HuntNFish Regs is a pretty simple idea.  Take all of the hunting and fishing regulation books from all of the states (and a bunch of Canadian provinces) and put them online in an easy-to-use web site.  Add in quick links to the online licensing systems for each state… or at least for the states that have online licensing.  Top that off with photo galleries for members to share their success, and you’ve got the basic makings of a really useful tool for outdoorsmen. 

You don’t have to be a member to use the basic functions of the site.  You can select a state, review the regs, and even buy licenses and tags without ever signing up for anything.  However, should you choose to sign on for the free membership, you get a few extra benefits.  These include:

• Email alerts on state-specific news and updates
• Free, unlimited classified posts
• Full photo gallery access
• Eligibility for contests and drawings
• Advertising discounts (advertise your outdoors business on the site)
• Free 6-month subscription to the digital version of Outdoors Magazine

It’s a nicely done site, and still getting better.  For the hunter interested in going out of state, but daunted by trying to find the regulations and information, this is the site you’ve been looking for.  Heck, I’ll be using it for my own research. 

Check it out for yourself.

It’s been an interesting show for me this year, in large part because my intended focus switched right off the start.  After Monday’s range day event, I suddenly wanted to learn more about airguns.  I blame the folks at Crossman, and their Benjamin Marauder. 

Of course I have been doing some research into the lead-free market, although there are a handful of newer products I didn’t get to see.  The key players all got a moment in the sun, though, including Hornady, Federal-Premium, CCI, Winchester, and Barnes.  For the moment, the key take-aways include:

Federal is currently continuing to load the Barnes bullets in their lead-free line.  They’ve also added the Snow Goose load to the Black Cloud line, so waterfowlers looking for goose loads.  For centerfire, Federal already has a relatively extensive list of available calibers, but I was told they probably won’t be expanding that line.  I was told that the market simply isn’t big enough to make it economically feasible to add some of the less common calibers and weights.  This isn’t great news for those hunters who use the less common guns. 

Barnes is expanding their Vor-TX line of loaded ammunition to include several new centerfire rifle loads from .223 to .338, including 30-30 and 45/70 (for you lever guys).  They’ll also be adding handgun ammunition to the line later this spring or early summer.   The initial launch should include .357 mag, .44mag, and .45 Colt.  I’m hoping to get my hands on some of the .44mag ammo when it becomes available, and will be sure to give it a good try-out.  

CCI has been loading the Hornady bullets in their rimfire ammo, and it looks like they’re just about to complete the line by adding a .17 MachII.  Some manufacturers told me they thought this was a dying cartridge, but it seems to be pretty popular with some of the varmint hunters out there. 

Winchester has a piece of really good news with the release of their new PowerMax 95-5 (I may have the name wrong… bear with me, as it’s not on their website yet).  The most remarkable thing about this new line is the price which will be much lower than the other current, lead-free ammo on the market.  I’m hoping this is the beginning of a trend.  I’ll be testing this ammo later this year, as soon as I can get my grubby hands on it! 

I’ve got more lead-free ammo information coming soon, but right now I’ve got to fly.  The 2011 SHOT Show has ended for me, but the information, products, and ideas I picked up along the way will fuel many posts to come.

This show is a great place for folks to bring out the unique, and sometimes useful gadgets, gizmos, and gimmicks… like Birchwood Casey’s new Zombie targets.  These should make a day at the range a lot more interesting than just shooting concentric circles or squares. 

Every year some entrepreneur finds a new way to address one of our most common and basic needs… going to the bathroom.  Most folks may remember the Bumper Dumper from several years back (and yes, he’s apparently still in business).  Well that’s old news now. 

Nowadays it’s all about  “Pack it in, pack it out,” and the chemical powders and gels by companies like Restop allow outdoorsmen to do their business, and then seal it away in zipper-locking bags.  The chemicals lock the waste into a safe, hygienic gel that can be safely disposed of in a garbage can.  Because of the way the enzymes work on the waste, dangerous pathogens such as e coli or disease are neutralized (along with odor).

The system works, and is in use by the military, as well as civilian emergency workers for situations where sanitary facilities are not available. 

Speaking of emergency equipment and preparedness, Energizer is getting more and more into solar power options.  Last year, they introduced a couple of solar-powered device chargers, and this year they’ve added to the line.  They’re also rolling out a whole line of solar powered lights and lanterns.

