How to make a trotline. Trotlines are one of the old time-tested methods when you want to catch a lot of catfish in a hurry. When you need to make a “meat haul” or just want to fish around the clock while spending your vacation time doing other things, set out a trotline or two and you will always come home with fish! Here are some simple instructions on how to rig up and set out a trotline.

A lot of folks ask me how to make a trotline. I have tried various methods and styles but I always come back to the simplest version and it just plain works. A trotline is nothing more than a long piece of heavy main line that has short lines or drops tied to it at regular spacing intervals. These drops have one hook each. State rules vary, but in my state (Texas) you can have a maximum of 25 hooks per trotline. Other methods to catch catfish include jug fishing which is very similar to trotlines, but more mobile so to speak. You can read about how to jug fish here.

How you set out the trotline in the water depends on where you are fishing. In a creek or small river you simply tie each end of the mainline to each bank via a stake or a tree limb. The line spans the creek or river and is submerged with small weights along the length to take it underwater. In open water such as a lake you have to tie empty jugs to each end and then anchor each end with heavy weights. then you have the smaller weights in the middle to take the mainline under the surface. The floating jugs help keep the mainline accessible when you get ready to run the line for fish. Trotlines can be dangerous if you are careless. They can drag you out of the boat and underwater in a heartbeat. I recommend always fishing with a partner when fishing trotlines.

To make the trotline I use just a few simple supplies. For the mainline I like to use a heavy 700 lb. test, tarred, braided or twisted nylon line. The heavier the better in my opinion. This line is relatively cheap and strong as well. Texas regulations state that the drop hooks must be a minimum of 3 feet apart. So a 25 hook mainline will need to be at least 100 feet long. I usually just use a standard 120 ft. long mainline to account for tying each end and also to account for the spacing knots to be discussed later.

For convenience I like to remove my drop hooks from the mainline for storage. That way I can ball up the mainline and not have to fight sharp hooks for safety. To keep your drops evenly spaced along the mainline I simply tie two knots about an inch apart at three foot intervals. This is simple and does not require clips and other extra parts.

The drops are simply constructed of a piece of 100 lb. test tarred twisted nylon line cut in 3 ft. lengths and the ends tied together to form a loop. I always cut lines with a good pair of sharp scissors and the burn the ends with a flame to prevent unraveling. I then loop a snap swivel on one end and a trotline clip on the other

.

The hook is a matter of personal choice depending on your bait, but big is always better in my opinion. The trotline clips make it easy and safe to assemble or disassemble the trotline while out on the water. I use them all the time and have never had one come apart yet.

I like to store my trotlines in a 5 gallon bucket. I store the mainline balled up in the bottom of the bucket along with the weights and then hang 25 drops and hooks around the top edge. Everything stays untangled and easy to use in a boat. I always store just one complete trotline in a bucket so I know that I have everything in one place per bucket.

To set out the line just use my diagrams below and bait her up and then sit back and relax. I usually run my lines every 4 or 5 hours apart. I also bait the lines just a dusk and go back at dawn to load my boat up (usually) with a good haul of cats.

You now know how to make a trotline. One thing I would strongly suggest is stopping by our fishing discussion board at TexasRiverData.com and ask any questions you may have and get more trotline instructions and tips. You can read and discuss the latest information there.

Try this method for yourself and stay safe and watch those hooks!

The markings on the reticle inside a rifle scope tell you many things. The first (and most important) is they show you where you’re aiming. Some scopes, however, have reticles that are set to do much more than that. These scopes have angular units of measure marked on the reticle that track how much a rifle’s point of impact needs to move relative to the point of aim of the scope to properly zero it. Besides helping shooters set a proper zero, understanding these angular units of measurement and their relationship to both target distances and bullet trajectories is crucial for getting the most performance from scoped rifles as they help remove the guesswork from all ballistic adjustments. The two most common types of reticles used in these types of scopes are Minutes of Angle (MOA) or Milliradians, or MRAD. Let’s take at the differences between MOA vs MRAD, and why you would want one over the other.

Circles, Subtensions And Angular Units of Measurement

Angular units of measure come from trigonometry, the branch of mathematics concerning triangles and circles. The circumference of a circle is wholly or partially measured either with degrees or radians. All of us know that a circle has 360 degrees. However, each degree can break down in smaller sub-units called minutes and seconds. A degree has 60 minutes or 3600 seconds, which is where we get Minute of Angle One from, or MOA. A full circle can also be measured as 2π radians (6,283 milliradians). Like degrees, radians also break down into fractions, and for marksmanship, shooters use milliradians (1/1000th of a radian), or MRAD.

Minutes and mils work well for shooting because they allow shooters to determine the size of targets, the distances to targets, and the trajectories of bullets by using trigonometric principles and proportions. Angular subtension is the concept that ties everything together, and they work equally well with MOA vs MRAD. This concept refers to the physical amount of space covered by an angle at a certain distance. These spaces remain in proportion regardless of distance. Thinking of subtensions as circular areas (or targets) makes it easier to understand. For example, at 100 yards, a target measuring 1 MOA will correspond to an area the size of a 1-inch circle. At 200 yards, a 1 MOA target would cover a 2-inch area. At a distance of 500 yards, a 1 MOA target will cover a 5-inch circle, at 1000 yards it will cover a 10-inch area, and so on.

One Inch At 100 Yards Vs One Meter at One Kilometer

In the United States, minutes of arc have traditionally been the more popular and traditional angular units of measure due to the simple fact that at the distance of 100 yards, 1 MOA happens to subtend precisely at 1.047 inches. For practicality’s sake, this is rounded off to 1 inch. Since degrees, minutes or seconds themselves do not mix directly with yards or inches, this is more of a lucky happenstance that has been clearly advantageous to American marksmen for a long time. MOA-based optics are generally available with adjustments in ½, ¼, or ⅛-inch increments depending on their intended use. Most MOA scopes for precision shooting typically have ¼-minute adjustments. At 100 yards, every four clicks will move the reticle one inch in the desired direction. Minutes are so embedded into American shooting culture to the extent that the accuracy potential of both rifles and cartridges is also expressed in these units. For example, a ½-MOA rifle means that the rifle can print ½-inch groups at 100 yards or 5-inch groups at 1000 yards.

At 100 meters, 1 mil subtends to 10 centimeters, so at 1000 meters (or one kilometer), 1 mil will subtend to 1 meter. The majority of MRAD based optics are conveniently set up to adjust at 1/10th increments of a mil. As a result, 1/10thof a mil subtends to 1 centimeter at 100 meters, and 10 centimeters at 1 kilometer. For reference, one mil is equivalent to 3.6 inches at 100 yards. Because milliradians work so well with the metric system, they are the go-to angular unit around the world. The use of Imperial measurements (inches and yards) compared to metric units is one of the biggest differences with MOA vs MRAD reticles, but there are others.

Comparing MOA vs MRAD

Neither MOA or mils are necessarily better than each other. They are solely two units that measure the same thing, namely a sliver of the total circumference of a circle. However, there are practical considerations to why a shooter may select a riflescope with an MOA vs an MRAD reticle. For shooters who are comfortable with inches and yards or who make shots at predictable, known distances, MOA based riflescopes can suit them just fine. Adding to that, most rifle ranges in the United States are marked in yards, which makes using these scopes very convenient. Other shooters choose MOA optics compared to MRAD-based optics, because ¼- or ⅛-minute click optics provide a finer level of precision and adjustment since they require more clicks to move the reticle the same distance: four or eight clicks to move one inch at one hundred yards as opposed to only three clicks for an MRAD optic.

On the other hand, at longer distances, many shooters prefer shooting with MRAD optic because a dependence on overly-fine units becomes impractical. According to Michael Branson, Director of Optics for JSD Supply, having to dial a turret with more clicks means that the likelihood of error increases and can also add extra wear and tear on the mechanical components of a rifle scope. Branson also mentioned that because MRAD optics work off of base-10 numbers and have “coarser” adjustments, they are more practical for longer distance shooting. Lastly, Branson added that the base-10 aspect makes MRAD optics more beginner friendly to new shooters looking to try long distance marksmanship.

