DISCLAIMER: This is a guide. Everything listed within is for information purposes only. All loads should be worked up carefully. We have seen loads that require as much as two grains of charge weight adjustment from one powder lot to another. We have seen as much as five grains of powder adjustment required between different brands of brass. Failure to start low could result in damaged equipment or injury. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

7 MM PRC Cartridge Guide

Here we go again. Hornady announced the 7 PRC. In a market with many similar options, why do we need another? The short answer is that the others are poor designs by today’s standards. I imagine the design goals for the 7 PRC were much the same as the 6.5 and 300 PRC. Like the other PRCs, the parent case of the 7 PRC is the 375 Ruger. Hornady surprised everyone by splitting the difference between the other PRCs. The 2.28″ case length is perfect for a 7mm magnum cartridge. The number one selling point of the PRC cartridges is the modern throat design. The 7 PRC’s freebore of .233” makes it very flexible. It is not too long for the shorter bearing surface 180s and not too short for the larger bullets like the 195 Berger. At SAAMI length, the 7mm PRC will fit inside the 3.4” magazine boxes of last century’s design in SAAMI form. With the larger bullets, it will exceed the 3.4” magazine, but will not need a Wyatt’s box.

7MM Cartridge Options

There are numerous other options when considering a 7mm rifle. On the larger side, we have the 7mm Remington Magnum, the 7mm LRM, the 7mm RUM, and the 28 Nosler. You have the 7mm Winchester Short mag with identical case capacity. Then the 7 RSAUM is on the smaller side. So, what does the 7 PRC offer that the others do not? Let me rule out the 7 RUM and 28 Nosler right off the bat. They are too overbore for me. They wear throats out very quickly, are more prone to carbon rings, and are more difficult to keep in tune. They have short throats and need a custom reamer to make full use of the case’s abilities.

Let’s focus on the 7 RSAUM, 7 WSM, 7 Rem mag, and 7 LRM. Of the bunch, the 7 RSAUM is going to be the most accurate on average and will stay in tune with less work, yet it suffers from a few problems. At SAAMI length, longer bullets occupy too much case capacity. This is a major reason why it has disappeared from factory offerings. When built with a custom reamer and rifle, it is still a great option. The 7 WSM has the same capacity as the 7 PRC, but it suffers from the same shortcomings as the RSAUM. The 7mm Remington Magnum has anywhere from 1-3 grains more H2O capacity than the PRC. Once again, it suffers from a throat that is too short for modern bullets. It remains a great cartridge but has room for improvement. This is the main cartridge the PRC will have to outperform, as far as sales go, to stay around. The 7 LRM is a nearly perfect cartridge for the caliber and the bullets we currently have available. The only issue with it is it is not SAAMI-approved. This makes it a non-starter for production rifles. When compared to these options, the 7 PRC leaves little to be desired in a 7mm cartridge. The case capacity is perfect and the freebore is forgiving. These reasons are why the 7 PRC is going to be the best 7mm cartridge available in factory chamberings. If the success of the 6.5 and 300 PRC is any sign, this cartridge will get tons of aftermarket support. Hornady’s marketing will make this cartridge very popular. The anticipated aftermarket support will be what ensure this cartridge sticks around.

Why Choose The 7MM PRC?

Ok, so none of this tells you why you would build a custom rifle chambered in this cartridge. I have always loved the 7mm cartridges, with the 7 WSM being one of my favorites. Its capacity seems to be the sweet spot. The 7 PRC has the same capacity as the 7 WSM. It is slimmer and longer. This should make it easier to feed from a long-action magazine. I have found the short magnum cartridges don’t feed well from short actions. Because of this, I don’t see the point of short magnums in short actions. The 7 PRC will not quite compete with the 7 RSAUM in the raw accuracy department, but it is close. It will yield more velocity on average. This will translate to smaller horizontal dispersion in adverse conditions at long range. On average, it should also shoot flatter. It will run right with the 7 Rem Mag without needing a custom chamber. These are the reasons this cartridge is likely to be a success. Let’s get into the load information.

Bullets

We are choosing to focus on 175 and larger bullets for now. When time permits, I will work on some 168 Berger data. I don’t see the point of shooting smaller in a .284 when you could shoot the 156 Bergers from a .264. Any of the 168-180 grain bullets will be right at home in this case. My favorites are the Berger 180 VLD and Hybrids, as well as the 180 ELDM. Testing with the 190s and 195s will continue and this guide will be updated when more data is collected. Hornady kindly provided us with the load data provided below. I checked it with 180 Bergers and 180 ELDMs, except for the RL22 loads. This is because RL22 was too temperature sensitive in my previous testing.

******The loads in the above chart are all max loads. WORK UP!******

Powders

The 180s will do very well with the normal powders for this sized case. H4831SC and RL23 should offer good accuracy and low extreme spreads in velocity. They generally will be on the faster side in burn rate, which will yield lower max velocities. Retumbo, N565, and RL26 will perform well and will yield the fastest velocities. My barrel did not yield great accuracy with Retumbo or N565. If I were set on using these two powders, I would try some different primers. RL26 was accurate in my rifle but is not quite as stable as H1000. My favorite powder for the case is H1000. It provides great accuracy and extreme spreads. Velocity will fall right in between the other powders. I have settled on the low node with H1000 and 180 Hybrids at 2895 fps out of a 26” barrel. The case can go quite a bit faster, but the node was just too wide and stable to ignore. The larger bullets will still do great with these powders and will allow the use of slower powders like N570.

******While these may work in our rifles, they may be too hot in yours. WORK UP!******

Primers

Any of the large rifle primers should work in this case. In my experience, with this case capacity, the faster powders do best with Federal 210Ms and CCI BR2s. The slower powders do well with CCI 250s or Federal 215Ms. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Most of my testing was done with CCI 250s. Forum member 8nbait was having better luck with Federal 210Ms.

At the time of launch, the only case options will be Hornady and RCC. My testing was done with Hornady brass. Forum members 8nbait and Weatherbyfan were using RCC.

Comparing 6.5 vs 7 vs 30

Bullet mass and impact velocity should be heavily considered when choosing a cartridge. The correct choice will ensure ethical kills at your maximum range. The bullet mass is going to have a direct impact on the recoil. For some, this needs to be considered. I will never advocate shooting elk with calibers smaller than .308. However, 30-caliber magnums are not needed for deer and antelope-sized game. The 7mm caliber is a great choice for deer and smaller game. Too many people focus on energy as a killing power indicator. Based on countless instances of anecdotal evidence, this is just not the case. Bullet mass and impact velocity are better predictors of how fast an animal will go down. This mainly applies to frangible bullets, which we prefer over bonded bullets. Below is a comparison between a few different cartridges in each caliber. You will see they look very similar on paper. Just keep in mind bullet mass means more shrapnel to destroy the vitals of your target.

7MM PRC Conclusion

If you take a look at a reloading manual, you will not see much of a difference between the 7 PRC, the 7WSM, and the 7 Rem mag. What you are gaining is a better-designed factory chamber. The longer freebore will allow a reloader to make better use of modern bullets. The 7 PRC’s modern design will lead to a much better selection of factory ammunition. However, if the success of the other PRCs is an indicator, this cartridge will continue to grow. It will be a hit with those using factory ammunition as well as reloaders. The cartridge will be great for all hunters. Whether you choose a factory rifle or go the custom route, the 7 PRC is worthy of your consideration. The link below will take you to a thread on the forum with members’ input on loads that have worked for them.

Comment or ask Ryan questions here.

Watch the 7mm PRC Cartridge Guide Video here.

Not sure what scope to get for your air rifle?

Look no further.

I’ve tested ALL the best air rifle scope (plus air riflescope mounts and accessories.)

By the end of this guide, you’ll find the perfect optic for your air rifle.

Let’s get started!

What to Look for in Air Rifle Scopes

Are you in the market for an air rifle scope?

Of course you are!

But there’s more to these simple scopes than meets the eye. Which means I’ll be breaking down each scope and its features.

So which air rifle scope is your perfect match?

Keep reading to find out.

Basics of Air Rifle Scopes

These scopes are pretty much the same as a regular rifle scope. They magnify the image you’re aiming at and you’ll be on the same visual plane as your target.

Air rifles themselves are known for their amazing accuracy, so they’re a great addition to your regular range lineup.

But what makes air rifle scopes unique?

These scopes can withstand the double recoil and vibration of an air rifle. So that, plus your improved accuracy, makes the scope completely worth it.

Before we get into the good stuff, let me remind you to please never put a firearm scope on an air rifle. They’re not meant to be together, no matter how cool you may think that would be.

Now, here’s the two different types of air rifle scopes:

Fixed Air Rifle Scopes

The fixed air rifle scope is set to one magnification level. Which means it can’t be adjusted.

But what’s the advantage of a scope that can’t zoom in?

Once you’re sighted in, there’s almost no adjusting required.

So you can get to your target shooting much faster, which is something we can all celebrate.

And what kind of shooting is great for fixed scopes?

