The Hog Blog

OK, so the fact is that my third day in Vegas didn’t really reveal anything too mind blowing.  I did see a lot of cool stuff, but there’s a saturation point at this show, where you’ve seen so much that anything else just kind of rolls off.  I mean, how many new camo patterns does it take to hide on this earth?  Seems to me that there are more new deer scents and “scent elimination” products than there are deer in the woods.  And how many different ways are there to cause a firing pin to impact a primer and send a projectile flying through the air?

OK, if I sound a little jaded it’s probably just because I’m tired.  There’s an awful lot of walking around involved here, and I have entire sections of the show I have yet to even visit.   I even broke down yesterday at the Kick-Eze/Sorbothane booth and bought a pair of new insoles for my boots to ease my poor feet.  And I have to say, they really do help!

There are some pretty nice new offerings from companies like Nikon who has released a new line of rangefinders that include the angle compensation.  The Archer’s Choice and the Rifle Hunter rangefinders calculate range over a full 180 degrees, and come in at a pretty reasonable price as well.  The Archer’s Choice will retail in the neighborhood of $249, while the Rifle Hunter will come in around $279. 

Nikon’s new EDG binocular is another new item that puts Nikon into the market with the likes of Zeiss and Leica.  Available in 7×42, 8×42, and 10×42, these new glasses offer extremely clear glass (as best I could tell inside the convention center), and a nice feel in the hands.  The price reflects the quality, as these binos will retail in the range of $1800 for the 7×42, to $2000 for the 10 power version.

And just in case anyone is tired of looking at conventional stuff, I even got some wonderful ideas for modifications on Petunia (my Samurai).   What do you think?  Is this a worthy pig hunting buggy or what? 

Here it is, Day Two of the SHOT Show and I realize I’ve been quite remiss in providing updates.  I’m afraid I’m still working pretty hard on getting more information regarding non-lead bullets and ammo, so that’s kind of kept me from seeing a lot of other stuff.

Speaking of unleaded ammo, I’ve got some good news as pertains to availability.  Options are coming!  I’ve got a ton of detail for later, but to summarize you’ll see non-lead ammunition in a small range of calibers from all of the major manufacturers this year.  Winchester, Remington, and Federal all have options… and they’re all different.  Winchester has the ETip, Remington will be loading the Lapua Naturalis, and Federal has been offering various flavors of the Barnes bullets for a couple of years now.

I’ve also been talking to the NRA-ILA (legal resources group) about possible responses to the lead ban.  I’ve got another conversation on tap with the Hunting Policy folks, but a brief chat this afternoon revealed that they are researching legal challenges.  In the meantime, the recommendation is if you’re not registered to vote, do it… then get to the polls and put it work.

I’m also planning to meet with some of the other large organizations.  But what I’m seeing so far is the exhortation to CA Sportsmen to get together and stand up.  I’m also being reminded to remind you folks in other states to follow suit, because it’s highly likely that this lead ban will  be coming to your state soon.

OK, on other topics… how about a few pictures?

The first day of the show is always a little mind-numbing.  It’s hard to describe just how much hunting and shooting stuff there is… and it’s almost all represented at SHOT.

It’s a dizzying sight to behold, with acres and acres of “toys”.  After six years of attending this event, I still get a little shaky in the knees and it’s pretty tough to keep a focus on what I’m supposed to be doing.  I just wanna walk around and pick up everything.

It’s really funny to watch the faces of first-timers, though.  Like my brother, Scott who managed to come out to see the spectacle.  Here he is playing with new toys, in this case, the bull-barrel slug gun from Marlin.

At the end of the day on Saturday, the SHOT Show organizers, the NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation) threw a big bash for the industry folks.  Not one to miss a party, I attended with a few members of our ProStaff from Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors.   In the photo below you can see (from left to right),  Brad Swadley, Holly Heyser (AKA NorCal Cazadora), and Bryce Mann.

The entertainment for the evening was country music star, Randy Travis.

It’s always a great concert, especially because you’re able to just walk right up to the stage and really enjoy the show… like these folks.

Not so much partying tonight, but lots more to tell.  Stay tuned!

