U.S. Hunting Today » Product Reviews

As U.S. Moves Left Anti-Gun Bills Appearing

Tom — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:17:39 +0000

When it was announced that Barack Obama would be running for the presidency, it quickly became common knowledge that he was one of the most liberal senators in Washington. We new little about him then and today still know little about him but we are slowly finding out.

During the campaign much discussion took place on this blog and others across the Net about Obama’s anti-gun positions, even though he has attempted to paint a different picture of himself than the actions he has taken against guns. Campaigns can put spots on zebras and stripes on hippopotamus.

It appears that President Obama may not have to be the one to directly begin offering up bills that will strip Americans of their Second Amendment rights. I have said from the beginning that once Obama is elected, we’ll begin seeing an emboldened movement to support his liberal agenda.

Oddly enough, just the other day I was telling my wife, more out of disgust than anything, “You mark my words! Within 3 months a bill will be proposed, that if passed, would require that every gun bought and sold in America would have to be registered with the federal government!”

When I sat down to work this morning and opened by email, I found myself staring into information a reader sent me about H.R. 45, Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009.

This bill will do exactly what I warned my wife it would do. Not only that, if you happened to read my last post about Ann Coulter’s article on liberal victimhood, well, welcome to liberal victimhood in the form of another anti-gun bill.

(6) on the afternoon of May 10, 2007, Blair Holt, a junior at Julian High School in Chicago, was killed on a public bus riding home from school when he used his body to shield a girl who was in the line of fire after a young man boarded the bus and started shooting.

As tragic as this is and as self-sacrificing as Blair Holt was, this bill will do nothing to stop that from happening again. As has been pointed out before, it will make matters worse.

The bill spells out what it believes the purposes of the bill are.

(1) to protect the public against the unreasonable risk of injury and death associated with the unrecorded sale or transfer of qualifying firearms to criminals and youth;

(2) to ensure that owners of qualifying firearms are knowledgeable in the safe use, handling, and storage of those firearms;

The public is not going to be protected because a criminal murderer who did not register his gun. The danger in presenting this in this manner is that it leads some people to believe that if a gun is recorded it will no longer be used to commit a crime.

In number two, any intelligent person should ask if the person who killed Blair Holt was knowledgeable in the safe use, handling and storage of his firearm? And if he had registered it, what difference would it have made?

As the Obama administration continues its migration to the far left, his followers, like the sponsors and supporters of H.R. 45, will begin appearing, feeling empowered by the President’s own anti-gun past, and will attempt enactment of bills like this and others.

I’m sure Mr. Obama would consider this bill one of those “reasonable restrictions” often spoken as being necessary.

Let’s get to work and defeat this bill.

Tom Remington

Jig-A-Loo – Product Review

Steve — Wed, 09 May 2007 18:17:36 +0000

Jig-A-Loo?

Woo who!

What did you say?

That was about my response when I was asked to review a water repellent and lubricant I’d never heard of. Jig-A-Loo what? Sure, OK. Send some over. What I got was an orange can of spray about the size of a can of Pam cooking spray and an orange hat I doubt you could wear any place for long in the United States with out getting something kicked.

jigaloo.com

After a little internet searching, reading, and checking up on this stuff I found it’s a pretty well established product in Canada and hails from Quebec where they have this funny habit of speaking a lot of French. Thus the name, Jig-A-Loo, and the company’s claim it derives from a saying they have up north, “I’ve got it!”

Well, ok. If you guys say so, but what I really care about is, does it work.

Water repellent? Lubricant on a par or better than WD40? No smell and a line or two later in their ad it claims to have a pleasant aroma or some such phrase. Now my skeptic radar is lit up like a Christmas tree son so let’s get right on this and get it figured out.

First I got out a pure white paper towel and a white cotton shop towel. Both were perfectly clean to start and I folded each over in half. On the side up I sprayed a good coating of Jig-A-Loo, just like I would with any other water repellent. Then I hung both of these over a fence in the sun to dry.