If you’re into hunting small rodents or other varmints at a closer range, this is the scope for you.

It’s also nice for the occasional short-range plinking session!

Variable Air Rifle Scopes

The variable air rifle scope can adjust magnification levels between 3-15x. So it offers a great amount of zoom power for shooting longer distances.

But is there a disadvantage to this scope?

Unlike the fixed scope, the variable scope will need adjustments more often while in use after sighting.

And what’s a great activity for this scope?

If you’re looking to hunt larger game at long-range distances, this is your match for an air rifle scope.

What’s the Deal with Objective Size?

Does objective size matter?

It always does!

When you’re looking for the best objective size lens for you, here’s two things to consider.

First, the larger the lens means better magnification.

Second, a larger lens allows more light to enter the scope. Thus, giving you a much brighter and clearer sight before your eyes.

So if you’re planning to use an air rifle scope in low light conditions, such as sunrise or sunset, pick out a larger objective lens.

To find the size of the objective lens, look at the last number in the scope description.

For example, the average variable scope is 3-9×32.

The first numbers before the ‘x’ indicate the magnification power. The number after that ‘x’ gives you the size of the objective lens.

So this scope can magnify between 3-9x and has a 32mm objective lens opening.

All About Mounting Hardware

Now that you’ve chosen your perfect air rifle scope, let’s mount that thing!

Every scope needs to connect to a firearm. So a one-piece or two-piece scope mount is used to fit around the scope. It’s then tightened onto a rail that sits on top of the air rifle.

Mounting is important. And you’ll need certain mounts for certain air rifles depending on the build or recoil power.

For a high-powered spring air rifle with a lot of recoil, I’d highly recommend a one-piece mount.

Why?

One-piece mounts are much stronger than two-piece mounts. They can also withstand more intense recoils from high-power air rifles.

For low-powered spring air rifles with a lot less recoil, a two-piece mount is perfect.

Other Types of Mounting Hardware

To get more specific about the mount you’ll need, check out these various types of mounts:

• High mounts are best for larger scopes because it allows the scope to sit higher on the gun. Only use these mounts for 50mm objective lenses and higher.
• Medium mounts are slightly smaller than high mounts. These mounts are perfect for 44mm objective lenses or less.
• Speciality mounts are required for some air rifles that need a unique mount to fit properly.

Also be aware of the size of your scope tube, which comes in 1 inch and 30mm sizes.

So make sure that the mount you need will also fit around the scope tube.

How to Find a Quality Air Rifle Scope

We all work hard for our money, so finding a high-quality scope is a game-changer.

But how do you find a high-quality scope that’s also worth your money?

Spend some time considering what you’d be willing to spend for a scope. Also think about how often you’ll use this scope and what kinds of shooting you’ll be doing.

After you’ve decided on what you think is a high-quality scope, consider buying one that’s a little bit of a step up in quality.

Why?

Because with air rifles and their scopes, you definitely get what you pay for.

For example, an air rifle scope can generally cost between $30 to $400 and beyond.

Now, I’m not telling you to go break the bank. There are affordable options, of course.

But if you’re looking to use an air rifle scope quite often, then I’d highly recommend buying one that will last you at least a couple of years.

Just like any other piece of equipment, you want it to work well and hold up to the test of time. So you may have to be willing to pay a little more than what you had planned.

But I promise you that it will be well worth it. Especially when you’re having a blast shooting off that air rifle and scope combo.

And there you have my best tips for finding your perfect air rifle scope.

Now go out there and find your perfect match!

Air Rifle Scope vs. Regular Rifle Scope

Despite appearing very similar on the outside, an air rifle scope and a regular rifle scope are built differently.

They are more than capable of being mounted on either type of gun, but doing so recklessly can quickly lead to a broken scope.

Learning the types of guns that can use either scope is important to make sure you’re not flushing money down the toilet by breaking the scopes. However, it’s still possible and sometimes useful to use a scope on the opposite gun.

I’ve done the research and put together a quick guide to show the pros and cons of each type of scope as well as when it’s safe to mount it on a different gun.

Let’s get started!

Differences

One of the biggest differences between the two scope types is how they handle recoil.

An air rifle recoils differently than a normal rifle, and will actually recoil forwards after the initial backwards recoil. This force is not taken into mind with normal rifle scopes, so the forward recoil will tear most rifle scopes apart.

This video takes a deeper look into why air rifles tend to destroy regular rifle scopes:

Parallax is another big difference between the two.

The set parallax for air rifle scopes tends to be around 10m, while many rifle scopes have theirs set around 100m. While air rifles can shoot further than 10m, the scopes are designed for the shorter distance shooting that they excel in.

At the end of the day, the scopes are designed for different types of guns. Unless a scope was specifically designed for both, there will be certain issues with magnification and accuracy due to the change in ammunition.

Similarities

Despite the significant differences in shooting bullets vs. air gun pellets, the scopes have several similarities.

Believe it or not, air rifle scopes are just as tough and durable as high end rifle scopes. In some cases they can even be heavier and thicker.

Air rifle scopes still function well on a regular rifle scope. The opposite is rarely true, but there are a few exceptions. Some companies will actually design their rifle scopes so that they can withstand the stress from the different recoil of an air rifle.

There is an exception if you mount an air rifle scope on a very powerful rifle. The powerful recoil will overwhelm the air rifle scope and break it. They aren’t designed to handle extreme force on one recoil, but rather the moderate force on two.

What This Means

While it’s tempting to save some money and swap the same scopes between different types of rifle, I don’t recommend it. There are plenty of great rifle scopes, and buying a proper one for each rifle can save you much future grief.

Some rifles are listed and designed to work with either one, but getting a scope specific to your type of rifle is always better.

The recoils vary considerably, so getting a scope that specializes in handling this is better than a scope that’s decent at it.

The different ammunition is also something to consider, as a bullet will travel much differently than an air gun pellet.

For the most part, regular rifle scopes will give you more accuracy over longer distances, while the air rifle scopes are better at closer ranges.

At the end of the day, it’s much cheaper to buy two scopes than it is to constantly break your current ones trying to make them work on different guns!

The 4 Best Air Rifle Scope

If you’re pressed on time, here’s a quick list of the best air rifle scope:

1. Hawke Airmax Airgun Scope 2-7×32: Best Overall Scope for Air Rifle
2. ATN X-Sight: Best for Night Shooting
3. UTG 3-9X32: Best Scope under $100
4. BSA Outlook 3-9X40: Best for the Budget

1. Hawke Airmax Airgun Scope 2-7×32: Best Overall Scope for Air Rifle

The Hawke Airmax 2-7×32 is the best scope I’ve come across for an air rifle.

This optic is a target shooters dream. With a specialty reticle and a huge operative range, there isn’t much you can’t do and do well with the Hawke Airmax.

Choosing a scope for an air rifle is a little bit different than choosing a firearm scope. For more info on what makes an air rifle scope different, check out this guide to air rifle scopes.

To see the best overall airgun optic on the market, keep reading…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The glass clarity on the Hawke Airmax is fantastic.

The high quality glass is fully multi-coated in 16 layers, so I know it will stay as clean as it was when I took it out of the box.

What really impressed me was the glass-etched reticle. The Hawke Airmax scope uses an AMX reticle,, which was specifically designed for air rifles. The mil-dot reticle floats comfortably in the center of the sight picture. It’s easy to see and kept me on target anywhere from 10 to 100 yards.

The Airmax is optimized for target shooting. It is a serviceable option for varmint hunting, but if that’s your primary objective, check out my first choice for varmint hunting.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The eye relief is 3.5 inches, which is generous in my book.

The wide eye box made it easy for me to find my target fast.

Durability

The Hawke Airmax Scope is lightweight, durable and best of all, nitrogen purged.

Why does that matter?

Nitrogen purging ensures the scope is 100% waterproof shatterproof and fog proof.

The only issue I had with the design is the lens cap. I found it a little flimsy and hard to maneuver with one hand, so I replaced it with a Butler Creek lens cap.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The turrets are perfect for in field adjustment.

The Hawke Airmax has extra large turrets that feel good in the hand, and turn easily with a satisfying click. Each click is .25 MOA which makes it easy to get a fine zero. It held zero like a champ.

Parallax & Magnification

The 2-7x magnification is a lot to work with.

I feel confident about taking this to a competition anywhere up to 100 yards. The image is clean, and the parallax turret is east to adjust.

I like this scope for long range target shots, but the variable magnification works perfectly anywhere above ten yards out with no tunneling.

If you are looking for a lower range fixed magnification scope you might want to look into a rimfire scope instead.

Mounting & Rings

To mount the Hawke Airmax, you will need a 1-inch dovetail or pic rail mount kit. I used these Hawke dovetail rings.

You will need a hex screw, which you probably already have. In case you don’t, Winchester makes a nice gun screw set.

Is the Hawke Airmax Airgun 2-7X32 worth it?

The Hawke Airmax is one of the best scopes out there for competition air rifles.