Walking around the SHOT Show usually builds an appetite, and around lunchtime, it’s not unusual to start to smell some tasty morsels.  If you follow your nose, you’ll often stumble onto some pretty good stuff, as I did when I found the Game Gourmet booth. 

A tantalizing aroma drifted across the hall, emanating from a bubbling crockpot.  A smiling representative offered a taste of elk stew, and I gave it a go with minor trepidation.  I’ve eaten some pretty foul stuff at a couple of booths over the years.  My first taste, however, put my fears to rest. This stuff was good, and I don’t think it was just because I was so hungry! 

The Game Gourmet is a pre-packaged seasoning mix and a cooking bag.  All you really need to do is add your meat, close up the bag, and cook it up in the oven or a crock pot.  Cooking in the bag seals in flavor and moisture, so you don’t end up with dried out meat (a real risk with game meat).  The elk was tender as could be, and the spices were not overwhelming, but really tasty.  They have other mixes for meats such as waterfowl, soups and stews, and roasts and steaks. 

I’ll be back later with some more guns and stuff, because I know that’s what a lot of you want to hear about.  I’m also getting some great info for later posts and articles, so please… stay tuned!

Bushnell provided a breakfast meeting in order to introduce some of their new products for the year.  Among the standouts were the newest addition to their rangefinding binocular line, the Fusion 1600 ARC.  This year they’re adding a 12×50 unit to the 10×42 they introduced in 2010.  At a MSRP of under $900, they offer a relatively high-quality, but economical alternative to the Leica and Zeiss offerings that sell for more than twice as much. 

In the confines of the convention center, they seemed pretty nice, but I haven’t had the opportunity to try them in the field so I can’t offer a more thorough opinion.  Field-testing units were a little hard to come by last year.  I doubt that’ll change much this year.

Another pretty cool little item from Bushnell is their latest iteration of the BackTrack GPS.  The BackTrack is designed around the concept of keeping it as simple as possible.  What they did was to reduce a GPS to it’s most basic, which is essentially a tiny unit (smaller than a mini-camera) that just leaves a “breadcrumb trail” back to your starting point.  There are no waypoints to program, or topo maps to interpret… just a pointer arrow and some key data, like how far you need to go. 

This year they’re introducing the DTour, which offers a few more features without making the unit more complex.  In addition to showing you the way back to your truck or trailhead, the DTour basically tracks data about your trip (hike, canoe or kayak, hunt, etc.) and compiles it behind the scenes.  When you get home, you can plug the unit into your PC and it automatically uploads the data to a site that returns a report.  It can include the distance you travelled, average speed, altitude, etc.  It also places your route on a topo map which can be downloaded for your own records, hunting logs, or to share with other people.  There are even hooks built in to allow you to upload directly to Facebook or some other social media sites.

At the breakfast, Bushnell also introduced a new program, the Bill McRae Lifetime Achievement Award.  McRae is one of the leading sporting optics authorities, having spent most of his career testing, reviewing, and writing about the subject.  This, along with his reputation as a mentor to new writers, has earned him the respect of the industry and the dedication of the award.  He is the first recipient.

Along with the award, Bushnell has created a scholarship in his name at the University of California at Davis.  The scholarship will award $7500 each year at the University’s School of Optics.  The scholarship will go to undergraduates who want to pursue careers in the optics field. 

The other cool philanthropic effort Bushnell introduced was a partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation.   This foundation was formed to provide “post-secondary educational scholarships to the spouses and children of service members disabled or killed as a result of their military service to our great nation. Our unique scholarships can be applied to schooling now or held by Folds of Honor on behalf of young children until needed at the time of enrollment.”

Bushnell will be donating a portion of proceeds from select products to support the Folds of Honor Foundation.  In addition, the company will provide an opportunity for customers to donate as well.  With the purchase of the Patriot rangefinder, customers will receive a $30 rebate.  On the rebate form, the customer can choose to receive the money, or to donate it directly to the Folds of Honor Foundation.

The Buck Packlite Fieldmaster field dressing kit - A pretty nice set, although I’m not sure I could get used to the skeleton frame.

Savage Palma – I was shooting (and hitting) a 14″ wide metal target at 880 yards.  Super magnum?  Nope.  .308win.  Awesome rifle, topped with Leupold’s new tactical scope (can’t recall the model and didn’t make a note, dammit).

