Janis PutelisJanis Putelis is the Director and Executive Producer of the Netflix Original series MeatEater and co-host of The MeatEater Podcast. Before joining MeatEater in 2012, Putelis spent over a decade guiding hunting and fishing trips in Colorado, Arizona, and Mexico and three years in a professional kitchen.
Walk into any sporting goods store, and you’ll likely see someone holding up a rifle and zeroing in on an overhead light. We all do it to justify our decision and purchase. But there’s a lot that goes into choosing a rifle—how you hunt, what you hunt, how much you practice, body size and shape, and much more are all factors worth considering.
Check out the video above as Janis Putelis walks through what he looks for in a hunting rig and get your rifle right the first time.
Shop
Sign In or Create a Free Account
Access the newest seasons of MeatEater, save content, and join in discussions with the Crew and others in the MeatEater community.
Related
Firearms
How to Choose a Rifle
Walk into any sporting goods store, and you’ll likely see someone holding up a rifle and zeroing in on an overhead light. We all do it to justify our decision and purchase. But there’s a lot that goes into choosing a rifle—how you hunt, what you hunt, how much you practice, body size and shape, and...
Janis PutelisDec 22, 2022
Read MorePlay Now
Firearms
Video: Introducing the Weatherby Vanguard MeatEater Edition Rifle
A good rifle is more than a tool. It’s not the boots that will eventually break down, the GPS that will ultimately crap up, or the backpack that will someday tear. A good rifle is meant to endure. A good rifle is meant to perform under any conditions. A good rifle is meant to pass to the next...
MeatEater StaffJun 26, 2020
Read MorePlay Now
Firearms
4 Reasons Rifle Magazines Fail—and How to Choose a Better One
Unreliable rifles are the worst. Whether it’s a bolt-action or semi-auto, a rifle that doesn’t load cartridges smoothly and quickly can put a real damper on a trip to the range or the field. Most hunters point the finger at some component of the firearm itself, but the real culprit is probably...
Jordan SillarsMar 19, 2026
Read MorePlay NowConversation
Save this article