Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2018 i Petersen's Hunting

BULLET BASICS Designed to combine the enhanced aerodynamics of Nosler’s boattailed Ballistic Tip cup-and-core bullet with deep-penetrating, bone-breaking toughness, the AccuBond features a lead core bonded to a beautifully concentric jacket. Said jacket is thin at the nose to promote immediate expansion and then becomes rapidly thicker toward the rear of the bullet. This gives the jacket the needed integrity to slow and halt expansion with a good portion of the shank still intact, resulting in the classic mushroom shape. TESTING GROUND The bullet pictured was used to take a massive, 10-foot coastal brown bear on the Alaska Peninsula. Fired from hunter Brian Ham’s Ruger Model 77 in .338 Win. Mag., it impacted at 142 yards, traveling at an estimated 2,430 fps and carrying 3,300 ft.-lbs. of energy. FIELD PERFORMANCE…

The new SPOT X uses GPS satellite technology to easily send and receive text messages or send tracking updates to friends and family. A built-in compass helps you stay on track, while programmable waypoints mark important locations. In case of an emergency, an SOS button puts you in contact with search and rescue teams. A new month-to-month flex plan lets you save some cash, only turning the device on when needed. $250, plus service plan; findmespot.com Finding a lightweight, four-season tent for late season hunts is no easy task. The NEMO KUNAI 4-Season Mountaineering Tent is a two-person, double-wall tent that weighs just over four pounds. The inner tent is made of a breathable, wind-stopping, 20-denier nylon ripstop fabric. The tapered profile holds strong against high winds, and a tub…

When discussing most hunting cartridges, gun writers often declare them suitable for “everything but big bears or Africa’s Big Five.” But what if bears or the Big Five are on the menu or your journey will put you among those big creatures who bite, scratch, and stomp? A style of rifle was developed in the early 20th century specifically for targeting dangerous-game animals on the plains and in the thorn thickets of Africa. When you take all of the virtues of such a rifle but substitute stainless steel and carbon fiber for rust blued steel and English walnut, you have a rifle that can tackle dangerous game in any climate: the Kimber Talkeetna .375 H&H. Last summer found me hunting sheep in one of the most-remote areas of Alaska’s Brooks…

1. Apply LocTite to aftermarket sight screws to prevent loss or movement during brisk recoil. 2. Want but can’t find tough composite stocks? Fit and profile laminate wood stocks, then have them professionally painted your color of choice. 3. Fit and profile recoil pads before the final sanding of the stock, then sand together to create a smooth, perfect wood-to-rubber fit. Mask the rubber before applying the wood finish. 4. Freeze rubber recoil pads overnight before grinding to fit. This makes them much easier to “cut” on the benchtop sander without tearing the rubber. 5. Have internal parts coated with a thin layer of Cerakote and baked on low heat. This prevents tolerance issues when reassembling and avoids altering the temper of the steel.…

WHEN IT comes to hunting, we Americans have the greatest do-it-yourself opportunities on the planet. Across much of our modern world attempting to outfit yourself and hunt on your own varies from wildly impractical to impossible, often rendered so by game laws, local guide requirements, access, and restrictions on firearms (and sometimes archery tackle) importation. Taking on the planning and execution of a successful DIY hunt in the wilderness is not for everyone. More research, planning, know-how, and equipment are needed than just stepping off a plane into the waiting arms of an outfitter. But adventure awaits and success is sweeter. Win or lose, there’s much satisfaction in the effort. Here are a five great opportunities worth the time and effort. 1 ELK When I was a kid, hunting elk…

WHERE: North Dakota WHEN: Fall 2016 NET SCORE: 196 3/8 BOW: Xpedition Xcentric HUNTER: Cole Frenzel “There’s no question our resources are becoming monetized, and that will squeeze some people out of the sport, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money to hunt if you don’t want to,” he said. “That’s the beauty of our public lands system.” The federal government alone owns more than 600 million acres. Most is open to hunting. State-owned land and various private-property lease programs add millions more acres of opportunity. For example, Montana’s Block Management Program opens 7.3 million acres of private land to public hunting. “Our public lands system is the envy of the world,” said Dr. Robert Holsman, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources research scientist. “There is nothing else…

THERE ARE TWO types of hunters: those who love cleaning their firearms and the rest of us. Face it. Gun cleaning is a dirty job that most gun owners avoid—or at least put off until the end of season. Whichever camp you fall into, you may as well make the job easier with a good setup on your bench. Sage & Braker does away with greasy old rags and the cobbled-together tool set and replaces them with a classic take on the gun cleaner’s kit. A waxed canvas Gun Cleaning Mat ($185) is backed with a soft, wool lining and classic leather trim. It features four snap pockets for small items and rolls up for simple storage and transport to the range or field. To get down to the actual…

