Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2021 i Petersen's Hunting

I’M NOT SURE what I was thinking when I decided to come up with a list of the Top 50 firearms to hit the market in the last 50 years. But let me tell you right off, I must have been drinking during that particular editorial meeting. Because assembling said list has since caused many sleepless nights and much argument around the virtual office. And our most important audience, you, the readers of Petersen’s Hunting haven’t even read it yet. I can only imagine your letters are going to keep me up at night for the next month or more—and likely send me right back to the liquor cabinet. But that’s okay. Because, honestly, running a list of the Top 50 firearms is meant to start a civil, if slightly…

Cartridge Corner HISTORY The 6.5x55 “Swede” is a contender for “Most Interesting Cartridge in The World.” Adopted by the militaries of the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway in 1894, it soon became a staple hunting cartridge across Europe. Way ahead of its time ballistically, it excelled at long range. Recoil is mild, and the tapered cartridge feeds like butter. More than a decade older than America’s venerable .30-06, the 6.5x55 was one of the first cartridges designed specifically for use with smokeless powder. Today, it’s still a strong contender among modern 6.5mms. APPLICATION American ammo and handload data are mild, out of respect for vintage rifles chambered in 6.5x55. European ammo and data are zestier and offer much better performance. Because the 6.5x55 has about 11 percent more propellant…

My dog ran in front of me, crossing the wind, searching desperately for scent. He was urged on by his instinctual desire to point. I approached, my thumb pressed gently against the tang safety and my trigger finger lay in wait across the beautifully etched receiver. One step in front of the dog’s nose and there was an eruption of feathers. A rooster pheasant cackled and flew, the shotgun came to my shoulder, and the report of the left barrel sent the bird to the ground. As my pup brought me the bird, my grandpa just smiled. Every time the report sounds from the side-by-side shotgun, it takes me back to my roots. Standing in a room, walls lined with mounts from grand adventures, the eyes of this six-year-old were…

In recent years supporters of the venerable, 95-year-old .270 Winchester have been asking, “Hey! What about the good old .270?” Among modern long-range shooters, respect for Jack O’Connor’s favorite is nonexistent. Meanwhile, new cartridges such as the 6.5 PRC, 28 Nosler, and .300 PRC have been leaving the .270 Win.in the dust. Ballistically, with their fast-twist rifling and high-BC bullets, these new cartridges walk all over the .270. Unfortunately, the .270’s relatively slow 1:10 rifling twist, as spec’d in SAAMI’s reg book, won’t stabilize the stretched-out, heavy, streamlined bullets that offer extremely high ballistic coefficients. As a result, bullet manufacturers have never made high-BC bullets in .277 diameter (the actual size of .270 Win. bullets). Until now. 27 NOSLER Last year, Nosler introduced a fire-breathing .270 magnum. Tagged the 27…

For those deadly hunters who prefer one gun for all whitetails, from treestand hunting to spot-and-stalk, long range, and even for when they drive deer with Uncle Durrel near Danville, Pennsylvania, there are a few rifles out there that are truly like a Swiss Army Knife. One that comes close is the new Savage Impulse Big Game, a straight-pull bolt-action rifle that can do anything a regular bolt action can in terms of accuracy but is much faster, therefore it’s perfect for follow-up shots often required during drives. It’s compact, fast, and accurate. At around 8.5 pounds, it’s not light, but its weight allows it to shoot a variety of ammo accurately, even at ranges longer than you’d actually shoot a whitetail. It’s got about every feature hunters want: integral…

“ IT DON’T MATTER WHAT YOU SHOOT, AS LONG AS YOU CAN SHOOT IT. ” RECENTLY, a friend shot at a big buck and was disappointed when it ran off. He’d made what he thought was a solid hit, judging by the reaction of the animal, but as we followed the blood trail, he cussed his choice of firearms. He reasoned that had he used a bigger gun the buck would have dropped instantly. We found the deer piled up a quarter-mile on, shot in the liver, which explained why the buck hadn’t immediately succumbed to the bullet. How many times have we been told that shot placement is of paramount importance? This is always a truism when we hunt, especially if we’re pursuing dangerous game. A poor hit on…

We at Petersen’s Hunting would rather avoid talking politics when we can, but there are times when events in Washington or our state capitals make that impossible. We appear to be at the precipice of one of those periods. The election has been decided, and now we must live with the results. As former President Obama stated, “elections have consequences.” For hunters, particularly gun-owning hunters, those consequences could be significant. Hyperbole aside, a Joe Biden presidency could have a sweeping impact on the availability and legality of firearms in the United States. No matter your opinion of President Biden, it is an indisputable fact that he has a career-long record of sponsoring and supporting gun-control legislation. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1994, Biden shepherded the passage of…

Early last year, Kelly Stang of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) was nursing an audacious plan: to deliver the state’s mandatory hunter education course entirely online, without the traditional classroom sessions. Stang was understandably nervous. The New York Hunter Education course has been taught in person by volunteer instructors for more than 70 years, and completing the course is legally required before the purchase a first hunting license. The nation’s first mandated hunter education program began in New York in 1949 as a way to reduce hunting accidents and create more informed and deliberate hunters. Hunter education is now required by all 50 states as a prerequisite to buy a first-time hunting license. But Stang’s plan to transform hunter education from a butts-in-seats experience to a virtual…

