For a couple years I've been writing and erasing the same article. I start out with different approaches every time, and I have plenty of knowledge on the subject, after all I've pored over countless rifle specifications, owned a bunch of awesome rifles, and handled and fired many more than I've owned.. So why I can't I write an article about the 'perfect' rifle? Is it because it doesn't exist? Am I just not capable of pushing out a dissertation about the adult version of the little kid's dream from 'Christmas Story'? Well, I am capable. I just know that the article would be in 52 parts, cover every possible rifle action type, caliber, game to be hunted, conditions expected to encounter, and last but not least (heck, maybe not even last) aesthetics.
It might seem easy to just tell you about one of my rifles that is pretty close to perfect. But that would be cheating. After all, it's still not perfect! It has most of the qualities admittedly, but I'm not settled on it as perfect...maybe that's the issue. I've never actually owned an example of the 'perfect' rifle! Maybe I need to build the perfect rifle-it for sure doesn't exist over the counter. Then again I just can't afford to build it! There are rifles that are extremely close to perfect-the Kimber Montana, the earlier version of the Remington 700Ti are two that come to mind quickly. But those each lack one thing that I think should exist on a rifle-iron sights. Yep, uglier'n a mud fence on a sleek, lightweight rifle but necessary if you should take a tumble and bang the scope on a rock. Yet, people do fall and hit their scopes regularly, and if it's a good scope, a lot of times it keeps zero. But what if it didn't? What if it rained the whole time? Dust storm? Animals not closer than 400yd? Or maybe you get lucky and your quarry pops up at 50yd-yes, it happens regularly!
Oh the endless details and inconsequential increments that make up the perfect rifle... What makes it worse is my perfect most certainly wouldn't be yours! I guess I'll go to Cabela's and do more research! After all, it IS my birthday today!
