Hunting

Long-range hunting continues to gain in popularity. But just because you want to go long doesn’t mean dropping in bullets at 1,000 yards. Most deer hunters, for example, take their shots at 100 yards or less. Yet, if those same hunters could extend their range to 400 yards? Their chances at filling their tags would go up greatly.

As optics companies strive for ever better and cheaper scopes, a clear winner has emerged. The consumer. We live in the golden age of optics and weapons, as evidenced by this weeks test of the Leupold Mark 5. At a combined cost of under $4000 for optics and rifle, using .60 cent per round ammo, I was able to test a sub half MOA weapons system. Even 15 years ago, you would be lucky to match that at any price outside of a benchrest rig.

Last year, I got my first experience with the Browning X-Bolt, using a Hell’s Canyon model in 6.5 Creedmore. I came away very impressed, my respect for the Browning name rekindled. They got a lot right with this model, from the trigger to the muzzle brake. So when the chance popped up to take a look at the X-bolt Pro in 300 Winchester Magnum, I hopped on it.

“Gimmicky” might be the best way to describe most long guns featuring more than two barrels, but the new Vierling from gunmaker Johann Fanzoj is anything but a gimmick. The Austrian company has been making firearms for over nine generations, and they’ve spent the last six years crafting a totally custom four-barrel rifle/shotgun for an unnamed customer in the U.S.

“The giraffe I hunted was the South African sub-species of giraffe. The numbers of this sub-species is actually increasing due, in part, to hunters and conservation efforts paid for in large part by big game hunting. The breed is not rare in any way other than it was very old. Giraffes get darker with age,” said Talle.

The Momentum is a nice rifle, but not for the reasons Franchi thinks it is.

The Italian company has been manufacturing high-quality bird guns for 150 years, and in April of 2018 they announced their first foray into the bolt-action rifle market. Franchi hopes to translate its heritage of craftsmanship and innovation to a new kind of firearm, and for the most part, they succeeded.

There are only so many ways to get your favorite deer slayer from Point A to Point B and hunters should decide what the goal is before they pick a method. Is it a short jaunt in the dark to a treestand? A hurried march after work into camp? A slow, methodical still- hunt to a rendezvous with a hunting partner? 

I love to look at Professional Hunter’s firearms; they show the rigors of day-to-day hunting life and are often beat nearly to death. While we all have our safe queens, I appreciate those beat up, well-hunted guns that invariably have a story to tell, be it that one shot that even surprised the owner, of those hair-raising tales of dangerous game at close quarters.

When I heard semi-auto and 300 Winchester Magnum, I assumed the gun had to be gigantic. It is large, but not Micheal Bay oversized. At first glance, you can see the DNA shared with an AR-15. There are a few changes to accommodate the caliber, but it keeps the things I find important.