If anyone is wondering where I am today, I’m preparing for the kick-off of the 2008 Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trades (SHOT) Show here in lovely Las Vegas, NV.  OK, I doubt anyone is really wondering… but it’s a nice way to start a post, isn’t it? 

What’s the SHOT Show all about?

In its 30th year, the 2008 SHOT Show will be the largest ever. With 1,948 exhibiting companies encompassing more than 715,000 net square feet of space, it is one of the top 30 trade shows in the country, as well as one of the fastest growing, regardless of industry. More than 50,000 industry professionals have registered to attend the SHOT Show from the U.S. and 75 foreign countries.

If you ever felt overwhelmed walking into Bass ProShops or Cabelas, then you would have a tiny fraction of an idea what it’s like to step into the front door of this industry event.  After six years of attendance, it still takes my breath away every time.  If it has anything to do with guns, ammo, hunting clothing and gear, it’s represented here.  It’s where the big dogs like Cabelas and Bass Pro come to snack, where folks like Mossy Oak, Realtree, Browning, and others come to show their stuff.  Mingled and mixed you’ll find the suppliers and manufacturers of every tidbit and trinket… some supporting existing business and others hoping to get “discovered”. 

The show floor will be crowded with representatives and buyers of all sorts, from small countries to owner/operators of mom-n-pop sporting goods shops.  In amongst the crowd will be the members of the sporting media.  Celebrities of hunting and outdoors television like Michael Waddell, Bill Jourdan, and Ted Nugent will be seen tripping from booth to booth, while outdoor writers of every caliber will be taking notes and photographs. 

Every evening when the show floor closes, the Vegas hotels will ring with hospitality suites and industry parties, as sellers wine and dine the buyers, while those of us in the media just hope to be in the right spot at the right time to catch the sporting scoop of the year… and to get some free food and spirits in the process.  These aren’t small-time events either, as the crowd is entertained by folks like John Michael Montgomery, Joe Diffie, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and this year, Randy Travis! 

The show-proper actually opens on Saturday, but today I’ll be out at a couple of live fire range events where firearms manufacturers like Winchester/Browning, Remington, and Smith and Wesson will let members of the press and media get some trigger time with their new offerings.  I’ll share photos and notes when I get back to the hotel this evening.  I’ll also be providing updates throughout the weekend as I wander the aisles in search of news that you can use.

Well, by the time you see this, many of you will have already seen these press releases.  But I found it worth mention anyway.

First, Browning Arms has announced the release of their new “X-Bolt” rifle.  The new design is intended to build on the success of the very popular “A-Bolt”, with a handful of key improvements. 

Taking a cue from Savage’s “Accu-Trigger”, Browning has rolled out the “Feather Trigger” on the X-Bolt to provide an easily adjustable trigger pull… offering the user a custom-quality trigger pull on a production rifle.  In addition to the adjustability, the trigger angle has been optimized for even better performance. 

The X-Bolt will also offer a bolt unlock function.  Like many bolt actions with tang safeties, the current A-bolt rifles require the safety to be disengaged before the bolt can be opened for loading or unloading.  While this offers only minimal risk, I have never been really comfortable releasing the safety with a round in the chamber… especially with other people around.  The bolt unlock button alleviates this minor discomfort and adds a new level of gun safety. 

The X-bolt will also come equipped with the new, Inflex Technology recoil pad that will reduce felt recoil and muzzle climb by directing the recoil forces away from the shooter’s face.  I know that one of the few alterations I had to make to my A-bolt was to add an after-market recoil pad.  The recoil wasn’t terrible, but a good pad goes a long ways toward reducing flinch. 

Additional new features include an innovative new scope mount that incorporates four screws into the bases instead of two for further stability, and a rotary magazine that will feed cartridges straight up into the chamber, directly inline with the bolt which should make for cleaner, faster cycling…especially when combined with the short, 60-degree bolt throw. 

The short-action X-bolts will weigh in at around six pounds, five ounces, while the long-actions will come in right at seven pounds.  The rifle will be chambered for calibers from .243 Win to .375 H&H.  MSRP will run from $799 to $1049, depending on caliber and configuration.

