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

Support the Hornets – We sell MERCH – www.Hornetpower.net

Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Top 3 Best Air Rifle Scopes Reviewed

Owning a good scope is a necessity for anyone with an air rifle. Scopes allow you to zero in on a target and ensures a fast, humane kill when hunting. I did the hard work for you and chose 3 scopes from my favorite brand: UTG.

UTG Pro is actually a part of the famous Leapers Company that is known for their durable, powerful scopes that pack power and accuracy into an affordable tier of scopes. Whether you’re a beginner and want to see what a difference scopes can be when shooting or you’re an experienced shooter looking to enhance the fun, you’ll find a scope that meets your need on our list.

The UTG brand also features superior light gathering technology for accurate, clear views even in low light conditions.

Keep in mind that all of these scopes are under $200 and have been thoroughly tested. They’re all great options, but the UTG 3-12×44 is the number 1 choice.

1. UTG 3-12×44 30mm Compact Air Rifle Scope Review

My first choice for the best air rifle scope. The 3-12×44 is precise, easy to adjust and mount, and comes with some of the best features on the market. It’s also a very affordable scope, which is another reason I like this model. After all, you’re probably going to mount this UTG model on a decent rifle.

Technical Specs

• 30-millimeter
• 3-12×44 magnification
• 36-color reticle
• Sealed and nitrogen filled tube
• Fog-proof and rain-proof
• Flip open lens cap
• Sunshade
• Zero locking / resetting turrets
• Lifetime warranty
• Parallax free view

Right out of the box, you’ll be able to tell just how solid of a design this scope has. Weighing just 1.4 pounds, it doesn’t add unnecessary weight to the rifle, and it measures 10.4” in length.

Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the UTG 3-12×44 30mm Compact Air Rifle Scope.

Mounting Made Simple

From the moment of unpacking to actually mounting and torquing the scope, it took about 5 minutes. Once mounted, I moved onto the turrets that allow for full adjustment of the scope. There are top turrets for locking and resetting. You’ll also be able to tune the windage and elevation to your liking.

The side wheel adjusting turret allows you to achieve a parallax-free view starting at 10 yards.

Looking into the scope for the first time, you’ll see that there’s a range-estimating reticle that allows you to judge your shot based on distance and make any necessary adjustments.

The EZ-TAP function can be controlled with a simple click and will allow color blind users to find the perfect color when shooting. Those that are not color blind will be able to see even in the harshest of conditions from heavy snow to torrential rain. This adds a whole new element to the way you can shoot your rifle.

Accurate at 200 Yards

I always start at a close range when trying to zero a scope, and then move back as necessary. The first few rounds were close to center, but it required a few more adjustments before I was able to achieve insane accuracy. I was able to hit ½” or less groups at 40 yards with no issue at all.

Moving back to 100 yards, the scope still held zero. Even after going back further, the scope held zero like a champ. After 300 rounds, the scope was still deadly accurate.

With 12x magnification, you’ll be able to zoom right into a target at ranges of 100+ yards. Whether your rifle can shoot adequately to hit the target at this range is another question, but most mid to high-priced options will.

As my first pick for any rifle, this is the perfect scope and it costs under $150. With the color enhancements and the fine tuning that’s able to be adjusted, this scope is good for small and large game as well as distance plinking. Holding true for over 300 rounds, you won’t need to make frequent adjustments to reach zero again no matter how much recoil your rifle has.

Check out the following video below for a more detailed look at this scope!

Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the UTG 3-12×44 30mm Compact Air Rifle Scope

2. UTG 3-9×32 Compact CQB Bug Buster AO RGB Air Rifle Scope Review

The Bug Buster is cheaper than our #1 choice and is the perfect scope if you’re on a budget. You’ll immediately notice that this scope has 9x magnification instead of 12x magnification. If you’re going to be shooting smaller game at a far distance, this may be a concern, but for the majority of hunters this won’t be an issue at all.

Technical Specs

• 3-9×32 magnification power
• 1-inch tube
• Zero locking / reset turrets
• Range estimating reticle
• Fog-proof and rain-proof
• Completely sealed
• Nitrogen filled
• ¼ MOA adjustments
• Parallax Free view at 3 yards
• RGB side wheel illumination
• 13.9 ounce weight

I truly appreciate when a scope is lightweight. If a scope is too heavy, it can take more strength to get the perfect shot, and after a few hours of shooting, your arms tire. This 9.8” in length scope weighs just 13.9 ounces, adding less than a pound of weight to your rifle. For larger caliber models, this is a major advantage.

Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the UTG 3-9×32 Compact CQB Bug Buster AO RGB Air Rifle Scope

Easy Adjustments and Mounting

Mounting is a breeze with all UTG models, which is one of the reasons that this is my preferred brand. After reading users mounting this scope to their hunting rifles, I thought why not give it a try myself. After all, this model is very affordable.

The rock solid construction is accompanied by smooth, ¼ MOA clicks that allow you to perfectly set up a kill.

Making sure the screws were tightened and torqued, it was time to adjust the turrets to achieve zero. The reticle’s vertical axis should be adjusted followed by the windage and elevation.

Once all adjustments were made, I tested out the scope and was blown away by the accuracy.

Accurate and Clear

The first few shots were off as is normal. I needed to adjust the windage and elevation slightly, but once I was done, I did my first test at 25 yards. At this range, I was able to hit the bull’s-eye 25% of the time and accuracy only improved as I broke in my rifle.

After 250 rounds, I was getting tight groups and didn’t have to readjust the scope at all. It held zero perfectly.

Clarity is great even when it’s raining or temperatures change quickly and the scope should be foggy. The sealant is amazing, so you won’t have to worry about an unclear shot.

As for holding zero, after 400 rounds, the scope was still deadly accurate and did not need to be readjusted.

