Gear reviews: optics, ammunition, packs, and apparel
Gear coverage here is long-term and use-based: optics, ammunition, packs, boots, and electronics carried through actual hunts on two continents rather than tested for an afternoon. Optics reviews include the SIG Sauer TANGO-DMR 3-18x44, Primary Arms SLx 1X MicroPrism Gen II, ZeroTech Trace Advanced and Winchester Supreme spotting scopes, and the OSight SE closed-emitter pistol optic.
Ammunition and cartridge work covers the 300 HAMR, the 25KPC “quarter bore” AR-15 wildcat, and Phantom Defense's 300 Blackout NAS3 loads, with chronograph and group data taken on a Garmin Xero C1 Pro. Field gear includes Kifaru's US-made 44 Mag G2 pack, ARK frame, and Deluxe Bino Harness, LaCrosse Ursa MS GTX boots run across North America and Africa, and Leupold's Storm Warden rain shell. The standing question in every one of these reviews is the same: after a season of hard use, would I buy it with my own money, and what broke first?
60 articles · Gear Reviews/archive/gear-reviews/
Gear Review: Leupold Storm Warden Jacket and PantsThrough a series of fortunate events...Shooting News Weekly
Optic Review: Osight SE Green-Dot Closed Emitter SightThe SE is the newest closed emitter pistol optic from OSightShooting News Weekly
Gear Review: Kifaru Deluxe Bino Harness and Steelhead Chest RigAs a huge bonus, everything is made right here in the USAShooting News Weekly
Gear Review: Kifaru 44 Mag G2 Pack and ARK FrameEarly this year I was on the way to prepare for Idaho huntsShooting News Weekly
Gear Review: LaCrosse Footwear Ursa MS GTX Hunting BootsWorth every penny after miles across North America and AfricaShooting News Weekly
Optics Review: Winchester Supreme Optics 6-18x50mm RiflescopeImpressive what Chinese-made optics deliver at a very low priceShooting News Weekly
Things That Just Last: Great Guns and Gear Based On Decades of Real World UseI shoot more than most, I hunt more than anyone I knowShooting News Weekly
Hunting South Africa's Cape Mountain Zebra With the Wilson Combat NULA 20S in 300 HAMRNow we wait for him to make a mistakeShooting News Weekly
The New 25KPC Cartridge - Testing A 'Quarter Bore' AR-15The .257 bullet hasn't been as explored for the AR-15Shooting News Weekly
Ammunition Review: Phantom Defense 300 AAC Blackout - "Rowdy Boi" 110 gr Tac-TX NAS3 CaseI find 300 Blackout to be a marginal roundShooting News Weekly
Optic Review: Winchester Optics Supreme W20-60x80mm Spotting ScopeIf you're looking through a rifle scope for just a few minutesShooting News Weekly
Optic Review: ZeroTech Trace Advanced 20-60x80 Spotting ScopeThe most important aspect of any spotting scope is image qualityShooting News Weekly
Course Review: Outdoorclass.comLike most folks, I like to plan big hunts well in advanceShooting News Weekly
Gear Review: Garmin tactix 7 Pro Ballistics Edition WatchI've worn it every day for the last year and a halfShooting News Weekly
Gear Review: Garmin Xero C1 Pro ChronographEveryone says the same thing - it's a game changerShooting News Weekly
Optic Review: Primary Arms SLx 1X MicroPrism Gen II Optic with Green ACSS ReticlePrimary Arms can't seem to catch production up to salesShooting News Weekly
Optic Review: SIG SAUER TANGO-DMR 3-18X44 Rifle ScopeBlurs the line between tactical and hunting opticsShooting News Weekly- Gear Review: Ultradyne UD Carbon Tripod and UD Orbit BallheadIt’s rare that I walk out the door to hunt without a tripod anymore and for range days, the tripod is never left behind. Over the last 20 years, nothing ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Desert Tech Trek-22 Bullpup ChassisDesert Tech is well known for making some of the best bullpup center-fire semi-autos and bolt action rifles on the market. In an interesting turn for the company that seems ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Ultradyne Launch Pad Shooting RestI first heard of Ultradyne when I reviewed their AR-15 iron sights, which are still the best I’ve ever come across. That sight set is an exceptionally well-made and well-designed ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Leupold Patrol 6HD 1-6X24 CDS-ZL2 with CM-R2 Illuminated ReticleThe Leupold gold ring has long been the hallmark of quality and trust for hunters around the world. Bit by bit, Leupold has been earning the trust of the military ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Ultradyne UD Rifle Chassis and AccessoriesUltradyne got its reputation building world class precision iron sights and quality, innovative muzzle brakes. They’ve gone well beyond that now with an impressive, complete catalogue of items. Chief among ...The Truth About Guns
