There are multiple arguments about the best coyote ammo, but hunters agree on the need to drop them fast.

The most effective .223 ammo for coyotes is Hornady Superformance Varmint 53 Grain V-MAX (Order it from MidwayUSA here). It combines the highest ballistic coefficient with great accuracy, the highest velocity, and the least damage to the pelt. There are other options for barrels with fast twist rates and that are more affordable.

Barrel twist rate, shot distance, and affordability will dictate your most likely best performers. Take the best options, and find the most accurate one for your rifle. Read on!

The Most Popular .223 Ammo for Coyote Hunting

By far, the most popular choice for varmint and small predator hunting is Hornady’s 53 grain and 55 grain V-MAX bullets. 71 percent of skilled hunters polled preferred this round after first trying multiple other options.

I personally asked over 500 coyote hunters about their favorite .223 round and why they choose it. The two most popular are Hornady’s 55 grain Varmint Express, and Hornady’s Superformance 53 grain. Most agreed that the Superformance is superior, but many opted for the Varmint Express due to price.

Hornady’s Superformance Varmint is the king of popular coyote ammo for the .223. I find it stunning to get this much following behind anything! Here’s what they had to Say:

• The 53-grain V-MAX combines both reliable accuracy and the explosive nature desired for a dedicated lightweight coyote round.
• It’s the best pelt-saving option for the .223.
• It’s a great compromise between velocity and high ballistic coefficient.

The words “explosive” and “dependable” were common descriptions attributed to this round. One hunter told me “I’ll not leave home without it. Real-world, unbiased reports from hunters continue to choose this over any other.

Hornady’s V-MAX bullet is a polymer tipped, copper-jacketed bullet with a swaged lead core. It’s a boattail design (slightly skinnier at the rear) and has a solid, flat but thin base. It also has a higher ballistic coefficient than most, which is the measurement of a straight-shooting bullet.

The Most Accurate .223 Coyote Ammo

Now let’s go over accuracy. You can’t get what you can’t hit. Accuracy is the most important part of the equation.

Hornady is well-known for making highly consistent, precision-made bullets. Their bullets are some of the more preferred for hand loaders requiring the utmost performance in cutting bullseyes and slaying canines. Hornady’s Superformance ammo is loaded under match-grade quality control.

Nosler is also a leading manufacturer of precision ammo. both companies have excellent attention to detail and quality control in the manufacturing process. Either company is an excellent bet for quality ammo.

They are super consistent in brass thickness, case length, seating depth, and powder charge. If the bullets agree with your rifle, more on that next, you can expect well under MOA (about an inch) groupings at 100 yards. That is what skilled shooters expect to find downrange.

The bullets do need to agree with your rifle. Minute differences in the chamber, throat, and barrel of your rifle will tend to favor one specific ammo over others, sometimes for no apparent reason. You need to choose the most likely accurate bullets, then try them and find the best performer for your rifle.

The best options to choose from tend to consistently be Hornady and Nosler, but don’t be afraid to try something else, sometimes that gives surprising results too. Let the rifle tell you what it likes best. Nosler does tend to over-penetrate a bit more, ruining more pelts than Hornady’s ammo.

So, what sort of accuracy do you need to hit a coyote? A rule of thumb is if you can hit a quarter (1 inch) at 100 yards, while seated at a shooting bench, you should do alright in hunting conditions. It’s important to remember that hunting conditions always reduce a shooter’s precision a bit.

The target area on a coyote is roughly the size of a softball. If you can hit a quarter on the bench, you should be able to drop a coyote in the field.

Best .223 Ammo by Barrel Twist Rate

The twist rate largely determines the best weight range of bullets you use. At .223 velocities, there’s little concern about too much twist rate, just be sure to have enough. Here’s approximately what to expect at .223 velocities.

• 1 in 14 twist: bullets under 55 grain
• 1 in 12 twist: bullets up to 55 grain
• 1 in 10 twist: bullets up to 65 grain
• 1 in 9 twist: bullets up to 68 grain
• 1 in 8 twist: bullets up to 70 grain
• 1 in 7 twist: bullets 55 grain and up

If you are looking at more affordable options, use this as a guide. I recommend Hornady Frontier 55 grain Spire Point. It’s a cheap, functional choice. It just tears up the hide a bit more.

Best Coyote Ammo to Save the Hides.

Coyote hides sell for around $20 plus or minus depending on the quality, and the current fur market. If they are torn up from a large exit wound, they are considered unsellable on the market. To “Save the Hide”, you want to make a small entrance hole and no exit.

That’s where lightweight, fast-moving bullets come in. Modern varmint and coyote hunting bullets are designed to quite literally explode reasonable hunting distances. They usually penetrate about 4 inches into a coyote. Not passing through but destroying the chest cavity.

There are lighter bullets with higher velocities, like Hornady’s lead-free 35 grain NTX, but these have lower ballistic coefficients. There is also a number offered in the 40 grain range. They start out blazing fast, with an impressively flat trajectory, but are tossed around by the wind and ineffective past 150 yards.

Best .223 Ammo for Coyotes Past 200 Yards

At 200 yards, things are starting to change for the lighter rounds, under 50 grains. Even if they are still going fast, they give to the wind too much. Heavier bullets in the same caliber tend to be less affected by the wind. That’s where the ballistic coefficient comes into play.

Once again, the general consensus is that the 53 grain Hornady round is the proven top-performer. At 250 yards, it has less wind drift and therefore kills more coyotes than lighter bullets. There is still plenty of killing power left at 250 yards to roll over a coyote and stop it in its tracks.

If you do want to shoot coyotes much further than 250 yards, I’m gonna recommend a different bullet. Something in the 65-80 grain range. Realize that these bullets will buck the wind better, but will not perform like the Hornady V-MAX and will give you pass through.

You will make hits but may not recover the animal. That’s more for damage control; just getting rid of them.

For shots over 250 yards, it’s really best to use either a faster caliber like the 22-250 or a heavier caliber like the .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor to be sure the bullet isn’t blown off course.

• I tested a very, very well equipped 2020 Ram 1500 Rebel pickup truck, an off-road optimized version of the truck that captured our Car of the Year award in 2019.
• My Rebel had a potent 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine that serves up 260 horsepower but an earthshaking 480 pound-feet of torque.
• My tester also featured a menacing, blacked-out exterior package.
• The Ram 1500 is a great pickup, but the diesel Rebel is something special.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Here’s how the sequence usually goes for me when it comes to reviewing full-size pickup trucks. First, I sample the regular gas-powered version, and because I like big pickups, I often end up a happy guy. But then I spend some time with the diesel-engined model, and I forget all about the gas-burner.

Diesel and pickups! Two great tastes that go great together! A beautiful friendship!

Choose your cliché, but the bottom line is that diesel power, for obvious reasons, makes sense for large trucks — especially if you intend to do any sort of serious work, haul heavy loads, or tow more than a modest camper or trailer.

Ram makes a dandy full-size pickup. The Ram 1500 was Business Insider’s 2019 Car of the Year, and it was a vehicle that impressed us mightily when tested on both the East and West Coasts. But the diesel is even better if you can imagine improving on greatness, as I found out when I borrowed the 2020 edition of the pickup, in a handsome “Diamond Black Crystal Pearl-Coat” paint job, for a week over the summer.

Rebel, Rebel … I love you so!

And what a pickup it was! The Base Crew Cab 4×4 was $47,990, but many options — including the “Rebel Level 2” equipment group ($3,000) and a $5,000 diesel motor — brought my as-tested price to $71,305. A tech package that added heated seats and a heated steering wheel also tacked $3,000 on the sticker, and assorted other goodies embellished the Ram by $200 to $500 here and there.

But that’s the usual story full-size pickups, which are best thought of these days as nearly infinitely option-able, yielding some wide price ranges for the manufacturers that sell everything from bare-bones work trucks to luxurious half-tons.

Allow me to explain why I was testing the Ram 1500 in the first place: gardening! We sort of amped- p our summertime gardening game this year and had to make a journey of modest distance to a center in New Jersey that we’d heard about from our gardening underground.

An SUV wasn’t going to cut it; we needed a proper pickup with the proper bed. And as you can see from the photo above, we made good use of it.

The Ram 1500 I tested came with both a tonneau cover, which was easily folded back, and a bed-separator — a great feature that allowed me to divide the box into one area for heavy bags of soil and one for plants. Using the divider to create a spot for the plants close to the cab meant that I could return home at highway speed without worrying about the load shifting, and I didn’t have to employ the Ram 1500’s tie-down points.

The truck also had the useful RamBox “saddlebags,” a pair of lockable storage compartments at the bed’s flanks. I didn’t need them, but the feature does use the interior of the Ram 1500’s body panels to create some additional capacity, where otherwise an owner might be looking at a third-party setup to tote tools or gear.

Trading horsepower for torque, torque, and more torque

The 3.0-liter, turbodiesel V6 makes 260 horsepower but — get this — 480 pound-feet of torque.

That translates into monumental pulling power. The Rebel can tow more than 12,500 pounds, all while putting up some tasty fuel-economy numbers: 21 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway, and 24 combined. (Gas-engined trucks offer a 395-horsepower V8 and a 305-horsepower V6.)

