All Outdoor

SilencerCo was digging through their archives and came across this vintage instructional film that answers all of the FAQs regarding silencer ownership.  The information is still 100% accurate today.

You can take the boy out of the country, but you will never take the country out of the boy. The  CRKT Woods Chogan T-Hawk Tomahawk takes me back to my country boy roots.  The designer Ryan Johnson may make some of the fanciest certified high tech tomahawk designs, but his good old fashioned design with hot forged 1055 carbon steel head and hickory handle is what a country boy like me leans toward.

The overseas production for all CRKT knives is of very high tolerances and quality. 

In the land of $150-$300 tactical tomahawks, the CRKT Woods Chogan T-Hawk delivers 100% of the functionality with less weight while only sacrificing the top end extreme durability that one piece piece steel designs can offer. Surprisingly, the designer, Ryan Johnson, behind this great $69 tomahawk is the same guy famous for his high dollar fancy tomahawk designs.

Previously I reviewed the $185 CRKT Chogan from Johnson, and his designs are clearly created by someone who actually knows what

Back in December, AllOutdoor.com acquired the videos of KnifeTests.com. For the uninitiated, each episode showcases a different knife that host Noss puts through the wringer in a series of destruction tests. Every Tuesday, we’ll be sharing a new test, so be sure to subscribe and connect with us to stay in the loop.

In this episode, Noss tests the Bark River Bravo 1 fixed blade that retails for about $170 to $230 depending on handle style. For this test, the Bravo 1 tested is made with A-2 steel.

Noss begins with small tests–peeling an apple, slicing an apple and cutting effortlessly through 10,000# webbing. The knife does well with controlled cutting of the webbing, but it falters a bit when put through a chopping test with a 2-x-4 plank of wood. Noss also tests with a piece of metal before returning to the 2-x-4, in which he cuts a series of notches using a mallet to drive in the blade. The blade withstands most of the damage during this process, taking a beating to the back side and major warping to the blade edge. Noss remarks that the warping is a unique result of these tests.

But it’s a quick hit on a block of concrete that really takes a chunk out of the blade. The knife eventually makes a shallow notch in the concrete, but the edge continues to take significant damage. Using a mal

My DPMS Oracle build has become one of my rifles which I use for testing new accessories. Previously I had installed a non-freefloated Troy drop-in rail, but I wanted to wring a bit more accuracy from my rig, which is a benefit of the free float tube. The Troy rail also transmitted a lot of heat to the support hand during sustained shooting drills, and it was a bit shorter than I wanted. Becuase I shoot mid-length systems so much, I kept occasionally grabbing the nice hot gas block on my carbine where the rest of my stock would be on my mid-length ARs. I needed a long, free float handguard so I went big without adding much weight by using the PRI Carbon Fiber Gen III Free Float Forearm Handguard.

Precision Reflex Inc. (PRI) has become a go-to source for many of my builds because of high quality, ergonomics, and innovation. The company was one of the first to offer cantilever scope mounts, and the first to offer a lightweight, heat dissipating carbon fiber forend handguard which can take all the abuse of a harsh tactical environments. PRI also tweaks their versions of standard product concepts which make them more useful, such as the AR tools, billet upper Vise Block, and this QR scope mount.

Way, way back when I first started this crazy writing endeavor, my first review was the Burris Fast Fire II and I loved it. The problem was that it did not come with a co-witness height riser, and the sight needed to removed from its base to change the battery. The result was some pain to find just the right riser height and occasionally a rezeroing with a battery replacement.

But clearly Burris has had its ear to the ground and has listened to customer feedback. A large majority of customers were mounting the previous Fast Fire II to AR-15 rifles and liked the extra armor “wings” the AR mount provided, but hated the battery replacement thing and also not having a rise included. Burris went one step further beyond curing these issues with some creative solutions that no other manufacturer has offered on a red dot projection sight.

