With big bulls standing nearly 7 feet tall and weighing up to 1,600 pounds, moose are massive animals. They’re technically the largest species in the deer family, prized as trophies for their impressive antlers, second only to how delicious their wild game meat is. An even bigger bragging right for a moose hunter: bagging a record-breaking moose.

While we have no way of knowing that is truly the biggest moose ever, we can turn to the Safari Club International record books to see what is the biggest moose that’s ever been downed in North America. But first, a few fun facts on how big moose truly are.

How Big Can a Moose Get?

The size of a moose depends both on its sex and what subspecies it is. Male bull moose are almost always larger than cow moose, but even a small female can weigh over 800 pounds.

The Shiras moose, located in the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, are the smallest of the moose subspecies, with adult males weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Still, this makes them the largest big game animal in the Rocky Mountains.

Conversely, the Alaska-Yukon moose (also known as the Alaska moose), found in the northwest reaches of North America, is the largest of the subspecies. Male Alaska bulls can weigh up to 1,600 pounds and stand 7 to 8 feet tall at the shoulders. With a massive rack of antlers added on top, these moose can tower over 10 feet tall.

Western Canada moose, also known as Western moose, and Eastern Canada moose, also known as Eastern moose, fall in between Shiras and Alaska moose in size, with Western moose typically being larger than Eastern.

Does Alaska Have the Biggest Moose?

As you might have guessed, yes, Alaska has the biggest moose—not only in North America, but in the world. That’s why the Alaska moose hunt is on the bucket list of many hunters. Alaska moose inhabit boreal forests and mixed deciduous forests throughout Alaska and western Yukon.

Is There Any Bigger Game Than a Moose in the United States?

The only animal larger than a moose in the United States is a bison. Bison can weigh 2,200 to 3,000 pounds, in comparison to a moose’s weight of 800 to 1,600 pounds. However, bison only have moose beat in terms of weight. They “only” stand about 6 feet at the shoulder, and are 8 feet long, making them shorter than moose all around.

Bison can be hunted in Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska, and Montana, but getting a tag and permit for a hunt is almost impossible. If you’re looking for the biggest game animal to hunt, moose is a more likely bet.

What Makes an SCI Record Moose Kill?

Safari Club International (SCI) recognizes records for four North American subspecies of moose: the Shiras moose, the Eastern Canada moose, the Western Canada moose, and the Alaska-Yukon moose.

To track records of the biggest moose kills, SCI ranks moose by their antler scores, rather than their weight. Using the SCI measuring system to score a moose, hunters must measure the length and widths of each “palm” on the antler (i.e., the big, flat area of a moose antler). SCI also scores the number and length of tines, the circumference of each main beam of the antler at the smallest place, and the greatest outside spread of the moose’s antlers.

All of the measurements are added together for the final score of the moose. The bigger the palm spread, and the more numerous and longer the tines, the better the animal scores.

Unlike the Boone and Crockett Club, which also tracks moose records, SCI doesn’t deduct the score for abnormal points of differences in antler symmetry. As a result, the SCI score is often significantly higher than the B&C score for the same animal.

Safari Club International Moose Records

1. SCI Shiras Moose Record

Though they are the smallest subspecies of moose in North America, Shiras Moose can still weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Shiras Moose live in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Jim Hall set the SCI record for Shiras moose in 2018 when he shot a massive bull near Republic, Washington. Hall had been applying for a moose tag for almost 30 years. He was in the last few days of moose season, after two months of unsuccessful hunting, when he took down the impressive animal.

The moose was estimated to weigh about 650 to 700 pounds and had a combined 242 inches on its antler measurements for a score of 504-7/8 inches. Hall beat the previous record by just 1-1/8 inch.

2. SCI Eastern Canada Moose Record

Eastern Canada moose live in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Big bulls can weigh nearly 1,400 pounds.

Jeremy Boileau shot the current SCI record Eastern Canada moose with a rifle in Quebec, Canada in September of 2011.

Boileau’s behemoth moose scored an incredible 666-3/8 inches, which is more than 80 inches larger than the next biggest Eastern Canada moose and more than 175 inches bigger than the third-biggest moose in the record book! Not only did the moose have a massive outside spread of 56 inches, but it had a ridiculous 20 points on each antler, which is one of the reasons why it scored so high.

3. SCI Western Canada Moose Record

Western Canada moose live in British Columbia, Ontario, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Wisconsin, Minnesota, parts of North Dakota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. With big bulls weighing nearly 1,500 pounds, they are the largest subspecies of moose found in the continental United States.

Doug Rehbein currently holds the SCI record for the Western Canada moose, for a bull he killed with the guidance of hunting guide Mark Boote of Jennings River Outfitters. Rehbein took the moose in October of 1998 in the renowned moose hunting grounds of the Cassiar Mountains of British Columbia.

This giant moose scored a remarkable 557 inches and had a 64-2/8 inch outside spread with 12 points on one antler with 10 on the other. Though the number of points may seem low for the score, this moose had absolutely massive T-2 and T-4 points, which helped boost it to the record books.

4. SCI Alaska-Yukon Moose Record

Alaska-Yukon moose, as the name implies, live in Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada. They’re the largest moose in North America, both in terms of body size and antler size.

The largest Alaska-Yukon Moose in the SCI record books, as well as the highest-scoring moose for all of North America, was taken by Debra Card near Cordova, Alaska with a rifle in September 1999. The bull weighed a ridiculous 1,800 pounds.

Not only is this the only moose on the list taken by a female hunter, but it’s also the biggest moose on record ever hunted in the U.S. Her moose had a whopping 74-2/8 inches spread with 19 points on one side and 20 on the other. It scored an extraordinary 731-1/8 inches.

To put in perspective how gigantic this moose was, it measured 225 inches larger—that’s 68 percent!—than the largest Shiras Moose in the record books.

Other Biggest Moose Harvest: The 1897 Moose

As you now know, SCI lists its record moose by antler size. And while a massive rack is incredibly impressive, what about the largest moose every taken by weight?

That record goes to a monster of a moose taken in September 1897. Weighing 1,808 pounds and standing 7.6 feet at the shoulder, the moose was taken in the Yukon and made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Over a hundred years have passed and still, no one has touched that record.

But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of monstrous bull moose out there to be taken. Start planning your United States moose hunt today.

READ MORE: Biggest Bear in the World: Official World Records for Each Bear Species

Breaking News Bucks

Records in the whitetail world are not easy to topple. Each year there are a few contenders, but for one reason or another they commonly fall short. A broken tine, mass that tapers off or mismatched sides have all dashed some hunters’ hopes over the years. Such is the trophy hunting game. Truthfully, while many of us yearn to take the biggest of the big, it is not easy.

There are few true giants to begin with, and whitetails reaching that status rarely walk out and surrender! You might hunt your whole life and never get an opportunity to take one. But we can dream, right? A million to one is still a chance!

So, what is the probability that two Alabama hunters would set new state records in the same season using primitive weapons? Maybe the answer lies in knowing how they did it.

Michael Perry’s Non-Typical

Let’s start with Michael Perry’s story. Michael hunts public land almost exclusively. He knows a lot about Black Warrior WMA because he’s hunted there for years and walks miles into the 90,000 acres seeking good deer. That extra effort pays off.

In 2019, he spotted signs of a good buck using an area with a heavy thicket near a creek. It was far enough off the road that he figured other hunters wouldn’t find it, so he hung a camera and moved on.

There is the first clue: Get far away from the pressure.

Hunting other areas kept Michael busy that season, and he never got back to check that camera. When he checked the camera the following spring, there was a good buck in there; and one daylight picture from the previous November. Again he left the camera, and in 2020 there were more pictures.

The deer was now a solid 160- class buck, and Michael set out to get him. He hunted the area a few times without success before leaving for greener pastures. The next time he checked the camera, he realized that he had missed seeing the deer by one day.

Clue two: Timing is everything.

When 2021 rolled around, Michael had a new plan. He bought a crossbow intending to hunt the buck as much as possible. But his busy schedule always seemed to get in the way, and the early archery season passed without an opportunity to hunt.

His wife, Kathy, had given him a muzzleloader the previous Christmas. Michael had already taken bucks worthy of the Alabama State Records program with rifle and bow, so he decided that he would use the new gun to try for the big deer. There was a five-day muzzleloader season in the first week of November, but work got in the way again, and he missed the first four days. With only one day left to hunt, it was then or never.

Another clue: Hunt whenever you can make the time.

That morning Michael dropped Kathy off in a good area, then he walked in for another hour. The weather was crisp from a light frost, and there was a steady breeze. He hung his stand off to the side of a trail and waited.

The action was slow until 9:30 a.m., when a familiar 3 1/2-year-old buck came by at 20 yards. He was close, but the buck didn’t have a very nice rack. Michael had seen him in trail camera pictures, and usually the bigger buck was right there with him. He let the younger buck pass.