The Takeaway

MOA-based optics have served American shooters for a long time and will continue to do so into the future. The fact that minutes of arc integrate so seamlessly with inches and yards is not taken for granted as our American rifle culture was built on this system. Specialized precision and rifle match shooters will continue to take advantage of the higher amount of adjustability these optics afford them.

However, MRAD-based rifle scopes have reached a golden age. Long distance shooters chose these optics due to their usefulness in that role, as milliradians are easier to divide or multiply by 10, they are easier to range targets with a reticle and the common measurement standard makes it simpler for all shooters around the world to communicate with this metric friendly system. Also of note is that virtually all spotting scopes with ranging reticles are marked in mils so spotters calling out numbers in mils to shooters using MRAD-based optics would also have an easier time.

Combine this with the widespread by the US military, the plethora of ballistics apps, programs and information now available to shooters that read in MRAD and the surge in popularity of distance, with the fact that gunmakers are selling all manner of hyper accurate, course-ready rifles out of the box for precision shooters and long-range hunters, and the time to take full advantage of milliradian-based sighting systems has never been better.

There are a ton of different stabilizers types, styles, sizes, and mods out there, so it can be difficult navigating the world of stabilizers. We’ll go over everything you need to know and give you all the juicy details.

Make sure to check out our in-depth guide on how to build a keyboard.

What is a Stabilizer?

Stabilizers are a essential keyboard component placed under the larger keys such as space bar, backspace, and shift, to keep the keys from shaking, rattling, and tilting while typing. The stabilizers keep the keys balanced so you can have a stable typing and gaming experience.

The Different Stabilizers Types

There are a few different stabilizer types out there, Cherry style, Costar, and Optical. They are each significantly different, so we’ll explain what makes them unique.

Cherry Style Stabilizers

Cherry style stabilizers are the most common stabilizers out there. They are the preferred stabilizer type as they are easy to mod and have a lot of different options when it comes to mounting styles, colors, and material types.

Cherry stabilizers have the shape of a Cherry MX switch stem, hence the name Cherry style stabilizers. They make adding and removing keycaps a breeze.

In this guide, we’ll be focusing primarily on the Cherry stabilizer type when explaining all of the different options available. It’s possible to get Cherry style stabilizers in screw-in, snap-in, or plate-mounted variations.

We highly recommend getting a keyboard with Cherry stabilizers as they are the most versatile stabilizers out there.

Costar Stabilizers

Costar stabilizers are a less common stabilizer type, as they are primarily only found on older keyboards, although some newer keyboards may have them.

Costar stabilizers are quite difficult to use and have to be hooked into the keycap to fit. Getting the stabilizer bar to insert properly into the keycap can be a frustrating and lengthy process.

If you like to remove your keycaps and clean your keyboard regularly, these stabilizers can be quite the headache.

They are also difficult to mod and makes replacing the keycaps on your keyboard quite difficult.

Costar stabilizers are great if you want to install them and forget about em. No modding required, pretty good performance, and are affordable to replace. However, not the best if you enjoy tinkering with your keyboard and swapping out your keycaps regularly.

We talk about installing a spacebar with Costar stabilizers here.

Optical Stabilizers

Optical stabilizers are typically only found on keyboards with optical switches, and have a funky design (such as the Razer Huntsman Mini). They have small clips that insert into the keycap that you snap into the stabilizer bar under the plate of the keyboard.

There isn’t a good way to modify these stabilizers to improve them, although you could apply a small amount of lubricant to reduce the sound and rattle noises.

From our experience, these stabilizers are quite rattily, but if you use optical switches, you’re pretty much stuck with them. Not much else to say about these stabilizers.

Stabilizer Size Guide

There are three stabilizer sizes you can purchase: 7u, 6.25u, and 2u.

The stabilizers follow the same measuring system as keycaps, where 1u = the width of one keycap.

The 6.25u size is what you’ll need for a standard spacebar, unless you have a non-standard keyboard layout, in which case you’ll need the 7u size. For the most part you can ignore the 7u size, unless you have a custom keyboard.

All of the other larger keys on your keyboard (that aren’t the spacebar) will require a 2u stabilizer.

If you have a full-sized keyboard, you’ll need:

• 6.25u stabilizer x1
• 2u stabilizer x7

If you have a tenkeyless keyboard, you’ll need:

• 6.25u stabilizer x1
• 2u stabilizer x4

For the smaller layouts, the stabilizers required can vary based on the layout of the keyboard, so there is no exact amount.

A Closer Look at Cherry Style Stabilizers

Now that we’ve gone over the three main stabilizer types, let’s take a closer look at the Cherry style stabilizers as they are the most common and the go-to stabilizer if you’re building a keyboard.

Cherry stabilizers are made up of three main components, the stabilizer bar, insert, and housing. These three components work together to keep the larger keys stable and reduce rattle.

Each key will have one stabilizer bar, two inserts, and two housings. The stabilizer bar keeps both sides of the key from tilting when typing. The stabilizer bars come in several different sizes based on which key it is for, but we’ll get into that later.

Different Mounting Styles for Cherry Stabilizers

There are three different mounting styles for Cherry style stabilizers, they can attach differently and are compatible on certain keyboards. Plate-mounted stabilizers attach to the metal plate, while the other two attaches to the PCB (printed circuit board).

Shown below is a side view of a keyboard with a metal plate and PCB. Read more about PCB vs plate-mount.

Plate-Mounted Stabilizers

Plate-mounted stabilizers are the most common mounting style and are typically found on almost all pre-built mechanical keyboards. These stabilizers attach to the metal plate inside the keyboard instead of directly to the printed circuit board (PCB).

Plate-mounted stabilizers are considered the least effective mounting style as they tend to rattle more and vibrate with the aluminum plate when typing. It’s possible to improve these stabilizers by modding them which we’ll get into later.

The stabilizers attach by clipping/snapping into the metal plate. This style of connection is not the most secure and adds to the overall amount of shaking and rattling.

You can remove these stabilizers by first removing the switch, then pressing on a small plastic tab on the stabilizer, while simultaneously lifting up on the stabilizer.

Screw-In Stabilizers

Screw-in stabilizers mount directly into the PCB and are attached with screws. This mounting style is considered the best because the stabilizers are much more secure and will vibrate less.

In addition, the screw-in stabilizers remain in place when taking off the key caps, unlike the snap-in style which tend to dislodge.

The PCB also tends to vibrate less than the metal plate, which makes it a better mounting location for the stabilizer.

Screw-in stabilizers are typically only found on custom-made keyboards and not on pre-built keyboards, which makes them less common, but highly sought after.

We highly recommend the screw-in stabilizer type if you plan on building a keyboard.

Snap-In Stabilizers

Snap-in stabilizers are another PCB mounted stabilizer type. They are better than plate-mounted, but not quite as effective as screw-in stabilizers.

Since snap-in stabilizers mount to the PCB, they tend to vibrate less than plate-mounted, which makes them a better option. The only downside is they are much less common than plate-mounted, and they are typically only found on custom keyboards.

Screw-in stabilizers are usually a better option than snap-in as they vibrate less and are more secure. The only situation where we would recommend this stabilizer type is if you can’t find a keyboard with screw-in stabilizers.

As mentioned before, snap-in stabilizers can pop out the PCB when trying to remove the keycaps, where screw-in stabilizers do not have this problem.

Different Brands that Make Cherry Style Stabilizers

There are a few main companies that manufacture Cherry stabilizers and they typically come in a variety of different colors and materials.