Burris updated the Fast Fire II with the new Fast Fire III 3 MOA version to now include all the things users were asking for, plus a few surprises they did not know they needed. Burris fixed the bottom loading battery with a top loading unit, but kept a lower cavity under the sight to house a last ditch spare battery. Sure, accessing it will require sight removal from the base, but at least

My first Leupold scope was a bit rocky. That said, this scope changed my entire perception of what clarity and quality could be in a sub-$400 scope. It also renewed my faith in Leupold, and opened my eyes to what everyone has been raving about. If you are a hardcore 75+ yard shooter and gopher hunter then you will want a higher magnification scope and I would suggest looking at the Leupold line. Although generally more power will deliver more accuracy, this 3-9X scope is the perfect compromise for those that want the best of both practical hunting/plinking and benchrest shooting from a 10/22.

The Leupold Ultralight VX-2 line is specifically designed for use with rimfire cartridges and features multi-coated super clear optics, blackened lens edges to reduce glare, a fast focus eyepiece, and most importantly an adjustable objective.

Parallax is most severe at typical sub-50 yard ranges of our rimfire rounds. Most centerfire riflescopes will be preset to be parallax-free at 100-ya

The venerable Glock is thought of first and foremost as a defensive firearm. In fact, many experts consider it the defensive pistol design, and that title is well earned and deserved. Over the last decade, Glock has also become synonymous with high speed sport shooting competitions from bone stock to wild and ready to rock. One thing that a Glock is rarely thought of as is a hunting outdoorsman’s pistol, but the G20 is without a doubt well equipped for that task.

I may be in the minority as someone who hunts with my Glock 17 and 19 pistols. The gun is plenty accuract at pistol hunting distances and does a fabulous job on jackrabbits with standard FMJ without destroying the meat.

The 9mm, .40 S&W, and 45ACP are all fine calibers, but not what I would consider humane hunting rounds on larger, deer sized game, but this is where the 10mm Auto round is perfect. The 10mm Auto, or just 10mm for short delivers a sizeable 556 ft/lbs of energy similar to .357 magnum. Glock’s G20 format puts 15-rounds on tap, which is the equivalent of almost three revolvers full of ammo.

It’s also the case that the SAMI spec’ed 10mm cartridge can be far more powerful, as evidence by Buffalo Bore’s Heavy 10mm Ammo. Buffalo Bore is famous for delivering big power

In just a few feet of water, you’d be surprised to see what you can come in contact with. Watch and see.

I’m often asked how big a survival knife should be, and I generally steer people into the 3.5″-6″ range. I can say from experience that those that recommend carrying a huge mega survival knife as their only knife have not spent significant time outside as outdoorsman.  
In reality, some of the top survivalists in the world recommend a relatively short 3.5”-4” knife. Many of these same top survivalist carry a Mora brand knife, which is a simple and light knife with a blade size and shape similar to your average long kitchen paring knife. These folks know that it is not the big tree chopping tasks that get you to the next day of survival, but the little things that require some detail cutting that only a small blade can perform.

Light My Fire is a well regarded outdoor product manufacturer who produces everything from a titanium Spork to miniature Tealight lanterns. The company recently added a rather interesting survival knife to its line.  The Swedish Fireknife, by Light My Fire is

Camouflage has become well-entrenched in the lives of hunters, and even in the lives of many folks who don’t hunt. Just about anything related to hunting — and many other things such as recliners, house shoes, and bed sheets — can be had with copyrighted camouflage patterns applied.

From the press release: “The ciao! baby go-anywhere high chair is a foldable, portable, free standing chair with an attached tray. It easily unfolds, locks into place and folds back up in seconds. It comes in a convenient carrying bag and is ideal for travel, outdoor activities, restaurants, camping, the beach, grandma’s house and small spaces.

“The ciao! baby chair is available online and in many retail outlets throughout the United States and Canada. For ordering information or to find a store near you, go to www.theportablehighchair.com.”

It’s as much a fashion statement as something with a practical purpose, and opinions vary on its use on even the most basic hunting equipment, such as camo guns. But stepping even farther away from utility is pink camouflage… which, while impractical, seems fairly popular these days.

Over the past several years, more and mor

A hunter in North Carolina bagged a 500-pound wild pig last month.