Clue four: Let younger bucks walk.

A few minutes later, the non-typical appeared about 40 yards further out. He was much larger than the year before, and there would be no passing this one.

Michael picked up the muzzleloader and made the historic shot. The buck lurched forward, ran a few yards, and it was over. The new state-record non-typical muzzleloader buck was down!

The 6 1/2-year-old deer has a huge, dark rack with heavy beams, split points, stickers and beading that extends from the bases up onto the brow tines. It scores 196 3/8 inches, besting the previous record holder by more than six inches.

Shane Bailey’s Typical

A self-described turkey hunter who also hunts deer, Shane took the Alabama muzzleloader state-record typical in December of 2021. Shane cut his teeth in Bankhead National Forest, chasing the big birds as a teenager. Deer numbers were low back then, but that time in the woods taught him skills he uses to this day. And he learned a lot about whitetail behavior along the way. He also likes the challenge of hunting with a muzzleloader. Shane has taken many good bucks since those early days, including a 150-class deer in 2019 on Black Warrior WMA. He first encountered that one during the special muzzleloader season and missed it. A week later, he was back for a rifle hunt, killing it in the same area.

Clue five: When you find one, stay after him.

Around that same time, he and his friend, Jay Hardin, began getting pictures of another good deer on a very small tract of private land (only 15 acres). That deer was not living on the property, but his frequent passes through gained their attention. Trail cameras were providing great intel, pinpointing where he traveled and when he was there. But most of the pictures were taken at night. Then just as quickly as he had shown up, the buck was gone.

The sudden disappearance was attributed to a large influx of wild hogs. It got so bad that Jay was shooting them in his yard, and that disturbance probably made the big deer avoid the area. So, back to square one. In all of 2020, the buck was a ghost.

Clue six: It takes time for a plan to come together.

During the summer of 2021, the buck showed up again. He put on a lot more antler, but like most older deer he was mainly nocturnal. There was only one daylight picture of him. That would likely change during the rut, so Shane and Jay started planning for later in the year.

He was moving through very thick cover, but he moved in the same general area every time. This meant dialing in tight because it was hard to see very far. It also required a careful approach to avoid spooking the deer again. They decided to set up on each end of the travel corridor in hopes that one of them would get a shot.

[Shane in crocs with deer –

Clue seven: Plan meticulously and use caution.

On Dec. 23, Shane was at his tree stand an hour before daylight. It was a cool 22 degrees, with a light northeast wind, exactly the conditions he needed. He poured a whole bottle of Tinks 69 scent out just below his stand and headed up the tree.

Clue eight: Go big!

Just after 7:00 a.m. Shane rattled a long sequence, mimicking an all-out battle between two mature bucks. He wanted the big buck to hear it if he was anywhere in the area. That sequence went on and on until his arms hurt. Then, he waited.

Hint nine: No pain, no gain.

After another 45 minutes passed, he rattled again. Since the action had been slow, he began texting Jay. In the middle of a text, he caught a glimpse of a buck running off, followed by a loud snort wheeze close by. Worried he had blown his chance, Shane grabbed his call and answered with a snort wheeze. Then he grunted twice.

Within a few seconds, there was more movement behind him: It was his target buck closing in cautiously! The giant buck stopped behind some pines, then stepped forward enough for Shane to take the shot. Smoke obscured Shane’s view, but after the slow start his hunt was over very quickly. The buck only went a few yards and expired.

Final clue: Be ready for anything!

The buck was big enough to topple the muzzleloader state record set just a year earlier by a slim margin, scoring 170 1/8 gross. The 6×6 rack has great mass and a 19-inch spread. The buck is estimated to be over 6 years old.

In Conclusion

Both hunters beat long odds, taking magnificent mature bucks. Some might say they were lucky, but they also have plenty of other big deer on their walls at home: the rewards for plenty of hard work and a large investment of time.

How long will the new records stand? I guess we will have to wait to see. Last season sure produced more than a few giant whitetails. Maybe another one is out there waiting for you in 2022!

“Nothing shoots flatter, hits harder,” said Alaskan Master Guide Coke Wallace nonchalantly, though with a slight grin. Without missing a beat, I added, “Or is more accurate.” Many riflemen can just as easily recite Weatherby’s immensely successful marketing motto; however, atop a ridgeline in the 49th state’s rugged interior, and nearly a quarter mile from a downed mountain monarch, that message rang especially true. And, on the cusp of Weatherby’s 70th anniversary, it couldn’t have been conveyed any better than with Roy Weatherby’s original magnum big-game chambering—the .270 Wby. Mag.

The BeginningsSimilar to that of bullet pioneer John A. Nosler, Roy Weatherby’s quest for “something better” had its origins in a failure in the hunting fields; in this case, it was a wounded—and ultimately lost—Utah mule deer buck in 1942. Reflecting on the unpleasant escapade, Weatherby pondered the virtues of high-velocity impacts; specifically, he theorized that total disintegration of the projectile maximized “shock,” even on less-than-ideal hits, and thus the result would be rapid expiration of the animal. Additionally, flatter trajectories and reduced time of flight reduced errors due to range misestimation and wind-driven bullet deflection, respectively. Weatherby’s thoughts on the matter first appeared in a rebuttal to a Sports Afield article entitled “Mania for Speed,” which was penned by Maj. Charles Askins. The result? A large portion of the magazine’s readers agreed with Weatherby’s beliefs, and some of them became his very first customers.

So began the Weatherby story.

According to Weatherby: The Man. The Gun. The Legend. by Grits and Tom Gresham, “By the time he started in business [1945], Roy had developed the .220 Rocket (based on the .220 Swift cartridge, with a changed taper and shoulder), the .257, .270, and .300 Weatherby Magnums.” Given the popularity of the .270 Win. at the time (and even now), it’s little wonder that the first of his proprietary magnum cartridges—developed in 1943—was a .270, too; however, his creation was a radical departure from normalcy. Weatherby first shortened the belted, .300 H&H Mag. case and greatly reduced its taper, thereby amassing additional space for propellant. Nosler Reloading Guide No. 7 reveals that the .270 Weatherby Magnum’s case capacity is approximately 82.0 grs. of water, which is about 17.4 grs. more than that of the Winchester cartridge. Next, he gave it an unusual, double-radius Venturi shoulder design, which, according to weatherby.com, “Increases the velocity of escaping gases without increasing the pressure within the cartridge, [and thus] results in higher velocity within standard pressure ranges.” Interestingly, whereas the .270 Winchester’s SAAMI-assigned maximum average pressure (MAP) is 65,000 p.s.i., once “adopted” in 1994, the .270 Weatherby Magnum’s MAP was set at 62,500 p.s.i.

Delving deeper, the .270 Win. has a maximum case length of 2.540″, so the .270 Wby. Mag. at 2.549″ is ever so slightly longer. Moreover, while the .270 Win.’s cartridge overall length (COL) is 3.340″, its Weatherby counterpart is a shorter 3.295″. The COL alone was instrumental in Weatherby’s initial success, as it was a relatively simple procedure to re-chamber an existing .270 Win.-chambered rifle for his brainchild; in fact, the process only required re-reaming the chamber and altering the bolt face diameter (0.473″ to 0.532″) and the magazine. Weatherby offered similar conversions from .300 H&H Mag. to his potent .300 Wby. Mag.

The aforementioned case characteristics all contributed to Weatherby achieving his vision, as when loaded with identical bullets, the .270 Wby. Mag.’s velocities bettered those of the Winchester by 150 f.p.s. to 400 f.p.s., depending on the projectile’s weight. The cartridge design alone was insufficient to achieve said velocities, however; Weatherby also had to extend the rifling-free “throat,” or “free bore,” considerably, thereby enabling greater velocity potential without excessive pressure. Currently, weatherby.com lists the freebore length of .270 Wby. Mag.-chambered Mark V rifles as measuring 0.378″. Additionally, typical barrel lengths were 26″ or longer, which permitted better consumption (or a more complete burn) of the propellant.

As previously mentioned, Weatherby desired “total disintegration” of the bullet. As cited in Gresham, in a letter to gun writer Sam Fadala, Weatherby wrote, “I am one who wants that bullet to completely disintegrate inside an animal’s body. It seems to do more damage, by far, than just normal expansion.” Given the standard “cup-and-core” construction of the majority of the projectiles available at that time (and even today), significant weight loss, if not outright disintegration, was relatively easily achieved at velocities approaching 3000 f.p.s.; however, Weatherby’s hotrod .270 eclipsed that number by a significant margin. For example, factory numbers reveal that most of Weatherby’s 130-gr., .270 Wby. Mag. loads typically attain in excess of 3300 f.p.s. In comparison, bullets of identical weight fired from a .270 Win. achieve around 3100 f.p.s.