It’s priced surprisingly low for such a great optic. What makes it my top choice is…

• Lightweight build
• Audibly clicking turrets
• Non-telescoping magnification
• Specialty AMX reticle made for air rifles

And of course, Hawke backs up their quality promises with a no-fault lifetime warranty, so you can shoot with confidence. If you take your sport seriously, I highly recommend giving the Hawke Airmax Airgun Scope 2-7×32 a try.

2. ATN X-Sight: Best for Night Shooting

The ATN X-Sight 4K Pro is the best sight for night shooting.

In fact, I purchased this optic strictly as a night scope for hog hunting. After seeing how it tremendously improved my accuracy, I kept it on my AR-15 and tested its performance during casual target shooting and deer hunting.

By the end of this review, you’ll know if the ATN X-Sight is for you.

Let’s dive in!

Image Clarity & Reticle

The image quality is bright and clear.

The ATN X-sight is equipped with several reticle patterns and color options, which makes shooting easy. It doubles as both a digital daytime optic and a night vision scope: definitely worth its price tag.

Speaking of night vision…

The X-Sight 4K PRO sports an Enhanced HD NV Mode. I’m certainly seeing a higher quality than other “Night Vision” scopes, including the units that cost thousands of dollars more than the ATN X-Sight.

Although the scope does come with an IR attachment light, I chose to upgrade it with the ATN IR850 SUPERNOVA IR Attachment.

Take my word: it was worth every penny. I was hitting small game at night out to 300 yards without issues.

The ATN X-sight also features a built-in rangefinder and ballistic calculator that’s amazingly accurate.

You just enter your gun and ammo specifications via the ATN Obisidian App on your smartphone, and it takes into account everything that affects your trajectory, including— Relative Humidity, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Temperature, Barometric Pressure, and Elevation.

Recording and Streaming

Recording videos with the X-Sight 4K Pro came out to be very clear at 10X zoom. Unfortunately, the quality started degrading as I was approaching full zoom. This isn’t uncommon with digital scopes, though.

I did extensive research before buying this scope and found that most shooters who have issues with the product freezing or being pixelated don’t understand the technology.

Make sure you read the instructions on the manual thoroughly and make sure to upgrade the firmware to the latest version.

Also, you can easily google any problem and find a solution- just like you would do with an iPhone.

Moving on, let’s talk about the Recoil Activated Recording (RAV) feature. This was super helpful to me. I didn’t have to worry about pressing the record button every time.

Why?

Because as soon as the X-sight detects recoil, the RAV feature automatically saves that 10-second snip before the shot and 10 seconds afterward.

The videos are stored on the removable micro SD Card for viewing at a later time. The dual streaming option also allows you to simultaneously record and Livestream your hunts. How cool is that?

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The eye relief is excellent, ranging from 3-3.5 inches.

On the flip side, the ATN X-sight’s eye box is a bit narrow.

The 3-14x scope has 460 ft field of view at 1000 yards, while the 5-20x version has 240 ft.

Durability and Battery

This ATN X-Sight is very durable, and the buttons are tactile. The ruggedness reminded me of the battle-tested ACOGs.

The X-sight doesn’t get damaged if left out in the sun, nor does it have to be protected from light exposure, unlike other regular night vision scopes.

The entire unit weighs about 2.2 lbs, which tips the heavier side of the scale, but compared to an AR-10 with a standard scope, the weight difference is about the same.

It took about six hours to fully charge. However, once fully charged, it is said to provide a continuous use of up to 18 hours.

It ran it for about 12 hours on the range, and the battery indicator wasn’t even at the halfway mark, so I’d say ATN advertises the battery life accurately.

Zeroing

Zeroing was remarkably easy thanks to the ‘One Shot Zero’ feature. All you need to do is take one shot, align it with the crosshairs, and push a button. This is extremely helpful if you’re a beginner.

It took me less than 20 rounds using the .308 Winchester to get it perfectly zeroed.

My personal favorite feature is the Profile Manager. Essentially, you can save multiple zeroing-in data for different firearms and ammo. You can easily switch weapons without having to reset everything. This saved me a lot of time in the range.

Magnification

This ATN X-Sight 4k Pro can be purchased with two magnification options: 3-14x50mm and 5-20x65mm.

Which one should you get?

Get the 3-14x50mm if your target range is between 25-250 yards. BUT if you plan on zooming in, you will lose a lot more clarity with the 3×14 than the 5×20.

So if you’re shooting out past 250 yards frequently, I recommend getting the 5-20x65mm model.

Mounting & Accessories

Fortunately, ATN has eased the hassle of a complicated setup.

The ATN X-Sight comes with a versatile mounting system that includes standard rings, an L shape ring, and a Picatinny rail. Simply pick the right ones for your needs.

It took me less than 10 minutes to mount the scope on the Hardened Arms 16-inch 7.62x39mm AR-15 upper.

Word of advice: make sure your mounting screws stay tight. I check mine every time I go to the range. They haven’t come loose yet, but it’s good to keep on top of it.

The sight also comes with a heap of accessories, including:

• Eyecup
• Sunshade
• Lens cover
• UBS-C cable
• Cleaning cloth

Is the ATN X-Sight 4k Pro worth it?

The days of breaking the bank to have an excellent night vision scope are over. The ATN X-sight is a game-changer.

Why? It’s got:

• One-shot zero
• 4K UltraHD Sensor
• Excellent Night Vision
• Long-lasting battery life
• Recoil Activated Recording
• 3-14x or 5-20x magnification
• Fog proof, dustproof, and fully waterproof
• Built-in Smart Rangefinder & Ballistic Calculator
• 1080p HD Video Recording & Photos to your smartphone

Plus, the scope comes with ATN’s 2-year warranty for returns and repairs, the accessories are covered for one year, and the battery for six years.

For under $1000, the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro displays exceptional quality and value for day and night shooting.

3. UTG 3-9X32: Best Scope under $100

I love the UTG 3-9X32, and you will too.

It has a wonderful reticle, easy adjustment, and includes everything.

If you’re looking for a budget scope, this is the one.

Read on to find out why.

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The image is bright even at high magnification, though I have noticed a little darkening after sunset at 9x power.

The lenses are multi-coated in emerald green to increase light transmission as much as possible, and it works well.

There is a little tickle of distortion right at the edge of the field of view, but not a big deal to me.

You can change the color to red or green, but even if your battery dies you still have the regular black reticle. I bring extra CR1620 batteries in the field with me.

The UTG 3-9X32 reticle is also very usable for a mil-dot. There are nine dots in any direction, giving plenty of different points of aim without the need to touch a turret.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The eye relief is listed as 3-4 inches, so you need to stay inside that range to get a clear image.

This is probably the one con of the scope, but for my 30-06, it isn’t an issue at all. That’s right where I had the Leupold mounted before moving it to another rifle.

It can be a problem if you have a target 22 and you like to snuggle with your optic. Overall though, I would say that the eye relief is just about right for most shooters.

(If you like it longer or shorter you might want to check out these Ruger 10/22 optics.)

Durability

The UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster is nitrogen purged and built around a framework of strength over all else.

I have yet to have any issue with it holding zero. It literally needs to come loose from the rail to throw it off, and I love that in a scope.

It’s never fogged or given me any kind of problem, even on wet mornings hunting rabbits in 40 degree weather over snow from the previous day.

The caps and sunshade are a bonus, and they help to keep everything well protected and dust free until you are ready to take your rifle out to the field.

UTG has something they call a “True Strength” platform that their scopes are built around, something about the way the pieces inside fit together to keep things in alignment. Whatever it is, it works. My hunting rifle stays on target season after season, and it hasn’t let me down yet.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The bad news is the knobs require an allen key to adjust.

The good news is that all of the required hardware for the scope is included, even the wrench for the windage and elevation knobs.

Actually I lied, you don’t need to wrench to adjust them in the field, just for zeroing in at the range. The wrench loosens a securing bolt and allows the turret cap to spin freely, so once you are dialed in you can set your tick marks to zero.

This is becoming a pretty common feature on scopes, but in case you are wondering, it allows you to adjust for windage or elevation in the field and then return the knobs to zero without counting clicks.

Speaking of clicks, the adjustments on the turrets are ¼ MOA. Perfect for long-range shooting, whether in competition or hunting mountain goats across a wide canyon.

And yes, there’s a very satisfying click when you turn them.

Parallax & Magnification

Magnification of the UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster is straightforward. Just twist the power ring near the turrets and go, like any other scope.

There is an added bonus that a diopter adjustment comes with a lock. Once you have the reticle clarity set for your eyes, there’s no need to touch it ever again.

Parallax on the BugBuster is adjustable on the end of the scope. That is, where the objective lens is located. A quick twist sets you up anywhere from infinity to as close as three yards.

I’ve dialed in the parallax to the required setting, looked through while moving my head about with the rifle in a rest, not a single problem. The reticle follows the target.

