"Essential" for what? Somebody that obviously has a ton of money. Most of these are priced way to high for 99% of the human race. I love guns but my goodness. How about doing a blue collar edition of "Essential Rifles and Shotguns" I have 15 or 20 guns some even a little pricey and none are on the list.

This Gun collection is about exactly what I expected from you...High End, very expensive rifles and shotguns that 95% of American Hunters neither own nor ever will...I personally have hunted for over 45 years. Big Game, Small Game, and Birds of all types. My guns are all wood stocked and American made. I laugh when I hear all the hype about $1350 Benelli's and their ridiculous prices. I have seen many of them jam up and not work in cold and muddy conditions. My ($75) 1965 Remington 870 is still killing ducks and geese with never a malfuntion.
My 1976 Remington 700 30-06 has never failed me.
Deer, Black Bear, Caribou, Moose, Elk, Antelope...
I don't shoot Prairie Dogs or Coyotes. I don't shoot animals just for the fun of killing them or to impress my friends with my shooting ability.
To me gun ownership and hunting are becoming a thing for the rich, just like Europe, not the average American hunter who can't afford to spend $10,000 on a Sheep Hunt or $25,000 to go to Africa. Pheasant hunting averages $450/Day. Of course, they want coorporate groups so they can all write it off their taxes as a business expense.
I've been reading Field and Stream Magazine since I was a kid in the late '50's. Sadly, now days your magazine has turned to trail cameras, expensive guns, food plots (baiting), sniper rifles (for those who never served want-a-bee-s)
Exotic Hunts, hunting from 4-runners instead of walking. An expensive gun isn't going to make you a better shot or a better hunter.
Field and Stream has totally missed the mark here.
duk90jul

Of the guns on your list I own 2 of them. Of the other 89 long guns I own only 2 cost me more than $1600. Ever hear of used guns? Even my custom's were under $1600. There are some nice guns on your list but they are over priced and the average joe can't afford them. I'll stick with the Remingtons, Savages, Rugers, older Winchesters and Brownings.

Yeah!!!!! sweet gunss

Would love to have sure, Essential I think not.
Just my opinion but Thanks.

theres a citori in there, isn't there? and other than their automatics, I agree, browning makes some great shotguns.

That Seasar Magnus may find its way into my gun cabinet after I get that new Nightforce for my rifle...

I think the list is ok, but what happend to the old marlin 336 or the regular rem model 700 adl,bdl. I think that they should do a "working" mans list. I own three guns off the list but the average joes who are the "real" hunters wont ever see 90% of these guns.

Yeah!!!!! sweet gunss

And DEP, is the savage LRPV in the 5 shot drop mag as accurate as the single shot versions? looking for some new toys, was just curious.

I'd love to try some of those, but I think I'll keep my pre-64 Model 70.

These are a rich mans essentials. Even the Mossberg 500 was over priced. Essentials to me doesn't mean two similar rifles or shotguns in the same caliber. A .22, 30-06, and 12ga (pick your favorite manufacturer) would be a collection of essentials.

I would put my Springfield 1903A3 up against this Savage Model 111 FNS .30/06 any day of the week out to 600 yards..

Give me a Remington 700 VS in .308 any day over this Nobler Model 48 Custom Sporter .30/06. In my opinion the .308 is a much more accurate round..

Really? Out of all the rifles only one that was not a bolt action, and that black rifle?

I can appreciate the looks and feel of a good bolt gun, but................