Weatherby’s views on high-velocity impacts and the .270 Wby. Mag. weren’t based on conjecture either, but rather on experience. For example, as detailed in Gresham, on June 14, 1948, Weatherby wrote, “Doctor shot his waterbuck, a fine one, too, with my .270 Magnum, about 150 yards. The waterbuck went down with a shoulder shot. When we skinned this fellow out, one could hardly imagine an animal being able to move after being shot the way he was with that .270 Magnum—he was torn up inside terribly.” Furthermore, on June 21, 1948, Weatherby reflected, “One thing is sure and that is—the bullet must be traveling at a certain velocity when it hits the animal in order to kill it by shock, no matter where it hits. I must find out at what distance or the velocity the bullet must hit the animal so that the shock instantly kills it. The .270 Magnum with the 150-grain Core-Lokt is not it—at least it has not proven to be so far. I am convinced at this point the 130-grain .270 bullet is superior at almost any point.” Ultimately, Weatherby concluded, “Of course, velocity means greater killing energy at greater distances—it also means more shock and greater destruction, but there is no substitute for the right spot … .”

Closing The DistanceFrom 1945 until 2002, when Winchester introduced the .270 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM), the .270 Wby. Mag. had reigned supreme in the realm of commercially available .270 chamberings—though it was considered proprietary until adopted by SAAMI in 1994. Following on the heels of its .30-cal. sibling, the .300 WSM, which was unveiled in 2001, the .270 WSM features a short, 2.100″-long non-belted case that, when loaded to a maximum COL of 2.860″, enables it to be chambered in lighter, short-action rifles. Despite its squat appearance, the case has minimal taper—from 0.555″ at the web to 0.538″ at the start of the shoulder—and a sharp, 35-degree shoulder that maximizes capacity. In Nosler Reloading Manual No. 7, the company lists its capacity as being about 73 grs. of water, which is approximately 9 grs. less than that of the .270 Wby. Mag. Because of its 65,000-p.s.i. MAP, though, the .270 WSM’s achievable velocities with most bullet weights are relatively close to those of Weatherby’s .270; the difference is usually within 125 f.p.s. or less. One must realize, though, that whereas the .270 Wby. Mag. is typically tested with a 26″ barrel, the .270 WSM is clocked from a 24″ tube, so direct comparisons are somewhat apples-to-oranges affairs. Is this enough to account for the velocity difference? Perhaps.

Really “muddying the waters,” if you will, concerning .270 supremacy, was Hornady’s introduction of Superformance ammunition. Through the formulization of highly progressive propellants, the company was able to achieve velocity increases upward of 200 f.p.s. from standard chamberings. The .270 Win. was among them; in fact, the 130-gr. loads attain 3200 f.p.s., which is 150-f.p.s. faster than SAAMI spec for “standard” loads and within 75 f.p.s. of .270 WSM loads using the same bullet weight. Interestingly, this is recorded from 24″ barrels in both chamberings, so it is a just comparison. Moreover, given that the .270 Win. has 9 grs. less case capacity, that is quite a remarkable feat. Since then, Remington has introduced its own “higher-than-normal-velocity” ammunition called “HyperSonic,” so the trend is building.

Taking the aforementioned into account, where does the .270 Wby. Mag. stand? There’s no doubt that, among the commercially available .270 chamberings, the Weatherby Magnum is still the fastest. That being said, the margin by which it’s ahead isn’t nearly as great as in the past; many .270 Win. and .270 WSM offerings are less than 100-f.p.s. slower than comparable .270 Wby. Mag. offerings. But, the growth of “long-range” hunting and shooting and leadless bullets gives the edge to the .270 Wby. Mag. Specialty “long-range” and long-for-weight lead-free projectiles occupy considerably more usable propellant space than their standard counterparts, which plays to the .270 Wby. Mag.’s voluminous case. Take the Nosler 150-gr. AccuBond Long Range (ABLR) for example, which measures an impressive 1.425″. Despite the bullet’s incredible length, the .270 Wby. Mag.’s case still has ample space for the propellant needed to achieve high velocities—an important factor in reducing drop and wind deflection (less time to target means less exposure to environmental conditions). Higher retained velocity also yields increased on-target energy. Remember, outside of long-range-specific bullets, most big-game bullets’ lower velocity limit for reliable expansion is 1800 f.p.s., so any increase is appreciated.

The .270 Weatherby Magnum’s ForteIn May 2013, I learned that I would be fortunate enough to hunt Dall sheep with Midnight Sun Safaris the following August. Although selecting the appropriate pack, boots and clothing would prove to be challenging, choosing the caliber, rifle and optic did not. Given the arduous climbing that would take place daily, cutting kit (and personal) weight was essential, as every ounce counts. Moreover, what better way to celebrate the upcoming 70th anniversary of Weatherby, Inc., than to use the Mark V Ultra Lightweight in Roy Weatherby’s first magnum chambering? The .270 Wby. Mag. is, after all, perhaps the best-suited option for sheep in the entire line. In discussions with Justin Moore, internet marketing manager for Weatherby, Inc., however, he suggested that I use the company’s valued-priced (soft-point), spitzer load (see sidebar p. 53). A flat-base “cup-and-core” bullet for sheep? To say I was surprised would be an understatement. “Trust me,” said Moore. Lastly, a Trijicon 3-9X 40 mm AccuPoint in Leupold rings and bases topped the rig.

After two days in transit, including a magnificent train ride from Anchorage to Denali National Park, our group was picked up at the train station by Coke Wallace, and the subsequent morning we were ferried via a single-prop airplane to “Moody International,” which is what Wallace named base camp. After confirming the scopes’ zeroes, we were prepared (or so we thought) for what lay ahead; boy, were we wrong. The next day proved to be the most difficult that I had ever encountered. During the 10-plus-hour arduous ascent toward a large band of rams, more than once I appreciated my choice of rifle. Despite our full effort, the rams evaded us, which lead to a long, tiresome and wet walk back to the horses; however, with it approaching 1:30 a.m. the next day, physically and mentally exhausted, drenched to the bone, and still about a half-mile from the horses, we decided to stop and start a fire to warm up and rest. It was the coldest night I’ve ever experienced. Welcome to sheep hunting!

After reaching the horses midmorning on day two (in a pouring rain no less), we headed for base camp, where we regrouped for the subsequent morning’s hunt. On day three, shortly after arriving in an unexplored drainage, Wallace and fellow guide Justin Cox spotted five rams near the top of a distant ridgeline. A Swarovski spotting scope confirmed that one ram met the stringent criteria for being legal to shoot. With cartridges in the magazine, but not chambered, Wallace, Cox, Moore and I began an ascent that, because of the rams’ vantage point, forced us to alternate approaches on several occasions. After more than an hour of climbing, we were finally within striking distance. Careful not to skyline ourselves, Cox and I crawled in advance of the others to reach a predetermined location for the shot. Just prior to exposing myself to their excellent eyesight, I chambered a round and deployed the Harris bipod. As I did so, Cox confirmed that the rams were 375 yds. away; however, because a younger (non-legal) ram stood nearby the elder one, I would have to wait for a shot. Finally, the immature animal moved a safe distance to the right, enabling me to take a shot. Having memorized the “drops” and drift at various distances, and with a 10-m.p.h. full-value crosswind, I applied the correct dope and pressed the trigger. At the shot, the ram bounded forward and stood motionless. Thinking that I had missed, I cycled the bolt and sent another soft point downrange, at which point the ram dropped and began an uncontrollable fall into what would prove to be a difficult-to-reach crevasse.

After reaching the animal more than an hour later, it was revealed that the first shot entered about 6″ behind the right shoulder and exited about 2″ behind the other, while the second shot entered about 2″ behind the right shoulder and exited through the left shoulder; in other words, both were lethal hits. Inside, there was considerable damage to both the lungs and the heart. I couldn’t have asked for better performance from a bullet at any price point. In addition to getting a beautiful trophy, the ram provided the finest meat that I’ve ever eaten, all thanks to Roy Weatherby’s .270—his original magnum and still among the best for long-range hunting.