The other big news may come as a welcome surprise to Winchester fans. Read the rest of this entry »

If you don’t already know, four fellas in Minnesota are taking Scent-Lok and some of the distrubutors to court in a lawsuit claiming that the product doesn’t do what it’s advertised to do.  According to their argument, Scent-Lok is falsely advertising its product to block or contain human scent, making the hunter olfactorily invisible to wild animals.  You can read one of many articles on this topic here.  You can also find someone writing about it just about anywhere in the blogosphere.

I’ve taken kind of a backseat on this whole fiasco, mainly because there’s a big part of me that says, “what’s the news here?  Of course this stuff doesn’t work as advertised.” 

I mean, let’s think about it for a second.  Deer can detect scent in parts per billion.  Pigs are even more attuned.  To even think, for a moment, that a pair of pants and a jacket are going to keep a deer or wild hog from getting a whiff of human… well, that’s just about silly.  Now, even if you add a head scarf, Scent-Lok booties, and a face mask…  do you honestly think you’re going to keep animals from smelling you? 

I don’t think so.  Call me the perpetual cynic if you like, but if you’re not hermetically sealed in some kind of plastic bubble, you’re putting human scent into the air. 

OK, so if I make a common sense challenge, what does that say about our litigation-loving Minnesotans?

Have you ever read Chaucer?  There was a “friar” on the trip to Canterbury, who made at least part of his income selling bones from the fingers of the saints.  Of course, we know (or should know) that the bones were actually chicken bones.  How would that go over today?  We do, after all, have laws in this country regarding false advertising… and those laws are designed to protect the consumers from fraud and abuse. 

I guess my point is, there’s a fine line between caveat emptor and fraudulent advertising.  I’m still not sure which side of that line I see this Scent-Lok controvery standing on, which, of course, is why I’ve been so quiet about it. 

As a hog hunter, a product that really does make you “invisible” to animals would really be a heck of an advantage.  But I’ve stalked hogs with Scent-Lok, Contain, and Scent-Blocker gear (all sent to me to test… I haven’t purchased any of it)… and still, everytime I feel that wind at the back of my neck, the hogs are gone.  Maybe, just maybe there’s some slight advantage…especially if you cover yourself from head to toe in the product.  But honestly, I never bought into it when it first hit the market, and I don’t buy into it now.

That leaves the question…

If it doesn’t really work, then is it right for the company to continue to sell the product?  Is it the fault of the consumers who buy into the advertising hype?  I have a hard time deciding this one.  My guess is, there’s a loophole somewhere in between, and may the best lawyer win.  Unfortunately, that solution seldom resolves anything of substance…  but I’m certainly interested in seeing how it all plays out.

Sorry for the little teaser in the last blog entry.  I couldn’t help myself.  Besides, the trip was fun. 

It wasn’t real productive as far as providing venison for my freezer, though.  Nope, those of us in the HogBlog household won’t be eating fresh elk tenderloin this year.   So here’s a quick summary of the most memorable parts of the trip.  A more detailed account will be available on the JHO Journal later this month.  I’ve also got a lot of video to wade through to see if I can put some kind of comprehensive production together.  Unfortunately, I left my external hard drive (containing the first three days of video) at the lodge, so Rick, the outfitter, is mailing it to me tomorrow.  Should be a week or so to get it in and get the footage edited.

So anyway, here’s the skinny…

My brother and I met up in Montrose, CO to hunt with Rick Webb’s Dark Timber Outfitters.  We’d hunted with Rick’s organization during the first period rifle season in 2005, and had great success, with my brother taking a 320″ bull on the first morning and me taking a raghorn bull the next day. 

Of course, never content with success, we decided to go back with archery tackle this time and up the challenge a touch.  As it turns out, it wasn’t a bad plan, but sometimes things just don’t quite work out as you’d like them to.

First of all, the weather had been very consistent for almost a full week.  Rick ensured us that this was a good thing, as the elk would be moving, feeding, and watering on a consistent schedule.  It had been warm and dry, which wasn’t exactly what I think of when I think of elk hunting in the Rockies, but at least the elk had had time to get into a sort of pattern. 

