Are you a fan of Steven Rinella and looking for information about the cool firearms he uses? There are not many sources online to find this information because the MeatEater crew has not officially published this information anywhere.
There is no need to get disheartened; the sole reason for this article is to solve the mystery of Steven Rinella rifles. It wasn't easy to search for this information, but luckily, we could identify different rifles he uses with extensive research and patience.
Most of the information about his guns has been derived from different episodes of the MeatEater tv show.
We know that Steven Rinella is a hunting enthusiast and holds up to this brand by using his firearms for taking down animals at large, which he later eats in a survival situation. He hunts with his family in a particular region, documenting their life in nature.
All the rifles we will mention below are of good quality and fall in the different budget ranges.
One interesting fact we would like to mention is that all the rifles we found are left-handed action.
Weatherby Mark-V MeatEater Edition:
Weatherby Mark V is an exclusive left-handed action rifle and is quite powerful because it boasts a 9 locking lug system. The rifle has a 54 degrees bolt throw/lift since lesser bolt lift helps cycle the action quickly and provides a clearer view through the scope. This allows the user to mount larger scopes by providing extra space.
This gun has many other features like SUB-MOA Guarantee, a threaded barrel, and a traditional trigger tech trigger. If you are worried about recoil, then fret not because it also has Accubrake ST fitted in the threaded barrel.
The signature feature of Steven Rinella's version is that his rifle has a #2 contour profile (barrel) bedded with spiral fluting (spiral grooves). The fluting increases the accuracy while also helping the barrel to stay cooler when shooting.
Out of its 3 available versions, the most probable one used by Steven Rinella is the .300 Weatherby magnum. The rifle has a rate of $2099 which might be a bit expensive but very affordable compared to a custom rifle.
Steven Rinella's custom Mark V left-handed Weatherby rifle is very powerful and is a good choice for medium-long range shooting.
Features:
- Steel receiver.
- 100% checkerboard coverage of G-10 fiberglass and epoxy bedding.
- Black Cerakote finish for corrosion resistance.
- Hinged floorplate to quick load/unloads cartridges.
- Detachable box magazine with the capacity to hold 4 standard-sized rounds.
- AccuTrigger technology decreases the trigger pull from 5 pounds to 1 pound, which is a better alternative if you are looking for a hunting scope that provides a clear view even in low light conditions. The Accutrigger system basically removes any chance of misfire or accidental firing by releasing the hair-trigger only when you have taken aim at your target.
Steven Rinella has been this rifle since season 2 episode 1, which was aired in the year 2012. Since then, it has been documented in almost all of his episodes.
PROS:
- It has a 10 round magazine capacity.
- The rifle is left-handed with 9 locking lug system and 54 degrees bolt lift which provides extra support for large scopes.
- Has #2 Contour Barrel bedded with the spiral flute which aids the cooling process and increases accuracy.
CONS:
- The rifle is expensive compared to other rifles of the same caliber.
- The weight of the rifle is 9.45 pounds which can be a bit heavy while hunting.
Savage Arms Rifle
Before becoming a part of Weatherby, Steve was a partner of Savage arms, which is well known for producing left-arm action rifles. We could not find any records of the specific model Steven used, but we can make an educated guess by scanning the details in various videos and photos.
According to his preferred features in savage rifles (which he mentioned in certain interviews) and the appearance, his version was from the savage 110 families. The rifle had a heavy profile/contour, classic savage Accustock, and stainless steel barrel.
And as far as cartridges are concerned, I would go for .300 magnum and 7mm Remington because he mentioned them in a blog as his preferred choices.
Features:
- The rifle has a left-arm action.
- Comes with Savage AccuTrigger which adjusts from 6 ounces to 2.5 pounds and provides a clean pull and break for better accuracy and precision.
- Accuracy is further enhanced with the help of a user-adjustable X-Mark Pro trigger which can be adjusted in .010 inch increments to provide an additional 1/16 inches of travel before releasing the shot.
PROS:
- Has a heavy profile (contour) barrel which aids the cooling process while shooting continuously during hunting or target practice sessions, thus increasing its accuracy.
- AccuStock technology provides better support for the scope by attaching it with the rifle body.
CONS:
- Savage rifles are not much customizable unlike Weatherby rifles, so it might take quite some time before you get used to it, unlike other rifles.
- It has a 5 round magazine capacity.
- The rifle is expensive compared to other rifles of the same caliber.
Custom Carolina Rifle
Prior to using savage rifles, Steve could be spotted using a custom Carolina rifle. This is one of his favorite rifles and uses a 7mm Remington magnum cartridge.
We could not identify the precise model, but all of the rifles manufactured by custom Carolina are of premium quality. We found that the rifle Steve used had a fluted barrel with a compact camouflaged stock from all the available photos and videos.
All the rifles made by custom Carolina are expensive and begin at around $5000.
Features:
- It has a custom camouflage stock which is more durable than synthetic stocks.
- The rifle has a right-hand action with an internal box magazine that can hold 3 rounds.
- It comes with an oversized bolt handle that makes it easy to remove the bolt even if you are wearing gloves or mittens.
PROS:
- Custom Carolina rifles provide good velocity and accuracy thus making an ideal choice for hunting purposes.
- Most of their models come preloaded with premium accessories like sling swivels, bipods, muzzle brakes, etc., so you might not need to buy additional accessories separately.
CONS:
- It's expensive compared to other rifles of the same caliber.
CZ 452
There are photos of Steve hunting squirrels, and the rifle he is using in those photos is probably left-handed action CZ 452.
CZ 452 is a classic rimfire bolt action rifle. If you want to purchase one, you will have to buy a second-hand or get the newer version 457, which is around $475.
Features:
- Comes with a blued barrel which is cold hammer-forged.
- The stock comes with a rubber butt plate and barrel-shaped forend.
- The rifle has a factory set trigger pull of approximately 3 pounds, but it can be adjusted to have a lighter trigger pull.
PROS:
- CZ 452 has got an elegant classic look because of the wood stock design, making it ideal for casual hunters who don't want to buy an expensive rifle just for target practice or hunting small animals during their free time.
CONS:
The main problem with this rifle is that it doesn't come with iron sights, so you would need to purchase them separately if you are aiming for something at range. It also does not have a good scope, so you will need to spend some more money on that.
Conclusion:
All the rifles that Steve Rinella uses have their own pros and cons. However, if we were to recommend a rifle to a beginner, we would suggest going for Savage Axis II XP because it is inexpensive compared to other models in its class and provides all the basic features you need to get started with your hunting or target practice sessions.