Another trade show is in the books, and another healthy class of hunting rifles is hitting the market for 2025. While the shift to premium materials and long-range shooting seems to dominate these days, there are still plenty of more traditional and affordable selections this year.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest rifle debuts we found at SHOT Show 2025 in Las Vegas.
Mossberg Patriot Carbine
The idea is so simple, yet still awfully exciting. It’s like the way aging people get enthused about new socks or a good bed pillow. Mossberg’s Patriot series of bolt-action rifles has long been one of the best budget buys on the market.
Now, as trends move toward shorter rifles that have suppressor-ready threaded barrels, this Patriot Carbine hits just in time. Most barrel lengths are shortened to either 16.25 or 18 inches, with longer 20-inchers for the few magnums.
They host medium bull barrels. Meanwhile, the detachable magazine, LBA user-adjustable trigger, spiral-fluted bolt, and recessed match crown all remain. The addition of a Picatinny rail makes it easy to add an optic.
Chamberings so far include: .22-250 Rem, .308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, .300 Win Mag, .350 Legend, and .450 Bushmaster. MSRP on the shorties with synthetic stocks is listed at only $515.
CVA Scout Takedown
CVA’s pocketbook-friendly series of single-shot, break-action Scout rifles gets revamped for 2025, and it’s the Scout Takedown that has our eye.
All Takedowns will wear fluted stainless barrels with radial muzzle brakes. The stock marks a major difference. First, there’s a 1-inch removable LOP spacer. Next comes the interchangeable comb riser system, and CVA ships both a 0.25-inch and a 0.5-inch insert with each rifle. They can be swapped quickly with two inset screws, which are somewhat unsightly but practical.
There’s an ambidextrous palm swell and ambi hammer spur. The included Picatinny rail has also been upgraded and looks longer than its predecessor. In a nice durability move, the included swivel studs have been upgraded from polymer to metal. A healthy list of chamberings continues from earlier variants, but we were pleased to see additions like .400 Legend and .360 Buckhammer for the new generation of Scouts.
The Takedown opens with a retail price just under $500, and every version we’ve ever fired has far outshot its price point. Cost-conscious shoppers will find the blued standard Scout at even friendlier prices, but it sacrifices the stainless barrel, brake, and quick takedown feature.
Browning X-Bolt 2
Browning’s X-Bolt 2 represents a major redesign of its X-Bolt line of bolt-action rifles. While the majority are geared heavily toward hunters, the company continues to widen its reach with specialized features and a rich variety of model variants.
The improvements are many, though plenty remains the same. The receiver is reconfigured for smoother bolt operations. There’s a DLX adjustable trigger, plus a magazine system touting greater capacity. Browning keeps the tang safety, bolt-unlock button, free-floated barrels, X-Lock scope-mounting system, and removable muzzle brakes.
Many of the X-Bolt 2s use some sort of Vari-Tech stock system, which allows full user customization, including LOP, comb height, and grip angle adjustments. Not surprisingly, the carbon-fiber stock and barrel selections are expanded.
Precision shooters will appreciate Target variants with features like a full-diameter receiver, target DLX trigger, Plus Magazine System, and 20-MOA Picatinny rail. The gun is also ready to accept the popular ARCA/Swiss rail.
Now, get this: Browning flooded SHOT Show with 28 new variants for 2025. If you can’t find an X-Bolt 2 that fits your shooting style and aesthetic, we really can’t help.
Tikka T3x Ace Game
Several new rifles seem more custom-built for bench rests and long-range competition shooting than hunting. Tikka’s brand-new ACE series of rimfires and centerfires is a prime example. The T3x Ace Game variant, however, is marketed as the most hunter-friendly gun of the newbies.
There’s a definite overlap here between precision shooting and hunting. The Ace Game has a hefty modular chassis-style rig, which is built on the same system as the Target versions. The Game variant is still weighty and has an unscoped, unloaded measurement of 8.8 to 9.3 pounds. Its features tend to be lighter than its kin, with a lightweight, fluted, medium-contour barrel.