- Classic Gun Review: Belgian Browning Hi-Power Mk IThe Belgian made FN Browning Hi-Power pistol ranks as one of my favorite side arms of all time. I appreciate the gun for its history, as well as its practical ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Leupold BX4 Range HD 10x42mm Rangefinding BinocularsJacques Jordaan was giddy. The normally stoic professional hunter was grinning ear to ear and texting his friends like a middle school girl. Every bit of his elation was justified. ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Area 419 Harris Bipod ARCALOCK Clamp KitI only recently got on the ARCA rail bandwagon. I should have made the switch a lot sooner. For those of you unfamiliar with the ARCA-Swiss rail system, it’s a ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Rifle Scope With Illuminated ACSS Athena BPR MIL ReticleWith the SLx 3-18×50 FFP rifle scope, Primary Arms has deliveredsolid, feature-filled optic at an outstanding price point…exactly what people have come to know and love the company for. The ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: IncogX IWB Hoster from Safariland and Haley Strategic PartnersTravis Haley is a total friggin’ nerd and Safariland can’t make a holster. Wait…that isn’t quite right. Safariland can make A holster, they just couldn’t make THIS holster. The company is ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Optic Review: Primary Arms SLx 1-10×28 SFP Rifle Scope – Illuminated ACSS Raptor M10S ReticleFor the vast majority of real-world applications, it’s very hard to beat a low power variable optic (LPVO). Hunters have been shooting 1.5-4 or 1.5-6 power scopes for decades, with ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Primary Arms Classic Series 1-6×24 SFP Rifle ScopeIt’s hard not to be a fan of Primary Arms. The company has been putting out optics of all types for a good while now, usually with glass and features ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Ulfhednar UHRT55CBH Tripod with Ball HeadUnless I know I’ll be in a blind, it’s pretty rare that I go hunting without a tripod anymore. The consistent use of a tripod has let me take sure ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: NeoMag Spare Magazine Pocket ClipsI’m a SnagMag salesman. No, I don’t work for them and I don’t get freebies either. I buy their products just like everyone else. But I’ve bought a lot of ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: D&L Sports Performance Revolver GripsMy recently purchased Smith & Wesson Model 610 10mm is an okay revolver out of the box. When I replaced the factory sights with the vastly superior D&L Sports fixed combat ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Primary Arms Classic Series 21mm Micro Reflex SightThe number one review request I get is “budget optic reviews.” You’ll see the Primary Arms brand in a fairly high percentage of those reviews, as they consistently deliver quality ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Viridian GDO 20 Green Dot Electro OpticWith their GDO 20 green dot sight, Viridian Weapon’s Technologies has taken their many years of experience with green lasers and applied it to the reflex optic space. A green ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: SIG SAUER Whiskey6 3-18x44mm RiflescopeWhen Jeremy handed me the SIG Cross rifle I hunted with this last season, the SIG SAUER Whiskey6 3-18x44mm riflescope was already mounted on it. Jeremy commented about the image quality ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Maven CRF.1 6×22 Laser RangefinderI first came across Maven optics while reviewing a set of their binoculars. They got my attention. They reviewed well again a few months later with one of their riflescopes. This ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: D&L Sports K, L, N and X Frame Smith & Wesson Revolver SightsDave Lauck at D&L Sports makes the best combat revolver sight set I’ve ever seen. I don’t mean, “for the money”, or “on the market today”, or “in their category”. ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Pnuma Outdoors Chisos Day PackIf there was one piece of kit that has sold me on Pnuma Outdoors, it’s their Chisos Day Pack. For a bit over a year I’ve carried this pack on ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Pnuma IconX Heated Core Vest and PantsI’m a total sissy for the cold. According to all the genetic tests, I’m about 4,000% Scandinavian, but whatever noble traits my hearty ancestors developed to live in the cold ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Riton Optics 3 Conquer 3-15×44 RiflescopeIt looks like Riton Optics is making the best budget optic in the business. That’s certainly been my experience after a couple months and a few thousand rounds through the ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: RCBS Chargemaster Supreme Electronic Powder DispenserI started reloading back when we were still hiding under our school desks to protect ourselves from Brezhnev’s A-bombs. My RCBS beam-style powder scale isn’t much younger than that. I ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Pnuma Outdoors Huntsman Defender Rifle CaseIf there was ever proof to the age-old adage, “You get what you pay for,” the Pnuma Outdoors Hunstman Defender Rifle Case is it. I was at the Dallas Safari ...The Truth About Guns