Weatherby 130-gr. Spitzer Ammunition High-quality ammunition generally carries an equally premium price tag, and that reality is among the most difficult things for non-handloaders and the less-well-heeled to overcome in shooting Weatherby cartridges. Fortunately, a few years ago the company began offering an economical line of soft-point ammunition. Much of the cost of Weatherby ammunition comes from Norma purchasing premium, American-made bullets, having them shipped to Sweden, loading them and then transporting the ammunition back to America. While the Norma plant waits for said bullets to arrive, there can be down times in production. But, because the company also manufactures bullets, the decision was made to load its standard, cup-and-core spitzer bullets into Weatherby cartridges. And, because no purchasing or shipping costs (to the facility) are incurred, the savings can be passed on to the consumer. In fact, the loads (available in .240 Wby. Mag., .257 Wby. Mag., 270 Wby. Mag. and .300 Wby. Mag.) retail for $43 per 20 rounds, though I’ve seen them on midwayusa.com for $38. That is about half the price of the company’s premium offerings. As for the .270, the bullet, which has a .359 ballistic coefficient, is rated as reaching 3280 f.p.s. Given its non-bonded construction and the fact that there’s no built-in “mechanical lock,” considerable expansion is assured. For game up to and including caribou, these value-priced bullets are a good option. They certainly worked well for my once-in-a-lifetime shot on a Dall sheep.—Aaron Carter

.270 Wby. Mag.-Chambered RiflesAlthough there have been various rifles chambered for .270 Wby. Mag. through the years, including the Winchester Model 70 and Ruger No. 1, today, most are found within the American-made Weatherby Mark V line. Though the cartridge has yet to be released in the economical, Japanese-manufactured Vanguard Series II rifles, I am hopeful that will soon change. Mark V-series rifles chambered in .270 Wby. Mag. are: Ultra Lightweight and RC, Accumark, Deluxe, Lasermark, Sporter, Fibermark Composite, Euromark, Accumark RC, and Terramark RC. Among the newest is the Ultra Lightweight RC, which made its debut in 2014 and has a hand-laminated, raised comb Monte Carlo-style stock, 26″ free-floated stainless barrel with target crown, CNC-machined 6061 T-6 aluminum bedding plate, and six- or nine-lug fluted body bolt, depending on the chambering selected.

After the hunt, I spent considerable time at the range to wring out the aforementioned rifle; in total, I expended more than 200 rounds in meeting the American Rifleman accuracy protocol and function-testing. Of the four loads tested—Weatherby 130-gr. TSX, 130-gr. Spitzer and 150-gr. Partition, and Norma USA 150-gr. Oryx—the most accurate proved to be the 150-gr. Partition, which averaged 1.07″ for five consecutive, five-shot groups. The other loads averaged 1.22″ (130-gr. TSX), 1.40″ (130-gr. Spitzer) and 1.57″ (150-gr. Oryx). Recorded by an Oehler Model 36 chronograph at 13 ft., the velocities were: 3103 f.p.s., 3419 f.p.s., 3339 f.p.s., and 3160 f.p.s., respectively. The Mark V Ultra Lightweight RC retails for $2,400. The least-costly Mark V is the Fibermark, which retails for $1,400. Outside of Weatherby, Inc., .270 Wby. Mag.-chambered rifles can also be had in the E.R. Shaw Mark VII. Assuredly other custom builders will offer the chambering as well; however, they may, or may not, include Weatherby’s lengthy freebore. That is worth inquiring about.—Aaron Carter

Chris Parkin puts the Bergara B14 to the test and discovers an accomplished, all-round rifle that is reasonably priced too!

PROS: Excellent trigger and overall build with intelligent stock design; The barrel showed good thermal stability with a hot cartridge burning 80gr of powder; Not light, but not too heavy for an occasional stalking trip with a biathlon sling; Stable recoil manners with or without the moderator; Very good value for money

CONS: No Left Hander

VERDICT: I really liked the 6.5 Creedmoor short action HMR, and this big boomer shows how inherently sound the overall design is when submitted to more recoil. I can’t wait to see the short 22-250 which will be a cracking varminter

TECH SPECS

Overall length – 1200mm/47.25”

Weight – 4.6kg/10.2lbs

Magazine capacity – 5+1

Trigger – Single stage, 950gr break

Barrel length – 660mm/26”, 1 in 10” twist, button Rifled

Stock material – Injection moulded polymer with integral aluminium bedding block and skeleton

Length of Pull – 335mm/13.2”- 365mm/14.4”

RRP

Bergara BMP 6.5 Creedmoor – £1127

Kahles K624i – £2550.00

Hausken WD60, Tier One Picatinny rail and 34mm Rings, RWS, Norma and GECO Ammunition

Contact – RUAG, 01579 362319, www.ruag.co.uk

ALSO USED

Hornady 165 GMX and BTSP Interlock ammunition

Hornady Edgar Brothers 01625 613177 www.edgarbrothers.com

IN DEPTH TEST AND REVIEW

After shooting B14 sporting rifles and the BMP chassis rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, I was fortunate to be loaned an HMR in the same calibre for a longer trial and video review. The HMR format impressed me as much as I suspected it would when I first saw it at the British Shooting Show in 2017.

I heard a lot of chatter about a long-action version chambered in .300 Win Mag which was set to appear in the US to massive fanfare – the Creedmoor was already showing sales beyond Bergara’s manufacturing capacity.

The .300 WM appeared at BSS 2018 and I was quick to get one ordered. It shows the same build and differences as the regular short-action rifle does to a Remington 700, with a single-stack magazine holding five rounds being the only difference other than bolt travel.

A 26” No.5 profile barrel (19mm at the muzzle) is an ideal companion for a longer-range rifle hoping to achieve the most velocity from a cartridge burning around 80gr of powder and driving .30-cal bullets from 110 to 230gr, a 180-grainer likely to be projected at a speed approaching 3,000 feet per second (914m/s).

The stock is an injection-moulded polymer vertical grip design showing similar ergonomics to a Macmillan A5. It has an adjustable cheekpiece with forceful thumbscrew to lock it in place and marking lines on the front post to indicate position.

You can shoot thumb up or wrapped around the vertical pistol grip carrying moulded stippling. Three 10mm spacers are fitted to adjust length of pull between the maximum 365mm (14.4”), down to 335mm (13.2”) which will suit most shooters. Reach to the single-stage trigger is perfectly specified, allowing your index finger pad to sit relaxed with a trigger pull directed toward the centre of the recoil pad in your shoulder for minimal aiming disturbance. Any aftermarket Remington compatible unit will fit but you are unlikely to need it: mine had a fraction of discernible creep that soon bedded in to virtually nothing with a reliably predictable break of 950g.

The twin-lug bolt opens 90° to cycle the action with an oversized, conical bolt-handle to speed up processing, adding leverage with less disturbance to the rifle’s aim. There are no ‘three rings of steel’ so famously advertised by Remington, but the action shows a single Sako-style extractor claw rather than the internal circlip of its forefather.

Primary extraction of the large 62,000 Psi (CIP) belted magnum is plentiful, although the sprung plunger in the bolt-face is quite delicate in its ejection, the cases not thrown more than 30cm laterally from the gun (a factor I also found on the Creedmoor even with its smaller, lighter case).

The action and floorplate are seated within the stock with a recoil lug sandwiched at the front between the receiver and threaded barrel. I like the Bergara update of enclosing this lug within the action’s face to ensure it will return exactly to position if you ever have a barrel change. I especially like the aluminium skeleton moulded within the polymer stock, extending from the grip to the tip of the fore-end from the machined bedding block the action sits in. Twin-action screws fasten everything in place and I was pleased to see no stress applied to the action when they were tightened to 65”/lb.

Each round is push-fed from the magazine up the feed ramp into the chamber and, like all long-action rounds, feed and reliability is that little bit more assured than shorter cases with a correspondingly shorter overall length to jump the ‘moat’ formed by the bolt’s locking abutments.

RUAG kindly supplied me with a full armoury of Tier-One scope rings and Picatinny rail (screwed to the action with four bolts) as well as a Kahles 624i FFP optic well suited to some long-range steel plate shooting.

I also had two Hausken sound moderators, the larger of which, a Hunter WD 60 still weighing only 414g for its 224mm length, does a fantastic job of reducing both noise and recoil. I have shot .300 WM for nearly 10 years and am well aware of its character – this moderator really impressed me!

Ammunition came from RWS, Norma (180gr Oryx), GECO (180gr SP) and Hornady (165 GMX) with a selection of polymer tipped and spitzer bullets in the 165-180gr region. These were all designed for hunting and tested for accuracy on paper to assure me of the gun’s likely capability, because were I to be seriously shooting long range, I would use a 200gr+ bullet with a B.C. above 0.6 to make the most of the .300’s capability. Unless you use 300gr bullets in a .338 Lapua, the plain old .300 can cope well out beyond 1,000m and be pushed as far as a mile, although that is stretching things significantly.

My own .300 WM driving a 208gr Hornady A-Max closely mirrors the ballistics in terms of windage and drops of my .260 Rem shooting a 139gr load to about 1,200m, yet the recoil is the major difference with the .300. I shot with the WD60 in place for most of the test as it tamed the stout cartridge well and wasn’t as disturbing as a braked muzzle.

