Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2024 i Petersen's Hunting

THIS IS GOING to sound strange coming from the editor of a hunting magazine, but I was never a “gun guy.” For many years, I believed a hunter only needed three firearms: a shotgun for birds, a centerfire rifle for big-game and a rimfire for small-game. When I graduated college, I owned a Mossberg 500 20 gauge and a Ruger 10/22. My first real gun purchase as an adult was a used Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .270. I was all set. What more could the average hunter need? Soon after starting my first job at Cabela’s, I fell in with a group of guys who loved shooting prairie dogs. Neither the 10/22 nor the .270 was the right gun for that. I hadn’t yet paid off the Winchester, but…

As we begin the new year, manufacturers did not disappoint, with a smorgasbord of impressive new firearms announced for 2024. Many of the new guns build upon proven track records and incorporate some impressive new upgrades, while other manufacturers introduced entirely new platforms. Our ability to blame a miss in the field on our rifle dwindles with each passing year as firearm manufacturers continually produce and improve upon the best factory firearms we have ever seen. Below are some of our favorites for 2024. RIFLES CVA CASCADE LRH Long-range rifles are popular, and in most cases, pricey. CVA, long known for their accurate and affordable rifles, changes the game with their new Long-Range Hunter model. For a precision fit, the Cascade LRH features an adjustable comb to dial in the…

THE EARLY MORNING SOUNDS OF THE MIXED HARDWOOD AND SPRUCE FOREST FILLED MY EARS, WHILE THE PUNGENT, YET PLEASANT SMELL OF DECAYING VEGETATION CARRIED ME BACK TO THE FIRST HUNTS OF MY YOUTH. But now, rather than sitting in a tree in a central New Jersey hedgerow, I was in an elevated stand hewn from native spruce alongside a muddy logging track in southern Finland. It was early October, 2022, and I’d travelled to Finland at the behest of Sako, to attend a formal introduction to their latest rifles, the Model 90 Series. I am no stranger to Finland or Sako. This trip would mark my third visit to the Sako factory in the village of Riihimaki and my fourth trip to Finland over a span of 25 years. I’ve…

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, AND SOMETIMES THE RESULT IS RATHER WONDERFUL. SUCH IS THE CASE WITH THE NEW MOUNTAIN-WEIGHT REDLINE RIFLE BY SPRINGFIELD . Springfield Armory—a name historically associated with military firearms—took the hunting world by surprise four years ago by introducing the Model 2020 Waypoint bolt-action hunting rifle. It’s not just any hunting rifle; it’s a top-shelf premium rifle competitive with semi-custom rifles that cost twice its $2K price. It had been more than a century since a bolt action had been launched by Springfield Armory. Then, the name belonged to a different entity; one that primarily made military-only firearms. That rifle became the legendary 1903 Springfield. It fought through the Great War, and on into WWII as the M1903A4 sniper rifle (as seen in use by Private Jackson in…

WHEN MOSSBERG RELEASED THE 940 PRO WATERFOWL SHOTGUN A FEW YEARS AGO, PETERSEN’S HUNTING WAS ONE OF THE FIRST OUTLETS TO GIVE A TRUE IN-THE-FIELD REVIEW. Contributor Sam Forbes put it through its paces on a combination early season goose hunt and dove opener, which are two very different endeavors. Forbes was impressed with its ability to do dual duty, particularly noting the Mossberg 940 Pro’s reliability when shooting both light dove loads and magnum goose offerings. (You can read Sam’s review by searching Mossberg 940 Pro at petersenshunting.com) Like any good gun manufacturer, Mossberg has since built the line out, adding several task-specific models, including the new Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey shotgun. Over the years, I’ve had a lot of “favorite” shotguns that I use specifically for turkeys. These…

RESPECTED FOR ITS MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY AND ROTATING SELECTION OF GUN PARTS — INCLUDING, AND ESPECIALLY, ITS AR BUILD KITS — AERO PRECISION HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN LOATH TO DON THE LAURELS OF A FULL-FLEDGED GUNMAKER. In 2023, the Tacoma, Washington, builder “crossed the Rubicon” with its Solus bolt-action rifle. At writing, the Solus comes in three flavors and four chamberings. The base configuration is the Solus Bravo which features a patrol-style stock and can be had in 6 Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, or .308 Winchester. The Solus Competition is a full-chassis design with maximum adjustability and accessory compatibility, and is offered for the same cartridges as the Bravo. The final configuration, and subject of this review, is the Solus Hunter. Our test rifle was chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor, but 6.5 PRC and…

Advancements in hunting and shooting optics over the past decade have been nothing short of astonishing as manufacturers continue to push the limits with each passing season. This year is no different with a wide array of new “smart” optics hitting the market with onboard technologies that we used to see in futuristic movies. Regardless of your pursuit, quality optics are essential. Lucky for us, we have a wide selection of very capable optics to choose from. Below are some of our favorite new and innovative optics that are sure to swing the odds of success in favor of the hunter and shooter this coming season. BINOCULARS SIG SAUER ZULU10 HDX Sig Sauer’s new flagship Zulu10 HDX line of binoculars optimizes light transmission and ultra-high image resolution to create a…

