What are the best 300 Win Mag rifles for hunting in 2024?

Originally designed in the 1960s by taking the legendary 375 Holland & Holland Magnum case and necking it down to shoot a .30 caliber bullet, the .300 Winchester Magnum remains one of the most popular centerfire rifle cartridges in use today. Not surprisingly, many companies like Browning, Christensen Arms, Remington, and Winchester produce a wide range of 300 Win Mag rifles for hunting deer, black bear, elk, moose, and other big game animals.

Essentially duplicating the performance of the old 300 H&H Magnum cartridge in a standard length action rifle, the 300 Win Mag was an almost instant hit among hunters and shooters in North America. Known for being relatively flat shooting, having great accuracy potential, and for retaining lots of kinetic energy at extended range, versatility is the name of the game with the 300 Win Mag.

In addition to use with competitive shooters and even in a few sniper rifles (Chris Kyle famously used the cartridge with a lot of success in Iraq), the 300 Win Mag is especially well suited for hunting a wide range of big game at short, medium, and even long range.

However, not all 300 Win Mag rifles are created equal and different situations require different characteristics in a rifle.

For instance, a heavier rifle with a longer barrel will work great for hunting whitetail deer or pronghorn in more open country that’s relatively flat or gently rolling. On the other hand, that same rifle would not be a lot of fun to carry high up in the Rocky Mountains hunting mule deer or elk.

Fortunately, there’s a wide variety of 300 Win Mag rifles well suited for just almost any big game hunting situation from Alaska to Zimbabwe. So, regardless of whether you’re planning on hunting moose and caribou in Alaska or Canada, elk in Colorado or Montana, or some other big game hunting adventure elsewhere in the world, there is pretty much guaranteed to be something for everyone on the list below of the best 300 Win Mag rifles for hunting.

In this article, I’m going to show you the best 300 Win Mag rifles for hunting elk, moose, deer, pronghorn, black bear and all sorts of other big game. I’ll also go over the pros and cons of each individual rifle and help you select the right one for your specific hunting situation.

Before we get started, here’s a disclaimer: some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase. This commission comes at no extra cost to you. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. Thanks for your support.

It’s also important to realize the rifle is just a single part of the equation. Even the best rifle won’t be of much use without a high quality scope and without appropriate ammunition. Learn more about what I consider the best scope, ammunition, and sling options for the 300 Win Mag at the links below.

Best 300 Win Mag Ammo For Hunting Elk, Deer, & Other Big Game

9 Reasons The Leupold VX-5 HD Is A Great Hunting Scope

11 Reasons The Leupold VX-6 HD Is An Even Better Hunting Scope

Best Hunting Rifle Slings For 2024

Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, let’s get started.

Browning X-Bolt

The Browning X-Bolt Speed is an outstanding 300 Win Mag rifle for hunters wanting a lightweight and easy to carry rifle that’s capable of great accuracy and has a reasonable price tag to boot.

Browning X-Bolt rifles in general are well regarded by many in the hunting community for their nice trigger, good accuracy, and for their very short 60° bolt lift that’s incredibly fast to cycle.

The X-Bolt Speed has all those characteristics along with a few other nice touches that set it apart from the rest of the pack like a composite stock with an Ovix camouflage pattern, a cerakote finish for corrosion resistance, a great recoil pad, and a 26” threaded barrel with a muzzle brake.

Tipping the scales at just under 7 pounds, this rifle is also pretty lightweight and easy to carry. However, the recoil pad and included muzzle brake will both reduce perceived recoil for the user. That muzzle brake may also be removed and replaced with a thread protector (included) or a suppressor.

The Browning X-Bolt does not come with a formal accuracy guarantee, but these rifles in general are known for outstanding accuracy right out of the box and 1 MOA groups with good quality ammo are not uncommon.

All in all, this is an excellent 300 Win Mag rifle with plenty of capability and a reasonable price tag. It should be right at home up in the mountains of Colorado pursuing elk or out on the open prairie of Wyoming in search of pronghorn where encounters with game at longer ranges are more common.

• Overall Length: 46.75″
• Barrel Length: 26″
• Length of Pull: 13.625″
• Weight: 6lbs 13oz
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:10″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes, Muzzle Brake included (M13x0.75 thread pattern).
• Magazine Size: 3
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: No, but the X-Bolt Hunter and Medallion are available in a left handed model in 300 Win Mag
• MSRP: $1,379

BUY A BROWNING X-BOLT SPEED HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

Winchester Model 70 Super Grade

A hunter looking for a 300 Win Mag rifle with a good mix of elegance and functionality would be hard pressed to beat the Winchester Model 70 Super Grade. While a rifle with a synthetic stock and cerakote finish may be very functional, those rifles often don’t look nearly as nice as a rifle with a walnut stock and a blued steel barrel and action.

Jack O’Connor was a noted fan of the Winchester Model 70 and current production Model 70s by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company incorporate a lot of the features and characteristics that hunters like him appreciated in the rifle. These rifles have a pre-64 style controlled round feed with a claw extractor for maximum reliability when feeding a new cartridge and extracting a fired cartridge.

This action type is ideal when hunting dangerous game like brown or grizzly bear where the ability to reload and quickly take a follow-up shot could be the difference between life and death. In my opinion, the best hunting rifles for pursuing dangerous game all have a controlled round feed action like the Model 70.

This rifle also has a fixed magazine using a hinged floorplate (in contrast to the detachable box magazines some rifles use). The Model 70 Super Grade also has an excellent Pachmayr Decelerator Recoil Pad to reduce perceived recoil.

Weighing 8.5 pounds unloaded, this is not an especially heavy or lightweight rifle. It’s a touch on the heavy side, but not excessively so. It wouldn’t be my first choice for a super light mountain rifle, but will work really well in that role.

Instead, I think the Model 70 Super Grade is an excellent 300 Win Mag hunting rifle for someone who wants a very stylish rifle that’s also well suited for a wide range of hunting situations ranging from mule deer and pronghorn all the way up to large game black bear, elk, and moose.

• Overall Length: 46.75″
• Barrel Length: 26″
• Length of Pull: 13.75″
• Weight: 8lbs 8oz
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:10″
• Threaded Barrel: No
• Magazine Size: 3
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: No
• MSRP: $1,589

BUY A WINCHESTER MODEL 70 HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

Savage 110 Apex Hunter XP

The 110 Apex Hunter XP by Savage Arms is one of the most reasonably priced 300 Winchester Magnum rifles currently available on the market. While Savage had a somewhat checkered reputation at one point, their rifles are generally highly regarded these days.

In fact, some Savage rifles are capable of absolutely tack driving accuracy and are used by lots of hunters with lots of success each year.

The Apex Hunter XP in 300 Win Mag has a 3 round detachable box magazine, a black synthetic stock that may be adjusted for length of pull, a user adjustable AccuTrigger (approximately a 2.5 to 6 pound trigger pull), and comes from the factory with a Vortex Crossfire II scope mounted on the included rail system.

Additionally, the 24-inch barrel is a good balance of long enough for good performance with the 300 Win Mag cartridge, but not so long that the rifle is unwieldy. In fact, the rifle is reasonably lightweight and is about as compact as possible for a rifle in that chambering.

Realize that you will take a small hit to your muzzle velocity by going with a 24″ instead of a 26″ barrel, but that tradeoff is worth it in some situations.

Savage also makes an identical version of the 110 Apex Hunter XP for left handed shooters. So, this rifle is a great choice for someone looking for the best left handed 300 Win Mag rifle.

This is not a high end custom rifle and it lacks a lot of the bells and whistles other, more expensive rifles have. However, the Savage 110 Apex Hunter XP is a very functional rifle that will work well for someone with a smaller budget who wants a good all-around 300 Win Mag hunting rifle.

• Overall Length: 44.875″
• Barrel Length: 24″
• Length of Pull: 13.75″
• Weight: 8lbs 1oz
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:10″
• Threaded Barrel: No
• Magazine Size: 3
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: Yes
• MSRP: $709

BUY A SAVAGE 110 APEX HUNTER XP HERE

BUY A LEFT HANDED SAVAGE 110 APEX HUNTER XP HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

Tikka T3x Lite

Made in Finland, the Tikka Tx3 Lite is another really well designed, extremely functional rifle. These rifles have an excellent reputation for accuracy, durability, and reliability under really demanding conditions.

I wouldn’t say they’re the absolute best 300 Win Mag rifles available, but they’re still really darn good and are an outstanding value. These Tikka rifles fall into a similar category as the Savage 110 Apex Hunter I just mentioned: no frills, reasonably priced, and very functional.

The Tikka T3x is a little more expensive, but it’s also just a generally nicer rifle. The Tikka is also a little lighter and more compact. It’s also available in a left-handed version. The Tikka also has an adjustable trigger. So once again, the Tikka T3x Lite is a great choice for a southpaw looking for a great left handed 300 Win Mag rifle.

Nothing against the Savage 110, but I really like the Tikka T3x Lite and this is where I’d steer a hunter wanting a great all-around 300 Win Mag hunting rifle that’s available at a reasonable price. There’s a reason why this is such a popular rifle with hunters in Europe as well as North America.

• Overall Length: 42.6″
• Barrel Length: 24.3″
• Length of Pull: 13.75″
• Weight: 6lbs 8z
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:10″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes (M15x1 thread pattern).
• Magazine Size: 3
• Accuracy Guarantee: Yes (1 MOA)
• Left Handed Models Available: Yes
• MSRP: $779

BUY A TIKKA T3x LITE HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

Bergara B-14 HMR Wilderness

Bergara is known for producing extremely accurate rifles and very high quality barrels.

The B-14 HMR Wilderness combines those attributes with a high end, mini-chassis molded into the adjustable stock. HMR stands for Hunting and Match Rifle, which is a great description of the capabilities of this particular rifle.

The stock is has an adjustable comb to bring the shooter’s eye in perfect alignment with the scope and is also adjustable for length of pull via spacers in the stock to fit shooters of varying sizes. The stock also includes quick detach flush cups for a sling (and also has regular sling swivels).

The Wilderness Series of rifles use hand-painted camouflage stocks with increased texture and grip. Their actions and barrels are also have a Sniper Grey Cerakote® finish for protection from the elements in harsh weather.

