HUNTX3 — New Digital Hunting Magazine Debuts on Web

HUNTX3, a new all-digital hunting magazine, launched this week. You’ll find a full-featured website at HuntX3.com. There you can access gear reviews, videos, news feeds, and popular articles. But that’s just the beginning. The “heart” of HUNTX3 is a flash-based, interactive e-Zine that displays like a conventional print magazine with “double-truck” layouts, flip-page navigation, and full-page ads. The e-Zine even has embedded video and audio — and all content is FREE. As a rule, we generally don’t favor these print-magazine mimicking formats. They take a long time to load, and seem less reader-friendly than conventional web pages. On the other hand, HUNTX3’s e-Zine layout allows for large photos, and impressive two-page spreads. The premier issue of HUNTX3 Digital Magazine features many articles of interest for bow-hunters and big game hunters. There are excellent stories about elk hunting in Utah, Red Stag hunting in New Zealand, and Dall Sheep hunting in the Canadian Yukon.

High-Tech Hunt Planning with Google Earth
HUNTX3’s premier issue also includes a fascinating article by Toxie Givens explaining how to use Google Earth satellite photos to monitor game stands and plan a deer hunt. The article shows how you can define club boundaries, and plot the location of feeding stations, deer stands, and trail cameras. Using Google Earth, you can even mark locations where game has been taken in the past, link trail cam photos, and superimpose current weather conditions.

Givens explains: “I keep a record of the location where every deer is taken… for every year we have been hunting. This is great information to see where the most successful areas are on the club. Using Google Earth you can get the Weather Radar superimposed on your location. Furthermore Google Earth is capable of geo-caching [trail camera] photos to GPS points.”

2010 Women on Target Hunting Schedule

The NRA’s NRA Women On Target Hunting Progam organizes a popular series of women-only outdoor adventures every season. Currently, there are 11 Women on Target hunts planned for 2010. For a woman looking for a “no-stress” hunting holiday guided by skilled outfitters, this is an excellent choice. Starting as $276 for a two-day duck hunt, many of these events are quite affordable, so they would make a unique Christmas present for a female family member or your favorite lady shooter. CLICK HERE for Women on Target hunt details and pricing.

NOTE: One spot is still available for the combo hunt at Addisson Ranch in Oklahoma. Ladies will have a chance to stalk and shoot Whitetail Doe, Wild Hog, Coyote, and Bobcat.

2010-2011 Hunting Excursion Schedule
Whitetail Doe, Wild Hog, Coyote & Bobcat	Oklahoma	January 1-3, 2010
Feral Hog Hunt and Bass Fishing	Texas	January 22-24, 2010
European Pheasant and Walk up Hunt	Michigan	March 5-6, 2010
Rio Grande Tom Turkey	Texas	April 9-11, 2010
Alaskan Black Bear, Wolf	Alaska	August 17-23, 2010
Pheasant & Chukar	Nebraska	October 22-24, 2010
Mallard & Wood Duck	Michigan	October 22-24, 2010
Whitetail Doe/Spike, Axis Doe, and Hogs	Texas	October 22-24, 2010
Whitetail Doe/Spike, Axis Doe, Rio Grande Turkey (Tom/Hen), Hog	Texas	November 12-14, 2010
Whitetail Doe/Spike, Axis Doe, Rio Grande Turkey (Tom/Hen), Hog	Texas	December 10-12, 2010
Whitetail Doe, Hog, Coyote & Bobcat	Oklahoma	December 31, 2010 and January 2, 2011

Huge Sale on Camo and Blaze Clothing for Hunters

Hunters take note. Right now Cabelas.com is running a huge promotion on camo and blaze orange clothing, with with prices slashed up to 70%. For example, Cabela’s Dry-Plus® ES1 Maximum Raingear Jacket (Real-Tree Camo) is marked down to $49.99, $100.00 off the regular price. The price of a blaze orange fleece vest is now just $8.80 compared to $22.99 regularly. Quiet, packable microdenier Rain Suede camo pants are marked down to $49.88 from $139.99. And these are but a few of the many dozens of items on sale.

You probably won’t find a wider selection of deeply-discounted, name-brand camo and blaze clothing on the web. Though this sale you can get fully outfitted, from head to foot, at big savings.

CLICK HERE for Cabela’s Hunting and Outdoor Clothing Blow-Out SALE.

