Firearms

When Savage called and asked if GunsAmerica would review one of their Youth rifles, I intended to do it right and have an actual kid do the shooting. Then they asked if they could send one in Muddy Girl. While this camo pattern won’t prevent boys from shooting it, I thought I’d try to find a girl who knew her way around guns. After a few phone calls, I lined up an 11 year old. But when the rifle arrived, it was a .308. How well can an 11 year old girl handle a .308?

The Traditions Vortek striker- fired in-line muzzleloader shoots more like a GLOCK than it does your average flintlock, yet the high-tech rifle can still be used during those extra days of hunting season when the center-fire rifles and shotguns are forbidden. But once you have the gun loaded and ready, you may not be able to tell the difference.

CZ is not the first name in American hunting rifles, but I think they need more love. This 557 in .30-06 is rock solid, dependable, and as accurate as any rifle you’ll find on the shelf at any mom-and-pop gun store in America. It is time these rifles get the respect they so obviously deserve.

Let’s say you’ve just gotten a call from a friend who wants to go hunting with you, tomorrow, and he doesn’t have a rifle. He really wants to go. And you know you’ll be able to put him on a deer, or a hog, or something, but you don’t have an extra rifle set up and ready to go. There’s a big-box retailer right around the corner. What would you suggest?

There’s a lot to presume about the hypothetical above. Let’s pretend the friend knows his ass from his elbow and is aware of basic firearms safety and function. We can assume he can get a license and that you will be hunting, not poaching. What you need is a rifle that’s turnkey. You need a gun, one in a common caliber, and an optic (preferably one that’s already attached and sighted in).

You need a Savage Axis II, the complete package.

[one_half padding=”0 0 0 0px”] [/one_half] [one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 0px”] [/one_half_last] Ruger knows the rimfire market. There’s a lot to say about Ruger’s latest addition to the rimfire line. They run off of the 10/22 magazine and are tack drivers.  The rifles are lightweight, indestructible and inexpensive. That last part is hard to wrap your head [...]

Leftfield Entertainment, creators of Paw Stars and other edutainment type programs for The History Channel, Discovery, A&E and National Geographic, is looking for outdoors survival experts. “No Gimmicks. No Film Crews. No Games.” The goal is simple: survive with only what you can carry on your back. With that in mind, what gun(s) would you take?
“We’re currently developing an exciting new series with a major cable network that is going to ask the strongest self-reliance experts and enthusiasts in the world a very simple question – how long could you survive alone in the wild?” said Molly Tom, a casting associate with Leftfield Entertainment, “We’re looking for folks who want to prove that they have the skills, determination, willpower and mental strength to take part in the ultimate survival experience.”

“What is the best gun for hunting hogs?” I asked this question to everyone I knew for more than a month before my hunt. I Googled it at least 20 times. Everyone seems to have a different opinion. Some prefer the compact design and rapid-fire potential of the AR-15. Others leaned toward the power and range of the .30-06 and .308s. Those who’ve hunted with a good 6.8 spc were passionate about the caliber’s performance. No one mentioned 7.62×39, much less the venerable AK platform’s design. As one who prefers the Kalashnikov over the Stoner, I knew what I was going to take. And now, after the hunt, I’d put my Arsenal AK up against the biggest tooth hogs south Florida has to offer.

The Arsenal AK line in 7.62×39, with the right soft point ammo, can be an effective rifle for hunting. The Arsenal AK line in 7.62×39, with the right soft point ammo, can be an effective rifle for hunting.
When I was presented with the opportunity to hunt hogs with Dwayne “Hog Man” Powell and Kissimmee River Hunt and Fish, a guide service out of Okeechobee, Florida, I decided I’d set up some real-world reviews, too. We were going to hunt, and I knew Dwayne was going to put us on hogs. Dwayne is the Jim Cramer of hunting guides. If you can catch it or hunt it in Florida, Dwayne Powell will show you how. For those of us looking to test guns, Hog Man gives a veritable guarantee.

I had a variety of guns at my disposal. I could have taken any number of AR-15s into the bush. I had a .30-06, a couple of 6.8s. There were five of us hunting, so we each went out with something slightly different.

Duck hunting is very different depending on where you hunt. In the Northeast, a good day of duck hunting might mean a few shots at a few pairs of Mallards. But down here in Florida, we have several kinds of ducks and the state has created a four day mini-season in September for hunting a small duck called a Teal, which if I researched it correctly, is technically the Blue Winged Teal. The season also includes wood ducks, but we won’t cover them here. Teal travel in flocks, not pairs, and it is not unusual, on a good duck pond, to see dozens in a morning. We went out for the first morning of this year’s mini-season, hosted by our guide Dwayne Powell at Kissimee River Hunt & Fish, and we were able to experience birds flying over our heads in the hundreds. The limit is 6 birds, and several of our party limited out in a short time. Even our 11 year old shooter shot several birds, and we are all eager for the next phase of the season November 17-25. If you haven’t duck hunted, especially in Florida, you are missing a good time and a lot of shooting.

While most of the nation is beginning to dream about hunting whitetails in the fall, in sunny Florida where the leaves don’t turn and whitetail season already started, everyone is talking about GATORS! Dwayne Powell, our resident guide at Kissimee River Hunt & Fish, took us out for a learning expedition this week for the season opener, and even took this eight foot monster on a private tag to show us how it’s done. Alligator hunting in Florida is a lot of fun, but the devil is in the details, and even if you manage to pull a tag in the public lottery, the chances of actually bringing home a gator are slim, unless you know how to prepare. On private land the rules are different, and easier, but you will need to pay a guide to burn a private tag for you. If you have never bagged a gator, one way or the other, there is no game animal that compares to these mighty giant lizards. Get yourself a tag and get out gator hunting!