Petersen's Hunting October 2017

NOW, NINE YEARS LATER, I AM WRITING MY LAST ONE. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT RIDE... They say time flies, and they are right. It seems like just yesterday I took the helm of Petersen’s Hunting and wrote my first “From The Editor” column. I was nervous, apprehensive, and not sure I had the chops to steer this publication in a direction that would resonate with today’s hunters. Now, nine years later, I am writing my last one. It has been a great ride, and my regrets are few—really, my only regret is not outlasting Craig Boddington as the longest-tenured Editor of Petersen’s Hunting , but then, taking a backseat to Boddington isn’t something to be too ashamed of, either. While I didn’t go so far as to get a PH tattoo…

I am a long-time subscriber of Petersen’s Hunting and love the variety of articles from Africa to the Arctic and everywhere in between. While I enjoy reading about the exotic stuff, in my home state of Pennsylvania, I primarily hunt whitetails. I appreciate Jeff Johnston’s insights into the world of deer in the “Whitetail” column every month, but I want more! Any plans on coming out with an entire issue devoted to whitetails? CHRIS REED Via e-mail Chris, thanks for subscribing and for taking the time to write. Here is the blessing and the challenge with Petersen’s Hunting : We cover all types and species of hunting and serve all hunters. If we do too many articles on Africa, I hear about it from our die-hard deer hunters. Conversely, if we provide too…

In April 1805, after wintering with the Mandan and Hidatsa people near present-day Stanton, North Dakota, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off up the Missouri River in search of the Northwest Passage—a water route to the Pacific Ocean. Their party included 31 men, the Shoshoni woman Sacagawea, her two-month-old baby, and a dog. Near the present-day Montana state border, on April 22, 1805, Clark climbed a cut bluff on the bank of the Missouri and documented a vision of the Great Plains forever etched in American history: “immense herds of buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope feeding in one common and boundless pasture.” The next day they shot three mule deer and a buffalo for the table. On May 7, where the Milk River meets the Missouri, Clark wrote, “We…

BULLET BASICS Considered by many to be the pinnacle of bonded-core, polymer-tipped bullet design, the Scirocco II features a sleek, aerodynamic profile, utilizing a tangent ogive that flows through the air with minimum friction. A polymer tip that resists deformation in the magazine further aids flight characteristics and initiates immediate, dramatic expansion on impact. Constructed with a thick, heavily tapered jacket bonded to the core, the Scirocco II is arguably the toughest of its type. TESTING GROUND A Utah cow elk fell from the bullet shown. It impacted broadside at 250 yards, taking it squarely through both lungs just forward of the crease behind the shoulder. The bullet was loaded in Remington factory .300 Win. Mag. ammunition and clocked 2,960 fps. FIELD PERFORMANCE The impact velocity was estimated at 2,602 fps. The perfectly expanded bullet…

HISTORY Introduced in 1958, the .338 Win. Mag. was inspired by big-bore aficionados such as Elmer Keith. It dominates a vast territory between the much-loved .30 calibers and the .375 H&H so popular among those who pursue dangerous game. Rightly so: It offers tremendous performance on an incredibly broad spectrum of game at an affordable cost in recoil. Even now, at 59, the .338 Win. Mag. is so popular that every major rifle manufacturer chambers it and every major ammunition company builds ammo for it. APPLICATION Conceivably at its best on elk, moose, and bison-size game, the .338 Win. Mag. isn’t too much for deer and antelope, and with a heavy-for-caliber, tough bullet designed to break heavy bones and penetrate deeply, it’s an outstanding choice for big bears. A broad array of projectile…

Looking to up your scouting game? Browning’s Recon Force Extreme Full HD trail cam is your ticket. With 20-megapixel pictures, the trail cam has a full 80 feet of motion detection, and the built-in infrared flash can reach over 120 feet. Pair that with its 0.4-second trigger speed and you’re all but guaranteed that big buck will have his photo snapped. Not happy with just photos? The cam takes full HD video clips with sound. A two-inch color viewing screen is an added bonus. $180; browningtrailcameras.com Unplugging from the cell phone is OK when heading into the backcountry, but to ensure your safety, take along the Garmin inReach Explorer+. The handheld satellite communicator has built-in GPS navigation and uses global Iridium satellite coverage, enabling you to text from the device…