All Outdoor

Umbrella rigs are complex contraptions using multiple jigs or lures to help simulate the movement of a school of baitfish. Because stripers frequently prey on the type of baitfish that travel in small schools, umbrella rigs are frequently used to try and catch them. Umbrella rigs are good for fishing while trolling or using downriggers–they use a varying number of arms, with each holding one identical lure or jig. An umbrella rig is one of the harder rigs to put together and its popularity varies from angler to angler, but there’s no arguing that if you get it trolling properly through the water, you’ll draw the attention of stripers in the area.

I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with decoys over the years. Granted, some lovesick toms run to fakes. But I’ve watched far too many birds stop 50 yards out, explode into strut and wait for the “hen” to walk the rest of the way to them. Here’s a good way to cut down on some of those hang-ups.

This story begins with DJ Petrou, a 3-gun competitor whose taste in guns differs a bit from mine. I am all for peace, comfort and quiet, while he will put up with the loudest brakes to get quicker return on target. When he directed me to Taccom site, I was skeptical. Being a rimfire fan, I went straight to the page about .22 AR uppers and found the lightest version to run as a comparison with the Volquartsen ultralight 10-22. I planned to put this upper on an all-plastic lower with a telestock for use in training kids. For that reason, I picked the least front-heavy version without a rail for the front sight: the initial training is done with a red dot to account for cross-eye dominant learners.

One of the most asked questions I’ve gotten over the years, is the “what is the best pistol…?” sort of question. I know many other gun writers and instructors have also been asked this question, and there is no pat answer.

Patrick Ma is back.  He has been on a long journey since splitting from the company he helped found, Triple Aught Design.  His new company, Prometheus Designwerx, has been getting on its feet over the last six months or so and it has been, from a fan’s perspective, a bit of a rough start.  There is the inexplicable glass octopus.  The didn’t-sell-as-fast-as-everyone-expected Scout knife.  And more t-shirts, stickers, and patches than you’d find at a local Hallmark store (albeit with gritty dude-themed images as opposed to pastel paisleys).  We were all waiting for THE KNIFE.  And with the release of the SPD Badger A2, it is finally, finally here.

Henry AR7 survival rifle has been covered extensively, but I would like to add my own observations to the article pile. Produced first by Armalite and Charter Arms, AR7 had a reputation for indifferent reliability. I am happy to report that the Henry variant proved very reliable with a variety of ammunition. I tested this gun right out of the box with no additional lubrication and no adjustment of sights.

7.62×25 Tokarev cartridge is a higher-pressure 1930 update of the 1896 high-velocity 7.63mm Mauser. Originally designed for pistols, it was also used in several submachine guns. As a result, it used mainly medium speed powders and produces a substantial muzzle flash. Most of the ammunition available is military surplus, with thick jackets and great penetration — a predictable product of high velocity and small cross-section. A typical Tokarev-chambered pistol launches 85 grain bullets at around 1400fps at the muzzle. Some surplus and modern factory loads approach 1500fps. In gelatin, that gives a straight line 30-caliber 30+ inch long wound channel that widens only where the bullet flips end over end once. The plus side of the load is its high penetration, sufficient to defeat car body panels and lower-level body armor. The down side is its high penetration, almost guaranteeing that the bullet will exit an unarmored opponent and keep on going. For a defensive round in an urban environment, that’s a liability.

The hunting and outdoors market is as saturated with gear carry bags as an Arby’s fine French Dip roast beef sandwich is with aujus gravy. The big difference is I know from experience that sandwich is a good one, but many of the sporting bags on the shelves these days are hardly worth toting home, much less to the duck blind or hunting stand.

In spring as the bass move from their winter haunts to the staging areas where they hold until conditions are right to move to the shallow flats for the spawn, there are very few exhibitions that will out-produce a crawfish imitation presentation.

With moose numbers falling in some areas of the state, New Hampshire game managers have begun taking action to protect this valuable resource.

This video opens with a cool-looking pseudo-gatling gun, clad in copper and bristling with pop rivets – and venting steam from tiny chimneys.

It’s actually dry ice and water, but it looks good.

At the heart, it’s a Ruger 10/22. The gun’s action is mostly hidden away inside the copper container.

There’s a round array of seven copper “barrels,” which are powered by an electric motor that operates independently of the crank which operates the gun’s trigger. If you watch closely, you can see the guy switch the barrel-rotating motor on and off with his left thumb.

Clearly, the spinning barrels are purely for decoration – like almost everything else on the thing. As near as I can tell, it fires through the center “barrel,” a simple length of copper pipe around which the others rotate.

There’s no way it weighs 60 pounds, as the fellow in the video claims.

But hey – it looks fun!

Back in January, I posted about Winchester’s new Shot-Lok shotshells, which promise great patterns near and far – especially far. The shot charge in these shells – currently marketed to both turkey and pheasant hunters – is encapsulated in a resin that hardens, providing the ultimate buffer – to resist shot deformation even at the base of the shot column.

This video was filmed by a Veteran in Boise, Idaho. The guy claimed he was in the Army, but wearing an Air Force blouse. When asked his rank, he said “Sniper”. He was then educated on why it’s not okay to pretend to be a member of the military. I’m still surprised he was able to get this kid on film.

A few months back at the 2015 SHOT Show Range Day, I ran across an interesting display. It was for HECS Stealthscreen, clothing that supposedly blocks the human body’s natural electrical field, to prevent game animals from seeing you as a threat. After a talk with the company president, this skeptic walked away feeling cautiously optimistic and excited to think of the potential – especially as turkey season approached. And that’s how I was feeling when I posted about it then.

When you’re shooting a fully automatic firearm and it jams – and that’s not uncommon at all – what do you do? If you’re familiar with more traditional firearms, the methods you’re used to using may very well not work.

In this video, hickok45 demonstrates the how and why, showing clearly that the methods we use to clear semi-autos can easily lead to unintentional discharges…

Let’s say you do it right and slip within 100 yards of a roosted turkey that is gobbling hot and heavy. The more the bird roars, the more you feel an uncontrollable urge to cluck and yelp. But be careful! Too much calling at first light can hang a tom on his limb as he waits for the hot “hen” to sail or walk beneath his roost tree. And the longer he sits up there and fails to see her, the more he thinks somethings wrong. When the bird finally flies down 30 minutes later, there’s a good chance he’ll run the other way.

In previous articles, we’ve covered selecting, fitting, buying and maintaining footwear. By this point, I’m sure that all but the most serious foot-fetishists are begging for a speedy end. But, hey – there’s another hugely important facet of footwear to cover first – what you put in your shoes and what you put on them.

Winter dawn comes slow and noisy in the southeast Texas rice country not far from the town of Eagle Lake. It’s muddy and flat, mostly gray at sunrise, and geese by the uncountable thousands take charge in a deafening din that must be heard to be believed.

In this particular situation, what would you choose as your course of action?

Kansas – Deer hunters all over yearn for a buck to fill the freezer, with a big rack to serve as a trophy to commemorate the hunt. We also often take does, to help manage the herd and feed our families as we wait for a chance at a trophy. Only on very rare occasions does one deer accomplish both tasks, but that’s just what happened when Chuck Rorie reportedly took a fine 8-point whitetail doe.