In low light conditions, this scope performed exceptionally well. The light gathering technology that UTG boasts about is very powerful. When in bright light conditions, I did have some issues as too much light was filtered into the lens and threw off my shot a bit. For a scope that’s under $100, this model performed so well that I would recommend it as the ideal entry-level or intermediate scope. It paired up really nice with some of my Benjamin air rifles.

While not as powerful as our first choice, this scope is still an amazing buy. Get a deeper look into this scope below.

Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the UTG 3-9×32 Compact CQB Bug Buster AO RGB Air Rifle Scope

3. UTG 4-16×44 30mm Air Rifle Scope Review

Our third choice could have easily been our first pick, but it does come with two drawbacks: it’s slightly more expensive and the magnification is not needed by all hunters. With 4-16×44 magnification, this scope is immensely powerful for anyone that just wants to enjoy plinking or is planning on eliminating a few pests in the garden.

Technical Specs

• 30mm tube
• Emerald lens coating
• Shock-proof, fog-proof and water-proof
• 4x to 16x power
• EZ-TAP illumination
• Parallax from 10 yards
• Mil-dot range finder
• ¼ MOA adjustments
• Side wheel turret
• Nitrogen filled and sealed
• 15.2 ounce weight
• 17.3” length

A super powerful scope, if you’re in the market for a scope with this level of magnification, I highly recommend this model. If you’re on a tight budget, my first and second choice models will blow you away.

Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the UTG 4-16×44 30mm Air Rifle Scope

Amplification Power

The amplification power of this scope is 4-16x which is powerful enough to see a fly at 80 yards, but it may be too powerful for your needs. Keep in mind that powerful scopes also require more light, so in low light conditions, you may experience an issue.

The EZ-Tap illumination rectifies most low light issues, allowing for a great shot.

A more powerful scope will also be heavier in most cases. While I listed the weight at 15.2 ounces, other product definitions go up to 24 ounces. I did not weigh the scope myself before mounting, but it does seem heavier than just 15 ounces.

Easy Adjustments and Holds Zero

Holding zero is so important when you’re hunting. You don’t want to waste time trying to readjust only to see your potential kill run away. All of these models hold zero exceptionally well.

Adjustments of ¼ MOA allow for the utmost in fine tuning, and there is also a side turret to adjust the parallax. The windage and elevation adjustments are just like the other options we mentioned and can be adjusted using the simple-to-click turrets.

So, how well did it hold zero? I attached this to a .357 caliber Benjamin Rogue to test it out and boy did it hold zero. After 300 rounds with this powerful rifle, there was no need to adjust or worry about hitting the target.

Just like with our first option, you can tap the EZ-Tap to on and will be able to see in virtually all light conditions. With 36-colors, you won’t have an issue at all even if you’re color blind.

If you’ve never had a scope that allows for parallax adjustments, you’ll quickly learn how useful and valuable this feature is when hunting. Every last bit of adjustments you do will make your shot closer to the bulls’-eye.

Why isn’t this model my first choice? It’s a little costly and provides too much power for most users. If you don’t have a high-end rifle, you don’t need a scope of this power. For under $175, this is a great option for anyone with a high-end scope that needs this level of magnification.

Need a better visual of this scope? Watch the video below.

Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the UTG 4-16×44 30mm Air Rifle Scope

After trying all three of these UTG scopes, it was tough to pick the best air rifle scope out of the bunch. When it comes to the perfect balance of power and affordability, the UTG 3-12×44 is the clear winner and our #1 choice.

Anyone on a budget will find that the less powerful UTG 3-9×32 is a great choice and is very affordable. Its low price makes it our #2 choice. Our #3 choice, the UTG 4-16×44, is extremely powerful and is really its own demise. It’s so powerful and higher priced than our other picks that it came a little lower on the list.

Which model is best for you? Any one of these scopes will all do the job adequately, but the UTG 3-12×44 is our go-to choice for beginners and advanced shooters alike.

If you’re looking for another air rifle scope, you might want to consider the CVLife Tactical 3-9×40 Optics R4.

Deers are scavengers and eat a variety of things. They will eat most anything from plants to carrion. Deer will eat anything from bread to apples. Deer will eat anything, so long as it is in the right spot. It would be best if you cared to keep your house and yard clear of anything enticing a deer to eat it. It would help if you keep your trash can covered or take it to the curb for pick-up.

Will Deer Eat Bread?

Deer are often seen nibbling on grass and other plants, but people sometimes wonder if deer will eat bread. The answer is yes, deer will eat bread, but it is not their preferred food source. Deer are mostly herbivores, and their diet consists mostly of plants. However, deer are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat other things if their preferred food is unavailable. Bread is not as nutritious as plants, so deer will only eat it if they are hungry enough.

Is It a Good Idea to Feed Deer Bread?

No, it is not a good idea to feed deer bread. Deer are herbivores, and their diet consists mostly of plants. They can digest plant-based material better than bread. Bread is also not a natural food for deer and can cause them to become overweight and lazy.

White Bread or Brown Bread: Which One is Better for Deer?

While white and brown pieces of bread can provide deer with a good source of nutrition, brown bread is generally considered to be better for them. This is because brown bread contains more fiber and nutrients than white bread. Additionally, brown bread is less likely to cause digestive problems in deer than white bread.

What Amount of Bread Should a Deer Eat?

Deer love bread and will eat as much as they can find. If you are feeding deer bread as a supplement to their diet, it is important not to overfeed them. A general rule of thumb is to offer 1-2 slices of bread per day per deer. If you are feeding a large group of deer, it is best to scatter the bread around so that all deer can eat.

Risks Involved In Feeding Deer Bread

While bread may not be the healthiest food for deer, it is not poisonous to them, and deer will eat bread if they are hungry enough. However, there are some risks associated with feeding deer bread. The first is that deer may become accustomed to being fed and become a nuisance. The second is that bread does not provide the deer with all the necessary nutrients and can cause health problems if fed in large quantities.

