What are the best 7mm PRC rifles for hunting in 2024?

Hornady introduced the much anticipated 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge to the world in late 2022 and the hunting community responded with an incredible amount of enthusiasm. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the 7mm PRC is currently one of the hottest centerfire rifle cartridges in use today and I don’t think I can recall a new cartridge that was this popular from the very start. For that reason, numerous rifle manufacturers in the United States have started to produce a wide range of 7mm PRC rifles for hunting elk, deer, pronghorn, black bear, moose, and other big game animals.

The flat shooting and hard hitting 7 mm Precision Rifle Cartridge was a massive hit among hunters and shooters in North America who appreciated the outstanding accuracy potential and the incredible power the cartridge still packs even at extended range. It also compares favorably in performance to many other popular 7 mm cartridges, like the tried and true 7 mm Rem Mag.

To that end, all 7mm PRC rifles are built with a faster twist rate (usually 1:8″) that enables them to deliver top performance with the high BC bullets best suitable for long-range shooting. Specifically, the 7mm PRC is designed to shoot heavy-for-caliber bullets (specifically 175-grain and 180-grain lead core and 160-grain monolithic .284 caliber bullets) with great accuracy.

However, not all 7mm PRC rifles are created equal and different situations require different characteristics in a rifle.

Fortunately, there’s already a wide variety of 7mm PRC rifles well suited for most big game hunting situations. So, regardless of whether you’re planning on hunting elk in Wyoming, moose in Canada, mule deer in Colorado, whitetail out east, or some other big game hunting adventure elsewhere in the world, there is pretty much guaranteed to be something for everyone on the list below of the best 7mm PRC rifles for hunting.

In this article, I share my picks for the best 7mm PRC rifles for hunting elk, deer, pronghorn, black bears, moose, and all sorts of other big game. I’ll also go over the pros and cons of each individual rifle and help you select the right one for your specific hunting situation.

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

It’s also important to realize the rifle is just a single part of the equation. Even the best rifle won’t be of much use without a high quality scope and without appropriate ammunition. Plus, a rifle sling and bipod can be very useful accessories as well.

Learn more about what I consider the best scope, factory ammo, bipod, and sling options for the 7mm PRC to use on your next hunt at the links below.

Best 7mm PRC Ammo For Hunting Elk, Deer, & Other Big Game

17 Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting In 2024

Best Hunting Rifle Slings For 2024

Best Hunting Rifle Bipods For 2024

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

Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT

I’ll cut straight to the case: I think the Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT is the best 7mm PRC rifle available for all-around hunting use.

Christensen Arms expanded their Ridgeline FFT line to include the brand new 7mm PRC round in early 2024 and it features their signature stainless-steel carbon-wrapped barrel, a TriggerTech trigger, and a stock, floorplate, and bolt knob all made from their new FFT (Flash Forged Technology) carbon parts.

The end result is a rifle that’s very light. Specifically, the Ridgeline FFT comes from the factory weighting about 5.8 pounds. Mine weighs just a touch over 7 pounds with a Leupold VX-5HD scope, sling, and full magazine.

For reference, this rifle weighs less even when “fully loaded” than some of the other 7mm PRC rifles on this list do when they’re completely stripped down. A light rifle like that is really nice to have on a physically demanding hunt and the reduced effort necessary to carry it for long distances can help you hunt longer, hike farther, and still be ready to take the shot when the opportunity comes.

Plus, my Ridgeline FFT will consistently shoot quarter sized groups (or smaller) at the range all day long with Hornady Precision Hunter and Outfitter factory ammunition. My best groups with this rifle at 100 yards measured around .8″ with Hornady Precision Hunter ammunition shooting 175 gr ELD-X bullets.

I also think it looks really cool too.

The Ridgeline comes from the factory with a stainless steel radial muzzle brake. I found that brake to be quite effective at reducing recoil. However, it’s also removable and the Ridgeline has a standard 5/8 x 24 thread pattern for those who want to use a different muzzle brake or a suppressor, which is the route I went.

I took mine to South Africa in mid-2024 and it performed flawlessly on plains game. I carried that rifle for several dozen miles through the African bushveld over the course of a 9 day hunt without issues. It was an absolute dream to carry on a hunt and shot great.

Yes, that’s a left handed rifle in the photo above, which brings me to my next point: Christensen Arms is one of the very few manufacturers who produces left handed 7mm PRC rifles. I think the Ridgeline FFT is hands-down the best left-handed option in that chambering that’s currently available too.

All in all, I think the Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT is the best 7mm PRC rifle you can get right now and it delivers performance approaching what you’d get with a fully custom rifle at a much more reasonable price. It’s light enough to carry on basically any hunt without undue stress, but also isn’t so light that it’s extremely difficult to shoot accurately.

It will work great for a wide range of situations ranging from deer hunting in thick terrain to to pronghorn hunting on the open prairie, to elk or mule deer hunting in the high country. The Ridgeline FFT will also fit the bill for someone who wants a lightweight rifle for a sheep or goat hunt in extremely rough terrain.

However, the Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT Titanium is probably a better choice for someone who wants an ultra-lightweight 7mm PRC rifle. That model is basically identical to the Ridgeline FFT, but has a titanium action and is about a half pound lighter than the already feather light Ridgeline FFT.

Long story short, it’s tough to go wrong with a Christensen arms Ridgeline FFT in 7mm PRC.

• Overall Length: 42″
• Barrel Length: 22″
• Length of Pull: 13.625″
• Weight: 5lbs 13oz (Ridgeline FFT) or 5lbs 5oz (Ridgeline FFT Titanium)
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:8″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes, Muzzle Brake included (5/8″-24 thread pattern)
• Magazine Size: 3+1
• Accuracy Guarantee: Yes (1 MOA or better)
• Left Handed Models Available: Yes
• MSRP: $2,399.99

BUY A CHRISTENSEN ARMS RIDGELINE FFT HERE

BUY A CHRISTENSEN ARMS RIDGELINE FFT TITANIUM HERE

BUY A LEFT HANDED CHRISTENSEN ARMS RIDGELINE HERE

Also Available At: Guns.com & Sportsman’s Warehouse

Mossberg Patriot Predator

Though they were originally best known for their shotguns, O.F. Mossberg and Co. has made a name for themselves in recent years for their Patriot rifles. Indeed, the Mossberg Patriot has gained a reputation as a good value hunting rifle for a variety of uses.

Well, Mossberg was one of the first companies to start producing 7mm PRC rifles when they announced the Mossberg Patriot rifle chambered in the new 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge in early 2024.

Built on the tried and true Patriot chassis, the Patriot Predator sports an optics ready Picatinny Rail, an oversized bolt handle, a user-adjustable trigger (2-7 pounds), and a spiral fluted barrel. The barrel also has an 11-degree Match Crown and is also threaded to accept a suppressor or after market muzzle brake.

