Indholdsfortegnelse for December/January 2022-23 i Petersen's Hunting

In 2021, Montana established its first-ever muzzleloader heritage season, and many other states have similar seasons. Clearly a reaction to the technological developments in muzzleloading rifles in recent decades, the heritage season forces hunters to get back to the basics. No scopes, no in-line ignition, no propellant pellets and no fancy sabots. We’re talking iron-sighted hammer guns with loose powder and lead bullets. Real hunting by any definition, and I hope more states follow suit. The law allows for the use of matchlocks and wheellocks, but 99% of us will gravitate to flintlock and percussion rifles. The percussion guns would be the most-advanced arms allowed during this season and they offer real advantages, especially in bad weather. As simple as these designs can be, there are some tricks to using…

Ever since the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) published the specs for Hornady’s new 7mm PRC cartridge a few months back, the Internet has been buzzing with speculation. Now that the cartridge has officially launched, it’s time to quell the rumors, answer the questions, bust the myths, and provide the facts. First, the cartridge is a profoundly worthy addition to the PRC family. Let me just state that right up front. I’m a fan. But I didn’t start out that way. When I first heard the 7mm PRC rumors, my jaded thought was, “Just what we need—another 7mm that won’t do anything a 7mm Rem. Mag., 7mm SAUM, 28 Nosler or .280 Ackley can’t do. I was wrong. Much as it pains me to admit it, the 7mm…

NO HUNTING In the October issue there is a total of ONE article limited to the subject of hunting (Roosevelt Elk). Allegedly you are a hunting magazine, so how about having more articles about hunting? And fewer about gear? I eagerly await your response! ROBERT GRIMM Via e-mail Mr. Grimm, Thank you for reaching out about the type of content you expect to see in Petersen’s Hunting. I can’t help but wonder if your particular copy is lacking more than a few pages? If my story about Roosevelt elk is the only article on the subject of hunting in your copy, then you must be missing pages 66-76, where Managing Editor Joe Ferronato recounts a tough hunt for mule deer in Idaho’s rugged backcountry. I also have to assume your…

AT PUBLIC LAND TEES, our mission is to find creative ways to raise money for public lands, conservation and access for sportsmen and women. We founded the company based on conservation values with the goal to raise money that goes back to the organizations that work to protect the future of our public lands and wild animals for generations to come. To do that, $5 from every item we have ever sold has been donated back to conservation. One of our biggest initiatives each year is the Stamp It Forward project. There are few conservation tools as effective at making sure money goes to the ground than that of the Federal Duck Stamp. By law, 98 percent of the purchase price must be spent on wetland habitat. Since the inception…

Facing everything from abuse by airport baggage handlers to rough weather conditions, a good gun case is of utmost importance when traveling on a hunting trip. Plano’s Rustrictor AW2 52 Rifle Case will keep your rifle protected. It is equipped with the company’s rust-inhibiting technology, dual-stage lockable latches and the DriLoc seal to keep your equipment secure and clean while traveling. Measuring 52 inches, this case will fit most all rifles and shotguns and is equipped with wheels for easy transport. $250; planomolding.com Federal’s FireStick makes muzzleloading easy, and Traditions makes it more accurate by adding fast VaprTwist, 26-inch barrels to their proven NitroFire rifles. The speedy, 1:24 twist stabilizes heavy, .50 cal. bullets better for greater accuracy at longer ranges. The Elite XT trigger also adds to the muzzleloader’s…

We could all wish to have been born in a different time. I’d like to have seen Africa and India in the period before WWII. Such fantasies are useless (so far as we know); we can only play the hand we’re dealt, and my timing hasn’t been all that bad. Travel has been fast and much of the world has been available. And there are more hunting countries in Africa, Asia and Europe than ever before. I’ve seen a great deal of our hunting world as it is today, I’ve seen it change (and stay the same) during the last 50 years. Obviously, I’ve been fortunate, but it’s not altogether a matter of luck. I’ve worked hard, and I’ve been singularly focused, perhaps to a fault. Lucky it is that…

I DIDN’T KNOW it when I walked into a saloon in Gardiner, Montana, in 1985, but I was about to learn something that would dramatically change the way we hunt elk. I joined Don Laubach and some friends for a libation after we’d been taking pictures of wildlife. Gardiner borders Yellowstone Park, and elk are year-round residents of the small town. Laubach—a hardcore elk hunter—lives in Gardiner and regularly sees elk cavorting on his lawn and around the village. We were making small talk at the bar when Laubach produced a small object from his pocket. “This is a cow elk call,” he said. “I believe it’ll cause a revolution in elk hunting.” I wasn’t particularly impressed. Laubach sensed my skepticism. “Listen to this,” he said. He blew the call,…

Cold is temporary. Until it’s not. Aching extremities. Uncontrollable shivering. Deep breathing that burns the lungs. Skirting the edge of hypothermia; so close the cold threatens to become permanent. Those are the risks late-season hunters take to reap the ultimate reward. Some folks falter when temperatures plummet, hanging up their gun or bow for the season. The hardiest among us embrace the challenge, knowing the end is just days, or even hours, away. It’s a long wait until the next opening day, and with a tag still unpunched, they brave the weather, donning layers of clothing, stuffing handwarmers in their pockets and bracing themselves against the north wind. It’s an exercise in masochism. A test of willpower. How long can they last until frostbite drives them out of the field…

BULLET BASICS Nosler’s AccuBond was the first truly successful bonded-core, polymer-tipped, boat-tailed bullet. It achieved a combination of better aerodynamics, predictable expansion and more reliable killing ability than any other bullet of the time. Heavy, big-bore versions such as the 300-grain, .375-caliber AccuBond shown are particularly good for clobbering big-bodied, nondangerous game such as eland, moose and bison. Notably, AccuBond bullets can be very accurate—which is unusual in the bonded-bullet world. Most bonding processes introduce inconsistencies that degrade accuracy. Whatever Nosler’s method, the company has it mastered. TESTING GROUND The bullet shown was used on a free-range southern greater kudu bull in Namibia. Austin Brown handloaded it to a muzzle velocity of 2,467 fps in his Dakota Arms Model 76 for the hunt. FIELD PERFORMANCE Shot distance was 212 yards,…

Lightweight and accurate are two terms that frequently get used in conjunction when talking about rifles built to carry comfortably in the most remote places on the planet. Those who spend time behind a trigger competing in PRS-style matches would likely say that the two terms should never be used together, but maybe our standards as hunters are just different. At first glance, Bergara’s Premier Mountain 2.0 is a simple sporter that shares a similar style with most hunting rifles you might see gracing the safe of any hunter. It’s a rifle without the frills of modern-day designs. The stainless-steel barrel even lacks threading at the muzzle—one of my only dislikes, though there are reasons why it isn’t there. The rifle is plain, yet elegant. When you pick up the…