Despite their claim to be odorless this is when you will notice an odor, when you are spraying it. Considering a warning like this, “CAUTION Contains: methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, isobutane, and propane… ” you get a pretty clear picture of the odor. Not really objectionable but not exactly odorless nor exactly pleasant and definitely one you should not smell in a confined area or around an open flame. The label on the can makes this perfectly clear as well.

If did my own little flammability test I won’t describe in detail but I’ll say it’s less flammable right out of the can than hair spray but not much and it doesn’t appear to have any affect on the flammability of material after it is dry at all. So be careful where you spray it but once dry I don’t consider it an issue.

I must say when it dries, there is no odor my nose could detect so I’ll call Jig-A-Loo odorless at that point and there was no stain and both materials appear plain white again when dry so I’ll definitely call it nonstaining as well. I like that it was dry after a few minutes to prevent collecting dirt and dust when used on a weapon as well and after a month of humid summer weather I see absolutely no sign of rusting on my blue steel 10/22 I sprayed with Jig-A-Loo and after about 500 rounds since lubing it I’m still not experiencing any of the stove pipe malfunctions with sub sonic ammo that motivated me to give Jig-a-loo a try as an action lubricant.

The only area of their advertised claims I found deficient was in the area of water repellent. Both materials I originally tested soaked up water from a spray bottle equally on both the treated area and the untreated area. I couldn’t tell any difference no matter which position the fabric was in when sprayed, it still soaked right in to both the cotton shop cloth and the treated paper towel. In order to make sure I was giving this a fair test I even sprayed my army surplus field jacket from the middle of the shoulder over to the left side and when it finally rained a little last week I wore it to go out and feed the dogs. I wasn’t outside more than five or ten minutes but when I got back in I couldn’t tell a bit of difference looking at the back of the jacket or feeling it on my back. It was just plain wet and it felt wet.

Jig-a-loo worked great quieting the squeaky truck door and the hinge on the back door of the house with the advantage over WD40 that I wasn’t worried about staining the wood or stinking up the house. Ten minutes later you couldn’t look at it or take a whiff and know I’d done a thing until you opened the door. Then I was smooth and squeak free.

I’d recommend this to gun owners and I’m using it as a lubricant on my own guns now instead of most other oils but I think I’ll keep my umbrella handy for feeding the dogs in wet weather.

Richard Becraft J

H.B. Forge Tomahawk

Tom — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:36:07 +0000

I love this thing. Gutting, breaking the pelvic bone, trimming a limb, hammer in stakes for a blind, and entertainment all in one tool.

This is from their ad on their web page.

Small Camp Axe (Throwing Camp Axe)
Like the large camp axe, only the hammer pole has been added to the Lady’s Hawk blade. Overall it is much lighter than the large camp axe and is more easily used as a throwing campa axe. It is also a wonderful belt axe and can easily deal with small firewood, kindling and tent stakes.
$40.50 3 lbs.
http://www.hbforge.com/products/tomahawks.php

I have both the large camp axe and this smaller version. I’ve used mine for all the tasks mentioned in their promotion, small firewood, kindling, and tent stakes as well as trimming a few limbs when setting up tree stands and splitting the pelvic bone on a deer. This thing is the best ever for splitting that bone. If I was doing that job at home and could use anything I own it would be this small camp axe. It’s the simplest thing in the world to clean up and does a great job.

Now for the cream on top, it’s a fantastic toy. In camp or just playing around on the trail walking home, nothing makes the walk go faster or time pass more enjoyable in camp than tossing something and sticking it in the next tree. If you happen to guess wrong it doesn’t destroy the tool like most modern designs. The hand forged steel head just slides down the handle and you slide it back up to fix it. It’s a simple tool. It serves several purposes, works every time and is nearly impossible to break it.

I like it. I’ve owned a couple and the hardest thing about them is keeping your friends from talking you out of yours. I give this one two thumbs up!

Richard “B” Becraft

Stylus Pen LED Light

Tom — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:34:33 +0000

I’ve been using one of these Stylus Pen lights with an LED now for a couple years and now I wouldn’t be with out one. It uses a couple AAA batteries and I’ve only replaced them once in all that time. I use it year round for any thing I need to do in the dark. The green light doesn’t seem to spook game at all and it really reflects off any of those reflective type trail markers. You can see those 50 yards away or more and easily see the trail to avoid briars, rocks and obstacles.

http://www.theledlight.com/stylus.html

I’ve got the black body one with a green light and I highly recommend these. I’ve got mine clipped right on the bill of my hat and never take it off.