EACH MONTH GUNBROKER LISTS THEIR FIVE BEST-SELLING NEW AND USED FIREARMS IN TEN CATEGORIES INCLUDING BOLT-ACTION RIFLES, SHOTGUNS, SINGLE AND DOUBLE-ACTION REVOLVERS, SEMIAUTO RIFLES AND MORE. In December of 2023, Ruger firearms occupied 13 of those Top 5 positions, making it the number one brand for that month. It was the most top-five finishes of any company on that list, and if you combine the six top-five positions occupied by Marlin (which is now part of the Ruger family of firearms) that means almost twenty percent of the top-selling gun models in America are from Ruger and Marlin, and this is even more impressive when you consider that neither brand offered a shotgun at the time. Ruger’s American-made firearms clearly appeal to the hunting and shooting public, and to say…

NOT SO LONG AGO THERE WASN’T MUCH TALK ABOUT HOW A RIFLE FIT. YOU MIGHT PICK ONE OFF THE SHELF, SHOULDER IT AND SAY:“THIS FEELS PRETTY GOOD.” HONESTLY, PRETTY GOOD WAS ABOUT THE ONLY OPTION WE HAD WHEN IT CAME TO HOW A GUN REALLY FIT THE HUNTER. Sure, you could add an aftermarket cheek piece to getter better optical alignment with the scope, or slide on an ugly butt pad for a little bit more length of pull, but other than flying to London to get fitted for a fine, bespoke rifle, we all had to make do with the one-size-fits-all stocks most production rifles were built on. That has changed in recent years, in no small part thanks to the rise in precision rifle shooting. Somewhere along the…

TEXAS IS MANY THINGS, BUT IT WAS NOT THE FIRST PLACE THAT CAME TO MIND WHEN MY FRIEND JESSE WHITE OF FEDERAL AMMUNITION SUGGESTED HUNTING TROPHY MULE DEER. Colorado? Wyoming? You’d think so, but nope. He wanted to go to Texas. Western Texas has a species of desert mule deer known as the trans-Pecos region muley. For the most part they tend to be smaller than their Rocky Mountain cousins. Someone forgot to inform the buck I – jaw slack and heart pounding – was glassing of that fact. The one antler I could see protruding from behind a clump of cactus had massively deep forks and a long drop tine. It would easily measure 90 inches. If combined with a conservative 20-inch inside spread and a matching antler on…

TWO DECADES AGO, I SPENT A SUMMER WORKING THE GUN COUNTER AT A LARGE OUTDOOR STORE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. I CAN’T COUNT THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS WHO WALKED THROUGHT THE DOOR IN SEARCH OF RIFLES CHAMBERED IN ELK CARTRIDGES THEY’D INTENDED TO USE FOR 100-YARD SHOTS ON SMALL-BODIED WHITETAILS AND FERAL HOGS. For those looking for one rifle to hunt the continent a .30-06 or 7mm Remington Magnum made plenty of sense, but for chasing 150-pound bucks in cypress swamps and palmetto flats, there were better options. Those who would listen to a twenty-something, know-it-all salesman walked out with compact rifles chambered in 7mm-08 or .260 Remington—plenty of power for the game they sought in portable guns ideal of maneuvering in and around tree stands and ground blinds. I’m confident…

AFTER LITERAL CENTURIES of gunmaking, you might think innovation in the hunting industry has been exhausted. But, as the 2024 SHOT Show has proven, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Manufacturers of guns and gear continue to surprise with new stuff we just have to have. Here are a few we found while roaming the miles of aisles in Las Vegas this year. SMITH & WESSON MODEL 1854 S&W patented its first lever-action, the Volcanic, back in 1854. To honor that history and step into the modern era, the company has introduced its new lever-action rifle. Chambered in .44 Remington Magnum, the 1854 has a 19.25-inch threaded stainless steel barrel, and a black synthetic stock with textured grip panels and M-LOK attachment points. Capacity is 9+1. This carbine combines…

If you’re a hillbilly squirrel hunter like me, your initial reaction to seeing this rifle parked under a hickory tree might be one of skepticism. As aesthetics go, the Ruger Precision Rimfire is certainly no Marlin 39A. But if you actually take the thing squirrel hunting, you will sing a different tune. My Precision Rimfire in .22 WMR has become a go-to tool for simple reasons: It’s the best-shooting .22 Magnum I’ve ever tried, and it’s unfailingly reliable. For all the nostalgia that frequently accompanies squirrel rifle discussions, when it’s nut-cutting time—and by that, I mean late August—nothing matters more than having a gun that will consistently put bullets through a squirrel’s eyeballs, which are very small. Head-shooting precision is mandatory for magnum rimfire squirrel guns because they destroy too…