Of course, we arrived on Friday, and by the time we went to bed on Friday night, a thunderstorm swept down over the mountains.  For anyone who’s never experienced a thunderstorm at 9200 feet, it can be quite spectacular.  Unfortunately, for the elk that had been settled into a calm weather pattern, it was the first monkeywrench in our plans.

Read the rest of this entry »

One thing I remember far too well about hunting the early seasons in North Carolina was the mosquitos.  Most of my hunting was along the edges of the big swamps, or the thick pocosin, and the skeeters thrived in that wet, still environment.  But so did the deer, which usually meant getting eaten alive on the stand… a true blood sacrifice for the opportunity to put a little venison in the freezer.

Toughing it out is not an option.  I don’t care how “manly” you are, there is no sitting still under a literal black cloud of mosquitos. 

I tried a bunch of different things to protect myself, of course.  Most sprays though, were too smelly, so if I hunted with an unfavorable wind, it was pointless.  When DEET first hit the civilian market, I doused myself in that stuff.  It seemed to work, but it turns out I’m pretty sensitive to chemicals, and that 100% DEET really worked me over.  After an evening in the woods, I’d come out feeling irritable and nauseous.  It took a few hunts to figure out what was causing the problem. 

Years later, on an August deer and hog hunt down in the South Carolina lowcountry, I was introduced to the Thermacell.  This unit works sort of like an incense burner.  You put the wick in the burner, and fire up the butane-powered heater.  As the wick warms, it releases a chemical (Permethrin) into the air for an odorless repellant shield.

I had my doubts, both about its effectiveness and the claims of odorless protection.  I’ve heard that too many times before.  In fact, on that same hunt, I was trying out a highly advertised “odorless” bug dope.  The first morning, a doe stepped into my crosswind and was gone like a shot!  The next day, a hog reacted the same way, just as I was drawing the bow for my shot.  Like most “odorless” claims, this new product was more hype than reality.  So I figured the same about the Thermacell, and decided not to get one. 

I spent the next three days getting chewed to pieces by the skeeters.  Meanwhile, the three other hunters in our group (Maryland Yankees, no less) who had purchased the Thermacell units raved about the performance.  Then, one after the other, they all scored on hogs and deer.  Meanwhile, all I had seen were does and distant pigs…  and skeeters.  LOTS of skeeters.

When I got home from the hunt, I contacted the folks at Thermacell and had them send me a unit for testing.  There aren’t a lot of places in arid California where you’ll find mosquitos, but there are exceptions.  One of those places is on the Sacramento River Delta, and I just happened to have an early-season duck hunt coming up. 

As I walked in and set up, the mosquitos came down on me and my dog in literal swarms.  My yellow lab literally turned black, and began rolling in the mud for relief.  I fired up the Thermacell, and in minutes the air seemed to clear.  I looked up, and I swear this, there was an actual dome of mosquitos, swarming at the outside edges of the Thermacell scent field. 

I was sold.

I’ve since used the unit on both deer and hog hunts, and have had animals walk right into the wind without apparently noticing the smell.  When it’s running, I can detect something like an ozone smell, like right after a lightning strike.  I guess the critters don’t mind that, though. 

Of all the gadgets and gizmos I’ve tried out over the years, this one definitely gets my highest marks.  It works, which is the main thing, but it’s also very reasonably priced and fairly available.  I’ve found refills for the butane and wicks in little country hardware stores, Wal-Marts, and several hunting stores as well. 

With early deer, teal, and dove seasons opening across the country right now, this may be just the tool you need to add to your gear bag.

I know I recently did a short piece on the PLBs, but with some of the discussions and news going around recently, I thought it might be worthwhile to trot this old chestnut out. 

A few years ago, the FCC and U.S. Military agreed to allow civilian use of terrestrial emergency locator beacons.  The technology has been around for a while, and anyone who’s worked or played on commercial, ocean-going boats is probably familiar with the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon).  These beacons have been resonsible for saving thousands of lives on the high seas. 