Richard “B” Becraft

Laker Fishing Scale – From Wal-Mart

Tom — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:33:39 +0000

I needed a scale recently and my electronic fish scale had seen it’s last days. The battery went dead and started leaking resulting in the interior corroding. I decided I’d try one of those spring scales since they don’t need batteries they should never go bad and they are a lot cheaper.

Well my first try was a Laker brand from Wal-Mart. Cost about five bucks which seemed fair. At least until I tried it. It was obvious the scale wasn’t even close to accurate the first thing I put on it. This led me to actually check it with a known weight.

Now I know these cheap scales are not going to be butcher shop accurate but this thing showed a 7.5 pound weight at 3 pounds. That is just plain ridiculous kind of bad, cheap junk. My opinion of this Laker fish scale from Wal-Mart is it should be sold as some kind of kids toy in the toy department and doesn’t belong in any way shaper or form in the sporting goods department by any kind of serious fisherman.

Richard Becraft

Maine Vue Optics 3X9X40 Riflescope

Tom — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:32:43 +0000

Review by Richard “B” Becraft

Maine Vue Optics is a recent challenger in the optics arena of shooting sports. I recently had the opportunity to put one of their products through the paces here in southern Indiana. It is a Maine Vue Optics, 3x9x40 riflescope with a Proshot reticle. All the details of the company and this product are available on their web page, http://www.mvoptics.com/. My intent is to find answers to the questions every hunter is asking himself as he looks at a riflescope on a counter or in the pages of a catalogue.

1. Will it repeat?
2. Will it hold up?
3. Will I be able to see through it when it really matters?
4. Will it fog up on me when I need it most?
5. Does the company stand behind this product?

I used a Ruger 10/22 to establish the out of the box ability of this riflescope to repeat. First I established the rifles capability with two 10 shot groups, fired at 50 yards. All groups shown in this evaluation are 10 shots at 50 yards, fired from a steady rest on a solid platform.

To check the riflescope’s ability to take recoil and still perform I mounted the scope on a 12 gauge shotgun and fired a variety of shot and slug loads.

Here in Indiana our shooting hours for deer hunting run until 30 minutes past sunset so I shot a group every 10 minutes from sunset to 30 minutes past.

I put this rifle scope in the refrigerator until it was below freezing and then submerged it in water at room temperature looking for bubbles. This will reveal right away if there is any possible air infiltration with the resultant interior fogging.

To check the validity of their stated lifetime limited warrantee I called the phone number listed on their web site, like any other customer would and ask for warrantee service.

Here is what the 10/22 rifle and I can do with my own regular scope at 50 yards. Those are 1 inch squares I’ve drawn on 1/4 inch graph paper in the illustration below.

I then removed my own scope and installed the MVO 3x9x40 on the same rifle. After a little adjustment, I shot the center group of ten shots on the target below from 50 yards. Moved 16 clicks left and shot a ten shot group using the same sight picture. Repeat after 16 clicks down and again at 16 clicks back right. There is a piece of metal in the target holder which caused the tearing in the fourth group from lead splatter.

The final move in this series is 16 clicks back up which should complete the square putting the final ten shot group on top of the first one. To demonstrate just how close this came back to center I moved my point of aim to the top right corner of the target and fired the final 10 shot group of this series. These groups are all rapid fire with no time for the barrel to cool down and minimal wind interference. By rapid fire, I’m considering 10 shots in ten or fifteen seconds to be rapid fire. At no time did I perform any of the common tricks to try to “help” the adjustments settle, like tapping the scope or shooting a group off to the side. I just moved 16 clicks, loaded the magazine and shot. Move 16 clicks, load the magazine and shoot.

One curiosity I noticed during this test is the paper work with the scope said the adjustments were 1/8 inch at 100 yards and the turrets inside the cover are marked 1/4 inch at 100 yards.

