Outdoors

The 5 Guns Every Hunter Should Own

Posted on by bhorsey

I have been trying to write this for over a month now and have been struggling with what to put on this 5 guns list, so here goes.

Most people already have their 5 guns list or have already set up their own collection. This is how we came up with our 5 guns list.

Coverage is the name of the game (stolen from Steve Rinella). The five firearms in this list allow a hunter to pursue everything from wing shooting and small game, to big game. The following calibers chose are common and relatively inexpensive, but also shtf-proof. Have you visited a sporting goods store lately? If so, you have probably noticed that most of them are sold out of the popular calibers.

With all that in mind, it may seem like a good idea to buy a gun that is chambered in a round other than the common types. The only problem with that thinking is, unless you are a reloader, those rounds will become increasingly hard to find in a SHTF scenario or if manufacturers produce the more common rounds to keep up with demand.

12 Gauge Shotgun (Pump/Semi-Auto)

This one may come as no surprise as the Shotgun is synonymous with versatility, dependability, and inexpensive. Particularly the 12 Gauge is one of the most versatile and well rounded shotgun calibers. With the simple swap of a choke, shot, and barrel you can hunt anything from Pheasant, Dove, Grouse, Rabbit, all the way up to White Tail and Bear.

I have seen people put rifled slugs in a 1in group at 100 yards. Which is why this makes such an effective well round firearm to have in your hunting arsenal.

.22 Long Rifle (Semi-Auto)

Now this one may seem a little controversial to many in that there are some very solid bolt action .22 Long Rifles out there. For me though, looking at this as a end all be all 5 gun setup, the semi-auto variant is hard to beat. In particular I am a huge fan of the Ruger 10/22 Take Down rifles. With a super small footprint and easily storable in a backpack, this makes the .22 a perfect companion for all hunts.

Whether you are hunting squirrel, rabbit, or other small game, the .22 long rifle is super quite and usually won’t disturb other large game that might be in the area. Also as I stated this can be a companion rifle that comes with you on all hunts, which means even if you don’t find your intended target, there will always be something to eat.

The rounds for this are super small, lightweight, and pack a decent punch. Also 1000 rounds for $15 bucks isn’t a bad deal. You can stock pile ammo for this and know that you will never be without. Add a suppressor and some sub-sonic ammo and this thing is all the fun you will ever need again, hence why it gets the nickname, Plinker!

.308 Win or 6.5 Creedmoor (Bolt Action/Semi-Auto)

Ok, now I do admit, this one is more of a bonus, but hear me out. Everyone has their own personal preference. 308 is definitely tried and true, and the 6.5 Creedmoor has been gaining a lot of notoriety the last few years. Notably because of the smaller cartridge but higher ballistics coefficients.

Both are great calibers and both can pretty much hunt the same animals. I would tend to say the .308 might pack a little larger punch at greater ranges. In all honesty I haven’t had an opportunity to try a 6.5 Creedmoor out past 300 yards. You can get various grain weights for both calibers; although due to length of cartridge being available, from what I have seen the .308 wins in this category. The downside to the .308 is that it is a super popular cartridge and flys off the shelves.

Personally I have a .308 that I use for hunting and right now I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love the versatility it offers the readily available ammo selection and it is super easy to reload. Ultimately you will need to choose what feels best to you and what your intended uses are for this particular rifle. Side Note: I 100% will be building a 6.5 Creedmoor in the AR platform for LRS Competitions.

.300 Win Mag (Bolt Action)

Now this is a fun cartridge. Not the lightest weight gun in the world; but super fun to shoot and excellent at handling those longer range shots, that might be just out of reach of your .308 or 6.5 creedmoor. Personally, I don’t feel like any 5 guns setup is complete without one of these in the bunch. People who swear by the 7MM in contrast to the .300 Win Mag. If forced to take a shot from say 600 yards on a Mule Deer or Elk or any other big game, I would put my money on the .300 Win Mag.

Higher pressure loads and a bullet that to me has better ballistic coefficients than that of the 7MM or similar cartridge. Makes this a great go to long range shooter or back up hunting rifle. Lets be honest, if you only brought one gun to a hunt and slip or fall and break a scope, you are unfortunately shit out of luck.

.50 Cal Muzzleloader

There really isn’t much to say here about this one as it speaks for itself. Been around forever and they are as basic as it gets. They are legal in all 50 states and effective out to 150 yards. (Or so I have been told, as I personally have never hunting with one).