I spent a lot of time at 300m which will interest those wanting to use such a rifle for long-range culling. None of the ammo was cloverleafing on paper at 100m, yet none threw flyers either. I did get the gun quite hot with some 15 and 20 round strings (in very cold wind chill conditions) to show the thermal consistency of Bergara’s steel.

If I were handloading, I’m confident this would have been improved upon and could have been tailored to my needs, but the 26” tube showed good velocity with little point of impact shift between any of the ammunition types at 100m.

180gr GECO developed 959m/s (3,147 fps/3,959 ft/lb), the largest energy output with the similar 180gr Oryx lagging a little with 882m/s (2,894 fps/3,348 ft/lb). Hornady 165gr GMX developed 957m/s (3,141 fps/3,615 ft/lb) with the best consistency out to 400m for elevation and wind resistance on steel targets but none were a disappointment.

After a good clean, a second experiment on paper actually showed some RWS Doppelkern to have the most consistent accuracy, with two sequential cloverleaf groups of five rounds, whereas all the rest stuck into the ¾” bracket and stayed that way.

I wouldn’t normally have set off to the range to shoot over 100 rounds of .300, but this gun was a soft shooter. The heavier bullets were detectable with a shade more recoil, but even so, the superb moderator and versatile length of pull adjustment in the stock allowed repetitive hold, aim and recoil control, and the trigger was a blessing.

To be honest, I would like to have kept the 6.5 Creedmoor HMR as it just oozed reloading potential and the .300 did too. Neither are expensive rifles for what they are capable of if paper and steel are your game.

On the other hand, all the ammo tested was reliable for any realistic hunting and the gun, although bulkier than a sporting rifle, was a good compromise for occasional use on game from static positions. It did shoot accurately from quad sticks with the rear butt hook wedging into position, but the steady push of recoil did lose your sight picture from a standing shot on sticks.

Fore-end stiffness was assured and the free float never wavered. If you are of bigger build, this gun might suit you perfectly for stalking as the generous length of pull without undue weight does nicely for long stalks on the hill with a biathlon sling, but it is never going to be a fast, pointable woodland rifle.

At a base weight of 4.6kg, you can add another 2.5kg for a suitable scope, mounts, bipod and moderator. With the base rifle at 47.25” long before you add a moderator (totalling 1,360mm), think carefully!

A tiny fraction of whitetail hunters have taken a buck that scores over 170 typical or 195 nontypical, the minimums for entry into the Boone & Crockett record book. Many hunters feel like it’s just a stroke of luck to have a buck that size walk by, and many times it is. But that doesn’t explain why some hunters kill them with a shocking degree of regularity.

Several hunters have killed multiple B&C bucks over the years, which proves that they are probably doing things a little different than you and I are when you take to the whitetail woods. In talking to them, I have come up with a list if six things they’re doing that you’re probably not doing.

You’re Not Hunting Where They Live

This may seem obvious, but you have to hunt where there are. You don’t have to live there, but if you don’t have Booners where you live you must travel (or move.) Tim Young packed up and moved to Iowa and has shot two giants there and one on a roadtrip to Kentucky. Rod Owen, Adam Hays, Stan Potts and Ben Rising travel extensively to find and shoot big bucks in states other than their own.

“You have to find them first,” says Adam Hays, who has taken nine Booners including four over 200 inches. “Your best bet for finding a giant will be near sanctuaries where there is no or very limited hunting. These areas will be close to city limits, parks, industrial zones, wildlife refuges and even large tracts of land that allow no hunting. Hunting a specific animal will make you hunt harder and smarter also, just knowing he’s there!”

Rod Owen agrees.

“Killing a Booner isn’t the hardest part, the hardest part is finding one.”

Ben Rising has shot four Booners in the last two years. He says he often spends more time looking for a buck and getting access to hunt where the buck lives than actually hunting him.

You Don’t Understand How Fickle They Can Be

You can’t take chances with human intrusion, checking scouting cameras too often, or hunting in the wrong winds. To shoot a Booner you must do everything right, and get lucky, too. Patience is the key. Rod Owen tells about how he waited weeks for the perfect conditions to hunt a giant buck, but the wind switched so he literally got out of the stand and RAN all the way back to his truck.

“People go overboard trying to get intel on these big bucks and end up hurting themselves in the long run,” according to Ben Rising. They “dig too deep” he says, risking alerting the deer that he’s being hunted.

According to Adam Hays, patience is the #1 key.

“Sometimes the most difficult part of hunting a big buck is actually not hunting him at all,” he says. “having the patience and the discipline to wait until everything is perfect before diving in for the kill.”

You’re Not Willing To Do Whatever It Takes

You are spending your time watching Monday Night Football, you’re hanging out with buddies, you’re fishing when the big buck killers are scouting. The hunters who shoot Booners make sacrifices, and they are consumed by the pursuit and learning everything they can about the deer and the land they inhabit. The drive to shoot giant deer is at a level far above the average deer hunter.

“There are hunters and there are killers,” says Rising. “The drive has to be far greater if you are going to consistently kill big ones.”

With his truck stuck in a snowdrift, Steve Niemerg waited out a blizzard in a farmer’s house for two days, then instead of going home when the blizzard quit, he went hunting and killed a giant Booner that very evening.

You’re Not Hunting During the Peak Times

There are a few specific short periods each year when most Booners are shot. Hays is a big believer in the moon’s position as an influence of big buck movement. Rising says that waiting for the right moment is key.

Hays also claims that a wind that’s good for the buck and bad for you can be the best time to hunt.

“For me, the Holy Grail of whitetail hunting is finding a big buck’s weak spot, somewhere along his travel pattern where you can get within bow range of him while he’s using the wind to his advantage”

When a peak time arrives, you must put the rest of your life on hold. You might be surprised to discover that most of these true giants were not shot during the rut. Most big buck killers agree that they prefer to kill Booners before the chaos of the rut arrives and the deer are in more predictable patterns.

You’re Not Passing On Big Bucks

Those 170 and 180 bucks were once 150 bucks. If you can’t pass up a 4-year-old 150, you will probably never shoot a 6-year-old 180. A friend in southern Iowa who owns a large farm told me he kicked a guy out of their hunting group because he wouldn’t pass up the 4-year-olds that most people would drool over.

“People like Adam [Hays] and I have learned not to smoke the tag on the first 4-year-old 160 that comes by,” says Rising. “We only have one tag in Ohio.”

That’s a tough hurdle for most hunters to get over. If you are happy with a 150-160 then so be it, but if you want to kill bucks approaching 200, you will have to let them walk.

You’re Taking Shortcuts

Most hunters rely too much on gimmicks and don’t go to the extremes necessary. You aren’t choosing your entry and exit routes wisely enough, and you aren’t using discipline to wait for perfect conditions. These big buck killers are scent control fanatics, but they don’t use that as an excuse to take shortcuts with the wind. Scent control is an honorable goal, but the belief that you can totally eliminate your scent and ignore good woodsmanship is a ticket to forkhorn land.

Hanging a treestand during the rain, letting those cameras sit for weeks and only checking them with the right wind, having the patience to wait until everything is right — these are the characteristics of a person who kills Booners. Hunting mature bucks is all about strategic moves at the right time in the right place. There are no shortcuts, you must make every move with precision.

The best bass poppers make a lot of noise on the water, and that is what makes them so effective. They’re one of the oldest lures, but over time, testing has lended them quite a nice hand. Now we have poppers of all different shapes and sizes that work better than ever before.

Through my personal experience and other anglers’ knowledge and expertise, I’ve put together this list of the best poppers for bass fishing. These topwater lures will help you clean house on any freshwater pond or lake, so keep reading.

Our Picks For The Best Bass Poppers

Rebel Lures Pop-R Topwater Popper

BEST BASS POPPER OVERALL

• Type: Teeny Popper
• Size: ⅛ ounce
• Color: Ol’ Bass

FEATURED SPECS

• Design of the mouth spits water which creates a loud noise and vibration to attract ornery bass

EXTRA FEATURES

• Comes with two treble hooks and a feather-like tail which improves the action and natural appearance

BUYING ADVICE

• You can use both a straight retrieval or erratic jerking to imitate an injured baitfish

Pros

• Strong company reputation
• Great topwater action
• Versatility

Cons

• Many anglers recommend swapping the hooks

It’s a no-brainer that the Rebel Pop-R is the best topwater popper for bass fishing. If you’ve ever watched a bass fishing tournament or attended one, I can guarantee you’ve seen this lure used many times. It’s won hundreds of thousands of dollars in tournament money for many professional anglers.

When you cast it out, and it hits the water, you’ll hear the pop. Then, as you’re retrieving it, the lure spits water out using the concave mouth, which creates a lot of disturbance to attract the bass.