Next I set up a Remington 1148 with this scope. Just for reference, if you’ve never heard of a Remington 1148, there is a good reason. The recoil operation of this shotgun is similar to WWII artillery. The barrel recoils on a spring and then slams forward again to chamber the next shell. This thing is really not much fun to shoot with heavy loads and it has already destroyed several scopes.

I used up my remnant 12 gauge shells on this recoil test. I shot every shell in my tag end bowl of all the one’s and two’s of left over shells from past hunting trips in this gun and scope combination. I shot trap loads, reloads, Remington and Winchester foster slugs and reloaded slugs. After that beating I barely had the nerve but I did shoot the remaining three out of a box of Federal super slugs. I made it through with out any signs of “Scopeye” and the cross hairs were still intact so I removed the MVO riflescope from the recoil test gun and set it up again on the 10/22 for the real test to see how it handled the beating of all that recoil.

The results of the out of the box test and the after recoil test for the scope movements are here side by side for comparison.

Moving the final 16 clicks back to center for the final group after the recoil test I was pretty darn pleased with this considering the beating both the shooter and the scope had just been through.

Before quitting for the afternoon I set up this next test to check clarity and low light performance. These always seem subjective to me so I tried to make mine something easily duplicated for comparison. This way rather than just “good” or some other term relative to an unknown quantity this test can be run any time of year by any one, any where and it should produce a direct comparison. In my opinion it’s a question of, “what can I shoot with this?” I want answered and a target can’t be biased by what I want it to do. I can either “hit it” or not, regardless of what the scope cost.

Above you’ll see the same target I’ve been using. This time with four cross hairs marked for sundown, sundown +10 minutes, sundown +20 minutes, and sundown +30 minutes. I’ve deliberately turned the target just a little so the setting sun does not hit the white paper. To the left of the target you’ll see an old and weathered life size archery deer target if you look closely in the shadows.

At legal sunset under a cloudless sky and no moon, I sat down to my shooting bench and looked through the scope at the target you see below and could easily pick out the bulls eye in the middle and each of the four marked targets, including the small 1/4 inch hash marks and I fired my first 10 shot group from 50 yards at the upper left target marked S.D. just to confirm I wasn’t fooling my self in to seeing what I “wanted” to. I also looked over at the archery target and a heart shot at this distance was a confirmed “gimme”.

At 10 minutes past sunset I sat down at the bench again and the light was definitely fading but I could still see the hash marks as well as the vertical and horizontal lines crossing. I fired the confirming group you see in the picture below and I could still clearly see the arrow holes and marks on the deer target 10 yards behind and in the shadows.

At 20 minutes past sunset I could still see the vertical and horizontal crossing lines but the 1/4 inch hash marks had disappeared for me. If not for the other markings on the target and the holes I could see from the previous groups I could not have picked out the correct crossing lines to fire at. This made it difficult because the cross hairs of the scope are covering the crossing lines I want to hit when I can’t see the hash marks. I did the best I could and fired the group you see at the position marked +20. It’s easy to tell it was getting more difficult as the group opened up some. Still every shot from the group of 10 would have been a killing heart shot on a deer with an adequate weapon or a good head shot on a squirrel with this 22LR. Looking to the Styrofoam deer I could still easily center the cross hairs on the center of the chest cavity but could no longer make out individual flaws or marks on it. As a side note, at this point I decided to see just how another well known brand would compare so I walked to the house and got a Leupold. From the same position and only a couple minutes after shooting the 20 minute group I set this Leupold to 9 power to match the power of the MVO 3x9x40 and I couldn’t see the hash marks with this riflescope either. In fact as far as I could tell there wasn’t any advantage to it at all at the comparable power setting.

At 30 minutes past sunset I could no longer make out any mark on the paper other than the bold bulls eye, it was clear but the rest of the paper just looked white and I could no longer pick out any part of the archery deer target. I shot my final group of ten shots at the center bull. The total results of this shooting exercise are illustrated in the picture below on the left and on the right is the rest and 10/22 rifle I used.

