gear

A Beginner's Guide to Blackpowder

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 05:00:00 -0400

Field Tested: Clean Slates

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 17:00:00 -0400

The Test
A friction call needs to sound good at high volume for the days you have to beat them over the head and soft for the days when they need sweet-talking. I took my calls outside and tape-recorded them at a distance of 20 yards. Starting at the edges where the pitch is high and working my way to the lower-pitched center of the call, I made loud and soft calls, then played them back and rated their sound at low and high volumes. -Phil Bourjaily

Click on an image to see a full-size photo

Lohman Heirloom Slate ($23)

Description: Slate in an American ash pot with a purpleheart striker.
Sound: Fairly low and raspy, it's not as loud as some, but it's realistic.
Comments:: A traditional-style call that mimics turkeys especially well at lower volumes.
Hits: Very natural soft sounds.
Misses: You can't crank up the volume.
Contact: 877-956-5746; kolpin.com

Cody Drop Dead Woodsman ($75)

Description: Slate in a walnut pot with an oak bottom and a hickory striker.
Sound: Medium-high pitch, warm and realistic, with a good range from high to low.
Comments: The surface seems to grab the peg, making it easy to run quietly.
Hits: Looks good, makes a range of sounds.
Misses: The most expensive call of the bunch.
Contact: 717-362-8413; codyturkeycalls.com

M.A.D. Heavy Metal ($23)

Description: Aluminum pot, crystal surface, graphite and purpleheart strikers.
Sound: Very high pitched with wood striker, higher with graphite; raspy, almost shrill.
Comments: Loudness and high pitch means it can ach out and touch distant birds.
Hits: Great sounds at any volume.
Misses:: It's ugly; the metal glints in the sun.
Contact: 877-956-5746; kolpin.com

Primos Jackpot ($30)

Description: A smaller glass call set in a wooden pot with a hardwood striker.
Sound: Sharp, high pitched, with some rasp.
Comments: It's not as loud as the Heavy Metal, but you can feel pressure on your eardrums when you crank the volume.
Hits: Attractive, sounds as good as it looks.
Misses: I wish its volume setting went to 11.
Contact: 800-523-2395; primos.com

Roberts Brothers Hunter ($50)

Description: Glass call in a composite wooden pot with slate set in the bottom; hardwood, purpleheart, and aluminum strikers.
Sound: The glass makes very authentic turkey noises, and the slate makes softer tones.
Comments: It looks cool, and with its two surfaces and three strikers, it produces the widest range of turkey talk out of all the calls tested.
Hits: Gives you a flock of different birds.
Misses: Lacks a loud, grating sound.
Contact: 770-536-7374; robertsbrothersturkeycalls.com

H.S. Strut Double Strike ($29)

Description: Glass with a plastic pot and a rosewood striker.
Sound: High pitched and scratchy.
Comments: The Double Strike is loud and sharp enough to make you wince, which is what you want in a long-range call. It also soundss good at low volumes. I found it to be a very easy call to cluck and purr with.
Hits: Great for attracting distant toms.
Misses: The directional sound ports seem a little gimmicky.
Contact: 800-728-0321; hunterspec.com

Knight & Hale Pocket Puppy ($15)

Description: Ceramic "Sla-tek" surface and plastic pot, hickory striker with a plastic top.
Sound: High pitched and clear, with some raspy sweet spots.
Comments: The Pocket Puppy has the upper-level tone that turkeys often respond to, ranging from high to very high. It's a call to have when the turkeys want to hear a clear yelp.
Hits: Small and inexpensive but with excellent sound, this would make a great call for kids.
Misses: Not particularly versatile in its range.
Contact: 800-500-9357; www.knightandhale.com

Quaker Boy X-Pot ($22)

Description: Copper top with its center roughened over a plastic pot.
Sound: High and clear on the outside edges of the pot, raspier and deeper in the center.
Comments: Designed for beginners, the copper-topped, plastic-bottomed X-Pot has a textured area in the center. It made good, clear sounds with a little practice.
Hits: It produces a nice, high-low kee-yuk.
Misses:: There were definite dead spots.
Contact: 800-544-1600; quakerboygamecalls.com

ttle gimmicky.
Contact: 800-728-0321; hunterspec.com

Knight & Hale Pocket Puppy ($15)