Durock Stabilizers

Durock stabilizers are interesting because the stabilizer housing insert come in a nice translucent purple with a gold-plated stabilizer bar, if you’re feeling a little fancy. Perfect for building a keyboard with each component adding to the overall aesthetic.

These stabilizers are actually quite affordable considering how unique they look, which makes them an excellent option. We find them to be smoother than the standard GMK stabilizers.

Durock stabilizers only come in the screw-in style, so you can really only use them on a custom keyboard. All of the three sizes are available for purchase (2u, 6.25u, and 7u).

Durock stabilizers come pre-clipped, which mean the little feet on the bottom of the stabilizer housing are removed to make them more stable and improve the typing experience. Many people will do this manually to GMK stabilizers if they mod them.

We also recommend ordering these off of Prevail Key Co.

GMK

GMK is mainly known for their high-end keycaps, but they also produce genuine Cherry style stabilizers. This means they actually hold the tooling to make the “proper” Cherry stabilizers. If you have a keyboard with Cherry stabilizers, most likely they were produced by GMK.

GMK makes very plain and normal looking stabilizers, with a black stabilizer housing and insert, along with a grey metal stabilizer bar. You can get GMK stabilizers in all three mounting styles: plate-mounted, screw-in, and snap-in.

We typically order GMK stabilizers off of NovelKeys as they have them stock-in more often than other stores.

ZealPC

The most expensive stabilizers on the list ($30). Coming with a gold-plated stabilizer bar and clear housing, the ZealPC stabilizers have a design that can work with almost any colored keyboard (unlike the purple Durock stabilizers).

The stabilizers are pre-clipped which makes them rest on the PCB in a more stable fashion and improve the typing experience.

The ZealPC stabilizers are offered only in the screw-mount style, with a custom nut design to prevent stripping the threads.

It’s hard to recommend these stabilizers due to the super high price, when the Durock stabilizers are available with many of the same features at a fraction of the cost.

You can find these stabilizers on the ZealPC website.

Everglide

Everglide stabilizers come with a gold-plated stabilizer bar and clear housing, very similar to the ZealPC stabilizers. They are also pre-clipped, come in the screw-in style, and are a decent price.

These stabilizers come in all three sizes, or you can buy them as a package to save money depending on what size keyboard you have.

You can find them on the kprepublic website.

How to Improve Cherry Stabilizers

If you are willing to put a little extra work in, your Cherry stabilizers can benefit from some custom modifications, the most common being band aid, clip, and lube.

The band aid modification includes applying band-aids where the stabilizer insert hits the PCB to dampen the sound and create a much nicer acoustic.

Clipping the stabilizer feet makes the key feel more stable and less rickety. Many stabilizers come with the feet already clipped.

Lubricating the stabilizers reduces the friction when typing and makes them feel smoother and more consistent.

After these modifications, the stabilizers will feel much better and the difference will be night and day. I recommend everyone with the time and patience to try this mod out.

We have a couple guides on our site to walk you through these mods. Depending on if you have soldering equipment or not, there are few different methods:

• How to Band-Aid Mod, Clip, and Lube Stabilizers
• How to Lube Stabilizers without Desoldering

Click test before and after modification

Conclusion

There is a lot of tribal knowledge in the mechanical keyboard community about stabilizers that everyone assumes you know already, so we hope this post laid out the information for you in a clear and easy-to-read format.

There is a lot of small complexities to sort through when picking out a stabilizer for you next mechanical keyboard. There are many stabilizer sizes, types, manufacturers, and mounting styles, not to mention all of the modifications.

For your first mechanical keyboard build, we highly recommend picking out a keyboard that supports screw-in Cherry stabilizers and going with the Durock or Everglide variations depending on which colorway/price works best for you. These two stabilizers offer the best bang-for-your-buck and offer a smooth, stable typing experience.

If you have a pre-built mechanical keyboard, you’ll usually be stuck with plate-mounted stabilizers (even if it’s hot-swappable). Screw-in and snap-in stabilizers are typically reserved for custom mechanical keyboards.

We also recommend taking the time to mod your stabilizers to improve them even more. A little bit of lubricant and band-aids goes a long way.

Happy Typing!

Introduction

The journey of progression that saw Browning Sweet 16 evolve into the current state is one you will love catching up with. The original old Auto-5 Sweet 16 saw a rigorous production process that began in 1902 when John Browning designed the first Auto-5, which turned out as a very functional semi-automatic shotgun. From then, Fabrique Nationale, a Belgian, took the production and proceeded with that for the next 75 years till 1977.

Production later moved to Miroku, Japan, which proceeded for the next 23 years. In these years of production and remodeling, the Auto-5s were made in 12, 16, and 20 gauges, with the sweet 16 version getting the attention of a majority of users then. You may also want to check out other 16 gauge shotguns. Sweet 16 was loved so much was its ability to combine the abilities of gauges 20 and 12. It was until the year 2000 that the last run of Auto-5 was sold.

How it Came to Be

The old A-5 was not popular for nothing. Its unique humpback profile and its long-recoil action with the moving barrel made it reliable and a preferred choice to almost every gun user. It was so popular that if someone didn’t own it, they at least knew someone who did.

Between the period when the old Auto-5 aged and when the new Sweet 16 was introduced, the browning company introduced a more modern inertia-operated shotgun known as the A-500, which was to be renamed A500R. This gun was only produced for a few years, and the Browning team had to move ahead to something better.

After several attempts to come up with an outstanding gas-operated auto gun, which saw the introduction of discontinued gun versions like the B80, B2000 and A500G, Browning decided to bring in something new. In the year 2012, they introduced the A5, which came in as a 12 gauge gun. In 2016, however, during the 2016 SHOT show, the A5 was reintroduced as A5 sweet sixteen thanks to its 16-gauge features. It is this A5 sweet 16 that we want to focus on today in this guide.

Buyer’s Guide: What to Expect from this Beauty

Features

You may feel motivated already to buy this iconic gun, but before making that step to own one, you may want to know what to look out for in this gun. I gathered some of the general features you can check out for before settling for a reliable A5 sweet 16. Have a look.

The Inertia Action

The A5’s inertia action, which is also called Kinematic drive-by Browning, is an outstanding feature that you must look for when buying the gun. It allows you to keep the outer bolt housing in place while the A5’s recoil moves the gun to the rear. This action helps eliminate the need to have the recoil move the barrel to the rear and push the bolt back to its original position as in the original A-5.

The inertia action applies pressure to an interior bolt spring, which in return powers the bolt backward making the rotary head to twist free of the barrel, which cocks the hummer and ejects the hull. When all these happen, the spring in the stock forces the bolt forward to chamber the new shell and close the bolt.

Detachable Trigger

The A5’s trigger is detachable, and you can easily do this by pushing out the two cross pins and giving it a yank or a pull. As you check closer, you should expect a trigger housing made of aluminum as well as the trigger blade. It has a push-through safety button at the rear of the trigger guard and a bolt latch in front of the trigger guard. This allows the assembly guard to lock when the magazine is empty. The bolt latch can also help release a shell from the magazine to load into the chamber.

New Invector DS Screw Chokes

The A5 sweet sixteen comes with three of the new invector DS screw chokes. They are flush-mounted and are about 2.9 inches long, which gradually compress the shot to avoid deformation. The DS (Double Seal), refers to the choke‘s brass branded seal at the back and front threading at the muzzle. While screw chokes threaded at the muzzle allow carbon to build up between the choke and the bore, the invector DS brass back seal perfectly prevents this.

‘Grade 1’ Wood

One other thing I find appealing, and you would want to check out for it the high-quality wooding on the A5 sweet sixteen shotguns. The wood on this gun has a nice finish in a high-gloss synthetic. The wood’s checkering is a result of a perfect machine-cut, which is well executed in an attractive 18 lines per inch pattern to give it an executive look.

Slender Forearm

The gun has a slender forearm or forend, which makes the gun light and easy to handle, move around and lend in the air. This forend features ergonomic wood construction that offers a perfect grip making the gun stable in your hand for better shooting accuracy.