The last thing I tested the riflescope for was the integrity of the assembly to hold in the inert gasses. Most scope manufactures use inert compressed gas inside these to prevent infiltration of atmospheric air containing moisture. If moisture gets inside it will create moisture on the inside of the lenses. The only thing worse than moisture on your scope on a freezing cold morning when the biggest buck you’ve ever seen steps in front of you, is moisture fogging it on the inside where you can’t wipe it off.

To check this I put the MVO 3×9 power scope in my refrigerator for 3 hours. It was 5 degrees. That’s not an unreasonable length of time for a lot of people to hunt in sub freezing weather and the length of time doesn’t really matter after the scope becomes the same temperature. Next I ran a sink full of water at room temperature, 70 degrees. This is to simulate bringing your gun in from a freezing morning hunt to set it inside. The point of this is when the gasses inside the scope begin to warm back to room temperature they will expand and if there is any flaw in the seal they will escape. In the water this is obvious and when I put the scope in the water it did bubble from the rubber seal at the eye piece end of the scope. It appeared to bubble at a rate of about one bubble ever couple of seconds.

If gas can get out, air can get in and with it moisture will infiltrate as well. I removed the scope and dried it off before it was fully warmed up so it wouldn’t start sucking water back in once it attained room temperature, then I put it in the refrigerator portion to cool it to about 35 degrees. I wanted to see if it had leaked enough to create fogging on the inside. After about 30 minutes I took it out and it immediately fogged on the outside of the lenses but wiping them off gave a clear view showing no signs of moisture infiltration or fogging to the inside of the scope yet.

One other trait of this scope came to my attention as I attempted to install it on my Savage 110, 30-06, for the recoil test. It won’t fit. The one inch tube portion of this scope where the rings fit is 5.5 inches long and the outside length for scope rings at their nearest on a Savage 110 is about 6 inches. This makes it unreasonable if not impossible to install this on a Savage rifle with a long action such as a 30-06 and the same was true on my Savage 243. I did check the Ruger M77 and it would be no problem there or on any of my shotgun mounts. It is something you need to check prior to purchasing.

I don’t consider it part of my job to say this piece of equipment is just what “Joe B” needs for his job in southern Indiana or the job “Jonny B” is doing in Maine. I feel the job of the reviewer of a piece of equipment is to give the reader the facts. Useful facts they need to know prior to a purchase and I’ve attempted to stay as close to just the facts so you may make an informed decision. You know the time of day you hunt and the weather conditions there. I couldn’t possibly know. I also purposely don’t know what the price of this equipment is. I put it through the same check list I would to test a Leupold or a Tasco. People want to know what it will do when they buy it. Moving from the facts to express a couple of opinions, I’d say I put this through at least a couple of years of use. I would not rule it out because of the bubble, because not every one hunts for hours in sub freezing weather. This may last for years and years of summer, fall, and spring use or it may fog in a few months of subjection to every day extreme temperature changes.

One thing I can say is I believe if there is ever a problem with this equipment the warrantee will be absolutely no problem. I deliberately tested the warrantee as well. Just as any other purchaser would do, I looked through the paper work and warrantee information to find the Main View Optics web page at MVOptics.com. On their web page I found phone numbers to contact them for warrantee work and told them I had one of their products here with a problem and it was absolutely no trouble at all to get them to take care of it. They offered a full exchange and were extremely gracious. In fact I don’t know how they could have been any more accommodating in their offer to help me get my equipment back in order before the coming deer season. I did not tell them who I was or that I was reviewing their product so I have no doubt that any other customer can expect the same excellent service that I’d rank as high as any one in the business, regardless of the price of the product.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together here and find this information helpful in deciding if this product can help you “get the job done” where and when you hunt. I’ll see you in the field, Richard “B” Becraft. Hunt hard, hunt safe and have fun my friends.

The Outdoor Hanger

Tom — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:40:56 +0000

Product Review
by Steven T. Remington

Being a hunter and an avid outdoors person we all have witnessed the same things when it comes to our clothing. Some of the terrain and weather conditions calls for some rugged and heavy pants, shirts, jackets, and vests. The problem we all have faced in the past is the ability to store our heavy and well insulated clothing properly. In most cases a typical hanger won’t hold them and so we opt to fold them up and toss them on the floor of your closet or in a drawer. Once the item is in the drawer there is no more room in there for other things.