The Ram’s eight-speed automatic handles all of that torque rather gracefully, piping it to the capable four-wheel-drive system. But it doesn’t alter the Rebel diesel’s demeanor, which put me in the mind of a small freight train when I was tooling down the highway.

The truck can go from a standstill to 60 mph in about eight seconds, and when you sum all this up, you see what the Rebel is all about: bold off-roading, an answer to the Ford F-150 Raptor.

The knobby Goodyear tires were a giveaway, but the overall packaging of my Rebel test truck suggested that one could apply the vehicle to a greater variety of tasks than just trail-busting — crammed as it was with infotainment tech, connectivity, premium appointments, and that dashing black paint job.

The blacked-out treatment went further than the paint: the $525 exterior package brought a black grille with black framing, a black Ram badge, and black 18-inch wheels.

As far as off-roading goes, I could point out that black shows dirt, but the Rebel looks so dang cool that I doubt it would stay dirty for long, if ever. This is a pickup that wants to pay frequent visits to the car wash.

Note, however, that there are textured running boards, making getting in and out of the lifted pickup much easier, but also making it possible to scrape mud off your boots before soiling the primo cab.

A high-end interior and a high-end verdict

The all-black exterior theme continues inside the Rebel, with plush front bucket seats and a comfy, capacious rear configuration. A dual-pane sunroof brightens the cabin considerably, but it’s a $1,500 extra.

My test truck was chock full o’ tech, starting with the 8.4-inch central touchscreen running Fiat Chrysler’s underrated Uconnect infotainment system. This setup handles everything from Bluetooth and USB device connectivity to GPS navigation (with USB ports dedicated to charging). I enjoyed the dulcet tones of a 19-speaker Harman-Kardon premium audio system and had Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in reserve.

The Ram 1500 was the best full-size pick we drove, off all the half-tons on the market, in the period from about 2015 until last year, when the new Ram grabbed top prize in our Car of Year competition.

I had no complaints about the gas-engined V8 I tested in 2019, but the diesel V6 was something special. If you aren’t driving fast all the time, you grow to love the succulent surge of torque that an awesome diesel produces, and the visual presentation of the Ram 1500 Rebel intensifies that impression.

Simply put, the Ram 1500 Rebel diesel is addictive to drive and addictive to look at, in a totally badass sort of way. I think it shook up the gardening center on that day I visited — Darth Vader unsettling the ‘burbs.

It’s worth pointing out that although the truck has attitude galore, it also gets the job done. This imitating pickup carried flowers and potting soil home, safely and it style. And that says more about the modern, full-size pickup truck world these days than just about anything else.

Gun safety is no joke. Every year countless injuries could have been avoided if only the individual in charge of the weapon knew the correct procedures vis-a-vis gun control and safe practice. Moreover, with the government constantly sniffing around for any excuse to forcibly remove your constitutionally given right to own and operate firearms, it’s wise to become familiar with the proper techniques when using a weapon to avoid fueling the anti-gun lobby in their almost neverending quest of overreach. This article will examine some fundamental firearm safety rules that all gun owners should follow, whether they are using real, replica, airsoft, or even replica weapons. So without further ado, let’s waste no time and jump right in.

Fail To Treat All Weapons As Loaded And Be Prepared To Reap The Consequences

In order to understand why this initial step is so undeniably vital, just consider the recent tragic case involving Alec Baldwin. The actor and arguably his stunt coordinators committed the cardinal sin of not treating the weapons that were under their care appropriately. As a result, someone tragically lost their life. 

All of this could have been avoided by simply adhering to the most basic rule of gun safety: to treat every firearm as though it were loaded. Even if an unexpected discharge doesn’t result in death, people can get seriously hurt in an accident from either the ammunition itself or even the blowback that occurs when a bullet, dummy, or real leaves the barrel. So instead of being like Alec or the countless others who treat their weapons with gay abandonment, ensure that you are entirely compos mentis when operating your gun and always, always, always consider it loaded until you have performed a weapon-safe technique and are sure the chamber and barrel are clear.

Maintain Trigger Discipline At All Times

As you are probably already aware, the trigger is what makes the gun go bang! This isn’t the case in all cases, and some older firearms are prone to accidental discharge when dropped, etc., but it’s safe to say that a bullet will leave the chamber and fire at whatever the gun is pointed at when the trigger has been pulled. Consequently, trigger discipline, along with other safety techniques, is perhaps one of the first things taught at firing ranges. 

Fortunately, this is also the most straightforward method to follow as it simply means keeping your finger off the trigger until the time that you need to give it a squeeze and unload down range. While you might have seen videos of special operations forces appearing to do otherwise, you are not a special operations forces solder, and when controlling your weapon in civilian life, keeping your finger off the go button until required is what is required of a safe shooter.

Only Ever Point Your Firearm At The Thing You Intend To Shoot At

This advice sort of builds on the previous one about presuming your gun is always loaded. Nonetheless, even if you are sure the chamber is empty, keeping it pointed away from anything you don’t want to shoot is still good practice. This will teach you outstanding safety methods that you will keep with you throughout your shooting life. As with the previous point regarding trigger discipline, it’s an easy technique to master; you just need to ensure you do it every time you take out your weapon in order to create a form of muscle memory. 

Store Your Firearms Locked And Unloaded

Even if you happen to live in a state with relatively lasses-faire laws surrounding gun ownership, it pays to purchase a dedicated gun safe for all of your weapons and their ammo. This serves two additional purposes in addition to keeping your firearms free of dirt and dust. 

1. Whether you want to believe it or not, studies indicate that firearm-related injuries are more likely to occur in the home than outside. Therefore, it makes sense that locking them away from those untrained in their use will make your home safer.
2. Most gun owners don’t simply own one weapon… it’s almost impossible! Moreover, guns and the myriad of accessories you invest in to kit them out cost a lot, as in arguing with the wife kind of money! Most thieves know this, and you really don’t want to come back home to see that you have been the victim of a home invasion and they have absconded with your very expensive, very dangerous weapons. 

When Displaying In Public, Be Considerate Of Other People

It’s fair to say that it’s your right to carry a weapon when in public so long as you have the correct licenses and your state laws allow it. However, you should also be aware that most folks will never have had exposure to real weapons outside of a Hollywood film. Therefore, while it may be your right to open carry, it might be a good idea to be sensible about it to avoid freaking people out and causing unnecessary issues with the police. Of course, it’s up to you if you want to ignore this point, as it isn’t strictly a safety tip. Nonetheless, just think if you really need to carry your heavily modded AR with you when you head out to withdraw money from a bank or if a hip-holstered pistol might suffice.

Invest In The Appropriate Safety Equipment To Protect Your Eyes And Ears

Despite the fact that this article is about staying safe around others, it usually pays to consider your own needs. Think of it as an airplane oxygen mask sort to thing. I.e., you put your own mask on first before helping others. In this case, it means ensuring your eyes and ears are fully protected so that you can continue operating your firearm safely in the event of an occurrence that could render you unable to use the weapon and, therefore, hazardous to those around you (think shrapnel in the eye or being unable to hear orders from the range master, etc.).

Never Allow Children Unhindered And Unsupervised Access To Your Weapons

Do you know what is a good idea? Teaching kids of a certain age how to operate a firearm safely and ensuring they understand just how deadly they can be in the wrong hands. Do you know what isn’t a good idea? Giving them free rein to handle and shoot a deadly weapon without the correct supervision. So, by all means, teach your kids how to shoot, but never leave them alone with it and lock it away in your home when not in use.

Firearm safety really isn’t rocket science. As long as you adhere to a few fundamental, common-sense techniques, you will ensure that you and those around you are free from danger and that you can enjoy and use your firearms as they’re intended.

www.remiwarren.com

In our opinion there are few things as inspiring as the stories of those willing to take the path less traveled. The history books are full of examples of explorers, prospectors, pioneers, and mountain men that chose to lead a different life. But in a modern world increasingly living a digital reality, and many of us neck deep in the rat race, these stories are becoming less and less common. The outdoors industry, by nature, attracts a relatively high proportion of men and women that have charted a less than common course through life. One that doesn’t necessarily follow today’s conventional definition of “normal”. But then there are those that take this to a whole new level, that somehow manage to keep one foot in the digital age, while truly blazing trails across a variety of mediums with an incurable desire to push their limits and question what’s possible. They may use modern technology to tell their stories in print, film or online but their spirit is as “pioneering” as that of the first human’s to cross the Bering Land Bridge. These outliers live on the fringes of their industries, unwilling to accept the status quo, and coast through their day to day lives.

Remi Warren is without question one of these outliers. From guiding and outfitting hunters in the mountains of the West to print, photography, TV and film projects, Remi has amassed a resume that most people would dream of. All before the age of 30.

