Posted on 27 April 2012.
Every year, we head to the field to hunt and film episodes for SNTV. I often stop at camps to visit with other hunters or talk with them while in the field. It surprises me to see how many people I find without a rangefinder. Knowing the exact yardage to your target will eliminate a lot of future misses if you have done your homework at the range. Continue Reading
Posted in Hunting, Optics, Product Reviews, Video Product Review0 Comments
Posted on 01 April 2012.
Spring is upon us and you know what that means Turkey Season! The crew at Sportsman’s News has done a little behind the scenes gathering of information for all of you gobbler chasers out there and a stop at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse can get you set up with everything you need for a great hunt. Continue Reading
Posted in Articles, Hunting, Product Reviews0 Comments
Posted on 01 March 2012.
Bear Anarchy
Designed for serious female shooters.
Posted in Adventure, Apparel, Archery, Articles, Backpacking, Camping, Cutlery, Fishing, For Women, Hiking, Hunting, Optics, Personal Protection, Product Reviews, Specialty, Survival0 Comments
Posted on 01 March 2012.
As I peered over the edge, I had a great view of the open hills as well as the willow choked bottoms and fringe which I hoped would hold a good whitetail buck worthy of my Wyoming tag. I had just settled in for the afternoon when deer suddenly exploded out of their beds on the fringes and weaved back and forth through the cover with their white flags waiving high in the air. My guide yelled “Buck”! I immediately went into kill mode and started searching for the shooter buck. He blew through every opening in true whitetail fashion. I could see the other deer heading for thick cover as my guide shouted out the yardage. I quickly adjusted my hold and squeezed the trigger as the big buck piled up from a full run. What a rush! Continue Reading
Posted in Hunting, Optics, Product Reviews0 Comments
Posted on 01 November 2011.
When it comes to hauling all of your gear in the outdoors, Alps Outdoorz has created the perfect companion to adapt to all of your needs.
Optimus Prime has nothing on this transformer, providing a fanny pack, day pack, bow carrier and meat hauler, all in one system. With over 2,700 total cubic inches of space, the Alps Pathfinder can accommodate your waterfowl gear, decoys, wet weather clothing and a bevy of birds. When archery season rolls around, reconfigure the pack and it will securely transport your bow and give you an easy to access day pack, with the added ability to haul out your quarters. Continue Reading
Posted in Archery, Articles, Backpacking, Hiking, Hunting, Product Reviews0 Comments
Posted on 01 October 2011.
By Dan Kidder
Managing Editor
Having served in the Marines, I can tell you all of the weaknesses of the military Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) or as we called them, three lies in one.
First of all, they are heavy. Because they are prepared food that has been hermetically sealed in pouches, you end up carrying all of that water weight with you. At 8 pounds per gallon, this is a heavy proposition. Next, they are bulky.
For prolonged periods in the outdoors where water is plentiful, nothing beats food that has been dehydrated.
Posted in Adventure, Articles, Backpacking, Camping, Hunting, Product Reviews, Survival0 Comments
Posted on 01 September 2011.
Optifade, Break-up Infinity, Forest, Hardwoods, Treestand, Mountain Shadow, Scent Control, Primaloft, Windstopper Membrane, Goretex and a myriad of other words are used to describe the hunting clothing of today. It doesn’t matter what type of hunter you are, there is plenty of clothing and camo patterns built exclusively for your purpose and the question you need to answer is…What is the best for my scenario and how much money do I want to spend. We have taken a look at some of the top brands and their systems to help you with making a decision on what pieces of clothing are best for you and your 2011 fall hunting goals. Continue Reading
Posted in Apparel, Articles, Hunting, Product Reviews0 Comments
Posted on 01 September 2011.
Making that great shot means knowing how far away your target is. Bushnell has created a great rangefinder for that purpose, but has also created a special version of it to help those who have lost a family member in combat.
The Bushnell Scout1000 Rangefinder Patriot Edition provides rifle shooters and archers with a great piece of equipment, while also donating a portion of the sale to the Folds of Honor Foundation to provide scholarships to the children of fallen warriors. Continue Reading
Posted in Hunting, Optics, Product Reviews, Specialty2 Comments
Posted on 01 September 2011.
Every year Vortex comes out with cutting edge new products or revamped old products that keep putting the shooting sport industry clamoring for more. The new Viper HS 1X4X24 is another one of those great products. Whether you are an AR style shooter or looking to top your big bore magnum dangerous game gun with some great glass, look no further. Continue Reading
Posted in Articles, Hunting, Optics, Product Reviews1 Comment
Posted on 01 September 2011.
Picking a rifle scope can be an arduous task unless you know all the features and benefits of each individual scope. In today’s market, there is so much more to be known prior to making a purchase than price, brand, and clarity. With the long range shooting sport coming of age, just about every manufacture is tailoring scopes to meet the capabilities of these long range shooters. Continue Reading
Posted in Articles, Hunting, Optics, Product Reviews1 Comment
Posted on 01 August 2011.
In the world of rifle scopes price has come to determine quality. That paradigm may have made a dramatic shift with the introduction of the Bushnell Trophy XLT.