Well, there is now a solution and I have tested this product myself and it is completely amazing. There are now hangers that are designed specifically for your heavy and well insulated clothing. The hangers are made of a thick hard plastic and come in an array of different colors. I took all of my outdoor clothes and got them ready for the test. I began placing each item on a new hanger and soon half of my closet was full. Astonished at how well they hung there undisturbed, I began to tug at each one of the items to see if I could get the clothes to slip off. First the heavy orange jacket. After testing each one I was amazed to see that these hangers were not only the answer for me, but for the answer to all outdoors people looking for a way to hang their outdoor clothing.

I used to buy the big plastic hangers found in the housewares department at Walmart but they were still too flimsy for my jackets. They even weren’t broad enough to get each end under the shoulder of the jacket properly to hold it well. These new hangers are a lot larger and far from flimsy.

To get your hands on some you can contact Mark Mann at:

F/M EDM INC
54 ELM STREET
EAST AURORA, NEW YORK 14052
contact name = Mark Mann
phone 716-655-1784
fax 716-687-1869
suggested retail price = $5.00 each
quantity discounts upon request

Gore-Tex Pac Jac and Pac Pants

Tom — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:39:40 +0000

Product Review
Gore-Tex Pac Jac and Pac Pants
By Gene Wisnewski
(Oct. 28, 2003)

I am a member of Crossroads Cabin. I post on the forum as Mailman29680.

I wanted to send a product review to your magazine for an item I would not be without in the outdoors.

Products that allow us to spend more time a field are worth their weight in gold for the devoted outdoorsman. We would not be caught without these products that make the precious time we enjoy outside just that.

Browning makes one such product that I have purchased and I would not be without in the forests of the eastern United States. The Browning product I am talking about is the “Gore-Tex Pac Jac and Pac Pants.”

These waterproof products have many great features. Waterproof jacket and pants save those days when Mother Nature sends rain your way. It is lightweight rain gear that is tight fitting for the archers and quiet material for those up close encounters with the game we are chasing.

My favorite feature of this product is the ability to pack this product into an included stuff bag.

This bag is small and lightweight and fits nicely in your pack. At two and a half pounds, this is a great trade off to save a day of hunting. Tuck this product under your feet at your tree stand or in your game pouch of your hunting vest for those cherished days we don’t want to miss due to rain.

Many a hunting day has been saved by my Browning, Gore-Tex Rain Pac. Slip the raingear on quietly and you can continue to hunt while others head home.

Staying dry is of the utmost importance for getting in the time outdoors that it takes to consistently take game. That is why you will not catch me in the great outdoors without my Browning rain gear.

I am in no way affiliated with Browning or Gore-Tex.

Thanks a lot,
Gene Wisnewski

Pac Jac

Description: Microfiber Quantum cloth shell with durable, water-repellent finish • Waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex® LTD fabric lining • Adjustable hood • Adjustable, elasticized cuffs • Two zippered cargo pockets • Drawcord adjustable waist • Snap secured storm flap • Stuffs into its own pocket • Sizes: S-3XL

$155-$185 depending on style and size

Pac Pant

Description: Microfiber Quantum cloth shell with durable, water-repellent finish • Waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex® LTD fabric lining • Adjustable elasticized cuffs with side seam leg zippers • Elasticized drawcord waist with belt loops • Single rear pocket • Stuffs into included stuff bag • Sizes: S-3XL

$120-$139 depending on style and size

Pac Hat

Description: Shell is Quantum cloth (matches Pac Series clothing) • Lining is GORE-TEX® LTD for 100% waterproof, breathable protection • Adjustable headband • Rolls up and easily stores away

$25.00

Brooks And Thomas Gun Case

Tom — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:37:35 +0000

How to Choose a Gun Case
Leather Covered, Plastic or Metal Cases are Not The Same

I am often asked, “What gun case type is best for me? Plastic, metal, or a classic presentation case (leather and or canvas built around a wooden frame).” The answer when choosing a gun case is… It depends what and where you are going to shoot.

