Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.
One of the most memorable things a father and son can do is go hunting. Time spent in the field together builds bonds that last a lifetime. A young man will remember those special fall hunts he did with his Dad. And as he grows into maturity, that same young hunter will carry cherished memories forward all his life, along with an appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors.
There are many elements to a successful hunt — location, game activity, weather, stalking skills, and yes, a little bit of luck. You can’t control the weather (or the whims of whitetails), but you can increase your odds of success with the right gear. Here are some items that will help a father and son on a hunting adventure this fall.
A Boy’s First Centerfire Hunting Rifle
We’ve found a great choice for a young man’s first centerfire rifle — at a great price. Right now the Howa Mini Action Youth Model in 6.5 Grendel is just $349.99 at Whittaker Guns. This special Youth model has a shorter stock with 12.5″ length of pull. Weighing under 5.7 pounds with a light-contour 20″ barrel, this rifle is light enough for a young man to carry easily. Add a discounted scope, and you can have the whole rig for under $550.00 complete.
Yes a young man could start off with a big .30-06 shooting 200-grain bullets. But we think it’s wise to begin with a smaller, lighter-recoiling caliber. There are countless cartridge choices, but the compact 6.5 Grendel offers a good balance of power and accuracy with moderate recoil. The 6.5 Grendel boasts ballistics superior to the venerable 30/30, so it is capable of taking whitetail deer and other medium-sized game. Recoil is milder than a 30-caliber, and the accuracy is excellent. Factory hunting ammo is available from Federal, Hornady, and Alexander Arms.
Great Gear Items for a Father and Son Hunting Trip
Here are some recommended items that our staff owns or uses. All selections cost less than $100.00. If you have a family hunt planned, check out these useful items. The Remington pack carries both your rifle and your gear. The electronic muffs provide hearing protection while still allowing conversations. The walkie-talkies let you communicate with your base camp even miles away.
This comfortable Remington Pack provides lots of capacity on the inside, plus a special harness system for toting your rifle. That keeps your hands free for your rangefinder and binoculars. The pack is mesh-lined for comfort and has nicely padded hip belt and shoulder straps. Five outside pockets hold small items securely. Priced at $73.53 with free shipping, this pack is a good choice for a hunter’s carrying system.
These Howard Leight Electronic Muffs are Amazon’s #1 Seller in the Safety Ear Muffs category. These offer 22 dB sound protection with the ability to still hear conversations and range commands. For regular use, we do recommend running plugs under these muffs for higher effective NRR.
We’ve used Bog-Pod shooting supports on varmint hunts. They’re great for down-angle shots from a ridge or kneeling shots to get above terrain obstacles. Bog-Pods adjust from 17″ to 39″.
Walkie-Talkies are “must-have” items for long-range shooting. The 22-CH Motorola MH230R Two-Way Radio is Amazon’s #1 Best Seller in FRS/GMRS Handheld Radios.
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At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
1. Amazon.com — Rock Chucker Supreme Reloading Kit, $279.99
Everything you see above can be yours for just $229.99, after manufacturer’s rebate. Right now, Amazon is selling the Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit for $279.99. That’s a great deal considering all the hardware you get. Heck, the Rock Chucker press alone is worth $150.00+. But here’s the real incentive — this Rock Chucker Supreme Kit qualifies for a Buck$ or Bullets Rebate — choose either $50 or 500 Speer bullets. If you take the fifty bucks ($50), that reduces your net cost to just $229.00 for the entire RCBS Reloading Kit. That’s a total steal. NOTE: Cabelas.com also sells this RCBS Kit for the same $279.99 (before rebate).
Graf & Sons is now offering various Burris scopes with Close-Out Pricing– up to $40% off. If you are looking for a budget-priced, medium-range zoom scope for your hunting or varmint rifle, check out these deals. For example, the Burris Predator Quest 4.5-14x42mm (Side Focus) Scope is now just $199.99 — that a 38% savings. In addition to these optics close-outs, Grafs.com is offering FREE Shipping for a limited time. You can get FREE Shipping with orders totalling $100.00 or more. This shipping deal is valid through 4/18/17 at 11:59 PM.