This rifle also has an excellent Bergara Performance Trigger and a 5 round AICS style detachable magazine. Of note, this rifle has one of the largest magazine capacities for any 300 Win Mag rifle (3-4 rounds is typical).

The Bergara B-14 HMR Wilderness 300 Win Mag rifle has a 26″ long #6 Bergara barrel with an omnidirectional and multi-ported muzzle brake to reduce perceived recoil.

Not surprisingly, this rifle is a real shooter and Bergara has a 1 MOA accuracy guarantee with these rifles. Longer barrels will often (though not always) deliver higher muzzle velocities. So that long, 26″ long barrel will also help maximize velocity and downrange performance from the heavy hitting 300 Winchester Magnum cartridge as well.

The downside of this rifle is that it’s on the heavy side at 9.9 pounds.

It will be an outstanding shooting platform for long-range shooting, but won’t be a lot of fun to carry for really long distances in rough terrain. For that reason, those looking for an extremely lightweight 300 Win Mag rifle for mountain hunting should probably look elsewhere.

This is an absolutely perfect 300 Win Mag hunting rifle for those hunting in more open and/or gently rolling terrain where a stable shooting platform and the best long range performance are more important than a lightweight and easy to carry rifle.

Get the Bergara if you want a great rifle with a long effective range. Go with something else if that’s not what you’re looking for.

• Overall Length: 47.5″
• Barrel Length: 26″
• Length of Pull: Adjustable from 12.25-14.5″
• Weight: 9.9lbs
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:10″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes, Omni Muzzle Brake included (5/8-24″ thread pattern).
• Magazine Size: 5 Round AICS Detachable Magazine Provided
• Accuracy Guarantee: Yes, 1 MOA with quality factory match grade ammunition
• Left Handed Models Available: Yes, the standard Bergara B-14 HMR is available in a left handed model in 300 Win Mag
• MSRP: $1,260

BUY A BERGARA HMR WILDERNESS HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

Nosler M21

The Bend, Oregon based Nosler Inc. has developed a reputation for producing great ammo over the years. However, Nosler also makes some high end rifles and their M21 is their latest addition to the Nosler rifle brand.

Like their older M48 rifles, the Nosler M21 is designed to provide hunters with a feature rich production rifle with performance approaching those delivered by custom builds.

Nosler partnered with the Mack Brothers from South Dakota to design the M21 action, which is based on the Mack Brothers’ EVO action with a few customizations from Nosler. The rifle uses a one piece, spiral fluted, and Nitride coated bolt made from 4340 Chrome Moly steel. The result is a sleek, lightweight, and corrosion resistant bolt that’s also optimized for reliability under demanding conditions.

The M21 rifle has a crisp, single stage TriggerTech trigger that’s user adjustable from 2.5 to 5 pounds.

All M21 rifles use a Shilen match grade stainless steel barrel that’s hand lapped and comes with a threaded muzzle (thread protector included). Finally, the rifle also uses a McMillan Hunters Edge synthetic carbon fiber stock that’s both lightweight and extremely durable.

The end result is a rifle that’s incredibly accurate (Nosler has a 1 MOA accuracy guarantee with these rifles), reliable, functional, and reasonably lightweight. These rifles also look pretty nice as well.

Weighing just over 7 pounds unloaded and without a scope, this is not an especially lightweight or heavy rifle. Instead, it fits right in that sweet spot where it’s heavy enough to be a good shooting platform without being so heavy that it would be a pain to carry on a hunt in rough terrain.

Those looking for an extremely lightweight 300 Win Mag rifle for mountain hunting or a heavier rifle optimized for really long range shooting should probably look elsewhere.

All things considered though, the Nosler M21 is an outstanding 300 Win Mag rifle for hunting a variety of big game. In fact, this is the rifle I’d recommend for a person looking for a high performance, all-purpose 300 Win Mag hunting rifle with the best combination of reliability, accuracy, and performance under a wide range of possible hunting situations.

• Overall Length: 44.5″
• Barrel Length: 24″
• Length of Pull: 13.5″
• Weight: 7.1lbs
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:10″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes, thread protector included (5/8-24″ thread pattern).
• Magazine Size: 3
• Accuracy Guarantee: Yes, 1 MOA with Nosler factory ammunition
• Left Handed Models Available: No
• MSRP: $2,795

BUY A NOSLER M21 HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

Browning Automatic Rifle

Looking for a 300 win mag semi-auto rifle? You don’t have many choices, but the Browning Automatic Rifle (also known as the BAR) is a really good option for those who want an autoloading instead of a bolt action rifle.

Even though they share the same name, this rifle is completely different from the BAR used by American troops in World War II. Modern BARs are designed for hunting use and utilize a short stroke gas piston, a hammer forged barrel, and a 3 round detachable magazine. It’s also drilled and tapped for a scope.

While this semi-automatic rifle is probably not going to be as accurate for you as typical bolt action rifles (like the Browning X-Bolt for instance), it’s still plenty accurate. It also offers an almost instant follow-up shot to the hunter as well, making it a good rifle option for situations where that’s ideal (like feral hog hunting).

Though it will work great out to several hundred yards, the Browning Automatic Rifle is not designed for long range precision work. Instead, this semi-auto 300 Win Mag rifle is best for hunters who want a rapid follow up shot on game at closer range and it will work great in that role.

• Overall Length: 46.125″
• Barrel Length: 24″
• Length of Pull: 13.325″
• Weight: 7.5lbs
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:10″
• Threaded Barrel: No
• Magazine Size: 3
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: No
• MSRP: $1,499.99

BUY A BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

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NEXT: 7mm REM MAG VS 300 WIN MAG: WHAT YOU KNOW MAY BE WRONG

As a father, few things are as rewarding as passing along my love of hunting and shooting to my three children. The looks of joy on my kids’ faces when their shot rings a freshly-painted steel target are memories that money can’t buy. Shooting was a way for me to bond with my own father, and I am now enjoying that same opportunity with my family. Teaching kids to shoot builds responsibility and demystifies firearms, hopefully satisfying some of that natural curiosity. With the correct equipment and close supervision, shooting is an incredibly safe activity. The ability to use a firearm safely and put food on the table is a valuable skill that has endured in our nation for centuries.

Through my own experience, I’ve learned more than a few things about the right and wrong way to teach young shooters. For starters, a rifle that fits the child’s stature is an absolute must. A rifle that is too large is setting the new shooter up for failure, so it is important to pick the right tool for the job. A rifle that fits an eight-year-old isn’t going to be ideal for a teenager and vice versa. Length-of-pull and comb height can be critically important since both dimensions are key in ensuring that the shooter can use the sights effectively. It can be incredibly frustrating to both the shooter and the coach when the child can’t find the sights or reticle.

A cartridge that is inexpensive to shoot and minimizes recoil and muzzle blast is a must, making the .22 LR a natural choice. Most children have limited attention spans so creating a rifle that will give the young shooter a good possibility of success is key. Nothing will be more frustrating to a young shooter than not achieving the gratification of a hit on the target so quality sights or the ability to mount optics are a must.

Choosing the correct rifle can mean the difference between your child or grandchild becoming a lifelong shooting enthusiast and someone who is scared of firearms. You only get one chance to take them shooting for the first time. Here is a closer look at four rimfire rifles that are ideal for youth shooters.

Crickett Rifle

When each of my children were born, my local gun store gifted each of them with their first rifles. Those little guns were made by Crickett, pink stocks for the girls and camo laminate for my son. Crickett rifles are single-shots with 11 ½” lengths of pull and 16 1/8” barrels. Weighing just three pounds, these tiny .22LRs are ideal for beginners. As the child grows, spacers can increase the length of pull so the rifle can grow alongside. Crickett rifles are available in a wide variety of configurations and colors and come equipped with simple but serviceable iron sights. I added an optional rail so that I could mount an Aimpoint Micro red dot to my son’s rifle, which uses with great success. For those who own a rimfire suppressor, threaded barrel models are available. I’ve found suppressors to be a fantastic tool for teaching new shooters. Starting at $163; keystonesportingarmsllc.com

Winchester Wildcat

A bolt action fire can get a bit boring for a child, especially a teenager. Winchester’s Wildcat is a compact and lightweight semi-automatic .22 LR. With a length-of-pull of 13 ½”, the Wildcat is better suited for older children. This autoloader comes with both aperture sights and a Picatinny rail for mounting optics. Its synthetic stock A 10-round rotary magazine means that more time will be spent shooting than loading. $250; winchesterguns.com

Henry Golden Boy Youth

There isn’t much more American than a lever-action rifle, especially one made by a company that prides itself in making everything here in the U.S.A. Henry’s Golden Boy Youth rimfire will bring out the inner cowboy or cowgirl in all of us. This little rifle can use .22 Short, Long or Long Rifle ammunition, which is a real benefit for younger shooters. Like most lever actions, the Henry feeds from a tubular magazine, the capacity of which varies with the size of the ammunition used. The brass receiver, butt plate and barrel band are a throwback to some of the earliest lever-action rifles from the 19th Century. The length of pull on this Henry is 13” and the octagonal barrel is 17” long. A brass front bead and buckhorn rear sight come standard and the receiver is also drilled and tapped for scope mounting. Like most lever actions, this rifle is ideal for right or left-handed shooters. $589; henryusa.com

Ruger Precision Rimfire

Long-range shooting has become incredibly popular in past years and young shooters aren’t immune to its challenging appeal. Ruger’s Precision Rimfire combines all of the features of its centerfire Precision in a lighter, more compact and less-expensive format. The real beauty of this rifle is its adjustability: The length of pull can be adjusted between 12 and 15” without tools so it can be tailor-fit to each shooter. An M-LOK-compatible forend makes mounting accessories such as a bipod simple and painless. The 18” barrels is threaded ½”-28 at the muzzle, meaning that it is compatible with rimfire suppressors. The rifle looks very modern, like something kids might see in a video game. Let’s face it, that’s important. $529; ruger.com

The “git ‘r done with one” shotgun

by Larry Case

“Hey, boy…hand me that scattergun,” he said in a low growl. I carefully handed him the double-barrel, a Fox Sterlingworth that I greatly coveted. We were hiding in his old corncrib and he slid the barrels out the hole in the wall he had selected. Four crows had just landed in the end of his garden where the sweet corn was planted, I heard the snick of the safety and knew they were about to have a bad day.