If anything these are super fun to take to the range.

Parting Shots

While this 5 guns list may or may not fit for you. The simple fact of the matter is no hunter should be without one. You may want to swap out the .300 Win Mag for a 7MM or even a .338 Lapua. You may want to say forget the .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor and go with a .45-70. Being prepared to hunt in any conditions and in any location is the point of the 5 guns list. I urge every hunter to put together your own.

Lastly .30-30 is the god cartridge! 🙂

Happy Hunting!

Prepping 101

Posted on by bhorsey

Prepping 101

A Beginners Guide to Prepping

Prepping 101. If there is one single thing in this life that should be valued over anything else it would be preparedness. This is not just preparedness for times of catastrophic levels but even everyday life. It could be as simple as keeping bottled water on hand in case of a water main break. To the extreme case of a hurricane. Being prepared is not something one should do after the fact. Nor, at the time of an event. It should be done well in advance and done with strategic planning.

Prepping 101 is designed to get you to think about these types of scenarios. What you might personally need to “ride it out” as the saying goes.

The “FIVE” of Prepping 101:

  • Fire
  • Food
  • Water
  • Shelter
  • Communication

Now, these may seem super simple to most people. For many, these are items that they have never been without. They have never had to make their fire (without a fuel). They never had to go without food because a grocery store is right around the corner. Water comes out of the tap or they can buy bottled water at any time. And since cell phones are in every pocket communication has never been easier.

The recent development of COVID-19 and previous outbreaks like H1N1 and SARS, this should serve as a warning to all those who believe life will always go on as usual. We have seen complete shutdowns of schools, non-essential businesses, and stay-at-home orders across the country. You might be asking yourself where do I begin? Well, you came to the right place.

Water

Let us start with water as it is essential to life as we know it and is a great starting point. On average an adult needs 1 gallon of water a day. Now this varies from person to person and day. Some days might require more water some less. The less active you are the less water you will need, the same goes for temperature, the hotter the more water your body will require.

Water is an inexpensive item to start stockpiling. An average-case of 32 – 16oz bottles of water will run you roughly $4 depending on where you are. Let’s do a little math, shall we! Let’s use a single person for this as the math can then be multiplied; depending on the number of people you have in your party. Our starting point is 1 gallon of water a day.

The Math!

1 – gal = 128 fl oz of water
1 – 16oz x 32 = 512 fl oz
512 / 128 = 4 days

One person with a 32 case of bottled water has essentially a 4 day supply of water. So if you are looking to stock up for a family of 4, do the math. That is what you will need to sustain your family for a minimum of 4 days.

Food

Now food can come in all shapes and sizes as we are well aware and this wouldn’t be a true 101 if I didn’t mention the fact that one can get their food through hunting, trapping, and fishing. For this 101 we will be discussing the types of food that are good for stockpiling long term and what may be needed to cook said food.

The average adult needs 1200 calories a day to survive and from 2400 to 3200 to thrive. Keep this in mind while prepping.

Freeze-Dried

Freeze-Dried foods will always be one that is on the top of my list. You can get these in a variety of shapes and sizes, but one of the best and easiest to store and cook is going to be a #10 can. Two of my favorite brands are Mountain House & Augason Farms. Both offer a great product and pricing is reasonable for what you get. The #10 can specifically store very well and are stackable. They also allow for “in-out buying”, which is the practice of buying a can and keeping the newest in the back and always taking from the front is the oldest can, but with a 25-year shelf life, you usually don’t need to worry about this.

Energy Bars

Energy Bars are another great choice to keep on hand. They are easy to transport, usually decent calorie count, and have ample sugar to keep you going. These aren’t always the cheapest option, but if you plan and buy as you can these have a decent shelf life and are great temporary meal replacements or added calorie snacks.

Protein

Protein is an essential element of your daily caloric intake, especially if you are active and tend to burn calories throughout the day through any sort of physical exertion. These days protein comes in all shapes and sizes. Red meat, powder, beans, and even milk are fortified with protein. That being said not all protein is created equal. To maintain your body and not lose critical muscle in a survival situation 10 – 20g of protein a day is needed. Plant-based protein will burn quicker in the body than a meat-based protein, so keep that in mind. Similarly, protein bars are going to be higher in sugar which will balance the burn of sugar and protein.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates in a survival, situation carbs are your friend. Carbs provide much-needed energy and sugars to help you power through the day. They can come from grains, beans, nuts, but they should be on hand in some fashion or another. Pasta will always be a great choice to stockpile as it lasts a decent amount of time and is fairly easy to prepare, while loaded with carbs.