The newest Kimber 84.  I didn’t get to shoot it, unfortunately, but the rifle on display feels real nice… not that I’m surprised.  Hell, it’s a Kimber.

Benjamin Marauder – my next air rifle, I believe.

Ruger Gunsite Scout – My favorite rifle of yesterday’s day at the range.  Spoke to the Ruger rep about potential chamberings for the future.  Lots of possibilities, particularly in the bigger bores.  Stay tuned!

FN FAL SCAR 16 – This is the 5.56mm (.223) version.  I had a chance to shoot the 7.62mm (.308) version at the range yesterday.  I’m really new to the AR platform, but I can sure see why so many people like these things!

Last one for now… I think this is what I’ll use on hogs next trip to Texas.  What do you think?

Over the course of today’s Media Day At The Range, I shot a lot of pretty cool guns.  I shot big-bore rifles, ARs, slug guns, hand cannons, and even crossbows.  But out of everything I shot, the one that stands out to me now, looking back, was an air rifle.

OK, so it wasn’t a Red Ryder, or even an old Crossman 760 (I still have mine, by the way).  It was actually the newest thing on the Benjamin line.   It’s a .357 air rifle that delivers almost as much energy as a .38spl with a whisper. 

I’d stopped at the Crossman booth to have a look at .22 caliber pellet guns, because I think that would be a blast of a tool for hunting turkeys (totally legal in CA, and perfect for turkeys in populated areas), not to mention the fun it would be for ground squirrels and jackrabbits. 

The first thing I noticed was a couple of really nice-looking rifles on display.  These were no cheap, plastic toys.  Laura Evans, Crossman Marketing Coordinator, saw my curiousity, and before I knew it, I was getting a lesson in the features and functions of modern air rifles.  For example, in the break-barrel rifle I was looking at, they’d replaced springs with pistons, because springs weaken over time.  This should extend the life and power of the rifle significantly. 

Then I started to look at a .25 caliber pre-charged pneumatic (PCP)… the Marauder model.  The PCP airguns have a chamber that is pressurized with air (usually from a SCUBA tank or a high-pressure pump).  The barrel is also completely shrouded, with baffles incorporated at the muzzle to completely muffle the sound.  I’d shot a couple of high-powered air rifles in the past, and I remember how loud they were.  Laura told me that the Marauder wouldn’t be nearly that loud.  Of course, I had to shoot it to find out for myself.

The rifle is a little heavier than I’d expected… somewhere in the 8 lb range.  It was also outfitted with a pretty serious scope.  The heft does help steady the gun, though, and I leveled off at some of the “popper” targets.  On my first shot, the popper fell, but I didn’t notice because I was shocked at how quiet the Marauder was!  It was, literally, a loud whisper.  I fired several more shots (the Marauder loads from an eight-shot, rotary clip). 

I guess the grin on my face told all, and Laura walked over.  “That’s fun, huh?”

Absolutely.  I wanted one right then and there.  The Marauder isn’t cheap, with an MSRP in the neighborhood of $500, but it’s not a toy.  It slings a .25 caliber pellet at around 900 fps which translates to plenty of thump for small game or turkeys.  This may well find its way onto my Christmas list for next year.

Before I left, Laura wanted me to see something else.  She noticed from my name badge that I am into hog hunting.  “Here’s something you can use for hogs,” she told me. 

On a table in the middle of the tend was a futuristic-looking rifle, set up on a bipod.  At first glance, I thought it was another long-range, sniper gun.  But as Laura directed my attention to it, I realized it was an air rifle!  But oh, brother, what an air rifle!  It’s a .357 caliber.  After a quick introduction to the rifle, and a few shots downrange, I was pretty impressed… even though the unit I was shooting was still in prototype. 

The rifle shoots three different sizes of pellet, from 95 to 140 grains.  It incorporates an electronic power control, so you can dial the power down for multiple shots at targets, or you can dial it to full power to deliver the heavy, hunting bullet with the energy of a .38 special.  I was suitably impressed, and will be following this rifle’s development. 

Of course there were plenty of other cool products at the shoot.  I’ll provide more detail on some of these later, but standouts include:

Savage’s new 116 Bear Hunter rifle – in .300 WinMag, .325wsm (YES!), and .338 WinMag.  The rifle features an adjustable brake that can be turned on or off with a twist of the wrist.  The one I shot was in .300 WinMag, and the on/off brake feature really made a big difference… both in felt recoil and in noise. 

