“accubond”

Before fall big-game seasons begin, it’s important to build confidence in your rifle, ammo and optics—and how you perform with them in hand. To do so, it pays to put in practical range time, shooting not only from field positions but also building skill at quick, accurate follow-up shots.

Many a Weatherby caliber has been celebrated, maligned and at times surpassed. But none can be called insufficient for the job. Today, 71 years after the company’s founding, with the introduction of the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum, the company again claims the high ground.

Undoubtedly, North America’s most popular game animal is the whitetail deer, but globally (and running a close second here at home) is the feral hog. Not unlike the whitetail, they are hunted with a wide array of calibers and bullets, and what works for one hunter might not be the choice of the other.

The rifle is built, the money is spent and the scope is mounted: It’s time to know whether this thing shoots.

Any way you cut it, this cartridge is a long-range winner. It maintains its energy at distance, and it’s plenty accurate, too.

If you want to extend your maximum effective range with a hunting rifle, you must have a purpose-built long-range hunting bullet. These loads are up to the task.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is an exceptional choice for big-game hunters, especially those who want a mild recoiling round that can stretch the distance if necessary. Here’s a look at nine of the best big-game loads for the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Engineers at Browning and Winchester teamed up to create a cartridge that offers magnum performance with a modern high-BC projectile, yet is chambered in a short-action rifle for shorter bolt throw and less weight. The 6.8 Western was designed to be the ultimate long-range cartridge that is capable in any big-game hunting scenario as well as long-range target shooting.

If you could build a rifle exclusively for the backcountry, which components would you choose? Combining experience afield with the latest in rifle designs and optics technology, we set out to build the perfect backcountry rifle.