Quick Tip: Preparing for Hunting Season
The leaves are turning, the air is getting brisk, and that means hunting season is upon us! Steve and Caleb give us some tips on items you might want for this year's Big Hunt.
Brownells HQ is in Iowa, which means we're limited to hunting deer with rifles chambered in straight-walled cartridges. But straight-walled ammo IS NOT just for lever action rifles anymore. Caleb's current favorite deer-getter is an AR-15 in .350 Legend, a new(ish) cartridge that is serious "deer medicine."
To convert a standard .223 / 5.56 AR-15 to .350 Legend, you just need to change the barrel (and muzzle device, if you want one) and the magazines. That's it.
More good news: factory .350 Legend ammo and components to load your own are readily available. Even if you live in a state without a straight-walled cartridge restriction, .350 Legend is an excellent choice for deer or hogs. You can get a bolt action rifle chambered in it, too. If you want to go with an AR-15, make sure your state allows hunting with semi-automatic rifles AND find out if there are magazine capacity restrictions.
Whatever rifle you use, remember to thoroughly clean it and make sure it's functioning properly before you head out. Don't be "that guy" who has to stay behind in deer camp because his rifle is busted!
Caleb recommends setting up a hunting rig to carry your gear in the field. His rig is made up of Spiritus Systems components. It's built around the Spiritus Thing 2 chest rig supported by "H" shoulder straps and fronted with a Micro Fight Mark V carrier. A GP Wide pouch is attached to the Mark V, flanked by a pair of standard GP pouches, with a SACK Pouch hanging from the bottom. There's room inside the Mark V for a spare .350 Legend mag, pistol mag, multitool, and a candy bar to curb the munchies. The GP pouches all have silent zippers, rather than noisy Velcro® closures, so you don't make that "SHSHSHSTTTTT!!!" sound and scare away the deer. With this rig, Caleb can carry everything he needs to field dress a deer, plus a first aid kit, provisions, and other necessities. Steve says it sure beats trying to shove everything into the pockets of your sheepskin coat!