Sako’s Black Bear – chambered in .370 Sako Mag (9.3×66).  It’s a handy, carbine-sized rifle with a really serious round coming out of the pipe.  I shot this rifle with iron sights, and it handled really well at 100 yards.  The .370 does kick pretty good, which can be a challenge in such a light rifle (7 lbs.), but it wasn’t unbearable.  I’d love to haul this thing into the canyons for hogs, or even into the dark timber for a big, bull elk.

Tenpoint Crossbows – I’ve been wanting to learn more about crossbows, so I took the time to stop at the Tenpoint booth at the shoot.  I’d never really shot one, so this was the opportunity to check it out.  With Tenpoint’s cocking assist tool, pulling the 180 lb bow back wasn’t too bad.  There’s also a crank that makes it even easier, although it’s slower and makes a lot of noise.  The bow itself is really pretty quiet, and screaming accurate. 

And finally, my favorite rifle of the day was Ruger’s new Gunsite Scout rifle.  They released a Scout Carbine a couple of years ago, but this rifle takes the short platform to a new level.  Equipped with XS Ghost Ring sights, forward rail, and Ruger scope rings, you have a ton of options for sighting.  The rifle also incorporates a 5-round or 10-round magazine.  Right now, it’s only being offered in .308 win, but that’s a plenty capable round for most American big game.  The muzzle is threaded, and comes standard with a flash suppressor (which makes sense on the short barrel). 

I’ll have photos and maybe more detail on all of these, as well as several others as this week goes on. 

Oh, and on the subject of new products.  My friend, and fellow blogger, Holly (NorCal Cazadora) is offering some really cool, and very artistic, photos.  She’s discovered a great way to highlight the natural beauty of duck feathers, and she’s come up with some unique and beautiful photos.  Check them out over on her site, and if you like what you see, you can buy a couple.

I’m off in a couple of hours to fly out to Vegas, where I’ll probably not sleep a wink.  Come tomorrow morning, first thing, I’ll be loading onto the bus to Boulder City Rifle and Pistol Range to shoot all the new guns, try out all the new ammo, and generally have a grand time! 

That’s just the kick-off for a week of checking out new products, talking to vendors, industry insiders, other writers, and even celebrities.  I’ve got to mix in a lot of work (my real job) during the week, but I’m really looking forward to this annual opportunity to dive headlong into a side of the hunting and shooting sports industry that many hunters never get to see. 

Stay tuned all week, as I’ll be bringing you updates as fast and furious as I can get them, whether from the show floor, the press room, or my hotel.

In fact, one of the things I think I’ll be focused on is the outdoors TV networks.  Sportsman Channel, Pursuit, and The Outdoor Channel are always on-hand for the show, and they usually take the opportunity to unveil new programming and concepts they’ll bring to the screen for the upcoming year.  Over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate enough to attend the Outdoor Channel’s “Golden Moose” awards dinner.  This is sort of like the Oscars for outdoor programming, even if the awards candidates all come from just one network.  I believe the Sportsman Channel does a similar shindig for their programs, and I’m hoping I can swing a way (Michelle, are you reading this?) into that event as well.  Stay tuned for the outcome of some of this.  Who knows, there may even be a celebrity interview or two in the offing! 

Of course my favorite part of SHOT comes the day before the actual show opens, with the Media Range Day.  This is the opportunity to get out and shoot new firearms and ammunition, sight through various new optics, and just enjoy the smell of burning powder and the solid thump of recoil.  I haven’t really set my mind on any certain new products to see at the shoot, although I’m always interested to see what’s new in the big bore lineup.  One thing I wish we could do at these shoots is take a few minutes with some of the rifles at a private firing line, where we can actually shoot for accuracy.  On the general line, there are a handful of reactive targets at various ranges, but there’s no break that would allow you to go downrange and look at groups and such. 

Finally, while I doubt there’s going to be a ton of news on this front, I’ll also be looking around at lead-free ammo offerings.  This has been sort of a standing quest for me at SHOT since I started attending back in 2002, and while there was an initial spurt of development, it seems to have tapered off a bit.  Availability of less common calibers is still an issue, as is the high price.  I’ll find out next week if that’s likely to change any time in the near future.