The interchangeable magwell offers a new level of customization, so shooters can stick with a more standard hunting magazine or swap to the higher-capacity PRS-style mag found on the Target.
The T3x Ace Game covers a variety of calibers that are ideal for everything from varmints to big game. Chamberings include: .223 Rem, .22-250 Rem, 6.5 Creed, .308 Win, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem Mag, and .300 Win Mag. Retail pricing starts at $1,649.99.
Savage 110 Pro Pursuit
Savage continues to balance its budget-minded firearms with a giant leap into higher-grade precision. The recently introduced 110 PPR, or Professional Pursuit Rifle, fits neatly near the top of the company’s action-hunting lineup.
The details on this rifle are premium. They include a lightweight Grayboe Phoenix 2 stock done in earth-tone camo, a 20-inch Proof Research carbon-fiber-wrapped stainless-steel barrel, and a fluted bolt body. There’s the expected AccuTrigger, adjustable comb height and LOP, and an OmniPort muzzle brake attached to threading that’s 5/8x24 TPI.
Its lightweight stainless-steel receiver is coated in OD green Cerakote. The bolt head has been upgraded with dual ejectors and an improved extractor. The 20-MOA rail and AICS-style magazine round out the package.
The current caliber list includes: .308 Win, 6.5 Creed, .300 WSM, 6.5 PRC, .28 Nosler, .30-06 Springfield, .270 Win, .300 Win Mag, 7mm PRC, and, of course, the new 7mm Backcountry. MSRP is steep at $2,399.
Henry Lever Action Supreme Rifle
Though 2024’s SHOT Show gave us the first chance to pull the trigger on the Lever Action Supreme Rifle, we still haven’t had a chance to snag a sample and really go in depth. Thus, 2025’s show gave us another chance to not only delve into the platform but also find out why so few buyers have actually seen the new rifle.
It seems Henry had more fine-tuning to do before opening the floodgates, but company reps assure us that the LASR is in full production as we speak. While Henry was touting the launch of its new Special Projects Division with some pretty sweet carbon-fiber prototypes, the booth was filled with LASR models, and folks were gravitating to them.
The LASR is currently shipping in both .223/5.56 NATO as well as a short .300 Blackout variant with a 16.5-inch barrel. The LASR does things differently than previous Henry levers, with this one using an internal hammer and a new linkage mechanism. It cycles from a detachable 10-round Magpul magazine. Accuracy is the ultimate end goal, and there’s a free-floated barrel made from blued steel to help with that. There’s also a match-grade adjustable trigger.
The rifles we tried have shown a trigger pull right around the 4-pound mark. That’s not too shabby for a lever gun. MSRP is set at $1,299, and it appears that demand already outpaces production.
Rossi LWC .350 Legend
This launch is the opposite of all the premium, high-end guns we’ve been seeing. Rossi’s Lightweight Carbine series of single-shot rifles is basic and affordable. The debut of the .350 Legend on the break-action platform expands its popularity into the world of straight-walled, low-recoiling options.
The LWC touts a threaded barrel, Picatinny rail, black synthetic stock, alloy-steel barrel, and steel frame with a polymer overmold. There’s also a crossbolt safety. Most variants use a 16.5-inch barrel. In addition to the .350 Legend, there are models chambered in 5.56 NATO, 6.5 Creedmoor, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .300 Blackout, and 8.6 Blackout.
How’s that for a wild mix of chamberings on a handy little hunting carbine? MSRP is set at an accessible $333.99.
Smith & Wesson 1854 Stealth Hunter
Though announced just in advance of SHOT Show 2025, fighting the crowd at Smith & Wesson’s booth provided our first look at the Model 1854 Stealth Hunter. The latest in a quickly evolving series of additions to the company’s relatively new 1854 lever guns, the Stealth Hunter looks and feels the part of a more tactical lever gun.