Well known for his role in the award winning Solo Hunter TV show, his latest project Apex Predator, is not to be missed. One part Animal Planet, one part hunting show and one part human performance experiment it is without question one of the most unique concepts to hit ANY media scene in recent memory. We caught up with Remi in one of his rare down times between hunts and his various projects, so read on for one of the more inspiring interviews we’ve published to date. We cover everything from filming, to New Zealand, and hunting like a wolf so this installment of Blazing Trail is about as eclectic as it gets. Enjoy! Remi, you’ve had and continue to have a diversified career in hunting and outdoors media: guide, outfitter, writer, TV personality and now producer of your own show Apex Predator. How did it all start?

I really just started out guiding. Outdoor, TV and all this stuff was something that I always wanted to do and my thought starting out was I’d get into it by guiding. After high school I went up to Montana where I’d grown up hunting with my grandpa and took the Spring and Summer semesters off in college. So I had about six months to guide and work and I really had no plan; I just packed up my truck and headed to Montana. I figured if I had no other choice but to figure it out, I’d figure it out. I was there hunting a lot and didn’t have a job and kind of living in a tent, and because I was hunting so much, I ran into a guide who was working in the same area.

I was actually stalking a deer and these guys kind of messed up my stalk so I talked with them for a little bit and the next day I was on this group of elk in a completely different area and some guys came up behind me but I was way in front of them, so I’d kind of “claimed” the herd in terms of hunting etiquette. They said hey, didn’t we see you yesterday? I said yeah. And then they said wait, were you here two days ago? I again said yeah. So three days in a row I was in the same place as these guys and the guide asks if I was interested in talking to the outfitter about working for them. So I agreed to talk to the outfitter and the outfitter says hey instead of working against me, do you want to work for me? And that’s how I got started guiding!

That sure worked out in your favour!

Yeah, exactly. But when you’re out there, when you give yourself no other option and trust that you’re going to figure it out things will work out, that’s my philosophy. On the writing side of things, I’ve always enjoyed writing so I honestly just started writing. I worked for a small publication in Montana for a while called Real Hunting. It’s no longer around but I got hooked up with them, by again running into the owner out in the hills. I was guiding and I used to keep this photo album, both of the stuff I’d shot and scenery and client photos as well, in my truck for when I pick up clients to give them something to thumb through and get excited about.

So I was just talking to this guy and he asked me some questions and so I showed him this photo album and he was impressed with the photos. I mentioned that I did some writing and that was pretty much it. I started working with them but quickly kind of ended up being the main editor and did essentially everything for the magazine from graphic design to laying out stories to writing about half the content. That probably gave me years worth of magazine experience in a pretty short period of time. It was a lot of hard work and not a lot of pay but it was worth it because I was building a resume and by that point, I was 22 years old and had a repertoire of running a magazine and hundreds of articles and stuff that nobody else my age had. I really just dove headfirst into the industry, but my philosophy is just work hard and don’t ask for anything and that’s worked so far.

A lot of people ask what’s the easiest way to have a hunting TV show and I used to absolutely hate that question because I don’t know the easiest way. I did it my way and my way wasn’t easy! The easy way usually doesn’t get you where you’re going or where you’re wanting to go. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people see all the shows and see how affordable filming equipment is and think it is easy but it’s obviously not. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t just dive in and bank on the fact that you’ll adapt and figure it out if that’s what you really want to do.

Yeah. Exactly. I think that’s my big thing, if you commit to doing it, you’re going to do it. It’s not that hard but it’s really hard for people to commit to something that’s scary or unknown. Nobody is going to give you anything, you’ve just got to realize that and go and work hard. Don’t ask for anything and prove that you can do it and people will start giving you what you need. For me, that’s how it worked out. It involves a lot of work for not much initially but for me, I didn’t care. I was doing what I loved. And that’s why I was a guide and then outfitter so I could make my own living and not have to rely on something else working out.

So from running that publication or doing the bulk of the work for that publication, when did you actually make the jump into your other projects? Obviously you now have the outfitting business and then on the writing side you write for Western Elk Hunter and more recently you branched into Solo Hunter and now Apex Predator. We’d probably need the entire interview to tell the story behind all of that, but what’s the brief timeline?

I was just finishing up college and it ended up that the guy who bought the outfitting business from my grandpa back in 1980 called me up as he knew that I was looking to stop guiding for another outfitter, that I wanted to go out on my own. I was planning on actually trying to buy out the guy that I worked for but one of the other outfitters in the area called me up and said I’ll sell you my business for what I bought it for in 1980. That sounded pretty good so it ended up that in the year I graduated college I bought the outfitting business and getting my own Forest Service permit, etc. for the area. I was about 22 at the time and so I’d been guiding, now had my own outfit and then at the same time, I was really working hard on the magazine in the off season. The magazine was pretty much what I did for the bulk of the off season and then in the Fall I guided. So this all led into just buying some cameras and I honestly just started filming my hunts. I’ve actually filmed my hunts since I was probably 15 years old, so I filmed my own hunts, I filmed clients’ hunts and I filmed pretty much everything I could, I just loved filming things. I just filmed and filmed and filmed for years. I wasn’t even sure I was ever going to do anything with the footage but I saw it more as practice. One day I wanted to have a TV show so, in my mind, I was just practising for that day. I couldn’t even tell you how many hours of footage I had but it was a lot!

Then one day, I saw something online, I don’t even know where it was, probably on YouTube, called Solo Hunters. By this point I rarely if ever watched TV so it was the first I’d heard of it and I thought it was a really cool show concept. So I called them up and told them I had a lot of footage and listed off some of the better hunts and footage that I’d taken. The guy that owned and ran the show ended up living not very far from where I live. We were about four miles apart!

I assume you mean Tim Burnett?

Yep. So he suggested that we meet up and he asked if I really had all the footage I said I did. I told him of course I did so he asked me to bring it to his office one day and when I did he was like holy smokes! He was looking for some additional content at the time and I was literally thrown into the show. But I’d filmed for no other purpose other than the practice film. I wasn’t trying to make an “audition” tape or anything like that. Obviously the footage wasn’t as good as when I now go out with the intent of filming for Solo Hunters, I was just filming for YouTube clips really. But we used it for the show and I kept filming and kept pushing myself to make it better and better and over time, it kind of morphed into the Solo Hunter episodes that you see today.

Ok, let’s jump into your most recent project: Apex Predator. For the record, what an awesome show, really such a cool concept. For our readers that haven’t seen it the wolf pack episode is literally must watch TV for the outdoorsman or woman.

Thank you very much. It’s a tactic that my brother and I wondered about for a while now. And as you saw in that episode, it definitely works. It’s not for everyone obviously but goes to show that humans are pretty crazy hunters in their own respects. The human body is capable of a lot more than we give it credit for most of the time. We just don’t realize it when we’re stuck in our own little worlds. But when you go out there and try something a little bit different, something that maybe isn’t mainstream or something people think about as a valid technique and it turns out to be successful that’s pretty cool. Especially when it’s modelled after a highly adapted and successful predator that we as humans assume we can’t compete with. If you look at some of the anthropological data that’s emerged from the barefoot running movement in the past few years, the prevailing theory is that’s how we initially hunted, by running animals down, literally to the point of exhaustion. Combined with our brains, our physical attributes make for a pretty lethal combo.

Yeah, exactly. That’s the thing too. We can run a lot smarter. Elk can run fast but we can run smart. So in that particular episode it worked because the elk ran down below the road for a few miles before cutting back uphill to use their planned escape route. We instead ran up to the road and used the road to cut across and headed them off, we ran a fraction of what it did and exerted half the energy by just thinking a little bit.

So what was the inspiration behind Apex Predator?

The show is inspired by nature and my fascination with the natural world, plain and simple. I was out hunting in an area where I hunt all the time and I was walking up the ridge and noticed some wolf tracks. It’s a certain route that I follow and have figured out over the years that it was the best way to approach this one great elk spot due to how the wind typically behaved, the terrain, the cover, and everything else. So I noticed on this one particular day in the snow, that there are wolf tracks and the wolf tracks are following the exact same route that I am, literally to the tee and it’s not the most natural or easy route. It’s not like following a corridor, it’s following a ridge at then at one point it ducks off the ridge and goes into this thicket of trees and then it comes back up and then drops back down into this other valley and it comes back up to this other meadow. So I stop and I think about it and that wolf knows exactly what I know. It’s amazing! We were both hunting these elk the exact same way!

And I think a lot of us wonder am I hunting this animal right? So when you’re out there and have this sort of scenario, here is an animal that hunts day in, day out and they do they’re doing the exact same thing that I’m doing? I must be doing something right! It knows what I know and vice versa and that was a pretty cool experience. In another instance, actually the first time I saw a live wolf, I was out elk hunting with my bow and I this wolf pops up right in front of me, and this is before we ever really saw them in our area, so I was pretty excited about it. It was only about 40 – 50 yards away so I got my camera out and filmed it a little bit and then got back to hunting. I was hunting this pretty big elk and drew up back around the ridge I knew they were on and started to put a stalk in on this herd of elk. But before I get close – I’m about one ridge away – the wolf runs up from the bottom at the side and starts chasing them. At this point I figure well, my stalk’s already over, so I might as well try to cut them off as I had a feeling I knew where they were going.