Bread is not a natural food for deer, but they will eat it if they are hungry enough. Bread is high in carbohydrates and low in nutrients, so it is not a good food for deer to eat regularly. If you see deer eating bread, it is best to give them other, more nutritious food.

Deer can technically eat moldy bread, but it’s not the best thing for them. Moldy bread can cause digestive issues for deer and is also not the most nutrient-rich food. If you’re going to feed deer bread, it’s best to give them fresh or stale bread instead of moldy bread.

Moldy bread can cause digestive issues for deer and is also not the most nutrient-rich food. If you’re going to feed deer bread, it’s best to give them fresh or stale bread instead of moldy bread.

Yes, deer can eat bread, but it is not their favorite food. Deer prefer to eat acorns, leaves, and grass. However, if no other food is available, bread can be a good option.

Conclusion:

Deers will eat bread if they are hungry enough, but it is not the healthiest food for them. Bread is not a natural part of a deer’s diet, and their stomachs can have difficulty digesting it. If you must feed deer bread, do so in moderation and supplement their diet with other healthy foods.

Deer are browsers, meaning that they primarily eat leaves, twigs, and other vegetation. In the wild, they rarely eat anything else. However, if they are desperate for food, they eat just about anything, including bread. While bread is not the healthiest food for deer, it will not kill them. If you must feed deer bread, do so in moderation and supplement their diet with other healthy foods.

At SHOT Show 2024, Beretta treated us to one of the more exciting reveals during their special range event.

The Italian firearms company rolled out the Ultima Patrol…a new 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun with a particular set of skills.

This black sheep of the A300 family is not into hunting or clays; it’s a tactical shotgun with modern features.

And while we had a brief encounter with it in Las Vegas, we weren’t going to leave a judgment call like this up to a first blush.

We got the A300 Ultima Patrol and practically ran to the range to test it out. So follow along as we walk through the specs, features, and performance.

Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Review at a Glance

Pros

• Lightweight
• Upgraded features
• Reliable

Cons

• Rear QD hold

The Bottom Line

Beretta has done a bang-up job of packing a lot of features into this tactical semi-automatic shotgun while keeping the price reasonable.

Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 12 gauge (3” chamber)
• Choke: Mobilchoke
• Length: 38”
• Barrel Length: 19.1”
• Action: Semi-auto (gas operated)
• Weight: 7.1 lbs.
• Capacity: 7+1
• Comes with: cardboard box, owner’s manual, extra spacers

Features

• Oversized controls
• Accessory mounts
• Enhanced loading port

Source: Beretta

Background

The Ultima Patrol is a new addition to the A300 family of shotguns which, up until now, has only offered hunting and sporting models.

Building on the same receiver, Beretta shortened the stock and included other features more befitting a tactical gun while keeping it in that middle-ground price range.

Many will draw the obvious comparisons to the 1301 and will want to know the main differences. The 1301 is made in Italy, while the Ultima Patrol is made in Tennessee.

In addition, the Ultima Patrol’s barrel is not cold hammer forged, but it does utilize a shorter forcing cone in conjunction with a falling lock bolt.

By contrast, the 1301 uses a longer forcing cone and rotating bolt head.

Who Is It For?

The owner’s manual states this shotgun is not recommended for hunting applications.

While birds of many a feather might rejoice at this news, who did the oldest gun manufacturer in the world have in mind for this shotgun?

While strictly a guess on my part, I suspect Beretta is trying to take advantage of that recent lull in production of the Remington 870 — a trusted accessory to many law enforcement agencies.

Should a worthy yet affordable alternative rise up, many departments would have to consider it.

The shortened overall length and features make this gun a fighter that’s easier to handle in confined spaces. It will be right at home in its namesake role in law enforcement agencies across the U.S.

However, those same features also make the Ultima Patrol a great option for a home defender.

The gun is pretty complete as is and could easily serve either role with minimal accessories.

Fit & Feel

The first thing I noticed about this shotgun was how light it is.

Beretta lists it at 7.1 pounds, but my scale showed it at 6 pounds, 15 ounces, with an optic added. Next was the texture on the grip and forend.

It’s aggressive, to say the least, and made of black plastic, but does a great job staying in your hands as a result. The only minor problem was the QD mount in the stock. It wouldn’t hold a QD.

After contacting Beretta, I trimmed back a little of the plastic around the recess. This worked like a charm.

The receiver of the model we tested was a very nice shade of grey with a flat finish, though there’s a black and camo model available too.

The sights are a ghost ring rear and a red fiber optic front. These were great, but I opted to use the included Picatinny rail on the top of the receiver to mount a red dot.

I don’t often expect much from a shotgun trigger, but the Patrol’s is nice.

It broke cleanly at an average of 2 pounds 13 ounces with zero pre-travel. Reset was crisp, audible, and tactile and occurred after a couple millimeters of return travel.

The magazine tube easily accommodated seven rounds of 2 3/4” shells, but I found I was also able to ghost-load another shell on top of the lifter.

With one in the chamber, this created a total capacity of 9 shells ready to go!

How Does It Shoot?

With the relatively light weight of the Ultima Patrol, I was curious to see how it would handle recoil. The butt pad isn’t enormous but consists of a gel-like rubber that does much to mitigate the jarring blow of 12-gauge shells.

The recoil is still substantial, but the gas system and butt pad make it manageable. We shot well over 150 rounds during testing and didn’t need ice or Advil at the end of the day.

I was impressed with the speed of the gun and how quickly I was able to empty the magazine, though Beretta says the 1301 is a little faster.

It took three runs of this drill to sufficiently heat up the barrel enough where caution was required on the reload.

Using the front sight, I experienced intuitive aiming, a comfortable cheek weld, and good eye alignment without having to adjust my head.

Later, the added height of the red dot broke my cheek weld slightly, but this was easily compensated for.

At SHOT Show, Beretta reps revealed to us that the Ultima Patrol was optimized for use with Federal’s Flitecontrol buckshot. They kindly sent along some for us to use during testing.