Shooting Skills: Reading the Wind When Hunting

Thomas Haugland, a Shooters’ Forum member from Norway, is a long-range target shooter and hunter. He has created an interesting video showing how to gauge wind velocities by watching trees, grass, and other natural vegetation. The video commentary is in English, but the units of wind speed (and distance) are metric. Haugland explains: “This is not a full tutorial, but rather a short heads-up to make you draw the lines between the dots yourself”. Here are some conversions that will help when watching the video (thanks Boyd):

.5 m/s = 1.1 mph | 1 m/s = 2.2 mph | 2 m/s = 4.5 mph
3 m/s = 6.7 mph | 4 m/s = 8.9 mph | 5 m/s =11.2 mph

More Interesting Videos from Norway
There are many other interesting videos on Haugland’s YouTube Channel, including Game Stalking, Precision Reloading, and Tips on how to use a Mildot Reticle on a scope with MOA-based clicks.

Test Your Skills with Online Turkey Shoot Game

OK, you’re feelin’ fat and happy after the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast and you need to kill some time. Sure you could rake the leaves or wash the dishes, but why not have some mindless fun targeting turkeys with this online video game? Be forewarned, this Turkey Shoot Game starts pretty easy, but those gobblers get sneakier as you move up in levels. Also — you can take your time and still get through the first five levels, just try to avoid misses.

For more fun, use the up/down and left/right keys on your keyboard to move around the 3D forest. That way you can sneak up on the gobblers hiding behind the bushes. Have fun, and enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!

CLICK HERE for Turkey Shoot Video Game.
Warning: Loud, shotgun sounds not appropriate for work.

Midsouth’s David ‘Dirt’ King — Musician, Hunting Guide, TV Host, CEO

David “Dirt” King, the owner of Midsouth Shooters Supply, is profiled in American Rifleman’s December 2009 issue. King has a fascinating personal background. Dirt King was raised near Reelfoot Lake and the Mississippi River in the northwest corner of Tennessee, and spent several years as a singer and keyboard player in nationally-known touring and recording bands. In his early teens he started off in rock bands, and later performed with big name country stars like Hank Williams Jr., and Carl Perkins. CLICK HERE to read article.

After his early career as a musician, King became a professional hunting and fishing guide in Tennessee. His guiding experience gave him insight into the outdoor industry and the gear that worked best for real hunters and anglers. Armed with that knowledge, King purchased Midsouth Shooters Supply in 1995 (the company was founded in 1969). King has built Midsouth into one of the nation’s most successful outdoor enterprises (and one that has supported 6mmBR.com from the very beginning). His company now boasts over 30 employees, who sell, pack, and ship millions of dollars of merchandise every month. Somehow, Dirt King also finds time to produce and co-host the popular Hunting University TV show.

You can read more about David “Dirt” King in Jim Wilson’s article profiling Midsouth’s owner. And in case you’re curious about the “Dirt” nickname, King told Wilson that, “That’s just a name that I got when I was a kid, and I’ve never been able to get loose from it.”

Hornady Announces NEW Superformance Ammunition — Claims 100-200 FPS More Velocity

Hornady Manufacturing has just announced its new line of “Superformance” hunting ammunition. Hornady claims that, “across the board” the new Superformance ammo will deliver “100 to 200 fps higher velocities than any other standard ammunition currently available.” Hornady also claims its Superformance ammo delivers increased velocities “WITHOUT increases in felt recoil, muzzle blast, temperature sensitivity, fouling or loss of accuracy.” Hornady President Steve Hornady says this is “a whole new standard in ammunition performance… We are going to be able to raise the velocity of almost any [hunting] load you’ve ever used… by 100-200 fps.” Surprisingly, the marketing materials even claim that Superformance ammo delivers higher velocities with “no increases in barrel wear” — something that runs contrary to common sense.

Rather amazing claims are being made for this new Hornady ammo. Are such claims to be believed? Well, when AccurateShooter.com tested Alliant Reloder 17 powder last year we confirmed that it could deliver 100-200 fps more velocity than most popular powders, in some cartridges. Presumably, Hornady is employing propellants with technologies similar to Reloder 17. Hornady’s marketing materials state that it is using “ultra progressive” “21st Century” propellants for the new Superformance ammo. Hornady has also brought out a line of GMX® mono-metal bullets that feature two deep cannelures for reduced bearing surface. It is well-established that this kind of bullet design can yield higher velocities, particularly in the big-bore calibers with heavy bullets.

So… the velocity claims may be bonafied, though we would expect the velocity gains will vary among the cartridges. Some chamberings will benefit from the new propellants more than others. And only half the Superformance ammo line-up features GMX bullets, the other half being loaded with more conventional SST® bullets.

How about the claims regarding recoil? The claim that Superformance ammo can deliver 100-200 fps more velocity without any more recoil is questionable. Hornady can’t alter the laws of physics. If a bullet of given weight has a higher muzzle velocity, it MUST produce more recoil than the same bullet moving slower — provided that the propellant charge weight (and rifle weight) are held constant. The only way Hornady can achieve higher velocities without increased recoil is by either: 1) reducing bullet weight; or 2) reducing the powder charge (or gas-related recoil). Hornady could hold recoil constant if its new propellants achieve the higher velocities with a reduced powder charge compared to “conventional” loads.

