My Rifle Lineup
I don’t own a massive collection of rifles, but over the years I’ve put together a lineup that covers just about everything I enjoy doing outdoors.
When it comes to buying rifles, I have a “buy for life” mindset. I don’t plan on selling any of them, so I’m willing to spend a bit extra for higher quality. That said, I’m not chasing top of the line rifles either. I look for a balance between quality, reasonable pricing and practicality.
For the most part, my rifles are dual purpose. They’re used for hunting, but they also come out to the property for range days and shooting throughout the year. Most of the rifles I own were purchased because they filled a purpose that my existing lineup didn’t already cover.
Thompson Center Impact Muzzleloader
My muzzleloader is a Thompson Center Impact with a Bushnell 3-9x40 scope.
Here I opted for the base model. Muzzleloaders are simple by design and since all of my hunting is done in the woods, I don’t need much range beyond 100 yards. I was mainly looking for a reliable inline .50 cal that would allow me to extend my hunting season.
The early season hunts are one of the things I enjoy most about muzzleloader hunting here in Manitoba. Late season deer hunts can get pretty cold, so it’s nice being able to get out before winter really sets in.
SKS Rifles
I own two SKS rifles and was fortunate enough to pick them up years ago when they were still fairly affordable. These rifles are strictly for fun at the property. Running cheap military surplus ammo through an SKS tends to turn into a full afternoon of blasting.
The rifles themselves are heavy and built tough. Accuracy definitely isn’t their strong point — whether that’s the rifles, the surplus ammo or a combination of both — but that’s not really the point of an SKS anyway. For me, they’re more about affordable fun and sending plenty of rounds downrange.
Henry Lever Action .22 LR
The Henry was the first rifle I ever bought. A .22 LR felt like the obvious place to start and I had always wanted a lever action rifle. Over the years this rifle has cycled thousands of rounds, mostly bulk ammo aimed at steel and paper targets. It’s also been a great small game rifle for squirrels and rabbits at closer range.
I’ve gone back and forth between running a scope and keeping it on iron sights. Right now it’s back to open sights, but there’s a good chance I’ll mount a scope on it again for some future ammo and distance testing.
CZ 457 .22 WMR
The CZ 457 in .22 WMR has quickly become my favourite rifle and caliber to shoot. Right now it wears a Bushnell rimfire scope that originally sat on the Henry. Because of how accurate this rifle has been, I’ll likely upgrade the scope and move this one back over to the Henry.
After sighting in the rifle and testing a few different brands of ammo, I’ve been extremely impressed with it. It doesn’t replace my .22 LR for plinking days, but the CZ 457 has definitely become my all-purpose small game rifle. It’s also a lot of fun shooting paper targets and seeing what the rifle can do at longer distances.
Browning BPS Hunter – 12 Gauge
My shotgun is a Browning BPS Hunter in 12 gauge. As a left-handed shooter, I was happy to find that the BPS was a high quality, bottom eject pump shotgun in a reasonable price range. That checked all the boxes for me, so it was an easy decision.
The shotgun shoots 2 3/4" and 3" shells and mostly comes out for skeet shooting and fall grouse hunting. Walking or riding the trails looking for ruffed grouse is a great way to spend time outdoors in the fall.
Tikka T3 – 7mm Rem Mag (Left Hand)
My main hunting rifle is a left-handed Tikka T3 in 7mm Remington Magnum with a Redfield 3-9x50 scope.
This was another situation where everything lined up perfectly. Tikka offers a high quality rifle with left-handed options and it fit within my price range — after I adjusted that price range upwards a bit. This rifle was my first real lesson in paying for quality and I’m glad I did.
Tikka rifles are known for having incredibly smooth bolts and this rifle’s accuracy is more capable than its owner. The 7mm Rem Mag has worked well as an all-around hunting caliber, although so far it has mainly been used for deer hunting.
Tikka T3 – 7mm Rem Mag (Right Hand)
My wife also shoots a Tikka T3 in 7mm Rem Mag. Her rifle is mounted with a Nikon BDC 3-9x40 scope.
We didn’t plan on buying matching rifles. She had her mind set on a Browning X-Bolt, a great rifle in its own right. But after handling both, she ended up preferring the Tikka. Part of that was the smoother bolt, but the bigger factor was the overall length. The X-Bolt’s 26" barrel was quite long for someone who’s 5'2".
Having matching calibers definitely simplifies things when it comes to ammunition and hunting prep. The rifle has had a few years off while raising young kids, but it’s ready to go again when the time comes.
Tikka T3x – 30-06
A Tikka T3x in 30-06 with a Burris 3-9x40 scope.
Truthfully, I didn’t need this rifle — it found me. A friend of a friend was selling it at a very fair price. And once I learned it was stainless with a 20" heavy barrel in left-hand? Who am I to interfere with destiny.
Because of the ongoing “young kids” phase of life, I still haven’t brought this rifle out for a proper test yet. That’s something I’m determined to fix this summer.
Final Thoughts
At this point, I have no real plans to add more rifles. What I currently own covers the hunting and shooting I do pretty well — but you never know.
What I do know is that focusing on quality and real use has been a great way to build my lineup. The rifles I own all serve a purpose and, most importantly, they actually get used.