The base model Patriot Predator rifle in 7mm PRC has a blued barrel and a flat dark earth (FDE) colored synthetic stock. However, Mossberg also makes a Cerakote/Strata Camo version of the Patriot Predator rifle in 7mm PRC that otherwise identical, but has a cerakote finish on the barrel and a Strata Camo stock.

All in all, I’d say the Mossberg Patriot Predator is definitely in the running the best value 7mm PRC rifle available and is an excellent choice for someone who wants a quality 7mm PRC rifle without breaking the bank.

• Overall Length: 44.25″
• Barrel Length: 24″
• Length of Pull: 13.75″
• Weight: 6.5lbs
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:8″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes
• Magazine Size: 3+1
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: No
• MSRP: $536 or $636 (Cerakote/Strata Camo)

BUY A MOSSBERG PATRIOT PREDATOR HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

Savage 110 Apex Hunter XP

The 110 Apex Hunter XP by Savage Arms is another one of the most reasonably priced 7mm PRC rifles currently available on the market.

The Apex Hunter XP in 7mm PRC has a 2 round detachable box magazine, a black synthetic stock that may be adjusted for length of pull, a user adjustable AccuTrigger (approximately a 2.5 to 6 pound trigger pull), and comes from the factory with a Vortex Crossfire II scope mounted and boresighted on the included rail system.

Additionally, the 22-inch barrel is a good balance of long enough for good performance with the 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge, but not so long that the rifle is unwieldy.

Realize that you will take a small hit to your muzzle velocity by going with a 22″ instead of a 24″ barrel, but the 7mm PRC actually performs surprisingly well with a 22″ (or potentially even shorter) barrel. So, that tradeoff is worth it for many hunters.

Savage also makes an identical version of the 110 Apex Hunter XP for left handed shooters, which is another great choice for someone looking for the best left handed 7mm PRC rifle.

This is not a high end custom rifle and it lacks a lot of the bells and whistles other, more expensive rifles have. However, the Savage 110 Apex Hunter XP is a very functional rifle that will work well for someone with a smaller budget who wants a good all-around 7mm PRC hunting rifle.

• Overall Length: 43″
• Barrel Length: 22″
• Length of Pull: 12.75-13.75″
• Weight: 7lbs 13oz
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:8″
• Threaded Barrel: No
• Magazine Size: 2+1 (detachable magazine)
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: Yes
• MSRP: $709

BUY A SAVAGE APEX HUNTER HERE

BUY A LEFT HANDED SAVAGE APEX HUNTER HERE

Also Available At: Sportsman’s Warehouse

Browning X-Bolt Speed

The Browning X-Bolt Speed is another great 7mm PRC rifle for hunters, especially those wanting something that’s lighter and easier to carry that’s still capable of a high degree of accuracy and precision.

In addition to all the standard features of the X-Bolt model rifles, the X-Bolt Speed has some other nice characteristics like a cerakote finish for corrosion resistance, a composite stock with an Ovix camouflage pattern, a great recoil pad, and a free floated 24” threaded barrel with a muzzle brake.

This 7mm PRC rifle also has a sporter contour barrel that’s fluted at the end to keep weight down while still being threaded for a radial muzzle brake (included) or suppressor.

It’s not quite as light as the Ridgeline FFT, but the X-Bolt Speed is also little bit less expensive. All in all, this is another one of the best lightweight 7mm PRC rifles available.

• Overall Length: 44.75″
• Barrel Length: 24″
• Length of Pull: 13.625″
• Weight: 6lbs 5oz
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:8″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes, Muzzle Brake included (M13x0.75 thread pattern)
• Magazine Size: 3 (detachable rotary magazine)
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: No
• MSRP: $1,429.99

BUY A BROWNING X-BOLT SPEED HERE

Browning X-Bolt Max Long Range

The Browning X-Bolt Max Long Range is basically the other side of the coin from the Browning X-Bolt Speed. Just as the name states, it’s a 7mm PRC rifle optimized for target shooting or long range hunting performance.

The new 7mm PRC caliber is designed to use heavier bullets with higher ballistic coefficients and this particular rifle is a good way to pair those heavy bullets with a faster muzzle velocity and a very stable shooting platform optimized for accuracy.

To that end, this rifle has a longer 26″ stainless steel, fluted heavy sporter barrel for the long range accuracy and performance. The composite Max stock has an adjustable comb for proper eye-to-scope alignment and also comes with 1/4″ and 1/2″ length of pull spacers to help the shooter adjust the stock for proper fit.

The particular model rifle pictured above uses a black and gray textured finish composite stock, but Browning also offers an identical rifle with their Ovix camouflage pattern.

The stock also has 3 separate sling swivel studs for use with a sling and/or bipod. The barrel also has a 5/8″-24 thread pattern and comes with a very aggressive Recoil Hawg muzzle brake Browning claims can reduce recoil up to 76%. For those who don’t want to use the brake, a thread protector is included and the rifle can also be used with a suppressor, which should also result is less recoil.

This rifle weighs just over 8 pounds without a scope, so it’s not exactly lightweight, but isn’t extremely heavy either. Even so, this rifle is designed more for long-range performance than for ease of carry.

With that in mind, this rifle should be a very stable shooting platform that helps the shooter wring all the performance possible out of the flat shooting and hard hitting 7mm PRC rifle cartridge and the aerodynamic bullets it uses.

That extra weight, when combined with the recoil pad and very aggressive muzzle brake, will also really help tame recoil.

This is pretty far from a good mountain hunting rifle. However, this is definitely one of the best long range 7mm PRC rifles you can buy these days. The Browning X-Bolt Max Long Range also not so large or heavy that it’s impossible to carry either.

This is an absolutely perfect 7mm PRC hunting rifle for those hunting in more open and/or gently rolling terrain where a stable shooting platform and the best long range performance are more important than a lightweight and easy to carry rifle.

Get the Browning X-Bolt Max Long Range if you want a great rifle with a long effective range and don’t mind lugging around some extra weight. Go with something else if that’s not what you’re looking for.

• Overall Length: 46.825″
• Barrel Length: 26″
• Length of Pull: 13.75″
• Weight: 8lbs 3oz
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:8″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes, Muzzle Brake included (5/8″-24 thread pattern)
• Magazine Size: 3 (detachable rotary magazine)
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: No
• MSRP: $1,479.99

BUY A BROWNING X-BOLT MAX LONG RANGE HERE

Ruger American

Ruger’s American rifle has gained a reputation for being one of the most reasonably priced centerfire hunting rifles around today. These are great guns hunters all over the world have used the Ruger American to take almost any species of big game you can think of, to include the biggest game in North America.

Well, Ruger has fortunately added the 7mm PRC to their Ruger American lineup, which is another great value 7mm PRC hunting rifle that’s also functional and well built.

This rifle does not have a lot of bells and whistles or cool design features. However, it’s a very serviceable, practical, and reasonably priced 7mm PRC rifle for many hunters.

The Ruger American does not come with an accuracy guarantee and you likely won’t be winning any shooting competitions with it. However, every single one of these rifles I’ve used over the years has shot surprisingly well.

