Bolt Action

Most of the new rifles of the past couple of decades have fallen into the following classes: M4geries, long-range “backcountry” hunting rifleS, low-priced entry-level bolt guns or nostalgia-milking lever-actions. But another style of rifle is always lurking in the background, just waiting for a manufacturer to try it again. I’m talking about scout rifles, and this year at SHOT, the Ruger American Gen II Scout was on display in their booth.

BallisticAviation interviews Gerard Wayne Weber, CEO of Steyr Arms USA, about the brand-new SSG M1 A2 precision rifle, released in January 2026, just ahead of SHOT Show. This updated bolt-action beast now comes standard with an Arca-Swiss rail for tripod compatibility, an improved M-LOK handguard, expanded barrel options optimized for suppressors, and other user-requested upgrades like enhanced adjustability and an improved quick-change barrel system. Whether you're into long-range precision shooting in .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, or .338 Lapua, this deep dive reveals why the SSG M1 A2 sets a new standard for tactical precision rifles.

The world of precision rimfire is wide and wonderful. You can buy a budget-friendly Savage and make the Richie Riches of the scene cry … or you can buy something pricey and enjoy shooting something that’s actually purpose-built for this competition scene, while the poors can only envy you. The new Anschutz 1727 APR definitely fits into that second category, and the Competition variant (pictured here at their SHOT booth) even more-so.

Savage Arms is busy. Over the past few years they’ve got back into the pistol business, they’ve overhauled their Axis bolt-action, they’ve introduced the Renegauge shotgun, they introduced their first lever-action since the Model 99 was canceled, they rebooted the value-oriented Stevens line with the Model 334 and they’ve shuffled their rimfires around a bit. They even brought out a straight-pull bolt action lineup. One thing they haven’t done is tinker with their classic Model 110 design; they’ve introduced models with new features, but the rifle’s action itself has stayed the same.

While SHOT Show is always focused on new products, you occasionally see cool older stuff on display too—especially if you visit the Navy Arms booth. Last year, they had beautiful vintage Smith & Wessons on display, acquired after the French forest service surplused them out. This year, they had more French kit on display—sniper rifles and service pistols.

When it comes to American firearms manufacturers, few have a lineup as wide as Ruger’s. Their SHOT Show booth was a packed madhouse when I checked in on Wednesday for that reason—they have something for almost everyone, so everyone goes to visit. And almost all of those lines saw some additions for 2026. Here’s a look at what’s new (or kind of new) this year—except for the Harrier AR-15, which we already told you about here. We will be taking a separate look at that rifle later.

New for 2026 from Weatherby is the Mark V Backcountry Capra, an unbelievably lightweight iteration of the Mark V rifle, advertised as the lightest production bolt-action rifle ever made. The lightest configuration of this rifle is chambered in .308 Winchester, has a 17” barrel and weighs 4 lbs! Yes, four pounds or 1.81 kilograms for those of you who are metric-minded.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is best known for selling surplus US military firearms like the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine, but supplies of many of those guns are running short. The CMP has been restoring previously nonfunctional guns to safe, usable condition and beginning to produce brand new copies of original guns. Many of these efforts were on display at SHOT Show 2026.

Savage Arms announced the next generation Model 110, the longest continuously produced bolt-action rifle in America. The updated platform features AccuFit V2 with toolless stock adjustability, manufacturing improvements to the bolt action, and an expanded lineup spanning 16 models with hundreds of SKUs including new cartridge options and left-hand configurations.

Bergara has added a new hunting rifle to its Premier Series with the introduction of the Platinum Stalker, blending classic styling with modern performance and rugged reliability. Built on a laminate Monte Carlo stock, the Platinum Stalker offers hunters a traditional aesthetic paired with the stiffness and weather resistance that laminate wood provides, resisting warping and damage in harsh field conditions.

Bergara has added a new rifle to its Premier line of bolt guns. The new Bergara CIMA PRO is a lightweight hunting rifle designed with extensive use of carbon fiber components. The result is an overall weight of 5.5lbs in short action calibers.

Franklin Armory will introduce at SHOT Show 2026 what it describes as the world’s first Total Round Control™ (TRC) bolt action, as the foundation of its new Prevail™ line of long-range precision and hunting rifles. The patent-pending TRC action is designed to maintain control of the cartridge throughout the entire cycle of operation: feeding, chambering, firing, extraction, and ejection.

What happens when you take a few engineers from Q, a 60-year-old bolt gun design, a few cases of beer, and lock them in a room? You might get something like the Q Fix Rifle. By the way, I'm told this is 100 percent how the Fix was developed. A few months ago, I was able to build my own Fix rifle at Q in New Hampshire and had a blast interacting with all the guys that work there. Today, I bring you my initial impressions on the rifle after 100 rounds through it. I'll also layout how I have the rifle currently set up.

HTI traces its roots back to 1906, when Luigi Passoni began working at the Falk steel factory in Milan, Italy. During his time there, Passoni was involved in developing specialty steels intended for barrel manufacturing, laying an early foundation for what would eventually become a family legacy in precision firearms engineering. When Falk ceased production in 1995, the next generation carried that legacy forward as Carlo Guido Passoni founded HTI, transforming decades of metallurgical knowledge into a modern rifle manufacturer.