You can have the most-accurate and most-balanced rifle or shotgun in the world, but if you fail to pair the firearms with quality ammo, success rates will suffer. The good news for 2024 is several top ammo makers launched loads of new shotgun and rifle ammo to feed your favorite firearms, all of which are sure to help you fill limits and freezers. Here are some of the most notable additions to the arsenal this year. RIFLE AMMO HORNADY V-MATCH Hornady continues to come up with innovative ways to elevate ammo. Their new V-Match line is perfect for predator hunting with fur-taking accuracy. Launched in conjunction with their 22 ARC and featuring the ELD-VT bullet that blends the low-drag match engineering with the fragmentation of a varmint bullet, this new…

IT WAS LATE THIS PAST SPRING WHEN I ANSWERED A CALL FROM MY GUN DEALER RANDY. HE WAS EXCITED. “I’M LOOKING AT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MARLIN THAT I’VE SEEN IN QUITE SOME TIME. MAN, WHAT A RIFLE. I COULD SELL LOADS OF THESE!” I wasn’t surprised. I explained to him that Ruger’s new ownership and management of Marlin had proven extremely successful in their relaunch of the Model 1895 a couple of years ago. I expected nothing less with the release of the Model 336. Officially, the newest Marlin is called the Model 336 Classic, and I can tell you straight up that it fits the bill. For starters, well-figured premium black walnut is used for the forend and pistol-grip buttstock. Pointed, laser-cut checking that I measured at 18 lines-per-inch…

PERCHED ATOP A ROCKY BLUFF, IT WAS READILY APPARENT THE RUT WAS ON HERE IN MONTANA. MULTIPLE WHITETAIL BUCKS, ALBEIT SMALL, FRANTICALLY CHASED SEVERAL GROUPS OF DOES THROUGH THE RIVER BOTTOM BELOW AND ON UP INTO THE FOOTHILLS. Turning my glass upward revealed no less than four different groups of mule deer does basking in the morning rays while being harassed by numerous lovesick bucks. Lucky for me, my tag was good for either species. I am a mule deer junkie at heart, but our attention this week was directed towards white-tailed deer in search of an impressive buck my good friend and Director of Advertising and Marketing at BPI, Chad Shearer, had seen the week prior. Truthfully, whitetails have never been a priority for me, mainly due to my…

LESS THAN A DECADE AGO, THE BIG-GAME RIFLE BUSINESS WAS IN A RACE FOR THE BOTTOM. EVERY MAJOR GUN MANUFACTURER WAS TRYING TO INTRODUCE THE LOWEST-PRICED RIFLE IT COULD, AND CONSUMERS COULD FIND A GOOD – NOT GREAT – DEER-HUNTING RIFLE FOR LESS THAN $400 ON THE STREET. Thankfully, for both discerning consumers and gun-company accountants, the precision-rifle world put a hard stop to all that nonsense. Now, everyone is chasing maximum accuracy, premium performance and custom-like fit. That sweet spot in the market is now a bit south of $2,000, and there are a lot of great guns for consumers willing to trade a few paychecks for a bolt-action rifle that shoots sub-MOA. Several gun manufacturers, known better for their ARs, have recognized that demand and dipped their toes…

IT WAS ALREADY LATE WHEN SUNLIGHT FINALLY BROKE THROUGH THE WINTER GRAY CLOUDS AND LEAFLESS BRANCHES OF THE VIRGINIA TIMBER. As I descended from my blind, the sun’s position high in the sky confirmed there would be no deer this morning. Despite striking out on a late-season buck, I couldn’t have been happier to be hunting with an old friend made new again. The synthetic-stocked New Ultralight Arms rifle I carried was conceived in West Virginia, just a few miles over the Blue Ridge from where I stood. However, the example I held, a Model 20 in .308 Win., was born in Arkansas, and wore the stylized, eagle-emblazoned “WC” logo of Wilson Combat. Melvin Forbes, the founder of New Ultra Light Arms (NULA), often described himself as, “Just a hillbilly…

ACCORDING TO ONE DEFINITION, THE TERM “CUSTOM” MEANS “DOING WORK TO ORDER.” AS ITS NAME SUGGESTS, SHAW BARRELS, FORMERLY KNOWN AS E.R. SHAW, IS BEST KNOWN AS A BARREL MANUFACTURER. Shaw has long offered button-rifled pre-fit, short-chambered and blank barrels for various applications, but things are changing. The company has evolved into one that offers complete custom rifles in addition to barrels. Its newest model, the Excursion, is a real-deal big-game hunting rig. The Excursion is available in dozens of chamberings, barrel lengths and configurations, making it a great deal more “custom” than many of the rifles out there that use that term. Each Excursion is built to the individual buyer’s specifications. A series of 14 different drop-down menus on the Shaw website (shawcustombarrels.com) allow the user to configure his…