Practical Rifle Choices

A practical rifle is used for defense and for hunting. Living in south Texas the AR15s in .223 Remington/5.56mm Nato are used to take about any natural South Texas game and are especially popular for hog hunting. With the ability to change out the upper of an AR15 to more powerful calibers such as 6.5mm Grendel, 6.8mm SPC, 7.62mmx39, 300 Blackout, 450 and 500 Beawolf, and 458 SOCOM the ability to take most North American game animals is addressed. An AR15 with a variable power scope in the 1.5-4 power is very useful and fast handling for close quarters out to 300 yards and good for most hill country hunting. Most local ranchers we know have AR15 in the truck when out checking their cattle.

If you are a hunter, you might prefer a bolt-action or leaver action rifle with a scope. All the big-name manufacturers like Remington, Winchester, Savage, Styr, Sako, etc. make excellent rifles. A high-quality 4X or a 3-9X scope is ideal. Calibers in the .243 to 30 caliber are excellent.

However, the magnum calibers my have to much recoil for delivering quick multiple shots in a defensive situation. The .308 Winchester Savage Scout Rifle is a favorite for a practical rifle but there are many great rifles to pick from.

For the practical rifle you will always need to be sure of where your bullet goes when it exits the body of the attacker. These types of rifles and calibers are best suited for rural situations where the population is not as concentrated and there is less chance of negligently hitting an innocent third party.

Regardless of which rifle you select, it will need a sling for range practice. A simple carry strap will suffice, as will the more elaborate “tactical slings”. The Ching Sling and Safari Ching Sling are a great shooting aid while doubling as a carry strap.