Adjustable Stock

The stock comes with six shims that fit between the head of the stock and the receiver’s rear, which helps you easily adjust the height and cast off the shaft. Three of the shims will help you adjust the stock’s height only while the other three will adjust both height and cast.

The Two Loading Options

When you go purchasing the A5 sweet sixteen, you will have to check or ask about the gun’s loading options available during the trials. First, there is the normal option for semi-auto guns where you drop the shell into the ejection port and push the bolt-closing button and then place the next shell into the magazine. The second option is the Browning’s speed loading plus where you feed the first shell into the magazine, which it automatically chambers and the closes the bolt.

Upon confirmation of the above features, you will be sure that you are settling for a genuine A5 sweet sixteen shotgun. Let us now see the advantages of getting the new A5 sweet sixteen shotgun below.

What I Love about it

• Smaller, lighter receiver for reduced weight.
• It offers a sleek feel in your hands.
• It is made entirely of steel with wooden stock for durability.
• Attractive and good looking.
• Comes packaged in an ABS case with storage holes to hold the disassembled gun.
• The Inflex II recoil pad at the end of the stock improves its looks and reduces snagging on your cloth.
• Kinematic drive system.

What I Don’t Like

• The supplied shims don’t quickly move the barrel up enough to measure.

What is the Difference between the Original Browning Auto-5 and the New Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen?

The original A5 Browning shotgun had some structural and functional differences that set it apart from the new sweet sixteen. While these differences may not be major ones, knowing about them could help you differentiate the two and settle for the sweet sixteen much easier. Let us see what sets them apart below.

Receiver

One distinguishing factor between the standard and the new sweet sixteen would be the receiver. The sweet sixteen’s receiver is hollows out in usually four spots taking shape reminiscent of half-moons. The original one, on the other hand, had a distinctive squared-off humpbacked receiver. The new sweet sixteen’s receiver is of aluminum, which gives it the resilient strength against corrosion. The standard one, on the other hand, had its receiver mostly made of steel.

Barrels

The barrels on the older versions where the barrel ring mounts on the mag tube come with three holes drilled out to ease some weight away. On the other hand, the sweet sixteen enjoys a total barrel dynamics, which helps to extract the overall performance from this revered gauge (g 16).

Feel and Texture

There is a real difference in how the two guns feel, and their texture would easily tell them apart. The old A5 has a thinner wood finish that offers less grip; hence it is less stable in the hands than the new sweet sixteen. The new one has a checkered finish on the stock, making it attractive but sturdy to hold hence more stable in the hands than its predecessor.

Weight

With time the sweet sixteen came into the picture. One of the things that the manufacturers shelved from the older version was some excess weight from the stock and the forearm. This meant that the outcoming sweet sixteen had to weigh lesser than the original one.

‘Sweet Sixteen’ Designation

Initially, all A5 sweet sixteen had the ‘Sweet Sixteen’ designation inscribed on the receiver’s left side, which automatically reminded you that you were holding a sweet sixteen shotgun. However, over the years, the new sweet sixteen has evolved, and the guns have been refinished with the latest ones having the designation removed.

Safety

The older versions had the safety pins on the trigger guard’s front that slid back and forth through the trigger guard. These initial safety pins were considered unsafe, and they had to be replaced with at least two subsequent safety styles in the latest version. So essentially, the new sweet sixteen offers safer operations than what the old version did.

Shooting the New A5 Sweet Sixteen

After settling for the sweet sixteen shotguns, you have many expectations running in your mind about how the gun is going to function. The shooting experience can be very smooth and fun when you do everything right. So let us find out what happens after the purchase deal is sealed.

When bought, the gun comes out of the box very dry. After a few shots, it may start to fail to cycle the shells. The perfect shells you can consider for this gun include the Fiocchi 1-oz number 8. They offer a maximum speed of up to 1.156 fps, which are lighter for increased air velocity. Since the gun comes out when dry, you may consider applying some oil to smoothen the shooting process.

Convenience

I believe the speed loading gun plus feature would be more convenient than the standard option for semi-auto shotguns to load the gun. The gun’s trigger pull will appear a bit heavier than the overall weight of the gun. It weighs about 6.25 pounds, which is still a bearable weight for an entire operation. The trigger has a bit of creep, but its likely you won’t feel it because of the heavy trigger pull.

If you have a full face and a short neck, the sweet sixteen’s stock design would be a perfect fit. The drop of 1.75 inches at the nose area on the stock helps you better view the hump. If you do not have the full face and short neck, you have to lift your face over the stock.

Comfortably expect a perfectly stable operation despite the gun being delightfully light for field carry. It doesn’t whip about when shooting thanks to its long barrel. The gun comes packaged in a black ABS take-down case, ideal for car travel but not for demanding travel escapades.

It comes with the two extra chokes and wrench, stock lengths, spacers, cable trigger lock, manual, and six height shims. Its manual is unique as it gives you a detailed guide on how to use the gun. This ensures you have a comfortable time during the assembling and disassembling of the firearm.

Most Popular Browning Sweet 16 Accessories

Final Verdict

The Browning sweet sixteen is a revolutionary gun with outstanding features that will meet your expectations and exceed them. Mainly used for hunting, the sweet sixteen will improve your success score in the fields. Remember to have extra magazines for convenience during your hunts; this helps you reduce wastage of time refilling the magazine.

Do not forget to check out the features that define a modern sweet sixteen before making a purchase. Ensure you check the inertia action, new DS screw chokes, detachable trigger, and adjustable stock, among other features. Do not keep waiting any longer; get yourself a new sweet sixteen shotgun and join the rest in enjoying this gun’s excellent features.

Happy 90th, Hoyt! That is an impressive anniversary, and the company has done a remarkable job carrying Earl Hoyt’s passion and drive through the decades.

Hoyt pushes the envelope on innovation year in and year out and has been awarded nearly 50 patents. It’s been an impressive run, and judging from the lineup for 2021, it looks like they have no intention of letting up. Let’s look at one of their most anticipated new models, the Ventum 30.

The Ventum 30 features an all-new cam system in the HBX Hoyt Binary Cams that work with the Hybrid EXT split limbs to generate an advertised IBO speed of 342 fps. The Tec riser, with its open design, is home to Hoyt’s In-Line sight mount, Integrate Rest mount, compact roller guard, vibration dampeners, XACT grip and In-Line Short Stop Stabilizer.

Tricked Out Hub

The riser is home to many features and technologies, starting with the Tec riser design. A section of the riser loops behind the grip to create the Hoyt Tec-Lite structure, which channels vibration away from the main body of the bow, bypassing the grip and shooter’s hand. It also adds strength and gives every Hoyt bow instant brand recognition.

In addition to the typical sight mounting holes on the side of the sight window, you’ll find two on the front and a section of Picatinny rail in the box, which creates the company’s new In-Line Sight Mount. By anchoring the sight in line with the riser, balance is enhanced and the overall fit is streamlined. With the same goal in mind, Hoyt outfits their new rig with an Integrate Rest Mounting System that uses a machined dovetail on the back of the riser to attach one of QAD’s Integrate arrow rests. Once locked down, the Integrate system creates a solid and consistent platform for adjustments and tuning. A standard rest mounting hole is still available. Even the compact Roller Guard cable-management system sits in a recessed pocket and protrudes rearward to keep it in alignment with the riser.

The Ventum 30 is equipped with two forward-facing, stainless steel stabilizer mounting inserts — one in the traditional location just below the grip and another near the end of the riser by the lower limb pocket. The bottom mounting location’s position lowers the center of gravity and places it on the reflexed portion of the riser where it extends forward. The new location results in a 2-inch stabilizer having the same reach as a 6-inch one, which means you get the same or better benefits from a shorter, lighter stabilizer. Hoyt includes its 2.25-inch Short Stop Stabilizer with every purchase. A special SL SideBar Attachment is also mounted lower on the riser to increase effectiveness with a smaller and lighter side bar. The molded polymer XACT grip, a set of Shock Pods and a string stop complete the riser package.