Weatherby continues to expand its modern bolt-action lineup with the Model 307 Alpine MDT SB, a compact, purpose-built rifle that puts portability and efficiency front and center. Built on Weatherby’s newest bolt-action platform, the Model 307, the Alpine MDT SB is designed to complement the company’s legacy Mark V and Vanguard rifles while embracing the modularity and suppressor-ready trends of today’s hunting and precision markets.

Weatherby has introduced two new dangerous game hunting versions of their Mark V bolt action rifle, dubbed Frontier and DGR. The main differences between the two rifles are in the furniture and chambering options. Weatherby advertises these new products as rifles engineered to operate in the extremes and deliver when every moment matters.

At Q, the philosophy is simple: “Nobody really cares what you do as long as you have fun,” said Nick Schaefer, one of the engineers behind many Q products. That attitude sets the tone for everything the team does, from design sessions to customer builds. It’s a mix of irreverence, deep engineering, and plenty of laughter — exactly what you’d expect from the crew that gave the world the Honey Badger and the Fix. Back in July, I was fortunate enough to get to spend a few days at Q and even got to build a few guns while there. Trust me, I was blown away by the offer to do a build when Q offered it to me, but now I get to share my experience with all of you.

Holland & Holland has announced the release of a new Mauser 98 pattern takedown bolt action rifle. The company’s proprietary takedown mechanism allows separating the barreled action from the stock and bottom metal for ease of transportation. Additionally, the rifle has quick-detach scope mounts, also proprietary to Holland & Holland. Let’s see what other features the new Holland & Holland Takedown Magazine Rifle has.

Italian firearms manufacturer Sabatti is introducing a new family of rifles dubbed Next Generation. The series will have three models: a tactical rifle called Storm, a target rifle called Dynamic and a hunting rifle, the Lyra. The first two can not be found on the company’s website at the time of writing; however, the hunting Lyra rifle is already added to their catalog.

I’ve been taught that the off‑season is where most hunts or shooting competitions are actually won. Once your tags for the season are filled or the ranges start slowing down for winter, and the big rifles are back in the safe, most hunters and competitors suddenly have more free mornings and time to get set up for the next season. But burning centerfire ammo, barrels, and components at winter prices feels like lighting money on fire, almost just for the entertainment. I’m a huge believer, however, that a properly set‑up .22 LR trainer lets you rehearse every part of your hunting (or general marksman) process without beating up your shoulder, your barrel, or your wallet. Today, we’ll go over what I think that looks like.

Today’s Photo of the Day takes a closer look at a precision rifle build that blends supreme factory performance with carefully selected upgrades. The foundation is a Tikka T3x TAC A1 chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, a cartridge widely used for its consistent ballistics and manageable recoil. Apart from ordering and paying for the parts, all it takes is like two screws and some bedding if you really care about precision (who doesn’t at this level?)

You don't often see suppressor companies and rifle manufacturers work in conjunction to create a system, but recently that's exactly what Ruger did with Dead Air Silencers. Together, they took a Ruger Precision Rifle and matched it with a brand new suppressor from Dead Air Silencers. I’ve had this new collaborative rifle for about six months now and can certainly talk about how it performed for me. Let's take a closer look at the Ruger Precision Rifle and Deadair Silencers collab.

If you’re a fan of the classic hunting cartridges but love the idea of putting one in a modern high-quality action, the new Field Ethos Exception Sauer 100 chambered in 9.3x62 might be one way to accomplish that. The 9.3x62 cartridge was specifically designed for European Settlers in Africa who needed a more potent hunting cartridge to handle the unique species on the continent. Now you can get that same classic hunting pedigree in a more refined package with the Field Ethos Exception Sauer 100.

CZ 600 @TFB:

Ruger's venerable M77 Hawkeye series has a whole spate of new models. These new Hawkeye Hunters have 16.6-inch threaded barrels. Keep reading for all the details.

Some people take a lot of care to make their rifle stand out as little as possible, using spray cans and camouflage patterns. The Italians from Victrix Armaments work differently, and with this limited edition Optic Venom Cerakote, you’re sure to get noticed.

Unveiled at SHOT Show 2025, here you can see the Tikka T3x ACE GAME in a forestry shooting range in the Nordic fauna. Built on a robust aluminum chassis, this rifle series actually caters to hunters and competitive shooters alike. Perfect for our Photo Of The Day? You bet, and here it is before we probably, most likely, review it! 

Ruger's family of American bolt action rifles continues to grow. The latest sub-model is the   Patrol variant. Let's take a look at what sets these rifles apart from the rest of the range.

For today’s Photo Of The Day, we have pictures of the alpha wolf of Benelli’s bolt gun pack. The Lupo Alpha is a limited edition version of the Benelli Lupo rifle with only 1,000 to be made. The unique skeletonized furniture is made of a special high-strength technopolymer, which, in conjunction with the lightened action and pencil profile barrel, significantly reduces the weight of this .308 Win rifle. According to Benelli, the Lupo Alpha is the world's lightest metal-chassis rifle, weighing in at 2.6 kg, about 500 grams less than the standard version.

Sturm, Ruger & Company has expanded its American Rifle Generation II lineup with the introduction of the new Prairie variant. The addition broadens the series with models chambered in calibers ranging from 22 ARC to 7mm PRC, covering both intermediate and long-range hunting applications. While the stock might look a bit strange, it looks like it could do great for anyone (that’s everyone!) who uses an optic for their aiming.