Quaker Boy X-Pot ($22)

Story Leak: Gear for the New Year

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 17:00:00 -0400

Begin to Spin (Deal of the Month)
An oscillation gear keeps the line evenly spooled, while a special roller reduces tangles. Bottom line: great castability. The rear-drag Solstace makes a good first spinning reel. $50; 949-951-5003; shimano.com

Table of Contents

FIELD & STREAM 2005 BEST OF THE BEST AWARDS

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 17:00:00 -0400

[BRACKET "Baitcasting Reels"]
DAIWA VIENTO
This baitcaster is at the top of the heap among new freshwater reels for 2006. A long list of premium features is headed by what Daiwa calls a Twitchin' Bar, a unique design that lets you retrieve short lengths of line without cranking the handle itself. The bar, mounted at the top rear of the frame, is operated with the thumb of the hand that's palming the reel. Pressing the bar once slowly retrieves about 4 inches of line-ideal for gently twitching anything from a floating-minnow plug to a sunken plastic worm. If you need to quickly recapture any slack line, just use a faster thumb motion. The system gives you more control over the retrieve.

Other features include six ball bearings, a solid anti-reverse, Daiwa's Magforce antibacklash control, a rigid aluminum frame, a fast 6.3:1 gear ratio, and an easily controlled whiffle-type perforated spool. At 8.3 ounces and carrying 100 yards of 14-pound-test nylon, the Viento is light, and for a premium reel, the price is right. $200; 562-802-9589; daiwa.com -J.M.

SHIMANO TORSA
I got my hands on Shimano's latest mechanical marvel about four months ago, and I'm still happily purring-just like the reel itself. The Torsa won Best in Show at a recent national fishing-tackle trade convention. Designed for nearshore saltwater use, it features the biggest, toughest drive gearing ever placed in a Shimano reel, all nestled rigidly in a cold-forged, machined-aluminum frame. That produces unreal cranking power and, just as important, gives room for a huge drag to tame everything from stripers to tuna. The ratcheting lever-drag system is unique, allowing the use of eight interchangeable drag cams that fine-tune the reel for specific fish, a Florida kingfish, say, or a mid-Atlantic white marlin.

Four models range in size from the TS16N (narrow spool, 28.6 ounces, 300 yards of 14-pound nylon mono) to the TS30 (31.1 ounces, 420 yards of 25-pound mono). All have 5.8:1 gear ratios and internally adjustable centrifugal cast controls for easy tossing of heavier baits. $670Â¿Â¿Â¿$700; 877-577-0600; shimano.com -J.M.

Table of Contents

FIELD & STREAM 2005 BEST OF THE BEST AWARDS

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 17:00:00 -0400

[BRACKET "Decoy"]
GREENHEAD GEAR FULL-BODY MALLARDS WITH REAL MOTION BASES
Making decoys that look real is difficult, and having them move like live ducks is a genuine accomplishment. Greenhead Gear succeeds on both counts with their full-body mallards. They come in both feeding and active styles that perfectly capture the plump look of grain-fattened mallards. Swiveling heads allow different poses.

The Real Motion base puts the waddle in the decoy's walk. Setup is ridiculously simple. The base consists of a ring of wire and an upright post, and a plastic cone is screwed to the underside of the duck's back. Put the ring on the ground, set the cone on the post, and you're ready to hunt. There's no pounding stakes into frozen ground or fumbling in the dark.

I set these decoys in my yard on a calm day, and even the slightest breeze seemed to breathe life into them. $90 per half dozen; 800-333-5119; greenheadgear.com -P.B.