Great guns in there but since my frau says I can;t sell the house many of them are above my pay grade! :(

Essential marksmanship should be step one, without that you are purchasing essential working art. Which is not a terrible thing as you will learn about culture and being that fine firearms are the subject, so will be circumnavigation. Save money, purchase a globe...think baby steps. Mauser = Germany = 1XXX.XX plane ticket = import tax =...ect..Now the U.S. paid royalies to Germany to build the Springfield 1903 so buy a nice "03". If you feel there is enough power in the ole "06" send it to Mr. Jarrett, who is one of Mr. Petzal's friends to give it a good trigger, bedding, muzzel crown,. Not enough power tell him to ream or re-barrel to 30Gibbs(I think you can fire form cases with 30-06 factory loads). I think Mr. Jarrett will know best and will help you spend your money wisely. Culture, American know-how, oh yea ?...economics, buy & practice with the "03" today, save for the custom work and treat the economy first thing after the inauguration, the NEW PRESIDENT in 2012 will appreciate it. I don't think Mr. Jarrett out-sources to foreign countries...Thanks Kenny ! BLACKELK says buy'em used, gunshows,people moving to non-gun friendly communities,my least favorite...divorces. GOOD LUCK, BUY FIREARMS !

they got the price wrong on the weatherby pa/08

You forgot to mention the Connecticut RBL ! The BEST for the Money ...

cool guns

DEP and Phil, please send me one of each model represented here and a case of ammo for that gauge or caliber every two weeks and I will be happy to give you an informed opinion after thorough testing.

Nice set, but the closest I have to one of these is a Benelli semi-auto 12 ga. that I had to save a lot to buy the cheapest one available. Gander Mountain has the M2 American on sale for $800... a bit less than the $1,300 for a base model.

I'd like to see a list of guns to buy for someone getting into obtaining firearms. After the kiddie bb guns, I started with a .22 and then got a 12 ga. and so on. Just curious to see if there is a recommended progression out there. Which rifles would be the best for starting out that would model as an all-around hunting rifle? I went with a Remington 770 in 30.06 for deer, pigs, coyotes, ect.

some you boys are being a little rough... granted , i disagree with some of the pick on the list... like th 10k o/u, all the old guys at my club won't shoot um if there is a cloud in the sky! i buy it i plan to shoot it!!!! old man once asked my what i was shoot'n, said proudly (as a 22 yr old hard working man) a new to me ( bought used for 275) rem 1100, said huh & walked off... looking @ the trap scores about an hour later, his 3k browing o/u shot about the same on the 1st round & 3 birds less on the 2nd round & he gets to shoot 2-3 times a week... me w/ my kids am lucky if get out a few times a year to shoot anymore..!

with that said, some are over priced, but there were good guns that any one could buy as well.. it is all about the fit of the gun/stock.. my marlin 917 is in a boyds lam evo TH stock & shoot 1/2" @100 yrds, so a cz or sako w/ 500 + prices really don't mean much, i fully customized my 10/22 which i can't believe was not on the list & it shoots 1/4" @ 25yrds all day with bulk ammo like rem goldens... way better with wolf match. to each there own, but for me a good reasonable price & a lttle testing of ammo makes all the differance. i also like to buy AMERICAN MADE.. get'n hard to, guns & ammo about the only thing left it seems like! god bless

I must put in a word for the inclusion of the M1 Garand on any list of the best or most essential firearms. Is the Garand a great hunting rifle? Probably not, but I promise you, shooting one will transport you back to a better, simpler, time in America. I have owned six M1's, and shooting them is more than simply time at the range - it is experiencing history in a very tangible way. The first M1 I acquired was built in April/May of 1941, and had been armory-rebuilt at least once in America before being consigned to Denmark. It was returned to the U.S. in the early 2000's, and I bought it from the CMP. I had it checked out by a gunsmith, and could hardly wait to get to a range and shoot it. Avoiding a case of "Garand thumb," I got it loaded and began firing at a target 100 yards away. As I fired the 8th round, and heard the "ping" as the clip was ejected, I wondered about the soldier or Marine who first had carried this weapon of wood and steel. Where did it, and he, see combat? Did they come ashore together on a Pacific island, the African coast, or did they drop into Sicily, or Normandy? Could it possibly have been carried by my late uncle Frank, who served in the 502nd PIR of the 101st Airborne Division, and made both combat jumps? Probably not, of course, but it was carried by someone's uncle, somewhere. Maybe a soldier in my late father's outfit, the 503 Parachute Regimental Combat Team, jumped with that very rifle onto Corregidor, in early 1945. Again, probably not, but you get my point. Our WWII veterans are leaving us at an ever-increasing rate, but the weapons they carried soldier on, still reliable, rugged, and mostly, pretty darned accurate, even though some are more than 70 years old. I had that M1 re-stocked with a beautiful Boyd's stock, and gave it to my best friend when he returned home from a year-long deployment to Kuwait in 2004; it just seemed right to present one old soldier to another.

