Hunting & Camping Equipment Review

[basside]

Hi all,

I haven't seen this thread yet. Thought I post one up. Please post your hunting equipment, Bow, Rifle, ATV, Offroad truck, Camper, ammo, arrows, etc.. Tell us what you like about it and what you don't. This could help guys who are in the market and we'll learn something from one another.



1st picture. I wanted to upgrade to the bull barrel for precise accuracy but no where on earth any mfg/company make one with an open sight so I chose to keep the factory barrel b/c it has the see through scope mounts. (11/01/2011 - Edit. Green Mountain makes one) This makes it great for hunting close range and taking aim at 75yd. I purchased this Ruger 10/22's bone stock and upgraded a lot of internals. I hated the facory trigger pull of apx 5lbs. After reducing the trigger weight down the accuracy was unbelievable. I've spent an additional $300 for all these parts and now the gun shoots just as good as most $1000 + 17hmr & 22's. I didn't care to sight it for 100yds that's why I only had a 2" group. Most squirrels I shoot are rarely at 100yds and all in honest truth, 10/22 are not that efficient at 100yds.

Here is the site I purchased of my 10/22 parts from:

http://www.midwayusa.com/static/Ruger-1022.aspx



2nd picture. I just got into Precharged Pneumatic Air rifiles. This setup alone cost over $1000 to start.
Breakdown

Rifle - $469
Scope - $189
Mounts - $10
Yoke - $89
K-valve Scuba tank - $289
pellets - $10 +
extra magazine/clip - $13


You need a scuba tank with 3000 + psi, a yoke to connect your gun to the scuba tank for charging. People laugh when I tell them I hunt with an airgun. I think they laugh b/c when they hear the word airgun, they automatically think of Walmart's Nitrogen pump air rifles which aren't that bad but they're slow. Anyway, for those who don't know about PCP guns, I get 45-50 shots for this one b/c I reduced the air flow to about 900fps. It will penetrate, 1" plywood and your beef stew tin can at 100yd so taking down squirrels is no problem. Many people down south shoot racoon, rabbits and fox squirrels with these guns. The .25 caliber air rifle will take down pigs/hog, the .45 air rifle will take down deers, elks and moose. The reason I bought this is b/c I wanted something quiet and the 10/22's are a bit loud to my liking. My illegal option was a silencer but I thought about spending 10 years in prison with a boyfriend name Tyron wasn't my forte' so I researched into PCP air guns. I found one called the FX Royale 400 but that was over $1500 just for the gun alone--after the scope, tank and accessories, I'm looking well over $2400 = doghouse for a year. I continued the search and found that the Benjamin Marauder was the most affordable, powerful, yet high quality all around gun. And its American made!! This gun is so quiet in the woods, the squirrels do not know what hit them. Next season I will retire my Ruger and give it to my brother. I will be hunting with the airgun from now on.

There are many sites out there but here's where I bought mine.

http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/show.pl?cmd_rifles=show_guns_caliber&Caliber=0.220

[Reporter]

That's a lot.

I wonder if I want to pay that much just for squirrels.

[basside]

That's a lot.

I wonder if I want to pay that much just for squirrels.

There's a market for every type of customer. For me its a solution for the ban of silencers in Minnesota. I like hunting in stealth mode and for shooting backyards. Its not for everybody. Not everything made on the market is for everybody. Example, I can't justify buying a bicycle for $3,000, a driver for $500 etc....gotta like it.

[Reporter]

Silencers are good only if you are murdering people. But animals? Make all the noises you can. There's even fun in doing that in the woods or backyards.

I want the right to set spring pole traps in MN. Yes, for squirrels and all kinds of unprotected birds.

[addisonlee]

Stickied. Good thread here. Keep'em coming guys. 

[hmg-eng]

Nice, I was seriously contemplating buying an air rifle for hunting last year. I was looking at the Benjamin Discovery and Marauder, but never went through with it because of the cost.  Also the rifles seemed kind of heavy. You gave the best answer  when asked about why you would spend all that money. Everyone has their hobbies that they spend a lot of money doing, yours is air rifles. My problem is I have too many hobbies, fishing, golfing, hunting, cars, electronics, etc.

I initially wanted an air rifle for the same reason, less noise while hunting squirrel. I like to be stealthy too. But from what I've seen some of these air rifles are just as loud, especially the high velocity ones. When you break the sound barrier then it's going to be loud. I have a 10/22 and Savage Mark II bolt action. What I've done is shoot subsonic ammo. The ammo doesn't work well for semi-autos.

I like your style, black synthetic stock, stainless steel barrel, with silver scope, and mounts.  I'll post some of my gear when I get the time.

[basside]

Nice, I was seriously contemplating buying an air rifle for hunting last year. I was looking at the Benjamin Discovery and Marauder, but never went through with it because of the cost.  Also the rifles seemed kind of heavy. You gave the best answer  when asked about why you would spend all that money. Everyone has their hobbies that they spend a lot of money doing, yours is air rifles. My problem is I have too many hobbies, fishing, golfing, hunting, cars, electronics, etc.

I initially wanted an air rifle for the same reason, less noise while hunting squirrel. I like to be stealthy too. But from what I've seen some of these air rifles are just as loud, especially the high velocity ones. When you break the sound barrier then it's going to be loud. I have a 10/22 and Savage Mark II bolt action. What I've done is shoot subsonic ammo. The ammo doesn't work well for semi-autos.

I like your style, black synthetic stock, stainless steel barrel, with silver scope, and mounts.  I'll post some of my gear when I get the time.

