The hunting rifle is very similar in looks to .32 caliber hunting rifle found in the Capital Wasteland and unlike the .223 Colt Rangemaster seen previously in New California. Compared to its Capital Wasteland counterpart, it has an iron sight attached and is much more powerful per shot, but with a much higher action point cost. Strangely, this weapon's iron sights are lined with luminescent markers, which is an unusual thing to have on such a weapon. This hunting rifle is less common than its Capital Wasteland counterpart, as is its ammunition.
When fully modified, the hunting rifle is a very stable platform for long-range sniping and overall combat. The increased magazine size of the fully upgraded hunting rifle coupled with the higher damage per shot, faster reload speed, lower skill requirement, and very high durability make it a viable (if not better) alternative to the standard sniper rifle and its unique variant. The maximum damage of the weapon stacked with damage Perks and Sneak Attack Critical multipliers will kill most enemies in one shot. It also matches the other top-tier 3.5x magnification scopes of other weapons, though with a different appearance when the scope modification is attached. Its significantly higher maximum condition over the sniper rifle also allows it to fire .308 JSP ammunition for a prolonged period. However, the one disadvantage of the hunting rifle is that it cannot be upgraded with any sort of silencer modification, unlike the sniper rifle, which can be.
Durability
The hunting rifle can fire a total of about 1495 standard rounds, the equivalent of 299 reloads, or 150 reloads when modified with extended magazines, from full condition before breaking.
The hunting rifle looks like it is poorly taken care of, with the butt plate falling off, and the barrel being taped in place, and part of the bolt receiver held together with metal wire.
The hunting rifle scope actually has more zoom than a sniper rifle's or the Anti-materiel rifle's scopes.
Finding modifications for the weapon can be difficult, because not every vendor, including the Gun Runners, has them in stock at certain points in the game.
Bugs
Playstation 3 The ironsights of the hunting rifle (and, to a degree, all non-pistol-grip two-hand rifles) are misaligned with the center of the screen, with shots landing a fair bit to the right of the gun's sights. The scope mod rectifies this.[verified]
Xbox 360 If the gun is holstered while wearing Chinese stealth armor, zooming in while in first person will show a chunk of metal on the screen.[verified]
Playstation 3 The gun will sometimes be held higher than usual in 1st person.[verified]
Sounds
Gallery
The hunting rifle with the scope modification
The hunting rifle with the scope and the custom bolt modification
The hunting rifle with the scope, custom bolt, and extended magazine modification
Paciencia, a unique version that can be purchased from Cliff Briscoe in Novac.
