Petersen's Hunting June/July 2018

Last December, I threw some camping gear in the truck, packed my knife and rifle, and just went hunting. It was Nebraska’s muzzle-loader season. Scoped, in-line blackpowder rifles are legal here, but I didn’t take my modern muzzleloader. Instead, I reached into the back of the gun safe and grabbed the old, trusty Hawken, a powderhorn, and a handful of buffalo bullets. I picked a piece of public land a few hours away. It wasn’t a huge acreage, but big enough I could get away from real life for a few days. Nebraska has very limited public land, so I knew this piece probably got pounded in rifle season a few weeks earlier. In fact, I would be surprised if I even saw a buck, but I went hunting anyway. I suspect…

Doug Hinkle has a trophy room full of shoulder mounts, a lifetime Missouri hunting license, and the Savage 99 lever-action rifle that belonged to his grandfather. Doug’s father gave him the rifle, chambered in .300 Savage, when the pair shared their first deer hunt, back in 1969, just as whitetails were returning to their county in northern Missouri after a century of depletion. Doug has hunted with the rifle a couple of times since, but the Savage has migrated farther back in his gun safe as Doug has added synthetic-stocked bolt guns and semiautomatic rifles to his firearms collection. These days, there’s no shortage of whitetails around Doug’s place. In fact, when we hunted together two Novembers ago, we each could have hung our tags on mature bucks within the first hour…

BULLET BASICS This classic features spiral flutes on its sides hat impart a bit of spin and aid accuracy. A plunger-type multi-piece wad seals the bore; he rear portion drives forward during ignition wedging the skirt of the slug open against th bore for a perfect fit. Of full 20-gauge diameter, he slug is basically .62 caliber and is not designed o expand. A flat-shouldered front hits with remendous authority. TESTING GROUND CZ-USA pro staffer David Miller took a 20-gauge CZ shotgun to Africa in pursuit of plains game The slug pictured was fired into a blue wildebees he size of a cow elk from 116 yards. Impacting bit high, it passed through the widest part of he animal and was recovered against the hid n the far side. FIELD PERFORMANCE Wildebeest are known for…

HISTORY Originally designed by Russia in 1944 as a reliabl nd authoritative intermediate-distance fighting artridge, the 7.62x39 migrated around th world, eventually becoming what is debatably he single most prolific cartridge in history. Hunting was not part of its genesis, but it ha been pressed into service by everyone from Virginia whitetail hunters to elephant poacher in Africa. Rifles commonly chambered for i re the AK-47 variants and the SKS. Neither i particularly good for hunting. Far better is th light, handy CZ-USA 527 bolt-action carbine robust five-round tool ideal for close-rang deer and hogs. APPLICATION Say what you wish, but the 7.62x39 is not an dequate cartridge for elk, let alone moose bison or—for Petes sake—elephant. With a good softpoint bullet it serves well on dee nd hogs inside 150 yards, perhaps…

There is no doubt that hunter participation is dwindling. Times have changed, and technology has participants glued to screens rather than landscapes. Mentors aren’t as abundant as they were two decades ago. Men and women, young and old may want to try hunting, but they just don’t know how. That’s where the digital platform Powderhook enters the picture. Co-founder and CEO Eric Dinger recognized that people need help knowing where and how to hunt. By combining a digital platform with experts in all things hunting and fishing, Powderhook has provided access for all. Powderhook is like a local message board, and it’s accessible right at your fingertips. With the pp you’ll find mentors near you willing to help, public land maps for all 50 states so you know where to hunt, depth…

MAUSER , the iconic German gunmaker, has long been a part of our hunting heritage and is finally opening its doors to sportsmen on a budget. The new M18 entry-level bolt action is priced well below four figures but is still crafted with the state-of-the-art technology found in all Mauser rifles. The M18 features a black synthetic stock to withstand the elements, three position safety, steel receiver, and cold hammer forged barrel. An adjustable trigger allows users to set their preferred pull weight, while the rear of the stock opens for extra storage for items such as a BoreSnake. Available now in .243 Win., .270 Win., 7mm Rem. Mag., .308 Win., .30 06, and .300 Win. Mag. $700; mauser.com Waxed canvas is a classic fabric that keeps you warm, repels rain,…