This particular version of the American rifle has a cerakote finish on the barrel and a synthetic stock with a “GO Wild® Camo I-M Brush” color. It also has a threaded barrel (5/8″-24) and comes with a removable muzzle brake that may be replaced with a thread protector (sold separately) or suppressor.

All things considered, the Ruger American is an outstanding 7mm PRC rifle for hunting a variety of big game, but is an especially good choice for someone who wanted to use primarily for hunting whitetail deer and feral hogs who wanted a rifle they could also use on an elk or moose hunt in the future.

• Overall Length: 44″
• Barrel Length: 24″
• Length of Pull: 13.75″
• Weight: 7.1lbs
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:8″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes (5/8″-24 thread pattern)
• Magazine Size: 3
• Accuracy Guarantee: No
• Left Handed Models Available: No
• MSRP: $789

BUY A RUGER AMERICAN HERE

Also Available At: Cabela’s, Guns.com, and Sportsman’s Warehouse

Fierce Carbon Rouge

Fierce Firearms is a smaller and newer rifle maker based out of Redmond, Utah. Instead of focusing on budget rifles, Fierce Firearms produces a lot of higher end models that utilize carbon fiber and other modern and innovate features.

Well, Fierce immediately started producing 7 mm PRC rifles right after Hornady introduced the cartridge and the Carbon Rouge is one of their offerings in that chambering. The Carbon Rouge has a both a carbon stock and a carbon-wrapped barrel. You have the option of selecting either a 22-inch or a 24-inch barrel with the Carbon Rouge.

It also has an innovative integral bipod rail and QD flush cups.

As you can imagine, this rifle is light. This rifle also comes with an astounding .75-MOA accuracy guarantee. When combined with the overall lightweight, modern design of the Carbon Rouge, this definitely looks like a great rifle for those who want a lightweight rifle with plenty of reach.

All in all, the Fierce Carbon Rouge is an outstanding 7mm PRC hunting rifle for someone who wants high end performance without shelling out the cash necessary to purchase a completely custom rifle.

• Overall Length: 42-44″
• Barrel Length: 22″ or 24″
• Weight: 5.8lbs
• Rifling Twist Rate: 1:8″
• Threaded Barrel: Yes (5/8″-24), radial muzzle brake included
• Magazine Size: 3
• Accuracy Guarantee: Yes (.75 MOA at 100 yards)
• Left Handed Models Available: No
• MSRP: $2,199.99

BUY A FIERCE CARBON ROUGE HERE

Also Available At: Guns.com

It’s also important to realize the rifle is just a single part of the equation. Even the best rifle won’t be of much use without a high quality scope and without appropriate ammunition. Plus, a rifle sling and bipod can be very useful accessories as well.

Learn more about what I consider the best scope, factory ammo, bipod, and sling options for the 7mm PRC to use on your next hunt at the links below.

Best 7mm PRC Ammo For Hunting Elk, Deer, & Other Big Game

17 Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting In 2024

Best Hunting Rifle Slings For 2024

Best Hunting Rifle Bipods For 2024

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Red dot sights are commonly used on pistols, but what about air rifles? Are they just as effective? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of red dot sights on air rifles to see if they’re worth the investment.

Pros of Red Dot Sights:

• Huge range- Red dot sights have a much larger range than traditional iron sights, making them ideal for long-range shooting.
• Fast and straight- Red dot sights are incredibly fast and straight, meaning you can get on target quickly and accurately.
• Easy to spot- The red dot is easy to spot, even in low light conditions. This makes it easier to keep your eye on the target.

Cons of Red Dot Sights:

• The Picatinny mounting rails obviously won’t fit standard scope grooves, so most airgunners will need to buy mounting adaptors. These aren’t expensive, but they’re an on-cost which needs to be considered.
• Red dot sights can be susceptible to damage from impact or vibrations. This means they might not be ideal for some types of air rifles such as break barrels.

Conclusion

Red dot sights have a lot of advantages, but there are also a few things to keep in mind before you purchase one. They’re more expensive than traditional iron sights, but they offer a much larger range and are faster and easier to use. However, they may not suitable for break barrel air rifles.

The real secret to catching more fish is knowledge! The more you know, the more fish you’ll catch. These Northern Pike ice fishing tips and techniques are proven winners.

Love ’em or hate ’em, if you’re ice fishing, you’re likely to run into some Northern Pike. Near the top of the food chain in nearly any lake they inhabit, these aggressive fish can be a ton of fun to catch! And, once you get past the slime and the Y-bone their good eating too.

If you want to catch more Northern Pike the two most important keys are location and presentation. You could have the most appealing bait in the world but if there aren’t any fish around it’s going to be a looong day. And, not catching a thing while everyone else around you is catching fish can be really frustrating. What you present to the fish is just as important as finding them.

The information found here is best used along with some investigative work done by you. Finding out what the Department of Natural Resources says about a lake and talking to local anglers, especially at the bait shop, can save you a ton of time finding the fish and knowing what they’re biting on.

Northern Pike have very good vision but limited night vision. Unlike most other fish species Northern Pike remain active in the winter and are primarily caught during broad daylight.

Northern Pike Ice Fishing Location

Northern Pike location is often dictated by their belly. They don’t swim in schools and can usually be found relating to the same types of lake structure as their next meal.

Structure like points, breaks, rock piles and humps are classic examples of structure that will have Northerns in close proximity.

In shallow water Northern Pike usually cruise about mid depth but as the water becomes deeper they tend to hang closer to the bottom.

During early ice Northern Pike can be found in fairly shallow water accompanied by weed edges, points and bars. Combined with inside turns or other structure is even better.

As winter progresses Northern Pike follow the food and move further out. Start by fishing outside weed edges and offshore humps and bars.

As spring nears Northern Pike begin moving shallower again into pre spawn areas. Besides shoreline points and breaks, look for them near river mouths.

Before we switch gears and talk about presentation, remember locating the fish is half the battle. Don’t just drill one hole in 10 ft of water next to a point. Instead drill several holes in varying depths and find the fish.

Using modern electronics can also help you find fish faster. Depth, fish and structure can all be seen using a flasher (Vexilar or Marcum).

Northern Pike Ice Fishing Presentation

OK, you’ve found the Northern Pike, now let’s look at some effective techniques to get them on the ice!

The most common way to ice fish for Northern Pike is by using Tip-ups. This ice fishing contraption is simple and effective.

More Northern Pike have probably been caught using a treble hook and a sucker minnow on a Tip-up then any other method.

Generally the bigger the Pike you’re after the larger the minnow you’ll want to use. I generally use a medium sucker minnow or smelt in the 6-8 inch range. Push the eye of the treble hook up through the belly of the smelt.

Most ice fishermen can attest that they’ve caught Northern Pike while jigging for other species of fish. Even the smallest lures have been known to produce Northerns, only because they’ll eat nearly anything you place in front of them.