With the wolf chasing them the elk headed up and I knew the better route so I started sprinting up the hill. I could see them most of the way. Their tongues were hanging out. It was a hot day. I was drinking water out of my hydration bladder as I was running and they were just beat and I ran right up and stood behind a big ponderosa tree and these elk were walking by pretty much close enough to touch. I snapped a few pictures with my camera and the bulls never came out. A couple of smaller bulls did but the bigger bulls didn’t and my assumption was that their antlers were so heavy that they had to turn and cut away from the herd before the younger bulls and cows did which I later saw (the bulls) down the ridge.

But it was eye opening! It showed that it’s actually possible to keep up with elk in steep terrain. I’d always heard growing up, “well if an elk runs away, they’ll go for ten miles.” And that’s just not necessarily true. But those things you grow up with are in your head and I was just like, wow. From that moment everything I’d ever known about hunting was in question. I decided I just needed to experience it for myself and find out what is true and what’s not. That was a real eye-opener. I looked at it as, that’s how the wolf would hunt and for us to be able to do that same thing, that’s pretty crazy. I thought what other animal could we emulate or learn from? So those ideas had been in my mind for a long time and I thought about the show for a really long time and thought about the other animals out there that we as humans might have similarities to or are so specialized in one task or skill that we could learn from? Or maybe we can’t do it all but it’s something that we need to learn and so that’s where Apex Predator came from. Awesome! That was going to be one of my questions: how did you go about picking the various species that you ended up deciding on for each episode. It’s such an interesting mix and a truly unique concept. Even if someone isn’t that into hunting, there is some very cool stuff in the series. For instance, the free diving training you went through was incredible. To be able to learn to hold your breath that long is impressive and most people would say there is no feasible way the human body can do that. But as you found out, that’s just not true.

Yeah. Exactly. I think almost everyone can do exactly what I did. One of the things I wanted to do with the show was show others that we can do a lot more than we think. I’m not necessarily anyone special. I’m in good shape and I have certain genetic capabilities and qualities and accumulate a lot of training time because I’ve spent so much time in the field, I’d say the better part of my adult life. So I have a few things stacked in my favour but when it comes to stuff like holding the breath, I have no experience and any single person out there can do exactly what I did in that episode.

All of our bodies are designed naturally to handle much longer under water than we think. It’s just whether you can get past the mental threshold or barrier. So I think that’s one of those things I would have never understood. I would have heard about it and probably thought it was cool but until I tried it I wouldn’t have really understood it. I learn through experience. I’m not stubborn but I don’t necessarily take things entirely at face value. I try to take good advice when it’s given but I also need to learn things on my own sometimes and this is one of those things. For me it’s always been better to learn through experience and I think by showing the experience through the show, people will get a better appreciation for what is in fact possible and gain a better understanding of the concepts. I love to learn new things and so any time I can learn something new myself or share some kind of learning, I think that’s pretty awesome.

That is the power of video. Our publication obviously is written content only and for the most part, long form written content which has been well received but ultimately, when people SEE it, like you said, it’s a whole other game. It’s one of the most unique “hunting” shows – it’s a biological case study.

Exactly! A human biology case study through the lens of our abilities as hunters. To me that is the human story and a lot of people don’t grasp that. To hunters that’s not necessarily news. I think a lot of hunters probably don’t have as deep of an appreciation for that aspect of hunting but, in particular, the non hunters or of course the anti-hunters don’t see it as a natural human activity which of course is the farthest thing from the truth.

Yeah, and that’s another reason I wanted to do it. It opens it up to a broader spectrum of people and it’s not that I’m trying to cater to people who don’t hunt, but I’m just showing people who don’t hunt and people who do hunt that we’re not that much different from many of the animals out there. To be honest, I learned a lot from the animals we covered in the show and I use techniques that we (humans) learned from animals a long time ago, every day. Whether you’re sitting in a tree stand hunting deer or crouching in a ground blind, these are tactics adopted from animals.

Or in the buffalo episode, where we looked at the Plains Indians and how they figured out the relationship between the wolves and the bison. With humans, if the bison run they’re safe, as at that time our weapons were pretty primitive and we needed to get close. But with the wolves, they kill by chasing. A wolf would not attack a standing bison because they just aren’t strong enough. So they need to get them to panic and run and then they can catch them. So the bison wouldn’t run where possible when wolves approached but would when a bipedal human did. So the Plains Indians developed a technique, later made famous in a classic Western painting, where they would wear wolf skins and crawl within shooting distance of the bison herd. And again, as we show in the episode, it’s a tactic that works.

It just speaks to the power of the adaptive human mind and body. I think that’s one of the things you covered really well in Apex Predator, the mental aspects of it. The ability to do it physically still boils down to the mental aptitude and willingness to just go out and try it.

Absolutely, you have to be willing to try new things and fail sometimes if you want to learn. You seem to have a definite affinity for the wolf and I couldn’t agree more, for me the wolf is one of the most fascinating animals on the planet. But the wolf issue is very different in Canada than it is in the US given the history of their near eradication and then the ill-planned re-introduction. What is your take on the wolf situation in the West? You guide and outfit in Montana and there are many people that call the West home who believe that the whole “smoke a pack a day” approach is the most appropriate response. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you don’t agree with that?

As hunters, we get all up in tiffs about the anti hunters and non hunters being so emotional but then on the wolf issue the same emotional reaction is happening with hunters as well. When we go that route, we lose all of our bargaining power, all of our credibility. We really lose everything that we stand for and that really bugs me because if we’re going to stick to a model (the North American Wildlife Model), then we need to stick to that model.

Sometimes that model doesn’t necessarily go with what we personally and emotionally feel. But if we start managing animals based on emotions and not science, then what are we doing? We’re no different than everybody that’s against hunting because the only argument they have is an emotional one. We can’t “cherry pick” our stance and handle things emotionally for one situation and then when it’s in our favour, fall back on the science and conservation based approach and say this is what we stand for. I think we stay a lot more credible if we just pick our management strategy and go with it. So I think the predators need to be managed, and I think the non-predators need to be managed but we need to stay aligned with the model we know is the right model and not get caught up in these emotional arguments. It really hurts our cause.

I couldn’t agree more. Eradication is no different than outright protection. Those are logically identical mindsets and emotionally identical mindsets, and as hunters our number one counterpoint to the anti-hunting groups is the scientific, rational, unemotional benefits of hunting, which we know to be irrefutable. There is no debate on the balance of science and logic, we win. We win every time. But when we get drawn into these emotional battles, as you said, it ruins our credibility.

Yeah, exactly. When did you start outfitting in New Zealand?

I started going over there… I don’t even know now… about five years ago probably.

So, being a guy who has outfitted in New Zealand now for a number of years, for somebody who is looking at New Zealand as maybe their first international hunt because it is quite a popular spot it seems these days, do you think DIY is a realistic way to go for your first hunt, or do you think that’s biting off a little more than they can chew?

It’s definitely biting off more than they can chew and that’s just my honest opinion. But it does depend where you’re from and what your experience is. I’m just going to be blunt about it. If all you’ve ever hunted is deer from a tree stand, you’re not ready. You won’t handle it and you’ll probably die. It’s serious stuff in NZ.

Let’s say we’re talking about a Rocky Mountain US or an Alberta, BC, or Alaska resident who’s hunted sheep, goats or high country elk and mule deer?

I think that if you have a lot of mountain goat and sheep hunting experience, you’ll be fine. I know a lot of guys who have a lot of experience but it’s a lot harder to hunt than anywhere else I’ve ever hunted, physically, and I think the problem is there are shortcuts with the helicopters. So you see all these people, say on TV or in magazines, who probably shouldn’t be in those kinds of mountains shooting animals and you assume that it’s easy. And the assumption that it’s easy is what gets people in trouble.

I think if you have experience you’d be fine but if you don’t have that true mountain hunting experience, on a level of skill from one to ten, NZ is a ten! It depends where you go too. I hunt areas that are really hard to hunt and it’s where I like to hunt but it’s dangerous and it’s hard but those are the areas that I like. The mountains are steep and they’re big and sometimes the weather can be pretty bad with floods and even simple access is tough. If you don’t have experience it’s not for you – you probably shouldn’t try it on your own – but if you’ve been hunting a lot and if you’re smart and you realize that it is going to be difficult and you come prepared, then it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s really on an individual basis so I can’t really say one way or the other but I will say if you don’t have any true mountain hunting experience, it’s probably not a place to start off with or, it wouldn’t be something that I’d go out and do by myself. Great input. Let’s move on to some filming questions. There a lot of people these days really into self-filming and documenting their hunts and adventures, whether it’s with a GoPro or other products, but it’s not as easy as it looks. What are some tips, say three to five tips for people that want to go out and film their hunt and get more experience with that side of things?