Table of Contents

FIELD & STREAM 2005 BEST OF THE BEST AWARDS

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 17:00:00 -0400

[BRACKET "Hunting Pack"]
CABELA'S ULTRALIGHT EXTREME HUNTER 4000
Cabela's Ultralight Hunter is made for those of us who hunt sheep at the top of the world and moose at the bottom of it, and who need enough pack to haul camp in and meat out. Tipping the scales at just under 5 pounds, it represents one of the first forays by a hunting-pack manufacturer into the ultralight craze that has revolutionized backpacking. But how would this 4,000-cubic-inch-capacity pack stand up to our test-a 26-mile expedition in Montana's Beartooth Wilderness, where its papery fabric would have to tote a week's worth of gear at 10,000 feet? Very well, indeed, and the waterproof zippers lived up to their billing, surviving more thunderstorms than I'd like to recall. With its cargo and spotting scope pockets removed, it also served double duty as a roomy daypack. The 210-denier nylon fabric is a tad noisy, but except when I'm hunting whitetails, the tradeoff in weight is one I'll take. $200; 800-237-4444; cabelas.com -K.M.

Table of Contents

Red Alert: Philip Bourjaily Reviews Three Dot Sights for Turkeys

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 16:00:00 -0400

A friend of mine always brings an Aimpoint-mounted Remington 11-87 to his turkey camp. When hunters can't hit gobblers, he lends them "Maggie." No one has ever missed a bird with Maggie.

Beads and iron sights simply aren't precise enough to consistently center the very tight patterns thrown by good turkey loads through X-Full chokes. You also have to block out the bottom half of the bird when aiming, increasing the temptation to raise your head for a better view. Do that when you pull the trigger and you'll get a good look at a turkey running away.

Peek through a red-dot sight like an Aimpoint and you'll understand why Maggie is batting a thousand. These sights don't project the dot onto the target but onto the front lens of a 1X scope. You just put the dot on a turkey's neck and shoot. Keep both eyes open; the dot appears to be floating in space, allowing you to view the whole bird. And red dots have unlimited eye relief. As long as you can see the dot, it doesn't matter where your head is.

Three new models represent the state of the red-dot art:

Bushnell Holosight A Holosight projects a hologram of a circle with a dot in its center onto a lens. In my opinion, it's the fastest of all the dot sights to use because to aim you simply put the bird's head inside the circle, which can be adjusted to 15 levels of brightness. The new low-profile XLP sits half an inch closer to the bore than did previous Holosights (many of which are currently on active military service), so you don't have to crane your neck off the stock to see the reticle.

The XLP runs for 100 hours on two AAA batteries. If battery strength falls to 20 percent, the reticle blinks for a few seconds after you turn it on. $299; 800-423-3537; bushnell.com

Aimpoint 9000SC The original red dots, Aimpoints were invented in 1975 in Sweden, where they're practically standard issue on moose rifles. They are the undisputed endurance champs of the red-dot world, running for literally thousands of hours on a single battery.

The military uses an Aimpoint designated the M68 Close Combat Optic. For turkey hunters, there's the 9000SC. It has a 30mm tube and is available in black with a choice of a two or a four MOA (minute of angle) dot, or in camo with a four MOA dot only. (I prefer the larger dot for turkey hunting because it makes for easier sight acquisition). There are 10 brightness settings. My only quibble is the red coating on the lens. It makes the dot brighter at the expense of showing you the woods with a faint bluish tinge. $359 in black; $379 in camo; 877-246-7646; aimpoint.com

Zeiss Z-Point At under 4 ounces, the Z-Point is about half the weight of an Aimpoint or Holosight. It's also the only one of the three with a self-regulating dot that automatically brightens on sunny days and dims on dark ones. Although the Z-Point requires a battery to turn on, its solar panel takes over to keep the dot burning without draining any more juice, greatly extending battery life. The Z-Point's sole drawback is its steep price, which is more than what any of my turkey guns cost. $489; 800-441-3005; www.zeiss.com

Mounting All three sights mount easily on one-piece Weaver-style bases. More and more shotguns come tapped for a scope mount. For untapped guns, add a B-Square ($62; 800-433-2909; b-square.com) or an AimTech ($41Â¿Â¿Â¿$75; 229-226-4313; aimtech-mounts.com) saddle mount. These fit most popular pumps and autos and install without gunnsmithing.

