Field & Stream Shooting Editor David E. Petzal offers his picks for the best new rifles of 2009 from this year's SHOT Show.

This year's SHOT Show set new records for number of attendees, exhibits, floor space, and real he-men wearing tactical packs, but it was tragically lacking in booth babes. Our intrepid photographer shot the only good ones we found and then was forced to include beards, backpacks, and other stuff just to pad out the section. Feel free to skip them. There were a number of booth babes who were, to be brutally honest, not babes. In fact, some of them looked like Bill Heavey with a bra. I'm sure they are fine people, but you are supposed to be a hottie if you do this kind of work. --David Petzal More SHOT Show coverage Most Interesting Rifles New Shotguns Top Optics Coolest Gadgets

You want to score this season? Then you need to know that there are four distinct phases to the rut. There's the early pre-rut, from October 22 to November 1; the seek-and-chase period, November 2 to 13; peak breeding, November 14 to 25; and the post-rut, November 26 to December 5. Each phase has different characteristics, and each should be hunted differently. There are also key dates in every phase, prime days when you need to be in the woods, hunting your butt off. The slides at right tell you when they are this year, and give tips on how to hunt them. Study them, learn them, use them. October 22 October 31 November 4 November 7 November 14 November 25 December 5

David E. Petzal on the three best big game cartridges in North America: the .338 Winchester Magnum, the .340 Weatherby Magnum, and the .338 Remington Ultra Mag.