I own three Sako rifles that I purchased in the 1960's and 1970's. One is a 30-06, and the other two are a .243 (bought in the 1960's) and a heavy barreled .222 Remington (bought in the 1970's). The two larger calibers would shoot a 1" group at 100 yards and the HB a one-half inch group. As far as I'm concerned there is not a better and affordable "out of the box" rifle available on the marker.

Just bought me a savage .270!

This is a great battery of guns, i personally liked that the Savage 111 was the fisrt gun to be shown, i own a Savage model 11 and it has the Accutrigger which i personally believe is one of the biggest advancements in bolt-action rifles since the removable magazine. And one thing i would suggest for a rifle more than anything is a Bushnell Elite Riflescope, and they offer 3 different models(Elite 3200, Elite 4200, and Elite 6500). I own the Elite 4200 in a 3-9x 40mm size. the only gun that i believe is misssing from this collection is the Browning A-Bolt in a .30-06 with the Boss Muzzle-brake; the Browning A-Bolot with the Boss muzzlebrake is one of the most accurate and consistent shooting rifles i have ever handled but many people do not want to buy this gun because it is no longer made in th U.S. and so they think that is made cheaply but is actually made just as well, if not better than before and i highly recoomend it to those who shoot competitively or even to those that hunt.

Why do you need two 30-06 when either would do well? Why tow 300 mags, the Weatherby sub moa I own in 300 WSM will shoot with any of the "custom" long range rifles and costs a heck of a lot les, allowing you to buy high quality glass and afford a EWlk Hunt in the West.No Browning BPS, it is by far the best pump shotgun currently made, and I know since I own pre 64 model 12's , 870's, 500's, (no Turkish Weatherby though) etc. I would rather have the TC Venture in stainless in 308 as my all around, knock around hunting rifle than the Savage 111. The Savage folks do make a great value, I have several in Model 16 and 10 (with iron sights as back up), as well as model 7 with iron sight back up in 350 Rem Mag as my Alaska rifle. The basic iron sight as back up sight should not be over looked in a wilderness hunt rifle. I also own a Stevens/Savage Italina made double in 20 and 28 guage that I would put up against the import doubles you recommend. Solid shooters, light kickers, etc. not as much gingerbread though.

fng, Somehow I missed the Citori!!! Mia Maxima Culpa. I had one I wish I had never let go. Also had an A-Bolt in 30/06 I foolishly traded off too.

Thank you field and stream for the Gun Nut section thanks to you i might be buying the Benelli M2 soon

You are missing at least TEN have to own guns. Unless you live in CA and there you are not even allowed to own them. How about a Barrett BMG50Semi auto. How about a Cheytec 408 with computer. How about an AR15 in 338 lapua. How about an AR14or M14 in 308 or 7.62x51 Remington 40XB in 300win mag. AR15 in 223/204/6.8/458/17/22 a T/C Encore in 45-70 45-120 50 cal blackpowder and say a few other calibers such as 222 243 2506 270 30-378 375 460 weatherby 10ga 16ga 28ga 32 ga 410 500SW 500AE 44auto mag. And you folks wonder why I had to buy a second gun safe duh!

dray

I find the lack of a good lever gun disturbing. Some very impressive rifles!!

I don't get why there were two nosler guns? And the tarhunt slug gun is ridiculously overpriced. And don't even get me started on the double guns and the ryan breeding dangerous game rifle. Nice guns heck yes, no doubts, I would be more than happy to trade my four guns with for guns from here.

The fact is, this is supposed to be a battery for the everyday joe,not Bob big bucks. I understand they can't include every ones favorite, but the should have mostly low priced guns ($650 and under) and a few spendy ones.