The black synthetic buttstock is similar to the company’s standard 1854, but the cosmetics change from there. That includes all-black Armornite finishes, an extensive 10.5-inch Picatinny rail, and an aluminum forend lined with M-LOK attachment slots. That’s in addition to a shorter 16.3-inch barrel topped with HiViz sights.
The same large loop, one-piece removable magazine tube, and straight-bladed trigger remain. The 1854 Stealth Hunter will be chambered in .44 Rem Mag, .45 Colt, and .357 Magnum, ideal for close-quarters hunting.
Traditions NitroBolt
At first glance, this one looks like most other bolt-action rifles, yet its “ammunition” gives it away. The Traditions NitroBolt is a muzzleloader. Actually, it’s an extension of the company’s earlier NitroFire family of black powder guns. Those were the first to use Federal’s Firesticks.
The NitroBolt wears a 24-inch, free-floated barrel made from chromoly. It offers a fluted and tapered profile, along with what the company calls the VAPR Twist with a 1:24 twist rate. The three-position safety is a nice addition that’s seldom seen on black powder guns. Its synthetic stock uses pillar bedding and shows off both an adjustable LOP and cheek riser. There’s even a handy cocking indicator. A redesigned and patented extractor handles the Firesticks.
For those unfamiliar, Firesticks are a polymer casing pre-charged with Hodgdon Triple Eight powder. The Firestick is inserted into the breech end of the rifle rather than having to charge the gun through the muzzle. Though not legal as a true muzzleloader in all states, buyers in those areas allowing Firesticks are sure to find the new tool a handy addition to their black powder arsenal.
NitroBolt rifles are expected to begin shipping sometime in the summer of 2025, with an estimated MSRP of $995.
Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT Outland Series
Christensen Arms celebrated its 30th anniversary at SHOT Show 2025. It did so while also touting its role in chambering rifles for the fresh and zippy 7mm Backcountry round. Both the affordable Evoke and premium Ridgeline FFT Ultralight can be snagged in 7mm BC.
Now, for 2025, the Ridgeline FFT is getting another upgrade with the introduction of what the company calls its Outland Series. That entails four new colorways that feature unique camouflage looks inspired by wild landscapes.
We learned that each of the patterns starts with a topographic map from regions of the country with special meaning to the company. Contour lines are removed, colors are enhanced, and the new combinations serve both as creative camo and representations of key locations. That includes the company’s home base in Utah, a parts location in New Mexico, and a nod to premier hunting destinations in both Texas and Alaska.
Retail pricing on the Ridgeline FFT starts at $2,049.99.
Savage Axis 2 Pro
We could have gone in several directions with this selection, but it felt important to include the Savage Axis family, which has long represented one of the most accessible and affordable entry points for many hunters.
Savage revamped the entire Axis lineup for 2025, pivoting to the new Axis 2. The improvements we’re seeing are welcomed overall, but it’s the Axis 2 Pro that really caught our eye. This one has the aesthetics and feel of a far more expensive rifle. Yet, it isn’t.
The latest rig comes in three color combinations, each with a synthetic stock. There’s a gunmetal-bronze finish paired with either Savage Woodland, Savage Western, or Forest SP camo. The majority of the chamberings use 20-inch barrels, though a few hit just 18 inches.
The stock is considerably different from anything we’ve seen on an Axis rifle. It has more of a vertical grip with an ambidextrous palm swell. The same user-adjustable Accu-Trigger remains, but it’s joined by a one-piece 0-MOA Picatinny rail, a threaded muzzle, and an updated bolt handle. The Axis 2 Pro can be had in full-size, compact, and left-handed variants.
Chamberings include .223 Rem, .22-250 Rem, .243 Win, 6.5 Creed, 7mm-08 Rem, .308 Win, .350 Legend, .400 Legend, .25-06 Rem, .270 Win, .30-06 Springfield, and 6mm ARC. MSRP on the Axis 2 Pro runs between $599 and $639.