The most important thing is get a camera you’re not afraid of thrashing. Everybody always asks about the most expensive camera. My feeling is, only get a camera that you’re comfortable having out 100% of the time. If it’s in your pack, you aren’t going to use it. I’ve gone through that – it needs to be accessible. Some people worry it’s an expensive camera and just keep it in their pack. That’s the worst place. If you have a camera and you keep it in your pack, you might as well leave it at home. So have your camera at ready, that’s number one. The most important thing is you can’t share anything you don’t film. Don’t forget to hit the record button, I’ve done that I don’t know how many times. Just be familiar with your gear because a lot of times, things happen in the moment. Something will always go wrong at crunch time like a battery dying. If you’re really familiar with your camera and use it all the time, you’ll know all the settings, every function. People just grab them and flip them open and know how to record and that’s it but things can go wrong. You should know how to quickly fix things not necessarily mechanically but operationally. Those are pretty much the main tips. Oh, and always bring extra batteries!

I think the ‘be familiar’ tip is really good one because. I’ve only taken my GoPro on a couple of hunts and you’re spot on, number one it was in my pack and I didn’t bother using it 90% of the time but then when I did take it out I wasn’t familiar enough with its functions to capture all the things I wanted to capture!

Exactly. A good way to look at it is take the camera out on as many non-hunting outings as possible. I would just go out and every time I shot my bow, I’d film because setting up a camera with a tripod fast, especially with bow hunting, is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. So I’d practice the camera part (setting it up, getting it ready) outside of hunting situations.

I used to shoot a lot of big mule deer and since I started self-filming, I’ve shot maybe one or two big mule deer because it’s just that hard. I actually didn’t really rifle hunt very much until I started doing Solo Hunters because the challenge is now the filming. When you’re crawling in close and it’s difficult to do so the more you practise with it in a controlled environment you’ll learn the easy things that make it even easier.

Of course, makes sense. Every hunt you go on, film your friends. I’ll bet if I put all my videos that I had just on one timeline and let it play, it would probably play for a year straight without stopping.

Wow! That’s a lot of film.

I’ve had that much time behind the camera and just over the years, it’s just filming, filming and filming. Maybe not that much, that’s probably an exaggeration but I don’t even know how much footage I have or had or erased. Quite a bit but it feels like I’ve got so much footage I could never even comb through it all.

Exaggeration or not, the bottom line is the point you’re making is you have practised a lot. Non-stop, every chance you get. If that’s something you actually want to go after then get out there and practise.

Yep, exactly. Even on my off days, I’ll go film… I’ll just film some random thing. I’m on the road all the time but I meet up with a friend who is a photographer and we’ll go out and take pictures or videos of even non-hunting stuff. Just film whatever. Practise wherever you can.

I think that brings up a good point too. Hunting seasons are only so long and if you only film when you’re hunting then you’ll be figuring out the filming half the time if not 75-80% of the time as opposed to getting good footage or at least getting the practice in whether it’s fishing or hiking or trail running or climbing. Just get out there and do it.

The other thing too with filming is, the way I am, you have to have a goal. If your goal is to film a hunt, then that’s your goal. You pass up opportunities that are not going to be filmed. It has to be your number one priority, and it’s very hard for people to do that and so that’s another reason it’s so hard to capture great footage. They want to get into filming but then a big buck walks out and they shoot it. If you really want to get into filming, then that is your most important goal and that’s really hard to commit to but once you commit to it, then you get things on film. Great insight, OK last few questions. For someone going on their first international hunt, what would you say is the best bang for their buck? What’s the best mountain hunt out there outside of North America?

Definitely New Zealand. It’s just accessible and there is a lot of opportunity. If you’re English speaking it makes it nice. Compared to other places in the world, it doesn’t have the cultural troubles or political troubles. It’s got wild species, wild places. It’s a pretty cool place.

You’ve got a lot of good footage from there so it seems like a hell of a place to go and hunt if you’re into that style of hunting.

As always, let’s finish with some rapid fire questions. You’ve been to a lot of places – so you can answer this question in one of two ways – what’s your bucket list hunt or what’s one you have done and you would give anything to do again?

I want to hunt Stone sheep in BC and I want to hunt ibex in one of the “stans”.

What’s the toughest or most satisfying hunt you’ve been on?

The most satisfying for me is big mule deer with a bow. The challenge is a big part of it and for me it’s just one of those animals that I really get into. I think it’s pretty challenging to get a really big, high country mule deer with a bow. So that’s one of them for me for sure, and then I’d probably say tahr in New Zealand. I’ve got a lot of respect for those animals and that hunt. I like the country you find them in and it’s a truly fun hunt.

You’re known for being willing to eat just about anything. What’s the gnarliest game animal or species you’ve ever gone out on a limb and tried?

I’ve got to think about that. There is something and I always forget what it is. I was thinking about it the other day, I had something that was really bad. It wasn’t the coyote you ate on Meateater with Steven Rinella was it?

The coyote wasn’t bad while we were eating it but it’s not necessarily something I want to keep eating all the time. McDonald’s is probably the worst thing I’ve eaten in a long time. There is actually a lot of times that I’ve been on the road and pulled off and got something at a rest stop and thought, I would rather eat coyote.

The pink slime, Slim Jim type of stuff?

Yeah. Those processed, mystery meat products are just disgusting, I would definitely rather eat coyote than a lot of that stuff.

And last one, as a longstanding writer, what are some key book recommendations? These don’t have to be ‘how to’ books, they can just be really good historical accounts but what are some really good books that you have loved, or gifted that’s from the hunting or outdoor-adventure realm?

One of my all-time favourites is Peter Capstick’s Death in the Long Grass. I’ve probably read that book about a hundred times. I did it for every book report in school growing up. I’ve read all of his books and that made me want to go to Africa so when I turned 18, that’s what I did, I went to Africa. I just really like those kind of stories. When I was growing up, I read Cameron Hanes’ bowhunting books and was really into those as well. I really enjoyed his books and they really helped me formulate my plans for the kind of hunting I was into. I basically read his Bowhunting Trophy Blacktail book and was like, “I’m going black tail hunting!” He put some really great stuff in all his books. Those would be my top recommendations.

From the Editors:

Apex Predator is one of the most unique “hunting” shows to hit the air in a long time. Remi’s insatiable curiosity, and obvious respect for the animals he’s studying is rivaled only by his willingness to dive in and get dirty in his attempt to learn from and mimic some of the world’s top predators. If you have even a passing interest in animal biology and human potential, it is literally must watch TV.

To learn more about Remi and his various projects or to download episodes of Apex Predator go to either www.remiwarren.com or www.apexpredator.tv for episode listings and more info.

(Last Updated On: October 5, 2024)

When you are making sausages at home, the type of fat you want to use depends sometimes on the type of fat you can get.

The big assumption is that all fat is the same – but it is not quite like that.

When making sausages it’s either fresh sausage, smoked/cooked (hot smoked) sausage, or a type of dry-cured salami sausage; I love making all of them, that is why I started this website eatcuredmeat.

I want to elaborate on the best techniques I’ve discovered over the years to make my sausage with fat.

All pork fat is not the same, because it depends what part of the pig it comes from.

Important factors are also how hard the fat is and what melting point it has.

Pure back fat is the best choice, Boston butt or shoulder fat is an alternative depending on the ratio of meat to fat. Often this ratio is 20-25% fat in Boston butt or shoulder which is suitable for sausage making.

Different Types of Pork Fat for Sausage

Hard Pork Fat

My resources for back-fat to make sausages or salami are a commercial bacon company and also a good local butcher.

About 15 years ago, when I started sausage making, I could get pork fat for free from any butcher. The challenge nowadays is, that many butchers don’t cut up animals anymore – they are retailers sometimes.

Their meats/sausages arrive in boxes already processed at a central meat works and they will then just displayed and sold.

I was super lucky to come across a pig’s head for sale the other day. To take the jowl off was quite straightforward. First I wanted to use it for sausages, but I decided to make a dry-cured Guanciale (Italian cured meat) from each one, they say it’s like pancetta but different.

It was quite a firm piece of pork and the first one I extracted from a pig’s head. It was interesting to see the texture and the interconnective fat that was embedded into the meat.

It was actually similar to the marbled fat of a Boston pork cut from the upper shoulder (it depends, of course, on the age of the pig).

As you can imagine, this part of the animal’s head gets a lot of muscle movement from chewing. So, this meat was incredibly firm compared to all the other cuts of pork I use.

Shoulder or Boston butt carries marbling fat throughout the meat rather than white fat and meat separated (if you get a whole shoulder you do get bands of this as well). That is why it’s popular for low & slow bbq smoking/cooking because the embedded fat will melt and moisten the meat when it’s cooked in the butt.

When making sausages you can see the meat or fat you’ll be grinding, and whether it has more or less fat than the meat – to figure out your ratio (more on this below).

I am not talking about the different types of fresh sausages, that are emulsified or processed for a more generic texture such as hot dog or baloney.

Soft Pork Fat

Pork belly can still work for making sausages – it’s only an issue if you don’t keep it at or near freezing point temperature.

If you’re just learning about sausages, this is definitely one of the key points to remember: Always have your meat and fat at near near-freezing point.

With the mechanical process of mincing or grinding meat, the movement will create heat, and the heat can smear/mix the meat and fat together, which is not ideal when making sausages.

Unless your target is an emulsified, more generic consistency.

I’ve used pork belly for making fresh sausages and salami without an issue, but I’ve also been very careful keeping things around freezing point.

