the market, were IZH - 27 and TOZ - 34. Released by the two most eminent Soviet enterprises, each of the guns has a lot of its supporters, but none of them has opponents. TOZ adherents praise them for their reliability, reliability and accuracy, IZH fans admire the same qualities of their shotguns.

IZH 27

The barrel and receiver are connected using a locking frame and a grenade 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 features 12 shotguns; 16; 20 gauge. The barrel channels and the chamber are chrome-plated. When the barrel is opened, the triggers are automatically cocked, the fuse is automatic.

• reliable locking mechanism ensures a long service life.

• factory stock and buttstock, in wooden execution, may require replacement.

TOZ 34

The shotgun is of good quality barrels, their attachment and locking to the receiver is done with the help of annular hinges and a locking frame. The wedge connection provides a lower fit of the trunks.
The line includes 12 barrels; 16; twenty; 28 calibers. The weapon compares favorably with competitors by its lighter weight, good design, excellent applicability and balance.

• excellent quality of trunks;
• high accuracy of combat.

• in some models, the outer surface of the barrels is not blued and is subject to corrosion.

The best pump 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.

The Mossberg 500 pump action shotgun is the most widely used shotgun in the world. With an impressive appearance and 12 gauge barrel, it has a small 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 that the gun can easily withstand the intensity of fire it is only capable of, for a long time.

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

• simplicity;
• reliability;
• versatility.

• not detected.

MP-133

Domestic pump-action, smoothbore shotgun 12 gauge. In its classic form, it comes with a beech or walnut buttstock and semi-pistol grip forearm. 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 butt. The shotgun is not as famous as its neighbor in the rating, but it has its own very weighty advantages, and the main one is the budget price.
MP-133 is distinguished by a high degree of safety even in comparison with eminent foreign competitors. Shock - the trigger has three modes of blocking, the shot cannot be fired when the shutter is not fully closed:

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

The pump-action reloading 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 operation.

• due to noise it is not suitable for all types of hunting;
• no other calibers other than 12.

The best rifles

Remington 700

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

The bolt box is locked with the help of lugs located in its front part.

Equipped with magazines with a capacity of 3 and 5 rounds. A high level of production and excellent build quality make it possible to obtain consistently high results from factory-made weapons when shooting, without fine-tuning and sighting.

• simplicity;
• reliability:
• efficiency.

• a large number of component suppliers has led to the fact that poor quality parts can be found on the market.

Browning X Bolt

Compact, lightweight rifle with good balance. Chrome-plated closure with twist release and triple lock. Silent two mode fuse.

Stock and stock with pistol neck are made of walnut, varnished, resistant to mechanical damage. The forearm and neck of the buttstock have a structural grid for more tenacious retention of a wet surface.Standard magazine for 4 rounds.

Equipped with a Minox ZE 5i 2-10×50 optical sight, EAW swivel bracket. Barrel length 1080 mm, weight with optics 3.94 kg.

• excellent assembly;
• light weight;
• excellent accuracy of combat.

• noisy fuse;
• hard descent.

The best carabiners

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

The high cost places high demands on the characteristics 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 managed not only to displace him, but even to reduce the gap in the number of sales.

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

This characteristic would be enough for any weapon, but not a carbine. It is extremely versatile and can be upgraded for any task. Even the change of barrels, an available option on the Blaser R8 and its highlight, is not available to any of the competitors.

• unique accuracy and accuracy of combat;
• multifunctionality

• not detected.

Mauser M98

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

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

• unparalleled reliability and reliability of the Mauser shutter.

• not detected.

The best assault rifles for self defense

Initially, the assault status was firmly secured by pistols - machine 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 replenished with weapons with large-caliber cartridges that can perfectly cope with this function. As a result, today the choice of assault weapons is very diverse.

Smoothbore carbine Vepr-12 Hammer

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

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

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

• big 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 best smooth-bore weapon in the world for practical shooting.

The first thing that attracts attention is the external resemblance to a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The impression is not deceptive, the rifle borrowed not only some structural elements, but also reliability and unpretentiousness.
Saiga 12 weight - 3.6 kg, in running order, detachable magazine for 4 or 10 rounds. Automatic principle of operation, reloading with the help of spent powder gases. For quick magazine changes, the 12 K is equipped with a thumb release button.

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

• the design of the fuse does not allow shooting offhand.

FN-F2000

The task facing the Belgian developers of the rifle - the creation of a weapon that is effective in any situation, was completed perfectly.

The patented frontal cartridge case extraction system makes the FN F2000 equally suitable for right-handers and left-handers. The design of the rifle allows you to use any attachments, from a laser rangefinder to a hanging grenade launcher.

• the design of the receiver allows you to fire, even if it is 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 under what conditions you have to hunt, what budget you have and whether the status of the weapon you are purchasing is important.