Innehållsförteckning för October 2016 från Gun Digest

To help coax maximum accuracy from the Long Range Hunter, the scope used in testing was a Steiner GS3 4-20x50 model. This high-magnification scope, with its large objective lens, has quickly become a favorite for testing rifles from the bench, and deserves serious consideration by hunters thanks to Steiner’s CAT (color-adjusted transmission) lens coating technology. Simply defined, CAT is designed to minimize glare while boosting contrast of game animals against typical environmental backgrounds. This 30mm main-tube scope is available with several reticle options. The tested version had Steiner’s S7 reticle, a second focal plane design that uses hash marks to account for bullet drop out to 700 yards and wind drift lines for 5-10 mph crosswind. Parallax is adjustable from 164 feet to infinity.…

Over the course of a shooting or hunting career our views and beliefs change, and perhaps the most polar shift over the past 20 years for me has been my reliance on binoculars. When I was in my teens hunting squirrels and deer in Ohio, I never owned a pair of binos; it was a struggle to afford shotgun shells and .22 ammo, and I couldn’t see the value of investing in optics that I considered, at least at that time, a luxury and not a necessity. But I slowly began to appreciate good binoculars and started considering them an essential tool for hunting, shooting and scouting. Today I have no less than four pair of binoculars and I use them almost daily for everything from bird watching to scouting…

Shorter days and cooler nights mean one thing to millions of Americans: Football season. Crazy, isn’t it? The rest of us know exactly what that chill in the air means. Yep, it’s hunting season. “Big game” has nothing to do with rivalries and everything to do with a day in the deer woods or a week in elk camp. You’ll need ammo, of course. Whether you chase deer, elk, squirrels, pigs or coyotes, you’ve got a slew of new choices this season. Ammo makers are not only building on proven lines, they are also tweaking old choices and making them even better. A few are even producing entirely new lines with specialized loads for your exact needs. 1 HORNADY AMERICAN WHITETAIL: The introduction of the American Whitetail line of hunting…

As any experienced hunter can attest, there’s a lot the deer and elk woods can throw at you. From inclement weather and nefarious insects to long-distance meat hauls and the exploration of vast and unfamiliar terrain, there’s a lot to prepare for before you head out after your meat. If you hold as dearly to the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared,” as I do, then it’s worth considering as many needs as possible that you’ll face off grid and in chase of game. Fortunately, there’s more gear solutions than ever; the only challenge is sifting through them all to find the true winners. They say necessity is the mother of invention, which certainly holds true when it comes to outdoor and hunting gear. Based on decades of time spent afield,…

Every once in a while, you pick up a new rifle and find that you have difficulty putting it down. You examine it minutely and run your hands over it. You work the bolt repeatedly, shoulder the gun and maybe dry fire it a few times, and a little voice inside your head says, “This one’s a shooter.” That was my first thought when I picked up Browning’s new X-Bolt Long Range Hunter Stainless rifle. This model was introduced earlier this year along with its somewhat better-known stablemate, the X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed rifle, which has seemingly hogged the media spotlight since birth. I really don’t know what it was, but this new Long Range Hunter spoke to me, whispering sweet promises of tight bullet groupings down range. Maybe it…

If you reload your ammunition, you already appreciate how much control you have over the different parameters of the cartridge. Powder charge, case brand, primer brand, bullet type, etc.; having the ability to choose your poison is paramount. Seating depth is one of those parameters that can make or break accuracy results—a slight shift in seating depth can radically change the group size. Every barrel has a particular set of harmonics, and when you find a load that agrees with those harmonics, you’ll see accuracy. As many of you know, a slight change in powder charge, say ½ grain or less, or the aforementioned seating depth difference will definitely change your accuracy. If you find a load that works well in your rifle, you can fine-tune it with different seating…