I watched for a few minutes as he waited for them to cluster together. This guy did not believe in wasting shells. Three of the crows mostly stayed together while one wandered off a little. At the shot, those three stayed. The lone crow left for parts unknown and I doubt if he ever came back.

My gruff mountaineer mentor eased out of his seat and opened the door to the corncrib. His work for the morning was done. Crows had been ravaging his corn, he took care of the problem and that was that. He used a tool for the job, in this case, a shotgun, just like he would use a shovel or a hammer for different jobs on the farm. The old double-barrel was the same gun he used for rabbits, ducks, squirrels, or anything else he hunted with a shotgun.

Things were a lot simpler back then.

Time was when most hunters used one shotgun for about everything. Like my long-gone friend on the mountain, one gun did the job from ducks to squirrels to grouse, and usually with one choke. Now don’t get me wrong, I like shotguns and I have several, but there is something to be said for the simplicity of one gun that does it all.

The CZ-USA Upland Ultralight All-Terrain

It has been several years ago since I went to my first NRA Convention in the capacity of a gun writer. I stopped by the CZ-USA booth and was handed an Upland Ultralight model in 12-gauge. It was love at first heft. This is a 12-gauge shotgun that weighs six pounds. The 20-gauge is less than 5 ½. Many times since then, I have said, “you carry a shotgun a lot more than you shoot it.” And to me, for a hunting shotgun, the lighter the better.

The Upland Ultralight has been a lightweight, fast handling shotgun since its inception, but when CZ-USA came up with the All-Terrain line, they just made a good thing better.

Daniel Holder, the Special Project and Event Coordinator at CZ-USA, gave me his take on the Upland Ultralight.

“I refer to the Upland Ultralight as a ‘guide’s gun.’ What I mean by this is some upland guides will often carry a shotgun, especially if they want to get a little hunting in. That person is going to be carrying that gun a lot more than they will be shooting it. Having an over/under that is close to six pounds makes it a lot easier to carry in the field. Upland hunters, in general, are not going to shoot a lot but, boy, do we walk! I would rather carry a 6.5-pound gun two miles and deal with a little bit of recoil than do the same with an 8- or 9-pound gun. The All-Terrain Upland Ultra-light is the ultimate upland gun. It’s light, rugged, and almost impervious to the elements. How many times have you been walking a field and gotten caught in rain, snow, sleet, et cetera? With the Cerakote finish on that gun, I never worry about it getting wet. The magnets in the extractor are a big plus as well.”

The Four-Wheel Drive of Shotguns

First thing you will notice in the differences between the standard Upland Ultralight and the All-Terrain models is the barrels and receiver boast a Cerakote finish. Cerakote is a hard-coat ceramic and polymer finish. Developed in the 1980s, Cerakote protects against abrasions and is a virtually bombproof shield against corrosion.

So, let’s talk about one of my least favorite topics in the gun world, and that is cleaning them. If you love to clean guns, I truly envy you. I don’t, and whether this can be chalked up to just plain laziness or an inherent character flaw, I don’t know. Bottom line is hunting shotguns take more abuse than any other gun around. Does any shotgun get banged around and exposed to more water, mud, snow, and Labrador drool than one that belongs to an avid duck hunter? Turkey hunters can be rough on a shotgun, and grouse and other upland bird hunters drag their scatterguns through some places not fit for man or beast.

The point is, unless you immediately grab your shotgun and tear it apart for cleaning after a long day in the hinterlands, especially if it got wet, a protective coating like Cerakote can be heaven-sent.

A unique feature of this series of scatterguns is a small but revolutionary addition to the ejector/extractor of the break-open variants. To make them more ideal for use in a duck blind or while handling dogs and equipment in the field, each of the All-Terrain over/under and side-by-sides has a set of rare earth magnets installed in their extractor or ejectors. With these magnets in place, most modern shells are retained in the gun even when the gun is open and turned upside down. This makes loading them easy in a pit blind or a boat, and never will a dog-handler accidentally dump shells out of their gun while bending over to work with their dog.

Why hasn’t someone thought of this before? I don’t know, but CZ-USA Shotgun Product Manager Dave Miller did and believe you me, it is handy. Lots of over and under fans (and fans of side by sides) will routinely break down the shotgun and put it over the shoulder. It is a handy way to carry the gun during a break and it ensure safety as the gun cannot fire. The magnets holding the shells just makes it handier.

Rounding out the features on the All-Terrain models is factory-installed studs to install a sling. Probably all my shotguns that I carry afield now have slings on them. Once again, we carry the gun a lot more than we shoot it. The All-Terrain guns also feature extended choke tubes, making changing chokes in the field easier and it opens a world of aftermarket options that are out there.

I think of the All-Terrain line of shotguns from CZ-USA as the four-wheel drive of shotguns. Cerakote coating in the muted green tone makes these guns nearly impervious to the elements. (Great camo for ducks and turkeys, too). Add the sling studs to install a sling and carry it everywhere. The screw-in choke options will get you ready for most any type of shooting you may come across.

This shotgun will be equally comfortable in the duck blind, turkey woods, pheasant prairies, or grouse thickets. And you will not have to worry about babying it one bit.

More All-Terrain models

CZ-USA didn’t stop at making the Upland Ultralight a four-wheel drive shotgun. Maybe you would rather have a semi-auto? The CZ 1012 is an inertia-driven shotgun that was fired well over 5,000 times in testing with no cleaning or malfunctions. I saw this gun used last fall by Dave Miller and his team to set the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of clays broken by a five-man team in 12 hours. Miller and his crew of young shooters shot these guns almost continuously and broke 14,167 targets. One young man used the same 1012 the entire time — a few others used only two guns that day. Believe me, there were some hot barrels out there that day. So, you can have the inherent ruggedness of the 1012 semi-auto in the Cerakote finish and sling studs.

CZ-USA also made the Redhead Premier, the Bobwhite G2 double-barrel, and the Drake model shotgun with the All-Terrain features. All these shotguns except for the 1012 are available in 12 and 20 gauge.

“The product development team at CZ-USA is comprised of hunters,” said Daniel Holder. “What I mean by this is that we not only design and build the products we put out, but we all use them, extensively. Whether it is hunting ducks at Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee or chasing Easterns in the woods of the “black belt” region of Alabama, we use our products. Because of this experience, we make products that fit the lifestyle of hunters. We know that often the conditions are not favorable to metal guns. Out of the demands we put on our products, the All-Terrain series was born. We wanted to design the “Mack truck” of shotguns. Our goal was to create a product line that no matter what we encountered, the guns would function year in and year out. These guns are also remarkably diverse and can be used on a wide range of game. In the 2019/2020 hunting season, they took pheasants in South Dakota, quail in Texas, snow geese in Missouri, and a turkey in Alabama with one of the Redhead Premier All-Terrains in 20 gauge.”

You may never use your CZ-USA All-Terrain shotgun for as many different things as my old friend on that mountain farm, and then again, you might. Whatever you need a shotgun for, the All-Terrain models are there, like a four-wheel drive truck, sitting in your driveway gassed up and ready to go.

A stone’s throw from the back porch of the home where Realtree ® founder Bill Jordan grew up in Columbus, Georgia, Lake Oliver provided fabulous bass fishing for a young boy. Bill also often hunted dove and deer with his father, Leon, a devoted hunter who owned a small farm.

The Jordan home was the meeting place for all the neighborhood kids, and was always alive with activity. In addition to hunting, fishing and roaming the hills, Bill played football, basketball and baseball on a nearby vacant lot. That’s just what boys did in Columbus, Georgia, in the 1960s.

Bill’s mother, Kitty, who still lives in the same home where Bill grew up, remembers many times when he would get up at dawn, jump in his boat and fish until the last minute before grabbing a quick bite and heading off to school.

His classic American boyhood shaped Bill’s natural athletic skills and his love of the outdoors, and provided tremendous family support and permanence.

Bill attended Columbus High School, where he starred in track, basketball and football. Baseball was actually Bill’s best sport as a youngster, but he gave it up before entering high school, because it was difficult to play four sports at the high school level. After earning all-state honors as a receiver on the school’s winning football team, several major colleges (the Universities of Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, and Mississippi) recruited Bill heavily in football and basketball. Bill decided on football, his best sport, and chose the University of Mississippi, primarily because of the abundance of good hunting and fishing within a short drive of campus.

At Ole Miss, Bill played on two bowl teams and started several games despite a problematic hamstring injury that sidelined him several times throughout his college career. During those years, one of Bill’s roommates was the great quarterback Archie Manning, who remains a good friend to this day.

When Bill graduated from college in 1973, his injuries kept him from considering a career in professional football, so he came back to Columbus to settle into the family boat business with his father and his older brother, Butch.

Bass fishing tournaments were quite popular at that time. Being an avid angler who was in the boat business, Bill made a natural progression into competitive fishing. Many of his customers and friends were also fishing the tournaments, which were a popular social activity in the Chattahoochee Valley. Bill competed well at local tournaments and earned a reputation as a top bass angler. After winning several tournaments, Bill entertained the idea of fishing the newly formed Bassmaster tournament circuit. Ultimately, Bill knew he needed to stay close to home to help his father and brother.

His competitive fishing skills were put to use, however. After starting his own business, Spartan Archery Products, in 1983, Bill continued to fish the local bass circuit to make an extra $2,000 to $10,000 a year to help pay his employees. After forming Realtree ® in 1986, Bill stopped competing in fishing events.

Spartan Archery Products grew out of Bill’s desire to own his own business in the hunting or fishing markets. He began by considering the things that hunters and anglers buy every year. He decided that camouflage t-shirts were a commodity item that he could easily manufacture locally and sell nationally. Bill made inroads to several major retailers with his Spartan brand t-shirts, but the profit margins were low, making it a tough business.

By the mid 1980s, the modern camouflage revolution was just beginning. Bill was one of the first to join the market.