Mounting & Rings

Everything is in the box, even the mounts. I don’t think I need to tell you what a relief that was. Shopping for rings is my least favorite part about being a shooter.

The rings also come with quick-detach mechanisms and fit on Weaver or Picatinny rail systems. If you are going to be dressing up your little black rifle with a long-range scope, you won’t have to shop around for detachable rings.

And what’s more? They’re pretty darn sturdy. Torture tests are conducted by UTG for durability under normal wear-and-tear conditions, and the rings are built just as rugged as any I’ve seen. I think I said earlier, and I’ll repeat it here, I’ve never yet had to re-zero this scope.

Is the UTG 3-9X32 worth it?

This scope is for long-range shooters who want a quality piece of glass at an affordable price range.

The key features of this scope are:

• 9 mil-dots
• ¼-MOA clicks
• Illuminated reticle
• Easy turret adjustment
• Quality glass on a budget
• All hardware and tools included
• Parallax adjustment down to 3 yards

It’s hard to beat this scope for less than 100 clams. I’ve tried almost every budget scope on the market, and found most of them severely lacking. But the UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster gets the job done and does it amazingly for the price.

It also comes with a lifetime warranty.

If you want to put a powerful scope on your rifle, the UTG 3-9X32 is what you need.

4. BSA Outlook 3-9X40: Best for the Budget

The BSA Outlook 3-9×40 is the best scope on a budget.

In fact,

There might not be a lot of flashy features on this scope, but the ones it has I’m ready to compare to optics worth 3x the price.

Keep reading to find out…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

I never would have guessed this scope’s price tag looking through the glass.

The image through the scope is crisp and clear.

For a sub-$100 scope, the glass is incredible. The fully multi-coated lenses are a premium feature that deliver a crisp, clean image.

I will say that at the highest magnification settings, there is a minimal amount of fisheye around the outside of the image. However, it’s hardly noticeable unless you’re looking for it.

The BSA Outlook is outfitted with a simple MIL dot reticle.

I only say simple, because the MIL dot reticle is visible clean without a complex system to distract your eye. In reality, the MIL dot reticle can do so much for the shooter in a small space.

I’m a big advocate for the MIL dot reticle, because, at a glance, you can judge wind, bullet drop compensation, range, and target size regardless of your rifle caliber.

It’s ideal for long-range shooters, varmint hunters, and tactical marksmen.

The BSA Outlook’s reticle is also on a second focal plane, meaning the reticle grows or shrinks with magnification. It’s easy to see at all magnifications for fast and fearless target acquisition.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

This scope has a solid 3.7-4 inches of eye relief. Plenty of space to avoid injury to the eye in case of a strong kickback from the firearm.

The eye box is also forgiving, not causing my eyes to fatigue like other cheap optics.

Durability

Break barrels are brutal on a scope, and I’ve had my fair share of optics eaten up by high recoil. So when my BSA Outlook was still kicking after over 800 rounds, I was more than impressed.

The one-piece constructed optic body from durable, lightweight aluminum is built to withstand serious recoil from even the most powerful air rifle.

It’s the whole durable trifecta of waterproof, shockproof, and fog proof construction.

The low-glare, matte black finish is not only stylish but also helpful when you need to camouflage your position when hunting close-range.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The low profile elevation and windage turrets have crisp, positive clicks.

Adjustment turns very smoothly on everything from the turrets to the adjustable objective. They’re especially nice for scope in this price range

They do have on flaw though: the hash marks don’t line up exactly on the turrets and each line is offset by a fraction of a hair.

However, they’re still accurate to the ¼” MOA adjustment, and I’d take that over loose adjustments.

Zeroing was easy once I got on paper. And with only a few adjustments on the turrets, the scope has held zero for over 800 pellets.

Parallax & Magnification

So, how much magnification do you get? A very versatile 3x-9x.

At 3x, the image is crystal clear.

As the optic reaches max magnification, there is a minimal amount of fisheye and blur on the outer edges of the image. However, the imaging is still lightyears ahead of other scopes in its price bracket.

This broad magnification range increases accuracy for short to medium ranges with absolutely no parallax at all.

Here’s how I know:

I took my laser range finder and started testing at 10, 20, then 30 yards to verify focus and parallax settings. The marks were good, and I’m more than impressed by the results.

It’s a solid 10 to infinite parallax adjustable scope.

Mounting & Rings

The BSA Outlook comes with its own two-piece dovetail rings. They’re solid with four bolts in each ring.

A set of rubber lens caps are also included to increase the longevity of your lens’ lifetime.

Is the BSA Outlook 3-9×40 worth it?

If you’re looking for an affordable scope that offers versatility and durability for even the highest recoiling air rifle, then the BSA Outlook is my recommendation.

Here’s why:

• MIL Dot reticle
• Included dovetail rings
• Fully multi-coated lenses
• Limited one-year warranty
• Tactile hand turn/zero reset turrets

And the bonus is it won’t break the bank.

If you’re looking to ring steel without losing a chunk of change, the BSA Outlook 3-9×40 is the air rifle scope for you.

Now It’s Your Turn

I hope you enjoyed my best air rifle scopeguide.

Now I want to turn it over to you:

Which scope will you pick for your air rifle?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment down below.

Countless things go into achieving rifle accuracy, and just as many things can make a rifle shoot poorly and erode accuracy. So where do you look when your trusty rifle isn’t grouping like it used to, or when that new barrel burner isn’t shooting up to its price tag?

Many factory rifles now guarantee sub-MOA (minute of angle) accuracy at 100 yards. So, if you bought a rifle in the past five years and it can’t group five shots under an inch at 100 yards with premium ammunition, you should keep reading.

Here is a five-part diagnostic checklist that can solve many common accuracy problems.

Check for Rock Solid Scope Mounts and No Play in Sights

The first thing you need to check when your rifle is shooting poorly is the sighting system. Most of the rifles that come into my gunsmith shop for accuracy issues have loose sights. If your groups are all over the place with no rhyme or reason to the pattern, this is likely the problem.

Check iron sights by trying to move them with your hand. If there is any movement at all, they need to be fixed. Fortunately, there are many ways to tighten the fit of a dovetail sight. A metal shim, lightly peening the dovetail, and a drop of solder can solve this problem.

If a rifle is fitted with a scope, there are many more things that can go wrong. To start, make sure all the screws on the scope rings and bases are tight. If you find a loose one, you may have found the issue already, but beware, it’s important not to overtighten these screws since many rings and bases are made out of aluminum and the fine threads are prone to stripping. There are recommended torque settings for the screws in your rings and bases set by the manufacturer. Look them up, and use a torque wrench to lock everything down like it should be, and shoot again.

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Listen to What Your Brass is Saying

An empty brass casing can tell you all you need to know about your chamber. During the firing process, your brass makes a reverse imprint of the chamber, revealing any flaws that might be hard to see otherwise. Saving the brass from your day at the range can save you valuable time later and answer lots of questions if rifle accuracy problems arise.

First, look at the casing itself. Are there any bulges or odd discoloration near the mouth of the case? Next, look at the primer. The primer is your ignition system and can have significant effects on accuracy. I have seen rifles that were wildly inaccurate because of a broken firing pin that still managed to set off cartridge primers.

Whole chapters of books have been written about how primers look when things aren’t right. If you notice that your dimpled primers look different than they usually do, it may be time to take the rifle to a gunsmith.

RELATED – Muzzleloader Hunting: How to Remove a Stuck Projectile

Inspect the Crown

The crown is found at the muzzle of your barrel and is critical for rifle accuracy. It should be uniform and not have any burrs, dings, or dents.

Most crowns are designed to avoid damage to the critical areas, but they still can get beat up through years of use in the field. Taking your rifle to a gunsmith to recut a crown is a very common and inexpensive job that can solve some accuracy issues.

Ensure Rifling Twist Rate and Bullet Weight Are Compatible

Occasionally, the combination of certain rifling twist rates and bullet weights can kill a rifle’s accuracy. Diagnose this by looking at the impact of your bullets on paper at 50-100 yards. If your impacts look oblong or sometimes even sideways (keyholing), your bullet isn’t stabilizing properly and is tumbling on the way to the target. This is becoming a more common issue with modern calibers that use longer, heavier bullets with higher ballistic coefficients.

Your twist rate can be easily measured using a clothespin and cleaning rod and cross-checked with this chart to see if you are using the correct weight bullet. The fix for this problem is simple: try different bullet weights.

RELATED – Airgun Cleaning 101: How to Remove Rust

Look To the Stock: Imperfect Bedding Can Kill Rifle Accuracy

The bedding on your rifle is critical for accurate shooting. The bedding is basically a reverse imprint of your action in the stock. A well-bedded action will have a consistent position from shot to shot. There have been countless articles written about glass bedding an action, (editor’s note: this is the best one), but how do you identify bedding as your rifle accuracy issue?

Start by shooting a group at 100 yards. A recoil lug that isn’t bedded properly can cause erratic groups without any consistency. On a wooden stock, a crack running from the recoil lug to the magazine box is a telltale sign of this problem.