3. PT&G — Howa Barreled Actions with Trigger, $350.00
Howa makes excellent, smooth-running actions, and the Howa HACT 2-stage trigger is WAY better than most domestic factory triggers. Right now you can save big bucks on Howa barreled actions, complete with HACT trigger and trigger-guard. Pacific Tool & Gauge (PT&G) sourced a truckload of Howa barreled actions, which are now on sale. Available at $350.00 are: .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, .22-250, .243 Win, 7mm-08, and .308 Win. Choose from light- or heavy-barrel contours. For $390.00 you can get .375 Ruger, 7mm Rem Mag. These barreled actions would be great for custom hunting/varmint rifle projects — many have factory camo finishes. Howa barrels typically deliver easy sub-MOA accuracy (and often much better). Some of these barreled actions may carry Weatherby or Nosler markings, but they were all made at the Howa factory in Japan.
Headed out for a varmint safari soon? Need inexpensive bullets for your .223 Rem or 22-250? Then check out this deal on from Midsouth Shooters Supply. Get 250 BTHP 62gr .224-Caliber bullets for just $24.99. That’s just $9.94 per hundred. At that price, it doesn’t hurt so much when you shoot 1000+ rounds over a weekend. With good expansion, these bullets work great on prairie dogs and other small critters. Note: These sale bullets ship in a bag. Midsouth also offers bulk pricing on 500-bullet and 1000-bullet quantities.
5. Stocky’s Stocks — Composite Stock with Bedding Block, $179.99
Here’s a killer deal on a versatile Stocky’s Long Range Stock with aluminum V-block bedding system. For just $179.99, order this for Rem/Rem Clone long actions or short actions, with either narrow or wide (varmint/tactical) barrel channel. This would be a good choice for a varmint rifle. This is also offered with a matte black, tan, or olive baked-on textured finish for $199.99.
6. Cabela’s — Mossburg Shotgun in Waterproof Case, $469.99
Here’s the perfect weapon to repel boarders or fight zombies! OK, you may not really NEED a pistol-grip shotgun, but this thing is just so cool. The Mossburg 500 Mariner shotgun has a durable Marinecoat finish and comes in a Int’l Orange storage case that floats. Keep this pump-gun on your boat, in your truck, or make it part of your “bug-out kit”. The floating tube’s heavy-duty synthetic seal is factory-tested to be airtight and waterproof to 40 feet. With a 6-round capacity, this Mossberg shotgun features an 18.5″ cylinder-bore barrel with bead front sight. It even ships with a knife and a multi-tool. There is also a matte black version with a green tube for just $349.99.
7. Amazon — Motorola Walkie Talkies, $48.99 per Pair
Walkie-Talkies are “must-have” items for long-range shooting. They let you reset targets and talk to back to the firing line. These are also very handy on hunts. The Motorola MH230R Two-Way Radio is Amazon’s #1 Best Seller in FRS/GMRS Handheld Radios. This under-$50.00 set offers 22 channels with a claimed range up to 23 miles (We’ve used them and they worked at 3 miles line of sight). The kit includes: 2 radios, 2 belt clips, 1 dual drop-in charger, 1 charging adapter, 2 NiMH rechargeable battery packs. Run-time is about 10 hours — plenty for a full day of shooting. There is also a newer version, the Motorola T260 for $58.99.
We like reactive targets. It’s fun to “ring steel” and see a target move instantly when hit. For just twenty bucks (including shipping), it’s hard to go wrong with this 8″ AR500 Steel Gong. The 8″-diameter size is big enough for zeroing at 200 yards, yet offers a nice challenge at 500 yards and beyond. There is also a 6″-diameter model for just $14.00.
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At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
1. Bullets.com — 6mm Dasher Brass from Norma
It’s finally here, ladies and gentlemen — factory-made Dasher brass. That means no more fireforming! This 6mm Dasher brass has been custom crafted by Norma exclusively for Bullets.com. A special blend of brass together with special treatment of the primer pockets has produced casings that will last for many firings under normal use. The necks have been specially lengthened and are .290″ from shoulder. Overall length is 1.598″ and neck walls are approximately .013″ thick. Available in packs of 100 ($109.95) or 500 ($529.95).
NOTE: This extra-sturdy brass has a thicker rim which may not work in your standard shell holder. Custom shell holder item BL12100 is designed to accommodate the heavy rim of these cases.
2. CDNN Sports — 1911-Type .22 LR Target Pistol
Everyone should have an accurate .22 LR target pistol. This German-made GSG 1911 22LR pistol shares the look, feel, and ergonomics of J.M. Browning’s classic model 1911 so it’s good for cross-training. We’ve tried this pistol and the trigger is pretty darn good — though don’t expect it be be as nice as a S&W Model 41. But consider that the GSG costs just $249.99. By contrast, MSRP on a new Model 41 is a steep $1369.00. For cross-training and target work the GSG is a very good value.
