Howa M1500 Fence Line 7.62x39mm 22" Bronze Scorched Earth Rifle

A bolt action chambered in 7.62x39mm is an unusual thing, and it makes more sense the longer you look at it. Recoil is mild, the cartridge turns up on every ammunition shelf in the country, and at the ranges thick cover actually allows it does exactly what a deer hunter needs it to do. Howa chambers the M1500 Fence Line in it behind a 22" barrel, which is a long tube for a short, fat cartridge and gives the powder every chance to finish burning.

The metalwork wears a bronze finish and the stock carries the Scorched Earth camo pattern, a warm brown treatment that suits fall timber and dry ground better than flat black synthetic ever has. Running a bolt gun in this chambering is a deliberate trade: you give up the fast follow up shot and you get a simpler rifle with fewer parts to think about and better consistency shot to shot. It is easy to carry, easy to feed, and easy to live with on the range. For a first centerfire deer rifle, or a rifle that lives behind the truck seat through the season, it is a straightforward choice.