Are you going to be traveling extensively via airline? If so, you had better check out a metal case. A good metal case, and I mean a really good one, does seem to withstand the abuse dished out, the exterior of the gun case that is. I have often wondered about what is really going on inside the case. You know, what you are trying to protect – your favorite gun.

Using common sense, if a forceful blow is received to the exterior of the case, what gun case type is going to transfer the least amount of energy toward the interior of the case and on to your prized shotgun, rifle or handgun? Well, my guess is, and keep in mind engineering was not my college major, a wooden box case, and then a plastic case, and in last place would be metal.

I once read an article from an online shooting publication where they tested various types of shotgun cases. I must confess to being very surprised when the presentation case (leather and canvas covering a wooden box) actually held up better than the brand name metal and plastic cases. When flying, however, I suspect most presentation case locks and hinges would succumb to the brutality of airline baggage systems.

Okay, the bottom line on my “common sense approach to what gun case type is best”: If you are on a very tight budget, go with plastic and leave your favorite gun at home. If you are going to travel on the airlines… choose a metal gun case. Make sure it is a really well constructed case and that the interior is lined with thick, high-density foam to absorb the hits your case will take in baggage handling.

On the other hand, if you are a target shooter, whether it’s a breakdown shotgun, handgun, or rifle, you most likely travel by car to your favorite shooting club or the next shooting event. These are the times when you may have your prized, straightest shooting gun along. You want a case that locks, provides protection from accidents when traveling around, (usually from trying to carry too many boxes of ammo, water bottles, shooting glasses and such, in one hand). Also, you want a case that shows you have a really nice gun inside and that you are serious about your sport.

In my case, I am not about to put a $2500 gun in a plastic gun case. Sheesh, that’s like going to prom in my barn boots (okay I did that but I have matured, well, maybe not …you’d better think of your own analogy). I also want the compartments in my gun case to hold all the stuff that keeps my gun in good shape… places for my bore snake, chokes, oil, and wrenches.

In summary, choosing a gun case really depends on where you plan to take your gun. For most serious shooters I believe a wooden frame presentation case covered in a canvas and or leather combination is the best choice. There are many different configurations and price options available. For 95% of your shooting experiences this gun case type, with its good looks, function, and durability, will protect and enhance your favorite gun.

Rick Bingman is President of Brooks & Thomas Gun Cases located in Colorado Springs Colorado. As an avid outdoorsman Rick has spent his lifetime hunting, fishing and shooting. Starting at an early age working in his father’s manufacturing company in Colorado Springs, Rick grew up around production equipment. Thirty years later Rick has combined his years of manufacturing leather products with his passion for the outdoors. His company, Brooks & Thomas has produced and is currently manufacturing fine quality gun cases for top gun manufacturers, conservation groups as well as for the individual sophisticated shooter.

Bloodwood Boxcall and Slate Call

Tom — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:36:26 +0000

Product Review
By Thomas Remington

The Bloodwood Boxcall is a well-crafted turkey call that anyone would be happy to have in their pack of items as they head out for a day of turkey hunting. The workmanship is first class and the combination of woods makes the call attractive as well but does it work?

With ease, the operator can create the sounds that they want. I found that there was so little effort or concentration needed to produce the sounds I was looking for. This is important to me as I prefer to focus on what is transpiring in front of me and not have to concentrate on the call itself. It fit nicely into my pack and most importantly it worked.

The slate call was also an item that seemed to be effortless. For me the slate fit comfortably into the palm of my hand or I could hold it easily and tilt it in any direction that I wanted the sounds to travel. A uniquely crafted and personalized striker also was easy to grip and allowed me to change positions with little effort. I never felt as though I would lose the striker from my hand even when it was cold enough to have to wear gloves.

*To listen to the Poplar and Walnut Boxcall Click Here

*To listen to the Slate and Maple Striker Click Here

Both of these items are a must for the turkey hunter. Larry builds them all by hand himself. For more information contact:

Shorty’s Custom Calls
Larry shorty Scheidegger
1020 9th Ave N
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495
shortysch@charter.net
(715) 424-0243

The Bloodwood Box is $65
The Walnut Slate is $30
Also available is the Poplar Boxcall for $45
Shipping is $5 on all purchases