10 Rifles You Should Own Before You Die
(10 Photos)
In the introduction of “The Rifle Book,” Jack O’Connor wrote, “To me the rifle has always been the most romantic of all weapons, and of all rifles the one I love most is the rifle for big game… I like a handgun, I hold a shotgun in high regard; but rifles—well, I love the darned things.” Here you'll find a subjective list of the ones I believe you should own at some time in your life, and why.
Posted by: Jerry Lee
Winchester Model 70
“The Rifleman’s Rifle” is a phrase that was first used in an ad campaign in 1952 and remains an appropriate slogan to this day. The Model 70 has become the rifle to which all other contemporary center-fire bolt-action rifles are compared, and that is why it is first on my list. It has collected more North American big-game trophies and won more big-bore target championships than any other rifle, and fine custom rifles have been built on its action. Except for a few months in 2006 and 2007, the model has been in production since 1937. It has been produced in more than 100 different variations, styles and grades, and chambered in virtually every factory caliber from .22 Hornet to .458 Win. As with most Winchesters, there is more collector interest for the pre-’64 period and for this list, it would be appropriate to have one from that era.
