Just add guns & stir: huntin' accessories & optical thangys

American Handgunner, Nov-Dec, 2004 by John Connor

"You mean like unbreakable Lexan martooni glasses?" Man, that got a big blink. outta his Editorial Immenseness. Roy had just assigned me to write somethin' about hunting accessories, and I had to distract him before he could give me a buncha restrictions. It worked.

"You mean," he blinked, "Martini glasses? For hunting?"

"Nope," I says, "Martoonis! Like, martinis on steroids!" And I ran while he was still blinkin'.

General Gunstuff

It's 2004, guys, so your number-one hunting accessory, no matter what you're packing in the field, is a good fighting sidearm. There's weirdos in the woods and freaks in the forest, many of 'em rigged out like Rambo. Why do you think so many fish & game officers and park rangers are wearing cammies and toting M-16s? It ain't 'cause Bambi's gone guerrilla. You may have to fight more than a bear for your game, guns and life. And your concealed-carry or comp setup won't cut it in the boonies. Think "tough, durable, field gear" for belt, holster and pouches. Go check out Uncle Mike's, and wear it everywhere.

The more rare, expensive and important the hunt, the more reason to bring along your old, proven game-getter. That untested .896 GruntFire Magnum may be hell-on-paper, but if your battered old Ruger .44 Mag has made steady meat, plan to dance with her if Miss Fancy fails.

Don't save money on ammo! Take cheaper food if you have to, but get the best terminal-effect ammo you can buy. The difference between a truly memorable hunt and one eminently forgettable call come down to the performance of a single round. One night of cheap beans and weenies can make the difference in your blastin' budget. Bear in mind, too, that the most hair-splitting-accurate rounds aren't always the best for game. Shop smart, and test-shoot thoroughly.

Running Right & Tight

Many a hunt has been ruined due to one loose screw or bolt. Don't let it happen to you. Match up bits, drivers and Allen wrenches for every screw, bolt and pin on your guns, ironsights and optics. If one has ever backed out or worked loose, bring spares. Brownell's "Designated Driver" is a hunt-saver. Add Loctite and a good multi-tool like the SOG PowerLock and you're good to go. Check the bits in your PowerLock against the screws on your gun, and you might be able to leave other tools in base camp when you're afield.

You don't have to bring the 40-pound gun-cleaning crate, but have a complete, capable kit--preferably one that fits in a cargo pocket. The Otis Tactical kit has a great bore obstruction remover, and Cleenbore's SACS (Small Arms Cleaning System) CO2-powered adaptor blows out field grit, saving you time with teeny brushes. The other "clean bore" folks, Kleen-Bore, have some fine kits too.

Safety & Security Stuff

It never fails to boggle me when I see shooters who religiously wear eye and ear protection on the range, then do their dang-dest to blast their eyeballs and blow out their eardrums when hunting. Shooting glasses have come light-years lately, and comfy, distortion-free sets in clear and a variety of shades don't have to be expensive. Take spares!

Ear protection has come even further. I recently tested in-the-ear devices from SportEAR and Walker's Game Ear, which multiply all regular-level sounds several times greater than normal, and positively suppress gunshots--absolutely amazing! They're comfortable, easy to use and cost a lot less than the hearing aids you'll be buying if you don't use 'em. They're sold in singles or pairs. Don't waste time; score a double. Got two ears, don't you? Pack spare batteries!

Like your guns? Want to keep 'em? You can't hold all of 'em all the time. There are lots of small "gun safes" around, like the Isteki Electronics B-I/O Security Case, which hard-mounts in your vehicle or cable-locks around seat frames or steering columns. It opens with either key or fingerprint-recognition; fast and tough. Beretta's Exomesh security bag is flexible but slash-resistant, snugs up tight with a cable and padlock, and secures to almost anything.

Other than your "on-duty" gun, all guns in camp should be unloaded and safe from strange hands. Trigger locks, action locks and devices like the Life Jacket[TM] should be used like lube--just enough, on every gun, all the time. Getting your brains blown out with your own gun in the hands of a woods-whacko is a bad, bad way to go.

Snoopin' and 'Scopin'

It's one of those mixed blessings we have so many good 'scopes, optical sights and binoculars out there. It's great to have plentiful choices--and confusing as heck. Just remember these facts: Anything made with glass can break, fixed-powers are more durable than variables, the finest lenses get smudgy-ugly, and battery-lit reticles need, well ... batteries.

The smash factor can be lessened by using padded cases and 'scope wraps, and you're always, always going to have iron-sight backups, right? Sure. Too, you can often find one sorta do-all optical sight like the Burris SpeedDot or Leupold 2X, and mounts to fit however many hunting guns you're taking along. Keep that one in reserve for when your 2X-10X HyperPoint Deluxe hits the rocks and comes up tinkling.