Kachok
Member
With the changes in the rifle market being as rapid as they are I was wanting to hear what others think will be the end result of this rapid evolution, what traits will change in our hunting rifle of the future? In very recent years we have had such remarkable changes as adjustable triggers, free floating barrels, short action magnums, and bedding blocks becoming commonplace even among budget rifles. What is next?
I have a few ideas of what might be to come:
Modular rifles, Savage has been stealing much of the rifle market because of how the rifles are configured, an amature can take them apart, change caliber, barrel, stock.....pretty much anything, and put it back together like a pro, the competition is not going to sit ideally by forever and let them keep that whole market.
Those rifles that do not go modular will become more refined to try and capture the traditional market, I am expecting someone to rival Sako/Tikka smoothness very very soon, and in a mid range rifle no less.
Assult rifle hunting is going to grow, and with that will come a cartrage that will turn an AR platform into a real hunter, I don't see the 6.8 filling that role due to it's low bullet weights and marginal ballistics, maybe the 6.5 Grendel but I am looking to see something with a bit more mainstream appeal.
More extream rifles. I forsee more rifles of wildly different proportions, featherweights will get smaller and lighter and target/long range hunting rifles will become more and more extream as accuracy fine tuning reaches it's physical limits.
Cartrages will evolve more slowly, the classics die hard so they will be with us for many years to come, but the evolution of the short action high performance cartrage will continue. The WSSMs were a little ahead of their time, but expect to see some very small very high intensity cartrages for the future featherweight rifle.
6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm calibers will grow in popularity as improvement in bullet construction improve small caliber performance and external ballistics capture more attention.
Integrated suppressors. We are becoming more and more lax with the notion of silencers, even while hunting, and it is only a matter of time before someone gets a bill passed to legalize built in suppressors for entire product lines to prevent hearing damage. Not the special forces grade wisper quite kind, but enough to take muzzle blast down to sub hearing damage levels.
I am sure some of that sounds crazy now, but bedding blocks and free floating barrels were wild ideas not that long ago. I would like to hear what you guys think.
I have a few ideas of what might be to come:
Modular rifles, Savage has been stealing much of the rifle market because of how the rifles are configured, an amature can take them apart, change caliber, barrel, stock.....pretty much anything, and put it back together like a pro, the competition is not going to sit ideally by forever and let them keep that whole market.
Those rifles that do not go modular will become more refined to try and capture the traditional market, I am expecting someone to rival Sako/Tikka smoothness very very soon, and in a mid range rifle no less.
Assult rifle hunting is going to grow, and with that will come a cartrage that will turn an AR platform into a real hunter, I don't see the 6.8 filling that role due to it's low bullet weights and marginal ballistics, maybe the 6.5 Grendel but I am looking to see something with a bit more mainstream appeal.
More extream rifles. I forsee more rifles of wildly different proportions, featherweights will get smaller and lighter and target/long range hunting rifles will become more and more extream as accuracy fine tuning reaches it's physical limits.
Cartrages will evolve more slowly, the classics die hard so they will be with us for many years to come, but the evolution of the short action high performance cartrage will continue. The WSSMs were a little ahead of their time, but expect to see some very small very high intensity cartrages for the future featherweight rifle.
6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm calibers will grow in popularity as improvement in bullet construction improve small caliber performance and external ballistics capture more attention.
Integrated suppressors. We are becoming more and more lax with the notion of silencers, even while hunting, and it is only a matter of time before someone gets a bill passed to legalize built in suppressors for entire product lines to prevent hearing damage. Not the special forces grade wisper quite kind, but enough to take muzzle blast down to sub hearing damage levels.
I am sure some of that sounds crazy now, but bedding blocks and free floating barrels were wild ideas not that long ago. I would like to hear what you guys think.