The Hunting Rifle Has Changed

I remember growing up, hunting rifles were blued steel and walnut and handcrafted one at a time by skilled American gun builders.  I also remember my dad spending hours carefully bedding actions, floating barrels, tuning triggers, and developing handloaded ammo that would meet his demand of a 3-shot sub-one inch group at 100 yards.  While that type of accuracy expectation hasn’t changed in the last few decades, the rifles certainly have.

Most of today’s modern bolt action rifles wear some type of synthetic stock, with barrels that are coated instead of blued.  While most may not exhibit the rich grain of American walnut, most modern production bolt action hunting rifles can generally achieve that 3-shot sub-one inch group, with the right optic and ammunition.

Triggers have gotten better, most stocks have some type of bedding system, and most barrels are free floated from the factory.  Most of the popular firearm’s manufacturers have developed methods of production that have allowed them to build mass produced, and accurate rifles that formerly required hours of painstaking labor.

Just as our fathers and grandfathers gravitated to bolt action rifles in the hunting scene after returning from World War II, the current generation of young hunters are heavily influencing the definition of what a hunting rifle is.

Enter the “Modern Sporting Rifle”, or “MSR”.  Many of today’s hunters served our country proudly in the global war on terrorism.  Their familiarity and skill on the battlefield with the M16 and M4 translated to the development of the AR15 and AR10 style hunting rifles that are rapidly becoming popular in the hunting world.  These Modern Sporting Rifles are highly customizable, capable of extreme accuracy, and the caliber options seem to get better every year.  The capability of these modern hunting rifles is very impressive.

Regardless of whether you are a blued steel and walnut stocked traditionalist, a tactical-minded precision hunter, or wanting the familiar feel of a modern sporting rifle, the experienced staff at Buck & Doe’s Mercantile can help you out.  Our selection of hunting rifles, ammunition, and optics is sure to satisfy your hunting rifle needs.

Cheap Guns

The phrase “Cheap Guns” gets thrown around a lot by some firearms aficionados.  To others, the phrase gives visions of the chrome plated “Saturday Night Specials” that were so often sold in pawn shops in the 1980’s.  Fortunately, those days are behind us.

The reality is the firearms industry has brought us some pretty decent quality price point firearms in the last several years.   Let’s face it, not everyone has the disposable income to be packing a $2500 custom 1911, and that’s okay.

It’s time that we unite as firearms owners and accept the fact that everyone legally qualified and who wants to own a firearm should have the opportunity to own a handgun, regardless of their economic ability, and without passing judgement on what gun they choose to own.

There have been some surprisingly well built and dependable handguns that have entered the market in the last few years that just about anyone can afford.  As with any firearm, they all come with pros and cons.

The benefits of a quality price point firearm is obviously that you can get into the shooting sports without a huge investment.  They also allow you to build your shooting skills at the gun range until such time you are ready to invest in a more feature rich firearm.

The downside to owning a price point firearm is that they generally don’t retain much of their value when you want to trade up.  Another negative aspect is that they probably won’t have much aftermarket accessory support, other than holsters, sights, and spare magazines.

Don’t let these things keep you from considering an inexpensive pistol for your first firearm.  The experienced staff at Buck & Doe’s Mercantile is more than willing to show you how to get started with a pistol that fits your budget and your experience level.  We can also get you on the pathway to mastering your shooting abilities and will be here to assist you when that day comes that you’re ready to move up with your firearms needs.