Jigging has become a popular method for catching Northern Pike as well. Most likely this is because they’re more fun to fight using normal ice fishing equipment than with a Tip-up.

Jigging for Northern is basically raising your rod tip a foot or more, then dropping it back down to its starting position.

When choosing tackle to jig for Northern Pike you’ll use the same types of lures used for Walleye, only bigger in most cases. My favorite type is the sinking lure or spoon.

Sinking lures include the Live Target Golden Shiner Rattlebait and Dynamic Lures HD-Ice and nobody makes a better spoon than Len Thompson and their Dimpled Series spoon where added indents cause a lot more action has you move the rod tip up and down.

Sinking baits and spoons are great for more aggressive Northern Pike. Usually I put a minnow head on one of the treble hook barbs and start by fishing with one of these.

Hopefully you’ve found something new to try in these Northern Pike ice fishing tips and techniques that will help you ice more fish.

What most people consider luck is usually a combination of preparation and practice so get out there and enjoy the practice.

Looking to venture to a new species check out our 5 Tips for Catching Walleye through the Ice.

It’s important to stay warm and comfortable weather it be open water fishing or ice fishing. For that head over to our Elite Fishing Apparel section.

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Need coyote removal in your hometown? We service over 500 USA locations! Click here to hire us in your town and check prices – updated for year 2020.

How To Trap A Coyote Coyotes are an amazing successful species that is to be found across the majority of North America, and they have adapted particularly well to living alongside people. They can cause a problem when they come into conflict with domestic pets such as dogs, and have been known to attack livestock and other domesticated animals such as chickens and ducks. Coyotes can also prove to be difficult to deter when they find a good location for scavenging through garbage and other refuse, which is why many people will turn to trapping to solve the problem.

What Traps Can Be Used To Catch A Coyote? There are a number of different live traps that can be used to catch a coyote, although the problem with dealing with the coyote after it has been captured is that it will often have to be euthanized. The most typical type of trap will be one that will take a firm grip of the paw of the coyote and will not be able to be removed until the trapper comes to loosen it. This can be problematic because dealing with a live coyote isn’t necessarily something that a novice trapper should want to do. Another option would be a cage trap, but this will often have a much lower success rate than the grip trap mentioned above. This is because the coyote will naturally be wary of a metal cage and won’t be particularly keen to go inside. Positioning and baiting of a cage trap is vital if it is to successfully trap a coyote. The alternative when trapping a coyote is to use a lethal trap. The most popular trap of this kind is a simply snare, although there are a wide range of commercially produced products and homemade solutions that are also available. The snare works by looping a cord around the coyote’s neck and choking the animal, and because a coyote will naturally struggle and pull away this will happen very quickly. Locating And Baiting A Coyote Trap The first question to deal with when trying to catch a coyote is where to place the trap. Snares and grip traps are quite small so will not need as much space as a cage trap. The best traps will be those that naturally lie in the paths that the coyote uses regularly, which can often be identified near fences or field boundaries by looking for tracks or coyote hair. Coyotes will prefer to crawl under a fence even though they can jump over quite high fences, so these are particularly good spots to locate the trap. In terms of the bait for a coyote, meat is usually the best option as it will often attract the coyote from a distance away. It is important in these instances to make sure that the trap is not in an area where it is likely to attract domestic animals, otherwise you may well end up with a traumatized dog if you’re using a live trap. Handling And Removing Coyotes The majority of states will have specific regulations about dealing with pests such as coyotes, and these can vary in different parts of the country. Some places will insist the animal is euthanized, while others will have specific locations the coyote can be taken to. For those who are handling a coyote, wearing thick clothing and protective gloves is an absolute minimum, and keeping handling to a minimum is vital. Coyotes are known to carry rabies and many other parasites and diseases, some of which are transmitted by bites and others can simply be transmitted by contact. Anyone who is nervous or unsure about handling a coyote should bring in a wildlife control expert rather than taking any risks with the animal. For more information about how to trap coyotes, go back to my main coyote removal page or read the about coyotes page.

Last week, former NFL defensive lineman and Super Bowl 50 champion Derek Wolfe killed his first-ever mountain lion with his bow and some help from a buddy’s hounds — and the cat is absolutely massive.

The photo Wolfe posted to Instagram garnered plenty of attention. It takes a big guy to be an NFL defensive lineman, and at 6 feet 6 inches and 280 pounds, Wolfe is no exception. The photo (full version below) shows an absolute beast of a cat that practically dwarfs the retired football player.

“Gutted, he was 174 pounds,” Wolfe told Free Range American. “Obviously, I couldn’t weigh him up there on the mountain, so I’m guessing he had to be 200-plus.

“He was 8 1/2 feet long,” Wolfe added.

By mountain lion standards, Wolfe’s cat is an absolute monster. According to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, adult males on the large side reach 8 feet in length and weigh an average of 150 pounds.

But the cat isn’t only a trophy for Wolfe with an incredible hunting story attached to it — he actually did the local community a service by taking out this particular mountain lion.

As Colorado cat populations thrive, interactions between people and mountain lions have become tenuous, with family pets often ending up on the big cats’ menu. Before the hunt, Wolfe and his buddy tracked his big cat to a den under a residential porch, and two neighborhood dogs had recently fallen prey to an area cat.

It appears the local pet population and the owner of the house attached to that porch owe Wolfe a little extra gratitude. Here’s how he got on the cat, tracked it through a residential area, and treed it, and how the former pro athlete crawled on his hands and knees to make the shot after climbing a rocky slope completely smoked him.

GOOD GEAR – Look Badass at the Shooting Range With the BRCC Black Rifle AR Cuffed Beanie

Derek Wolfe Untamed

Wolfe played college football as a defensive lineman for the University of Cincinnati and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2012. He played eight years with the Broncos, helped the team win Super Bowl 50, and then finished out his career with the Baltimore Ravens.

Wolfe said he grew up hunting and killed his first whitetail with a bow when he was only 13. However, football demanded so much time, energy, and focus that he didn’t have much left for hunting. Wolfe left the NFL just before the 2022 season. While he regularly spent the off-season chasing wild hogs and axis deer, now that the 32-year-old has retired from professional football, he has plenty of time to pursue his passion for hunting.

There’s even a YouTube video series in the works, titled Wolfe Untamed, highlighting the former NFL player’s efforts to tackle new hunting challenges.

RELATED – New Knives From the 2024 SHOT Show

A Mounting Mountain Lion Problem

Wolfe bagged his colossal cat in Game Management Unit 46, which includes parts of Clear Creek, Park, and Jefferson counties. The unit is not far from Nederland, where mountain lions have terrorized the small town by killing at least 15 neighborhood pets, including a 100-pound Doberman pinscher.

“People in parts of Colorado are really dealing with this, and [Colorado Parks & Wildlife] is only supposed to help when it comes to livestock, and they have to follow the law,” Wolfe said. “There’s nothing that protects pet owners from mountain lion attacks. If a mountain lion attacks your pet and you kill it, you could be ticketed for that.”

