new gear

10 New Shotguns from the 2008 SHOT Show

fieldandstream-editor — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The 2006 Best of the Best Awards

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 15 Aug 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)

Editors' Picks: The best new stuff for sportsmen

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

NO PLIERS REQUIRED
The tapered notch at the top of the Magic Eye easily slides between the wires of a split ring. Four for $6; 253-922-8373; gamakatsu.com

ESCAPE ARTIST
When banks get crowded, take off upstream with your gear on your back. This 23-inch pack is big enough for waders and has two drop-down pockets for tools and utility boxes. $90; 800-456-6647; gloomis.com

POCKET THIS
Leatherman's Vista hunting pruner is nine of your favorite tools in one. Available in June. $80; 800-847-8665; www.leatherman.com

STICK IT
The Gorilla Glue company now makes duct tape. Enough said. $10; 800-966-3458; gorillatape.com

BED ROLL
Lined with Primaloft, the world's most thermally efficient insulation, the Sidekick 40 stuffs down to the size of a bread loaf. $90; sierradesigns.com

PACK LIGHT
Don't get caught in the dark with dead batteries ever again. Wind the self-powered RotoGlo for 60 seconds and get one hour of light, whenever you need it most. The three LED bulbs last for 10,000 hours. Two for $20; 952-928-4250; rotoglo.com

SIZE IT UP
Big guys need big gear in sizes near impossible to find. These quick-dry zip-off pants come in LÂ¿Â¿Â¿5X. $45; 203-740-8490; thehuskyangler.com

Memorial Day Gear Guide: We Test Camping Lanterns and Multitools

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

Outboard Review: The Little Engines That Could

fieldandstream-editor — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 05:05:00 -0400

Yamaha T8
Features: Yamaha's 8-hp auxiliary motors are marvels in ergonomics. The electric tilt and trim is built into the tiller handle along with forward-and-reverse gear. Smart features include tensioning on the tiller elbow, which holds it in place where you tilt it, and a bracket in the steering mechanism that will keep the boat on track even if you take your hand off the tiller. A sensitive throttle control lets you goose or decrease the speed at a slow idle.
Hits: The tiller, shifter, and speed control are all in close proximity.
Misses: In very rough seas, the tensioning that should keep the T8 pointed forward when the big motor is under power is not strong enough to stop it from flopping to one side or the other.
Price: $3,100
Weight: 116 lb.
Contact: yamaha-motor.com

Suzuki DF2.5, DF4, DF6
Features: Portability is plausible with the new DF2.5; its weight rivals that of a full tackle box. Pull this little 2.5-hp four-stroke out of a car trunk and let it push a canoe or johnboat into places where paddles or oars can't cut it. The water-cooled DF2.5, like the 4- and 6-hp models, uses a 1.5-liter fuel tank enclosed under the hood. The DF4 and DF6 add a remote fuel connector for use with an external tank. Each has a tiller handle for steering, and a grip for transport. And unlike other little outboards, these go in forward, neutral, and reverse.
Hits: Thirty pounds is less than half the weight of a battery for an electric trolling motor.
Misses: At full throttle, the DF2.5 burns through its internal gas supply in 45 minutes.
Price: $875Â¿Â¿Â¿$1,760
Weight: 30Â¿Â¿Â¿57 lb.
Contact: suzuki.com

Mercury 9.9 & 15 BigFoot
Features: These small but sturdy four-stroke outboards are built in 9.9- and 15-hp models with the gear case of a 25 for greater durability along with a reduced gear ratio (2.42:1 instead of a standard 2:1) for better cornering. BigFoots have electric start with manual backup, and an aftermarket Mercury lift kit will tilt and trim the motors in shallow water-or stow and deploy them entirely. Best of all, the power in this package reminds me of a truck with low gear for hauling loads.
Hits: BigFoots have the torque to provide a burst of speed to steer away from hazards.
Misses: The slightest turn of the throttle moves the boat up to .5 mph faster instead of increasing the speed incrementally.
Price: $2,160Â¿Â¿Â¿$3,170
Weight: 96Â¿Â¿Â¿128 lb.
Contact: mercurymarine.com

Field Test: The Stoeger P350 Shotgun

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 04:05:00 -0500

THE INSIDE STORY Stoeger's new P350 is a 3 Â¿Â¿-inch magnum pump made for duck blinds, goose pits, and the turkey woods. With its rotary bolt, extra-long forearm, tall vent rib, and grooved synthetic buttstock, it bears a strong resemblance to sister company Benelli's Nova pump. Made by Vursan in Turkey, the P350 carries a price tag so low that it reads like a typo.

With its turkey choke installed, the P350 handled Federal Heavyweights with aplomb, outshooting my pet Mossberg 835 turkey gun. The P350 put its pellets right where I pointed it, although the large orange bead is bigger than I would choose for accurate turkey shooting. When I covered up the head of a turkey target with that orange blob, scads of holes appeared in my paper gobbler's vitals after I pulled the mushy-but-not-too-heavy (about 5 pounds) trigger.

I tested a 26-inch barreled version, which was heavy enough to absorb the recoil of heavy waterfowl loads. Its weight-forward balance smoothed my swing when I shot clay targets. My first sample gun had magazine latch problems, which resulted in the occasional jam when I loaded three shells. I exchanged it for another, which functioned properly.

The alloy-receivered P350 comes apart easily for cleaning. Looking at its innards, I was impressed by the stoutness of the action bars, which can often bend and bind on pump guns. Now, for the nitpicking: The safety button is too small, the bead is too big, and it should come with a shim kit for those who would prefer less drop in the stock.

GAUGE 12, 3 1/2-inch magnum chamber

PRICE $329 in camo; $269 in black

WEIGHT 7 pounds 11 ounces with 26-inch barrel

BARREL 26-inch, vent rib (tested); 18 Â¿Â¿-, 24-, and 28-inch available; orange bead; comes with Cylinder, IC, M, F, and Turkey chokes

STOCK Synthetic, Advantage Timber HD camo (tested); also available in Max-4 and basic black

STOCK DIMENSIONS 1 5/8 inches at comb, 2 Â¿Â¿ inches at heel, 14 Â¿Â¿-inch length of pull

CONTACT stoegerindustries.com