A Shooters Last-Minute GIFT GUIDE

Guns Magazine, Jan, 2001 by Holt Bodinson

Hunters be merry! Here are a host of great stocking-stuffers for gun owners who are on Santa's "good" list.

With Christmas just around the corner, everyone is looking for that perfect gift for the hunter or gun collector in their life --even if that person is you. Sure, there are plenty of good old stand-bys in the hunting aisle of your favorite sporting goods store, but how about something a little more unique, individual or unusual? Something you've never heard of before, but which becomes absolutely indispensable after the first time you put it to use.

Well, fear not. Whether you're a tardy holiday shopper or a shooter who hopes to find something exciting in your stocking come Dec. 25, here are several unique choices that might just fit into your "last minute gift" category.

Micro-Light

We simply cannot believe the light generated by this tiny little flashlight. In fact, this remarkable tool rides the Space Shuttle and was given out as a gift to the Cosmonauts on Mir.

The Micro-Light 11 is the size and weight of a quarter, and with a flick of a switch it will light up a l0'xl0' room from wall-to-wall, take you safely down the roughest trail at night, and even signal for help if needed. The essential value of this powerful but tiny flashlight is that it's always on hand, always around when needed, and in our experience, always works.

Replaceable lithium batteries with a shelf life of 10 years power the Micro-Light 11. Depending upon the color of the unbreakable bulb, the continuous use rating on the batteries ranges from 12 hours to seven days.

We keep one Micro-Light 11 on a key ring, one in our shirt pockets and one in our packs when afield. Moreover, we keep the flashlight in our first aid kit, on our bedside tables, and give them as welcomed gifts to hunting companions.

Try the blue bulb for the brightest light (a trail favorite); yellow for a typical warm flashlight type illumination; and red if night vision is important (excellent for night fly-fishing). Red, yellow and orange models retail for approximately $16 and blue, green, white and turquoise for $20.

Make sure you order or buy the "11" model that has an off-on switch rather than a pressure switch.

Magna-Pod

The name Shepherd is synonymous with optical innovation. The company thrives on creating new concepts and designs. Shepherd's Magna-Pod is a revolutionary spotting scope, binocular, camera, or rifle rest tripod. We've been using it for two seasons as a spotting scope mount in the field and on the range.

Why revolutionary? Well, the base is actually two bases. The visible base is an equilateral triangle measuring 12 1/2" on a side and made from polymer. At each of the three corners is a rubber foot. The tripod effect created by this triangular base makes a highly stable platform, ideally suited to holding your spotting scope on flat surfaces such as a shooting bench.

By removing a steel plate on the underside of the base, the main mount with a 4" diameter magnetic foot attached is released. The rubber-padded magnetized mount can then be secured firmly to any metallic part of your hunting vehicle -- hoods being the most obvious. It's the fastest and handiest spotting scope mount we have ever used, and we've spent many hours gazing through Shepherd's clear 15-40x spotting scope over the hoods of our trucks while scouting and hunting.

The tripod head is a standard, threaded camera mount offering vertical, horizontal and angular adjustments. The new models of the Magna-Pod are fitted with a fast-adjusting ball head, and true to their reputation for quality service, Shepherd is sending current owners of the Magna-Pod the new ball head without charge. Pop off the tripod head on either model, and Shepherd has provided a "U" shaped rifle rest unit that replaces it.

The Magna-Pod is typical Shepherd --innovative, functional and designed by hunters for hunters. Retail price is $129.

Uluchet

The Uluchet is a multi-purpose hunting tool that does a very sharp job of field dressing and skinning game as a traditional ulu as well as quartering and accomplishing light chopping jobs when opened up as a hatchet -- hence the name, Uluchet.

The Uluchet features impressive quality, durability and functionality. Made from corrosion-resistant D-2 tool steel, hardened to 56-58 Rockwell and cryogenically treated, the Uluchet is literally razor sharp and exhibits an amazing ability to maintain that edge. Converting the tool back-and-forth from an ulu to a hatchet is merely a matter of spreading the locking Zytel handles and reversing them.

Using the Uluchet for the first time takes a bit of learning since you work with a straight arm rather than with a wrist motion, but in a few minutes the motion becomes quite natural. The curved 3 1/2" cutting edge of the Uluchet (powered by a straight arm motion) makes skinning a cinch.

Opened into a hatchet form, the Uluchet is 9 1/2" long with a nice weight-forward balance. It can be ordered with either a leather or a Kydex sheath, and frankly, we like the soft, quiet leather sheath better. Priced at $130, the Uluchet carries a lifetime guarantee and will be resharpened at no cost forever.