You need an Ak47 in that bunch!

My Essential guns- used newer models in mint shape:

A 22 bolt action rifle for targets. Used - $250 for a nice one with a scope. For my daughter.

A bolt action Browning or Winchester rifle
In your favorite deer caliber – I like .270 – used $750 for a nice one with a scope

A 12 gauge Remington 1187 chambered for 3” with chokes – used $600 for a nice one

A double rifle case in aluminum - $250

A 28 gauge Remington 1100 for my daughter, $800 used.

Aluminum gun cases for the shotguns, $250

This works for Any big game in the lower 48; clays, geese, ducks, turkeys,
Upland birds and other small game.

Total, $2900

I don't recall Boddington saying what rifle he'd live with if he could only have one.

David Bershtein
www.huntingwithdaughters.com

One Rifle. Weatherby, 270WSM AB.

One Rifle. Weatherby, 270WSM AB.

Don't own a single one of these. Would really have to hit the lottery to do so and what then? I've taken out many a prairie dog with a Marlin 49, birds with a Remington 48 until the steel shot requirement and deer with a T/C Hawken .50. By the way, I'm still a BP shooter to the core and they will still knock down anything on the NA continent just as well as the above battery. Otherwise why not switch to the BMG 50 and be done with it? From prairie dogs at a mile to elephant at a quarter mile. One gun for everything. OOPS, guess that wouldn't be real hunting, now would it?

I side with those who say some of these are on the too expensive side for the average hunter/shooter. I've hunted small game and big game for 53 years and have handloaded ammo for 45 years. Although I do own 3 of those on the list, I prefer hunting with a firearm I feel confident and comfortible with. I would not feel comfortible in the field carrying a $5k+ firearm, although they would be fine as an investment or as a collector item. There is an unlimited choice of durable, moderately priced, and accurate firearms on the market that most hunters would be proud to use. I like to hunt with something that handels good, has the needed accuracy, and packs the punch. For deer & bear hunting in the north GA mountains, believe it or not, my choice is a lever action Marlin 1895 in 45/70 Govt. Most shots are under 100 yards and this heavy bullet is not deflected by small twigs & brush like smaller bullets. It just does the job. For long range in open territory I like my Weatherby in .300 Magnum for larger game and .243 Win for smaller game. For shotgun hunting I prefer a side by side double for rabbits, squirrels and quail, and a pump or semiauto for doves. For .22 cal plinking & small game I used anything from a bolt action, to a lever action, to semiauto. All are fun. My point is, an average hunter can do well with half a dozen rifles and a couple shotguns at prices that don't break the bank. When hunting I'd prefer concentrating on the game and enjoying the outdoors rather than constantly protecting & worrying over a pricy firearm.

I side with those who say some of these are on the too expensive side for the average hunter/shooter. I've hunted small game and big game for 53 years and have handloaded ammo for 45 years. Although I do own 3 of those on the list, I prefer hunting with a firearm I feel confident and comfortible with. I would not feel comfortible in the field carrying a $5k+ firearm, although they would be fine as an investment or as a collector item. There is an unlimited choice of durable, moderately priced, and accurate firearms on the market that most hunters would be proud to use. I like to hunt with something that handels good, has the needed accuracy, and packs the punch. For deer & bear hunting in the north GA mountains, believe it or not, my choice is a lever action Marlin 1895 in 45/70 Govt. Most shots are under 100 yards and this heavy bullet is not deflected by small twigs & brush like smaller bullets. It just does the job. For long range in open territory I like my Weatherby in .300 Magnum for larger game and .243 Win for smaller game. For shotgun hunting I prefer a side by side double for rabbits, squirrels and quail, and a pump or semiauto for doves. For .22 cal plinking & small game I used anything from a bolt action, to a lever action, to semiauto. All are fun. My point is, an average hunter can do well with half a dozen rifles and a couple shotguns at prices that don't break the bank. When hunting I'd prefer concentrating on the game and enjoying the outdoors rather than constantly protecting & worrying over a pricy firearm.