New Cam

The HBX Hoyt Binary Cam is not a re-engineering of an older model — it’s a completely new design never before available. Described as binary, this three-groove, dual-cam system links the cams together through two control cables that attach only to the opposite cam. When pulling back the bow, you’re pulling against the cams, not the limbs as you would a yoked system attached to the outside of the limbs. This configuration is said to automatically correct for system imbalances caused by string stretch, timing, etc. The HBX covers a draw-length range of 25-30 inches using two rotating modules — 25-28-inches and 28.5-30 inches. All bows ship at 85 percent letoff; however, they can be adjusted to 80 percent without the need for a bow press.

Bunker Beast

Hoyt’s Hybrid EXT split limbs have a reputation for being built like a bunker. These multi-layered, laminated and machined limb designs are subjected to 1,000 full-on dry fires, with the bow set to an 80-pound draw weight and 30-inch draw length. Additionally, the bow design is advertised to withstand one million cycles. The company’s Uniform Stress Distribution process and Split Limb Technology create durable, wide-stance limbs that demonstrate exceptional torsional and lateral stability. Hoyt outfits the Ventum with a set of precision machined, tight tolerance limb pockets to handle the critical interface between limbs and riser.

Impressions

This is one of my favorite Hoyt bows of all time — all-around good performance with hardly any shock and no detectable vibration felt at the shot. Noise followed suit, with very little report from the Ventum 30 when fired. If there is a drawback, it’s the 4.6-pound bare bow mass weight. However, there are benefits to that mass as well. Hoyt is known for producing bows with smooth draw cycles, and the Ventum is one of their best. The XACT grip was comfortable and positioned my hand/wrist consistently.

The Specs

• Manufacturer: Hoyt, 801-363-2990, hoyt.com
• Model: Ventum 30
• Riser: Machined aluminum, reflex
• Grip: XACT, molded polymer
• Limbs: Hybrid EXT, split
• Draw Weights: 40, 50, 60, 65, 70 and 80 pounds peak
• Cam System: HBX, Hoyt Binary
• Letoff: 85 percent, with 80 percent option (advertised); 83.1 percent (tested)
• Draw Lengths: 25-30 inches, in half-inch increments; modular
• String: Fuse Custom, BCY X99, 57.9 inches
• Cables (x2): Fuse Custom, BCY X99, 33.75 inches
• Brace Height: 6.125 inches
• Axle-to-Axle Length: 30 inches
• Weight: 4.6 pounds (advertised and as tested)
• Finish: Film dipped Realtree Edge and eight other options
• Advertised IBO Speed: 342 fps
• MSRP: $1,199
• Comments: High performance marks across the board.

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Today I’m going to show you the best scope for hog hunting.

In fact:

I’ve hand- tested over 10 scopes alone for this review.

The best part?

I’ve sorted the scopes by use. So whether you’re on a budget or need the best AR-15 hog hunting scope, you’ll find it here.

Let’s dive in!

The 4 Best Scope For Hog Hunting

If you’re pressed on time, here’s a quick list of the best hog hunting scopes:

1. Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5×20: Best Hog Hunting Scope
2. Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35: Best Scope for Fast Target Acquisition
3. ATN X-Sight 4K Pro 5-20x: Best Night Vision Scope for Hog Hunting
4. Pulsar Trail 2 LRF XP50 Thermal Riflescope: Best Thermal Scope for Hog Hunting

1. Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5×20: Best Hog Hunting Scope

The Leupold FX-II Ultralight is a fantastic fixed-magnification scope in a lightweight, low profile package.

In fact, I think it’s the best scope for hog hunting.

Want to know why? Keep reading…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The glass on the FX-II is very clear.

Leupold used their Index Matched Lens System to fully multicoat the scope which results in a very clear image. This is great for hogs on the move.

Also, the light transmission in this scope is very good. In fact, it’s so good that I can get an extra 20 minutes of shooting time out of this scope versus trying to shoot with my naked eye.

This is because of Leupold’s Twilight Management System.

Now, on to the reticle.

This scope uses a simple Wide Duplex reticle. The wide posts are great for rapidly drawing my eye in to center, and the fine crosshairs are precise enough for target plinking at 150-200 yards.

The reticle is etched into the glass and shows up really well in low-light conditions. This pairs really nicely with that great light transmission I mentioned earlier and makes for easy, clear sighting on those late-night hog hunts.

There aren’t any holdover lines, but with a fixed 2.5x magnification, you don’t really need them. This reticle excels in fast target acquisition at close to mid range.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

Here’s one of my favorite things about the FX-II:

The eye relief is a whopping 4.9 inches!

At this distance, you can even set your scope up “scout style,” where you mount the scope in front of the receiver of your rifle. This setup is a literal must-have for bolt-action guns and Garands.

Combined with the low-fixed magnification, this setup allows me to use the scope while still keeping both my eyes open. Speaking of magnification…

Magnification & Parallax

This scope provides a fixed 2.5x zoom.

I find that this amount of magnification is perfect for hog hunting since I’m usually within about 100 yards to my target.

This level of magnification is also great for rimfire plinking and varmint hunting. I’ve had a blast running the FX-II on my Ruger 10-22.

I’ve had no issues at all with parallax on this scope. That’s because Leupold has factory set the parallax adjustment to 150 yards.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

This scope uses ¼ MOA click turrets.

I like the solid “click” that I get when making adjustments, and the low-profile turrets help give the scope a sleek look.

Zeroing was quick and easy. I was zeroed in within about 5 shots and after dozens of hunts, the zero has held true.

Durability & Weight

I’ve come to expect durability from Leupold scopes, and the FX-II doesn’t disappoint.

The scope is waterproof to a depth of 33 feet, fogproof, scratchproof, and shock resistant. If that’s not enough, Leupold also tested the scope at temperatures from -40 to 160 degrees.

All these features mean that you can take this scope into any conditions without worrying about damaging it.

Here’s my favorite thing about this scope: It only weighs 6.5 ounces.

This low weight is not only great for my comfort as a shooter, but it makes the scope more recoil resistant, too. The heavier the scope, the more it wants to stay in place when you fire. A lighter scope travels with the rifle with less resistance.

Basically, this means that the lighter the scope, the more it’s able to take recoils without taking any internal damage or messing with your zero.

Plus, when you’re out hunting, you’d want a lightweight optic. Remember, every ounce counts 🙂

Mounting & Rings

The FX-II doesn’t ship with any mounts or rings.

So I’d recommend Low Leupold Rifleman Scope Rings to mount this scope to your rifle of choice.

The scope does include some slip on lens covers. But honestly, they felt cheap. So I went with Leupold Ultralight Flip Back Lens Covers (Eye piece: size 59060, Objective: 20mm).

These will keep your glass protected while still maintaining that nice, low weight.

Is the Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5×20 worth it?

The Leupold FX-II is a great riflescope that proves that great things can come in small packages.

It’s got:

• 2.5x zoom
• Clear glass
• Solid “click” turrets
• Extremely lightweight
• High eye relief for scout setup
• Wide duplex reticle for fast target acquisition

Plus, the whole thing is backed by Leupold’s Gold Ring Lifetime Warranty.

So if you’re looking for a durable, lightweight, affordable riflescope for close-mid range hog hunting and target shooting, the FX-II Ultralight is for you.

Still not sure what you’re looking for in a scope? Check out this Essential Guide to Choosing a Rifle Scope.

2. Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35: Best Scope for Fast Target Acquisition

For fast target acquisition, Trijicon’s ACOG 3.5×35 more than achieves expectations.

In fact, the “Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight” has been used for medium distance engagements by Marines and Special Forces since the early 90’s.

