“lever guns”

The main reason for the success of the XLR and cowboy-action shooting: Quite simply, lever-actions are fun to shoot.

In this modern era of hunting rifles and cartridges, common sense would indicate that a cartridge with the performance level of the .30-30 would long ago have faded into obscurity. Why won’t it go away?

Other than the feral hog, the whitetail deer covers more diverse types of terrain than any other game animal, leading hunters to have a wide variety of favorite cartridges. Additionally, whitetail hunters are perhaps the most fervent defenders and proponents of their chosen cartridges, which can range from the .22 Hornet to the .45-70 Government—not to mention the shotgun crowd. How do you even begin a "Top 5?"

Here’s a closer look at some of the most exciting hunting rifles introduced this year.

Contributor B. Gil Horman tests out the Model 1854 lever-action from Smith & Wesson.

Your hunting rifle doesn’t need to produce painful recoil to get the job done. Here are six centerfire hunting cartridges that are easy on the shoulder yet effective on big game.

As we approach the anniversary of the announcement of our independence, and the greatest upset in history, let’s take a look at the five most iconic American hunting rifle designs.

Here are 10 new guns on display at Great American that you’ll want to check out. We’ve even put them in order by booth location, starting near the entrance to the Shooting Sports Hall in the Cameron Street lobby and working across the aisles from right to left.