That’s why we use sometimes a large 1 (hp) horsepower meat grinder. We place the attachment and auger in the freezer, so when the grinding starts, everything is kept a little bit cooler. Can do this also with the 1/2 hp grinder below.

What is the Best Fat to Meat Ratio for Sausage

A 20% minimum fat-to-meat ratio is required for making most types of sausage. The maximum allowed fat in certain commercial sausages is 50%. 25-30% is ideal for many sausage recipes.

If you don’t have enough fat in sausages, it’s a waste of all the effort. The dryness makes the whole sausage nearly inedible.

Trust me I’ve been there and done that – this is not a nice outcome.

Recently I tried to reproduce the 700-year-old Bavarian Nuremberg bratwurst sausage, which you can enjoy in restaurants and also as street food around Nuremberg, Germany.

Looking through many recipes for this, I decided on 40% of pork fat. This is a very delicious sausage that literally melts in your mouth! (LOTS of marjoram, white pepper, allspice)

I’ve also found it’s quite hard to judge pork belly in terms of the fat-to-meat ratio. It just depends on how fatty the pig is and what age. Often older pigs = more fat!

Generally speaking 20 to 25% would be a rough guide for the ratio of fat to meat for pork belly.

What Cuts of Meat for Sausage

Shoulder, front leg, back leg, belly, or even the jowl or cheek of pork.

To be honest, the pig head had not much meat, apart from the jowl cheek. The jowl is on the outside of the cheek. Just for information and just in case, you want to cook the tongue – it tastes a bit like liver!

Key tips I’ve learned over the years for making sausages.

The first tip is: Taking time to remove the sinew is really important for having a good finished product. The worst thing is when you find bits of connective tissue in the sausage.

Any lymph nodes or non-meat bits should be removed. Blood doesn’t help either and spoils faster than meat. Take your time and remove it, as best as you can.

The second big tip is: Always do a test pattie after you have done your grinding and adding salt and spices.

If you’ve done your binding right by mixing it together then it should be tacky and sticky.

Another tip: If you make patties and squish it onto your palm, and hold your hand upside down, does it fall off? If it does, the meat and fat need more binding, so you have to work it more or let the dough hook do it.

I’ve read in meat science textbooks, that the myosin is then released in the meat which creates this desirable ‘tackiness’.

As I said earlier fry up a little meat patty – try it and you will know what the finished product would be like.

Another tip – Be extra careful deboning, I’ve left a cartilage chunk in the meat when deboning a leg of venison. Oh dear, the chunks were spread across 80 pounds / 40 kg of sausage!

Venison, Beef, and many other types of meat can be incorporated, as long as they have that 25% fat (in some recipes where the meats are more emulsified, olive oil or rapeseed oil is being added to the meat without the fat).

Always keep in mind for a non-emulsified fresh sausage you still want 25% fat to meat ratio to make it work.

I often use very lean wild meat like venison for my sausages which has to have the added fat.

Using Fat That Isn’t Pork for Sausage

Beef, chicken, and lamb fat can be used for making sausage – although, these meats have a different taste that isn’t neutral like pork fat.

Beef Fat

Beef fat is often yellow in color, so it can change the whole look of these sausages without dabbling into the other additives. Sometimes it’s more white, maybe depending on grain or grass-fed.

Always go for grass-fed, grain-fed is normally more intensive reared.

It has a certain flavor that definitely is far from neutral, compared to pork fat.

It’s still completely enjoyable, it depends on your personal preferences.

Chicken Fat

Chicken sausages made with chicken thighs have a lot of the fat incorporated into the meat, often blends intermuscular. That’s also why, if you fry thighs it’s very hard to overcook them!

I’ve eaten chicken sausages but I haven’t made them, so I can’t tell about this one.

Lamb Fat

Definitely has a taste of its own, and again it’s far from neutral. First, you have to like the fat flavor. The flavor of lamb sausages also depends on the age of the animal and whether being fed on the milk of the mother only. Older sheep’s meat/fat (mutton) for sausages has a very distinctive flavor and needs LOTS of garlic and rosemary for a kind of ‘funky’ flavor (in my mum’s opinion / it’s a classic combo).

Grind or Cutting Fat for Sausage

It completely depends on whether you’re making salami or a fresh sausage and on the sizes of your grinding plates.

For a smaller 25 or 28-mm sausage, a maximum of 4-6 mm when you are grinding, would be appropriate.

But for a 50 or 60-mm dry cured salami, you may be better at cubing the fat 5-12mm.

This is important for the type of sausage you want to make. Cubing the fat is another option for a more visual aspect.

I’m gonna be honest, I never put too much thought into arrows when I first started bowhunting. I just snagged up what the pro shop recommended and called it good.

The more time I spent behind the bow, though, the more I realized how important hunting arrow selection was. It’s another rabbit hole and a quite daunting one at that. That can make picking the right arrow for you not so straightforward. And the right arrow plays a huge part in bowhunting.

In light of that, we’ve put together our take on what arrows need to be on your radar for the upcoming 2024 fall hunting season.

Below is a list of my favorite arrows for a range of applications and budgets. This selection is evolving so be sure to check for updates, as new arrows will be added as they’re tested. At the end of our list, be sure to check out the comparison chart and buyer’s guide.

The Best Hunting Arrows of 2024

• Best Overall Hunting Arrow: VAP TKO
• Best Budget Hunting Arrow: Gold Tip Hunter
• Best Arrow for Deer Hunting: Easton Long Range
• Best Arrow for Elk Hunting: Day Six
• Best Traditional Arrow: Black Eagle

Hunting Arrow Comparison Chart

Why You Should Trust Us

Bowhunting often reminds us that good gear is extremely important. Quality arrows can be the difference between success and an unfilled tag. We’ve used dozens of different arrows, and only the best earn our full trust.

Whether we’re hiking above treeline looking for mule deer, slinking down into the bottom of a canyon to call for black bears, or just simply spending time behind the bow at the range — arrows matter. Our lead tester Josh Kirchner has been bowhunting for ten years. Needless to say, he’s spent an incalculable amount of time fiddling with arrows to find out what works and what doesn’t.

When coming up with this list, Kirchner considered his own experience and that of those around him. He also examined market demand at a variety of price points.

At the end of the day, as bowhunters, we need ultimate confidence in our arrows. This list will cater to a wide range of hunters and cover every situation in the mountains, prairies, and hardwoods.

Buying Guide: How to Choose a Hunting Arrow

The hunting arrows listed above are wide in variety. There’s a little something for everyone. One of the major differences between some of these arrows is the arrow weight. Arrow shafts are measured in GPI (grains per inch). And some arrows have a higher GPI than others. This leads me to one of the most highly debated topics in bowhunting.

Should you use a heavy arrow or a light arrow?

We’re gonna suss that out to provide the tools you need for picking the right arrow weight for you and your hunting style.

Heavy Hunting Arrows Equal Momentum

In recent years, there’s a push for using heavier arrows for hunting. When I say heavy, I’m referring to arrows that weigh in around 500+ grains. There is a great argument for using a heavier arrow.

Weight equals more momentum, which is basically the force an arrow will retain going through an animal. More momentum means more pass-throughs and fewer chances of arrow flight being altered too much from ribs etc. This is not to be confused with kinetic energy, which is the amount of energy an arrow has on impact.

Heavier arrows are also more wind-resistant than lighter arrows. And along with that, they absorb more energy on the shot, which translates into a quieter system.

The Downside of Heavy Arrows

While there are no doubt benefits to using a heavier arrow, there are also some drawbacks. The first is that heavier arrows are just slower. This gives arrow flight a much steeper trajectory. So, there is much less room for error when it comes to judging yardage.

This could spell trouble when that elk is a few yards farther than what you thought. For the multi-pin sight users, that also means larger gaps between pins, which makes pin gapping (aiming between pins for odd yardages) much more finicky. The result is less precision accuracy when pin gapping.

Light Hunting Arrows Equal Speed

On the flip side of things, slimming down arrow weight is becoming shinier by the day. Less arrow weight means more arrow speed, which translates into a flatter trajectory. So, it isn’t as critical to be pinpoint accurate with yardage estimates.

In hunting situations, this can be the difference between notching a tag and following a fruitless blood trail. Along with that, you’ll also be able to stretch the tape on your sight much farther. Even if one doesn’t plan on shooting an animal at a great distance, practicing far shots hones shooting skills and makes shorter shots seem even shorter.

And when those shots land at odd yardages, therein lies another benefit, particularly for multi-pin sight users. Your pin gapping will be much tighter in the sight housing, which means precision will increase when doing something like aiming between the 30 and 40 pins for a 35-yard shot.

Cons of Lightweight Hunting Arrows

Less arrow weight does come at a cost, though. The first is giving up that momentum that we talked about. Lighter arrows don’t retain as much energy through an animal as heavier ones do. This could result in fewer pass-through shots and a higher likelihood that an arrow is thrown off course by, say a bone.

And on that note, a lighter arrow also doesn’t buck the wind as well. This is a potentially problematic situation in windy hunting conditions.

