Whether you’re a new hunter entering the market for the first time, or a seasoned veteran looking for something new, rifle shopping is always a fun time. Of late, the benefits of modern construction techniques have definitely shown themselves, as a good number of entry-level rifles I have tested, have delivered excellent accuracy. It seems the minute-of-softball guns have gone the way of the dodo, and while we rifle cranks often yearn for the traditions and craftsmanship of yesteryear, the sheer practicality of modern guns must be appreciated. I was asked to pick my Top Ten new rifles for 2025, so without any further adieu, let’s dive into the list.
1. Winchester Ranger
If you still enjoy the pursuit of gray squirrels and cottontail—this pastime consumed much of my youth—or if you just enjoy the pure fun of a lever-action .22 LR rifle, the Winchester Ranger will certainly appeal to you. At first look, you’ll see the lines are common to the Model 94 we all love, so there’s the classic look, yet the side eject receiver sports a groove at the top to allow a scope to be mounted directly over the bore. That receiver is precision machined of an aluminum alloy, and is mated to a chrome-moly barrel measuring 20 ½-inches, which is equipped with a target crown. Winchester has provided a trigger which is adjustable for over travel. There is a walnut rear stock and fore-end with a satin finish, and the rifle easily breaks into two parts via a screw on the left side of the receiver for storage or cleaning. The tubular magazine holds 15 cartridges, and the rifle features a hammer with half-cock and an inertia bar for an additional level of safety. The Winchester Ranger is a great blend of simplicity and effectiveness, as the matte finish and un-checkered stock give a no frills look, but the classic American lever design will give decades of service. For those who’d like to introduce a new or young shooter to a classic lever gun which won’t break the bank, look no further than the Winchester Ranger. MSRP $449.99; winchesterguns.com
2. Christensen Arms Evoke
Long famous for their carbon-fiber wrapped barrels, Christensen Arms has introduced the Evoke rifle series, offering a fantastic value to the hunter. Using a uniquely shaped polymer stock and a rugged push-feed action, featuring a beefy extractor and dual-plunger ejectors. The rifle comes equipped with a well-tuned Triggertech trigger, and a proprietary muzzle brake which took the sting out of the .375 H&H Magnum that I tested, so I'm certain that lesser cartridges will be a breeze to shoot. Accuracy was more than acceptable, and though the stock of the Evoke might be less-than-traditional, it allowed for precise shot placement and mitigate felt recoil. Coming in with an MSRP under $1,000, the Evoke gives a whole lotta rifle for a relatively minimal investment. It comes chambered in cartridges from .243 Winchester, up to .450 Bushmaster, including some newbies like all three PRCs, and the 7mm Backcountry. christensenarms.com
3. Ruger American Generation II
The Ruger American rifle needs no introduction, as it has long represented a fantastic value to the hunter on a tight budget. The Generation II iteration gives the hunter even more, including Cerakoted metal work, an oversized bolt handle, a revamped, adjustable comb which works much better with modern optics, and—much to my approval—a three-position tang safety, which allows for the loading and unloading of the rifle with the safety engaged. The stocks—adjustable for length of pull—are finished in a splatter finish, allowing for a positive grip without the sharp edges often associated with the inexpensive polymer stocks, and the Gen II is offered in four different configurations, including Ranch and Scout models. The Ruger American Gen II line is offered in cartridges from .223 Remington up through the 450 Bushmaster, including the 6mm Creedmoor, and favorites like the 7mm-08 Remington, .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield. ruger.com
4. Traditions NitroBolt
I used the Traditions NitroFire break action muzzleloader to take my best muzzleloader whitetail in southwestern Kentucky, and have been a fan of the system ever since. New for 2025, Traditions released the NitroBolt, a muzzleloader with a very familiar feel. Using a three-lug bolt with a 60-degree throw, and a special extractor designed to properly function with the FireStick plastic powder container, yielding the unprecedented results I'm such a fan of. The rifle features an adjustable comb, free-floating barrel and pillar-bedded stock to help you put your bullet precisely where it belongs. The .50-caliber fluted barrel uses a 1:24-inch twist, and the three-position safety allows for the safe loading and unloading of the gun. A cocking indicator allows the user to visually observe the status of the rifle, adding another level of safety to the rifle. Traditions continues to offer the muzzleloader hunter a great value. traditionsfirearms.com
5. Smith & Wesson Model 1854
While not a new model—this excellent lever action has been around for a couple years now—the S&W 1854 gets some new variants for 2025. The Stealth Hunter Model is now available in the celebrated .45-70 Government cartridge, fitted with a 16 ½-inch threaded barrel, making a great choice for stalking in timber or maneuvering in a deer or bear blind. With a polymer stock, ghost-ring rear sight and a long Pic rail allowing for plenty of optic mounting options, this combo should prove to be a popular choice. MSRP $1499.00. The 1854 is also newly available in the classic .30-30 Winchester—everyone should own at least one good .30-30—which remains a popular choice in the Eastern woods. Again we see a polymer stock, ghost ring sight and Pic rail, but this has the 20-inch threaded barrel and a stainless metal finish. MSRP $1399.00, smith-wesson.com
6. Savage Axis 2
Here is another product line which has long represented a great value for hunters, that got a facelift form Savage for 2025. A new stock design, reengineered to give a more positive grip, is among the new features, and it uses a more vertical pistol grip with palm swells. That new stock is available in a trio of colors, including OD green, gray and FDE (flat dark earth). The famous AccuTrigger is still there, being fully user adjustable, as well as the floating bolt head and barrel nut which have enhanced accuracy for decades. The Axis 2 has a new bolt knob, which Savage has designed to give improved performance under adverse field conditions, such as snow or rain. Savage is offering the Axis 2 in both full-size and compact models, with the latter featuring a smaller stock for folks with a smaller frame. The Axis 2 is chambered in a wide selection of cartridges, including .223 Remington, .22-250 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, .25-06 Remington, .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield, as well as 350 Legend and 400 Legend. savagearms.com
