{"id":761,"date":"2020-06-26T18:42:30","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T18:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/?p=761"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:37:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:37:22","slug":"best-big-game-hunting-rifles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/best-big-game-hunting-rifles\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Big Game Hunting Rifles"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/best-big-game-hunting-rifles\/#Best_Big_Game_Hunting_Rifles\" >Best Big Game Hunting Rifles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/best-big-game-hunting-rifles\/#Remington_700_Best_Big_Game_Hunting_Rifles\" >Remington 700 Best Big Game Hunting Rifles<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/best-big-game-hunting-rifles\/#Bergara_B-14\" >Bergara B-14<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/best-big-game-hunting-rifles\/#Browning_X-Bolt\" >Browning X-Bolt<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/best-big-game-hunting-rifles\/#Ruger_American\" >Ruger American<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_Big_Game_Hunting_Rifles\"><\/span>Best Big Game Hunting Rifles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Best <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/5-reasons-to-own-a-spotting-scope\/\" title=\"5 Reasons to Own a Spotting Scope\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1199\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">big game hunting<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/5-reasons-why-you-missed-the-shot\/\">rifles<\/a> have three consistent traits, including out-of-the-box accuracy, reliability, and perhaps most importantly, they fit the shooter.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Our careers in the sport optics business have given us the good fortune of <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/rifle-marksmanship-trigger-control-success\/\" title=\"Rifle Marksmanship : Trigger Control Equals Success\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1452\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shooting a whole lot of rifles<\/a>. From the .22 LR all the way up to the considerable .50 caliber, we\u2019ve fired all of them at least once and some several thousand times. Like many hunters and shooters who\u2019ve been doing it for a while, we have honed in on a few makes and models that we rely on year in and year out. To us, the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/tract-sport-show-locations\/\">best big game hunting rifles<\/a> have three consistent traits, including out-of-the-box accuracy, reliability in all terrain and weather situations, and perhaps most importantly, they fit the shooter to provide optimal performance.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">The following manufacturers have turned out rifles that continue to meet this criteria year after year. They\u2019re the go-tos for several members of the <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/about-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TRACT staff.<\/a> Once you\u2019ve chosen the make of the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/videosview\/toric-2-5-15x44-sfp-turret-reset-to-zero\/\">rifle<\/a>, it\u2019s time to select a caliber, then a riflescope. Though it\u2019s hard to say there is a one-size-fits-all rifle and caliber for all big game animals, you can get pretty close.<\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Remington_700_Best_Big_Game_Hunting_Rifles\"><\/span>Remington 700 Best Big Game Hunting Rifles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\">The reliability of the Remington 700 is known far and wide. Since its inception in the early 60s it\u2019s been the rifle of choice for hunters, shooters, and snipers in the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/best-sniper-movies\/\">military<\/a>. In fact, several rifle manufacturers use the Remington 700 action in their own builds due to its facilitation toward overall accuracy. Kind of ironic due to the fact that the 700 action was designed for mass production because it, at the time of development, cost less to build.<br \/>When it comes to a practical <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/a-beginners-guide-to-nilgai-hunting\/\">big game hunting<\/a> rifle that is reliable, accurate, and fits most shooters, it\u2019s hard to argue the value of the Remington 700. It\u2019s available in just about every caliber you could ask for to cleanly kill big game animals.<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_764\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-764\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-764 size-medium\" title=\"Best Big Game Hunting Rifles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Model-700-NRA-American-Hunter_Rifle_Right-Profile-300x84.jpg\" alt=\"Best Big Game Hunting Rifles\" width=\"300\" height=\"84\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/Model-700-NRA-American-Hunter_Rifle_Right-Profile-300x84.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/Model-700-NRA-American-Hunter_Rifle_Right-Profile-1024x285.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/Model-700-NRA-American-Hunter_Rifle_Right-Profile-768x214.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/Model-700-NRA-American-Hunter_Rifle_Right-Profile-600x167.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/Model-700-NRA-American-Hunter_Rifle_Right-Profile-150x42.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/Model-700-NRA-American-Hunter_Rifle_Right-Profile.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-764\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Best Big Game Hunting Rifles<\/figcaption><\/figure><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Learn more about the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.remington.com\/rifles\/bolt-action\/model-700\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Remington 700 here<\/a>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Looking to get a youngster going in the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/tips-for-off-hand-shooting\/\" title=\"Tips for Off Hand Shooting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1695\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting and shooting<\/a> world? Check out the Remington Model Seven. It\u2019s set on the same platform as the 700 though it\u2019s nearly two and a half inches shorter and weighs just six and a half pounds.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.remington.com\/rifles\/bolt-action\/model-seven\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Remington Model Seven here<\/a>.<\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/h2><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bergara_B-14\"><\/span>Bergara B-14<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bergara.online\/us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bergara<\/a> rifles continue to rise in popularity. And for good reason. When it comes to out-of-the-box accuracy on a production rifle, few manufacturers are in the same league. Bergara barrels, made in the town of Bergara in Spain, are world-renowned for their accuracy thanks to superior technology and decades of know-how in the barrel-building business. Similar to the Remington 700 action, many rifle manufacturers use Bergara barrels.