The Trophy XLT features Bushnell’s patented DOA (Dead On Accurate) reticle with Rack Bracket, that easily provides range to target based upon the average size of a mule deer or whitetail’s ears. Continue Reading
Posted in Articles, Hunting, Optics, Product Reviews1 Comment
Posted on 01 August 2011.
Muzzleloaders have come a long way in the last ten years. The in-line technology has made these guns as accurate as many center fire rifles. This is especially true if you have the ability to put a high powered scope on the gun.
The CVA Accura V2 is quickly becoming one of the favorite weapons of choice for the Sportsman’s News team. The original Accura has been out for several years and has been my personal gun of choice since inception, but I have now upgraded to the V2 series. CVA has taken what was already an extremely accurate and well valued gun and made it better. Continue Reading
Posted in Articles, Hunting, Product Reviews0 Comments
Posted on 01 July 2011.
By Sportsman’s News Pro-Staff
Getting an opportunity to test the extra compact Bushnell Trophy XLT trail camera got me a bit excited. I’m a bit of a gear junkie and I’ve been running trail cameras for a long period of time in my trophy hunting quest and I’m very familiar with what makes for a good camera. Continue Reading
Posted in Articles, Hunting, Product Reviews0 Comments
Posted on 01 July 2011.
By Isaac Aleman
With the variety of packs on the market today, it can become difficult to make a final decision on which pack will best meet your needs. These days are a far cry from my youth and the hunts that I remember with my father. ATV’s and horses weren’t an option and dad didn’t care for overnighters, so everything became a day hike/death march. We were out of the truck before sun up with nothing but ammo, apples and sardines in our pockets and a canteen over the shoulder. Time and distance were of no consideration. Dad shot the first buck with antlers, so I never knew if I would end up hiking two miles or twelve. What amazes me to this day is dad would always drag the entire carcass all the way back to the truck. With the luxury of a GPS, I have gone back into some of those spots and found that dad actually pulled some of those deer over seven miles off the hill and didn’t waste a scrap! Problem was, by the time we arrived at the truck, I felt like I could eat the entire deer. Starvation and dehydration don’t seem to fully describe the way I felt at the end of those days. Continue Reading
Posted in Articles, Backpacking, Hiking, Hunting, Product Reviews1 Comment
Posted on 01 July 2011.
By Shane Chuning
Every year pack manufactures roll out a few new packs. The team at Sportsman’s News took some of the best that the manufactures had to offer this year and put them to the test throughout some of the shed hunting season as well as getting feed and camera’s into the high country. Continue Reading
Posted in Articles, Backpacking, Hunting, Product Reviews1 Comment
Posted on 01 June 2011.
Optics is one of the most valuable tools for the western hunter. Being able to pick up that slightest hint of movement with little or no light could be the difference between the trophy of a lifetime and tag soup.
Optics has improved dramatically over the last ten years and Vortex Optics is leading the charge. I’m sure most everyone has heard the statement about optics,”buy the most expensive ones you can afford and you won’t regret it”. Sure that statement used to be true many years ago, but Vortex is quickly debunking that myth. They don’t have an expensive European name that most people mispronounce, but what they pack into their optics isn’t nothing short of top of the line.
The new Razor HD binos for 2011 are as good as it gets and for half the price of some other top end models. Here at Sportsman’s News, we have had the pleasure of field testing a new pair for the last 30 days and they are nothing short of spectacular. We had the 10×42 model as our testers, but Vortex puts them out in 12×50, 10×50, 8.5×50, 10×42, and 8×42 models. So whatever your preference is, you will be able to find one that will fit your needs. The clarity of these binoculars from edge to edge is extremely impressive. We are not engineers, but it is obvious that the addition of HD (High Density) extra-low dispersion glass has moved the quality up a notch. The test models feel extremely compact and lightweight. They are only 6.5 inches tall and 5.1 inches high and weigh 29.5 ounces. They will throw out a field of view of 330.8 feet at 1000 yards. All exterior lenses are protected with ArmorTek which make them extra tough and resist scratching from the many forces we experience in our quest for trophies. Each unit is sealed with O-rings to prevent moisture from entering the body. We soaked our test models in the local creek submerged a foot deep for a 12 hour period of time without any problems. Units are fog proof due to the Argon gas purging process. The rubberized armor coating and size make them extremely comfortable to hold and durable as well. One of the changes that we really enjoyed is the roll up eye cups. They have five different positions and they are very specific stops providing for the perfect eye relief for any type of vision or eye glass wearer. They are also tripod adaptable which is ideal for long hours of glassing.
As with all Vortex products, the V.I.P. warranty is still the best in the business. This is an unlimited lifetime warranty. It doesn’t matter what has happened to your optics or how it happened. You don’t need to complete a warranty card or worry about providing your receipt. If something is wrong, Vortex will repair or replace your product at no cost to you.
You can surely spend double or even triple for one of the European counterparts, but why would you. Get yourself a set of Vortex Razor HD’s and put the other thousand dollars towards your next hunt of a lifetime.
Posted in Hunting, Optics, Product Reviews2 Comments
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