7. Browning X-Bolt 2 Western Hunter LR
Now that’s a mouthful! The Browning X-Bolt has long been a favorite of hunters—I used one to good effect last winter in southwest Texas for aoudad—and in what is looking like a common theme this year, it’s getting a facelift. This X-Bolt 2, in the Western Hunter LR guise, is built for precision shooting at longer distances. Barrel lengths have been increased by two inches in comparison to the standard length for each cartridge—generally 24 inches for the standard cartridges and 26 inches for the hotter cartridges—and are supplied with a removable muzzle brake. Browning has equipped the Western Hunter LR with their new DLX trigger—user adjustable—and has changed up their Plus magazine system to offer an additional round, holding either five or six depending on cartridge. But the Vari-Tech stock is the obvious change, giving the hunter a much more flexible package than previously available. Offering an adjustable length of pull, comb height, and pistol-grip contour, the polymer stock is finished in the proprietary Ovix camo pattern, and features an aluminum Pic rail on the underside of the fore-end for easy attachment of a bipod. The Browning X-Bolt 2 Western Hunter LR is chambered for a number of proven long-range cartridges, including the PRC family, the 6.8 Western, the 28 Nosler, and the time-tested 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag. MSRP $1,499-$1,599; browning.com
8. Henry SPD HUSH series
America’s love of lever guns has apparently begun to blaze again here in the 21st century, as the classic design has embraced modern appointments with real fanfare. Henry Rifles—long proud of their Made in America heritage—has offered many rifles based on the classic walnut-and-steel formula, but of late has seen the popularity of the trend of modern lever guns, and the SPD (Special Products Division) HUSH line is no exception. With a laminate hardwood buttstock, skeletonized aluminum fore-end (designed in conjunction with TapCo) and carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel from BSR, the HUSH series is designed to be used in conjunction with a suppressor, yet still keep the balance point between the shooter’s hands. A Pic rail is provided for mounting your choice of optic (there are no iron sights furnished), and the muzzle is threaded for a can. Henry offers five different chamberings for the HUSH series: .357 Magnum/.38 Special, .44 Magnum/.44 Special, .45 Colt, .30-30 Winchester, and .45-70 Government. MSRP $1,999; henryusa.com
9. Ruger 10/22 Carbon
If you don’t find yourself having fun when shooting a Ruger 10/22, you might want to choose a different pastime, or seek some counseling for being a Grinch. It is an iconic American design, easily customized, accurate, effective, reliable, and just plain fun. In 2025, Ruger began to offer a new variant: the compact Carbon model. Using a Magpul MOE X-22 stock, with its white speckled finish, and a 16.1-inch carbon fiber-wrapped barrel—threaded for a brake or suppressor—the 10/22 Carbon has the ever-so-familiar action, magazine, safety and receiver we’ve come to love, and is chambered in the ubiquitous .22 Long Rifle. Ruger includes a one-piece aluminum scope rail for mounting your optic, and the company’s BX-trigger will break at 2.5-3 pounds. With an overall length of just over 34 inches, the 10/22 Compact makes a great truck gun, or a perfect choice for chasing bushytails through the thick stuff. MSRP: $649.99; ruger.com
10. Weatherby Vanguard Black Hills
Weatherby’s move from California to Wyoming was big news, and they’ve done a great job embracing their new locale. The 307 rifle is named for the area code of the company’s Sheridan, Wyo. headquarters, and now they’ve released the Weatherby Vanguard Black Hills rifle. This variant features the traditional Vanguard action, hammer-forged steel barrel and match-grade trigger, but now offers a threaded muzzle with a factory-equipped brake, and a weather-resistant synthetic stock. Atop the receiver is a Peak 44 Pic rail, and the underside of the fore-end features an Arca/Pic rail for attaching accessories. The Monte Carlo stock is finished in a black/green/tan motif, with textured grip areas on the pistol grip and forend. The Vanguard sub-MOA guarantee is offered, and with an MSRP of $799.00, the Vanguard Black Hills gives a lot of rifle for the money. It is offered in favorites such as .223 Rem, .22-250 Rem, .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield, as well as 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC and 350 Legend. Also offered are Weatherby favorites such as .257 Weatherby Magnum, .300 Weatherby Magnum and the screaming 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum. weatherby.com
11. *HONORABLE MENTION—Savage 110 PPR
Though it has sadly been discontinued late this year, this rifle remains a worthy candidate if you can find one in stock. Savage’s 110 Precision Pursuit Rifle (PPR) came to light with the influence of hunter/chef (and my friend) Mike Robinson, whose conservation efforts in the Cotswolds region of the UK are legendary. Famous for culling a healthy number of fallow deer to supply venison to the restaurant circuits of England, Robinson needed a reliable and highly accurate rifle to make the instant-kill headshots needed for procuring venison. The 110 PPR, with its Grayboe Phoenix 2 synthetic stock and 20-inch Proof Research carbon fiber barrel, the rifle easily handled the ever-changing weather of southwest Britain, and having hunted with three examples of the rifle, it proved to be wonderfully accurate. It has the famous AccuTrigger, a lightweight stainless steel receiver and a muzzle threaded for either suppressor or brake, and is chambered in an array of the most popular cartridges, including the 28 Nosler, 7mm PRC and 7mm Backcountry. Flush QD cup adapters allow for easy carrying of the rifle, and a 20-MOA rail allows for long-range precision. MSRP $2,399; savagearms.com