I have two of the guns on the list- sort of. My Ruger 77 is chambered for 30-06 not .458 Lott, and my Mossburgh is a 535 not 500. They are almost identical though; the only difference is that the 535 will hold 3 and a half inch shells and the 500 won't. I agree that the Marlin 336 should have been on the list along with a couple other lever guns. And what happened to the basic 700 or a model 70(pre 64 of course)?

Great rifle but to costly for my taste

Great rifle but to costly for my taste

Come on! With the exception of the affordable guns a regular 'Joe' could buy this is someones wish list!!!

Nice guns. I actually have the Mossberg 500's cousin, the 590A1. Sadly, the price of most of the guns on this list could get me a decent used hunt jeep/truck. Some would get me a very nice hunt jeep/truck.

Nice guns. I actually have the Mossberg 500's cousin, the 590A1. Sadly, the price of most of the guns on this list could get me a decent used hunt jeep/truck. Some would get me a very nice hunt jeep/truck.

Thats a nice group of guns, but all I could think about was the 29 high priced guns at home while I was hunting with only 1. Its nice to have alot of guns but you can only shoot one at a time. How about making a list for the "common man".

What about the Volquartsen Custom in a 223 Cal. semi-auto. It is the most accurate gun I have seen and owned. It is expensive,but you get what you pay for. It is like a Full Custom Ruger. Also I have a Remington 700 VS with a 26" Bull Barrel and a H-S Precision stock in a 22-250 caliber. It has a 6x24x40 Bushnell 4200 Elite scope and it will shoot one ragged hole at 150 yards every time.

What about the Volquartsen Custom in a 223 Cal. semi-auto. It is the most accurate gun I have seen and owned. It is expensive,but you get what you pay for. It is like a Full Custom Ruger. Also I have a Remington 700 VS with a 26" Bull Barrel and a H-S Precision stock in a 22-250 caliber. It has a 6x24x40 Bushnell 4200 Elite scope and it will shoot one ragged hole at 150 yards every time.

very nice guns, but most are way out of price range. I will stick with my winchester model 70 in the 7-mag or my remington 700 in the 300 untra..I may not get a great 10 shot group but I have never had to shoot more than twice at a animal. How about the winchester moder 1200,1300,1400 I have all 3 and these guns work very well. I have no complaints and none cost me more than $400. These are the guns I would like to read more about, the comon ones, that most of us can afford..

The H&R Ultra Slug Hunter is the most accurate slug gun that I've ever shot. Not to mention that it kicks like a baby!

The H&R Ultra Slug Hunter is the most accurate slug gun that I've ever shot. Not to mention that it kicks like a baby!

All the expensive guns are fine and dandy, but my Remington 870 and 770 have never let me down. Add ons and replacement parts are readily available and relatively affordable for the working blue collar man who has a passion for hunting but does not want to break the bank

All the expensive guns are fine and dandy, but my Remington 870 and 770 have never let me down. Add ons and replacement parts are readily available and relatively affordable for the working blue collar man who has a passion for hunting but does not want to break the bank

am i a gun nut i own weatherby's in .240 .257.270.300 .30-378 and 7mm all wetherby mag. i also have 700 remingtons in .270 .257wby mag 30-06 .375h-h .300sav 721 remingtons in .270 30-06 300H@H. several .22's in remington and savage. I have lrpv's in .223 .22-250 .204 ruger. i have cz's in .17 rem and .204. several assort handguns and shotguns and bows. but i do not own a side by side or a skeet gun. I do not not own any winchesters and most of my custom guns guns i built myself. with over a hundred fine firearms in my collection i have come to realize that it is not the number of guns you own that makes you a gun nut, it is the esteem in witch you value the firearms you own or want that make you a gun nut. I have a friend that own a henry .22 an 870 12 ga and a 700 .30-06 and he is a bigger gun nut than almost everybody. p.s. i would love to have a 700 bdl in .250 savage i am not a gun nut i just really really like them

No Ruger 10/22??

Very nice guns but I didnt see any of the best guns ever made a winchester m94 and an old 870