“It was very surreal,” Webb told WNCT-TV. “It was a shock. It was very humbling to say the least, when you walk up on a beast that big and you say, ‘Oh my gosh. I had no idea that there could be something that big running around the woods of Eastern North Carolina.’”

By: Posted 03-12-2014 on OutdoorChannel.com in Opening Days by Steve Rogers

Permitted use provided by: OutdoorChannel.com.

When it comes to predicting the availability of birds for a particular spring turkey season, it helps to have a good memory.

Because of how the weather conditions were two and three springs earlier typically dictates the prime gobbler population for this season.

There are several factors that figure into the equation, but weather is a chief component – so much so that altering conditions not only can affect production differently from region to region, but even county to county.

“It definitely depends on the areas that you’re in,” said Jeremy Flinn, the Midwest regional wildlife biologist for Cabela’s. “A lot of what happens for our

If you’ve not yet heard about Global Digital Solutions Inc’s (GSDI) bid to buy Remington and turn the company into a “smart gun” maker, then here’s the quick recap: a small, Florida-based investment company wants to buy one of America’s oldest gunmakers from the Freedom Group and begin churning out “smart guns” by the truckload. Remington has disparaged the bid as a “agenda-driven” and a “publicity stunt”, for the seemingly obvious reason that there is no market for “smart guns” so why would rational investors throw money at the concept?

I don’t know for sure whether GSDI is serious or not, but I do know that they’re not the only evidence that some investor money is flowing into the smart gun concept. There’s Silicon Valley “Super Angel” Ron Conway’s prize-based initiative to jumpstart smart gun innovation, and then there’s

Often we focus on the cool tools and accessories when it comes to bugging out. We usually forget about what our pets need to survive an extended separation from home. Unfortunately, we assume that because our domesticated pets are animals, that they could easily switch back into wild survival mode. Every recent natural disaster around the world has proven that this is certainly not the case. Domesticated animals have a hard time foraging for quality food long-term and end up usually dying from infection or intestinal parasites.

The last thing you should do is just cut Rover loose and wish him the best when a crisis arises. With a little planning, your pet could join you during evacuation or could be reunited even if separated. Here are several keys to ensuring you and your pet survive even the worst of crises.

Dog Packs

I want my babyback babyback baby… Glock 26

Yes everytime I see a Baby Glock 26, I start to hum that stupid Chili’s babyback ribs commercial. Despite association that the words “Baby Glock” conjure with poor quality ribs at a chain restaurant, the Glock 26 has become one of the favorite concealed carry handguns on the market. Its no wonder the little size quickly gained the nickname the “Baby Glock”. Recently, the Gen 4 version of this pistol was introduced with a lot of added features to make it one of the best concealed carry guns even better.

Glocks are constantly my top recommendation for new and seasoned shooters simply because I believe they are among the safest pistols on the market. Glock has built one of the most recognizable firearms brands in the world on its Safe Action System, which includes a quick trigger reset, Trigger Safety, Firing Pin Safety, and Drop Safety. Whether you carry for defense with a live round in the chamber or with a chamber empty Massod method, you can be assured that once loaded you are carrying one of the safest guns on the market.

Glocks are also among the most mechanically simple guns are the market with only 34 component parts. As the saying goes, the simpler the better, and Glocks were the fi

There are undoubtedly a plethora of AR manufacturers — some old and some new, some with long histories and some just starting up. The AR brands which have done well are those that are innovative in their product line and that concentrate on doing one thing really well.

The AR-15 community has been very receptive of these new AR ideas and brands, but those that have been simply just “Me Too” brands probably will not last. With this industry background in mind, I was excited to stumble on CIV Tactical, which was literally only about six months old as of March 2012 when I first found them. They have done something unique and innovative in the market, in that they provide upgraded and custom grade AR kits and uppers assembled with care by a certified gunsmith. Their name CIV stands for Custom Innovative Versatile which is a perfect description of what they offer customers.