Then there is the shot. The moment of truth. When that arrow releases, it won’t nearly be as quiet as a heavier setup.

Lastly, durability seems to drop off the lighter an arrow is. So, if you miss or hit a bone, the chances of your arrow still being intact is slim.

Middle of the Road: A Hunting Arrow That’s Just Right

While you hold the wheel in terms of what arrow weight you’ll end up shooting, our opinion is this. Shoot a quality midweight type of arrow in relation to your setup overall.

I say this because a heavy/light arrow for one person might be a real heavy/light arrow for another based on their draw weight, draw length, etc.

By doing so, you’ll avoid many of the cons that come from the extremes on each end. It’s a best-of-all-worlds solution. There is one more thing, though, that is the most important to keep in mind.

Arrow Flight Is Everything

To cut to the chase, good arrow flight is way more critical than trying to shoot a heavy arrow or a light arrow.

There’s nothing wrong with having somewhat of a goal arrow weight in mind, but in the end, you need to shoot the arrow that is flying the best out of your setup. If your goal is 500 grains, but a 450-grain arrow is shooting lights out for you, it’d probably be wise to eat the 50 grains and go for accuracy and consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing the best snow goose ammo can be overwhelming due to the wide range of options available these days. Many ammo manufacturers have loads designed specifically for snows, like Federal Black Cloud. But are these loads what you should be shooting on your next snow goose hunt?

The short answer is NO, not really. Most are gimmick loads for spring snow goose hunts that will do alright in a pinch, but they are the not the best. For a snow goose load to be the best, it has to perform across a wide range of conditions, bring knock down power, and be able to pattern tightly at long distances. The best snow goose loads are the 10 gauge 3 ½ inch 1 3/4oz. load of #2 Hevishot and the 12 gauge 3 inch 1 3/8oz. Heavyweight #4’s.

These loads are the perfect mix of ballistics and density that crush decoying snow geese out to 70 yards. If you’ve shot these load you already know, and if you haven’t, feel free to go on believing what you’re using even comes close. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the top snow goose ammo currently available and discuss what makes them so effective.

Best Steel Shot Ammo for Snow Geese

Steel shot is the most popular ammo shot at geese on any given year. Why? Because it’s CHEAP! Very rarely will you find the cheapest of anything being the best in its class. Well, steel shot is far from the best snow goose load, but it will harvest birds cleanly if patterned correctly and birds are within range when the shot is called. These are some of the top steel snow goose loads I’ve had the most success with.

• HEVI-Snow 12ga 1 3/8 oz. BB or BBB at 1550fps (click to see this ammo at Cabelas)
• 12/10ga 1 ½ oz. #BB or BBB at 1600FPS (Made by Sporting Ammo)
• 10ga 1 ¾ oz. #BB at 1265FPS (Remington)
• 12ga 1 9/16 oz. #BBB at 1300 FPS (Kent) (click here to see this ammo at Cabelas)

Popular 3 inch and 3.5 inch Waterfowl Ammo

Typical steel shot sizes for geese range from #2 all the way up to F-shot. The best all-around steel pellet size in my opinion is BBB. It allows for a good pattern density (62 pellets/oz.) and the knock down power for shots past 50 yards. If a situation arises, like e-caller season in a hot field, then you could drop down to #1 shot for added pattern density up close. Likewise, if you are going to be pass shooting, a well patterned load of T-shot is hard to beat.

Related: Need a new choke tube? Check out the list of the top performers here.

The best steel shot ammo currently is a 1 ½ oz. load traveling at 1600 fps. This load is a great combination of payload and speed. To find out how many pellets are in the loads you’re shooting, check out our pellet count table here.

Here’s a great clip that shows what you can expect to achieve with HEVI-Snow Loads.

Best Long Range Ammo for Snow Geese

The alternative to steel shot is Hevishot and other tungsten based ammo. Tungsten loads, due to their long range effectiveness, are the best snow goose rounds available today. Typical Hevishot density is 12 g/cc and Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) is 18 g/cc. For comparison, steel shot density is 7.3 g/cc. What does this mean? Tungsten based pellets are heavier and can retain energy at further distances than steel shot. This additional energy means better pellet pass through and vital hits at 50 yards or more.

Something that tungsten ammo also does well is it allows you to increase your pattern density by dropping pellet sizes. If you normally shoot #2 steel shot, you can get the same ballistics out of a #5-6 tungsten pellet. This means an increase of 120 pellets or more. With the ability of tungsten pellets to retain their energy longer and the increase gained in pattern density from reducing pellet size, tungsten shot produces some of the best ammo for hunting snow geese.

The following is a list of shot types and their densities.

• Steel……………………7.3 (g/cc)
• HeviSteel………………9.2
• Hevi Duck… …………..9.7
• Bismuth…………………..9.8
• Nice Shot…………………10.2
• Lead………………………11.3
• Winchester Ext. Range…12
• Remington HD……………12
• Hevi Goose………………12
• Hevi 13……………………13
• Federal Heavyweight….15
• TSS……………………..18

When it comes to goose hunting, shot that is denser than steel is preferred. There’s no arguing this. Will steel do the job? Of course, but Hevi-shot will do it 10 times better and reduce cripples. This means more birds in the bag, less time chasing cripples, and the ability to fold up birds at longer ranges. If you have shot tungsten based ammo at geese, you know what I’m talking about.

Tungsten loads also allow you to reduce your shot size to increase your pattern density. This makes even Hevishot #4 a viable load for decoying geese due to the energy retained at longer distances. Steel loads just can’t match it.

I realize cost is a big factor in determining which loads most people choose. Very few want to spend $20-30 for 10 shells. The off season is the perfect time to look for discounted ammo deals on websites to pick these kinds of shells up more affordably. Additionally, learning to load your own shells can also reduce the cost by ordering your loose tungsten shot in bulk.

Best Tungsten Ammo for Snow Geese

• 10 ga Hevishot load of 1 3/4oz #2’s @ 1300fps (click to see this load at Cabelas)
• 12 ga TSS 1 1/4oz. load of #5-7’s
• 12 ga Heavyweight 1 3/8 oz. #4’s (best 12 gauge load for snow geese)
• 12 ga Hevishot 3 inch 1 3/4oz. #4’s
• 10 ga Hevishot 1 7/8oz #4’s

Federal has since discontinued the waterfowl version of their Heavyweight line of shot, but it can still be found in their Turkey loads.

Pick the Best Ammo for the Hunting Situation

Ammunition is only as good as the conditions you’re hunting in. Decoy shooting up close vs. long distance pass shooting are two different hunting methods requiring different approaches. Hunting in a strong wind where shot drift occurs is a problem and usually happens with lighter density loads like steel. Hevishot and other tungsten loads are less affected by the negative effects of bad weather and high winds.

Your hunting situation will define what load is ideal. However, the only way to know if a load is ideal for your situation is to pattern it. Each gun is different. One load patterning great in your Benelli will not necessarily give good patterns in your Remington. Patterning is one of the most important aspects in finding a great load for a given situation. For additional patterning tips, check out this link.

Test different chokes tubes to find which patterns best with your gun. I’ve had good luck with Briley and Terror Chokes, but Patternmaster is also one that works good as well. Here’s a list of my top choke tubes for waterfowl and the results you can expect from each.

Bottom Line

Snow geese can be challenging birds to hunt, and having the wrong ammo can make the hunt even worse. The best snow goose ammo is tungsten based and capable of clean kills between 50-70 yards. Steel just can’t do it consistently.

My favorite load for snow geese is a 10ga 1 3/4oz load of Hevishot #2’s. This load is effective beyond 70 yards and will absolutely CRUSH snow geese. This load results in cleaner kills, less time chasing cripples, and more time in the blind hunting.

TSS is a relative newcomer, but it’s ballistically superior to even Hevishot. I’ve had a chance to reload some TSS shells and have been impressed with their performance, but I just haven’t gotten comfortable with it as a go to load. It’s more expensive ($50lb for bulk shot) and it patterns extremely tight. I have no doubts that with some tweaking it could be the best snow goose load around, I just haven’t been able to test it enough to be comfortable with it.

You won’t find steel shot in the best snow goose load, but if you must go with steel, try for the 1 ½ oz load of BB or BBB going 1600FPS.

For more snow goose hunting tips, check out my guide here!

Is your tree healthy?

Twig growth for the season should be from 3 to 24 or more inches in length. Bark growth cracks usually indicate that the tree is healthy. Tissue in the cracks should be bright green or pink when scratched. However, loose and discolored bark or unusually flattened areas on the trunk is indicative of a diseased condition.

Root Zone Management

Maintain an undisturbed soil area above the root zone if possible. (For management purposes the root zone extends out 1/3 the distance beyond the drip line of the tree. The drip line is the outermost edge of a tree’s foliage). Minimize grading, digging, trenching, covering the ground with asphalt or concrete or landscape plants, excessive foot traffic, or vehicle parking. Proper management maintains free passage of water and air within the root zone. The area extending 6 feet from the trunk is the most vulnerable and should always be left undisturbed and uncovered.