Before we get started, I want to make two things clear. Yes, it’s legal to own a suppressor (in most states), and I firmly believe every hunter should have at least one. That’s how much I believe in the sound-moderating device most popularly known as a “silencer.” And, to be 100 percent honest, I’m saying that as someone who doesn’t currently own a suppressor. But God and the ATF willing, that’s about to change, thanks to one company that has made suppressor buying simple: Silencer Central. THE CASE FOR QUIET Obviously, you don’t need to have a suppressor on your hunting rifle, but the arguments against screwing a can on the end of your gun are increasingly moot. To put it most simply, you have a muffler on your car…

For a hunter, the importance of good optics is second to none. The old adage “spend $100 on the gun and $1,000 on the scope” has always stuck with me. Although finding a gun for $100 these days is near impossible, and for many hunters, a $1,000 scope is just too much. And that’s not a problem. As technology continues to advance, companies are able to make more affordable scopes that offer similar performance as the higher-priced items. While taking the frugal route may not land you with Zeiss-level glass, you can be confident the scope you pick will perform. This year, Crimson Trace, a company known for their laser sights, has introduced 50 new riflescopes, including the line of Brushline Pro optics. These scopes were designed with the hunter…

Bullet Board BULLET BASICS A refinement of the original Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet, the EdgeTLR features a solid, boat tailed rear half and a lead front core bonded inside the nose. The heat- and erosion-resistant composite tip enhances aerodynamics and ensures reliable expansion on impact. A high-BC bullet that will expand reliably across a broad spectrum of impact velocities, the EDGE TLR is suitable for use from very close to very far. The controlled-expansion construction ensures it opens to a big, beautiful mushroom yet always maintains enough weight to punch through heavy bone and drive deep. TESTING GROUND The bullet pictured was used on a big hartebeest bull in Namibia. Hartebeest are about the size of a small cow elk and have a reputation for toughness. Shot presentation was…

Going to the range is a necessity, but it can be a daunting task to keep your gear organized. The 5.11 Tactical Range Master Backpack Set makes it easy to keep your gear clean and organized for a day of shooting. With its 33-liter capacity, ammunition, ear and eye protection, along with firearms will fit securely and neatly. The pack also comes with a pistol case along with small and medium Range Master Pouches for additional storage. $170; 511tactical.com With Hornady’s RAPiD Safe Compact Ready Vault you can keep your go-to defense weapon ready, yet still locked up. The patented RFID technology allows you to access your gun quickly while keeping others out. The SQUARE-LOK organizing system allows for personal customization of how you organize your safe. Your valuables are…

On a hot August night in 1900, United States Marine Private Dan Daly, fighting alone, held his position on the Tartar Wall above the Legation Quarter in Peking (now Beijing) against a horde of Boxer rebels. When his rifle was empty, he fought on with bayonet and rifle butt. For his actions, Private Daly received his first Medal of Honor. His second Medal of Honor came in Haiti in 1915. In 1918, at Belleau Wood in France, Gunnery Sergeant Daly, urging his Marines forward, is said to have shouted, “Come on, you sons of bitches. Do you want to live forever?” He received the Navy Cross for his actions at Belleau Wood. He retired in 1929 as Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly USMC (1873–1937). The rifle Daly used to hold…

Whitetail hunting is more than a mere hobby for many of us. Rather, it’s a passion bordering on obsession. While we might use any old lawnmower available to mindlessly cut the stupid grass, we take pride in our deer rifles. Many of us have already settled on one that likely has attained near-family-member status in the safe. But other whitetail hunters may be just beginning their search, and with so many options available these days, it can be a fun hunt indeed. Certainly, what matters more than the rifle is the hunter’s skill with it, but regardless, here are one whitetail hunter’s favorites. BUT FIRST, CALIBERS An average whitetail buck weighs about 150 pounds and is not particularly tough to kill. While any legal caliber from .223 Rem.to .458 Win.…

PISTOLS are rapidly filling the niche between 1911 semiautomatics and full-size modern sporting rifles, and Missouri gunmaker CMMG is leading the trend with its line of Banshee pistols in a dizzying number of calibers and configurations. You can get these in 9mm, .45 ACP, .300 Blackout, .308 Win., and even .22 LR, along with a couple dozen additional chamberings. My choice was the Banshee 300 MK10 in 10mm. The pistols feature CMMG’s patented Radial Delayed Blowback operation that reduces recoil while speeding lock-up times. Banshees ship with 30-round Glock-style magazines, but we traded these out for flush 10-round mags. Topped with Leupold’s 1.5-4x20 VX-Freedom riflescope with the illuminated FireDot reticle, I could ring steel out to 150 yards all day but, with Hornady’s 175-grain Critical Duty loads, decided to hold…