With all of this in mind, I’m open to anyone who’d like me to look into specific products…whether it’s firearms, ammo, optics, or gear.  If you’ve heard about something coming out this year, it’ll probably be on display at the SHOT Show and I’ll be happy to try to get a look and gather some info.

One such product was a DVD from Impressum Media, Inc., called The Firearms Multimedia Guide.  On the disc is a searchable database of over 41,ooo models of firearms and ammo.  They bill the Guide as “the most extensive firearms reference guide in the world,” and I don’t doubt it.  I know I’ve never seen anything quite like it… at least not in this format.

The search feature is really pretty well-designed, allowing the user to put in up to 14 search criteria.  You can search as detailed or as high-level as you want, depending on what you are trying to find.  The data set includes almost anything you’d want to know about a specific gun, right down to the current MSRP.  Also, for every gun you select, you can also find a list of available ammunition, complete with ballistics charts. 

At first, I gave a lot of thought to what use something like this would serve.  I mean, it’s really cool and everything, but what would I do with it?  I suppose if I were shopping for something fairly obscure or really high-end, it would be handy for that.  They do have some pretty cool stuff listed in there, including a bunch of bespoke guns that you won’t find listed in most of the gun books. 

The real value of this DVD and database would be for the writer who needs access to detailed info about various guns and ammunition.  Whether you’re writing a hunting article or a spy novel, you can get accurate and detailed information about all sorts of guns.  I have seen way too many novels, movies, and TV shows that could absolutely benefit from this kind of info as well. 

Overall, it’s a pretty neat tool.  If I had any concerns, it’s that as far as I can tell, the only way to update the database is to buy the new version every year or two.  With an MSRP of $29.99, that’s not a terribly big imposition, but it’s something to keep in mind, considering the never-ending evolution of the firearms industry.

In short, if you’re a hunting or shooting writer, or if you (or someone you know) plans to include guns and ammo in stories, novels, or scripts, this could be the perfect reference tool.  It’s simple to use, relatively inexpensive, and loaded with a huge array of guns and ammo.

So my answer, in short, is that I don’t write reviews off of press releases and product labels.  I don’t sit and turn something around on my desk until I’m struck by the product review muse with some glibly positive commentary.  If I am going to review something, I intend to use it, try it as it’s intended to be used, and then I’ll write about it. 

For example, if it’s ammo, I will shoot it.  Ideally, I’ll use it on game, but at the very least, I’m going to see how it performs on targets and in my guns.  Is it accurate, does it chamber and cycle, and does it kill cleanly?  If it’s a knife, I’ll cut something with it.  How’s it hold up on a hog skin (if it can handle skinning hogs, it can handle anything)?  Does it keep an edge, and can I resharpen it easily? 

I’m not going to test optics by looking across the living room or out the back door.  I need to take them in the field, under real conditions.  I don’t have one of these high-tech testing labs either… I’m not measuring exit pupil or light gathering capacity.  I want to know if I can clearly see what I’m looking at.  How’s it handle rain, fog, or 100-degree heat? 

If it’s clothing, I’ll wear it… not just around the living room, but in the field.  Is it tough, waterproof, or whatever else it’s advertised to be?  Before review, I’ll read the book or view the video.  And so on…

Point is, all of this takes a little time and time is a precious commodity.  I’ve got a good-sized stack of things to go over, and some more that should be in the mail.  Included are the new, lead-free .22lr cartridges from CCI, some great new boots from RedBack (which I love so far), several hog calls (this is for you, Rex), a couple of books and videos, and some new “scent-blocking” clothing. 

There are a couple of exceptions to my rule, though… for example, some things are just great ideas that I want to share. 

One example is the “Shotkeeper“.  It’s a shadow-box designed to hold a photo from your hunt, with a special cutout to fit the shotgun or rifle shell used to make the shot.  You can get them for 2″x3″ or 4″x6″ photo sizes.  Simple, I agree, but it’s a really cool idea and a nice way to commemorate a hunt.  They also make a similar display, called the “Lurekeeper“, for fishing (a photo and a cutout for a special lure or fly).  I didn’t get a good photo, but check their site. 

So hang tight, as some reviews will be forthcoming over the next couple of weeks.  Others will take longer, but should be coming as my spring hunting kicks into high gear.