There is often a misconception about how much spread you get with shotgun pellets.

I patterned the Ultima Patrol at 10, 15, and 20 yards with Federal’s ammo and was impressed with the tightness of the groups.

Starting at 10 yards, the group of nine pellets was around 3 inches. Even at 20 yards, the pellets were spread over a group of only 7 inches.

With time and practice, a shooter could get comfortable making some shots requiring accuracy using this shotgun and ammo combo.

Another key point was loading. I’m no quad loader (yet), but I still enjoyed the work Beretta clearly put into the loading port, widening it and chamfering the edges.

With the right angle used, I didn’t catch my thumb on the lifter when stuffing shells, and I really appreciated that.

The included adhesive hook-and-loop strip was a welcome addition, and I stuck on some shell carriers to affect my reloads.

What Sets it Apart?

This is a tactical shotgun option that is feature-packed and has Beretta legacy but is made here in America for a price that’s mid-ranged. It’s not the 1301, but pretty darn close for several hundred dollars less.

By the Numbers

Reliability: 5/5

We ran around 150 shells through the Patrol, a variety of sizes and brands. Everything fed, fired, and ejected with perfect reliability.

Ergonomics: 4/5

The ergonomics on the Patrol are extremely sound. There currently isn’t an option for a pistol grip stock.

Accuracy: 4/5

We experienced good accuracy when testing the Patrol, particularly with the Flitecontrol ammunition.

Customization: 3/5

The M-LOK slits, pic rail, and QD ports are welcome additions you can use to add the accessories you like. In addition, the Patrol comes in black, gray, and tiger stripe camo.

Value: 4/5

With all the features in the Ultima Patrol and the mid-range price, it’s a compelling value and worth considering in lieu of the vaunted 1301.

Overall: 4/5

Upgrades for A300 Ultima Patrol

For testing purposes, we utilized the Bushnell RXS-250, and it handled the 12-gauge recoil from beginning to end without faltering.

This budget option was easily bright enough to see in direct sunlight, so bright in fact that it distorts a tiny bit on the highest setting.

Despite this minor issue, the dot was still very usable, with its 4 MOA dot offering 10 total brightness settings in an aluminum frame featuring multi-coated glass.

Final Verdict

Beretta is serving up a solid value in the A300 Ultima Patrol, offering a package not found on comparable guns at this price point.

Law enforcement administrators looking to outfit all their units will love the mileage they get with their budgets, and officers will enjoy the reliability and feature set.

The rest of us stand to benefit, too — by having access to a highly functioning, pedigreed, home defender made right here in America.

What’s your gut reaction to the A300 Ultima Patrol? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to check out our top picks in 10 Best Home-Defense Tactical Shotguns [Hands-On]!

Anyone who’s ever tried Chesapeake Bay Fishing has almost certainly stumbled into a tackle store to grab some lures at one time or another, and struggled to pick which colors to go with. With a million different variations from white to nuclear chicken, picking out which colors to keep stocked in your box is no easy task and there is no magic color that will work in all conditions. So, let’s cover all the basic necessities as well as when each has its place. Regardless of what species you are fishing for, the same rules apply.

First let’s talk about how the time of day and water clarity play a role in color selection. Think of clarity as a spectrum with two main categories: clear and muddy. For clear water, natural patterns will work the best since the fish have the ability to really focus on the bait. Green pumpkin is a good natural color to imitate bluegill and crawfish. White is a good color to imitate shad and bunker. Transparent and ghost patterns also work well in clear water. For muddy water, fluorescent and dark colors stand out the best. Another effective tactic particularly for muddy water is adding contrast by using a different color skirt or dipping the tail of your baits in scented dyes. Using scents such as Pro-Cure or choosing abladed lure that sends out vibrations can also be to your advantage in the muddy water because it can help fish find your lure.

“Match the hatch” is a term you have likely heard before, and it simply means picking a lure that is similar in shape, size, and color to what the fish are feeding on. The best way to figure out what fish are feeding on is to take into account what baitfish and crustaceans live in the body of water you’re fishing, as well as paying close attention to the fish you catch. Sometimes fish will regurgitate their stomach contents when caught, which is an easy indicator of what the fish are eating. You may also notice things like bluegill tails or crawfish antennae sticking out of a fish’s gut. The majority of the time, however, it is just guesswork until you find a pattern.

The basic rule of thumb is to pick colors that best match what’s abundant in the watershed you are fishing. For instance, a pond with lots of bluegill will mean that green pumpkin and bluegill patterns will work best when targeting bass, and a lake with lots of shad will result in white patterns working well. One final note about matching the hatch: the forage fish will shift throughout the seasons as abundance changes.

When fishing in low light conditions and at night, resort to black, blue, and purple because they will be the most visible. (Bonus tip: when fishing in low light conditions use baits that give off lots of vibration and sound to help fish key in on them).

The exception to the previous rules is when trying to trigger a reaction strike from fish on beds or fish protecting fry. When bed fishing for bass or snakehead, you want your bait to aggravate the fish and make it strike out of aggression. The two best patterns for this are bluegill shades, because bluegill often get chased off beds for trying to eat eggs or fry, and solid white baits because they are good for sight fishing when trying to maintain contact with a bed.

When it comes to stocking your tackle box, the best way to make sure you are prepared for any condition is to keep a few simple patterns at all times. For bass and snakehead baits try and keep a more natural pattern like green pumpkin or white and a dark pattern of each of your favorite baits. That is the bare minimum, so feel free to snag any of your personal favorite color schemes as well. For saltwater soft plastics, especially on the Bay, the majority of baitfish can be imitated using white lures. So, try and keep a white pattern for clear and stained water and a chartreuse pattern for green water. For saltwater hard-baits you can keep it simple with a few chrome lures, white, and if you are into night fishing, some black or dark purple.