I figured if it works for them then it’ll work for me. I wasn’t wrong.

Read on to learn more…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

Crystal clear glass.

That’s what I noticed when I first looked through the Trijicon ACOG. To be honest, I’m still a little amazed by how clear it actually looks. The image detail is awesome.

To top it off, I didn’t notice any fogging in the lens during those early morning hunts. Turns out, this optic is nitrogen purged.

When choosing my ACOG, I was a little overwhelmed by the different reticle choices Trijicon offers. With some research, I decided that the green BDC chevron was the best fit for me because it’s standard for military M4s.

After a few hog hunts, I absolutely loved this reticle. Here’s why:

First, it uses a simple-to-understand Bullet Drop Compensating (BDC) feature that automatically estimates windage, holdover and distance for you. Once you sight in at let’s say 100 yards, the hash marks below the reticle are great at picking off shots out to 800 meters.

And second, the illuminated reticle doesn’t need batteries to operate. During the day, a fiber optic light gathering strand directs light to the reticle. And at night, tritium illuminates the reticle.

However, I noticed that on REALLY bright days, the reticle can become too bright. This can make shooting distant targets inside a dim lit area somewhat challenging because the glow from the reticle is a little overwhelming.

I found that putting some tape on the fiber optic strand helps with reducing the illumination intensity. Simple fix in my opinion.

Speaking of fixing, the ACOG comes with a lense pen, which I use for maintenance. Keep in mind you’re not going to want to use any solvents on this (as with any high-end optic) or you’ll probably ruin the lense coating.

I haven’t done it myself but I have watched some guys hose mud off their ACOGs. Seems to work and their glass still looks great afterward!

Eye Relief & Eye Box

2.4 inches of eye relief is what you get.

Doesn’t seem like a lot, which is what I initially thought when I read the manual, but after actually using it on my rifle I’ve had no problems.

Keep in mind, troops use this ACOG on belt-fed machine guns without getting “eye punched” so you’ll be fine.

I had to remove my rear iron sight to get the proper eye relief but I don’t miss it. I even toyed with the idea of mounting iron sights offset at 45 degrees but simply decided I don’t need them with this ACOG.

The field of view when looking through the ACOG is more than generous for my needs. It also allows me to keep both eyes open, which greatly improves situation awareness.

Instead of squinting through a scope, I’m now able to more easily scan the surroundings during hog hunts and better prepare for my next target in competitive shooting.

In essence, the AGOC has noticeably improved my reaction time.

Not bad for only 2.4 inches of eye relief.

Durability

So far, the ACOG is the most dependable optic I own.

The moment I held it, I knew right off the bat this thing is built tough. And it’s true: The ACOG is forged from 7075-T6 aircraft grade aluminum alloy.

It’ll work if I do drop it.

And I have dropped it on a few occasions.

I have a SCAR 17, which is notorious for trashing out cheap optics, and the ACOG works flawlessly when paired with it.

No busted lenses or broken seals so far, even after dropping it from a tree stand onto roots. I’ve also dropped it on gravel and concrete. It still worked like a champ.

It’s also waterproof. The most water I’ve had on mine was from rain, but the specs say it can be submerged up to 100 meters.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

I’ve dropped my ACOG hard enough to dent one of the turret caps and it still maintains zero. Turrets still work great and feel durable.

Easy to zero but slightly different than other scopes. Adjustment increments are ½ inch per (audible) click at 100 yards. 2 clicks move the bullet 1 inch on the target.

The adjustment cap lanyard saved me from rummaging through tall grass to find butterfingered caps on more than one occasion.

Keep in mind…

As with any optic, don’t force the turrets beyond their adjustment limits — damaging the prism assembly is possible.

Even Superman has a weakness.

Parallax & Magnification

This ACOG has a fixed 3.5x magnification. Awesome for fast target acquisition.

No fumbling with various magnifications.

Plus, with 3.5x, longer shots using the BDC reticle are fun.

3.5x has less parallax than the 4x version. Up and down movement has no parallax that I can tell. There’s some parallax with side to side movement but nothing concerning.

Mounting & Rings

This optic comes with the thumbscrew mount for “flattop” MIL-STD-1913 rails or the carry handle screw and washer set (for ARs with fixed carry handles).

Can only find the carry handle mount option? Buy the MIL-STD adapter.

Adapters are also available for weaver rails and H&K firearms.

I use my ACOG on different firearms and prefer the throw lever mount for easy removal/attachment. There’s also a quick release option

Can’t seem to get the proper eye relief for your comfort? Try the extended eye relief adapter.

Concerned about lense reflections? Grab an anti-reflection device.

The ACOG comes with a Scopecoat but you may prefer a flip cover (like myself). Only available for the objective lens and it doesn’t work with the anti-reflection device.

Is the Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 worth it?

If you’re out hog hunting and need the best scope for fast target acquisition, then get the Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35.

Here’s why:

• Built strong
• No batteries
• Generous FOV
• Easy to understand BDC

I’ll have to admit:

The ACOG comes at a considerable price for a fixed magnification. But if you’re looking for fast target acquisition AND Special Forces approval, then this is it.

(Need something cheaper? Check out my review on the Aimpoint Pro vs. T1).

If you’re settled on buying this, be warned: Watch out for knockoffs. This video will help you determine what’s legit:

3. ATN X-Sight 4K Pro 5-20x: Best Night Vision Scope for Hog Hunting

The ATN X-Sight Pro is a high-tech night vision scope with a ton of advanced features.

In fact, it’s the best night vision scope available for hog hunting.

This scope packs in the kind of advanced features that you only get from a digital scope, but it looks and feels like a traditional riflescope.

How have they done this? Read on to find out.

Image Quality & Reticle

The image quality when looking through this scope is fantastic.

In the daylight, I can see every detail, and the color fidelity is incredible. This is all thanks to the 4k Ultra HD sensor that makes up the backbone of this scope.

And at night, I can clearly see my targets even in total blackness, thanks to the included infrared illuminator. This is important when hogs decide to charge in the night!

One of my favorite things about this scope is the reticle.

The X-Sight uses a digital Smart Mil Dot reticle.

You can customize the variance between the mil dots using the smartphone app so that your reticle is custom tailored to your caliber and load. Plus, the reticle automatically adjusts as you increase zoom.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

Unlike many digital scopes, the X-Sight has a much more traditional eye relief.

I set mine right at 3.5 inches.

Now, here’s one of my issues with this scope:

The eye box is pretty unforgiving. There is a lot of extra information displayed in the scope image, and I find that if I don’t keep my cheek weld solid, I can’t really see any of it.

That said, it’s still a lot more comfortable to use than my other digital scopes.

Special Features

ATN has put a lot of cool features into this scope.

One of the most advanced things this scope has is the Smart Rangefinder.

The scope will take two measurements from the reticle and calculate the distance to target. Then the range is displayed right there on screen. No more guesses.

The X-Sight also has a built-in Ballistic Calculator. Program in your weapon profile and environment data like wind and humidity using the smartphone app, and then the scope will adjust your point of impact accordingly.

Also, the X-Sight has full HD video streaming capabilities, and automatically records video when you start shooting. This is great for tracking a running target after you take your shot.

Basically, this scope does all the work for you!

Durability and Battery

This scope is pretty durable, as far as digital scopes go.

It’s water resistant, weather resistant, and tested to operate at temperatures from -40 to 130 degrees.

The tube is made from high-grade aluminum, and it’s fogproof and shockproof too.

The battery life on this scope is great. You can run the scope for 18 hours without having to recharge it. This is perfect for long hunts, or trips where you don’t have access to a charger between hunts.

Zeroing

Zeroing was incredibly quick.

This scope has a One Shot Zero system. All I had to do was take a shot, adjust my point of impact, and I was good to go.

I’ve put hundreds of rounds through my Mini-14 with this scope mounted, and have had no problems with the zero straying.