He believed that overlaying a leaf pattern on a vertical bark pattern would produce a three-dimensional effect that would blend well with hardwood trees. So, using paper and colored pencils, Bill sat in his parents’ yard and sketched the bark of one of the big oak trees growing there. That tree, which still stands today, served as the inspiration for the entire Realtree line.

After a few false starts and some trying times in the late 1980s, Realtree grew quickly throughout the 1990s, becoming a household name in the hunting industry. Bill has never stopped innovating. He and his company, Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd., stay at the forefront of the latest developments in fabric design and printing in order to advise customers (licensees who pay a royalty fee to use the camo patterns) about the best ways to maintain quality and performance.

Today’s camo designs are created using sophisticated computers, digital cameras, and photo-realistic printing, and Bill continues to oversee the entire process of creating and launching each new camouflage pattern.

In the late 1980s, Bill began to realize the value of television and video for reinforcing his brand and selling his camouflage patterns. Bill became a pioneer in the hunting television and video industry, hiring David Blanton from LaGrange, Georgia, in 1991 to launch the wildly popular Monster Bucks ® video line and Bill Jordan’s Realtree Outdoors ® television show.

Bill also developed an interest in NASCAR racing in the late 1980s. He shared many hunting camps with two of the best drivers of his generation, the late Davey Allison and the late Dale Earnhardt. His association with the drivers eventually led to a friendship with Earnhardt’s car owner, Richard Childress. Today, Realtree is a secondary sponsor of the Childress number 29 car driven by Kevin Harvick.

Bill has never forgotten his humble start with a small company in the back room of his late father’s marine dealership. Despite many setbacks along the way, Bill persisted, creating an all-American success story. His genius for promotion has brought him, and Realtree, to where they are today. Bill remains a man of the people who is as comfortable among a group of Iowa farmers as he is meeting with the president of a large corporation.

Bill’s greatest joy is his family. Bill and his wife Shannon have three children, Tyler, Graycen and Colton. Bill and Shannon participate in every aspect of their children’s development. Their oldest son, Tyler, already appears in Realtree hunting videos and on television. And Bill loves the time he and Tyler share hunting and fishing.

• Click here for more articles on turkey hunting from Game & Fish

To be honest, it was the kind of day that I’d just as soon stayed at home and taken an overdue nap, even if the calendar was quickly running out of days to spring turkey hunt.

But instead, I dutifully got up and dressed in my camo duds, heading for the door and an afternoon turkey hunt with my longtime hunting pal Doug Rodgers as we headed west to his North Texas turkey lease.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t optimistic. In fact, if it weren’t for the prospect of some late-evening enchiladas at a nearby Tex-Mex place, I might not have even gone. Why? The wind, that’s why.

If you’ve ever hunted anywhere near the Great Plains, you know exactly what I’m talking about, heading out for a hunt when the wind blows and blows and blows.

Turning the weatherman’s anemometer at 25 miles per hour—or more—the southerly gale promised to pump up the atmosphere with unstable Gulf of Mexico moisture and make hearing a gobbler all but impossible.

Add in atmospheric instability from an approaching late-spring cold front, and the day was ripe for severe thunderstorms, hail stones, and tornadoes.

But not heavily bearded and long-spurred Rio Grande gobblers.

Stout wind or not, and tornado weather or not, Rodgers was determined to put yours truly on a good-sized gobbler that afternoon to help end a long drought on my turkey hunting scorecard.

Like a card shark with a couple of aces up his sleeve, the Whitesboro, Texas, resident had a good idea of when and where the birds might be moving about on that howling April afternoon.

Armed with a custom-built Lamar Williams boat paddle box call, Rodgers kept working that wild turkey music maker to noisy perfection, eventually striking up a couple of longbeard toms that could hear our loud calling even if we could barely hear their gobbling responses.

In fact, at one point, the biggest tom of the pair actually seemed to come off his feet as he gobbled aggressively in response to Rodger’s calling on the box call. But a gust of wind tore the music away from our ears and we couldn’t hear a syllable of the old boy’s response even if our eyes told us otherwise.

Less than a half-hour later, our game of wild-and-windy chess was over as I tagged the Rio Grande bird and Rodgers was putting another mental mark on his paddle call, the kind of wind-defeating instrument that Williams, a Starke, Fla., resident trained by the late great turkey call maker Neil Cost, specializes in turning out each year.

In fact, I’ve never been on a spring turkey hunt before or since with Rodgers where that butternut-and-cedar musical instrument wasn’t tucked away carefully in his turkey-hunting vest.

Truth be told, even if you hunt somewhere else outside of Texas, big winds are a common enemy of turkey hunters everywhere each spring, something that hunters all across the country have to battle in order to tag a longbeard.

One such hunter is Matt Morrett, friend of country music superstar Blake Shelton and a well-known hunting celebrity himself in TV shows, Facebook videos, and YouTube content put out by companies like Hunter Specialties, Avian-X Decoys and Zink Turkey Calls, among others, companies he formerly worked for.

A former world champion turkey caller, nowadays Morrett is the marketing director for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. In addition to promoting the outdoors in his home state every day, he still finds plenty of time to get out and chase longbeards.

With lots of Keystone State experience, as well as travels all across the country, Morrett—always one of my favorite interviews when it comes to turkey hunting—has seen the best and worst that the springtime chase of longbeards has to offer. And more than once, he’s felt the curse of the springtime wind as it blows across his neck.

“I’ve (been) to Alabama before where you get a cold front through and they just shut down,” said Morrett in an interview we had a couple of years ago. “I mean their mouths are shut. I think wind is the toughest thing about hunting any wild animal.”

But windy day or not, the annual spring game isn’t put on hold, at least from a wild turkey’s point of view.

“It’s not that they’re not trying to find hens, not that they’re not gobbling, not that they’re not trying to breed,” said Morrett. “But there’s so many things that go against you (as a turkey hunter) when it’s windy.”

“That’s because a turkey can’t see as well and he’s definitely jittery because he can’t hear as well.”

So how does a turkey hunter combat windy day gobblers in Texas, Alabama, or somewhere else?

1. Make Loud Calls

First, by being armed with a loud call that can cut through the building gale, one like the Lamar Williams boat paddle box call mentioned above or something like a Zink Turkey Calls Wicked Series crystal call.

The latter, a pot style friction call made of Brazilian cherry wood, utilizes the injection of acrylic into the wood and a crystal surface that offers top end high-pitch raspy calls that are loud and reach out to gobblers at a longer range than many other calls do.

2. Find the Sign

A second key to tagging a mature longbeard when the wind is howling is to do what Rodgers and I did years ago, and that’s to put yourself into areas where turkeys are known to roost, travel, feed, and breed. If the area is lousy with sign ranging from loose feathers to tracks to droppings to scratches in the dirt where gobbler wings have been dragging as big toms strut about, a good tip is to park your fanny there and wait.

Because no matter what the spring conditions are — from a snowstorm like the one that assaulted midwestern turkey grounds this week to triple-digit heat that is only days away in Texas, from drought to thunderstorms, from dead calm conditions to a hurricane-like gale — turkeys are going to continue to do what turkeys do each spring.

“Hens are going to go to the gobblers, they’re going to try to find food and they are going to try to find water,” said Morrett.

3. Use the Wind

A third tactic is to use the wind and put it in your favor while hunting. Eddie Salter, former host of Turkey Man on the Sportsman Channel and a turkey calling champion of great renown, follows a similar strategy when battling windy day gobblers, especially after the passage of a spring cold front.

That strategy centers around loud, aggressive calling and moving into the wind so that the sounds that a wild turkey gobbler makes will travel to the hunter’s ears and not be torn away from them.

4. Use the Terrain

A fourth strategy is to use the terrain to your advantage, seeking to use the wild turf in an effort to help keep the wind’s ill effects a bit tamer. While this isn’t easy in plains territory, it can be more effective in wooded areas, creek bottoms, and hilly terrain where the lay of the land can actually help you hear what’s going on a little better.

“What I try to do is get into an area where I know the birds are at and keep moving,” said Salter. “And if I can, (in hilly terrain) I try to stay down below them. That way, if I can get a bird to gobble, chances are that I may hear him.”

5. Just Go Hunting

And finally, a fifth strategy to employ is to simply get up and go hunting like I did earlier in this wild-turkey tale, even if it’s going to be a windy day. Because the bottom line is that hearing a gobbler on a blustery day means that the battle is already half won. For when the wind blows hard, any gobbler that is close enough to be heard is not very far away.

Armed with a good call and with any sort of springtime luck, the next sound that a hunter hears in the turkey woods might not be a lusty gobble, but it could be the sound of a very loud shotgun going Boom!

Even if that sound is quickly drowned out by the noise of the springtime wind as it blows and blows and blows. But you won’t mind at all as you smile and reach for the turkey tag about to be pulled from your back pocket.

Phillip Gentry

How to Hunt Alligators

Chances are pretty good that if you’re interested in hunting alligators on a recreational basis, you’ve already applied for one or more of the state alligator hunting lottery drawings available in every coastal state from North Carolina to Texas (plus Arkansas). Recreational alligator seasons are available in all of these states and season dates typically fall between August and October, depending on which state you’re hunting in. Lottery drawings take place during the summer to allot a limited number of harvest tags to a large number of interested hunters and most alligator states have made their selections and notified their lucky hunters by the end of July.

Recreational alligator hunts are a relatively new concept in most of these states, with the exception of Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, the states with the larger alligator populations, which have historically relied more on commercial harvest to control gator numbers.

The American alligator, once hunted nearly to extinction, has now recovered to the point that regulated recreational harvest of the animals is now allowed in Southeastern coastal states.

Lottery hunt selections are typically for a certain segment or zone of each state in an attempt to spread the harvest and hunting pressure evenly. Baiting for alligators is illegal in recreational hunting except in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana where it is restricted to mostly private lands.

American alligators are riverine in nature, mostly preferring fresh water but will venture into brackish and salt waters at times. Accordingly, alligators can be found in rivers, swamps, sloughs, lakes and ponds. Adult alligators are opportunistic feeders. Food sources include birds, fish, and mammals, as well as other reptiles and amphibians, either dead or alive.