Finally, always remember that feeding patterns and environmental conditions are constantly changing so although a specific color may work one day, it may not be the ticket a few weeks later. Don’t be afraid to play around with colors until you find something that works.

Bonus Tip: Match the Patch

An easy rule of thumb to remember is to match lure color with water color. Simply look out at a patch of water, and choose accordingly. In clear water, white’s a good pick; in green water, chartreuse works well; in muddy water, root beer is a good option. Match the patch, and you have a solid starting point to work from.

Bonus Tip: Depth Charge

Remember that depth affects lure color, because colors fade as you go deeper into the water column. Reds begin to disappear just a few feet down, take on a whitish hue, and are completely gone at 15 feet. Oranges and yellows disappear next, followed by greens, and then finally blues. So an orange and red plastic with a white skirt may offer great color contrast when you hold it in your hand, but if you’re letting it sink to 20 feet then bouncing bottom, the contrast level is near zero.

-By Ian Rubin

A few years ago, I was listening to the Range podcast made by two of my friends—Julia Ritchey and Amy Westervelt. It’s a great show about life in the West, and this particular episode was about the controversies surrounding coyote hunting, but about halfway through the podcast, I noticed that people were pronouncing “coyote” two different ways: the three syllable “coyote” and the two-syllable “coyote.” Here are two clips:

Julia Ritchie (podcast host): After their first petition to get a coyote hunting ban failed, they tried again in November of last year, and about 40 people spoke. I tallied it up. (3:51-3:57)

Fred Knowlton (a retired professor who studied coyotes for 40 years): Personally, I don’t believe any of the coyote hunting expeditions by the general public are effective in reducing coyote numbers. (6:42-6:52)

I did some research and didn’t find anything definitive, and then I put the question out to the Grammar Girl Facebook page, and got more than 1,800 responses, which is why it’s nearly three years later that I’ve gone through all the comments, made a map, and am now telling you about it. Wow. Thanks for all that! I didn’t word the question in a way that makes this a scientific study, but 1,800 responses certainly rivals things I’ve seen published in journals.

Since then I’ve also done more research, so here’s what I found.

Many Ways to Pronounce ‘Coyote’

There are actually more than two different ways to pronounce it. You have “kai-oat-ee” and “kai-oat,” which you heard in the clips, but then some people pronounce it with a little bit of a different ending—“kai-oat-eh”—and people honoring the Spanish origin or who live near the Mexican border in the United States might pronounce it the Spanish way: “coy-yoh-tay.” And the Cambridge Dictionary says the British pronunciation is “coy-oh-tee.” So we can safely say there are at least five—five—different pronunciations that people are regularly using to describe this animal, and I bet there are some I haven’t even found. And that’s just in current times.

A publication from the late 1800sopens TEXT file by the American Dialect Society notes that at that time the word was often mispronounced as “cayote.” Although I’m guessing at the pronunciation. The “cay” part at the beginning is clear, but your guess is as good as mine as to how they meant people pronounced the last part. It could be “cay-oat.” It’s just spelled C-A-Y-O-T-E.

Most of what I’ll talk about next is just about the first two pronunciations because that’s what I asked people about, and I made a map of the responses. What will jump out at you first is that the “kai-oat” pronunciation is much more prominent in the middle of the United States than anywhere else—it spans a somewhat expanded Great Plains region.

All along the coasts and in the South and through the whole Minnesota-Wisconsin-Ohio region, people primarily seem to say “kai-oat-ee,” but in Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, “kai-oat” seems dominant. Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas seem like a mixed bag.

People from the University of South Dakota told me their mascot is the “kai-oat,” but that his name is Charlie, and sometimes they also call him Charlie “Kai-oat-ee.”

But when I started reading the comments themselves, two patterns emerged beyond big-picture geography.

Coyote: The Urban-Rural Divide

First, there seemed to be a clear rural-urban divide. People in cities are more likely to say “kai-oat-ee” and people who live in rural areas are more likely to say “kai-oat.” There were quite a few comments from people who said something like this:

I am from Los Angeles, and we say “kai-oat-ee,” but we would say “kai-oat” when we’re trying to sound like cowboys.

The Wile E. Coyote Influence

Second, there seems to be an age-related divide, with older people saying “kai-oat” and younger people saying “kai-oat-ee,” which, of course, leads us to Wile E. Coyote, the Loony Toons character who’s always getting an anvil dropped on his head by the Road Runner. That cartoon first appeared in 1949.

Many people speculate that younger, urban people say “kai-oat-ee” because the only experience they’ve had with coyotes is from the cartoons, and that may play a role, but I believe the three-syllable version is actually the older version since the word comes to English from the Mexican Spanish word “coy-yoh-tay,” which ultimately goes back to the Nahuatl word “coyotl.” (“koy-OH-tehl”)

I found one radio interview that said “kai-oat” was the original pronunciation in English, but it didn’t provide references, and I’m not convinced. The earliest citations in the Oxford English Dictionary seem to be a mix of the two-syllable and three-syllable version. It’s a mess. The first eight citations spell it seven different ways.

Noah Webster’s original dictionary, published in 1828, doesn’t appear to include the word. The Imperial Dictionary by John Ogilvie published in 1885 (an extension of Webster’s original dictionary), shows two pronunciations with the “kai-oat” pronunciation first, but Webster’s 1913 Unabridged Dictionaryopens TEXT file flips that around and shows the three-syllable pronunciation first, likely pronounced “coy-oh-te,” and then also appears to include an alternative two-syllable pronunciation. It seems that at least in the United States, people have pronounced it both ways for a long time.

For what it’s worth, the “kai-oat” pronunciation seems to be mostly limited to the United States and Canada. Nobody outside those two countries reported saying “kai-oat,” and the Oxford English Dictionary doesn’t include a two-syllable pronunciation. (But the Collins Dictionary does. Argg.)