I have seen most lesser known manufacturers concentrate on price point focused kits or just basic AR15s. Nothing wrong with that, as we have seen companies like Spikes Tactical, Del-Ton, and Bravo Company explode with growth over the last five years by just producing solid basic rifles. On the other end, there are now a number of ready-to-shoot top end ARs such a Black Rain Ordnance, Barnes Pre

Due to the low cost and availability of 5.45×39 Russian surplus ammo, I recently decided to create the ultimate 5.45×39 build which scream to be shot constantly. In the end I used a naked, un-anodized American Spirit Arms upper and lower receiver set, AXTS/Rainer Arms ambi-charging handle, Fail Zero carrier, Ace Ultralight stock with a custom tied paracord tube cover, AP Custom 15” carbon fiber forend, Houlding Precision Curse Muzzle Brake, a Barnes Precision parts kit. I then topped it all off with an Eotech EXPS2 sight and G33.STS 3X Multiplier multiplier combo.

Fully loaded the build weighs in at a feathery 7.2lbs with the optics. Ok yeah, I may have gone overboard a bit on this build, which totals around $2800 with the Eotech optics setup or around $1300 without the optics, but keep in mind that I can convert this back over to .223 anytime. Meanwhile I will save around $240 per 1000 rounds — 5000 rounds and I come close to paying for this rig free and clean in ammo savings.

Anyway, I’ll talk about the build in another review. Right now, I want to focus on one of my favorite parts of it: the AP Custom 15″ carbon fibre forend.

All shooters love to be accurate, and drilling bullseyes in paper targets can be great. But watching targets react to your shots is often a lot more fun, especially when you’re shooting with friends. This new target from Birchwood Casey provides an easy way to set up clay targets (a.k.a. clay pigeons) for shooting with rifle or handgun — or even shotgun if you’re not in a sporting mood.

Clays have long provided fun for shooters other than shotgunners… every shooter I know has set them up on a range somehow so they can have the satisfaction of watching them break when hit by a rifle or handgun round. This new target provides a handy way to set them up, and that’s always welcome. This cardboard target could easily be attached to stakes or a target frame, or just propped on a berm.

They’re calling it “Rigid 10-Clay Silhouette Target,” and it’s made of heavy corrugated cardboard. Ten round holes are sized “to fit any standard size clay bird.” And, it has a human silhouette on it.

Why the human silhouette? I have no idea. The holes for the clay targets aren’t placed specifically in kill zones, and two of them aren’t even in the silhouette. But who cares? It’s better than a plain car

Last Christmas my eldest daughter of 26 got me the neatest thing. It’s small, and at first reaction my thought was, “What in the heck am I going to use that for?” I put it up on my dresser drawers in the man cave and occasionally I would look at it. Then it dawned on me what to do with it.

The gadget is a Grid-It made by Cocoon Innovations. Essentially, it’s a flat panel that the company calls a “rubberized woven elastic object retention system for gadget organization.” It is sturdy and unbendable, and the back side is flat and plain with a nylon loop strap to hang over things like small knobs, door hooks, etc.

On the front side is a series of elastic straps going both vertically and horizontally, depending on how you orient the panel to yourself. With the loop at the top of the narrow side of the 7.5 inch by 10.5 inch panel of the model I received, I thought it had to be turned up that way, but it can be used horizontal. I am in the process of “rebuilding” mine to turn it that way, but it still has to hang by the loop if you use it. Just make sure all items are secure under a strap.

As stated by the Cocoon info page, the Grid-It offers versatile organization, and endless configurations for digital devices and personal effects. Of cou

After the harassment I took for publishing the Leupold VX-R Hog optic review and not following up immediately with the review of the full Ultimate Hog Hunter Build, I thought I had better get to posting what can be only described as gun porn.

During my planning for my Ultimate Hog Gun build, I talked with a number of people who actually hunt hogs semi-professionally, versus all the guys who want to hunt hogs or have bagged “a” hog.  The resounding suggestion for optics was for a super clear low power optic, and preferably one with an illuminated reticle. Ultimately I decided on the Leupold VX-R Hog Plex 1.25-4×20 scope featuring outstanding optics paired with a BDC (bullet drop compensating) dangerous game reticle optimized for the .308 round. The Leupold Hog t