Until recently, the field of dedicated dangerous-game rifles was pretty narrow. Classic British doubles have always been in demand, even when they weren’t in production, and their prices were (and are) extremely high. The only other option was a bolt-action, but even the best hand with a bolt rifle couldn’t match the second-shot speed of a double.
On a recent hunt with Namibian PH Cornie Coetzee, I was impressed by the rig he carried—a gun that serves as his last line of defense against elephants, buffalo, leopards, and lions. Part high-tech bolt gun, part tactical rifle, Cornie’s Blaser updates the concept of the dangerous-game gun.
I heard the hogs before I saw them—not surprising as it was night—and snapped on the light mounted on the bottom rail of my Rock River Arms PRK-EHIDE, Rock River’s recent entry into the hog hunting market.
A version of its popular LAR-Hunter series, the PRK-EHIDE is a .223 caliber AR-style rifle. It’s very accurate (rated by Rock River to turn in 3/4-inch groups at 100 yards, which I was able to accomplish at the shooting range) and a lot of fun to shoot. It comes with a smooth two-stage trigger, half-quad rails on a free-floating handguard, and a16-inch chrome moly barrel with a 1x9 twist. For shooting comfort, there’s also an adjustable CAR stock and a Hogue rubber pistol grip. I topped it with a Bushnell 1X MP tactical optic, a red and green dot 1x32.
My Plano AW Gun Case went through a field test in the unlikeliest of places: the airport.
I watched as the case poked its nose out onto the baggage carousel, came down the conveyor line and immediately got hung up on the very tight corner. With 30 people between me and the case, I couldn’t get there before a suitcase gave it a bump — my gun case slid off the line, dropped a foot and a half and slammed hard onto the floor.
#1 - Break a True Pair Take the rear target first and continue your swing to get out in front of the lead clay. For going-away birds, take the clay that’s more of a straightaway and then swing on the target that’s angling away.
#2 - Get Steady Off-Hand During dry-fire practice, pick a small target to focus on, and with the rifle held low, bring it up in a smooth motion. As soon as the target comes into view with the reticle centered on it, break the trigger.
I recently spent over a week hunting hogs in East Texas in conjunction with the Wild Hog Roundup sponsored by Wulf Outdoors Sports of Center, Texas. Arriving from chilly Wisconsin, the 80-plus degree temperatures were a welcome change. But it took a couple days of hunting to realize the daytime heat was driving the hogs into the vegetation-choked creek bottoms. Night hunting was in order if I was going to bag a wild porker.
Editor’s Note: Tim Trefren is a hunting guide from Wyoming and a competitor on Top Shot, the History Channel’s reality tv show about marksmanship. Each week Tim will blog about the most recent episode offering insight and shooting tips.
In the last Top Shot episode, we used the new BowTech Strike Force crossbow in a a head-to-head challenge with rotating targets. But because of my archery experience, our rival team (the blue team) voted to make me sit this one out.
REALLY?! After all the crap we have shot, we finally get a weapon that’s right up my alley and I have to sit down? Fine, they can keep me from shooting but they can’t shut me up. I decided to talk my teammates through every shot.
An Outdoor Life reader recently sent in this question:
I’m getting a new Ruger M77 Hawkeye in .308 Win. I love to deer hunt, but I might also get the chance to hunt elk in the future. Can the .308 take on elk or should I bring along something bigger?
Jonathan Owen thinks it’s time for pig hunters to get tactical, and to that end he’s launched Special Hog Weapons and Tactics (SHWAT), an Internet-based business bringing together hunters, hog guides and outfitters, landowners and manufacturers of hog hunting firearms and accessories. SHWAT (pronounced Schaa-watt) hit the web on January 5. Already, Owen is fielding calls and emails from hunters, gun makers and outdoor television show producers.
“This is a gathering place, a network,” says Owen, 42, a pig hunter from Abilene, Texas, and owner of an Internet web marketing business. “We’re poised to be the center of the tactical hog hunting universe.”
Just in time for hunting season, Brunton Hunting released their new Eterna Rifle Scopes.
The Eterna Rifle Scopes are fully multi-coated providing the best in clarity, contrast, true color and light transmission. They are equipped with a fast focus eyepiece affording the hunter faster and more precise target acquisition. Available in three models: the BDC Reticle; the Duplex Reticle; and the Mil-dot Reticle.
The Eterna BDC Reticle lets you zero the point if impact at one distance by using Bullet Drop Compensating glass-etched reticle. It uses a series of aiming points to allow for trajectory and improve accuracy at longer ranges. Available in 4.5-14x50, 3-9x40 and 6.5-20x50. For greater ease and accuracy, Brunton provides a ballistics calculator online.
My buddy who shot this video the other night on the way home says the quality “sucks” from an artistic standpoint, but I don’t care. What’s cool about it is that the buck was about 400 yards off the road where he pulled over even though the road noise makes it seem the buck is just outside his car window.