As soon as the technology was made legal for terrestrial use, I received one of the new units as a gift from my girlfriend.  I also did an article for the now defunct, Blacktail Huntin’ magazine.  Since the magazine no longer exists, I figure it’s OK to reprint the piece.  It’s slightly dated, but here it is in it’s entirety.

Nine miles from the trailhead and a few hundred feet up…

I find myself hanging precariously from a sheer rock face.  My rifle dangles loose from my shoulder as my boots scramble for purchase on the scree and dirt.  Every handhold crumbles within a few seconds, leaving me clutching gravel and air.  It looks like I can neither climb up nor down.  A lot of thoughts cross my mind, but the most frightening keeps coming back.  If I fall from here, how long will it be before somebody finds me? 

Any deer hunter who spends much time alone in the woods faces similar predicaments… probably more times than many of us would be willing to admit.  A recent poll taken on a popular hunting website indicates that well over half of the respondents prefer to deer hunt solo.  Of those who hunt with others, the majority split up from their party while in the woods.  So I know I’m not the only one out there by myself. 

For a solo hunter in the northwestern wilderness, the dangers can’t be understated.  Any of us who go afield alone, or even with companions, face the risk of being lost or injured far from assistance.  For those of us who are seeing a little more gray around the temples, that risk is multiplied with every passing year.

I’m sure I’m like many of you other hunters.  I don’t think I’ll ever get lost in the backcountry.  I’ve been at it my whole life, one way or another, and I’m sure I have the homing instincts of a mule.  But that very confidence has been the downfall of more than one woodsman.  Even the most experienced of us can find ourselves in a situation we’d never dreamed possible. 

Even if we’re not lost, an injury or illness can leave us stranded far from help.  Hanging from that cliff brought this home to me, in a big way.  What would I have done if I had fallen? 

Until now, a hunter lost or injured in the back country had very little to count on in the way of rapid rescue.  Most of us should know to leave a note at home with our general location and hunting plan, but those notes are often vague at best.  Until you actually get out there and start following that hot track, or searching for the perfect meadow, you don’t really know where you are going to be.  And anyone who comes following isn’t going to know where you are either. 

The folks at ACR Electronics (www.acrplb.com), long known for developing survival equipment, are now bringing what may be the ultimate wilderness survival tool to the public.  The GyPSIä 406 PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) will become available for use in July 2003. 

The technology for the PLB has been around for quite some time, but it has never been permitted for use over land in the United States.  On July 1, 2003, the restriction will be lifted, and this lifesaving technology will become available for all outdoors enthusiasts. 

The PLB unit transmits a signal to satellites, which is then relayed to a ground station and routed to the control center.  Each unit’s signal is encoded to provide identification details about the user.  The control center passes this information, along with location details to the nearest rescue organization. 

Offshore fishermen and boaters may be familiar with the EPIRP (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), which is essentially the same thing.  Current records indicate that over 12,000 lives have been saved due to the use of these beacons. 

The GyPSIä can also be loaded with GPS data, which will allow the rescuers to pinpoint the user’s location within 100 meters.  Without this GPS info, the rescuers can still use satellite signals to narrow the search to an area of just over one kilometer. 

I took a look at the GyPSIä 406 PLB at the SHOT Show in Orlando back in February.  It’s fairly small, less than two inches thick, six and a half inches tall, and about four inches wide.  Weighing in at just over a pound, it will not make much difference in your pack.  It fit nicely in my shirt pocket.  It also floats, and is waterproof to about one meter (3.3 feet). 

The unit is battery operated, but includes test functions to verify that the batteries are good and the unit is operating properly.  With fresh batteries, it will operate continuously for over 24 hours (depending on temperature…extreme cold shortens battery life). 

At an anticipated retail price around $600, it’s not going to be your cheapest piece of equipment.  In fact, justifying the cost for something that you may never have to use is probably the biggest thing that will keep many hunters from taking advantage of this technology.  But, like most survival equipment, when you need it most, the cost will become irrelevant.  (When I described the PLB to my wife, cost was not even a factor.  She immediately wanted to know how and where to buy one.  Try pulling that off with a new rifle!)