Selected hunters typically spend a few days, or nights where allowed, afield in their allotted hunt area trying to pattern alligator traffic before the season opens. From telemetry studies, most alligators maintain a home range that varies between 1 and 13 square miles. These same studies also document strong fidelity to their individual territories. Alligators mate during the months of May and June, during which time both male and female gators may travel outside their ranges, but later in the year, during alligator hunting seasons, remain within their home ranges.

All alligator hunting states require the animal be tagged immediately after harvest.

Finding and Patterning Alligators

While a host of environmental factors such as food, water levels and water quality may dictate how far and wide an alligator may travel across it’s territory, seeing an alligator in a particular area is the most utilized patterning practice in preparation of hunting. Larger and older specimens are solitary creatures and prefer to be far removed from human activity and will reside in remote, hard-to-reach locations. While American alligators are not entirely nocturnal, these animals are definitely more active after dark.

Like many predatory species, alligators are vocal creatures. Both male and female gators have a range of vocalizations. Some hunters swear by an ability to call gators into an area, or at least make them show themselves, by making a low-pitched kissing sound produced by mouth with their lips sucked in. Another auditory method is to imitate prey by making splashing sounds that mimic a small mammal in distress.

Try This Recipe: Nashville Hot Alligator

In states that allow night hunting, many hunters rely on chance encounters with gators by shining search lights on the water. An alligator’s eyes will shine bright red when light is reflected off of them. The hunter then attempts to ease in close enough to attach a line to the animal before it submerges.

Because alligators spend the majority of the time under water than above it, the best way to estimate the size of one is judging the distance between its nostrils and it’s eyes, which is all the animal typically shows above water when cruising or hunting. Scientific studies support a scale of 1 inch distance between eyes and nostrils to 1 foot of overall body length.

Alligator Hunting Gear and Training

The methods for attachment of a line, which vary by state, include hand-held snatch hooks Thrown by hand or cast with rod and reel), harpoons, snares, or bowfishing archery tackle. In the majority of states that allow recreational alligator hunting, it is illegal to shoot an alligator with a firearm until the animal is brought under control with a rope firmly attached.

Realizing the complexities of alligator hunting and the relative newness of the sport, most alligator states offer either online training, in-person seminars, or both to educate hunters on what equipment is legal in that state and how to best use the equipment to harvest an alligator.

Legal hunting methods vary by state. Most states do not allow the shooting of an alligator until it is roped under control.

Because wrestling a large alligator boatside is usually more work than one person can handle, most states allow “assistant” hunters to participate in the hunt. These individuals do not have to be drawn or randomly selected, but must accompany an alligator tag bearer and may have separate license requirements in order to participate in the hunt.

A Nod to Conservation

American alligators were on the brink of extinction as recent as the early 1970’s, mostly due to unregulated hunting. Since that time, gators in the southern coastal states have rebounded in number to the point that limited harvest is allowed. This harvest is highly monitored with the issuance of tags to only a few selected hunters and requirements that all animals be tagged immediately upon harvest as well as the labelling of alligator parts once processing has taken place. Harvest reports are also required and each state compiles hunter success, participation and animal length and weight calculations in order to properly monitor harvest.

Alligator hunting seasons are in themselves a success story in animal conservation. By allowing limited harvest of these magnificent animals, hunters can help reduce the amount of unintended alligator/human interactions, which often leads to the destruction of the offending alligator, and provide recreational opportunities, population control, and make full use of the animal.

MORE ON ALLIGATOR HUNTING: Listen to Gamekeeper Podcast’s ALLIGATOR SEASON WITH RICKY FLYNT

By Discount Tackle Staff

There is nothing better than being out on the water with your friends and family enjoying nature, laughing, talking, and fishing. And the experience can only be improved when you have everything you need for a fun day fishing; having all the right fishing baits and tackle is essential to making the most of your time on the water.

A fishing hook is perhaps one of the most crucial fishing tackle items after your fishing rod and reel. This means a good selection of fishing hook types and hook sizes can be essential to making your fishing trip memorable and productive.

In this blog post, we break down the four major categories of fishing hooks and explain the different sub-types that make up each category, the rigging techniques and baits they are most often used with, and the species they are used to target. Finally, we provide a short explanation of hook sizing and hook strength naming conventions.

Type & Uses of Fishing Hooks

Artificial & Soft Plastic Bait Hooks

As their name indicates, artificial and soft plastic hooks are used for artificial and soft plastic bait rigs using soft plastic jerkbaits, worms, swimbaits, creature baits and more. Some of the most popular styles include worm hooks, extra wide gap (EWG) hooks, flipping hooks, drop shot hooks, and weighted and unweighted swimbait hooks.

Gamakatsu Black EWG Offset Worm Hook

In conjunction with weights and sinkers, worm hooks and EWG hooks can be used for Texas and Carolina rigging soft plastics. Drop shot hooks’ primary use is pretty self-explanatory: drop shot baits, but these hooks are often used for wacky and Neko rigging soft plastic worms and stickbaits, as well. That said, some tackle makers even make dedicated wacky and Neko hooks too. Swimbait hooks can be used with soft jerkbaits and paddle tail swimbaits.

Use of Artificial & Soft Plastic Bait Hooks

These hooks are ideal for freshwater fishing for species like largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie/panfish, trout, pike, muskie, and walleye, as well as small inshore saltwater fishing species like redfish, sea trout, flounder, drum, and striped bass. Because of their rigging versatility, you can use them in rocks, weeds, and even timber.

Bait Hooks

Bait hooks are used for rigging live or cut bait such as live baitfish, strip baits, live nightcrawlers, fish eggs, and chunks of shrimp, crab, and other crustaceans. Popular styles of bait hooks include baitholder hooks, octopus hooks, J-hooks, circle hooks, and aberdeen hooks.

Eagle Claw 186AH Ringed Eye Baitholder Hook

Baitholder hooks have little barbs (sometimes called slices) along the shank of the hook that help keep chunks of cut bait on the hook. Octopus hooks get their name from their shape, which resembles an octopus tentacle. These hooks are used for a wide variety of fish species in both saltwater and freshwater and are often rigged with a live baitfish or egg clusters. J-hooks are somewhat similar to octopus hooks, except their shape more closely resembles the letter “J” (hence their name). These hooks are typically used for bait fishing for offshore saltwater species like tuna, sailfish, wahoo, and marlin.

Berkley Fusion19 Circle Hook

Circle hooks can be used with almost any type of bait and are unique in that they don’t require the angler to “set” the hook, but rather the hook sets itself in the corner of the fish’s mouth as it tries to swim away with your bait. Circle hooks are also best for catch and release fishing because they are the least likely to mortally wound the fish when they’re hooked.

Aberdeen hooks are very light and delicate and are almost exclusively used for fishing live minnows and other live baitfish to target crappie and other panfish like bluegill, sunfish, and bream.

Use of Bait Hooks

Bait hooks can be used in different casting, trolling, and jigging set-ups for freshwater species such as trout, salmon/steelhead, catfish, panfish, perch, and walleye, as well as virtually all saltwater fishing species.

Saltwater Hooks

Saltwater hooks, as their name implies, are intended to be used for saltwater fishing. Hooks that fall into this category are typically constructed with hard metal wire that is then molded into sharp and long points. Although you will find saltwater fishing hooks in many shapes and sizes, they are usually made of one of two materials: high-carbon steel or stainless steel. Saltwater hooks must also be made with corrosion-resistant finishes like tin to survive in corrosive saltwater environments.

Gamakatsu Heavy Duty Live Bait Hook

For our purposes, we define saltwater hooks as any hook suitable for use in saltwater, meaning there is some overlap with other categories. For example, a hook like Gamakatsu’s Heavy Duty Live Bait Hook is classified as both a baithook and a saltwater hook because it used for bait fishing, but also robust enough to survive saltwater environments and big game species. Similarly, heavy-duty treble hooks like Mustad’s 3565 DuraSteel O’Shaughnessy Treble Hook 2X Strong are both treble hooks and saltwater hooks because they have a treble hook design that is suitable for saltwater usage.

VMC 7237 InLine Single Hook 1X Coastal Black

That said, there are few styles of hooks that are, broadly speaking, only used for saltwater fishing. These include jigging assist hooks used on metal saltwater jigs and inline single hooks used on saltwater trolling and casting hard lures (aka plugs).

Use of Saltwater Hooks

Saltwater hooks are suitable for use for casting, jigging, and trolling with both artificial lures and real bait for all saltwater species. Thanks to their strength, certain types are also a good choice when targeting big game freshwater species like catfish, pike, muskie, and sturgeon.

Treble Hooks

Treble hooks are hooks with three points on them. They are most often used on hard baits and lures, but can also be found on some soft body swimbaits, live bait rigs, and even fished alone with dough baits for trout, panfish, and catfish.

Mustad D3551 Dough Bait Treble Hook

In addition to varying sizes and strengths, treble hooks also come in a wide variety of hook shank sizes and bends. For example, there are short shank trebles that have a shorter shank section between the eye of the hook and where the shank diverges into its three points. This shorter shank style is best fished on hard baits that will be retrieved near grass and vegetation because the hook points are closer to the body of the bait and do not snag as easily. When properly hooked up with, the shorter shank trebles also do a better job of keeping fish pinned and make it harder for them to use the hook shank for leverage to throw the hook.

Owner ST-36 Round Bend Treble Hook Black Chrome

Another popular treble hook style are round bend treble hooks. Just like their name implies, round bend treble hooks have a hook points parallel to the hook shank, which creates a perfectly round bend in the hook. The purpose of this design is to make it easier to hook fish that swipe at the lure instead of fully committing to striking it. There are a few other subtypes of treble hook designs, such EWG treble hooks and feather-dressed treble hooks, but for simplicity’s sake we will end our discussion here.

Use of Treble Hooks

Treble hooks are used in both freshwater and saltwater fishing on casting and trolling lures, crankbaits, metal jigs/spoons, swimbaits, and a few other specialty, niche bait rigs. They generally are not good for use around heavy vegetation and weeds because they are highly prone to snagging.

Fishing Hook Sizes & Strengths

In addition to a wide range of shapes and designs, fishing hooks also come in many different sizes and wire gauge strengths. Different sizes and strengths are used for different species and bait presentations.