Gear Test: New GPS Systems for Bass Fishing

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 16:00:00 -0400

Have you ever wondered if you're fishing in the wrong spot? Then you know why GPS maps are such hot items with today's pros. These electronic marvels use detailed contour lake maps to tell you exactly where you are in relation to the structure you're fishing-and even to the fish you're after.

Many GPS maps also function as LCG depthfinders. Using both, you can pinpoint biting fish or productive structure, mark that location as a waypoint, and come back to it anytime. Here's what to look for:

DISPLAY: Color is far superior to black-and-white because it clearly differentiates land, water, contour lines, and other features. Get color, even if it means buying a smaller unit.

SIZE: This is the single most influential factor in price. Though significantly more expensive, a bigger display is better because it's easier to read. Go as big as you can afford to.

RESOLUTION: Most makers list the number of vertical and horizontal pixels. But the true measure of sharpness is pixels per square inch. Good resolution is most critical on small units.

MAPS: Some models have built-in contour lake maps, but most need plug-in map cards or downloadable maps, sold separately. All of the units here will help you catch more fish.

TIP: Click on an image below to enlarge it

Navman Tracker 5380
(800-628-4487; navman.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 3.8 inches
PIXELS: 320V x 240H (about 10,500 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: No
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: C-Map
PRICE: $400
COMMENTS: This full-featured unit needs little space and has a great price for color. The display is small but very sharp and functional. It's a good, affordable choice if you already have a depthfinder.

Humminbird 595C
(800-633-1468; humminbird.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 5 inches
PIXELS: 320V x 240H (about 6,100 per square inch) BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: Yes
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: Navionics
PRICE: $550
COMMENTS: This compact, combination GPS map and LCG depthfinder has a unique quick-mounting system that'll save you fishing time. The transducer comes with a temperature probe.

Eagle FishElite 642c IGPS
(800-324-1354; www.eaglegps.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 5 inches
PIXELS: 640V x 480H (about 25,000 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: Yes
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCES: Lowrance FreedomMap, Fishing Hot Spots Elite, LakeMaster Pro Maps, NauticPat USA, Navionics
PRICE: $600
COMMENTS: Six color modes let you adapt to light conditions. A surface temperature gauge is included.

Raymarine RC435i GPS Chartplotter
(800-539-5539; raymarine.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 6 inches
PIXELS: 320V x 240H (about 4,250 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: No
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: Navionics
PRICE: $1,055
COMMENTS: "Point and shoot" navigation lets you click on any waypoinnt, and the unit will direct you to it. A SmartRoute feature automatically builds routes and waypoints from previous tracks.

Lowrance LCX-26C HD
(800-324-1356; lowrance.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 7 inches
PIXELS: 480V x 640H (about 15,000 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: Yes
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: Lowrance FreedomMap, Fishing Hot Spots Elite, LakeMaster Pro Maps, NauticPat USA, Navionics
PRICE: $1,650
COMMENTS: The 20GB hard drive is loaded with charts of U.S. coastal areas and over 2,100 inland waters.

Garmin GPSMAP 3210
(800-800-1020; garmin.com)
DISPLAY SIZE: 10.4 inches
PIXELS: 640V x 480H (about 5,900 per square inch)
BUILT-IN DEPTHFINDER: No
COMPATIBLE MAP SOURCE: Garmin Inland Lakes
PRICE: $2,667
COMMENTS: The large color display is easy to read, even in direct sunlight. The unit has extremely fast redraw and response rates and is available with numerous optional features.

Red Alert: Philip Bourjaily Reviews Three Dot Sights for Turkeys

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 30 May 2006 16:00:00 -0400

A friend of mine always brings an Aimpoint-mounted Remington 11-87 to his turkey camp. When hunters can't hit gobblers, he lends them "Maggie." No one has ever missed a bird with Maggie.

Three new models represent the state of the red-dot art:

The XLP runs for 100 hours on two AAA batteries. If battery strength falls to 20 percent, the reticle blinks for a few seconds after you turn it on. $299; 800-423-3537; bushnell.com

Memorial Day Gear Guide: We Test Camping Lanterns and Multitools

fieldandstream-editor — Sat, 20 May 2006 06:00:00 -0400