Each year we review the best new rifles of the year and highlight some remarkable (and expensive) new guns. We spend a lot of ink on the most accurate and most innovative rifles because, well, they’re the most interesting.⁠ ⁠ But for the workaday deer hunter who cares more about value than refinement, a lot of these new guns, and the high-end scopes that we mount on them, just aren’t practical. Happily, there’s a whole class of rifles, optics, and hunting ammo that are affordable and perfectly functional. For most of America’s deer hunters, a sub-$1,000 rifle setup is the sweet spot. So based on our previous in-depth reviews of bargain deer gear, we assembled a basic rig that came in under a grand. We won’t lie and say that this rifle/optic setup shoots just as good as our shooting editor’s custom “Ultimate Deer Rifle.” But for deer hunters who keep our shots under 300 yards (and this is the vast majority of us) this setup will serve honorably for a lifetime of seasons.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link...