A photo in a recent issue of an outdoors magazine showed a hunter holding a black-powder percussion rifle that had been used annually by hunters in his family for more than 150 years.
That could be some kind of record, but the odds are the typical deer hunter in Arkansas fields a more modern rifle that he has owned for years and expects to last a lifetime. It could be a trusty rifle that has been passed from father to son and one that is likely to be passed along to the grandkids. Such is the longevity of a good centerfire rifle.
And odds are the rifle will be one of four or five common models manufactured over the past century or so, according to a Field & Stream magazine article titled "Best Guns Ever."
The article drew on an extensive survey of readers regarding their favorite rifles and shotguns.
Among deer hunters, there was somewhat of a difference between the rifles they considered the "best ever made" and the ones they actually owned. However, the former may have taken into the account the history of modern deer rifles, while the latter involved the factor of affordability.
Among the best-ever ratings, for example, the venerable and venerated Winchester 94 lever action was second. The trusty .30-.30 has been around for more than 100 years and has sold in the millions, many of which are still being used.
Coming in third on the all-time best list was the Winchester Model 70 boltaction rifle that became very popular toward the mid-20th century when hunters began to seek better accuracy and performance. However, the "pre-1964" rifles have long been considered collectible classics bringing premium prices.
The rifle readers ranked at the top of the best-ever list came as a surprise to writer David Petzal, who helped compile the survey and said on the readers' choices.
"I would have bet anything that your choice for the world's best gun would have been the Winchester Model 70, but it was the Remington 700, and by a landslide," Petzal said.
That's the story of my life. When I traded in the Winchester Model 94 purchased as a teenager, I wanted a Model 70 but settled for a Remington 700.
The two other rifles ranked in top five of the best included the Marlin 336 lever action at fourth and the Savage 99 lever action at fifth.
As for the most popular guns deer hunters currently carry in the field, bolt- actions get the nod by far, with the Remington 700 again rated tops by a landslide. It was followed by the Ruger 77 and the Winchester Model 70.
A lot of deer hunters apparently hunt with shotguns because the Remington 870 pump came in fourth, ahead of the Browning A-Bolt at fifth.
Wingshooters were also asked to rate the best all-around shotguns ever made and the favorites they are currently carrying to hunt ducks, turkey and upland game birds. Petzal was again surprised at the top pick - the Remington 870 pump.
"One out of three survey respondents voted this slide action the best all-around shotgun ever made. And it's one of the mostused for ducks and turkeys," the survey said.
Second among the best ever was the Remington 1100, which finished slightly ahead of the classic and now pricey Winchester Model 12. Regarding the 1100, the survey said that the autoloader "has been around for 46 years and is still the most popular shotgun for upland hunters."
The preferences of waterfowl and turkey hunters, however, showed a tendency to pick more modern autoloaders with 3-inch
1
and 3 /2-inch chambers with adjustable chokes.
The Remington 870 is still the most popular among duck and turkey hunters, but the Remington 11-87 was not far behind. An update of the famed 1100, the 11-87 came in second as the shotgun most frequently favored for waterfowl and turkey.
Waterfowl hunters also ranked the 11-87 at third among the best shotguns ever made.
However, the relatively new and fairly expensive Benelli Super Black Eagle autoloader is coming on strong. Waterfowlers put the Benelli in second place among the best ever, and it has climbed to fourth in popularity for shotguns being used in the field.
Underlying the preferences in rifles and shotguns currently being used in the field is the opinion of two out three hunters that modern American guns are better than those of 50 years ago.