Wolfe had been waiting for the opportunity to get a mountain lion with his bow, partly because he had heard about the animals harassing residents and killing their pets. He passed his mountain lion certification exam and bought his license, so when his buddy Alex Nestor called him up after a fresh snow and asked him if he wanted to cut tracks on a big cat, he was ready to go.

On the morning of Jan. 18, Wolfe and Nestor drove along back roads looking for a cat sign. They found evidence suggesting a mountain lion in the area may have been targeting pets, just like the mountain lions stalking Nederland cats and dogs.

“This was for sure a mature male,” Wolfe said. “We looked to the left as we were walking up on the tracks, and there was a full-grown 300-pound 4×4 mule deer lying under a tree that this cat had dragged across the road. It was still a little warm, so we knew it was fresh from that morning.”

They followed those monstrous tracks through someone’s yard and up under their front deck.

“When we looked under there, you could see that the cat had made a little bed in there. It looked like it had been living under there,” he said. “When we knocked on the door to see if anybody was home, we saw that the cat had walked right up onto their porch.

“We were like, ‘Oh, man. This isn’t good. This cat is way too comfortable being near people. He’s stalking something here, coming up on the porch and looking in windows. He’s looking for pets or people.’”

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The Hunt and the Climb

After two hours of calling around trying to get the landowner on the phone, the two hunters finally got permission to track the cat through private property up into the adjacent public land.

“We put the dogs on the tracks, and where is the first place they went? Boom. Right under that porch. That’s where the scent was heaviest,” Wolfe said. “It’s insane. Any time this guy came walking out of his house, this 8 1/2-foot, 200-pound cat could have been lying under there.”

The dogs eventually followed the cat tracks up into the surrounding mountains, and Wolfe and Nestor followed.

“This area is super mountainous, with straight up-and-down cliffs. There was 2 to 3 feet of snow on the ground, and once the dogs were on him, we went straight up to the top and then straight down the other side.”

Wolfe described how rushing up a nearly 4,000-foot elevation change was one of the most physically and mentally challenging things he’s ever had to do.

“It took me forever to get to the top on the first climb because I was just slipping and sliding on these rocks. It’s all rocks, straight up and down, and you can’t post into it because of the snow,” he said. “The rocks just slip out from under you. So I’m crawling up the hill on one side, then basically sliding down on my back the whole way down the other side, and then trying to get up through a ravine.”

Nestor, still following his dogs, had managed to get ahead of Wolfe, so he dropped him a pin on his phone, marking the spot where the hounds had the cat treed.

“I go straight to the pin and just come out on the road. Then I got the message that said, ‘Dude, you’re, like, 1,000 yards below me.’ I could hear the dogs howling their heads off up there.

“By this point, my legs were cramping. My hamstrings, my calves, and my quads are locked up, and I could hardly walk without being in a full-body cramp. I’m gassed and sucking air. The muscles in my rib cage just locked up on me because I was sweating. It was a crazy sweat, too, because it was so cold.

“Then Alex said, ‘Dude! Get. Up. Here.’”

As a retired pro football player, Wolfe is no stranger to hard work and physical exertion, but this hunt beat him up.

“It was the hardest hunt I’ve ever been on,” Wolfe said. “It felt like I just did a full padded practice in 90-degree heat, but it was cold and snowy somehow. It’s all right, though. You’ve got to pay the price to get to them, man. That’s just the way it goes, especially with a bow.”

Wolfe crawled on his hands and knees the rest of the way up the ridge to get to where Nestor’s dogs had the cat snagged in a tree.

“When I got to the spot, I was just laying there looking up, and there’s the mountain lion above me in the tree. And I’m like, ‘Oh, god. Don’t fall on me, please.’”

Wolfe was so exhausted he wondered if he could pull the 80-pound draw on his Hoyt Highline. Somehow, he managed to stand up and reach a good spot about 12 yards from the tree. Then, he lined up the pin on his Spot Hogg sight and sent a Sevr broadhead straight through the big cat’s vitals.

“I made a really good shot, an ethical shot, and that cat dropped right where I had just been laying.”

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The Real Work Begins

As every hunter knows, there’s only a small moment of celebration after a successful shot, and then the real work begins.

“After all that, I still had to get the cat out of there,” Wolfe said.

“We gutted it and stuffed it, long ways, in my Kifaru pack. His head was hanging out on my right side, and the tail and hinds were flapping out on my left. I put my bow on my back. Then, I got down on my hands and knees and crawled out of there backward, all the way down.

“I couldn’t stand up and walk because my legs were just locking up on me,” Wolfe said. “At one point, I fell about 10 feet down a rock face.

“Everything was straight up and down, I couldn’t get any traction, and I had to wrestle with 180 pounds of cat the whole way.”

He focused on taking one little backward step at a time, mostly on his hands and knees, until he finally made it back to the truck with his cat.

“CPW came out and checked the animal. I was laying on the side of the road because I was just wrecked,” Wolfe said.

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Now, as Wolfe spoke to me over the phone from his home in Denver, the hunt is almost a week behind him, and the cat is in various places. The mountain lion’s meat has been sent to a processor, his skull shipped off for scoring, and the hide sent to the taxidermist.

“I haven’t [eaten] mountain lion before, but I hear it’s really sweet meat, so I’m looking forward to it,” Wolfe said. “I had some breakfast sausage made so we can eat biscuits and gravy.”

While Wolfe admits this was one crazy hunt, he said the craziest part is the hate that’s been spewed at him online after the fact, despite the hunt being 100% legal. Major media outlets have been quick to cover how social media keyboard warriors have attacked everything from Wolfe’s character to his masculinity.

“I’ve had death threats. I would definitely say defamation,” Wolfe said. “It’s these animal rights groups coming after me, trying to say I had no right to do this, that I’m a murderer, or that I’m trying to compensate for something.

“I’m not trying to compensate for anything. I just love doing this. This is a lifestyle for me,” Wolfe explained. “Leave me alone. I did everything right. I did everything legal. I’m not out here poaching animals. I’m doing it the right way, the ethical way, and the way it’s meant to be done.

“It’s important to manage any herd, whether it’s deer, elk, bear, or mountain lions. They all need some kind of management because they will starve themselves out, they’ll get diseases, they’ll overkill, and they’ll harm people. There are lots of reasons.

“Hunters are conservationists. That’s what we are. We love animals, and we want them to be around for generations.

I do this because I want my kids to be able to hunt, and I want their kids to be able to hunt. I want them to be able to enjoy it as much as I do.”

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Hickory nuts and walnuts may look similar, but they are actually quite different. For starters, hickory nuts are much larger than walnuts. Hickory nuts also have a thick, hard shell that is difficult to crack, while walnuts have a thin, soft shell that is easy to break open. The flavor of hickory nuts is also much stronger than that of walnuts. Finally, hickory trees are native to North America, while walnut trees are native to Europe and Asia.

