With so many different firearms on the market, finding the best rifle that satisfies your needs can be challenging to say the least. If you’re into competition shooting, you may need a lightweight solution that permits quick target acquisition and accurate placement of your shots. Or perhaps you need a rifle that helps you make those longer down-range shots when hunting.
One thing to keep in mind when searching for just the correct firearm for you is that you can find what you need in today’s market. To help you in your search, consider the following types of rifles. Each has several features that may fit your needs perfectly and can prove to be a value-add in your arsenal.
Best Rifles You Can Buy
POF Minuteman 5.56 AR-15 Rifle
If you’re involved in a lightweight tactical dynamic condition or when you need a lightweight semi-automatic AR-15 in competitive match shooting, Patriot Ordnance Factory, and their Minuteman series may be just the ticket.
Chambered in the readily available 5.56 NATO round, the Minuteman from Patriot Ordnance Factory features a 4150-chrome vanadium alloy barrel and POF’s patented E2 extraction technology system that will help your rifle’s extraction last far longer than most on the market today.
Featuring a 1:8-inch twist rate, the POF Minuteman with a 16-inch barrel helps with accurate shot placement, and the trigger pull weight of the Minuteman is almost match rated, requiring only 3.5 pounds of pressure.
When speed and ease of operation is of the essence, the POF Minuteman also sports a Strike Eagle charging handle built for comfortable and quick operation and a QD endplate that’s easily and quickly attached to either side of your sling with an anti-rotation feature that won’t get tangled.
POF packs a ton of features in this Minuteman AR-15, many you probably won’t think about, but they all help the Minuteman AR-15 stand out among the other rifles of its class. Things such as a nitride-coated bolt carrier group that tolerates the constant heat and pressure caused by firing and a nickel-plated bolt extractor and chrome-plated firing pin are just a few.
Lightweight and durable, the POF Minuteman is one of the more versatile and tactically efficient solutions that offers a comfortable and practical solution regardless of the dynamic conditions or the harshest elements.
Add all these features up and include the patented three-pronged flash hider muzzle device, and you’ve got an AR-15 that will provide you unbelievable and long-lasting performance.
Bringing seventeen years of gunsmithing expertise to the table, Patriot Ordnance Factory offers more features in this Minuteman AR-15 you’d expect to see at an unbelievable price point.
Radical Firearms AR-15 Rifle 6.5 Grendel
If you’re searching for an AR-15 that provides day-in-day-out performance, the AR15 6.5 Grendel rifle from Radical Firearms will be a logical choice. Although a relative newcomer to the firearm industry, Radical Firearms has provided innovative AR solutions that meet or exceed performance standards at price points guaranteed not to break the bank over the last eight years.
This AR-15 from Radical Firearms features a chamber built to handle a 6.5 Grendel cartridge. It is the perfect choice for any hunters who are recoil sensitive but need efficient ballistics for hunting deer or elk. The Radical Firearm 6.5 Grendel AR-15 also sports a fifteen-inch M-LOK handguard and a unique “pepper-pot” muzzle device that aids in muzzle lift when a follow-up shot is necessary.
This AR-15 from Radical Firearms also sports a B5 Systems adjustable stock which eliminates many of the LOP or length of pull issues for multiple types of shooters. With the full-length, M-LOK and Picatinny railed handguard, there’s plenty of room for accessories, and all you’ll need to do is add your favorite optic system, and you’re ready to hit the range or head out to your favorite hunting spot.
As direct impingement AR-15 rifles go, this Radical Firearms AR features a slim, free float design handguard that solves the weight problem you’ll experience with other types of rifles without sacrificing accessory mounting solutions. Radical Firearms always builds their rifles with the budget-conscious shopper in mind, and this AR-15 certainly won’t break the bank. Outstanding performance, fantastic price point, and stylishly appealing, the Radical Firearms AR-15 with a 6.5 Grendel chamber is the perfect rifle for every occasion.
FN America SCAR 16s 5.56 NATO Rifle
If you’re in the market for a rifle built for dynamic tactical situations, this semi-automatic rifle from FN America is the one for you. The FN America SCAR is the civilian version of the types of rifles servicing military and law enforcement agencies the world over. Firing a 5.56 NATO round, the SCAR 16s features the same battle-tested innovations made to satisfy stringent SOCOM or the United States Special Operations Command requirements.
This SCAR from FN America also features a cold hammer-forged free-floating barrel and fully ambidextrous operation and offers dual, non-reciprocating charging handles. Regardless of the shooting position or optic solution, the SCAR 16s with NRCH is one of the most practical and durable short-stroke gas piston rifles today.
FN America continues to up its game in the SCAR category of rifles, featuring this 16s SCAR with a folding buttstock and a full-length Picatinny rail that will provide all the rail landscape you’ll need for a multitude of accessories.
When it comes to durability, the SCAR 16s from FN America is a winner, pairing an exterior barrel coating of rugged manganese phosphate with an interior of hardened chrome coat that helps this semi-automatic rifle take a beating and continue to perform as expected.
Giving true meaning to ambidextrous operation, the SCAR 16s from FN America also features a safety selector and magazine release with a swappable charging handle for left and right-hand-oriented shooting styles.
With over one hundred years of manufacturing experience behind them, FN America, and its parent company Fabrique Nationale Herstal has produced some of the best tactical solutions on the market. If you need a lightweight semi-automatic rifle that won’t fail when you’re counting on it, this SCAR 16s stands ready to meet the challenge.