3. Monmouth Reloading — Sig Sauer Kilo 2000 LRF, $499.00
This excellent laser rangefinder rivals other premium LRFs selling for hundreds more. Head-to-head field tests with Leica, Zeiss, and Swarovski LRFs proved that the new Sig Sauer Kilo 2000 can play in that league, but at a much more affordable price point. Sig accomplishes that with tight beam divergence and state-of-the-art DSP technology which allows the Kilo 2000 to range faster (and more reliably) at longer distances. Optic magnification is 7X. The Kilo 2000 weighs 7.5 oz and measures 3″ x 4.2″ x 1.3″.
SAVE MORE: Right now you can save an additional $110 off every Rangefinder Monmouth Reloading sells, including the Sig Kilo 2000. To save an additional $110, use Coupon Code LRF 110. That will lower your cost to $389.00 for the Kilo 2000, which is a total steal. (Time-Limited Offer!)
4. Cabelas.com — Rock Chucker Supreme Reloading Kit
Everything you see above can be yours for just $225.00, after manufacturer’s rebate. Right now, Cabela’s is selling the Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit for $300.00. That’s a good deal as this Reloading Kit sells elsewhere for up to $360.00. But he’s the real incentive — if you spend $300.00 on RCBS products in 2016, RCBS will send you a $75.00 rebate. With that REBATE, your net cost is just $225.00 for the entire Kit.
5. Amazon — Motorola Walkie Talkies, $42.56 per Pair
Walkie-Talkies are “must-have” items for long-range shooting. The 22-CH Motorola MH230R Two-Way Radio is Amazon’s #1 Best Seller in FRS/GMRS Handheld Radios. This under-$45.00 set offers 22 channels with a claimed range up to 23 miles (We’ve used them and they worked at 3 miles line of sight). The kit includes: 2 radios, 2 belt clips, 1 dual drop-in charger, 1 charging adapter, 2 NiMH rechargeable battery packs. Run-time is about 10 hours — plenty for a full day of shooting. There is also a newer version, the Motorola T260 for $59.00.
6. Amazon — Nikon 1-4x20mm M-223 Scope with BDC, $212.46
Under the CMP’s new Service Rifle Rules, you can use an optic with up to 4.5X magnification and 34mm objective. If you have money to burn, you could purchase the excellent new Nightforce 4.5x24mm SR scope for $1950.00. Or, if you would rather put your money into barrels, bullets, and brass, you can spend a whole lot less. This little Nikon 1-4x20mm M-223 can do the job and right now it’s on sale for under $215.00! You could buy NINE of these Nikons for the price of one Nightforce SR. That certainly makes you think about priorities.
7. Grafs.com — NEW Nikon Wind Meter for SmartPhones, $28.99
Here’s a great new gadget for under $30.00. Nikon’s new Spot On™ Ballistic Wind Meter plugs directly into the headphone port on most popular smart phones. The Spot On Wind Meter reads both wind speed and direction and inputs the data directly into Nikon’s free Spot On Ballistics Mobile App (available for iOS and Android). This allows you to quickly determine and calculate wind drift corrections without needing a separate, dedicated wind meter. When not in use, the Nikon device easily fits in a pocket.
8. Amazon – Frankford Arsenal Master Tumbler Kit, $56.65
This Master Tumbler Kit contains everything you need to tumble rifle or pistol brass. Now on sale for $56.65, this Kit contains: Vibratory Tumbler, Rotary Media Separator, Plastic Bucket, 3 lbs. Cleaning Media, and 4 oz. Brass Polish. This product has received excellent reviews from verified purchasers.
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Yes a young man could start off with a big .30-06 shooting 200-grain bullets. But we think it’s wise to begin with a smaller, lighter-recoiling caliber. There are countless cartridge choices, but the compact 6.5 Grendel offers a good balance of power and accuracy with moderate recoil. The 6.5 Grendel boasts ballistics superior to the venerable 30/30, so it is capable of taking whitetail deer and other medium-sized game. Recoil is milder than a 30-caliber, and the accuracy is excellent. Factory hunting ammo is available from Federal, Hornady, and Alexander Arms.