The walnut tree and the hickory tree are both members of the Juglandaceae, or walnut plant family. The USDA categorizes walnuts as being in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, while hickories are classified as being in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 8. Because of its notoriously difficult growing conditions and messy leaves and nuts when it falls, black walnuts make an excellent plant nursery.

The hickory (genus Carya) tree is a genus of about 18 species of deciduous timber and nut-producing trees found in the walnut family (Juglandaceae).

Hickory is rated 1820 by Janka, while American or Black Walnut is rated at 1100, making it one of the hardest domestic hardwoods.

Nut trees come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including walnuts, Hickory, pecans, and persimmons.

There are over a dozen species of hickory trees, including pecans and walnuts. There are many types of leaf and trunk that have similar characteristics, including leaf structure, trunk shape, and average height. Some of the nuts that fall off of hickory trees are inedible, but most of them are safe to consume.

What Is Another Name For Hickory Nuts?

Hard-shelled nuts surround a woody husk in these Hickory fruits. The amount of shear between the species, as well as whether the sutures are winged along the entire length or one or two-thirds of the width, affects how easily they split. They can be eaten, though they vary in size and flavor.

These nuts are edible and have a nutty, sweet flavor similar to pecans. Hickory nuts can also be identified by the way they separate into four distinct segments in the hard shell. When the hicksory tree first starts producing nuts, it takes 25 to 30 years. When harvesting Hickory nuts, one of the issues is that the hard shell is broken. Hickory nuts ripen on the tree’s leaves during the fall and drop to the ground during windy or snowy weather. You can easily cook the nuts and flesh from the tree because the flesh is sweet and nutty. Hickory trees are classified into two types: those with long, pinnately compound leaves and those with lance-shaped leaflets.

Walnut trees have a smoother, gray bark that begins to crack as the tree ages. Other types of hickory nuts can be identified if you look closely at the tree’s characteristics. The shape of the leaf on a shagbark hickory nut can help you identify it. Pinnate leaves are commonly made up of five leaflets with pointed tips, each of which is short and oval. The name mockernut comes from the difficulty of opening a mockernut, which exposes a tiny kernel that is barely edible. Bitternut nuts are not suitable for human consumption because they have a rancid flavor. The diameter of the red hickory nut ranges between 1.5 and 2.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm), and its weight ranges between 0.5 and 1.3 pounds (0.4 to 1.5 cm).

The sand hickories are oblong, flat, and have a thin, hard outer shell that has a sweet flavor. Scrub hicksies can grow to be a shrub-like tree with 10-16 feet (3-5 m) of stems. There are three kinds of Nutmeg Hickory Nut: Hickory Nut, Smoky Nut, and Black Nut. A nutmeg hickory tree is distinguished by its pinnately compound leaves, which can reach 14 (35 cm) in length. The leaflets have toothed margins and are divided into five to nine sections. The pecan (carya illinoinensis) is an herb. A pecan nut has a greenish-gold husk with an oblong shape that denotes an oblong shape.

When the nut is ripe, the larva pupates inside the hard shell of the nut. Adult weevils emerge from their eggs in the spring. The cycle continues as long as the tree is tapped and the nuts are harvested. In the United States, the most popular hickory nuts are shagbarks, but they can be difficult to find. These are also relatively simple to find; however, they are less popular than peanuts. The most common nut weevils are closely related and collectively referred to as “nut weevils.” During the middle of summer, nut weevils attack the nuts that are developing on the tree. The immature nuts contain the eggs of the female adult weevil. An egg is laid and feeds in a creamy white larva that lives inside the nut until the fall.

Are Hickory And Walnut In The Same Family?

There is some debate over whether hickory and walnut trees are in the same family. Some botanists believe that they are in the same family, while others believe that they are in different families.

For a walnut tree, the average cost is about $2,000, whereas the average cost for a hickory nut is around $1,000. Because walnuts are larger and have a higher demand from the food industry, the price difference is due to their size. Hickory nuts and carya fruits are also interchangeable terms.

Difference Between Walnut And Hickory Tree

The main difference between walnut and hickory trees is the type of fruit they produce. Walnut trees produce a round, hard-shelled nut, while hickory trees produce a long, thin nut. Both types of nuts are edible, but hickory nuts are generally considered to be more flavorful. Hickory trees are also taller than walnut trees and have shaggy, dark bark. Walnut trees have smooth, light-colored bark.

Can You Eat Hickory Nuts

Hickory nuts are edible, but they are very hard to crack open. Most people prefer to buy them already shelled. They have a very sweet, nutty flavor that is similar to a pecan.

Although some species of Hickory nuts taste better than others, they are quite tasty. The name bitternut hickory refers to a variety of native trees, including mockernut, pignut, shagbark, and bitternut. A heavy-duty nutcracker, vise, or hammer can be used to open the nuts individually. Despite the fact that hickories can be found everywhere on Staten Island, the majority of them are found in the wooded areas of Greenbelt and Arden Heights Woods. Hickory lumber can be used to make ax handles and baseball bats. It not only creates good firewood, but it also produces fragrant smoke. The hardwood of hickory trees is extremely difficult to cut. Aside from hickories, the walnuts are another native tree that produces nuts.

Michigan produces the largest and most popular Hickory Nut in the state. It can grow in all types of habitats, from dry sandstone ridges in the upper peninsula to moist forests in the lower peninsula. The nuts of the hickory woolly bear are a valuable resource for wildlife, as they are a major food source for birds, squirrels, and other small mammals. The hickory tree is hardy and can survive in a variety of environments. The nuts in the tree are valuable for wildlife, and their wood is used in furniture, tools, and other products.

Hickory Nuts: A Highly Nutritious And Tasty Food

Hickory nuts, in addition to being a high-protein and healthy food, are also a tasty treat. They are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium, as well as protein, making them an excellent source of minerals. As one of the vitamins recommended for expectant mothers, they are high in folate (folic acid). Toast or lightly bake them for 10 minutes in a 200o F oven; nuts can be eaten directly from the shell (in small amounts), or they can be toasted or baked for a few minutes in a 200o F oven. The nuts can be ground into a raw food by simply picking them out of the shell. Furthermore, a traditional Native American dish (from which hickory derives its name) can be made by cooking the nut meat in water until it becomes a porridge.

Bitternut Hickory Nut

The bitternut hickory is a deciduous tree that is native to eastern North America. The tree grows to a height of 50-80 feet and has a trunk diameter of 1-2 feet. The leaves of the tree are alternately arranged and are pinnately compound with 5-9 leaflets. The leaflets are oblong in shape and have serrated margins. The tree produces small, yellow-green flowers that bloom in the spring. The fruit of the tree is a nut that is enclosed in a thin, green husk. The nut is brown in color and has a bitter taste. The bitternut hickory is an important source of food for wildlife, including squirrels, mice, and birds.