Hornady has issued an 11-page technical report that provides support for many of its marketing claims. Authored by Hornady Senior Ballistician Dave Emary, the report features some interesting test results, summarized in graphs. Regarding the recoil question, Emary argues that “Recoil … has parts to it that are not commonly understood. The fundamental misunderstanding of recoil is that the recoil is over when the bullet leaves the barrel. In truth, the vast majority of recoil occurs after the projectile exits the barrel. By far the greatest percentage of recoil is produced by the force of the gases and propellant residue/ejecta leaving the barrel.” Emary cites test results showing that “approximately 85 – 90% of the recoil happens after the projectile has left the barrel”. If Emary is correct, then Hornady might be able to achieve higher bullet velocities without enhanced recoil, provided the gas-based force is reduced.

We strongly recommend you read Emary’s report. CLICK HERE to download Superformance Ammo Report.

Hornady plans to release a complete line-up of Superformance ammunition for twenty chamberings: 243 Win, 6mm Rem, 257 Roberts, 25-06, 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 win, 7×57, 7mm-08, 280 Rem, 7mm Mag, 308 Win, 30 TC, 30-06, 300 RCM, 300 Win Mag, 338 RCM, 338 Win Mag, 375 H&H, 375 Ruger, and 458 Win Mag. CLICK HERE to review all the available calibers and bullet options for Superformance ammunition.

Gauge Low-Light Scope Performance with ScopeCalc.com

Hunters and tactical shooters need scopes with good low-light performance. For a scope to perform well at dawn and dusk, it needs good light transmission, plus a reasonably large exit pupil to make maximum use of your eye’s light processing abilty.* And generally speaking, the bigger the front objective, the better the low-light performance, other factors being equal. Given these basic principles, how can we quickly evaluate the low-light performance of different makes and models of scopes?

Here’s the answer: ScopeCalc.com offers a FREE web-based Low-Light Performance Calculator that lets you compare the light gain, perceived brightness, and overall low-light performance of various optics. Using this scope comparison tool is pretty easy — just input the magnification, objective diameter, exit pupil size, and light transmission ratio. If the scope’s manufacturer doesn’t publish an exit pupil size, then divide the objective diameter in millimeters by the magnification level. For example a 20-power scope with a 40mm objective should have a 2mm exit pupil. For most premium scopes, light transmission rates are typically 90% or better (averaged across the visible spectrum). However, not many manufacturers publish this data, so you may have to dig a little.

ScopeCalc.com’s calculator can be used for a single scope, a pair of scopes, or multiple scopes. Once you’ve typed in the needed data, click “Calculate” and the program will produce comparison charts showing Light Gain, Perceived Brightness, and Low-Light Performance. In the example below, we compared a “generic” 5-18×50 Tactical scope with a “generic” 8-32 Benchrest scope.

Though the program is easy to use, and quickly generates comparative data, assessing scope brightness, as perceived by the human eye, is not a simple matter. You’ll want to read the annotations that appear below the generated charts. For example, ScopeCalc’s creators explain that: “Perceived brightness is calculated as the cube root of the light gain, which is the basis for modern computer color space brightness scaling.” In addition, the way ScopeCalc measures Low-Light Performance is pretty sophisticated: “Low Light Performance [is calculated] as the average of light gain and resolution gain through magnification, as a measure of target image acuity gain in low light similar to Twilight Performance specified by scope manufacturers. Low Light Performance calculated here is much more useful than Twilight Performance, as Twilight performance is the average of the just the objective lens diameter times magnification, while Low Light Performance is the average of the actual Perceived Brightness times magnification, which also includes the exit pupil/eye pupil relation, light transmission, approximated diffraction, as well as the perception of relative light gain. Just as with Twilight Performance, this Low Light Performance calculation does not yet include lens resolution and contrast as factors. Therefore lower quality optics will yield relatively less gains at higher magnifications.” Got that?

*In low light, the human eye can typically dilate to 5mm – 7mm. The exact amount of dilation varies with the individual, and typically declines, with increasing age, from 7mm (at age 20) to a dark-adapted pupil of about 5.5mm by age 65. To take full advantage of a scope’s light-gathering capacity, the diameter of an eyepiece exit pupil should be no larger than the max diameter of your eye’s dark-adapted pupil, so that all of the light collected by the scope enters your eye, rather than falling on the iris. A large 8mm exit pupil may seem good, but it would be partly “wasted” on a shooter in his 60s.