If there is a pattern to your grouping, that can be used to troubleshoot bedding issues. A pattern that prints in a vertical string can usually be corrected by relieving the bottom of the barrel channel in the stock. Any horizontal trending groups are generally caused by uneven pressures on the sides of the barrel channel.

Some firearms, such as pre-’64 Winchester Model 70s, have a screw in the forearm used to adjust the tension and harmonics of your barrel.

Bedding issues can be fixed at home, but it is better to take it to someone who has done it before and is comfortable doing it.

RELATED – Where Have All the Side-By-Side Shotguns Gone?

Know When to Take a Rifle to a Gunsmith

Unless you have access to a machinist buddy with a lathe, some of these fixes and adjustments must be made by a professional gunsmith. If you’re lucky, you already have a gunsmith that you know and trust to do work like this. If not, you can go here to get a walkthrough of the best ways to locate and get in touch with a gunsmith in your area.

One of the first things your gunsmith will likely ask after you present a rifle with accuracy problems is if you reload your own ammo. This is not the time to get defensive about your reloads. Explain exactly how you do it, and if it ends up being the problem, learn from it.

Keep your brass and give it to your gunsmith along with some of your unfired reloads. This will help them identify any ammunition-related accuracy problems for you.

READ NEXT – Shotgun Shells: The Most Important Developments of the Past 10 Years

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Did you ever wonder what the biggest fish ever caught looked like? With all due respect to your imagination, we wouldn’t blame you for underestimating how impressive these beasts really were. Today, we’re looking at the 17 biggest fish ever caught.

For this list, we’ve only included fish that were officially approved as IGFA All-Tackle World Records. Over the years, there have been cases of people catching even bigger fish. These, however, were either caught by more than one person, or failed to meet other IGFA World Record requirements.

As you’d expect, most of these giants are from the Billfish and Shark families, but there are a few surprise entries, too.

You’ll notice that a lot of these records date back at least a few decades. Back in the day, catch and release was a rare sight, and fishing regulations weren’t nearly as strict. Still, each of the catches you’re about to see required incredible amounts of skill and dedication to pull off. They officially are the biggest fishing feats in history.

Without further ado, the 17 biggest fish ever caught are:

17. Goliath Grouper – 680 lb

Location: Fernandina Beach, FL

Date: May 20, 1961

Back in the day, Fernandina Beach was famous for its Goliath Grouper fishery. Up until 1990, anglers could harvest these critters, but with their population dwindling, regulators decided to ban their harvest. All in all, this record isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Angler Lynn Joyner caught this 680 lb Goliath using a Spanish Mackerel.

16. Bull Shark – 697 lb 12 oz

Location: Malindi, Kenya

Date: March 24, 2001

Angler Ronald de Jager successfully caught this record-breaking Bull Shark by trolling a live Yellowfin Tuna. The catch broke the previous 1994 record by 12 ounces.

15. Dusky Shark – 764 lb

Location: Longboat Key, FL

Date: May 28, 1982

In 1982, Warren Girle pulled in this world record on a Bonito off Longboat Key, Florida.

14. Thresher Shark – 767 lb

Location: Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Date: February 26, 1983

David Hannah caught this Thresher using Kahawai Salmon. Catching a Thresher of any size requires a great deal of skill, because these monsters are known for bashing the hook and bait with their tail before moving in for the kill. This is why Hannah’s record is even more impressive.

13. Bigeye Thresher Shark – 802 lb

Location: Tutukaka, New Zealand

Date: February 8, 1981

A couple of years before David Hannah, Dianne North reeled in an even bigger Thresher. She trolled a Kahawai to hook the fish and then fought the beast for three hours and 45 minutes. What’s interesting is that the two catches occurred just over 30 miles away from each other.

12. Pacific Bluefin Tuna – 907 lb 6 oz

Location: Three Kings Islands, New Zealand

Date: February 19, 2014

Angler Donna Pascoe battled this Bluefin for over four hours, and in some very tough weather conditions. For her impressive catch, Ms. Pascoe received the IGFA Best World Record award for 2014.

11. Swordfish – 1,182 lb

Location: Iquique, Chile

Date: May 7, 1953

After more than 60 years, Lou Marron’s historic record still stands. It’s a testament to how people once used nothing but angling to catch the ocean’s most fearsome creatures. Lou caught the 14′ Swordfish by trolling a live Bonito.

10. Shortfin Mako Shark – 1,221 lb

Location: Chatham, Massachusetts

Date: July 21, 2001

Luke Sweeney caught this fearsome Mako during the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament in 2001. Luke was actually aboard the smallest boat in the tournament, a 24′ World Cat, when he broke the record. The fight lasted three hours, but ultimately, the Mako made it to the scales for weigh-ins.

9. Great Hammerhead Shark – 1,280 lb

Location: Boca Grande

Date: May 23, 2006

Charter captain Bucky Dennis usually fishes for Snook and Tarpon. However, according to him, when Tarpon come to Boca Grande, so do the Hammerheads. Bucky caught this 14.5′ Shark using a stingray for bait. The Hammerhead hauled his 23′ boat almost 12 miles out into the Gulf.

8. Sixgill Shark – 1,298 lb

Location: Ascension Island, British Overseas Territories

Date: November 21, 2002

Although you can find them worldwide, Sixgilled Sharks just aren’t fish you see everyday. Angler Clemens Rump caught this shark off the remote Ascension Island, in the middle of the Atlantic.

7. Pacific Blue Marlin – 1,376 lb

Location: Kaaiwi Point, Kona, Hawaii

Date: May 31, 1982

Trolling a kita lute, angler Jay de Beaubien managed to catch this Pacific Blue Marlin in under an hour! Jay’s record nearly fell in 2015, when an angler caught a 1,376 lb Blue Marlin off the very same Hawaiian coast.

6. Atlantic Blue Marlin – 1,402 lb 2 oz

Location: Vitoria, Brazil

Date: February 29, 1992

Fishing off Vitoria, Brazil angler Paulo Amorim caught this grander trolling a Molecraft lure.

5. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – 1,496 lb

Location: Aulds Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Date: October 26, 1979

Nova Scotia is famous for its Bluefin Tuna fishery. Bluefins are much more strictly regulated these days, but regardless, Ken Fraser’s 1979 record still seems almost unbeatable.

4. Black Marlin – 1,560 lb

Location: Cabo Blanco, Peru

Date: August 4, 1953

Angling legend Alfred C. Glassell Jr. caught this enormous Black Marlin way back in 1953, making it one of the longest-standing IGFA World Records to date. This Marlin, along with a number of other fish Glassell caught, comprise a permanent exhibit in the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

3. Greenland Shark – 1,708 lb 9 oz

Location: Trondheimsfjord, Norway.

Date: October 17, 1987

Using a herring as bait, Norwegian angler Terje Nordvedt caught one of the biggest Sharks ever. This was one of the rare times people could see the longest living vertebrae on dry land. These sharks often live longer than 400 years!

2. Tiger Shark -1,785 lb 11 oz

Location: Ulladulla, Australia

Date: March 28, 2004

This record is a little controversial. When Kevin J. Clapson weighed his enormous Tiger shark in 2004, he thought he broke a 40-year-old record. However, since his catch was only 11 ounces heavier than Walter Maxwell’s catch from 1964, the ruling was that the record was tied.

1. White Shark – 2,664 lb

Location: Ceduna, Australia

Date: April 21, 1959

Alfred Dean’s 1959 record is by far the biggest fish ever caught and approved by the IGFA. Great White Sharks are a protected species almost everywhere these days, so it seems that Dean’s record is here to stay.

All of the catches on this list represent incredible feats by some of the best anglers on earth. With today’s conservation-oriented regulations, most of these won’t be broken any time soon. But that’s a not a bad thing – we’ll have more of these incredible creatures roaming the oceans for years to come. Besides, we’ll always have lists like this one to remind us of how impressive these beasts really are.

Your turn. Which of the catches on our list is the most impressive in your mind? Which of these records do you think anglers will break first? Let us know in the comments below.

Learn the steps to make your own venison snack sticks at home on a Traeger grill with this step-by-step tutorial.

This post contains affiliate links for The Bearded Butchers, Amazon, and Traeger, but all opinions and thoughts are my own. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

For many of us living in Wisconsin, deer hunting is a big deal! It’s a chance for hunters to go out into the woods and provide meat for their family for a relatively low cost. This year, our family was lucky enough to have three deer to process, giving us a chance to enjoy some hearty and delicious meals like venison stew. But one of our favorite and most practical ways of processing our venison is in the form of venison snack sticks. This year, we decided to make them ourselves (we’ve made sausage at home before, but not snack sticks), and we were really pleased with how smooth and simple the process went. We hope that you can benefit from this post and can start making your own snack sticks at home too!