<br \/>You\u2019ll be pleased to know that all B-14 <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/moa-vs-mrad-rifle-scopes\/\" title=\"MOA vs MRAD Rifle Scopes\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1877\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifles are guaranteed to produce groups of 1.0 MOA<\/a> or less at 100 yards with quality factory match grade ammunition right out of the box. Essentially, what you\u2019re getting is a production rifle that comes with a custom-quality barrel.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bergara.online\/us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bergara<\/a> has done a really good job bringing the 6.5 Creedmoor to life. What started out as strictly a competition caliber has become much sought-after by hunters looking for a flat-shooting round with little recoil. Out of the B-14 series, we\u2019re fans of the Woodsman, Hunter, and Timber, all of which are available in the 6.5 along with a range of other popular calibers like the .243 Win, .270 Win, and .30-06 Sprg.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-763 size-medium\" title=\"Best Big Game Hunting Rifles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/WILDERNESS-HUNTER-action2-2048x1024-1-300x150.png\" alt=\"Best Big Game Hunting Rifles\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/WILDERNESS-HUNTER-action2-2048x1024-1-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/WILDERNESS-HUNTER-action2-2048x1024-1-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/WILDERNESS-HUNTER-action2-2048x1024-1-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/WILDERNESS-HUNTER-action2-2048x1024-1-1536x768.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/WILDERNESS-HUNTER-action2-2048x1024-1-600x300.png 600w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/WILDERNESS-HUNTER-action2-2048x1024-1-150x75.png 150w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/06\/WILDERNESS-HUNTER-action2-2048x1024-1.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bergara.online\/us\/rifles\/b14\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bergara B-14 here<\/a>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Browning_X-Bolt\"><\/span>Browning X-Bolt<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Guns &#038; Ammo magazine has declared that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.browning.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Browning<\/a> X-Bolt Hell\u2019s Canyon Speed Long Range McMillan is arguably the best production rifle on the market. Joseph von Benedikt, a veteran gun writer, tested a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, which further drives home the point of how desired a caliber the 6.5 has become. As we mentioned, a super important aspect of what we believe qualifies the best big game hunting rifles is that it fits the shooter. Browning has built a rifle that seems to just gel with the average-sized person. Some models of the X-Bolt even come with an adjustable comb on the stock to help optimize the performance of the rifle\/shooter combo.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><p style=\"text-align: justify\">The X-Bolt line comes with a variety of options for hunters and shooters, including both long and short action calibers, camo, cerakoted, or wood stocks; a choice between left or right handed, and stainless or blued barrels. Basically, if there is something you desire in a rifle, you\u2019ll probably find it in the X-Bolt line.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.browning.com\/products\/firearms\/rifles\/x-bolt.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Browning X-Bolt here<\/a>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ruger_American\"><\/span>Ruger American<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\">The Ruger American Rifle is not only one of the most affordable <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/jls-deer-hunting-gear\/\" title=\"JL\u2019s Deer Hunting Gear\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1264\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">big game hunting<\/a> rifles on the market, it also boasts the out-of-the-box accuracy you want on a production gun. You may already be thinking, \u201cyou get what you pay for.\u201d But with the Ruger American, this is not the case. It blows just about every other rifle in its price class out of the water when it comes to both accuracy and reliability, not to mention the ergonomics that went into the new and improved lightweight, synthetic stocks. You can run several hundred rounds through it without having to clean it because accuracy is simply not affected. It is available in all the classic big-game calibers including .243 Win, .270 Win, .30-06 Sprg., and the new 6.5 Creedmoor.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ruger.com\/products\/americanRifle\/models.html?n=ov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ruger American Rifle here.<\/a><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Whether you\u2019re hunting deer, elk, or antelope, long-range shooting is greatly improved with the addition of a <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TRACT riflescope<\/a>. When it comes time to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/choosing-the-best-riflescope-for-deer-hunting\/\" title=\"Choosing the Best Rifle Scope for Deer Hunting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1232\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">choose your optics<\/a>, you can reach us via email, phone, or chat, or just buy directly here on our website. One of the most satisfying parts of our job is helping big game hunters improve their accuracy, therefore finding more enjoyment in the shooting sports.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><p style=\"text-align: justify\">email: <a href=\"mailto:support@tractoptics.com\">support@tractoptics.com<\/a><br \/>Phone: 631-662-7354<br \/>Chat online: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tractoptics.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tractoptics.com<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Best Big Game Hunting Rifles | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12182,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2258,2259,2265],"tags":[2348,2460,2461,2591,2613,2797,2812,2813,2844,2845,2846,2847,2848,2849,2852,2854,3058,3082],"class_list":["post-761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hunting","category-hunting-rifle-scope","category-rifle-scope","tag-antelope-hunting","tag-big-game-hunting","tag-big-game-hunting-rifle","tag-deer-hunting","tag-elk-hunting","tag-hunting","tag-hunting-calibers","tag-hunting-calibers-for-deer","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber-chart","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber-for-deer","tag-hunting-rifle-calibers","tag-hunting-rifle-calibers-by-size","tag-hunting-rifle-rounds","tag-hunting-rifle-sizes","tag-hunting-rifles","tag-rifle-scopes","tag-riflescopes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=761"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11461,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/761\/revisions\/11461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}