The magnesium content of hickory nuts is especially beneficial to those who suffer from osteoporosis. In a study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers investigated the effects of magnesium on the bone health of postmenopausal women. Women were divided into two groups: the first group received a magnesium-restricted diet, while the second group received a magnesium-rich diet. The researchers discovered that a magnesium-rich diet reduced bone density in the women after six months. Magnesium deficiency in the diet was unfavorable to bones. The benefits of eating chestnut nuts are also demonstrated by their beneficial effects on child development and growth. Children who ate hickory nuts had higher levels of nutrients such as calcium, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutr. Children who ate hickory nuts saw a greater increase in growth and development than children who did not. Furthermore, the study discovered that the magnesium found in hickory nuts was beneficial for the development and growth of the children. In order for a person’s bones to be healthy, it is critical that they have high levels of magnesium. Magnesium also regulates calcium levels in the body in addition to assisting the body in optimizing metabolism and improving enzymes. Because of its magnesium content, the hickory nut is extremely beneficial for people who are osteoporosis patients.

Just when we thought the P365 series couldn’t get any better, Sig Sauer announced the release of the new and improved P365 X-MACRO.

Sig released the X-MACRO in August, saying the new compact pistol was designed to include everything the best-selling P365 has to offer, and more. The X-MACRO is said to be more accurate and easier to conceal than its predecessors, all with a higher round capacity and a similar thin frame.

This slim design has landed the X-MACRO at the top of the list as the most comfortable and concealable 17-round handgun on the market.

“When the P365 was introduced, it reimagined the possibilities of everyday carry, and the P365 X-MACRO continues this tradition delivering more on everything that made the P365 the number one selling, and most award-winning gun in America,” Tom Taylor, Sig Sauer’s CFO and Executive Vice President of Commercial Sales, says in a media release. “With the P365 X-MACRO you get more of everything you want in an everyday carry pistol, and you no longer need to compromise your capacity for concealability or shootability.”

Let’s go over the specs and features that make the new Sig Sauer P365 X-MACRO one of the hottest new firearms around.

P365 X-MACRO Specs

Features

Size and Capacity

Compact with an impressive round capacity, the P365 X-MACRO is specifically designed for concealed carry – and it shows.

Weighing only 21.5 ounces and measuring 5.2” tall, 6.6” long, and 1.1” wide with a barrel length of 3.1”, this 9mm pistol is built to hold a whopping 17+1 rounds.

The firearm comes with two 17-round newly-designed Sig Sauer magazines built with high-visibility followers. These new mags were designed with the same thin frame as the traditional P365, only with the ability to hold more rounds.

The X-MACRO’s high round capacity squeezed into a 1.1” wide frame makes this weapon more comfortable and easy to conceal than any other 17-round pistol currently on the market.

Frame, Slide and Barrel

The Sig P365 X-MACRO is built with a polymer frame and a stainless steel slide coated in a durable corrosion- and scratch-resistant Nitron finish, well-designed to protect it from the elements.

The pistol comes optics-ready and features a standard 1913 accessory rail, making it easy to add various sights, lights, and lasers, depending on your preference. The X-MACRO is specifically designed to work well with Sig’s popular Electro-Optics FOXTROT1 rail-mounted flashlight.

While the firearm’s carbon steel barrel does not come threaded, it does feature an integrated compensator designedto reduce muzzle flip for faster and more accurate successive shots.

Grip

The X-MACRO has a black polymer grip and comes with Sig’s brand new Macro-Compact grip module.

The pistol also comes with interchangeable backstraps, so you can adjust the grip to be more comfortable for small, medium, or large hand sizes.

Sights

Complete with Sig’s famous X-RAY3 day and night sights, a 3-dot Tritium system designed to provide a glowing illumination in low-light conditions, the X-MACRO has a 5.1” sight radius.

The pistol is optimized for use with Sig’s ROMEOZero red dot sights, which might be a great option if you’re looking to upgrade to more compact red dot reflex sights known for their compact size.

Trigger

The striker-fired P365 X-MACRO is built with a flat trigger, providing a larger surface area and more leverage than its curved counterpart, making firing successive shots both easier and faster.

The X-MACRO’s trigger is also designed with a slight lip at the end, which more advanced shooters know can aid in indexing – or transitioning between targets.

Safety

Like the P365 and P365 XL, the Sig Sauer P365 X-MACRO was designed without a manual thumb safety.

Final Thoughts

The Sig Sauer P365 X-MACRO was designed with a small frame, high round capacity, and optics-ready build, making it an easy and comfortable choice for concealed carry – or whatever else you may need it for.

You can get your hands on this new release at Guns.com or through your local firearms dealer.

If you do decide to grab one of these pistols for concealed carry, be sure to check out our selection of Kydex and hybrid IWB, OWB, and pocket carry P365 X-MACRO holsters.

If you’re looking for belts or holsters for other handgun models, we recommend visiting our Holsters by Gun Model page if you are looking for holsters that are custom-made for your weapon of choice. For all of our belt and holster options and for more information to help you choose the carry system that works best for you, visit our Vedder Holsters website.

Looking for items beyond holsters and belts, check out our Resources Page for popular product links like lights, lasers, first aid, maintenance, and more.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently set turkey and deer hunting dates for the 2024-2024 seasons along with regulation changes for the 2024-2024 deer-hunting season.

The regulation changes include a new firearms early antlerless portion, a new firearms CWD portion and changes to firearms antlerless permit numbers in most counties. The hunting dates and regulation changes were approved by the Missouri Conservation Commission at its Dec. 2 open meeting in Jefferson City.

“The changes to deer hunting regulations for the 2024-2024 deer season were motivated by increasing deer numbers throughout much of Missouri and in response to changes in the distribution of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the state,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle. “With a growing deer population in most Missouri counties, we’re increasing opportunities for hunters to harvest deer both within and outside of the CWD Management Zone next year.”

“With deer populations being at desired levels in most counties but continuing to increase, additional antlerless harvest is needed to stabilize deer numbers,” said Isabelle. “The creation of an early antlerless portion of firearms deer season and increasing the availability of antlerless permits in most counties will provide hunters with more opportunities to harvest antlerless deer and help meet our deer-management goals.”

According to MDC, firearms antlerless seasons that occur prior to the primary firearms season are not uncommon and several Midwestern states have established similar season portions.

“The early antlerless portion will help to increase antlerless deer harvest prior to the November portion of firearms season when the focus of many hunters is on harvesting a buck,” said Isabelle. “The timing of the early antlerless portion was designed to occur when weather conditions are generally comfortable and during a time that will minimize conflict with archery hunters, who spend the most time hunting during late October and early November as the rut approaches.”

CHANGES TO FIREARMS ANTLERLESS PERMIT NUMBERS

MDC has also increased the number of firearms antlerless permits hunters can fill in most counties, including allowing hunters to fill a firearms antlerless permit in Butler, Carter, Scott, and Wayne counties. MDC has also increased the number of firearms antlerless permits from two to four in 82 counties.

“Prior to 2014, firearms antlerless permit numbers were unlimited in 74 counties,” said Isabelle. “However, following the severe hemorrhagic disease outbreak that occurred throughout much of the state in 2012, we became much more conservative with firearms antlerless permit numbers to allow the deer population to rebound.”

