Perhaps the most common e-mail query I receive asks what hunting rifle I recommend. I usually reply that the single most important thing about any hunting rifle, and particularly a hard-kicking centerfire rifle, is that it be reliable and fit the owner.

A prospective buyer should make a list of possible models and then visit his or her local gun shop and try each. Throw the rifle to your shoulder, operate the action, switch the safety on and off, dry fire the rifle. Then buy the one that fits best, or order it if the store does not have that particular model in the desired caliber in stock.

Saying this is not a cop-out, and I'm not being paid by anyone in or out of the firearms industry to write the things I do. Stock fit and ergonomics are critical, so if a recommended rifle does not fit you, don't buy it.

Over the years I have formed opinions about the various brands and models of hunting rifles. Those e-mails I mentioned above are asking for my opinion. That is what this article is about. I have not used every brand and model of rifle in the world, and particularly not models seldom seen in the U.S. But at one time I did sell rifles for a large gun retailer, and I have been a fairly active recreational shooter for my entire adult life, so I have come into contact with most of the well established models.

Like all shooters I have personal likes and dislikes. I may value one feature over another for a particular application. These preferences are reflected in my recommendations. I think, for example, that a decent trigger (by which I mean smooth with a pull weight of about 3 pounds) is very important for accurate shooting, so I am inclined to favor rifles with decent triggers. Since these days there are very few of those right "out of the box" (the principle exceptions are Anschutz, Kimber, Weatherby and Savage), a user adjustable trigger is a big deal to me.

I am also a fan of wooden stocks. Not only do I find most synthetic stocks surpassingly unattractive, I am pretty well convinced that the great majority of them are functionally inferior to walnut or laminated wood stocks in most circumstances. (See my article "Rifle Stocks" for more on this subject.) Synthetic stocks are certainly inferior in resale value.

If you must have a synthetic stock, you will find some of the better synthetic rifles listed below and there are synthetic versions of most walnut-stocked rifles. As synthetics go, "composite" stocks (usually mostly fiberglass) are far superior to injection-molded plastic stocks.

If I don't list a particular rifle that you cherish, if does not mean that it is no good; it merely means that I find the features of the rifles I did list more desirable. There are few really bad rifles in the marketplace.

Also note that only currently produced rifles as of the time of this writing are included in the lists below. I greatly admire many discontinued rifles, from the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Carbine to the Browning 1885 High Wall, but they are not included here.

Nor are custom rifles from small concerns; these are usually not widely distributed, you cannot go into a sporting goods store and try one out and they are too expensive for most hunters in any case. If the only way to obtain a certain model is to order it as a bespoke rifle direct from the manufacturer you will not find it listed here, fine though it might otherwise be.

I have grouped my recommendations into categories, which you will find below. These categories are intended to group rifles of similar type, application, grade, and (often) general price class. To facilitate comparison I have listed more than one choice in each category, in alphabetical order.

Remember, all models listed below are recommended. In many cases there is, objectively, little to choose between the rifles in a given category. And, before someone writes to inquire, the rifles I'd recommend to left handed shooters are the left handed models of the rifles listed below, when available.

• Beretta SxS Express (.375 H&H, .416 Rigby, .458 Win. Mag., .470 NE, .500 NE)
• Krieghoff Classic SxS (.375 H&H, .416 Rigby, .458 Win. Mag., .470 NE, .500 NE)
• Merkel Safari SxS Models 140 and 160

• CZ 550 American Safari Magnum, Safari Magnum, Safari Classic
• Dakota Model 76 African
• Kimber Model 8400 Caprivi
• Remington Model 798 (.375 H&H Mag., .458 Win. Mag.)
• Ruger M77 Hawkeye African
• Ruger M77RSM Magnum Rifle
• Weatherby Mark V Safari Custom

• Cooper Arms Western Classic, Custom Classic
• Dakota Model 76 Classic
• Kimber Models 84M and 8400 Super America
• Sako 75 Deluxe
• Steyr Classic Mannlicher
• Weatherby Mark V Deluxe
• Winchester Model 70 Super Grade

• Cooper Arms Classic
• Kimber Models 84M and 8400 Select Grade
• Remington Model 700 Custom C Grade
• Weatherby Mark V Sporter
• Weatherby Vanguard Deluxe
• Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Deluxe and Sporter Deluxe

• Browning A-Bolt Medallion, White Gold Medallion
• Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker
• CZ 550 Prestige
• Kimber Models 84M and 8400 Classic
• Remington Model 700 CDL-SF
• Sako 75 Hunter
• Sako 85 Hunter, Grey Wolf
• Thompson/Center Icon
• Weatherby Vanguard SUB-MOA

• Browning A-Bolt Hunter
• CZ 550 American
• Remington Model Seven CDL
• Remington Model 700 BDL, CDL
• Remington Model 798
• Ruger M77R Mk. II Standard
• Savage Model 14/114 American Classic series
• Weatherby Vanguard Sporter, Sporter SS

• Howa Lightning, Lightning Stainless
• Remington Model 700 SPS
• Savage Model 16/116
• Weatherby Vanguard, Vanguard Stainless

