In the most recent Field and Stream David Petzal fielded this question:
"I'm a novice hunter considering my first rifle purchase. How will I know when I've found The One?"
He replied "Being a novice, you won't. You acquire a feel for what really works for you only after you have hunted and shot a lot... In the meanwhile, buy something that doesn't kick too much."
That advice really fits for me. When I first shopped for a rifle, I tried a weatherby but thought it too heavy. I bought a Browning A-bolt in .270, a fine gun that has served me well. Now I'm looking for a replacement and have been quite taken with a Weatherby Vanguard "Range Certified" model in 7mm mag with a Bell and Carlson custom stock that feels really good. I don't notice the weight anymore (it's not a lot) and being a tall guy with a long neck the raised comb feels really comfortable compared to having to crane my neck down to see through the scope on a Browning or similar straight comb stock. I also find I have the complete butt against my shoulder. When I was hunting before with the Browning I would find that I actually only had about the lower two-thirds of the butt against my shoulder. It's just stuff that you get a feel for or notice after a while.
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