He noted the deer population has steadily increased during the last decade, necessitating the liberalization of antlerless harvest opportunities to slow population growth and keep the deer population at desired levels.

Get regulation details and a list and map of allowed antlerless permit numbers by county from the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/regulation-changes-2024-24-deer-season

Detailed information on the new firearms early antlerless portion, the new firearms CWD portion, and changes to firearms antlerless permit numbers by county will also be included in the MDC 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Regulations and Information booklet, available starting in July where permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

It wasn’t long after we first got into camping that we realized there must be a better solution for carrying propane for our Coleman stove than in the disposable one-pound cylinders. After finding out that fifty million of the steel canisters are disposed of each year by campers like us, and that a quarter-million of them simply become litter, we decided it was time for a better solution.

Full Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links to the adapters we use. Our readers never pay any extra when using these links and we may earn a small commission.

Thinking that we were doing the environmentally responsible thing, we bought a small brass adapter on eBay and began refilling our own 1 lb propane bottles, only to learn later that doing so makes them illegal to transport. One-time use, disposable propane cylinders aren’t designed to the same specifications as refillable ones, and thus aren’t lawfully transportable, according to the Department of Transportation. Thankfully, we never had any accidents while transporting our refilled bottles, yet if we had, we might have been liable for any damages and paid a hefty fine.

One Incident in 10 Years Was Enough

After about a decade of refilling used one-pound Coleman and Bernzomatic propane bottles, we only had one of them develop a leaking valve, after it had been re-used about ten times. About halfway down Old Monarch Pass, west of Salida, CO, we smelled propane wafting from our cooking gear box in the back of the Jeep and had to pull over to deal with a leaking 1 lb Coleman bottle. Gas wasn’t leaking from the small relief valve on the side of the cylinder (as sometimes happens with abrupt temperature changes) but rather from its main valve, which had probably began to wear out with reuse.

This incident was enough to convince us that (in addition to being illegal to transport) refilling our used one-pound propane canisters probably wasn’t the safest alternative.

From the DOT Website:

Refilling 1 lb Propane Cylinders (For Emergency Use Only)

If a situation ever arises where you really need to re-fill a Coleman or other one-pound disposable propane cylinder (for use in a Mr. Buddy portable heater during a blackout, for example) the simple process we used does work. However, there’s even a better way than this, which we’ll get to later.

Whichever method you use, always remember that propane is a dangerous, flammable gas, so performing this process carefully and safely is very important. The photos above show some of the steps we used to refill our disposable Coleman one-pound propane bottles.

There are many videos showing how to do this and our post isn’t meant to be a tutorial on how to do so, but we’ll explain the basic principle of how it works.

How We Once Refilled Our One-Pound Disposable Propane Canisters

Disclaimer: The following is not to be used as instructions and is for illustrative purposes only.

Back when we used to refill our used Coleman propane cylinders using the old method, we’d find a clear spot outside on a cool day when there was some breeze blowing. After purging the remaining gas from our one-pound cylinder, we attached it to an inverted 20 lb. tank, and slowly opened the main valve. After about thirty minutes, we’d close the main valve, return the tank to its normal upright position and unscrew the 1 lb. canister. A better description of the whole process can be found here, on a website that sells a tank adapter similar to the one we used.

(Some people chill their 1 lb. propane canisters in a small bucket of ice water, etc. This condenses the gas and lowers the pressure so you can refill with a bit more propane. Careful not to overfill!)

To make sure we hadn’t overfilled them, we’d always perform a quick check using an old postal scale to see that our newly refilled 1 lb. propane bottles wasn’t any heavier than a new store-bought one, as well as to check for leaks before storing it away.

Downsides of This Method

• You typically can’t ever fill a 1 lb. bottle to the same level as when it was new. *
• Unless you’re using a special stand, the upturned tank is awkward and can tip over.
• Disposable 1 lb. bottles and their internal valves aren’t made to same standards as refillable ones.
• DOT-39 cylinders (disposable type like Coleman, Bernzomatic) are illegal to transport if refilled.

* There is a way do get more gas into a cylinder, but it requires loosening the pressure-relief valve and/or chilling the bottle.

Two Better Alternatives To Refilling Used 1 Pound Propane Bottles.

Option 1 – Flame King 1 lb. Refillable Cylinders

Since learning that owner-refilled disposable cylinders aren’t legal to transport, and that they’re not made to the same specifications as refillable ones are, we switched to carrying a couple of DOT approved refillable one-pound propane cylinders, made by Flame King. This simple system uses a special filling valve with a long extension, along with an optional propane tank stand, which solved the problem we once had of inverting the 20 lb. tank during the refilling process.

Option 2 – 5 lb Refillable Mini Tanks

A five pound refillable propane cylinder also works very well for fueling camping stoves, with the added benefit of lasing five times longer than 1 lb. bottles, and being refillable anywhere larger tanks are filled. The Gas Growler is one example of a five pound mini-tank that is easily stored in the back of a vehicle in it’s padded carrying case. Many in the overlanding community like to carry this size propane tank since one can last as long as a month, depending on how many meals you cook a day.

The Bottom Line: Should You Ever Refill a 1. lb Propane Cylinder?

Coleman, Bernzomatic and other brands of disposable propane cylinders don’t feature heavy-duty brass tank fittings or long-life internal valves. Disposable cylinders aren’t made with the same thickness of steel (just pick one up and you’ll feel the difference) nor do they have the DOT seal of approval for reuse which would make them legal for transport. However, when making the decision to refill a cylinder, the real reason you should avoid this practice is for your own safety and that of others, not for fear of being caught by the DOT.

Benefits of Refilling Your Disposable 1 lb Propane Bottles With a Flame King or Similar System

When it comes to saving money, using some kind of reusable, refillable propane cylinder for your Coleman stove is really a no-brainier. There are the environmental benefits as well, plus not having to deal with properly disposing of all the empty canisters at the end of the camping season. In terms of savings, it currently costs about $20 to fill a 20 lb tank, while a 1 lb bottle costs us around $5 at Walmart. It’s easy math, and you can clearly see that refilling an approved tank can save a lot of money over the long run.

In addition to sometimes running our Coleman camping stove directly from a 20 lb. tank, using a 5′ propane adapter hose, we’ve also been using two 16.4 ounce Flame King propane cylinders. Because these are so easy to refill, we normally don’t bring a 20 lb bottle unless we plan on being gone for more than a week.

At about $52 for the Flame King Refill Kit, which includes one refillable cylinder, we estimate that we’ve saved enough this camping season so far to pay for it already.

Disclaimer: We don’t advocate refilling used disposable propane bottles. This article does not constitute instruction. When using any approved system to refill a re-usable 1 lb cylinder, be sure to follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. Full Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links to products we recommend. Our readers never pay any extra when using those links.

Sources:

https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulatory-compliance/phmsa-guidance/stop-never-refill-1-lb-propane-bottles-0