Fishing Hook Sizes

Fishing hook manufacturers make hooks in an incredibly wide range of sizes; everything from the tiniest treble hooks for trout and panfish all they way to massive circle hooks used for shark fishing.

The size of a fishing hook is based on both the width between the point and the shank of the hook as well as the overall length (or height) of the hook shank.

Fishing hook size naming conventions can be somewhat confusing. Generally speaking, mass produced fishing hook sizes range from 18 all the way up to 12/0 (pronounced “12-aught”), with size 18 being the smallest and 12/0 being the largest. For hook sizes between 1 and 18, the higher the number, the smaller the hook. In other words, a size 1 hook is much larger than a size 18 hook. For sizes 1/0 and above (there is no such thing as a size 0 hook), higher numbers equate to larger hooks, meaning a 12/0 is much bigger than a 1/0.

Fishing Hook Strengths

While its pretty obvious that fishing hooks are made in lots of different sizes to match different size fish, did you also know that hooks are also made from different wire gauges or thickness? Usually, they run from extremely thin wire to thicker gauge wire. For instance, fine wire, 1X strong heavy wire, 2X strong heavy wire, 3X strong heavy wire, and 4X strong heavy wire, and higher.

Stronger hooks are used for big game species like catfish, tuna, marlin, and sturgeon, while lighter fine wire hooks are used on more delicate species like crappie, trout, and perch.

Final Thoughts

Fishing hooks come in a myriad of styles, sizes, and strengths and each has characteristics, benefits, and intended uses. A fishing hook is an important part of fishing and being familiar with the various parts, sizes, and types of fishing hooks will help you in choosing the perfect hooks for your next fishing trip.

So, the next time that you are on the water pondering what fishing hook to use do not fret. Follow our breakdown, and you will easily determine at the type of fishing hook that will help you put more fish in the net!

The 30 Carbine and 223 Remington are two centerfire rifle rounds that both served the U.S. military in major overseas conflicts. Although the 30 Carbine and 223 Rem represent cartridges from two different eras, both have seen varying levels of success in the civilian market.

The 30 Carbine was introduced during WWII and served through the Korean War while the 223 Remington was introduced in Vietnam and remains the primary frontline cartridge for all branches of the American military to this day.

Although the 223 Remington fires a lighter bullet than the 30 Carbine, the 223 is superior to the 30 in all ballistic categories and is a perfect example of the advancements in rifle cartridge technology during the 20th Century.

In this article, we will evaluate the 30 Carbine vs.223 to help you understand the differences between the two and give you a clearer understanding of which cartridge is best for your shooting and big game hunting needs.

What is the difference between the 30 Carbine and the 223?

The difference between 30 Carbine vs 223 Remington is that the 30 Carbine round fires a heavier 30-caliber bullet while the 223 Rem fires a lighter 0.224” diameter bullet. Furthermore, the 223 is a more powerful modern bottle-necked cartridge while the 30 Carbine is less powerful and utilizes an older slightly tapered straight-wall cartridge design.

A Note on Nomenclature

Please note that within this article we will refer to the 223 Remington (223 Rem) and the 5.56x45mm NATO round interchangeably. There are differences between the two and you can read about them in this article: .223 vs 5.56

In short, a 223 Rem can safely be fired from a rifle or handgun chambered in 5.56, however the opposite is not true.

Cartridge Specs

When evaluating centerfire cartridges, it’s a good idea to analyze the cartridge specs to gain more knowledge of each.

Prior to America’s entrance into WWII, the U.S. Army wanted to provide support and mortar crews with a cartridge that was “more than a handgun but less than a rifle”. For these crews, carrying the heavier M1 Garand was inconvenient but they wanted more range and stopping power than the Thompson submachine gun or M1911 handgun chambered in 45 ACP could offer.

The resulting rifle was the M1 Carbine, which is essentially a scaled-down version of the M1 Garand and converted to use 15 or 30 round magazines. The 30 Carbine round was developed by necking down the 32 Winchester Self-Loading cartridge to fire a 0.308” diameter, 110 grain full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet.

The project was deemed a success and the M1 Carbine firing the 30 Carbine round was released in 1942 and served all branches of the U.S. military during WWII through the Korean War.

In contrast, development of the 223 Remington began in 1957 and the final design was submitted by Remington Arms to the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) in 1962.

The development of the 223 Remington cartridge was a joint operation organized by the U.S. Continental Army Command between Fairchild Industries, Remington Arms, and Eugene Stoner of Armalite, using the 222 Remington as a parent cartridge.

The 223 Remington was chambered in the military’s new M16 assault rifle and later M4 Carbine and remains one of the most popular civilian cartridges chambered in the AR-15 semi-automatic sporting rifle.

Looking at these two rounds side-by-side, some of the differences are painfully obvious. The 223 Remington towers over the 30 Carbine by over a half an inch, as the 223 has a case length of 1.76” compared to 1.29” for the 30. In terms of overall length, the 223 Rem measures 2.26” long compared to 1.68” for the 30.

In terms of cartridge design, the 223 Remington utilizes a bottlenecked cartridge while the 30 Carbine was designed using a slightly tapered straight-walled cartridge.

Another major difference is the bullet diameter each cartridge fires. The 223 Rem fires 0.224” diameter bullets while the 30 Carbine fires a 0.308” diameter bullet.

The 223 Rem can fire a wide range of bullet weights, typically between 30 and 90 grains with the 50 gr, 55 gr and 62 gr factory loads being the most popular. In contrast, the 30 Carbine was designed to fire a 110 grain FMJ but can fire bullets as light as 85 grains and as heavy as 130 grains. Most factory ammo for 30 Carbine is loaded with 100 grain or 110 grain bullets.

One of the main reasons the 223 has a ballistic advantage over the 30 Carbine is that the 223 Rem has nearly 50% more case capacity than the 30. Capable of handling 31.4 gr of propellant, the 223’s case capacity dwarfs that of the 30 Carbine that can house 21 grains of powder.

With the added case capacity, the 223 Rem also is capable of handling significantly higher chamber pressures than that of the 30 Carbine. With a SAAMI spec 55,000 psi, the 223 has almost a 30% advantage over the 30 at 40,000 psi.

Recoil

Recoil is an important consideration when purchasing a new rifle as a round with heavy recoil will be more difficult to control and will slow your rate of follow up shots. The potential for flinching is also an issue for cartridges with heavy recoil.

Felt recoil will differ from shooter to shooter and is often dependent on firearm choice, stance, and your chosen factory ammo or handloads. However, free recoil is a more objective measure of how hard a cartridge hits based on firearm weight, muzzle velocity, powder charge, and bullet weight.

To compare the 30 Carbine vs 223 in terms of recoil we’ve selected the gold standard load for each cartridge. For the 30 Carbine we will consider the WWII M1 110 gr FMJ 1,990 fps military load and the M193 55 gr FMJ 3,200 fps military load for 223 Rem.

The firearms for this comparison will be a standard M1 Inland Carbine weighing 5.2 lbs and a standard AR-15 weighing 7 lbs for the 223.

Given these criteria, the 30 Carbine will have a free recoil energy of 5 ft-lbs compared to 4.25 ft-lbs for 223.

Although the 223 has a higher powder charge and muzzle velocity, its low bullet weight and heavier firearm help tame the already manageable recoil of the cartridge. On the other hand, the 30 has double the bullet weight and a lighter host firearm, which results is slightly higher recoil.

This is not to say that the 30 Carbine has oppressive recoil, quite the opposite actually, as most shooters would classify the 30 as having extremely low recoil. Both rifles are extremely easy to handle, a joy to shoot, and you can spend a whole afternoon plinking with either and not have a sore shoulder the next morning.

Although the 30 technically has higher recoil, both most shooters would describe both rounds as having low recoil and are excellent options for training new shooters on centerfire ammunition.

Muzzle Velocity, Kinetic Energy, and Trajectory

Previously I mentioned that the 223 Remington outperformed the 30 Carbine in terms of ballistics, but how big of a difference is it?

In this section, we will compare four popular factory loads for both cartridges.

For the 223 Remington, we will consider a Winchester 55 gr FMJ boat tail M193-clone as well as a Federal Fusion MSR 62 grain bonded Spitzer boat tail. For 30 Carbine, the M1 110 gr FMJ round nose military load will be compared with the Buffalo Bore 125 grain hard cast flat nose (FN) round.

When it comes to muzzle velocity there is simply no contest as the 223 Rem leaves the 30 Carbine eating its dust. At the muzzle, the M193 55 gr FMJ load for 223 held the highest velocity at 3,240 fps while the 62 gr Fusion came in second at 2,750 fps. The 30 Carbine rounds were the slowest at the muzzle, with the Buffalo Bore 125 gr lead FN clocking in at 2,100 fps while the M1 round was the slowest at 1,990 fps.

Not only is the 223 Rem faster at the muzzle, but it also conserves its velocity more effectively than the 30 Carbine. Both 223 factory loads were still supersonic at 500 yards, while the 30 carbine loads had gone subsonic between 200 and 250 yards.

Staying above the speed of sounds (1,125 fps) helps maintain a bullet’s trajectory, as it allows gravity less time to affect the flight path.

Speaking of trajectory, the 223 Rem simply slaughters the 30 when it comes to bullet drop. At all ranges 200 yards and above, the 223 Remington had less bullet drop than the 30. This is primarily due to the aforementioned supersonic limit of the 30 Carbine.

At 500 yards, the 30 Carbine loads had over three times the bullet drop of both 223 Remington rounds. This makes the 223 Rem a more accurate long range shooting cartridge with over double the effective range of the 30 Carbine.

One of the major critiques of the 30-caliber Carbine was its lack of stopping power. The 223 Remington/5.56 NATO has also had this critique leveled against it based on combat reports from Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 223 Rem has more foot pounds of kinetic energy at the muzzle and conserves its energy more efficiently downrange for both military loads. The M193 223 load has 1,282 ft-lbs of muzzle energy while the M1 110 gr FMJ 30 Carbine rounds has 967 ft-lbs.