I could go on forever about the different types of foods. In an SHTF scenario though, these staples will prove invaluable to help see you through it.

Fire

Ah, fire! The warmth-giver and the ever mesmerizing temptress. Fire is essential to life as it allows us to cook food, stay warm, and light our way. Although technology has replaced things like oil lamps and torches they are still in use by many preppers. There are 5 types of fire starters that I will always have on hand no matter what.

Side Note:

Now, many are probably thinking isn’t a Zippo a windproof lighter? Yes, but 2 is 1, and 1 is none. There are different types of windproof lighters and Zippo is one. There are very specific types of windproof lighters that I consider to be, actually windproof. If you have ever used a Zippo on the golf course or in a large open field you will know what I mean.

Along with the actual starter, I will usually carry some sort of waterproof tinder or fire starting material in a waterproof case. Here is one of my favorites as they are easy to use and store. Exotac Tinder

Shelter

Shelter is pretty self-explanatory. A place where you can get out of the elements and stay warm and dry. This could be anything from a lean-to to a tent or house. Depending on a bug-in or bug-out type of scenario you might already have a shelter or not. A quality lightweight tent is always a good thing to have on stand-by. In the case you need to move from your home base to find food or water.

Communication 

Often overlooked but extremely important, communication devices will be not only used for communicating with the outside world. They are a prepping 101 staple and will also be used as a means of calling for help or helping others. There are 3 types of devices I recommend to first-timers and one will require you to obtain a license to operate.

Whistle

You may be asking yourself, why a whistle? Well, plain and simply a whistle is a great tool that cuts through everything and if you are hurt, lost, or trying to communicate under the radar with people in a close distance, a whistle is an amazing tool. Be sure to buy either a marine whistle or a survival whistle as these will be sturdy and loud.

Two-way Radio / CB Radio

Now, I put the two-way and CB in the same category because they are both short-range, and operate on channels vs frequencies. Neither requires you to obtain an FCC license and they are a cheap and effective way to communicate at short range. Unlike the whistle, only people with radios and on the same channel will be able to hear you or communicate with you. Make sure to do your research and purchase a quality item and enough to fit your needs.

Ham Radio

This is where things start to get interesting. The world of Amateur radio is an interesting one and unfortunately a dying art. Now, if you are looking to just listen and not talk it is 100% legal to own and operate a ham radio. If the time comes that you ever want to talk by using the PTT, you will need a license from the FCC, which will come with a “call sign”. Ham radios can reach extremely long distances with the right equipment and in an SHTF situation will be an invaluable resource.

In Conclusion

Seeing all the panic buying and irrational behavior that COVID-19 and the media have created, there are probably many of you who are looking into starting to prep. It may be to account for another lockdown scenario, or it could be a larger prep for something more substantial. Whatever the case may be I am glad you took the time to read prepping 101 and start somewhere. Interested in helping keep the blog alive check out our shop.

Stay calm, Stay safe, Stay strong.
Happy Prepping!

Hiking the Midwest

Posted on by bhorsey

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

– J.R.R. Tokien

When most people think about hiking, places like Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, etc don’t really come to mind. Unfortunately, people will lose out to some of the wonders and hidden gems that await you in these locations. Not all hiking needs to happen in or around mountain ranges. Hiking the Midwest can turn out to be wonderful experience.

Here are some of my favorite locations (in no particular order):

They each have a wide range of offerings, from hiking, camping, ATV and Snowmobile use. The trails range from easy to intermediate. Devil’s Lake in particular allows you to climb rock formations from during the Ice Age. With naturally cut rocks and a lake with canoe and kayaking.

There are many more great locations and I highly recommend getting out there and trying some out yourself. Whether you decide to do a day trip or a weekend excursion, hiking is great exercise, a great way to get out and enjoy nature, and if your a photographer or just love taking photos for Instagram or a Blog, hiking can help you snap some amazing photos to share.

A couple things to remember if you decide to take the plunge and go hiking. Although many of these locations may not be as challenging or as risky as some of the larger mountain style hiking trails out west, you should always be prepared and up for the challenge. Don’t for get to pack the occasion. Here is my list of go-to items to always take on a hike.

What to Pack

The most important thing is to just get out there and have fun. If you find some good locations, midwest or not, feel free to comment on some of your favorite locations.

Happy Hiking!