Arbogast Hula Popper

RUNNER-UP BASS POPPER

Specs

• Type: Hula Popper
• Size: 1 ¼ – 2 ¼
• Color: Yellow Belly

FEATURED SPECS

• Features an extra-strong and sharp treble hook to make it easier to set the hook

EXTRA FEATURES

• The hula popper creates a loud popping sound when it hits the water, and it bubbles as you retrieve

BUYING ADVICE

• Locate some grass beds and cast this right in there because it’s meant to imitate a jumping frog

Pros

• Great loud presentation
• Large lure catches big bass
• Works well at night too

Cons

• The lure is a bit large for some

Here we have another legendary lure with a long-standing history of creating successful anglers out of newbies. The skirt on this one pulsates, so it creates a clicking noise as you retrieve it. You can pair that with the concave mouth that creates a bubble trail.

Arbogast Jitterbug

BEST JITTERBBUG

Specs

• Type: Jitterbug
• Size: 2 ½ inches and ⅜ ounce
• Color: 16 color variations

FEATURED SPECS

• The double cupped lip creates an extremely loud presentation when it hits the water

EXTRA FEATURES

• This lure is small, so it’s great for casting large distances

BUYING ADVICE

• Make sure to choose your color to mimic your surroundings. They offer a wide assortment of colors.

Pros

• Loud presentation
• Great casting distance
• Exceptional night time lure

Cons

• Too many buying options

It’s not often that I would say having too many lure options is a bad thing, but it is when they’re confusing. I find this lure to have too many size variations where some are jointed, and some aren’t, it makes it confusing.

If I were you, I’d go with a non-jointed small lure option and purchase a couple of them in different colors, so you have one for each situation. I highly recommend getting a black one because this lure creates such a loud presentation; you don’t need the bass to see it for night fishing.

Heddon Chug’N Spook Popper

BEST SPOOK

Specs

• Type: Popping Spook
• Size: ½ ounce
• Color: Black Shiner

FEATURED SPECS

• Thin profile allows this lure to move through the water quickly while chugging and spitting

EXTRA FEATURES

• Also comes with a loud rattle inside to add to the already loud presentation

BUYING ADVICE

• These come in both fresh and saltwater options. That makes this one of the best poppers for striped bass as well.

Pros

• Simple and effective
• Comes with a wide range of colors and sizes
• Torpedo movement through the water

Cons

• Made in China

Don’t get confused by this lure. We’re not talking about the standard Heddon spook here; the company also makes a popper with a similar design. The only difference between this and the original spook is the concave mouth.

While it does a great job of creating noise from its mouth, the ticker on this lure is the internal rattle paired with the mouth.

Rapala X-Rap Pop 07

BEST SPITTER

Specs

• Type: Spitter
• Size: 2 ¾ inches
• Color: Silver/Red

FEATURED SPECS

• Incredibly lifelike appearance meant to mimic an injured shad or minnow

EXTRA FEATURES

• Deep cupped mouth with extended top lip spits water as you retrieve it

BUYING ADVICE

• These work great near docks or low hanging trees because they have a long casting system that provides pinpoint accuracy on your cast.

Pros

• Rapala reputation is always good
• Tail-down design improves the presentation
• Great spitting action
• Lifelike appearance

Cons

• Fragile hooks

If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know I like to stick with a great company. Rapala bass lures are some of the best on the market, and the design of this one really proves that to us.

Whether you’re looking at the arched back to create a better presentation or the precisely cupped mouth which spits water and makes noise, this lure is designed perfectly for its intended purpose.

What Are Poppers?

Poppers are a topwater lure that make a loud popping and spitting sound when they hit the water and retreat. They come in a few different designs and styles, but the selling point is the design and shape of their mouth.

These are not weedless lures because they often come with two treble hooks. You’ll want to fish these near the weeds, but not necessarily in them. Having a bit of clear water allows the design to work it’s magic.

The topwater nature of these make them a great lure for smallmouth bass but certain options like the spook also dive a little so they work well for largemouth bass too.

Types of Bass Poppers

You’ve got a large assortment of bass fishing lures that claim to be poppers, but overall, we’re sticking to two main types. You have chuggers and spitters. They’re both very similar, but the presentation they create in the water is what makes them a little different.

Chuggers

The chugger is a lot like the Arbogast Hula Popper we reviewed above. These create a loud pop sound when they hit the water, and then they bubble when you retrieve them. As you pull them in, they almost shroud themselves in bubbles, and when they pop, that’s when you get the loud noise you’re looking for.

Spitters

The main difference between these two is in the shape of their mouth. When you look at a spitter closely, you’ll notice that the top lip of the concave mouth sticks out a little further than the bottom lip. As a result, these lures don’t create that bubble shroud and trail; instead, they spit the water back out somewhat like a water wheel.

It makes a softer sound, but I’ve found that the noise is more consistent, which is what drives bass crazy. Our top pick above is a perfect example of a high-quality spitter.

Features to Look For in the Best Poppers

Popper bass fishing is pretty basic, and most of the lures operate in the same fashion. When you’re shopping around, make sure to look for the following features to determine you have the right lure in your hand.

Concave Mouth – The main feature that makes this lure tick is the design of its mouth. The mouth either spits or chugs, and both of these create a loud noise when they hit the water and when you retrieve them. One sure-fire way of knowing you have a popper is by looking at the design of the mouth.

Treble Hooks – Topwater poppers for bass fishing always come with at least one treble hook. This is because you need to be able to set the hook when a bass comes at you from a variety of different directions. Many of the stock hooks that come with lures are low-quality, so be sure to pay attention to that.

Color Variations – Color is an important buying factor because it will impact your success. I always suggest mimicking the color of your lure to match the surroundings where you’re fishing. Most popular companies like Rapala or Rebel offer an assortment of colors, so you don’t have to worry about that.

How to Fish Poppers for Bass

Interestingly enough, there aren’t too many bass fishing tips I can give you on fishing poppers. They’re one of the simplest lures to fish, which makes them great for beginner bass fishing. You have two options for retrieving.

You can play it safe and follow a steady retrieval. You’ll do this by casting out and retrieving by cranking the reel at a normal pace. The popper will spit and chug as you do this at a natural pace.

If you’re looking to make things a little more interesting, you can cast out, leave the rod tip down and use the tip to jerk the lure in an erratic motion. For this, I suggest getting a lure with a little red on it. Some of the options recommended above have red bellies.

For this, to work best, you’ll keep the line tight, lift the rod tip up quickly, reel in the slack, and repeat this process. The bass will think your lure is injured, and they’ll be more likely to strike it.

Best Time to Use Poppers for Bass

While there isn’t a “wrong” time to fish poppers, any self-respecting bass angler would tell you that night time, overcast, or dusk is the best time to use these. When it’s dark, bass can’t see the lure as well, so they rely on what they hear.

For this situation, having a loud lure that draws a lot of attention is the key to success. Again, be sure to keep everything else in mind as well. Choose a color that relates to the time of day. If it’s pitch black out with very little moonlight, go with a completely black lure.

If you’ve got some moonlight, choose something that might reflect some of that light. Go with a silver shad color or something like that.

Also, keep in mind how your presentation needs to change based on the time of day and year. When it’s a cooler, overcast day – you need to slow it down. When it’s hot, and the sun is still beaming down at 9 pm, you can afford to pick up the pace a little.

Final Thoughts

The best bass poppers aren’t hard to find because so many of the most popular lure brands make a ton of them. I suggest sticking with the Pop-R, Heddon, and Rapala when it comes to these. Even if you have to pay an extra buck or two, you know you’re getting the highest quality lures.

The best thing about poppers is that they’re easy to fish. If you have a kid or a friend who is looking to get into fishing, get them hooked by rigging a topwater popper and showing them how easy it is to catch bass with the right lure and the proper strategy.

We love talking to our community here at Anglers.com, so be sure to drop us a comment with your favorite popper story and tell us more about how you like to fish these lures.

Good luck out there!

Dove season sneaks up on you. One day, you’re mowing the lawn, fishing or, heaven forbid, playing golf. The next, you’re up to your ankles in smoking empties. According to an often-quoted statistic, you’ll shoot five to seven shells per dove bagged. At that rate, the hull pile gets deep in a hurry.

It doesn’t have to be that way. There’s not much you can do now about the clay targets you didn’t shoot this past summer. That will be next year’s project. But I can help in the short term. Here are 25 tips to make your dove season better.

1. Pick the Right Gun

Dove hunting is supposed to be fun, and if you enjoy shooting family heirlooms or featherlight .410s at doves, who am I to tell you not to? But if your idea of fun is hitting more doves, choose a 12- or 20-gauge with some heft and at least a 28-inch barrel. A longer, heavier gun swings smoothly, points surely and soaks up recoil. The best dove shooting I did this past year was with a 12-gauge sporting clays gun.