• Browning BLR Lightweight
• Marlin Model 336 and 308 series
• Marlin Models 444 and 1895
• Winchester Model 1886
• Winchester Model 1895

• Henry Big Boy
• Marlin Model 1894 series
• Uberti Model 1860 Henry, 1866 series, 1873 series

• Browning BAR Mk. II Safari (auto)
• Merkel SR1 (auto)
• Remington Model 750 Woodsmaster (auto)
• Remington Model 7600 Deluxe (pump)
• Winchester SXR

• Blaser K-95 (break-open)
• Dakota Arms Model 10 (falling block)
• Merkel K1, K2 (break-open tilted-block)
• Remington No. 1 Rolling Block Mid-Range Sporter (rolling block)
• Ruger No. 1 series (falling block)
• Winchester 1885 High Wall (falling block)
• Mossberg SSI-1 (break-open)

• Browning A-Bolt II Hunter, Medallion, Stainless Stalker (bolt; .338 Win. Mag., .375 H&H Mag.)
• Browning BAR Mk. II Safari (auto; .338 Win. Mag.)
• Browning BLR Lightweight '81 (lever; .450 Marlin)
• CZ 550 Lux (bolt; 9.3x62)
• Kimber 8400 Classic (bolt; .338 Win. Mag.)
• Kimber 8400 Montana (bolt; .338 Win. Mag.)
• Marlin Model 1895 series (lever; .45-70, .450 Marlin)
• Merkel Petite Frame Double Rifle Models 141 and 161 (SxS; 9.3x74R)
• Remington Model Seven CDL (bolt; .350 Rem. Mag.)
• Remington Model 798 (bolt; .375 H&H Mag)
• Ruger Model 77 Hawkeye Alaskan (bolt; .375 Ruger)
• Ruger Model 77 Mk. II Standard, Sporter (bolt; .338 Win. Mag., .350 Rem. Mag.)
• Sako 75 Hunter (bolt; .338 Win. Mag., 9.3x62)
• Weatherby Mark V DGR (bolt; various magnum calibers)
• Weatherby Mark V Outfitter (bolt; various magnum calibers)
• Winchester Model 1895 (lever; .405 Win.)

• Browning A-Bolt Mountain TI (bolt)
• Kimber 84M Classic (bolt)
• Kimber 84M Montana (bolt)
• Remington Model Seven CDL (bolt)
• Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle DM and LSS (bolt)
• Ruger No. 1A Light Sporter (falling block)
• Ruger International Model 77RSI Mk. II (bolt)
• Savage Model 10 Sierra (bolt)
• Steyr Mannlicher Full Stock Carbine (bolt)
• Steyr Mannlicher Ultra Light (bolt)
• Weatherby Mark V Ultra-Lightweight (bolt)
• Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Deluxe

• Kimber 84M LongMaster Classic (bolt)
• Remington Model 700 VLS, 700 Sendero SF (bolt)
• Ruger No. 1B and K1-B-BBZ (falling block)
• Savage Model 12FV/12FVSS (bolt)
• Weatherby Mark V Accumark (bolt)
• Weatherby Vanguard Sub-MOA, Sub-MOA Stainless (bolt)

• Browning A-Bolt II Stainless Stalker (bolt; .223, .243)
• Kimber 84M LongMaster Classic (bolt; .223)
• Kimber 84M SVT (bolt; .223)
• Remington Model 700 LV SF Light Varmint (bolt; .223, .22-250)
• Remington Model 799 (bolt; .22 Hornet, .222, .223, .22-250)
• Ruger Model 77R Mk. II (bolt; .223, .22-250, .220, .243, 6mm)
• Savage Model 10 Predator Hunter (bolt; .204, .223, .22-250, .243)
• Weatherby Mark V Special Varmint Rifle (bolt; .223, .22-250)
• Weatherby Vanguard Stainless (bolt; .223, .22-250, .243)

• Browning A-Bolt Varmint Stalker
• Kimber Model 84M Pro Varmint (bolt)
• Kimber 84M LongMaster VT (bolt)
• Remington Model 700 VLS (bolt)
• Ruger No. 1-V Varminter and No. K1-V-BBZ Stainless Varminter (falling block)
• Ruger Model 77VT Mk. II Target Grey (bolt)
• Sako 75 Varmint Rifle (bolt)
• Savage Model 12 Varminter series (bolt)
• Savage Model 25 Lightweight Varminter series (bolt)
• Weatherby Mark V Super Varmintmaster (bolt)

• Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter (bolt)
• Marlin Model 336 SpikeHorn (lever)
• NEF Handi-Rifle Youth (break-open)
• Remington Model 7 Youth (bolt)
• Ruger M77 Compact (bolt)
• Savage Model 10GY Youth and 11FYXP3 Package w/scope (bolt)
• Weatherby Vanguard Compact (bolt)

• Marlin 336A (lever)
• NEF Handi-Rifle (break-open)
• Savage Model 11/111 (bolt)
• Savage Model 40 Varmint Hunter (bolt)
• Stevens Model 200 (bolt)