Hunting

When Hornady describes the 300 PRC as an “intelligently crafted 21st century magnum cartridge,” it’s hard not to read that as a dig at .300 Win. Mag. fans. As perhaps the most popular .30-caliber magnum of all time, the Win. Mag. is the PRC’s direct competition. But it’s not a 21st-century creation...

As a young hunter, I took a generalist approach to small game hunting. If I was lucky, I might come home with some combination of squirrels, rabbits, and maybe even a ruffed grouse. More often than grouse, though, I’d get a shot at a woodcock. At times, it seemed like there was a woodcock or two in...

Like your computer or phone, all firearms have what gun nerds call an “operating system.” But instead of running Microsoft Word or Roller Coaster Tycoon, a gun’s operating system performs the eight functions needed to fire a bullet: feeding, chambering, locking, firing, unlocking, extracting...

Today, hunters may be more over-scoped than ever—especially in the US. The long-range craze has made us all reach for scopes with big objective lenses and power levels exceeding 18X. Manufacturers have answered, making big, heavy hunting scopes with adjustable turrets and first-focal-plane reticles...

The .30-30 Winchester is perhaps the most famous lever-action cartridge of all time, but that hasn’t stopped cartridge designers from trying to improve upon its legendary deer-killing performance. Ken Waters was one such designer. A gun writer whose 50-year career included four books and hundreds of...

There is simply nothing like the grouse woods in the fall. The fire of color, the explosion from thick cover, and the taste—ah, the taste—ruffed grouse rivals that of all game birds. But bringing the king of game birds to the table is no easy task. Ruffed grouse have spent thousands of years...

Pop some corn, cozy up on your couch, and turn on your TV because the first episode of MeatEater’s new show, Rough Cuts, is now live! The new series, presented by Moultrie, will showcase Steven Rinella’s endless pursuit of wild game in episodes like an Alaskan moose hunt with Clay Newcomb, an...

One of the most difficult parts of waterfowl hunting is hiding from the birds. We wear elaborate camouflage patterns and try to hide in muddy ditches and reeds, but of course, the only real way to completely hide from the sharp eyes of ducks and geese is a duck blind. Now, most duck blinds come in...

I’ve been wanting to build a custom rifle for about a decade now. I had previously assembled a rifle using a blueprinted Remington 700 action, but this time around, I wanted to maximize performance by using the best of every component. This rifle is designed with hunting in mind, first and foremost...

Recently, I tested a semi-auto waterfowl shotgun that costs around $500. It’s a clone of a popular Italian shotgun. It hit where I pointed, ate just about any duck load, and dropped birds like any shotgun I’ve ever shot. There’s a black version of the same gun for around $400, making this...

Here’s a scenario most new hunters and gun owners have experienced. You’re at the gun range when the friendly fellow at the neighboring bench offers to let you shoot his rifle. You happily agree, but when you sit down at the bench and get behind the gun, you realize that you don’t actually know how...

On the Texas stop on the MeatEater Tailgate Tour, Jesse Griffiths, Danielle Prewett, and I got in a good old-fashioned Texas dove hunt before cheering on the Longhorns and cooking up some grub for hungry fans. Dove hunting is one of the best ways to spend a day in the field, but if you’re like me...