2. Stock Up On Shells

Ammunition is available again, and there’s no reason to run out opening day, which I have actually done. Begging shells from people in the field is just embarrassing. Field or target loads of Nos. 7½ or 8 lead or 6 or 7 steel work. Steel loads kill fine, by the way. Lighter loads, with less shot and lower velocities, kick a lot less than heavy, high-speed stuff, and you will shoot a lot in no more padding than a T-shirt. Be sure your ammo will cycle your semi-auto, but other than that, lighter is better.

3. Improve Your Chances

A more open choke, such as improved cylinder, increases your chances of hitting doves. While conducting a test of lead and steel dove loads in Texas, during which more than 1,100 doves were bagged, ballistics expert Tom Roster recorded data on chokes. Shooters using improved cylinder hit 26% of their shots. Those with modified chokes recorded a 21% hit rate. Full-choke shooters succeeded on only 16% of their attempts.

4. Clean your Gun

The only thing worse than emptying your gun at a dove without touching a feather is not being able to empty your gun. If you put your shotgun away at the end of the previous season and forgot about it, it’s time to get reacquainted. Clean it, making sure to strip off the old oil. Then lightly oil it, and wipe away most of that oil.

5. Shoot

Even shooting a box of shells before opening day is much better than not shooting at all. Concentrate on two things: keeping your eyes on the target throughout the shot, and matching your gun speed to the target’s speed. With most hunters, that means slowing way down.

(Don’t Miss: How to Build an Awesome Dove Hunting Field)

6. Bring an Extra Gun

The best emergency repair kit is an extra gun. Pack an extra of the same gauge into the field. Breaking out the spare gun is much more convenient than going back to the truck for it or trying to fix your gun, and it’s more dignified than asking other hunters if they have a gun you can borrow.

7. Scout Late

Unlike shooting practice, which should start after turkey season, dove scouting is actually best put off as long as possible. Doves react quickly as sunflowers are cut or harvest begins, and their patterns can change in a day. Birds won’t necessarily be where you saw them a week ago.

8. Watch the Wires

When you scout in the morning and late in the day, look for doves on power lines, where they gather before feeding. Here’s my rule of thumb when I’m scouting cut cornfields: If I see 10 doves sitting together, the field might be worth hunting. If there are 20, it’s definitely worth hunting. A lot more than 20 means I’m calling my friends.

9. Find Water

In addition to food, look for water, especially ponds with some bare dirt around the edges where doves might come to drink. If you find a waterhole, you can have some very good close chances during the last hour of shooting light as doves get a drink before roosting.

10. Check the Crop

Not all dove fields attract birds equally. Sunflowers might look good to us, but for some reason, doves prefer one field to another. If you show up at a dove field without scouting, you might not get much shooting.

(Don’t Miss: No Dove Field? No Problem)

11. Watch the Harvest

A harvested or cut field can attract just as many doves as a managed sunflower field. Where I live, I’ve had my best hunts in cornfields that have been chopped for silage. In other places, it might be a harvested canola or sunflower field. Look for recently opened fields and doves sitting on wires on dead trees around them.

12. Look for Flight Lines

Every dove field has its hot corners where the shooting is better. Before the season starts, watch a field to see where birds are flying in and out. This past year, I found the best dove field at a nearby public area and watched it long enough to see that most doves were cutting across one of the far corners. I was there the next day and had a good shoot.

13. Look for Trees

The right bare tree on the field edge or sometimes in the field might attract doves that want to perch in the branches before flying down to feed. If you find such a tree, you’ll get easy shots at birds coming in for a landing.

14. Take Good Shots

During opening day in a good field, you’ll get lots of chances, and at first, you’ll want to take every one. Calm down. You’ll get shooting. Keep your shots within 30 yards. You’ll hit a higher percentage, use fewer shells and cripple fewer birds, and you won’t have to spend time looking for birds you knocked down and can’t find.

15. Look at the Eye

Where your eyes go, your hands take the gun. Looking at the whole bird increases the chance of a miss or hit too far back in the body. When doves are close, try to see the bird’s eye or beak, and you’ll hit it in head. If the bird is farther out, look at the head, and you’ll hit it in the front end.

(Don’t Miss: How to Plant a Killer Dove Field)

16. Own the Overheads

The overhead shot is one of the most common you’ll experience in the dove field — and they’re frequently missed. Bring your gun up behind an incoming bird, moving just fast enough to pass through it. Shoot when the gun blocks out your view of the head. If the target is high, block out the head, keep the gun moving for an instant, and then shoot. Keep your head on the gun until after the shot. Yes, overheads really are that easy.

17. Crush the Crossers

We know crossing targets require lead, yet most are missed several feet behind — not as a result of too little lead but by shooters stopping their swing. The main reason shooters stop their swing is because they look at the gun to check their lead, and looking at the gun makes it stop. Focus on the bird, and swing through it, moving just a bit faster than the target. Keep your focus on the bird’s head, and let your hands take the gun in front of it. Trust your eyes and hands, and pull the trigger.

18. Mark the Falls

Watch every dove you shoot at. Some might sail and then fall dead. Any time you hit a dove, get a good mark, and walk straight to it if you’re hunting without a retriever. Dead doves can disappear in the sparsest of cover and can be almost impossible to find if you drop them in long grass and don’t go to right to them, keeping your eye on the spot all the way. Always bring a loaded gun, as dead doves sometimes flush and fly off.

19. Skip the Doubles

Unless I’m hunting over bare ground and birds are close, I rarely try doubles. Finding both birds can be surprisingly time-consuming and can cost you shots because you’re not sitting on your bucket looking up.

20. Stop at Two

Most third shots are wasted. Unless you know you hit a bird that’s still flying, stop at two shots, and you’ll still have a third ready for that dove that comes floating past after you empty your gun at a screaming crosser.

(Don’t Miss: 10 Tips for Better Dove Hunting)

21. Hide in Plain Sight

The best way to hide from doves is to sit still in the shade. When I hunt sunflowers or cornfields, I’ll find a seat with the sun at my back and standing corn or sunflowers behind me, and I can be invisible to doves. Earth-toned clothes or the right camo help, too. Doves can see color, and although they aren’t the wariest birds, they will flare if they see you move.

22. Don’t Go Low

In crowded dove fields, don’t take low shots that might endanger dogs or other hunters in the field picking up birds. See some sky below your gun barrels before you take a shot.

23. Protect Your Ears

You will shoot a lot during a dove hunt. After my first dove hunt, during which I shot five boxes of shells, my ears rang for three days. Since then, I have always worn foam plugs for hunting, and although I’m not getting less deaf, I hear better than a lot of my friends do.

24. Protect Your Eyes

Not everyone abides by tip No. 22, and shot-proof glasses can save your eyes from an unsafe shooter. And while you’re at it, choose a lens color that will help you bag more birds. On a bright day, a bronze tint lets you see and still brings out colors on the birds. Rose works, too, and you should always choose the lightest tint possible. Dark-gray sunglasses make everything dark and harder to see and are a bad choice.

25. Don’t Hang Your Gun Up After Opening Day

There is so much more to dove hunting than Sept. 1. Keep at it. You might have to scout harder or lean on your network of friends to see who has birds and what you have to do to wrangle an invitation. Remember, too, that doves are migratory birds, and more will come. Whatever you have to do, it’s well worth it for a chance to keep hunting doves long after opening day.

(Don’t Miss: Dove Hunting, the Perfect Family Sport)

If you need to be able to defend yourself at night, then you’re looking for an awesome Glock night sights review. In this article we will cover a wide variety of sighting systems. We’ll talk about the best iron sights, and some great red dot sights for low light self defense. As you’ll see, most shooters aren’t really focusing on the right details when trying to find the best night sights for their particular needs. Keep reading for more.

When doing my research for this article, it was readily apparent that most of the Glock night sights reviews were written by robots, or people who hadn’t shot more than a box of ammo in the last 7 years. It’s also patently obvious that most most reviewers don’t do much shooting at night.

As many of you know I’m, a competition shooter, as well as a police officer. I do a lot of shooting, in all hours of the day and night. While this doesn’t make me the worlds greatest expert on night sights, I can tell you that there are several issues that come up when you actually need a good sight system. Here’s a quick overview of the article.

Glock Night Sights Review

• Iron sights with tritium inserts are the best Glock sights for simplicity and durability
• Using a weapons mounted light can negate the need for night sights
• Red dot sights are good options for low light defense, provided it’s set correctly
• Stay away from exposed fiber optics sights for self defense use
• Rear sights with a ledge allow for one handed weapons manipulation
• Many of these sights come in different colors, follow the links for all options

Before we get to the details in this Glock night sights review, we need to discuss if you even need night sights. We will also talk about some facts and fallacies of low light shooting, which may help steer you towards one sighting system over another. Remember, there is no best system for everyone.