The Buffalo Bore load for the 30 Carbine closes the gap in terms of kinetic energy, as it has 1,224 ft-lbs at the muzzle. This load was included in our comparison to showcase the highest levels of performance the 30 Carbine is capable of.

However, the 223 Rem’s efficient bullet design really shines at longer ranges, as it has nearly double the kinetic energy of the 30 rounds at 500 yards.

So, what conclusions can we draw from these results?

The 223 Remington is clearly the more effective long range cartridge. With higher muzzle velocity and a flatter trajectory, the 223 performs best for longer distance shots.

The bullet design of the 30 Carbine doesn’t do it any favors, as it hemorrhages velocity and kinetic energy at range. However, it has two times the bullet weight and leaves a considerably bigger hole than the diminutive 0.224” diameter 223 bullets.

This allows the 30 Carbine to be extremely effective in short-range engagements but is ill-suited for long range shots. The 30 has nearly double the kinetic energy of a mild 357 Magnum load or 45 ACP at the muzzle, so the military was successful at making a round that’s “more than a pistol but less than a rifle”.

Ballistic Coefficient and Sectional Density

Ballistic coefficient (BC) is a measure of how aerodynamic a bullet is and how well it will resist wind drift. Sectional density (SD) is a way to evaluate the penetration ability of a bullet based on its external dimensions, design, and weight.

The 223 Remington continues its dominance in ballistic coefficient thanks to its Spitzer boat tail bullet design.

The Winchester M193 223 factory ammo has a listed BC of 0.255 while the Federal Fusion load has an impressive 0.310 BC. In contrast, the 30 Carbine loads have considerably lower BC at 0.166 for the 110 gr FMJ and 0.126 for the 125 gr lead flat point from Buffalo Bore.

To put it simply, the 30 bullets are short, fat, not aerodynamic at all. On the other hand, the bullets fired by the 223 are considerably sleeker, resisting wind drift and air resistance more efficiently.

For sectional density, the 30 and 223 are relatively equivalent with the 30 having slightly higher SD for the 110 gr FMJ at 0.166 compared to 0.155 for the M193 load for 223. Sectional Density data was not immediately available for the Federal Fusion MSR or Buffalo Bore loads.

Although the 30 Carbine has a slight advantage in penetration over the 223, it is unlikely that most hunters or game animals will be able to tell the difference between them.

Hunting

The 223 Remington is one of the most popular varmint hunting cartridges in North America. A 223 long gun with a decent scope makes for a potent ground hog or coyote slaying machine, as it has incredibly low recoil and a flat trajectory.

The 30 Carbine also makes for a decent varmint cartridge for short-range shots. Although the trajectory of the 30 Carbine cartridge starts to resemble a rainbow at long range, there is something nostalgic about taking your Inland Carbine out into the woods for a little coyote hunting.

But what about whitetail?

The use of either cartridge for deer is a hotly debated issue at deer camps and hunting forums across the world.

The 30 Carbine has been used effectively for deer hunting since its introduction, however standard pressure ammo lacks the 1,000 ft-lbs of kinetic energy typically cited as required for whitetail. This goes to show that shot placement and selecting a quality hollow point or soft point bullet is more important than overall kinetic energy.

Furthermore, some hunters in states that allow the use of 223 Remington for deer hunting report good success with heavier 69+ grain bullets like the Hornady 73 gr FTX. However, many states prohibit the use of 0.224” diameter bullets for deer hunting.

Although both rounds can fell a whitetail with high-power loads and proper bullet selection, neither make for a good deer cartridge.

If we had to pick one, our choice would be the 223 Remington with a proper 69+ grain hunting bullet. However, 12 gauge shotgun slugs or a properly loaded 308 Winchester will make for better deer medicine than a 223 or 30 Caliber Carbine.

Ammo and Rifle Cost/Availability

The 223 Remington cannot be beat for ammo availability, price, and rifle options.

As one of the most popular centerfire cartridges in North America, the 223 Rem has numerous factory loads available for virtually any shooting application your heart desires.

Military surplus ammo is relatively easy to find and buying bulk 223 ammo can really help keep your overall cost per round to a minimum. The 223 has become so popular that ammo manufacturers have now started offering self-defense ammo such as Speer Gold Dots, Winchester PDX-1, and Hornady Critical Defense to cover all your home defense needs.

In contrast, 30 Carbine ammo is not nearly as popular as it was after WWII. Finding surplus 30 Carbine ammo is akin to finding a needle in a haystack and is considerably more expensive than it was after the war.

Modern ammo manufacturers like Remington, Hornady, Sellier & Bellot, and Winchester still make 30 Carbine ammo, but it much lower quantities than other ammo (like 223, for example). There are limited hunting ammo varieties available for 30 Carbine, traditional soft point and hollow point ammo can be had, but most 30 Carbine rounds will be loaded with FMJ’s.

In terms of cost, cheap plinking ammo can be had for around $0.60/round while premium hunting ammo ranges between $1.50-$3/round for 223. In contrast, 30 Carbine FMJ ammo will typically cost you about $1/round while self-defense or hunting ammo usually costs around $2 for each pull of the trigger.

Considering the 223 Remington can be fired from the most popular firearm in in United States, the semi-automatic AR-15, it cannot be beat in terms of rifle availability.

However, if you are not an AR-15 person there are still multiple options available to you. If you prefer a bolt-action rifle for some long range target shooting or varmint hunting, virtually every firearm manufacturer has at least one rifle chambered in 223.

For semi-auto options, the Ruger Mini-14 is perhaps the second most popular semi-automatic rifle for 223. The AK-platform has also been modified to fire 223/5.56 NATO and there are many other popular rifles chambered in the cartridge such as the Kel-Tec RDB, IWI Tavor, Steyr AUG, Galil, and many others.

In terms of AR-15’s, the sky is the limit as all the manufacturers from Anderson to Colt offer at least one rifle chambered in 223.

Pretty much the only type of rifle not chambered in 223 is a lever-action, as the rimless design and pointed bullets don’t play well with tubular magazines.

For the 30 Carbine, your rifle options are somewhat limited to the M1 Carbine.

However, these rifles vary in price considerably depending on their date and company of manufacture. Older WWII era rifles from Winchester, Rock-OLA, or IBM will fetch a premium, while newer production rifles from Auto Ordinance, Iver Johnson, Universal, or Inland can be had for a more reasonable price.

The 30 Carbine has also been adapted to several handguns, most notably the Ruger Blackhawk. The Taurus Raging Bull and AMT AutoMag III were also chambered in 30 Carbine, however these handguns have been discontinued and used models fetch a high price on the used market.

Reloading

Reloading is one method shooters use to reduce their overall cost per round and increase the consistency and accuracy of their ammo. Furthermore, handloads can be tailored to your rifle to meet your specific shooting needs.

Handloaders have been reloading 223 brass for decades at this point, meaning that there is load data available for virtually every bullet and powder combination that makes sense. In the same vein, 30 Carbine load data has been well flushed out and there are plenty of options available.

In terms of bullets, 0.224” diameter bullets are essentially a dime a dozen and extremely simple to find. Military surplus pulled bullets can be had for loading bulk 223 ammo at a low cost per round or you can load precision rounds for matches. Hunting bullets are also extremely inexpensive for 223 and made by reputable companies like Hornady, Berger, Barnes, Nosler, Sierra, and Federal.

If there’s one caliber that’s synonymous with “America” it must be the 0.308” diameter bullet. However, the bullets fired by the 30 Carbine are not as popular as those used by rounds like the 308 Winchester or 30-06 Springfield.

Due to its chamber design, the 30 Carbine cannot utilize Spitzer-style boat tail bullets like most 30-caliber cartridges. This means the 30 Carbine cartridge has to be loaded with round nose bullets that are more popular with lever-action rounds like the 30-30 Winchester.

Finding once-fired brass for 223 is an incredibly simple task as you can often find it lying on the ground at most ranges (just ask the shooter if you can have their brass before picking it up). For the 30, finding brass is a bit more difficult as it’s not as popular of a cartridge as it once was. Factory new brass can be had from companies like Winchester and Starline, while used brass is still available on the secondary market.

Final Shots: 223 vs 30 Carbine

The 223 Remington and 30 Carbine are two military cartridges that hail from two different eras of cartridge development.

The 30 Carbine is a product of the World War I and II era that brought us the 45 ACP, the 30-06 Springfield, and the 50 BMG. It is a round that filled a specific role for support soldiers who needed a lighter weapon for close-range combat.

By modern cartridge standards, the 30 is an anemic round that lacks the stopping power for whitetail deer and is best reserved for varmint hunting or plinking with an old M1 Carbine.

The 223 Remington is a modern cartridge that signaled a change in U.S. military combat policy. It’s an intermediate round that was built for low recoil, a flat trajectory, and be light enough so that soldiers could carry a lot of ammo into battle.

In the civilian sphere, the 223 is one of America’s beloved cartridges that is fired by the AR-15 carbine and is consistently in the top 3 cartridges sold in North America. It’s a versatile round that is the gold-standard for varmint hunting as well as target shooting and general plinking.

Although there is no denying the nostalgia factor of the 30 Carbine, our choice is the 223 Remington. It offers better ballistics with lower recoil and is less expensive to shoot.

No matter which cartridge you choose, make sure you stock up on ammunition here at Ammo.com and I’ll see you on the range!

Researching rifle scopes, you’ll probably stumble across a few terms that may leave you scratching your head…

First focal plane and second focal plane, a.k.a. FFP and SFP.

If you’ve seen these terms, you’ve likely also noticed considerable price differences, reticle differences, and beyond.

That may leave you wondering, what’s the big deal? Why such a difference?

Luckily, we know our optics around here.

So, in this article, we’re taking on FFP versus SFP. We’ll lay out the definitions of these two, what they mean for the inside of your optic, and which might be the best option for your rifle.

When we’re through, you’ll confidently know the difference between FFP and SFP and which one deserves your hard-earned cash.

Let’s get to it!

Understanding Subtensions

Before we dive into the difference between FFP and SFP, we need to first talk about subtensions…because they’re important!

Have you ever looked inside your optic to see hash marks or circles?

Well, those are subtensions, and we use them for windage and ballistic drop of a projectile.