Magnification

The X-Sight gives you 5-20x variable magnification.

I’ve noticed that the image tends to pixelate a little bit at the higher magnifications, but not enough to obscure my target. I can easily shoot targets up to 800 yards out using this scope.

Also, this scope uses a smooth zoom wheel rather than buttons. I prefer the way this feels versus my other digital scopes. It acts like a traditional glass scope, which is more what I’m used to.

Mounting & Accessories

The ATN X-Sight includes a picatinny rail with standard rings, plus one L-shaped ring to use with accessories. It also includes an infrared illuminator and a sun shade, so right out of the box, it’s ready for both night and day shooting.

I highly recommend getting the ABL Laser Rangefinder from ATN.

It attaches right onto the side of the scope, and automatically communicates with the scope via Bluetooth. The built-in Smart Rangefinder is nice, but for hogs, you’ll want to be able to instantly get a range on your target.

The X-Sight also ships with a nice neoprene scope cover, but it doesn’t include any lens caps. I recommend Butler Creek Flip Caps (Objective Size 48, Eyepiece Size 02.)

Is the ATN X-Sight Pro 5-20x worth it?

Overall, the X-Sight Pro packs advanced digital features into a streamlined scope that resembles more traditional glass scopes.

It’s got:

• 4k Ultra HD image
• Comfortable eye relief
• Customizable digital mil dot reticle
• Automatic video recording and streaming
• Built in Smart Rangefinder and Ballistic Calculator
• Night Vision Mode with included infrared illuminator

Plus, the scope is covered by ATN’s 2 Year Warranty.

So if you want the best night vision scope for hog hunting at night that’s easy and comfortable to use, look no further than the X-Sight Pro. Those hogs will never see you coming!

Need a good scope for your .22-250? Check out our top picks.

4. Pulsar Trail 2 LRF XP50 Thermal Riflescope: Best Thermal Scope for Hog Hunting

The Pulsar Trail 2 LRF XP50 is a fantastic thermal riflescope.

In fact, it’s the best thermal scope you can buy for hog hunting.

(If you’re unsure if you need a thermal or NV scope, read this article.)

Pulsar crammed a ton of hi-tech features into this scope, and managed to keep the price much lower than their competitors, too.

Want to know if the Trail 2 LRF is for you? Read on to find out.

Image Clarity & Reticle

The Trail 2 LRF produces one of the clearest digital images I’ve ever seen in a scope.

Usually, when I use a thermal scope, I can tell when I’m aiming at heat, but I can’t tell what that heat is coming from. Most thermal scopes just produce a blob of white.

But the Trail 2 LRF shows every detail. I can clearly see and identify what I’m aiming at, whether it be a hog or a coyote. This is because of the advanced thermal sensor in the scope, which can detect heat up to 2000 yards away.

In fact, this scope has such a clear image, I can use it in full daylight with no problems at all.

Speaking of range, the Trail 2 LRF has a built-in laser rangefinder that displays the range to target right there in the display. No more guessing the distance to the hog — just raise your rifle, aim and shoot.

This scope also lets you swap between white-hot and black-hot modes. Between that and the 13 different reticles, I was able to find the perfect settings for every shooting scenario.

Recording and Streaming

The Trail 2 is so advanced that it connects wirelessly to your smartphone or tablet for easy recording and streaming of your hunts.

If you want to show off your hunts on YouTube or Twitch, this is definitely the scope for you!

I personally like the recording feature because I’m not the best shot in the world, and sometimes my target will try and run before falling. The recording makes it really easy to spot the location and see which direction the hog started running in.

This makes it easier and quicker to find your game after the kill.

And you don’t have to remember to press the “Record” button. The Trail 2 detects when you fire a shot and automatically records from there, so you never have to worry about missing the action.

Recorded footage is stored in the scope and can be easily downloaded to your smart device or computer once you get back home. Reliving a great hunt has never been easier!

Eye Relief

The eye relief is right under 2 inches.

This took me a little getting used to, but once I got a feel for the extended eyepiece, I had no issues at all maintaining eye box.

2 inches is a little closer than I would normally mount a scope, but you need a close relief with thermal scopes. I’ve never had any issues with scope bite and I’ve used this scope on multiple calibers of rifles.

Durability

With the Pulsar Trail 2 having so much tech, I thought this thing would be fragile.

But was I wrong.

The Trail 2 LRF was recoil tested by Pulsar for up to 12 gauge/.357 H&H. I can confirm that first hand.

Plus, the scope can be submerged in up to three feet of water and still be completely fine.

The scope is fogproof, dustproof, and frost resistant as well. So you can take this scope into any field conditions and not have to worry about breaking it.

Zeroing

Zeroing was insanely easy.

The Trail 2 uses the Pulsar “One Shot Zero” function to ensure quick and easy zeroing right out of the box.

And I’ve taken mine on dozens of hunts and had no issues with the scope straying from zero at all.

Plus, this scope allows you to save up to three different profiles, and each of these profiles has up to five range settings that you can save.

This means that you can set this scope up for 3 different rifles and swap it out between them without having to do any major settings changes.

I love this feature because it means I can zero my Trail 2 on my three favorite rifles (ex: go from my AR to my M1A) and pick which one I want to use on the night of the hunt.

Magnification

You get 1.6-12.8x magnification from this scope.

I’ve noticed no image quality issues at all even when I zoom in to max.

Also, you can either use 2x steps or zoom smoothly. The 2x steps are nice and quick for when you need to zoom in on your target fast, and the smooth zoom is nice for when I have time to be more precise.

This is great for hog hunting, when your targets could come out of the treeline at almost any range without warning.

My favorite feature on the Trail 2 though is the Picture in Picture Zoom. Picture in Picture mode puts the zoomed in image in the top portion of the display while still showing the whole zoomed out image behind it.

The Picture in Picture mode makes it really easy to zoom in on your target for a good shot while still being able to keep an eye on your background. You don’t want to miss your hog and hit some cattle because you couldn’t see it grazing just behind your target!

Accessories

The Trail 2 LRF comes with some great accessories out of the box.

It’s got a carrying case, USB cord, cleaning cloth, and a battery charger. (Also, even though it comes with its own charger, I’ve found that any micro-USB charger will work!)

The scope also comes with a weaver rail and hex wrench for mounting to your rifle of choice.

And no need for flip caps — the Trail 2 already has one built-in on the objective lens.

Is the Pulsar Trail 2 LRF XP50 Thermal Riflescope worth it?

All in all, the Pulsar Trail 2 is an incredible thermal riflescope at about half the price of the competition.

It’s got:

• 1.6-12.8x magnification
• Picture in Picture mode
• Built-in laser rangefinder
• Detailed, clear thermal image
• 13 different digital reticles to choose from
• Easy automatic recording and streaming to your smart device

And if all that wasn’t enough, the Trail 2 LRF comes with Pulsar’s 3 Year Warranty.

If you want to feel like the Predator on your next hunt and need the best thermal scope for hog hunting, then the Pulsar Trail 2 is for you.

Now It’s Your Turn

I hope you enjoyed my best scope for hog hunting guide.

So as a recap:

If you’re looking for the best hog hunting scope, get the Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5×20.

Looking for the best scope for fast target acquisition? Choose Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35.

How about the best night vision scope for hog hunting? Then opt-in for ATN X-Sight 4K Pro 5-20x.

Lastly, if you are looking for the best thermal scope for hog hunting, I’d recommend Pulsar Trail 2 LRF XP50 Thermal Riflescope.

That said, you can’t go wrong with any of these options. After all, I have hand and torture tested all the above scopes, and proved to be reliable.

Now I want to turn it over to you:

Which rifle scope will you pick for your hog hunting?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment down below.

This is my main page for survival hunting and trapping. These are links to proven ways you can hunt, trap and snare animals in a survival situation.

Please understand that I hate killing things. I do it because if I don’t kill and eat something, I die. And I kinda like staying alive. So, I kill things. But I do it with as much respect to the animal as I can.