Table of Contents

• Tools Needed to Make Venison Snack Sticks on a Traeger Grill
• Ingredients for Venison Snack Sticks
• Steps to Making Venison Snack Sticks on a Traeger Grill
  • Mix Venison and Pork Pieces
  • Grind Meat
  • Add Seasonings
  • Grind Meat Again
  • Stuff Casings
  • Smoke the Snack Sticks
  • Cool Snack Sticks
  • Cut and Package Snack Sticks
  • Store Snack Sticks
• Video of Steps
• Get Your Supplies at The Bearded Butchers
• Save and share this post!
• More meat recipes
• Want to read more about growing, raising, and cooking your own food?

Tools Needed to Make Venison Snack Sticks on a Traeger Grill

• Meat Grinder: We used this meat grinder from Amazon for our small batch processing.
• Sausage Stuffer and Stuffing Horn: We wanted to invest in a sausage stuffer that was going to last us our lifetime, so we got the MEAT! 15 lb. vertical sausage stuffer for our needs. For stuffing the snack sticks, we purchased the 10 mm size stuffing horn.
• Traeger Grill (or Smoker): The Traeger will be used to cook your snack sticks slowly to a safe-to-eat temperature.
• Snack Stick Casings: You can get these in a kit (like we did) from the Bearded Butchers, or order them separately.
• Sharp Knife: These knives are really sharp, which is exactly what you want when you’re at that final stage of cutting the snack sticks. This is also a great knife for cutting the venison too!
• Large Container: You’ll need a food-grade container to hold the ground meat as it is grinding and for mixing in seasonings.
• Meat Thermometer: You’ll use a meat thermometer to continuously check the cooking progress of your snack sticks and to help you know when they’ve finished cooking.
• Wooden Cutting Board

Ingredients for Venison Snack Sticks

• 20 pounds venison:Best harvested from a big buck with a fun story to tell! But not necessary, of course. You’ll want to cut your venison into smaller sized chunks so that it can easily fit through the grinder.
• 5 pounds pork: You can use pork trimmings or pork fat. Venison is a very lean meat, so adding pork fat helps to add flavor and hold the meat together. Again, make sure that this is cut into small sized pieces to fit through your grinder.
• Seasonings and Cure: We used a Cajun snack stick bundle from the Bearded Butchers that we really enjoyed. They have a lot of great seasonings over at the Bearded Butchers to check out and try!

Steps to Making Venison Snack Sticks on a Traeger Grill

Mix Venison and Pork Pieces

In a large tub, combine your venison and pork together so that the meats are mixed equally and are combined nicely for the grinding process, which comes next.

Grind Meat

Grind your venison and pork mixture into a large container. During this first grind of meat, you’ll want to use a coarse grinding plate so that the meat can go through the grinder easily.

Add Seasonings

After your meat has been ground once, mix in the seasonings and cure. You can also buy a smoke flavoring packet to mix in, and you’ll want to do that now during this stage if you are choosing to use that. Make sure that the seasoning covers all of the meat equally. We used our hands to manually mix it in, but you can purchase a meat mixer to do this job if you’d rather.

Grind Meat Again

After seasonings have been well mixed into the meat, grind the meat once again using a finer cutting plate. This is the final grinding stage and prepares the meat to go into the casings.

Stuff Casings

Fill your sausage stuffer, and then slowly push the meat into the casings. Don’t overfill or underfill your casings; simply let it come out of the stuffing horn to fill the entire casing evenly.

Smoke the Snack Sticks

Take your rope of snack sticks and place them on the trays of the Traeger grill without them overlapping. You can use both upper and lower grates of your grill for this smoking process. You will cook the snack sticks slowly, changing temperature as you go. You should cook your snack sticks at these temperatures during these times in the cooking process:

• Hours One and Two: Smoke at 165 degrees
• Hour Three: Raise the temperature to 175 degrees
• Hour Four: Raise the temperature again to 200 degrees. *Your finished snack sticks should reach an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees.

Cool Snack Sticks

Once your snack sticks have reached the 155-160 degree mark, you should remove the snack sticks from the grill and place back into your clean container (be sure you don’t place it back into a container that had raw meat in it as this can potentially cause bacteria to be spread). Mist the snack sticks with cold water to stop the cooking process, then drain. Place the snack sticks in the refrigerator until cooled down completely.

Cut and Package Snack Sticks

The final step is to cut your snack sticks into pieces that will fit into your packaging. We vacuum sealed our snack sticks in quart bags, which allows for about an 8 inch snack stick and fits about 10-12 per package. In total, we got about 200 eight inch snack sticks from this process.

Store Snack Sticks

Store your snack sticks in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

Video of Steps

Watch this short video to get an overview of what each step looks like.

Get Your Supplies at The Bearded Butchers

My husband Dan has been a huge fan of The Bearded Butchers for a long time. To purchase some the great products we used to make our snack sticks, head on over to The Bearded Butcher’s website and shop their store.

The Bearded Butchers often offer great discounts upon arrival to their site, so please check them out!

Save and share this post!

More meat recipes

Smoked Venison Summer Sausage on a Traeger Grill

Want to read more about growing, raising, and cooking your own food?

Check out these posts!

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SUSTAINABLE WAYS TO SPEND LESS ON GROCERIES THAT ANYONE CAN DO

THIS IS WHAT AND HOW MUCH TO PLANT FOR A SELF-SUFFICIENT GARDEN THIS YEAR

TOP 5 TIPS SO YOU CAN COOK FROM SCRATCH WITHOUT A MEAL PLAN

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Thermal scopes are excellent tools that have become game-changers for shooters, especially those who love to hunt.

But since thermals don’t rely on light to work, you might’ve wondered at one point: can you use a thermal scope during the day?

Well, we already know the answer when it comes to using night vision scopes. But with thermal scopes, the extra light isn’t a problem. In fact, not only can you use thermal scopes during the day, but there are many fantastic advantages to doing so!

The Advantages of Using Thermal Scopes During Daylight Hours

There are several good reasons why you might want to consider making your thermal scope your go-to scope.

Day and Night

One of the most significant advantages of using thermal scopes is that you can use the same scope under all conditions. Since thermal scopes pick up heat signatures, the amount of light has no impact on their targeting efficiency.

The only thing that matters is temperature, so unless you’re hunting on an active volcano or an environment where objects trap lots of heat, then a bit of sunshine should have little impact on the quality of the imaging of a high-quality thermal scope such as the ATN ThOR 4. (1)

Improved Target Identification

While night vision scopes have more defined target detail, many hunters prefer using thermal scopes because of their adept target acquisition abilities that reign over obtaining a more detailed “facial recognition” of their targets.

However, that’s been changing. As thermal technology has improved, it’s made target identification much more accurate. And with this accuracy, it’ll allow you to more assuredly protect fellow hunters and friendly creatures such as pets and livestock.

Price

Thermal scopes used to be priced out of the range most hunters are willing to spend on optics. However, in recent years, several more affordable budget options have hit the market with improving quality and performance, such as the ATN Thor LT Ultra Light.

When looking at a thermal scope’s price tag, one thing to remember is the incredible value it can bring to your hunts. Saving time, ammo, and possibly your life and others are factors worth considering before making your decision.

Possible Daytime Uses for Thermal Scopes

Bushes and Brush

One thing that can make hunting less fun is spending hours waiting for a glimpse of your quarry. However, with regular and night vision scopes, your game can often hide behind cover such as thick brush and bushes, and you’ll never see them.

This is where thermal scopes shine brightest. Since these scopes pick up heat signatures, any object trying to hide behind foliage will become instantly visible, allowing you to take shots you would never have been able to take using regular or night vision scopes.

Body parts such as a deer’s antlers, which are filled with blood when growing, will light up like a Christmas tree.

Blood Trails

You’ve probably seen those movies and shows where hunters who are expert trackers do wacky things like tasting dirt and examining broken leaves to find their wounded quarry. In the real world, it’s not that easy, even if your target has left a blood trail.

Animals like deer are very durable, and unless you score a headshot or shot to the heart, they can run for miles in many different directions, making it tough to keep on their trail. However, with thermal scopes, you can pick up fresh blood trails much faster and catch sight of your quarry before it escapes.

Cold-Blooded Creatures

One disadvantage thermal scopes have is that they do not pick up cold-blooded creatures nearly as well. However, with most thermal scopes, you should still be able to make out their outline, which, all things considered, is better than what you would get with unpowered optics or night vision.

Better Scouting

Scouting isn’t just crucial for locating the game and identifying possible threats. Thermal scopes are great tools anyone who enjoys the outdoors should have on them, especially in areas with dangerous wildlife such as bears and mountain lions (or anywhere in Australia).

It’s also well-known that certain predators, such as polar bears, have been known to stalk humans, surprising them in ambush attacks. One can only imagine how many hunters could have been saved from tragedy with this technology. (2)

When Do You Use Thermal Optics?

If you’re curious as to exactly all of the times thermal optics are a good option, check out our article on when do you use thermal optics. We cover exactly when, where and how to use thermal scopes property.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does sunlight damage thermal scopes?

No, sunlight does not damage thermal scopes. A thermal scope isn’t light-sensitive since it only reads thermal energy, which isn’t visible on the light spectrum. So you can freely use your thermal scope during the day the same as you would at night without concern.

References

1. Outdoor Life, Four Reasons to Own a Thermal Vision Scope, retrieved from https://www.outdoorlife.com/reasons-to-own-thermal-vision-scope/
2. Business Insider, A Retired Navy SEAL Explains How to Survive A Bear Attack, retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/clint-emerson-navy-seal-survive-bear-attack-2016-12

Diamond Archery has some really popular bows in their line-up, and the two that are most often compared are probably the Diamond Infinite Edge (their most popular model), and the Diamond Edge SB-1 (the model that came right after it).

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In this post, we’ll take a close look at these two bows, how they compare, and which might be the right option for you.

Let’s Compare the Stats…

This is a good place to start. Both bows are made for recreational shooting and bowhunting, but there are plenty of differences to look at. We’ll ping-pong back and forth between bows, and we’ll start off looking at the…

Draw Length:

Infinite Edge: 13 to 31 Inches. The Infinite Edge is Diamond’s go-to “mass market” bow, and when they designed it, they wanted it to be usable by as many people as possible. That range in draw length is good for everyone to very young archers, all the way up to very tall archers (the draw length of 31 inches can fit someone who’s up to about 6-and-a-half feet tall).

SB-1: 15 to 30 inches. The SB-1 has a shorter draw length range (but still pretty large, in the grand scheme of things). That draw length of 30 inches is suitable for folks up to 6-foot-3-inches tall, and if you’re taller than that, the Infinite Edge comes out on top.

Verdict: For most people, this would be a tie. The Infinite Edge is probably a better pick for very young archers, and for folks taller than 6-foot-3-inches.

Draw Weight:

Infinite Edge: 5 to 70 Pounds. This is, at present, the largest draw weight range on a Diamond bow. 5 to 70 pounds should be suitable for just about anyone, but keep in mind that…

SB-1: 7 to 70 Pounds. This ain’t so bad either. Even very small kids should be able to pull 7 pounds (and that’s before we consider the let-off, which we’ll discuss in a second). 70 pounds is pretty high—you can find higher, but that’s up there—and it’s powerful enough to hunt just about all North American large game.

Verdict: A tie, really, but the Infinite Edge has a lower bottom measurement.

Mass Weight:

Infinite Edge: 3.2 Pounds. For a bow in this range, 3.2 pounds is pretty decent, and it’s better than…

SB-1: 3.6 Pounds. This isn’t terrible, but it’s definitely heavier.

Verdict: Infinite Edge gets the prize. That lower mass weight isn’t a big deal if you shoot here and there, but if you engage in hours-long practice sessions, or if you’re a dedicated bowhunter and need to aim for minutes at a time, that lower weight can be important.

Brace Height:

Infinite Edge: 7 Inches. This is a pretty common brace height, and good for hunting bows, because it provides both arrow speed and a liiiiittle forgiveness in your shot. It’s the same as the…

SB-1: 7 Inches. This is one of those measurements that ultimately becomes a matter of preference. 7 inches is reasonable, though, for sure.

Verdict: Tie.

Axle-to-Axle:

Infinite Edge: 31 Inches. Same as the…

SB-1: 31 Inches. What’s fascinating is that these two measurements—the brace height and the axle-to-axle length—make this a very similar bow. And we’ll talk more about that below.

Verdict: Tie.

IBO Speed:

Infinite Edge: 310 FPS. For a mid-range bow like the Infinite Edge, 310 feet-per-second is pretty good, and that’s why we’ve recommended it to new bowhunters. There are bows that will proper arrow with greater speed, but they tend to high-end bows (or crossbows!). 310 FPS is very good. But, obviously, not as good as…

SB-1: 318 FPS. Diamond upped their game with the 318 FPS, and while those 8 feet may not sound like much, the faster you get, the harder it is to increase that measurement. 318 is excellent for a mid-range bow.

Verdict: The SB-1 takes this one, and if you’re bowhunting, those 8 feet per second can make a big difference—game is quick!

Next up in our Diamond Edge SB1 vs the Infinite Edge Pro face-off…

Let-Off:

Infinite Edge: 80%. This is above-average for a bow in this range, and very good for mass-market bow. And that’s why it’s a little surprising that the let-off on the SB-1 is…

SB-1: 80%. We were a little surprised when we found that the SB-1 has a let-off 80%. We thought, because the SB-1 is technically a more advanced bow, the let-off would be greater, but… no.

Verdict: Tie. Don’t get us wrong—80% is still very good, and if you’re going to jack up your draw weight to 50 / 60 / 70 pounds, 80% can provide you with a lot of comfort and ease to aim. But it is surprising that both of these bows have the same let-off.

So it would seem that these two bows are almost identical, right? The specs all seem the same. They even look very similar:

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They’re not the same, though—there are actually some important differences between the two, so now…

Let’s Compare the “Hidden” Features

It really does seem like these two bows have a whole lot in common. Even the features that are different aren’t really *that* much different. So what gives?

We’ve written… goodness gracious, at this point we’ve written hundreds of bow reviews, and we’ve found the following: 1) people get really obsessed with feet-per-second and let-off and other numbers-based details, but they…

2) frequently overlook the “non-spec” aspects of a bow—and that’s a shame, because those “non-spec” aspects of a bow are often the most important things to look at. And that’s the case here.

There are two main differences between these two bows that won’t show up in a spec list. They are:

The Ease of Adjustability

The Diamond Infinite Edge was a great success for Diamond, and because of its incredible adjustability, it was a great option for both beginners and intermediates. You can make the draw weight light, and then increase it as you gain strength, and you could even buy the bow as a younger person and use it as you got older by extending the draw length. The only problem was…

It wasn’t *really* that easy to adjust. It wasn’t! In many cases, people had to bring it to the pro shop to get it adjusted (and we advised many people to do so).

And that’s one of the real advantages of the SB-1: it’s easier to adjust—and designed to be easier to adjust. Diamond made a lot of effort to make adjustability easier, and they even put videos on YouTube to show people how to do it:

So that’s Big Difference #1, and it’s a big one—especially if you’re new to archery, or getting the bow for a younger person.

The second big difference is…

The Cam System

These two bows have very different cam sets, and if you take a close look, you can see the difference: the cams on the SB-1 are more aggressive and ovoid, whereas the cams on the Infinite Edge are a little rounded. Not only does that aggressive shape of the cams on the SB-1 contribute to the higher FPS measurement, but it also makes for a smoother draw cycle.

Cams are designed to do a lot of things—pulling on the bow string to propel the arrow forward being the main one—but they need to reliable, and the Bowtech Synchronized Binary Cam system—which is on the SB-1 but not on the Infinite Edge—is designed for reliability. It’s manufactured to keep the cams moving as mirror images to each other, so that the nock—the part of the bow string that holds your arrow in place—travels forward in as flat a flat trajectory as possible.

So that’s Big Difference #2: the cam system. Another big difference.

The Diamond Edge SB1 vs the Infinite Edge Pro: Our Verdict

Of these two bows, the SB-1 comes out on top—and that’s by design: it’s *supposed* to be the better bow—but honestly, there’s more in common here than not. Here’s how we’d express it:

> Both are great bows, and both are good for recreational shooting and bowhunting by people of all ages. From a performance angle, they’re very similar, and we’ve been pleased with both—but at the end of the day, the draw cycle is a little smoother on the SB-1 because of the Bowtech Synchronized Binary Cam system.

> If you want a bow that you, yourself, can adjust so that it meets your draw weight and draw length specifications, the SB-1 is probably the better bet. It’s easier to tune for beginners, and there are some really helpful guides on YouTube put up by Diamond.

> If you don’t want to fiddle with the bow, and are fine taking it to a pro shop for tuning, the Diamond Infinite Edge will do you just fine. Have the pro shop rep adjust it to your specifications, and go from there. It’s a solid bow, and we’ve used our model for years.

There you have it!

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Good luck, have fun, and happy shooting!

Tooth of the Arrow broadheads have been around for while, but I was intrigued and finally got my hands one so I could test it.

Now, Tooth of the Arrow is certainly a cool name for a broadhead, but the company also has a great perk. They are so confident that you’ll like their broadheads, that they advertise that you can get a free sample.

Now that’s guaranteed satisfaction!

You can jump straight to the testing of the Tooth Of The Arrow heads by clicking the links below:

• Tooth Of The Arrow Vented
• Tooth Of The Arrow Solids

Tooth Of The Arrow Broadheads | An Overview

The Tooth of the Arrow broadhead is a 4-blade head that is similar to a Slick Trick head.

Each of the blades are exactly the same cutting diameter, so it’s a true 4-blade head. It’s a little bit bigger than a Slick Trick Magnum. But, rather than being 1 and 1/8-inch cutting diameter like the Slick Trick Magnum, this is 1 and 3/16 cutting diameter. So, it makes a little bit wider hole.

For the testing, I shot 450-grain Bishop mammoth arrows, using my Bowtech SR6 which is a 27 inches and 72 pounds.

What makes this head unique is that this is machined out of a single chunk of high-carbon steel. So, there are no blades to be replaced. It’s just one solid chunk.

So, as a negative, you can’t just replace the blades and put in new sharp ones. As a positive way, it’s a pretty stout, strong design. And, with it being such high-carbon steel, it’s not too difficult to sharpen. So, it’s intriguing to see this.

I’ve spun these heads and they spin very true. They also fly well for me. I’ve not tested them at super long ranges but they do – well, I think through a well-tuned bow, they should fly well at longer ranges.

I’d heard really good things about the smaller, standard head.

But, I’ll start off by testing the XL, which intrigued me the most because I just like to make a big hole if I can! I was excited to see how it performed.

So let’s see how the Tooth of the Arrow XL did. (Further down I’ll do a head-to-head battle between the XL and the original, so check that out as well!

Vented Penetration Testing

I shot it into my broadhead box where I’ve got four layers of MDF and they’re half inch each, and two of those layers have a rubber foam layer in front to simulate hide and a little bit of soft tissue there in the beginning and the end.

Angled Shot Penetration

Next, I shot it at a 1/2-inch MDF board at a 45-degrree angle to see how it would do through that.

Durability Testing

I shot the Tooth Of The Arrow head into a 22-gauge steel plate to see how it would fare.

Cinder Block Test

The cinder block is the final test that I do with the fixed-blade heads.

I don’t do this test or the steel plate test typically with the mechanical heads, but when you’re using a fixed head, you’re typically doing so because you really want to have some structural integrity and blade strength that’s above and beyond what a mechanical can do.

So, I just like to test the limits. Not many heads hold together after hitting the cinder block. A lot of them take chunks out, but then just kind of bend or fall apart. Very few heads hold together. There have only been a few that have made it. Let’s see how the Tooth of the Arrow did.

I would say this head is amongst the top few in terms of structural integrity that I’ve tested. It’s right up there with theQAD Exodus and the Muzzy Trocar and the Trophy Taker A-TAC.

I think the only ones that may have done better are the Bishop Archery and also the Iron Will.

Man, for the price, the Tooth Of The Arrow XL is one impressive head. I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised. I give it an A+ in all categories.

Comparing the Tooth of the Arrow Original to the XL [Broadhead Battle!]

I wanted to compare the Tooth of the Arrow Original vs the XL version.

Now, I’ve done this in some other instances, like with the Magnus, where I tested the Stinger compared Black Hornet. And in this case, I tested the two models of Tooth of the Arrow broadheads.

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The Tooth of the Arrow broadheads are 100% made in the USA.

I tested these heads for long distance flight (I was able to pop a balloon at 80 yards) and I’m going to test them for edge sharpness and retention, for penetration, and for durability.

Let’s see which one prevails!

These heads have a unique feature about them, in that they keep a lot of the weight within the diameter of the arrow shaft.

Out of the box sharpness comparison

I tested the Tooth of the Arrow broadheads for out-of-the-box sharpness. The purpose is to see if they can still cut paper after a stroke of a carbon arrow shaft. Because both the Original and the XL have the same blades, I only tested one of the heads.

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Penetration comparison

I tested the Tooth of the Arrow Original and the XL for penetration. My medium was ballistic gel that was fronted with a rubber mad and 1/2″ MDF board.

Durability comparison

I shot both heads into a 22-gauge steel plate 5 times to test the durability. Check out the holes these heads made in the steel plate!

The holes themselves are really what sets the Tooth of the Arrow apart. OK. Here you can see the holes from the XL. OK. They are just bit squares. They are not just like four crosses or two crosses, four little slits. They are true squares!

In the steel plate test, there are very heads that are able to punch a chunk out like that. The Exodus does it in a triangular shape. And, as you can see here, the Tooth of the Arrow does it extremely well in a 4-blade shape. So that’s going to be a really difficult hole to close up in an animal.

You can only see on one of the XL blades a little bit of cosmetic marking. I don’t even know if you can pick that up in the picture below. It’s very hard to see.

These heads have extremely impressive durability. Some of the very best that I’ve tested.

Now, I have heard some reports of people shooting them and hitting them into a big heavy bone and one of the blades bending or shearing off. That can happen with any broadhead.

There are all kinds of crazy things that can happen in the field as you hit heavy bone at different angles. But through the steel plate as you can see in the picture below, they faired extremely well.

Cinder Block Test

Let’s look at these heads and see how they did after being shot into the cinder block.

Final Thoughts On The Tooth Of The Arrow Vented Broadheads

So, what do you think of this broadhead battle, the Original versus the XL?

Each of them has their distinct strengths. In terms of overall flight, the Original flies incredibly well. It’s one of the very best flying and forgiving broadheads I’ve ever tested.

In terms of penetration, the Original penetrated much more deeply. But, in terms of hole size, man, the XL really ruled in that department, though both of them really made a nice square hole in the mediums that I shot them through.

And the winner is…

In terms of which one is the winner, really, it’s a toss-up. I have to call it a tie. I hate to do that. But, this really is a draw. It just depends on your personal setup and what you’re hunting.

If you’re going after a really big animal where penetration is the most important thing then man, the Original is the way to go. If you have a lighter setup and you’re concerned about your penetration, then the Original is the way to go.

If you are going after a really long range shot like a pronghorn or something like that that you’re going beyond 60 yards, then the Original is the way to go.

But, if you are going for a shot under 60 yards and you really want to make a nice big hole and you have the kinetic energy to drive it through, (and honestly, it really doesn’t take that much kinetic energy to drive it through), then man, the XL is the way to go. For whitetail and hog shots under 50, 60 yards, I would definitely choose this one.

What I think is the best combination is to have a few of both in your quiver. If a shot is going to be longer, then you pull out the original. If the shot is going to be shorter, use the XL. And that way, you’re ready for any situation, and honestly, any animal as well.

There are several things to consider when choosing a broadhead. These heads have it all. They are fantastic broadheads.

Great job, Tooth of the Arrow!

Tooth Of The Arrow Solid Broadheads Review

Originally, Tooth of the Arrow only made the 100-grain and 125-grain in a vented version.

But they also have a solid, non-vented version in 100-grain and 125-grain.

Interesting Ferrule Design On the Solid Version

So let’s zoom on in here and let’s check out this new Tooth of the Arrows Solids.

What’s interesting in this solid model is that most of the specifications are exactly the same as the vented model.

The overall length is the same, 0.77 inch, making them to my knowledge the shortest single piece for blade steel broadhead that there is, which is just going to aid in flight.

The blades are also the same thickness as the vented model. They are 0.040 inch thick. The blade angle is the same at 45-degree blade angle to maximize the penetration.

And so, the same short profile, the same cut size of 1 inch, and 2 inches of total cut.

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Why A Solid?

So, why come out with a non-vented blade, a solid blade?

Well, many people prefer solid blades over vented blades because they do have some advantages.

One of the advantages is less noise in flight than with vented brodadheads. You have air passing through that hole and it can make whistling or a wheezing sound as it rotates and flies at really high speeds.

So, the solid heads will definitely be quieter.

In addition, a solid can be more durable because there’s not that venting that creates a thin area in the blade that could be more prone to bending or breaking than a solid one. So, that’s the primary reason for doing it.

But, I wondered how it would affect flight and penetration?

In some ways, you might think, “Well, it’s going to fly better, because with these grooves, it’s going to be more aerodynamic in flight.” But, the opposite side of that is, “well, there’s more exposed surface blade than there was in the original, because so much of that blade was covered by the ferrule.”

So, I was curious to see what the flight would be like.

And, same with the penetration. On the one hand, I can say, “well, with this groove, it might penetrate better.”

But, on the other side of that, I go, “well, I’ve noticed that there’s a really thick ferrule. It often opens up a hole for the shaft to just glide through really easily, and those broadheads penetrate more effectively than the ones with a smaller ferrule.”

So, I was really curious to see how all of these things compare.

I tested the 100-grain solid, the 125-grain solid, and for a comparative sake, I compared it to the 125-grain vented.

Initial Sharpess Test Of The Solid

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Penetration Test 1 Of The Solid:

Edge Retention Test: (sharpness after Penetration Test 1) Of Solid

Penetration Test 2 Of Solid: (layered cardboard)

Durability Test Of Solid: (22 gauge steel plate, max 2 shots)

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Durability Test of Solid: (Concrete Block)

Final Thoughts On Tooth Of The Arrow Solid Broadhead

The solid is going to be a little bit quieter in flight than the vented version and I think the blades are going to be a little bit more durable, because they have that extra support.

However, I think maybe the vented models are going to penetrate just a little bit better and you saw that in the testing. And, I think they might be a little bit more forgiving in really long range flight.

But again, that may be all within the margin of error.

There may not be differences at all in those areas because I think all of them, both the vented, the non-vented are really durable. They fly really well and they penetrate really well.