America's Greatest Deer Rifles with Steve Barnett
Steve Barnett’s Six Picks for the Best Deer Rifles
 Editor's Note: Certain deer rifles set the standard by which sportsmen judge all other rifles. Although artisans first crafted many of these highly-prized rifles years ago, often you'll find that they've withstood the test of time and that hunters still hunt with them today. These fine rifles have appreciated in value over the years. To select the 10-greatest deer rifles ever made, I’ve interviewed Steve Barnett, owner of Steve Barnett Fine Guns in West Point, Mississippi, and a contributing editor to the "Blue Book of Gun Values." Barnett has purchased guns since 1985, and in recent years he's become one of the most-noted gun traders in the nation. Barnett sells thousands of guns each year via his Web  sites: www.stevebarnettfineguns.com and www.sbfglc.com. Barnett specializes in sporting guns, including shotguns and rifles, and chooses deer rifles ashis favorite rifles.
I love to hunt, and I love quality guns. When a quality gun maker produces a really good rifle that finds popularity with the American deer-hunting public, if the company's smart enough to continue manufacturing the rifle according to the same standards and tolerances as when it's been first introduced, the company oftentimes can continue producing the rifle for many years as its popularity grows steadily. If I had to pick the six deer rifles I felt offered the best quality for the dollar spent, and if I thought about the deer rifles I loved the best, I'd  have to choose these rifles. These six guns demonstrate the highest-quality, most-popular, most-collectible deer rifles in America today. You can buy these rifles now and watch their value grow each year.
1) Winchester 364 Model 70 in the .300 Winchester Magnum - I'm convinced this is the finest deer rifle ever made.
2) Browning Saf ari made in Belgium until 1976 in .284 Winchester - Browning developed this short-action, 7mm rifle in the late 1960s. This caliber became a production caliber but for some reason never gained in popularity with the deer-hunting public. Today the .284 is an extremely popular caliber in custom-made guns.
3) Remington 700 in the .280 Remington caliber - This gun may not be attractive, but it's extremely dependable and accurate. You can fall off a cliff holding this rifle, get up, dust yourself off, wipe off the gun and still shoot accurately.
4) Savage 99 in .358 Winchester made from 1899 to the mid-1990s - This caliber, made from the late 1960s until the early 1970s, is a great brush gun. It's also extremely reliable and eye appealing.
5) Kimber of Oregon in .280 caliber - Kimber of Oregon, a semi-custom rifle maker, built rifles from 1980 until 1991 and used the best of all component parts to build its rifles. Kimber used a mauser action and a pre-64 model 70 safety. These guns fe atured attractive wood and were very-reasonably priced. These rifles have become very collectible since 1991. Originally sold at prices from $750 to $1,000, these rifles today sell for as much as $2,200 for a Super America.
6) Dakota Arms 6.5X55 Swede - Dakota Arms started manufacturing guns in 1987 in Sturgis, South Dakota. The 6.5X55 Swede sells from $4,000 to $6,000 and is 100-percent custom-made, hand-built in the United States. These guns are extremely-high quality and built by some of America's finest gunsmiths. You can pick the type of wood you want on the gun, and for the quality of gun you receive, these guns have a very-reasonable price. Also, Dakota Arms will make any caliber you want.
To learn more, you can contact: Steve Barnett's Fine Guns, 127 Commerce Street, West Point, Mississippi 39773, PH: (662) 494-0779 or visit www.stevebarnettfineguns.com.
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