‘Coyote’: Singular and Plural

And then there were a few comments that don’t fit any of the patterns, but seemed interesting enough to pass along. Two people, for example, said that they use “kai-oat-ee” as the singular, but “kai-oats” as the plural. And another person reported doing the exact opposite. I’m not sure what to make of that except that people are adapting the pronunciations to have different meanings.

‘Coyote’: Smugglers

Along the same lines, at least one person from southern California said he uses “kai-oat” for the animal and “kai-oat-ee” for a person who smuggles immigrants across the border.

‘Coyote’: A Mix of Pronunciations

Finally, there were multiple people who realized they say it both ways, and said they always feel like they aren’t even sure how it should be pronounced, and after going through all the comments and possibilities, I can say that I’m not surprised people are confused!

Quite a few people seem to use two different pronunciations depending on the context, whether they are talking about one or more animals, or even just randomly. Merriam-Webster calls the “kai-oat” pronunciation “chiefly Western,” but that’s not exactly what I found. Among my responses, almost nobody in California or Arizona reported saying “kai-oat,” for example. It could just be that the people in those states who say “kai-oat” aren’t active on my Facebook page, but that seems unlikely.

How to Pronounce ‘Coyote’

So after all this research, what do I think you should do?

If you’re in the U.S., both the two syllable and three syllable versions are fine. Use whatever you prefer or what’s dominant in your region.

But if you’re outside the U.S., it’s probably better to stick with a three-syllable version like “coy-oh-tee” or “kai-oat-ee.” But my research outside the U.S. isn’t as extensive, so if it’s important, you might want to look into it more.

Mignon Fogarty is Grammar Girl and the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips. Check out her New York Times best-seller, “ opens in a new windowGrammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.”

Each year since 1992, Deer & Deer Hunting has provided both Southern and Northern readers with the “Whitetail Rut-Predictor.” This system has been featured in several D&DH articles by late contributing editor Charles J. Alsheimer.

The Whitetail Rut-Predictor is also included in our annual wall calendar, which still features Alsheimer’s photography. The predictor lets you plan when, where and how to hunt.

The rut follows predictable stages of deer behavior. These changes dictate the effectiveness of hunting strategies. Scrape-hunting, for example, might be effective when bucks seek does, but it won’t work later in the rut when most does are already bred or being tended.

Not every buck exhibits the predicted primary behavior on a given date. Several factors, including age, nutrition, health and genetics, can affect the time and extent to which bucks exhibit a behavior. The Whitetail Rut-Predictor represents peaks in the activities (orange and blue symbols) and “minors” of secondary activity (black symbols).

The primary rut behaviors predicted in this calendar are “seeking,” “chasing” and “tending.” Feeding is a buck’s primary pre-rut activity. To take advantage of this, place stands near deer travel routes and feeding areas.

The top chart predicts the 2022 rutting intensity for the North. It’s important to note that the seeking, chasing and tending lines do not work independently of each other. Rather, they work together and should be viewed as one blending into the next as the rut progresses. The chart below predicts the South’s 2022 rutting activity.

Seeking Behavior

The onset of each rut period is marked by a sudden increase in buck activity as bucks seek does. The trigger is not exactly known, but it might be a chemical signal from does approaching estrus.

Intense seeking activity makes for great stand-hunting. Bucks in this mode are also vulnerable to calling, rattling, scents and decoys. These bucks will often skirt the edges of swamps and forest transitions.

Chasing Behavior

Chasing begins when a buck locates a doe near estrus. As the buck approaches, the doe runs, but not in all-out flight. She soon slows or pauses to look back for the buck, which won’t seek other does, and continues in pursuit. The buck occasionally catches up and tries to corner the doe. This can result in a long chase that continues until the doe lets the buck accompany her.

Stand- and still-hunting in a near-estrous doe’s home range can be productive, because several bucks could enter the chase.

Tending Behavior

After a doe allows a buck to accompany her, tending begins. He beds and moves with the doe until she is bred. Tending, which ends abruptly, usually lasts about 24 hours. After the doe is bred, the buck again seeks other does and the cycle resumes.

Tracking can be effective for hunting a buck tending a doe. Bucks also respond to grunt calls, because they seek to drive off other bucks. However, don’t expect a buck to go far from a hot doe to visit scrapes and scents.

Contributing Factors

Bucks in healthy herds with a balanced sex and age structure have well-defined social orders. In herds in which bucks reach 5-plus years of age, dominant bucks do most of the breeding. As the herd’s age structure is skewed toward young bucks, the youngsters become increasingly involved in the rut and breeding. As the doe-to-buck ratio approaches 1:1, seeking behavior and interactions between bucks are maximized. As the doe-to-buck ratio skews toward does, bucks spend less time seeking because females are readily available.

Seeking behavior begins abruptly and kicks off the rut about the time of the full moon, but not just any full moon, because day length is also involved. As chasing and tending increases, seeking behavior declines. Seeking can be expected any time during the rut when a buck finishes chasing or tending a doe. The peak of seeking occurs just before the peak of tending and breeding. Tending behavior and breeding peaks about the time of the new moon during the rut. The rut seems to end as quickly as it begins.

Effects of Latitude

The wobbling cycle of the Earth on its axis as it circles the sun causes seasonal changes by varying the amount of sunlight.

The link between diminishing day length and the rut’s onset is clear. However, it’s not simple. The breeding season is most intense and concentrated at Northern latitudes where the difference between day length in summer and winter is greatest. The breeding season lengthens the nearer deer live to the equator. This partly explains why the Southern rut appears more varied.

Effects of Weather

Activities on the Whitetail Rut-Predictor calendar might occur several days early because weather can affect daylight amounts. Dense clouds shorten day length 15 to 20 minutes, and decrease moonlight intensity. Rain and snow block sunlight and moonlight by defraction and diffusion, preventing moonlight from reaching the ground. Storms can shorten daylight about 30 minutes and obscure almost all moonlight.

