BACKPACKING

This free-range New Zealand red deer was not only killed with the boring old .30-06, but with a “target” bullet. Shot across a canyon while bedded down, the stag never moved from its bed.

THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

BACKPACKING, HUNTING, OPTICS, RELOADING, SHOOTING / By 24HOURCAMPFIRE

One of the many defining characteristics of the subspecies of the humans often called “rifle loonies” is the constant pursuit of perfection. This is …

There is only one way to truly test a hunting backpack: Take it hunting!

THE CAMPFIRE HARDCORE HUNTING BACKPACK REVIEW

ARCHIVES, BACKPACKING, HUNTING / By 24HOURCAMPFIRE

Every hunter wants to have the best pack on the market. The higher the price tag, the more a buyer is likely to defend it. Some will try to promote …

Bolt-action hunting rifles have changed a lot since scopes first started becoming more popular in the 1930’s. On the left is a custom rifle made back then by Frank Pachmayr, on a 1903 Springfield action, with a Lyman Alaskan scope in detachable Griffin & Howe mounts, with a backup Lyman aperture sight. It weighs nine pounds—but unlike many rifles of the day has a recoil pad, probably because it was chambered in .35 Whelen. The middle rifle is a pre-’64 Model 70 Featherweight, the post-World War Two version of a lightweight bolt-action hunting rifle. With a 10-ounce 6x scope in Weaver rings, it weighs seven pounds, 10 ounces. However, the first Featherweights had aluminum buttplates, the reason for the slip-on recoil pad.) The third rifle is a New Ultra Light Arms Model 24, with a 20-ounce Tract Toric 3-15x42 scope. With the scope it weighs six pounds, 13 ounces, about the same as a Winchester Model 94 .30-30.

A SHORT HISTORY OF LIGHTWEIGHT HUNTING RIFLES

BACKPACKING, HUNTING, SHOOTING / By 24HOURCAMPFIRE

Some big game hunters don’t see any use for lightweight rifles, and some believe lightweights are inferior to what might be called standard-weight rifles. Partly this arises from

CHOOSE THE RIGHT BACKCOUNTRY TENT

ARCHIVES, BACKPACKING, HUNTING / By 24HOURCAMPFIRE

SO, YOU’RE READY for a real tent. Not a club-store seventy-dollar special, but an honest-to-goodness your-life-may-depend-on-it collection of ripstop and no-see-um. What features should you look for? How much should you spend? What should you avoid?