NSSF Explains Hunting Role of AR15 in Video

The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s educational campaign on modern sporting rifles has created a new video that explains how (and why) AR-platform rifles are suited for hunting, varminting, and other sporting uses. The campaign is designed to reach a wide audience in the hunting and target shooting community, with emphasis placed on educating sportsmen whose preference for traditional-looking firearms can lead them to misunderstand AR-15-platform rifles and to even describe them as “assault weapons”. This can inadvertently lend support to elected officials and organizations who want to ban these rifles.

NSSF President Steve Sanetti writes, “We ask everyone who values their gun ownership rights to correct misunderstandings about the use and operation of these modern sporting rifles. If we let misinformation go unchecked, we only assist those who would ban ownership of these and other types of semi-automatic firearms, like your duck-hunting shotgun. We can’t let that happen.”

Download FREE Computer Wallpapers from Remington

Remington Arms offers a handsome collection of photographic “wallpapers” you can use as backgrounds for your computer’s desktop. There are dozens of high-resolution photos, all free for the downloading. Below is a sample from the 2009 Wallpaper collection.

Remington Wallpapers are available in 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768 and 1280×1024 pixel sizes and can be used on both PC and Mac computer systems. After downloading each file to your computer, you can set the image as your desktop background via your system control panel (or, with some operating systems, just open the picture file, right click on the image, and designate the photo as “desktop background”.)

Be sure to look through the wallpaper collections for years 2008 and earlier, as well as the current 2009 collection. There are 12 wallpapers per year. Below are previews of images from the past five years (2004-2008).

CLICK HERE for 2008 and Older Wallpaper Sets.

Photos © copyright Remington Arms Co., All Rights Reserved.

Alberta’s Huntfest Attracts Thousands of Visitors

Over 12,000 visitors attended the first-ever Huntfest in Alberta, Canada. Hosted August 14-16 at the River Cree Resort & Casino (Enoch, AB), WildTV’s Huntfest 2009 featured exhibits from gun- and ammo-makers, optics manufacturers, plus outdoor guides and outfitters. This was more than just an indoor trade show. Huntfest offered outside archery lanes, plus a large dirt track set up for ATV demos. The ATV track gave visitors a chance to ride the latest models and Parkland Bowbenders Archery Course was packed all weekend, putting over 700 kids through the practice lanes.

Hunting experts were on hand including Ralph & Vicki Cianciarulo, Cody Robbins, and Les Johnson from Predator Quest. Chris David and the guys from Hunting Chronicles, Jason & Kevin Spenst and Lain Roth, rounded out the Speakers Stage line up. There was also a special Cooking Demo area offering tasty free samples to visitors. Last but not least, a display of mounted trophy bucks was provided by Artistic Antlers.

Huntfest was so successful that organizers hope to bring the event to more Canadian cities next year. Show Manager Shaun Vlodarchyk stated: “There is definitely potential for this event to go nationwide, with a strong possibility of multiple cities for 2010. Keep watching Wild TV to see the latest updates this fall.”

New FN TSR XP — Great Deer Rifle in “Tactical” Guise

Tactical, Smacktical. FNH USA is trumpeting the “tacticality” of its new FN TSR “Tactical Sport Rifle”, but what we think they’ve created is a great hunting rifle for small deer, coyotes and other medium-sized game. The TSR comes in two versions — the TSR XP USA (.223, 7.62×39), and the TSR XP (.308 Win, .300 WSM). Both models feature a Win m70-type action with controlled feed, an olive drab Hogue over-molded stock with aluminum bedding block, and a one-piece steel MIL-STD Picatinny rail with built-in elevation. And yes, that nice rail is standard. The factory trigger adjusts from 3 to 5 pounds.

Compact 7.62×39 XP USA features 20″ Fluted Barrel
The smaller XP USA version, as chambered in 7.62×39, is most interesting to us. There are few other US-made bolt action rifles in this popular caliber. The XP USA features an ultra-short action and weighs 8 lbs., 11 ounces. (Why is that action based on the Model 70? Well, for starters, FNH now owns Winchester Arms and builds Model 70 actions in its South Carolina plant.) With a fluted, 1:12″ twist, hammer-forged 20″ barrel, this 7.62×39 looks to be a very handy, ergonomic, and versatile rifle.

We’ve used the Hogue over-molded stocks which feature a grippy, rubberized surface. Some folks don’t like the rubbery feel, but for field work, we’ve found the over-molded surface easy to hold and really secure in wet or snowy conditions. We like the idea of a very short action, combined with 5-round (7.62×39) or 6-round (.223) capacity, with hinged floorplate. We think the 7.62×39 is more than adequate for small deer. It’s hitting power rivals that of the classic 30/30, one of the most popular deer cartridges of all time.

If you prefer a bigger caliber, or detachable box magazine (DBM), you can order the medium-action TSR XP version in .308 with 4-round DBM, and either 20″ or 24″ barrel. Fitted with the longer barrel, the XP in .308 is a full pound heavier than the more compact 7.62×39 XP USA.