The Venerable Aught-SixThe .30-06 Springfield cartridge was conceived, as conceptions often are, in frustration.Field Ethos- 25 Years (and a Lot of Reviews) of Henry Repeating ArmsHenry Repeating Arms turns 25 years old this year. Oh, how time flies. I first met Anthony Imperato for coffee in a hotel lobby off the banks of Lake Austin. ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: 80 Percent Arms GST-9: MOD1 Pistol Frame and JigLast year, I had a good time building an 80 Percent Arms GST-9, not quite GLOCK 19 pistol. That was a fun gun to build, and it has run without ...The Truth About Guns
- Silencer Review: AB Suppressor Raptor SilencerThe Aerocharger Ballistics (AB Suppressor) Raptor suppressor is one of those rare examples of elegant innovation in the silencer industry. Despite the company having several patents, there’s nothing here that’s earth ...The Truth About Guns
- Trigger Review: Bushmaster DM2S Dedicated Marksman 2 Stage TriggerMy Parts Bin AR10’s mil spec-ish trigger certainly needed an upgrade, so when Dan said he had a new AR trigger to review, I was first in line. In went ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: The TOPS Knives Tom Brown Tracker #1 Fixed Blade KnifeI do a little work in Idaho and a whole lot of hunting there, too. About a year ago I stopped by Tops Knives to pick their brains, and pick ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Crimson Trace Brushline Pro 3-12X42mm BDC RiflescopeCrimson Trace is a household name among shooters. Their lasers and laser grips have adorned innumerable handguns and several major firearm manufactures have included their laser aiming grips on their ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Pack & Load Range Ammo and Loader by The Right Tool CompanyLoading AR magazines takes time. Sometimes we need that time to relax and get our minds right, and sometimes we just need to get shooting. The Right Tool Company has ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Darkside Dashboard by Kiote RiflesOn a recent prairie dog hunt with John Stewart, the owner of Kiote Rifles, I watched him pull out a tripod and screw a flat bracket to the top of ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Pnuma Outdoors 3L Element Rain Proof JacketIf you had asked me at the beginning of the year what would be my favorite piece of hunting gear for 2021, I would not have thought it would be ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Leupold BX-5 Santiam HD 10x42mm Binoculars2021 has been a good year. So far, I’ve been hunting in South Africa, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, all over Texas, and more. I’ve gone after all sorts of African plains ...The Truth About Guns
- Book Review: ‘Born Ballistic’ by Bob NoslerHave you ever heard of Nosler Produce? What about Nosler Trucking? Did you know Nosler was once owned by Leupold, or that it took a generation to get it back ...The Truth About Guns
- Optic Review: Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56 PR2-MIL RiflescopeThe Leupold Mark 5HD model is the best riflescope on the market, and the Mark 5HD 5-25×56 PR2-MIL may be the best of the Mark 5HD series. More than a ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Pnuma Outdoors Bino + Tech HarnessI didn’t go looking for the Pnuma Bino Tech Harness, but I’m glad I found it. Having previously given up on the entire binocular harness concept, I passed over the ...The Truth About Guns
- Optics Review: Maven RS.3 5-30×56 FFP RiflescopeMaven’s B.2 Binoculars impressed me. They’d be a solid pick for any hunter or birder. So unsurprisingly, when I set to reviewing their Maven RS.3 5-30X50 FFP rifle scope, my ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: NAR Tactical Operator Response Kit (TORK) First Aid KitIf you’re going to buy a basic trauma kit, the North American Rescue Tactical Operator Response Kit (TORK) is a great one. I got this kit from LA Police Gear. ...The Truth About Guns
- Book Review: Vickers Guide SIG Sauer Volume IHere’s what I know about SIG Sauer. The P210 is a joy to shoot and everybody should have one. The German-made P226 is a phenomenal duty sidearm by any standard. ...The Truth About Guns
- Gear Review: Maven 9×45 B.2 BinocularsSkimp on your rifle, but never skimp on glass. And if there’s one piece of hunting gear that matters more than any other, it’s not part of the weapon at ...The Truth About Guns