You know your favorite deerstand that always seems to produce? I hate to kill your buzz, but bucks don’t stroll by it because you’re wearing grandpa’s lucky cap. More likely, it’s due to a nearby oak that rains acorns like Skittles from a rainbow. Or it could be beech, hickory, persimmon, or walnut. If you know what trees deer prefer, and when, you’ll kill more bucks. This starts with knowing your trees. Fact is, a deer’s diet changes with the seasons and availability. Studies indicate spring whitetails eat forbes most of all, but these green weeds peter out by summer. That’s when they switch to browse like blackberry, brambles, greenbrier, prickly pear, poison ivy—yes, poison ivy—and dozens more depending on the region. When fall arrives, some mast trees, such as…

Last fall, I hung four elk quarters in a walk-in cooler, shut the door, and walked away. For years I’ve been aging my game meat, letting deer, elk, and antelope hang for a week or so, and giving game birds up to two weeks before processing them for the freezer. But this was the first time I’d had a true, controlled environment to age big-game quarters on the bone, and I was looking forward to an extended test. The cooler was set to maintain a temperature of 34 degrees with little to no fluctuation. I checked in on my meat a few times, feeling the outer rind and giving each quarter the sniff test to ensure this most-valuable trophy of my hunt wasn’t rotting away on the bone. Finally, 21…

PEOPLE SOMETIMES ask about my closest call in the woods, when I thought I was about to make my wife a widow. Sure, there have been many near disasters involving bush plane flights that should never have been taken; horseback rides on trails that shouldn’t have been ridden; encounters with brown, grizzly, black, and polar bears that have never been forgotten; and many others. But when I really think about it, my closest brush with the grim reaper occurred on a moose hunt in my home state of Wyoming. I passed up several small bulls during the season, and on the last day, wanting meat to fill the freezer, I settled for a cow. With only an hour of daylight left, it appeared I’d be eating my tag instead of…

Pull into a boat ramp on Arkansas’s Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area three hours before legal shooting light and you’ll be greeted by a line of trucks hundreds of yards long. When the mallards are migrating, it seems like everyone with a sack of decoys and a duck call wants in on the action. If you believe even a fraction of what you read, those hunters are the last vestiges of a dying endeavor, the remnants of a once-thriving culture that is fading into obscurity. Anti-hunting groups celebrate “the death of hunting,” and even hunters fret about the looming demise of the sport. Hunting, we are told, is on life support. But don’t tell the thousands of duck hunters who flock to Arkansas’s green timber public hunting areas like Bayou…

HISTORY Based on a necked-down, shortened 6.8 SPC case, the .224 Valkyrie is magazine compatible even when loaded with extremely long bullets. As a result, the cartridge not only provides greater case capacity than the .223 Remington, but also AR-15s feed cleanly with bullets of much higher ballistic coefficients—projectiles such as Sierra’s 90- rain MatchKing (G1 BC .563) and Fusion’s 90-grain deer bullet. Most barrels are spec’d with a rifling twist rate of 1 turn in 7 inches in order to stabilize these super-long projectiles. APPLICATION Although engineered to extend the AR-15s range, the .224 Valkyrie is actually a good hunting cartridge. Loaded with heavy-for-caliber hunting bullets, it provides good expansion coupled with unprecedented penetration on deer-size game. Opt for Federal’s lighter 60-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip for a sizzling-fast predator.…

ALPS OUTDOORZ HYBRID X The Alps Outdoorz Hybrid X does double-duty in the field. Strap the 45-liter nylon pack to the aluminum frame to haul in gear and meat out or use the aluminum frame independently. The frame incorporates a cargo shelf and wing-style pockets to compress small and large loads. The top-loading pack features a front pocket for access to the main compartment and a drop-down rifle and bow pocket, while the waist belt includes additional pockets and anti-sway straps. $250; alpsoutdoorz.com PROS LARGE MEAT-HAULING SHELF CONS HEAVY TENZING TZ 3000 Don’t let the size of this pack scare you—the TZ 3000 is actually nimble for its size. An internal aluminum frame provides a sturdy structure while a padded lumbar pad and a waist belt keep…

From Alaskan bush pilots to champion Cowboy Action competitors, savvy lever-gun shooters have proven Marlins to be completely customizable. Want to give your deep-timber hunting rifle a little more finesse? Here’s how to get started. Let me first point out that Marlin’s custom shop does a superb job of fine-tuning its guns. Several versions of the various models are available, and it’s a great way to get a very nice upgraded Marlin. However, if you prefer to dream up and select your own aftermarket options, you’re better off going to a custom builder, such as Grizzly Custom Guns, Wild West Guns, Brockman’s Rifles, or Dove’s Custom Guns. So your first step is figuring out just what you want and how much you’re willing to spend. If you’re patient and handy…

• Don’t be that frustrated dude throwing your wrench into the abyss. Change the oil; rotate your tires; check belts, hoses, and wiper blades; and top off your fluids before hitting the road. • Plan your overnight stops in advance. You don’t want to be stuck at the Bates Motel. • Switch drivers every five hours. Especially if your partner likes Snoop Dogg while you prefer Garth. • The navigator is to give directions in a clear and timely manner, giving the driver more than 15 seconds to change three lanes to the right. • Your goal is to not find out what the inside of a jail cell looks like in middle of Nowhere, Nebraska. Know the laws regarding traveling with firearms in all the states you plan to…