Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire End of Year - Recommendations

We're officially into the last month of the year.

What have you used that's new to you this year - gear wise - that you'd recommend to others? Something surprise you?

Thought we'd kick this off in enough time for people to pick up good stuff for Christmas.


Me: Nothing super earth shattering, I've not purchased a lot of new gear a lot this year.

2 things I really liked tho -

20 gauge Browning CXS - joy to carry
Final Rise Summit vest for bird hunting. VERY well made, comfortable and the owner seems to be a really good guy. Made in the USA too.

Utz cheese curls. Cheetos suck ass.

Muck Apex Mid Zip boots

Son got me a pair for my birfday.
I'd have never bought but love them.

Not new but essential to the woods,Thermocells,I carry two in my pack,one in the truck,one on the back porch. Thanks 3m,this makes mosquito's a non issue.Deer dont seem to mind,the piggies not so much.Fuggers

Sig P365 X Macro. I didn’t realize that I wanted a new carry gun until I picked it up. I have big hands but love the slim grip profile and how it carries like a small gun even with a red dot and 17+1 standard capacity mags.

A 35’ camo green rope with a loop and prusik knot with a carabiner and a Hunters Specialty climbing harness. I’ve never felt so secure in a tree stand. I should have been using one of these for years.

Picked this up from a fellow member earlier this year. Highly recommend you get one.

I purchased quite a bit of Simms clothing this year and it did not disappoint. The rain gear is terrific and the cold weather insulated shirts are really great and have become my cold weather hunting shirts as well.

Osky

Local folks sometimes bring me their rifles, with problems ranging minor to major, I don't claim to be a gunsmith, but I'm close by and get paid what I'm worth...which ain't much. And quite a few borrow my range. The point is I see a lot more rifles than the average guy, and if a young man who was not an avid or knowledgeable rifleman would ask me for a recommendation (unlikely)...I would have to tell him to stick with the developments and clones of Mauser, Mannlicher, JM Browning or Arthur Savage. Of course, if you must have a hunting rifle that will shoot groups measured in thousandths it's a different story. But for the intended purpose of sport hunting, the old designs, proven in battle take the cake.
New means new, not defined in any dictionary as better.

My choice of carry in the deer woods this year (And last year) was the fat and slow AR platformed 450 Bushmaster. For shots under 150 yards, it has been the one-stop, no tracking needed tool for 5 whitetails and a couple of hogs. Great for densely wooded areas where a death run can put deer into impenetrable thickets and briars.

I have plenty of rifles that can reach out and touch them, including my 30-28 Nosler, but the 450 has been awesome for the areas that I have hunted of late.

Johnny’s Seasoning

LOL

Not new by any means but new to me......

Kenetrek Gaiters, worth their weight in gold for all the snow I walked through.

Outdoorsman's Palasade 90 pack, got the "Atlas Trainer" adapter and it really paid off. Easy to scale weight up or down.

Black diamond trekking poles made a big difference with a pack full of meat while negotiating steep mountains covered in deadfall.

Vortex bino-to-tripod adaptor, makes glassing easier which in turn helps you glass longer.

I know that none of this is revolutionary, especially for those who hunt out west all the time but if you are making that first trip, give this stuff a look.

I am thoroughly pleased with my Girsan Hi-Power. Dead reliable with the first 100 rounds and pretty accurate. I have since cleaned up the trigger and threw on some Ahrend's grips I picked up. A lot of gun for the money. I am taking it to the range in a couple of hours.

Perfect stocking stuffer:

Rick Young Outdoors (.com) Ultra-Light Bino Harness and Binocular Connection Straps. I strongly recommend this combo without reservation.


RS

Plus 1

I bought one this spring for turkey hunting. For $20-$25 you can’t beat it.

THIS WORKED WELL IN A TENT AT DEER CAMP THIS YEAR
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-lounge-cot?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CProprietary%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CNVol%7CNMT&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3_KfoKfb-wIVOv_jBx2rlQHxEAQYASABEgLXF_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Swarovski Z6 and Z8 scopes... Big fan of Leupold scopes for many years. Charmed life. Have not had any of the issues normally attributed to Leupolds. Picked up a VX6HD 1-6x24 mid year. Shortly after picked up a Swarovski Z6 1-6x24 on a whim. Did an early morning side-by-side comparison. Used the VX6 set at 6x to spot a fat doe at a little over 300 yards. Doe had "fuzzy" ears. Took the Swarovski Z6 set on 6x to spot the same animal. Ooh. That is actually a little fork horn with forks sticking up above it's ears. Back to the Leupold, still "fuzzy" ears. Sold...

The experience with the Z6 persuaded me to try a Z8i 2-16x50 for my .300H&H project rifle. Now, I am spoiled...

CMB76,

Howdy

That looks nice, adjustable legs for uneven ground, props up like a chair, compact when folded plus a carry-bag.

Favorite purchases this year-

Hellcat Pro. It’s been flawless since I bought it. Not many rounds, 4-500, but no issues. It’s a Goldilocks gun for me.

That’s all I can think of. Moved xcountry this year and did a lot more getting rid of than I did getting.

Yeah, we all know Eddie Bauer has turned to a hipster brand. So there is that.

But their Guide Pro pants are turning into a favorite. The lined ones for cold and windy conditions. Probably not the quality of First Lite or Kuiu, but half the price. Oh, and they offer multitudes of W x L options. Not trying to force you into a s, m, l length.

On sale for $75 now, their rewards program always sends out $10 off coupons, often can catch them a bit cheaper than this even, sometimes from other retailers.

Guide Pro Lined pant