Rifles

We liked Fulton's Service Grade over Springfield's M1, but the CMP deal is hard to beat in terms of bang for the buck.

DPMS Panther's Long Range was Our Pick over ArmaLite and Bushmaster AR-15 type rifles, which both had lousy triggers.

Our other test guns were the Browning A-Bolt II Micro Hunter No. 0350202111, a 6.25-pound gun with a 20-inch blued barrel, $684; and the Remington 700 SPS Youth No. 27475, a less expensive synthetic-stocked gun that weighed 6.75 pounds unloaded. Because of its $400 street price (MSRP $510), an Alaskan sheep-hunter GT reader had recommended his .308-chambered SPS "youth" gun as a steal, opining that because it was marketed to beginners, it was priced lower than similar guns. We found his recommendation to be right on the mark, along with the SPS's ability to shoot.

Our test ammos for these .243s showed a range of utility designed to express flaws in the barrels' rifling (we thought). From lightest to heaviest, they were Federal Premium Vital-Shok 85-grain Sierra Gameking boattail hollow points, No. P243D; Winchester Supreme 95-grain Ballistic Silvertips, No. SBST243A; and Remington's Express Core-Lokt 100-grain pointed soft points, No. R243W3. Also, as part of barrel break-in, we shot Remington 80-grain Express Rifle rounds, No. 243W1, but we did not collect accuracy or chronograph data with these rounds.

These two bargain rifles are favorites of close-quarters deer hunters. But which one offers the most bang on the buck?

The $640 Kel-Tec SU-16 and the $1,727 Springfield Armory SOCOM 16 offer different solutions for long-gun self defense.

The lighter, more accurate Kimber shot rings around Ruger's Compact rifle. The 84M is one of the best .308s we've seen.

Ruger's M77 Mark II Target in .25-06 and Winchester's M70 Coyote in .25 WSSM cut it, but Weatherby's .257 WM Vanguard Sub-MOA didn't live up to its accuracy-defining name.

The Five Seven pistol is lightweight and accurate, and we like it, though it shoots the small 5.7x28mm cartridge. For rifle-accuracy upgrades, check out Don Bower's handiwork.

We tested four rifles suitable for use by young shooters, and in two cases, our evaluators came away very disappointed.

We test rifles with this action type: JLD's .308 PTR-91, Vector Arms' V-53 in .223, and the 9mm BW-5 from Bobcat Weapons.

Thinking of trying long-distance shots? Savage Arms makes it reasonably affordable. Roger David's Gun Shop makes it special.

Clark's 10/17 and Volquartsen's Deluxe were tack-drivers, but Briley's Sporter had problems.