Do You Need Night Sights for Your Glock?

If you ask this question to most self defense minded, or tactical shooters, they will tell you that you need night sights to shoot at night. Unfortunately, they would be wrong, or at least no right enough. To illustrate this point I’m going to give you a little scenario.

You’re in your home, and you hear the proverbial bump in the night. You grab your Glock to go clear your house by yourself (not a good idea). You have a Glock 19 with standard tritium night sights, and no pistol light. You eventually confront the intruder, who is stealing your $3000 Taylor Swift tickets they saw on your kitchen counter.

You challenge them at gunpoint, and your sight picture is a dark blob, with three green dots in front of your face. You see nothing else! You can’t tell if they’re armed, or a drunk neighbor in the wrong house, or any other useful information. But hey, you can see your sights are in rough alignment!

You would be better off with a pistol light, and the standard Glock sights in this scenario. If you light up the person with your light, you will see a clear outline of your sights. You will also take away the intruders night vision, and disorient them. Most importantly, you can see if they’re armed.

Choosing Your Self Defense Pistol Setup

Don’t take this to mean I’m anti night sights for your self defense pistol. I’m simply pointing out that the ability to see three dots won’t solve this difficult and dangerous problem. I would argue that it does very little if you can’t ID the person in your house. It’s an all too common tale for someone to shoot a family member at night because they thought they were an intruder.

Night sights certainly have their uses, and they really shine in mixed lighting conditions, where there are areas of light and dark. These would be areas like parking garages, street lights, or lights around your house that provide some dim illumination.

After reading this article you should have a good idea of what Glock night sight set up you want. After that it’s up to you to train with your setup. Don’t be the guy to buy all the high speed gear and have no idea how to use it. I see this all the time at matches, and it makes me cry inside. The best part about having awesome gear, is learning to use it well!

I’ll get off of my soapbox now, and we’ll get to the equipment part of this article. I encourage you to follow the links, some of which are affiliate links, for the products that seem most useful to you. They will tell you more detailed info, and you can read other useful things like customer reviews. Rest assured, I won’t link to any terrible products. Don’t forget to join the email list below for more awesome articles.

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5 Best Glock Night Sights

By now you should have some idea that I’m not only going to include standard iron sights, in this Glock night sights review. I will include several iron sights options, and red dot options for low light shooting. I will also include the very best night sight option, a pistol mounted light!

1. Surefire X300U-B Pistol Light

The Surefire X300U is my favorite weapons mounted light. I have one on my duty gun, and I have another on my home defense pistol. It’s a very bright 1000 lumen flashlight that is compatible with nearly any pistol on the market. It also works well when mounted on a long gun, giving it nearly unlimited uses.

I tend to pair it with Surefire’s DG grip pressure switch, wich makes one handed activation easy. That pressure switch isn’t a must have, as I ran this light for many years using my support hand thumb to activate the light. The light uses a dual action switch that gives you momentary on, when pushed forward into the light body, and constant on when rotated down.

Of note, if you do opt for the pressure switch, the light still retains the standard rocker switch as well. This allows you to use it as a back up, and have constant on functionality. This is crucial if you actually find a bad guy, and need to keep him illuminated for 5-10 minutes, waiting on the police to arrive.

As of this writing, the light retails for a little over $300. The switch is a little over $100. While that isn’t chump change, it is a great option because you can move it to any firearm you care to use, quite easily. Next we’ll move on to my favorite iron sight system.

Trijicon Glock HD Night Sight (GL1010)

The Trijicon Glock HD night sights are used by police and military forces all around the world, for good reason. They’re durable, simple, and reasonably priced. This model features tritium inserts, which is a phosphorescent green chemical that will glow for 10 years or so, with no need for additional maintenance. The Trijicon HD night sights also include an orange front sight circle, around the front dot tritium insert. This helps to capture your eye in all lighting conditions.

This system will require gunsmith installation, unless you have a sight tool like this one (Amazon Affiliate Link). You can see in the video below that, putting new sights on your Glock isn’t all that hard, but you do need the right tools. One of the best features about this product, is the ledge type rear sight. This allows you to rack the slide off of objects with one hand. This isn’t likely to happen, but it’s a nice bonus feature.

As of this writing, the Trijicon GL 1010 retails for around $120. With the sight pusher linked above, you’ll be spending around $180 in total. Next we’ll move on to another great set of iron sights.

Meprolight Adjustable Tritium Sights

The Meprolight adjustable night sights are a great option for those that want a more accurate sighting system, with a snag-free design. These sights feature tritium vials for reliable low light performance, with an adjustable rear sight. This allows you to fine tune your sights for your shooting style, and ammunition choice. This is one of the biggest differences between these sights, and stock, white dot factory sights from Glock.

I know some shooters really enjoy having adjustable iron sights. I’ve shot both standard and adjustable sights. To be perfectly honest, I almost never adjust them. I would also point out that the rear sight has a very small ledge that would make one handed manipulations harder. That wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me, but it’s something to consider.

These sights have good reviews on Brownells, and they’re currently priced around $145, which is a great price for all the options these sights include. In the next section of this Glock night sights review, I’ll cover two great red dot options for those that need to shoot at night.

Holosun SCS Multi Reticle Red Dot Sight

The Holosun SCS is one of the best choices for low light shooting, and general everyday use. It also has some distinct advantages over other red dot sighting systems. The biggest advantage is that it features an extremely low deck height. This allows you to use it without installing suppressor height back up sights.

This means you can maintain whatever iron sights you have installed, which can save a lot of money. Suppressor height front post, and rear dot sights, can be expensive.

If you have a newer Glock with the MOS optic plate, you can install the SCS directly to the slide, without using an optics mounting plate. While many mounting plates are very durable, you can run into issues where the plate screws shear, leaving you with your red dot sight tumbling through the air.

Realistically, this is something most Glock owners will never experience. I’ve put around 6,000 rounds through my CZ Shadow 2 Optics Ready competition gun, and I’ve had no issues with this.

This dot has a solar charging system with a rugged titanium housing. If you’ve read the Sage Dynamics White paper, you’ll note that this specific sight is still going strong after more than 6,000 rounds, while being dropped directly onto the optic every 500 rounds.

As of this writing, the SCS for Glock pistols retails for about $370, which is a great price for a very durable optic. This is the best choice for the vast majority of Glock models. Next, we’ll talk about another great red dot optic.

Trijicon RMR Type 2 Red Dot Sight

The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is by far the most rugged red dot pistol sight. It’s been around for several years, and Aaron at Sage Dynamics has one variant of this sight that is still going strong after 30,000 rounds, and dozens of drops onto concrete. At this point, I would say its as durable as iron sights.

It features a tremendous battery life, with up to 2 years of normal use. Moreover, it has a sensor that automatically adjusts the dot brightness, for different lighting conditions. This is great for those that have a pistol mounted light.

Because Trijicon has released an updated version of this optic, which is much more expensive, you can find this 6.5 MOA variant for $470 at the time of this writing. This is the cheapest I’ve ever seen this optic.

If you plan on putting your sights through some abuse, then this is your best choice. Next I’ll cover some good advice for setting up your pistol for ease of use.

Setting Up Your Sights and Lights

In this section I want to review a few practical recommendations to help you choose the right sights. First, and foremost, do not use a red dot sight if you don’t plan on practicing with your gun. You have to get enough live fire, and most importantly, dry fire reps, to develop a natural point of aim.

I shoot Carry Optics in USPSA competitions, and I regularly notice lower ranked competitors have a lot of trouble finding their dot. This demonstrates a lack of practice. I rarely if ever see a B class shooter, or above, have any issues here. If you’re willing to practice, then dots are great. If not, go with iron sights.

Secondly, if you do run a red dot sight, then you need to pick the correct brightness setting when your light is illuminated. For self defense, you need to err on the side of brighter rather than dimmer. This is especially true if you have a pistol light. Bright light will wash your reticle out, if you set the dot to dimly. If this seems like too much hassle for you , then go with iron sights.

Lastly, I strongly recommend that you go with the pistol light, and then worry about changing your factory Glock sights later on, if needed. The light will be much more useful in a self defense scenario, and it works well with stock sights, as well as night sights. Now, let’s finish this Glock night sights review up.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of considerations when discussing this Glock night sights review. The most important thing you can do is practice with whatever setup you choose. Time and again, I see shooters buy a gun, or a piece of equipment that promises to give them some new capability.

They purchase these products like a talisman, thinking that if they own them, they can do the thing it says they can. This isn’t true. You must learn to use it proficiently before it does that. I recommend finding a good instructor, and getting into competition shooting. You will get more bang from your buck in one match than years of flat range training.

You can also find links to great training ammo, and self defense ammo here. Don’t forget to join the email list below. Now get out there and get training!

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