They allow you to use holdovers to estimate bullet drop and windage.

Those subtensions are a specific size, so shooters can account for windage and ballistic drop at various ranges.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into FFP and SFP…

FFP vs. SFP

Let’s clarify that we’re looking exclusively at variable-powered optics when talking about FFP and SFP.

First Focal Plane

FFP, or first focal plane, has grown in popularity though they are somewhat new.

First focal plane scopes house the reticle assembly near the front of the magnification erector assembly.

The erector assembly houses your magnification component, and the reticle sits in front of it.

You’ll likely see most high-end optics companies offering FFP optics.

With first focal plane optics, the reticle size changes as the magnification increases and decreases.

FFP optics keep the measurements of the reticle accurate at any magnification range.

FFP’s use of reticle subtensions at every magnification setting is the FFP’s biggest advantage, my friends.

With high-powered optics, like 6-24X and beyond, this becomes extremely valuable.

Making on the fly windage and elevation calls is invaluable!

When it comes to reticles that use ballistic drop compensation, a first focal plane scope is a must-have.

This allows on-the-fly ballistic drop compensation without the worry or need for finding the right magnification setting.

Another big advantage is that at higher magnification levels, the subtensions are accurate and easy to see.

FFP scopes have some downsides, though.

At close range, the reticle can appear very small and hard to see. Combine that with low light issues, and the reticle can get awfully hard to see.

For lower-powered optics, the usefulness of an FFP reticle declines.

Second Focal Plane

SFP, or second focal plane, optics house the reticle behind the erector tube assembly.

SFP optics tend to feature affordable price tags while offering comparative specs in quality, magnification, durability, etc.

With second focal plane optics, the reticle remains the same size throughout its magnification range.

Consequently, the reticle’s various subtensions aren’t accurate through the range of magnification.

Often SFP scopes have a specific magnification in which these measurements are accurate.

That magnification range is often the highest setting but can vary between manufacturers. So, it’s wise to check the manual to be sure.

You can also do a little math with an SFP scope and various magnification ratings to come up with accurate measurements.

These optics use highly visible reticles at every magnification setting. This makes the optic easier to use at lower powered settings.

With low powered optics, like 1-4X optics, an SFP reticle is easy to use for close-range shooting. It’s big, easy to see, and fast.

The downsides are apparent.

SFP subtensions suffer at every magnification range but one. This makes higher-powered SFP optics nowhere near as fast or as useful for on-the-fly long-range shots.

You Should Definitely Buy…

FFP optics are surely the better choice, right?

Well, it’s never that simple, y’all.

FFP and SFP are important, sure, but they shouldn’t be the only factor to consider when shopping for scopes.

You also should look at overall scope quality — including clarity, durability, and reticle design.

On top of that, think about the optic’s purpose and at what ranges you’ll use it.

That will help guide your hand and selection between FFP and SFP.

When to Buy an SFP

If you want a lower-powered LPVO, then SFP is the way to go.

The bigger reticle is faster for close-range shots, and long-range shots will max out the magnification, so the subtensions are accurate.

A 1-4 or 1.5-5 is perfect with an SFP reticle design.

This is especially true when paired with a little carbine in a pistol caliber or something like a 10.5-inch barreled AR.

These are not long-range firearms by any means and work best in close quarters shooting where speed rules.

The bigger SFP reticles are fast at close range because they tend to be bigger than most.

Hunting is another realm where SFP is important.

Humane hunting ranges are not going to involve much bullet drop. Therefore, the accuracy of subtensions or even their presence is silly.

When a hunter chooses an optic, they need to consider not only their furthest shot but their closest shot.

Close shots often rely on speed, and big reticles are fast reticles.

There is a good argument for SFP optics for 3-Gun and USPSA PCC.

The ranges these competitors engage at are rarely long, and the need for ballistic drop estimation is often unnecessary.

Need some suggestions? Check out our roundup of the Best 1-6x Scopes & LPVO.

When to Buy an FFP Optic

First focal plane scopes are the optic of choice for snipers and designated marksmen. In those roles, precision is critical.

The FFP optics are the best choice for duty grade use and when you need to reach out and touch a target with extreme accuracy.

FFP scopes also fit very well into Precision Rifle Series matches.

These scopes dominate this field because the ranges are so varied. Competitors need to place accurate shots at different ranges while compensating for wind and drop.

If you want to shoot long range almost exclusively, then go for an FFP optic over an SFP.

If you need some suggestions, we have you covered. Check out our list of the Best Long Range Rifle Scopes.

Conclusion

Whether you want the close range SFP offers or want to reach out to further distances with FFP, knowing the difference between FFP and SFP optics will help you get the most out of your shooting experience.

SFP or FFP, which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below. Ready to start nailing down which optics to buy? Head over to our Gun Scopes & Optics page where you will find all the articles you need to choose your next optic.

Best Crappie Baits

Widely abundant across the United States, crappies are one of the most popular fish targeted by many anglers. They can be found in large schools, are relatively easy to catch, and make fantastic table fare. There are a countless number of different baits you can use to catch crappies, but the following list includes the best and most universal lures for targeting this America’s favorite panfish.

Hair Jigs

Hair jigs are one of the best crappie baits out there available for anglers. They continually produced numbers of big crappies all across the country. One benefit to using hair jigs is their effectiveness without having to use live bait. In fact, hair jigs give off more action and will produce more fish when they are not teamed with live bait. Marabou, synthetic, and bucktail hair jigs are all valuable tools to have in your arsenal because they mimic different types of bait and that can be crucial depending on the time of year.

VMC Dominator Marabou Hair Jig

During spring and early summer when crappies are keying in on bugs and other aquatic invertebrates, marabou hair jigs are top producers. Marabou jigs like the VMC Dominator marabou jig in a 1/16-ounce are deadly baits for big crappies, especially during bug hatches. They do a fantastic job imitating invertebrates and other forage that big crappies feed on throughout the spring and summer months. Available in black, white, and brown color options the VMC Dominator marabou jig works in all types of fishing environments for big crappies.

Big Bite Baits Lindner Panfish Special

Designed by longtime fishing legend Al Lindner and the Angling Edge Team, the new Big Bite Baits Lindner Panfish Special is locked and loaded for battle with big slab crappies. This panfish jig features a solid soft plastic body with a feathered tail that ebbs and flows with the slightest rod twitches or water currents. Outfitted with a #2 hook and dressed in the best crappie and panfish colors hand-selected by Al Lindner and the Angling Edge crew, the Big Bite Baits Lindner Panfish Special deserves a home in any crappie angler’s tacklebox.

Northland Gypsi Jig

The Northland Gypsi jig has been a staple for panfish anglers for years and for good reason. Available in a variety of bright, fish-attracting colors its simple yet sleek design tantalizes big slabs into biting. The Gypsi jig can be fish as is, but also works great paired with livebait. This synthetic hair jig gives off a ton a flash and attracts in big crappies from a distance and is available in three sizes 1/64-ounce, 1/32-ounce and 1/16-ounce. The Northland Gypsi jig is a must have for those serious crappie anglers.

Plastics

Today’s crappie plastics come in just about every shape, color, and size imaginable. Plastic also do a fantastic job triggering strikes without the aid of livebait and one of the many benefits of using plastics is their versatility and effectiveness in all different types of fishing scenarios. They’ll catch crappies in shallow, dirty water swamps and are just as effective in deep, clear water lakes. They can be fished in weeds, wood, under docks and any other place else crappies harbor. There is a shape and color for every situation a crappie angler could imagine. The following plastics are the best options out there for crappie anglers.

Lit’l Hustler Tube

The crappie tube is arguably to most used plastic in the country. Its simple design has probably accounted for more crappie catches than any other bait out there. They can be bought in just about every color pattern imaginable, but the classic red body with white legs has been a staple for many crappie anglers. Whether you’re shooting docks on reservoirs in the midwest, spider rigging multiple lines for giants in the deep south, or using forward-facing sonar to cast towards and pick off individual fish suspended over brush the crappie tube is the perfect bait for the job.

Jenko Big T Curly Fry

Tied for first in popularity with the tube, the curly-tailed grub is one of the best crappie baits out on the market. This style of plastic has been a staple for anglers for decades. Similar to the tube, the curly-tailed grub can be found in just about every color imaginable and its tantalizing action is a killer for big crappies.

Big Bite Baits 2″ Crappie Minnr

The Big Bite Baits 2″ Crappie Minnr is a small soft plastic that perfectly imitates a variety of miniature baitfish and minnow species that crappies prey upon year-round! When paired with a small crappie jighead, the Big Bite Baits Crappie Minnr makes a delectable offering that is great for dock shooting, casting at individual or schools of fish with forward-facing sonar and more! Available in a wide variety of colors, this is the perfect plastic for targeting the biggest fish in a school!

Puddle Jumper

One of the best crappie baits for springtime slabs, the Puddle Jumper is a staple for many northern anglers. This plastic gives off a ton of action in the water mimicking invertebrates and other forage crappies feed on. Its unique winged body allows the bait to glide when falling and the tails provide action when suspended above fish. Available in a wide variety of colors the Puddle Jumper is a great option for big crappies.

Hardbaits

They are a couple of hardbaits that make this list because they truly deserve to be in the conversation as one of the best crappie baits. Although they are limited seasonally, both have a time and place and deserve a spot in your tackle box.

Rapala #4 X-Rap

When the conditions are right the #4 Rapala X-Rap is one of the best crappie baits out there. This bait truly shines during the springtime when crappies are moving up shallow in order to spawn. This jerkbait can be fished both in an aggressive “slashbait” technique or with a classic straight retrieve, but ultimately, the angler defines the cadence for maximum effectiveness in any given scenario. Measuring 1 1/2 inches long and available in ultra-realistic baitfish patterns it’s the perfect bait for big crappies!

Northland Puppet Minnow 1/8 Ounce

Designed originally for ice fishing the Northland Puppet Minnow has proven itself in open-water scenarios. This bait shines in deep water situations when it’s fished vertically, particularly in fall. The Northland Puppet Minnow mimics small baitfish and is available in a wide variety of natural and UV colors. It’s darting, erratic action is irresistible for big crappies!