In most cases of wilderness survival, preparation is a key factor.  With that in mind, how have you planned to survive your next wilderness emergency? Even more important, if you are lost or immobilized in the woods, how will you summon help? 

Cell phones and two-way radios are certainly excellent tools.  However, as most blacktail hunters know, cell phone reception in the canyons and deep woods is sketchy at best.  Two-way radios function through line-of-sight, and their range is severely limited in the rugged country.  Even if you get a signal out, someone has to be listening on the channel. 

A signal mirror is a very good item to have, but it is limited to daylight use.  There are several small, but powerful signal lights and strobes that can serve the same purpose in the dark.  But these signals are only useful if someone is looking for them.  I know that in many cases, no one would even report me missing for a day or two at the earliest.  Until then, I’m on my own.  If I needed help right away, how would I get it? 

Gunshots, the universal three-shot distress call, are all too often ignored.  With the number of other hunters in the woods, most folks would simply attribute the three shot volley to another hunter missing a deer – or to someone target shooting.  Barring a little good luck, you’re not likely to attract rescuers by using up your ammo. 

Signal fires carry some serious risks in California.  Just last year, one of the larger wildfires in Southern California was caused when a woman lit a distress fire after becoming lost.  Fortunately, the fire burned away from her, and she wasn’t injured.  On the other hand, she now faces steep fines and potential criminal charges for starting that fire. 

The PLB provides the single solution that may answer all of those needs.  It can be used in daylight or darkness.  It works anywhere in the world.  Most importantly, the biggest benefit to this tool is that you activate it when you need it.  If you are injured or in extreme danger, you don’t have to wait until someone realizes you’re late coming home.  Flip the switch and set the chain of events into motion.  You can then rest easy, assured that help IS on the way.  

If you spend time in the real backcountry, where cell phones don’t work and you’re not likely to see other people, then it’s definitely worth the time to look into these things.  I know I’m being a bit evangelical here, but it’s one piece of equipment that can mean the difference between coming home alive, or being another story on the news.  A few hundred bucks seems such a small price. 

I hope this one doesn’t come off looking like a bad advertising insert in your favorite hunting magazine, but it does seem like now is a good time to think about adding a few new pieces of gear to your kit… unless, like me, you’re already well into your hunting season.  Maybe I should’ve written this one sooner. 

Oh well…

I’ve had the opportunity over the summer to put my hands on a couple of new products. 

First is the Black Hole archery target. 

I received a press release announcing the release of this new target just as my older target, The Block, was breathing its last (so to speak).  I needed a replacement, but I wanted something that would stand up to the big, Magnus broadheads I shoot from my recurve. 

Most of the targets I’d tried so far, including the Block, withstood the heavy onslaught of field points I generally sling, but when I started putting those two-blade daggers into the foam, I’d remove slices with almost every shot.  I totally destroyed my 3-D Delta deer, cutting it clean in half in the first six months I had it.  The Block held up better, but the target face was completely gone after a year. 

I received a test sample of the Black Hole early this spring, and started shooting right away.  As I’d feared, big slivers of foam came out each time I retrieved one of the broadheads from the target.  Still, the foam compressed and “self-healed” over the cut as it is supposed to do.   I didn’t shoot as much over the summer as I’d planned, but the target seems to be in pretty good shape. 

One of the things I particularly like about the Black Hole target is that it has a bunch of small aiming points of various sizes scattered across the target face, instead of the consistently spaced and sized bullseyes on some other block-styled targets.  To me, this lets me focus on picking a spot every time, rather than simply relying on spatial relationships (just aim at the center of the box) and getting lazy.  With other targets, once you figure out where the bull is, it’s easy to just start point shooting… a big mistake when you switch from targets to live animals. 

You can order the Black Hole for under $70 for a 24″x20″x14″ target, which is about par for this type of target.

The other item I had a chance to play with a bit this summer was a Konus Pro 3-9×44mm rifle scope. 

I’d initially contacted the Konus press representatives in order to try out one of their scopes on a project rifle I’d planned to put together for a hog hunt and article.  For the project, I was planning to use a rifle in the new .480 Ruger chambering, so I wanted something that would withstand a serious recoil.   Konus has engraved their reticle directly into the glass of the scope, so it should be impossible to dislodge the crosshairs…making it a good choice for a hard-kicking rifle. 