CZ USA Bren 2
Most avid rifle enthusiasts have predictable images of what they can expect to see when shopping for a semi-automatic rifle. That is until they look at a Bren 2 from CZ USA. At first glance, the Bren 2 looks like a pistol with an overgrown muzzle, but don’t let that fool you. One test fire at the range will be all it takes to fall in love with this short-stroke, gas-piston semi-automatic.
The Bren 2 is known as a semi-automatic pistol in technical circles, so don’t expect it to handle like an AR platform rifle. Operating on a short-stroke gas piston system, the Bren 2 also features a return spring in the pistol’s action, and the carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer puts the Bren 2 in a weight class that’s much lighter and easier to handle.
One unique feature of the Bren 2 is that the piston tube length remains the same whether you choose an eleven-inch or fourteen-inch barrel. The handgrip on the Bren 2 also sports replaceable backstraps and can accommodate different grip styles as they become available. The Bren 2 from CZ USA fires a decisive 7.62X39mm round from a magazine with a thirty-shot capacity, and with a trigger-pull weight of barely three and a half pounds, you’ll be able to make those quick shots when necessary.
One of the best advantages of owning a Bren 2 semi-automatic pistol is the ambidextrous operation of the magazine release that allows for much quicker reloads than you’d expect with other types of semi-automatic rifles. Additionally, with the Bren 2, you can turn off the gas piston system when firing during dynamic conditions and then switch it back under less adverse situations.
If you’re in the market for a semi-automatic pistol with the range and accuracy capabilities of an AR platform rifle, the CZ Bren 2 is the obvious choice.
Savage Arms 110 Hunter 30-06 Bolt-Action Rifle
There will always be a place for a quality bolt action rifle in this world of semi-automatic rifles with heavily loaded magazines. With that knowledge at hand and for over a century, Savage Arms has provided hunters with classic shooting innovations such as their Accutrigger, which allows easy adjustment, and Accustock chassis and floating bolt head configurations.
With an Accufit Savage Arms 110 Hunter, length of pull problems doesn’t exist. A few adjustments, and you’ve got a rifle that feels as if Savage Arms designed it for you and your shooting style. The operation of the bolt is effortless and flawless, and it will only take you a few times before you intuitively manage the bolt without even thinking about it. With the Savage Arms 110, you also get a four-round box magazine and depending on how fast you operate the smoothly operating bolt handle; you can get four shots off in a few seconds.
For targeting longer down-range shots, the Savage Arms 110 Hunter features button rifling that will help you place those shots precisely where you want them to go. Additionally, each Savage Arms 110 Hunter is drilled and tapped to handle whatever scope and mounting system you choose. Chambered to take a 30.06 Springfield round, this Savage Arms bolt action rifle delivers powerful performance, and the 1:10 twist rate of the twenty-two-inch barrel will help you continuously make those precision shots.
Whether you love to hunt or competition in long-range match shooting is your style, Savage Arms continues to lead the way with innovative solutions that provide the best and most accurate rifle platform.
Remington 700 SPS 308
Remington is a front-runner you can count on to produce a work-horse bolt action rifle when it comes to innovation and utilizing the latest advances in rifle technology. For over two centuries, Remington has been providing rifle solutions that withstand the rigors of a heavy workout in the field. This Remington 700 with Special Purpose Synthetic stock and forend fires a .308 caliber Winchester round guaranteed to provide you all the necessary stopping power you need to bring a bigger game down.
This Remington 700 SPS sports a twenty-four-inch barrel and features a 1:10 twist rate that takes advantage of the Winchester .308 round’s ballistics capabilities and helps you make those precise long-range shots with ease. Additionally, the Remington 700 SPS comes with swivel sling studs, and its carry weight is only 7.6 pounds which means you can carry the Remington 700 all day without it wearing you down. Nothing says long-distance performance and a great hunting experience like a Remington 700 series rifle.
Not only is the Remington 700 SPS an incredibly accurate rifle, but it allows you to fire comfortably with a Supercell recoil pad on the buttstock. Year after year, this Remington 700 will be a staple hunting rifle in your arsenal, featuring a length of pull of a little over thirteen inches that can accommodate a variety of hunters, young and old.
When the time comes to shop for a rifle that will provide you solid performance year after year, the Remington 700 SPS will give you everything you desire in a gun except for a higher price.
The Best Buy Is an Informed One
As with any rifle purchase, the best buy is typically one that gives you the performance you’d expect for money you intend to spend. Any one of these rifles offers features that are guaranteed to provide you with years of pleasurable hunting and or competitive match shooting. While these examples should undoubtedly be on your hit list, there are still plenty of quality rifles on the market you may want to look at before deciding on the one.
From bolt action to semi-automatic rifles to semi-automatic pistols that provide precise placement of your shots better than most rifles can, you probably need to understand how you intend to use your rifle first. Once you’ve done that the hard work is done. Then it’s time to shop until you find something that fits the bill for your needs and your pocketbook.
Dakota Potts is a gunsmith, armorer, and gun rights advocate with nearly 10 years of experience. He is well respected in the industry and his work has appeared on various industry leading firearm publications. He enjoys learning about firearm history and technology. You can follow Dakota Potts on Youtube or see his Facebook.