Here’s a list of things that I follow as closely as possible when it comes to hunting and trapping. And these apply to survival situations as well as for sport.

Make a Clean Kill

First of all, make a clean kill. The faster the animal dies and the less suffering, the better. Learn where the kill zones are when hunting.

If you’re trapping, set traps that kill right away, either on impact or by drowning the animal quickly. Use leg holds and traps that constrict an animal’s movement only when nothing else will work. I can tell you from experience that it’s pretty sickening to find a leg and nothing else in a trap. Learn from my mistakes.

Same thing with snares. Set them so they kill the animal right away. You don’t want to be responsible for maiming an animal and make it suffer. This is especially true when setting survival snares with primitive gear. You don’t want to assume that what works with a wire snare will work with twisted fiber, it often doesn’t.

Use the Animal Wisely

Use as much as you can from any animal you kill. You’ll certainly want to take all the meat and edible internal organs. You can also cook the bones, eat the meat off them, and grind them into a nutritious paste. Take anything else you can use like the stomach, tendons and esophagus.

But… and this is where I disagree with well-intentioned laws in some areas, sometimes you want to leave a little food behind for the natural predators in an area. That’s especially true if you aren’t in a survival situation.

You are taking the food source of the coyotes, badgers, foxes, hawks, owls and mountain lions. All those predators will scavenge anything you leave behind, providing them with at least some of a meal they might have gotten all of if it wasn’t for you.

Don’t Hunt or Trap Unless You Have Water

Also, remember that if you don’t have plenty of water, you don’t want to eat anything at all, especially meat. It takes a lot of water to digest protein. If you are eating meat but aren’t drinking enough water, your body will suck the water right out of your cells to digest the meat. And that will dehydrate you even more.

In some of the instruction here I use modern ways to acquire game. In other cases it’s pure primitive where you are going out with nothing but a knife.

Wherever I can, I make videos to go along with the articles and pictures. It takes a tremendous amount of work, but I know you guys appreciate it.

Survival Hunting And Trapping Links

Survival snaring with modern snares Here are the topics that are coming in this section on survival hunting and trapping: Survival hunting – making an atlatl Survival hunting – throwing sticks traditional archery and how to make a selfbow. Survival trapping with modern traps Survival trapping with primitive traps Survival snaring with primitive snares

Crabbing is a great way to spend time on the water, and trot-lining is a very effective and fairly easy way to fill the bushel basket. Crabbing in my family started when I was very young, when I would go out with my dad and have a fun morning—and then an even better afternoon as we got to feast on the succulent crustaceans. Then I started my own business crabbing commercially for the past two summers. Here are 10 things I learned while trot-lining on the bay.

1. Don’t be afraid to pick up and move your line. Crabs are very depth- and bottom-oriented. If you’re not in the right area, you simply won’t catch crabs. Although moving the line may seem like a waste of time when you’re out on the water, if you’re only catching a crab or two that are keepers every run, it’s worth it to try a different depth. The type of bottom you’re over also plays a big role. If you notice that your trot line is flinging mud off your baits and you’re not catching crabs, go try a spot where you know there’s a shell bottom.

2. Use a heavy enough anchor. I highly recommend using mushroom anchors. Mushrooms are very easy to handle, can be dragged if necessary, and work on all bottoms. When buying your mushroom anchor, it’s crucial to choose an anchor heavy enough to stick on the bottom when you pick up the line to start running it. If your anchor is too light, you’ll drag it as the boat moves forward. This process will create lots of slack in your line, and will ruin that run—while also creating a problem (all that slack) that you need to fix. An anchor anywhere from seven to 10 pounds should do the trick. Although heavier anchors are harder to move around the boat, it is more important that you can run your trotline effectively.

3. Tighten or tie baits as tightly as possible to your line and snoods. Crabs are very tricky carnivorous devils. Whatever bait you are using, you should tie or tighten your snood as tightly as possible. On a good day of crabbing, especially if you are using chicken necks, after a couple of hours your baits will start to go missing. If you don’t tighten down the baits to your line to the full potential, even more will be missing. Crabs are able to dislodge baits from the line and they will scuttle away with it whenever possible, freeloaders taking that bait you paid for and painstakingly put on the line.

4. Use clips or carabineers at the ends of your main line. It’s great to use metal clips or carabineers for attachment points. They allow you to connect your anchor and float lines to your main line in a timely fashion. This will make setting out your line much easier, because all you must do is put a loop (at the end of your main line) in the clip and then you can keep feeding your line overboard. Also, this allows for easy storage of your anchors and floats because when pulling in the line you can simply unclip it and leave the rest of the rig on the boat until next time. When using a 1200 foot line it can be advantageous to have clips in the middle of your line, too. If you’re uncertain where crabs are going to be, you can split your trot line into two half-lines and lay them in different areas, to test where the crabs are.

5. At each end of mainline, use a short length of galvanized chain. This will ensure that the line is resting on the bottom, so crabs are able to locate the baits and hang on until the scooper is ready to attack. When using a long trot line, some people like to add another short length of chain in the middle.

6. Keep enough slack in the line. Although too much slack can ruin your run and impede on the operations, it’s crucial to make sure that your line is not too tight, either. In most cases it’s obvious when your line is too tight; it will be stretched out so you see baits a mile away, and in turn, you will watch as crabs drop the baits because they see what’s headed for them. If this is happening to you, it’s actually very easy to fix. Go to the end and grab the anchor line, pull it until you feel the anchor lift off the bottom, and then simply drop it back down. This will add a bit of slack into your line and after you run it a few times, the line should level out and run more effectively.

7. Work with the tide and wind, not against it. When it is a bit choppy or windy it can be very hard to crab. Try your best to set the line in a calmer area that’s sheltered from the wind. If you know where the crabs are but your spot is troubled by wind, it is crucial that you run your line with the wind at your back. By doing this you will avoid many troubles; going too slow while the wind pushes against your bow, not being able to control where your boat is going, and your bow crashing against the waves and scaring off crabs. Don’t worry too much about how this affects your speed, because as long as you remain at idle it’s rare to go fast enough to cause crabs to drop off, even with a strong wind at your back.

8. Judge soak-time by trot line length. How long you wait before you begin scooping crabs again, after finishing a run, depends on how long your line is. When using a 600 foot trot line, it’s important to let your baits sit for 10 minutes (give or take) before running it again. This is because with a shorter line you will run it faster, and there will be less time for the baits to rest on the bottom. If you’re using a 1200 foot trotline, however, by the time you finish your run the first baits you scooped on have already been resting on the bottom for a while so you can go back to the start and run it right away. If crabbing is really hot, even with a shorter line you should start a new run quickly—in some cases the crabs will just eat off your baits, if you give them any extra time.

9. Use a wire-mesh net. Using a nylon or cotton mesh net is a very common mistake for beginner crabbers. Making an investment into a nice wire-mesh net is very important and will lead to a lot less frustration down the road. When using a nylon or cotton net, the crabs will get stuck in the mesh much easier or the mesh will tangle in the line. You have a lot less control with the mesh, and in turn will miss more crabs.

10. Try your best not to cast a shadow over your trot line. When running the line on a bright day, it’s important that you run the trot line in a direction so that your shadow doesn’t cast over top your line. If the sun is to your back and a shadow appears over your line, the crabs will see it and let go of the baits before you have time to scoop them. It may mean changing the direction you run the line in or even how you have your trot line laid out, but either way, eliminating that shadow will mean catching more crabs.

The more you go and do it, the more crabs you will catch. Every boat and every trot line is a little bit different, and it may take a season or two to get the trot-lining process down with confidence. But scooping crabs as you watch the sunrise is very relaxing—and eating crabs as you watch the sunset may even be better.

– by Max Rudow

Want to learn how to go trot lining from a kayak? Check out this video: