Some rifles are just cool for their history, their performance or their style. Some shoot well at extreme distances, others bring you a lot of power and again others feel just good in your hand. While some of us just inherit their rifles, others buy one after another until they fall hopelessly in love with one. Again others continue trying new ones and some stay with the first one they bought forever.
Their characteristics make them dear to us. They might be a perfect model or just a model, but in the end, we learn to love them because they are just cool for us. Here you find some of the coolest guns ever made, and you can decide if one of them might even be the coolest one for yourself.
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5. Ultra Light Arms M20 in .284 Winchester
The Ultra Light Arms Model 20 in .284 Winchester is a really cool gun as it comes with very little weight but with a lot of power. The gun is trimmed down. Thanks to the strength of modern steel, it can still withstand more power than the rounds can generate.
Think about humping miles and miles over hilly terrain with a backpack. That itself is a real challenge for the average guy. Now add a heavy hitting rifle with its equally heavy weight to it, and you have the recipe for a perfect ordeal. Alternatively, you can go for a light rifle and lighter ammo. This is the beauty of this gun and cartridge.
The .284 Winchester is short and fat, making it small and easy to carry. At the same time, it is a real all-rounder. Perfect for the short-action M20, it can easily drop game at ranges of 400 yards and beyond.
The barrel length is 22 inches. It is fully bedded to a unique carbon Kevlar stock. That stiffens the barrel against vibrations while keeping the weight low. Being able to easily withstand the pressure of the round, the rifle weighs only 5 pounds. Handload a 140 grain Nosler Partition, and you achieve muzzle velocities of 2880 fps (feet per second). This makes for a good range with a great terminal performance and a great precision. The result is that you need only one round to flatten game. It does not even make it hard for the shooter. It is almost impossible to miss with this gun.
4. The Winchester M94 in .30-30
The Winchester M94 is a lever action rifle that is chambered in .30-30 Winchester. Both come with a great history, and both are still going strong. What makes this gun so cool is first and foremost its look and the fact that it is a lever action rifle. This is a real cowboy gun that the heroes of your youth shot in one of the many TV shows and movies.
Old as the design might be, it brings you a classical coolness, and the cartridge adds its own magic to it. Going hunting with it beats every bolt-action rifle you might have. It looks and feels familiar and .30-30 is the cartridge when it comes to lever guns. You feel the kick, and you have enough power to finish off anything you shoot.
3. The .416 Rigby
The .416 Rigby has gained quite some popularity not least because of its balance. It sits at the sweet spot between too much and not enough power. Shooting a 400-grain bullet, you achieve a muzzle velocity of 2400 fps. Built with the fool proof Mauser M98 bolt-action, it is not just strong but also very durable. This is the perfect rifle when going after a dangerous game. Not too much power means that you do not have a gun that is too big or heavy. Also, you do not have to deal with too much recoil. On the flip side, having enough power, you can down what you are going after before it is going after you. In other words, it will allow you to hunt and save your life anytime. With it, you can even stop a charging elephant in its tracks.
Made for business, it is ragged and comes with a standing express sight with two folding leaves meant for longer ranges. The front sight is hooded, and the rifle sports a barrel band sling mount. The drop box magazine has a capacity of 4 rounds. If you train with it well, you can get 2 rounds on target as fast as somebody with a double rifle, and of course, you will get 5 shots faster on target than your friend with his double rifle. However, this kind of firepower is more comforting than needed. Most of your targets will easily drop after one hit, even when they are coming for you. Weighing 9 pounds and 8 ounces, this rifle is not too heavy to schlep it around. The open sights are lighter and easy to use.
2. The Dakota Model 10 in 7×57 mm Mauser
As a single shot, this gun seems to be an unlikely candidate for being the coolest rifle, but it is and not least exactly for this very fact of being a single shot. Knowing that follow ups are not usually a no go, you take your time and aim well. In other words, it makes you be very cautious about your shot placement. Also, it helps by being itself well balanced and super accurate. It is almost impossible to not get the round on target.
You might be tempted to think this rifle shoots intelligent rounds finding the target by itself, but it is you, the shooter, who just has no problem anymore to hit what you aim at. This also frees you of the need to get follow ups on target. One shot, one hit, one dropped target. That is all that is to it.
Also, the look is great. The Dakota is sleek, trim and comes with the beauty of simplicity. The marbled walnut stock underlines this as well as the Talley rings and the case-colored receiver. This also allows for a low weight of 6 pounds and 8 ounces. The action is super short and the barrel length stands at 24 inches.
The 3 pound trigger is easy on you with a crisp break, and the recoil goes straight into your shoulder. There is no sudden kick, but a solid push.
1. The Accuracy International AT-X
A rifle does not have to be old to be a beauty. It just has to look cool, feel great in your hands, and shoot super accurate at very long ranges. Which rifle gives you that? The Accuracy International AT-X. This rifle is an excellent performer coming with a six-lug bolt and an aluminum chassis. Chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor, this is the perfect combination of a long-range rifle with a long-range cartridge.
The AI AW magazine holds 10 rounds. The trigger pull is 10.4 ounces, but can be adjusted to the needs of the shooters. The threaded barrel has a length of 24 inches, and the overall length of this gun is 42.75 inches.
The quality and precision necessary for such an excellent rifle do not come cheap. The MSRP stands at $4995. However, it is worth every penny of it. As it is meant for long-range competition in which you have only a chance with the best of best as your gear.
Accuracy International is known as the manufacturer of some of the best sniper rifles in the world with many law enforcement and military contracts to prove this. Being made for battlefields, they were already the first choice for a lot of civilian shooters despite their price. Especially the fact that they are made for the battlefield speaks for them. They come with a great range to answer different range requirements coming in such a volatile area, and with the ruggedness to survive use and abuse in these environments. You do not have to baby these guns, and they will just work and hit what you shoot at even after the worst day in the worst weather and at the greatest distances.
That being said, usually these rifles do come with a downside. Made for the battlefield, nobody thought it worthwhile to add features for competitions. The AT-X is the first rifle made by Accuracy International specifically for this kind of shooting including typical features necessary in competitions.
The fore-end comes with a flat bottom. It incorporates an ARCA dovetail which extends all the back to the magazine well. The mag well itself is cut allowing for easy mag changes. However, the stock comes with proprietary Key Slot instead of the Key Mod system necessitating the investment into AI-hardware when it comes to rails and accessories.
There you have it, guys, the coolest guns you can find. If you think there are other equally cool guns that were overlooked, put them into the comments and let us know what makes them cool.
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