Unfortunately, the rifle part of the deal never came together, so the scope sat in the box on my desk for quite some time. 

Finally, I decided to replace the old Tasco 3-9×50mm on a Browning A-bolt 270, since the Tasco seemed to have some fogginess at higher magnification.  I used to be a big fan of Tasco scopes, but the last two I purchased sort of let me down.

The Konus is in the same price-range as the Tasco, retailing in the sub-$200 range (MSRP on the unit I tested is about $149), so I figured a comparison of these two should be fair. 

I found the clarity and brightness of the Konus to be a bit above that of the Tasco, even though the Tasco offers a 50mm objective vs the 44mm on the Konus.  I also thought the Konus maintained that clarity much better than the Tasco as I increased the magnification.  I even checked it against a couple of other Tasco scopes in my cabinet, and found that it was consistently clearer and brighter. 

Finally, I pulled out one of my Leupold VX-II scopes, in 3-9×40, just to see how the Konus stacked up against a higher-priced competitor.  From my unscientific perspective, and to my surprise, it measured up very nicely. 

I really had no good way to test the recoil-resistance of the scope, since the .270 barely kicks at all.  However, Konus offers a great guarantee to anyone who breaks the reticle, but since it is engraved into the glass, it seems unlikely that anyone will collect on that one. 

Another new product, at least for me, is the Magnus Stinger, four-blade broadheads. 

I’ve been shooting Magnus two-blade broadheads since I started bowhunting, about three years ago.  They seem to perform well, although I’ve yet to harvest a big game animal with the bow.  The blades are very strong, though, and hold an edge through a good bit of abuse.  I actually shot one through a board and into a cinderblock wall, chipping the cinderblock without doing any damage to the blade.  That’s tough!

Anyway, I always liked the idea of the added cutting surface of a four-blade head, and the Magnus Stinger, with the bleeder blades looked like a good match.  I sent a trial packet to my brother, and after his success on a NC whitetail, I decided to try them myself. 

I had been shooting a 140 grain head, but the closest I could find in the Stinger is a 150 grain.  It wouldn’t hurt me to go up a little, since I’m planning to use these on elk next month.  That will take my total arrow weight up to around 549 grains (draw weight is 52lbs), and can only improve my penetration. 

In target practice so far, the Stingers have performed wonderfully.  I barely noticed a difference in the trajectory or impact over the 140 grain field points I have been shooting.  I also found that they don’t plane like the two-blades when I flub my release…as long as I don’t flub it too bad.  The two-blades were really sensitive to that, which makes sense, I guess.

Anyway, the true test will come in two weeks, when I will try to slip one of these broadheads behind the shoulder of a Colorado elk.  I’ll be sure and report back on that.

Finally, I just want to mention the products from Gun Safety Innovations. 

I don’t do a lot of treestand hunting since I’ve moved to California, but it was almost all I ever did back in North Carolina, and it’s what I do whenever I go back for whitetails.  Generally, I’d use a plain old piece of parachute cord to pull my gun or bow into the tree, and that seemed good enough.  But once the gun is up there, I’d untie it.  More than once, I came real close to dropping my rifle from the stand (particularly after nodding off on a slow afternoon).  My brother actually did drop his rifle once, muzzle-down in the mud.  It cost him a deer that afternoon, but could have cost him much worse.

Gun Safety Innovations has developed and is marketing the Gunslinger, a simple but innovative piece of safety equipment, designed to keep your rifle off of the ground.  It’s basically a shock-absorbing safety line that attaches unobtrusively to your gunstock. 

It’s a great idea, but one of the drawbacks is that many of us, especially in the southeast, hunt from stands that are waaayy up in the tree, and the Gunslinger is too short for our purposes.  Not to worry, now you can get the Gunslinger Extender. 

Read more about Gunslinger and the Extender on Kristine’s blog, Hunt Smart, Think Safety.

Well, that should keep your credit card busy for a little while.