Guns

2:52 PM, a couple miles west of Brady, Nebraska, and I less than three hours away from a hearty serving of Tag Soup. I was on Day Five of a November 2018 deer hunt in Nebraska’s Lincoln County, and though I’d put in many hours I hadn’t seen a buck of any size—antlers or body.

The Stalker QD proved to be a nice piece of light-weight hunting gear that went on at a moment’s notice to provide the stability I needed for a good, ethical shot.

Bullet design and performance is a favored (and occasionally heated) discussion wherever hunters gather. Debates rage, stories are told, and facts presented. Which brings us to the question: What is good bullet performance?

The last day of my Nebraska 2018 deer hunt, mid-November, and I had yet to see a mature buck. I also had a chest freezer back home less than a quarter full. So, when a group of white-tailed does step into the cut-over cornfield, I decided it was time to stock up on some venison.

Ruger has decided to enter the light-weight, long-range hunting rifle game with their appropriately named Hawkeye Long-Range Hunter Bolt Action Rifle. This gun is designed to be accurate, lightweight, user adjustable and tough. The light profile, stainless steel barrel contributes most to this rifle’s low weight and comes chambered in the most popular 6.5 calibers.

Unboxing the test rifle, it was clear at a glance that the First Lite is not Roy Weatherby’s Mark V of yesteryear. The Mark V line got something of a makeover in the last few years, and the result is an updated take on an iconic and distinctly American rifle design.

The pair of hogs popped out of the South Texas mesquite over 100 yards away and made straight for the deer feeder. I shifted in my seat and got ready for a shot—and for my first hunting experience using the new 350 Legend cartridge from Winchester Ammunition.

Large guns have a special place in my heart, as they do for most people. The Taurus Raging Hunter in 44 mag is a handgun that put a huge smile on my face the moment I held it in my hand. The Raging Hunter is well constructed. There is extremely little play in any of the moving parts, the cylinder locks positively in place with a dual latch system and the porting on the end of the barrel is not only attractive but reduces recoil effectively; making for a great shooting experience.

The Liberator12k is a project that combines common hardware store parts, some steel tubing and 3D-printed parts to build a revolving-cylinder shotgun.