Intense rutting activity is often associated with storm fronts in South Texas and other Southern states, but not in Northern states. This activity is often attributed to low air temperatures or barometric changes, but light likely plays a major role. Air temperatures exceeding 55 degrees Fahrenheit usually decrease deer activity.

The Predictor’s Basis

The Rut-Predictor is based on a model that links cyclical changes in the Earth’s solar and lunar illumination to the whitetail’s reproductive cycle. It is hypothesized that sunlight and moonlight provide environmental cues that set, trigger and synchronize breeding.

A computer model was developed that uses astronomical data, field observations of rutting activities and measurements of light intensity to predict rut activity.

The Rut-Predictor hypothesis differs from conventional views. The general belief is that peak breeding north of the Mason-Dixon Line occurs each year about Nov. 15. However, it has been observed that rut activity often falls to nearly zero by mid-November. The timing of peak rut activity could vary year to year by as much as three weeks at any given location.

If the moon is the timing mechanism for the estrous cycle, what sensory pathway in deer receives the cue? External stimuli fall into three primary categories: physical, chemical and biological. The great distance between Earth and the moon rules out any regular 28-day exchange of sounds, scents, or chemical and biological materials deer can detect.

The moon affects the Earth’s gravitational fluctuations and nighttime illumination. Both factors create external stimuli that deer might detect. However, little evidence suggests deer or other creatures directly detect gravitational forces. Responses to those fluctuations are probably indirect. As a result, gravity’s effects were rejected as a stimulus for timing the whitetail’s estrous cycle.

Moonlight can be detected, especially by whitetails, which have eyes adapted for low-light vision. Light passing into the eye strikes the nerve-rich area in the back of the eye, causing electrical impulses to pass along the nervous system to various organs. Some impulses pass to the pineal gland in the center of the brain, providing input to the endocrine system. The pineal gland and related hormones are involved in or regulate the reproductive cycle. The pineal gland responds to light by increasing (with diminishing light) or decreasing (with increasing light) production of a hormone called melatonin. This increases/decreases other hormones.

The fact that moonlight changes the Earth’s illumination on a cycle similar to the whitetail’s 28-day estrous cycle, the fact that whitetails have a sensory system that can detect moonlight, and the fact that the whitetail’s endocrine system responds to light stimuli by altering levels of reproductive hormones argue against coincidence.

Testing the Rut-Predictor

The Rut-Predictor has been well tested. For example, when whitetails from the United States have been brought to the Southern Hemisphere, where seasons are reversed, they shift from a November rut to a May rut. This is also reinforced by the fact whitetails in equatorial regions breed asynchronously throughout the year.

Alsheimer’s 20-plus years of work on this subject had him convinced that he was onto something.

“Interestingly, the only way to disprove this theory is to witness behavior that contradicts it, such as seeing most does breed within seven days of a first quarter moon,” Alsheimer said. “Failure to observe predicted behavior, however, proves nothing, as it might be caused by unrelated factors, such as poor visibility, bad weather or low deer numbers.”

Conclusion

To help predict breeding behaviors for your area, keep a daily log of fresh rubs and scrapes you and your hunting partners observe. For added accuracy, quantify your effort by recording how many hours of hunting are associated with your counts.

— Editor’s note: It is important to note that peak tending (breeding) oftentimes occurs well after the peak rut activity that’s observed by hunters across North America.

D+DH In-Depth is our premium, comprehensive corner on America’s No. 1 game animal. In this graduate-level course, we’ll teach you about deer biology, behavior, and ultimately, how to become a better hunter. Want to be the first to get our premium content? Become a D+DH Insider for FREE!

• 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.

There are many different companies and brands that produce archery equipment, with many of them producing modern compound bows. With all of these choices, it can be a little difficult to decide on the best compound bow brands for your next purchase.

Whether you are looking for your very first beginner compound bow or are a seasoned shooter, you will want to stick with a good bow brand to ensure you get the proper quality, service, and designs. Let’s go over what makes a good compound bow brand, and a few of the best brands out on the market today!

Elements Of Good Compound Bow Brands

Bow Quality

One of the most important aspects of a bow is the quality. Some brands are known to produce higher quality products than others, so you must choose carefully in order to ensure you are purchasing a bow and other archery equipment that will perform properly and last you for years to come.

Customer Service

Customer service is often overlooked when deciding between brands, but it can be an extremely important factor should you ever need it. From getting your bow serviced to fixing potential problems, customer service can make or break your experience with a particular brand.

Warranty/Guarantee

The best bow brands believe in their products and are proud to support people who buy them. Because of this, they generally offer some type of warranty or guarantee for their equipment just in case you run into any issues or potential defects.

Bow Features

Good bow brands continually innovate and improve upon their designs. In turn, their bows have a wide variety of features including cam designs, grips, materials, and other tech that turns a simple bow into a great one.

Bow Design

Speaking of designs, great bow brands provide a wide variety of different designs and models of bows for different applications. From hunting to competition bows, they offer plenty of different options to choose from.

Top Compound Bow Brands To Consider

Bowtech

Bowtech is a brand that was founded in 1999 and known for its quality. Based out of Eugene, Oregon, they have continued to grow their reach and share of the archery industry.

Bowtech does all of their manufacturing in-house for all of their products and strives to maintain a standard of quality that their customers have come to expect. Besides their excellent quality, Bowtech is also very well known for their customer service. With their motto being “Refuse to Follow”, they offer a lifetime warranty on their products and are always willing to go the extra mile in order to help their customers however they can.

Elite Archery

Elite Archery is a little newer to the archery game than others here on our list but has still been around since 2005. They started in Washington, but are now based out of Rochester, New York. Elite also produces all of its products here in the United States and prides itself on selling “the World’s Most Shootable Bows.”