These PCP rifles do weigh over 8lbs once well equipped with scopes, slings etc (1lb heavier then my 20" barrel 10/22). Most of these PCP rifles do have an adjusted air valve to reduce the power which reduces noise but noise has to do with the design of the barrels. If you want a quiet one, buy one with a shrouded barrel that shoots sub-sonic velocity. Most of these PCP rifles are subsonic with a loudness of 96db. That is no louder then a cough.

If the Benjamin Discovery (5.13lbs w/o scope) and Marauder (7.13lbs w/o scope) rifles are on the heavy side for you, maybe the Marauder Pistol might work for you. Its $389 and only 3.40lbs with the shoulder rest. Add 3-9x40 scope and you're under 5lbs. However, you're limited to power (only 700fps), accuracy is about 33yds (Real world test - 50yd and under), 8 round clip and about 20 shots worth of pre-charged air. It will still kill squirrels and varmints!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWhwF23AaMI

Show us some pictures! I always wanted a bolt action but found it too slow for me. What are your thoughts?

[Roc]

When I have a bit of time I'll do a review of my Ruger Blackhawk. I know a place where I can get a couple wild ground squirrel but it requires me to be super still for at least 20 minutes.

[addisonlee]

I mainly use this camcorder for hunting. Enjoy. 


PRODUCT REVIEW: JVC GZ-HM30 HD Everio Camcorder

I've owned the JVC GZ-HM30 HD Everio Camcorder for just over a year now and have used it for all sorts of activities. One of the main reasons why I purchased this camcorder was its capability to record in HD, along with its compact size and very affordable price of less than $200. Another great feature I love about this camcorder is it's ability to zoom in 40x and user friendly controls. This camcorder is super light weight and durable, I've accidently dropped it a few times on cement and rocks, but it still operates fine.

In the summer heat, it films great, as long as you don't get it wet (but what camcorder records good when it's wet?). In the cold temperatures (20 degrees or less) while self-filming my hunts the camera battery gets drained very fast, even though it's not turned on. The lcd screen blacks out and won't record after this happens. So I would not recommend this camera in cold weather at all. Due to it's small battery pack, I would highly recommend an extra battery pack if you want to film more than 20-30min. Some have stated the viewing screen going into power save mode when left open, but I don't seem to have that problem with mine, although leaving it open does drain the battery when not recording. Overall, it's a good camcorder for the money and is one of my main cameras.

I hope you found this review helpful. Feel free to ask questions or feedback. Thanks for reading my review.

PROS:
Small compact, light weight, quick focus for the money/size, user friendly controls, and records in HD.

CONS:
Battery life is only 20-30 mins when recording, 30-40 mins when just viewing, lcd view screen must be open to record, the editing software that came with it is not user friendly, and the only software I found to be effective is iMovie (maybe Adobe Premier)

[basside]

Great review!

Lithium Ion batteries will fix your problems.

[addisonlee]

Great review!

Lithium Ion batteries will fix your problems.

Ebay ftw! 

[hua]

My .22lr is quieter than an air rifle, special thanks to SWR Spectre II 

Rifle: Ruger 77/22

Just bought this last spring. Served me well during squirrel season. I picked this up because I just could not stand the cheap feel of my marlin. Never shot farther than 50 yards with this, but it groups nicely and has taken many squirrels last season.

Pros: Feels like a real rifle and not like a toy like most other $150-300 22s. Fit and finish are excellent.
Cons: expensive for a 22lr, averages $600 for synthetic stock and $700 for wood stock. Nice rifle if you can afford it, though I still think a CZ is the best bang for the buck.

Suppressor: SWR Spectre II

Also received this last summer. Works for 22lr, 22mag, 17hmr. As long as the bullet stays subsonic, it sounds like an airgun. Use cci cb long or cci quiet and you will be able hear the firing pin hit the rim when you squeeze the trigger. Uses click together baffle system and disassembles for cleaning. This suppressor is machined out of stainless steel, so it's much more durable than it's aluminum competitions, but that also means it weighs more.

Pros: It's a silencer... enough said.  And it's one of the best rimfire suppressor on the market right now.
Cons: requires $200 tax on top of the price of the suppressor ($350) and 6+ months wait for ATF to approve paperwork

[iron-ore]

nice! you must have a lot of disposable income to be dropping so much money on a 22 lr rim fire rifle and accessories... and here i thought cci quiet rds were quiet enough already...

i actually love the marlin model 60... and 50 yrds is really all you need for small game... my preferred caliber for shooting small game distance is the 17hmr... been contemplating about purchasing the 17 hmr magnum...

[hua]

I'm just like everyone else... but after years of owning cheaper firearms, I decided it was time to spend the extra money and buy something nice.

As far as 22lr for small game within 50 yards, I completely agree. Anything farther and I would opt for a 17hmr as well.

[V-Maxxx]

I'm just like everyone else... but after years of owning cheaper firearms, I decided it was time to spend the extra money and buy something nice.

As far as 22lr for small game within 50 yards, I completely agree. Anything farther and I would opt for a 17hmr as well.

Yeah i feel u right there.. I use to own a Marlin 25MN (.22 WMR), Remington 597(.22 LR), Savage MK II (.22 LR), Savage 93R17 (.17 HMR), Mossberg  .22 LR.. The Marlin 25MN & Mossberg did terrible at anything beyond 75 yards.. Its like shooting a shotgun into the target sheet after about 20 rounds..

The other three did good  for the money..

So one day i say screw it im getting something  nicer.. Spend about $900.00 for a browning and $700.00 for a CZ 455 feels just like a center fire rifle..