I wish Generation X would claim me, but the truth is, I was born in 1983, and that makes me a millennial. I’d as soon wander the land blind and naked as to pull on a pair of skinny jeans and horn-rimmed glasses, but I accept the title, kicking and screaming the whole way because, hey, kicking and screaming is what my generation does when we don’t get our way.
But it’s not all bad, being a child of the past 40 years. Even the most grizzled gun nuts must admit that when it comes to advances in hunting equipment, the 21st century has been special. We’ve gotten the trail camera and the ThermaCell, laser rangefinders that’ll fit in a shirt pocket, tungsten super shot and custom scope turrets. There are smartphone apps that’ll show you the property boundaries in any state and others that’ll pair with your smart scope and make ballistic calculations for you right in the field.
But maybe best of all, we’ve been flooded with inexpensive deer rifles that’ll really shoot. In fact, these days, sub-MOA accuracy is the expectation for any off-the-shelf bolt action, even if it costs $400. And that’s what this list of rifles is all about. Blue-collar. Working-class. Affordable. Hell, call them cheap if you want, since some of life’s best perks are cheap. These guns will give you a lifetime of hunting service without costing much money. I’ve personally hunted and killed something with every gun on this list, and though they’re not all pretty (or perfect), they do all shoot. Above all, that’s what a deer hunter needs.
CALIBERS AND ACTIONS
These rifles can be pressed into use for various big game animals. I’ve used some in adventures abroad for good-sized critters. But here, I’m explicitly talking about whitetail guns. For all the critters and adventures you