Elite Archery rose to popularity thanks to its bow designs that give the lowest levels of hand shock and vibrations. With their unique designs of cams and risers, you can instantly recognize a bow that is made by Elite. They also offer a lifetime warranty on all of their products.

PSE Archery

PSE Archery is one of the oldest bow brands here on our list and was founded in 1970 by an engineer named Pete Shepley. Although first established in Illinois, the company is now based out of Arizona and produces everything it makes here in the US. Since its creation, it is now the largest privately owned bow manufacturer in the US, and one of the largest bow companies in the entire world.

PSE also owns over 20 different archery design patents, allowing them to be a leader in design and innovation every year. With many different models of bows available and a great warranty on their products, it is easy to see why so many people shoot a PSE bow!

Hoyt

Among names like PSE and Bowtech, you are sure to hear Hoyt thrown into the mix. Hoyt is also one of the oldest and most established bow brands in the world, tracing its start all the way back to 1931. Although it started off as a knife company, they have since grown to be a leader in design and innovation in the archery world and is one of the most recognized brands out there.

Hoyt is now based out of Utah, and while extremely popular in the bowhunting world they also specialize in competition shooting. In fact, Hoyt bows have won more gold medals at Olympic events than all other bow manufacturers combined. They offer great quality, design, features, and warranties on all of their bows. It is no surprise why Hoyt is as popular as they are.

Bear Archery

Bear Archery, like Hoyt, is another very old company that started off in a different industry. Founded in 1933 as a marketing company, its founder is the legendary archer Fred Bear that quickly changed the company’s focus to archery. While focusing on traditional archery bows and equipment, they eventually got into compound bows as well.

These days, Bear Archery is well known for producing a wide variety of different bow models and being much more on the affordable end when compared to other bow manufacturers. While still producing their recurve bows, their compound bows are designed and engineered to be easy to shoot and reliable.

Mathews

Mathews is a bow brand that is often seen leading the way in new designs and innovations. In fact, they are the ones that came up with the single-cam technology, which many other bow manufacturers soon replicated. Ever since their beginning in 1992, Mathews has continued its commitment to giving archers the designs and features that they ask for.

Mathews is also well known for its excellent customer service. Their company motto is “people first, business second”. With amazing products and a motto like that, you know that every time you shoot a Mathews bow you will have a great experience.

Diamond Archery

Diamond is actually a child company of Bowtech, so you already know that you can expect much of the same quality and commitment that Bowtech offers to its customers. But, unlike Bowtech, Diamond offers its bows at a much more affordable cost in order to target a different market of customers.

Even with lower prices, their affiliation with Bowtech ensures that quality stays the same. With many different models and designs to choose from, Diamond strives to provide a bow with everything a shooter could want without breaking their bank account.

Quest

Quest is a company that is under another company called G5 Outdoors. Very similar to how Diamond is under Bowtech and offers more affordable options to their line of bows, Quest takes the quality of Prime bows and offers them to a different segment of the market at a reduced cost. While you will not see the same designs and features on a Quest bow that you will on a flagship Prime bow, you can still expect similar quality and customer service.

Although Quest bows may not cost as much as a Prime bow, they are still super solid and reliable bows. Not only are they extremely comfortable to shoot, but they are a great blend between high-quality materials and the bare basics to get you an accurate bow that will get the job done regardless of your archery expertise.

G5 Prime

Just like Quest, Prime Archery is owned by G5 Outdoors. G5 Outdoors is a privately owned company based out of Michigan. They were originally not in the bow business, but in the 1980s after purchasing an engineering firm, they created a broadhead company. Finally, in 2009, they created Prime and Quest to better serve archers all around the world.

Prime stands apart from Quest in that its bows feature all of the company’s latest designs and innovations, leading to a higher price tag. A perfect example of this is their Parallel Cam system, which helps avoid cam leaning and provides a more secure shot. Prime continues to impress archers by creating new innovations just like this, allowing them to grow in popularity year after year.

Martin Archery

Martin Archery is another brand that has been around for some time, and during their years of business, they have grown their reputation and quality of products. For over 60 years, Martin has been known for building some quality bows out of the state of Washington and giving archers affordable options for purchasing new equipment.

In 2013, Martin went through a large effort to revitalize its brand and company, and the results can easily be seen today. Not only have they given new dedication to the design and quality of their bows, but their customer service and warranty have been given an update as well. If you are looking for a quality bow from a reputable company, Martin is always a good choice.

Darton Archery

Getting their start in 1950 by producing leather archery accessories, Darton Archery expanded its business after a few years to start making traditional recurve bows. After the introduction of the compound bows, they began production of their own and have since gone on to become a staple name in the archery industry.

Darton has just recently celebrated its 70th year anniversary and still remains committed to giving its customers what they need to be successful. While not as mainstream as other brands such as Hoyt or Bowtech, Darton has been around long enough to prove that it makes good archery equipment and that they will take care of their customers whatever the costs.

Choosing the Right Compound Bow Brand

As you can see there are many different options when it comes to a compound bow brand. How do you choose the right one for you? An easy way to narrow down the list is to consider your personal needs and wants, as well as your budget. If there is a specific feature or design that you need, some companies may offer it while others will not.

Budget can also play an important role in choosing a brand. Many brands are known for producing top-of-the-line, high-quality bows that will run up your price tag. Others are better known for middle-of-the-road, affordable compound bows.

Lastly, it is important to consider how much things like warranties and customer service matter to you. Some people don’t care at all about these things. Others, however, consider it to be a deal-breaker. If you want to be treated well should you run into issues with your bow, it is important to choose a brand that is known for taking care of its customers.

Final Thoughts

Although there are many different compound bow brands to choose from, there is sure to be one or two that fit you and your needs perfectly. Every company has certain things that they excel at, and they all produce bows that are very different from one another. With a little bit of research and thought, you can find the best compound bow brand for you! If you’re looking for compound bow recommendations, check out our recommendations page to see a few bows that we recommend to new archers.