Pruning

Mature oaks do not require pruning except to remove dead, weakened, diseased, or dangerous branches. If pruning is necessary, trees should be pruned in the dry season. June and July is best.

Irrigation

Native California oaks have evolved in a Mediterranean-type climate where there is little rainfall between late spring and early autumn. As such, they generally do not require irrigation during this dry period and, in fact, trees may be adversely effected by supplemental watering during this period since warm-moist conditions can favor harmful diseases. It is particularly critical that the trunks of oak trees remain dry. However, if the winter season is unusually dry, then a supplemental irrigation in the early spring can complement natural rainfall. Water deeply, to one to two feet, in the outer two-thirds of the root zone. Alternatively, placing organic mulch under the tree can conserve moisture in the root zone by reducing surface evaporation. Mulch also inhibits the growth of weeds, which can compete with oak roots for moisture and nutrients. As mulch breaks down, it also increases organic material in the soil which improves water percolation, aeration in the root zone, and long-term nutrient availability.

Newly planted trees may require supplemental watering while they are establishing in the landscape. These plants may require irrigation up to one every month in the dry period.

Fertilization

A healthy, mature oak under natural conditions does not require supplemental feeding. The leaf litter and other organic debris on the soil supply nutrients as they decompose and release nutrients to the soil and roots. Supplemental fertilization may be needed when the organic debris is removed or when the oak exhibits disease or when growth is poor. Generally, young trees can be fertilized to establish them quickly.

Nitrogen is the primary nutrient of value to oaks. Prior to rain or irrigation, fertilizer can be spread on the ground to cover the outer two-thirds of the root zone. An alternate application method is sometimes useful. Fertilizer can be injected with water or placed in holes dug into the ground, 18 inches apart, along the tree’s drip line. Fertilizers should be applied at a rate of two to four pounds of actual nitrogen per thousand square feet of area. (For example, if a nitrogen fertilizer contains 20% elemental nitrogen, then 10 to 20 pounds of fertilizer would be applied per thousand square feet of area). Organic nitrogen or slow release nitrogen sources are preferable. Organic sources should be applied in late winter to allow the nitrogen to move into the root zone. Inorganic sources should be applied in late spring after the first flush of growth.

Compatible Gardens

Drought tolerant plantings can be incorporated into the landscape around oaks. Many California native plants, once established, may require little or no watering. Again, plantings within the root zone area are not recommended.

NOTE: The information on this page was excerpted from from Living among the Oaks, a publication of the Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program, University of California Cooperative Extension. For more information, click here.

Question: My bow continues to paper-tune with a tail-left tear. I’ve tried moving my rest to the right, to the left, and I’ve adjusted the string-yoke harnesses as suggested by a friend. But I’m still getting a ragged tear and lousy broadhead flight. Can you help? — Alex D., via e-mail

Answer: Bows that don’t tune easy can be frustrating, and I’ve even had a few that wouldn’t tune at all! However, modern-day bows are manufactured with exceedingly close tolerances, so it’s a matter of making a few small adjustments to solve the problem. It could be as easy as resetting the cams, so they are synchronized and rotating plumb with the bowstring. Or you may have to move one or both cams to a different position along the axle by adding shims (small spacers) to one side of the cam and removing from the other.

Such steps are often referred to as “super-tuning,” but these actions simply place the bow’s powerstroke directly in line with the arrow. Shooting style varies, so although the bow may tune perfectly in a shooting machine, this may not be the case for a particular archer.

To perform these tuning steps, you need to have access to a quality press and some basic archery tools so you can work systematically until the flight issue is cured.

When tuning a bow, don’t skip the basics. With a persistent tear like yours, be sure to first check for fletching contact. Spray aerosol foot-powder across the arrow’s fletching area, then shoot it into a firm backstop. Any “smears” of the white powder indicate vane contact with the rest, cables, or riser — a common culprit of poor arrow flight. Also, don’t tune a bow without using several shafts to see if the tears remain the same. If spine varies from one arrow to the next (trust me, not every arrow is made the same), you’ll see various types of tears. Twisting the nock in one-quarter increments could also produce different tears.

Once the basics are covered, move on to synchronizing the cams. The cables should strike the cable stops at the exact same time. Next, assess each cam’s vertical position while at full draw. Cam lean is checked by using a bow-drawing device (or draw board) to allow an easy evaluation of how the cams are oriented. By laying an arrow across the surface of the cam, you can determine if the cam is in line with the bowstring. If the arrow points off-center to the left or right, then cam lean is present. If a draw board is not available, draw your bow and have a friend assess the cams’ positioning. To fix cam lean, adjust the string-yoke harness by twisting one side and untwisting the other, allowing the limb’s tip to equalize the load.

If the left tear persists, try moving your rest to the right, but oftentimes this only works for a very small left tear. Rest adjustments are better for “micro-tuning” groups downrange and adjusting the points of impact for fieldpoints and broadheads. Overall, it’s better to maintain the proper arrow centershot position as recommended by the bow’s manufacturer. This provides improved vane clearance and allows the arrow to stay in the center of the bow’s riser, limbs, and grip for optimum performance.

With large or persistent tears, shimming one or both cams will eventually eliminate the tear (I prefer to yoke-tune first). When repositioning the cam, always move it in the direction of the tear. Depending on your bow’s spacers, you may have to purchase new shims with varying thicknesses to make the necessary horizontal adjustments. Lancaster Archery and Last Chance Archery sell relatively inexpensive spacer kits and tools for this type of tuning.

There are several ways to tune a bow, but I believe paper-tuning is the most precise way to capture irregularities in arrow flight because it examines flight issues only a few feet from the bow. To improve paper-tuning even more, try using a bare shaft. To simulate the weight of vanes, wrap the rear of the shaft with a piece of electrical tape. The bare shaft will expose the smallest rips in paper so you can improve consistency downrange. Any small accuracy adjustments at this point are resolved by moving the rest or D-loop in 1⁄16″ or 3⁄32″ increments until maximum accuracy is achieved.

The myth

It’s commonly passed around that the peep needs to be circled by the sight. This has been circulated so many times that it’s widely accepted. Sight companies offer rings for their scopes, multi pin brackets, and single pin movers. Often at the pressure of the customers that believe it necessary for the most accurate shooting. The truth is, this age old archery advice is totally incorrect. It’s not harmful, but incorrect nonetheless.

The problem

As the ambient light changes, your view through the peep sight is restricted or opened. In bright direct sunlight the peep view is restricted. The iris of your eye is stopped down to a tiny pin hole making the peep hole appear to be smaller than it is. Shooters trying to ring their scope mistakenly choose a larger hole peep so they can see the perimeter of their scope. This is a problem because the peep runs the show. The smaller the hole, the more accurate your head placement is. If you use a large hole peep you risk larger groups. Merely ringing the scope housing isn’t accurate enough because the scope is too close to your face.

The peep runs the show

You’ve likely moved your peep a tiny amount and noticed how great the effect is on your point of impact. A ⅛” move on the peep at 20 yards can change your point of impact almost 6 inches. Using a ¼” peep to see your housing in bright light will allow you to make a ⅛” mistake with head alignment to the target. This will blow your group size out even if you are shooting well. The peep and its relationship to the target is everything. The peep must be centered with the target, not the housing.

The solution

By using the smallest peep the light will allow, you are looking for contrast between your aiming device and the target. If the light is too low, you lose contrast. Experiment with various peep sizes and go as small as you can before everything grays out and contrast is lost. Rule of thumb, depending on how young your eyes are. Open sun conditions: use a 1/32” or 3/64” peep. Shaded woods or low contrast targets like 3D animals: use a 1/16” or 3/64”. The 1/8” peep for hunting is best. 1/8” transmits all the light your eye can possibly use, so even if it’s really dusky or dark going larger than 1/8” won’t give you any more view. It will just make you miss more.

If you’re in the over 40 crowd

Here’s some extra info for my grown archers. Using a smaller hole peep will make your aiming device more clear and reduce starbursting on your fiber. I have found that no clarifier at all with a smaller hole peep gives me more accuracy than a large hole with a clarifier that blur’s my pin. When your pin is blurry, you lose contrast even if there’s plenty of light. If you must use a clarifier, use the lowest power with the smallest hole you can. That will reduce your pin blur. While hunting in the woods, go ahead and grab a “verifier”, it’s like reading glasses for your peep. The Verifier will allow you to use a big hole for deer hunting light yet still be able to see your pins. You will notice a little less fidelity in the target but finding a balance between hole size and verifier power will get you where you need to be.

Too long didn’t read

Keep your peep hole as small as possible. You only need the peep to be large enough to see contrast between the target and your aiming device. Forget ringing the scope with the peep. Ring the target with the peep. Your pin is in the middle of your scope, so it will align itself even if you can’t see the edges. If you’re using a multi-pin box, ring the target then use the appropriate pin. Be sparing with clarifiers unless they are well made like Hamskea’s premium clarifiers. You could hurt your accuracy with cheap peep lenses that aren’t optically centered.

For more info

Check out my Youtube – www.youtube.com/GeorgeRyals

Get lessons with me either online or in person – www.improvemyarchery.com

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