5 07, 2017

11-Year-Old Alaska Boy Shoots Charging Brown Bear, Saves Fishing Party

2020-06-10T09:16:11-04:00July 5th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads|1 Comment

One day last month 11-year-old Elliot Clark was hiking into a fishing hole near Hoonah, Alaska, with his uncle, a cousin and three dogs. Young Elliot didn’t have a sling on his shotgun, so he carried it in his hands. That likely saved lives. Lucas Clark, Elliot’s father and a bear hunting guide but who was out of town at the time of the encounter, shared the story with the Juneau Empire: “…four of them in a line … my son was third. The bear came down the trail at them, fella in the front…the bear was on him so quickly that he didn’t have time to take his rifle off his shoulder. The bear ran through the first two [...]

17 05, 2017

How to Shoot a Black Bear

2020-06-10T09:16:29-04:00May 17th, 2017|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads|Comments Off on How to Shoot a Black Bear

Black Bear Week on Big Deer continues… If you’re sitting 40 to 60 yards away from a bait pile, range with a rifle is no issue. But if you’re spotting and stalking, play the wind and sneak within 200 yards of a bear feeding in a snow slide or burn…150 yards is better and 100 is best and generally achievable, since a myopic bear can’t see you. The closer the shot, the better your odds of placing that first bullet perfect. Where to hit them: A bear feeding his face is not in a hurry to go somewhere. Chill, stay patient and he will turn broadside or quarter-slightly away. Now one good option is to place your scope’s crosshair for [...]

10 05, 2017

Camping World Takes Over Gander Mountain

2020-06-10T09:16:29-04:00May 10th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|8 Comments

Tough times in the hunting/shooting retail world has led, sadly, to another mega takeover. Earlier this year Gander Mountain, which had been outfitting hunters for more than 50 years, filed for bankruptcy and was placed up for auction. On April 28, Camping World, the nation’s largest RV retailer, was chosen as the winning bidder ($37.8 million is a lot of money to you and me, but seems cheap for a brand like Gander). The big question: What does this mean for the 126 Gander stores built across the country? Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis said bluntly, “All stores are liquidating, and the inventory in there is going to go away.” Some stores will likely close for good, but “my goal [...]

24 04, 2017

Remove Rust from a Gun

2020-06-10T09:16:29-04:00April 24th, 2017|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|1 Comment

Store all your firearms in a cool, dry place, with a dehumidifier running nearby for good measure if there is any hint of moisture (as in a basement). But if you pull out one of your guns and see a few blotches of rust on barrel or receiver, here’s an interesting way to remove it. From Range 365: The trick…is finding a penny minted before 1982, which were 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc. To start you need some light oil (good old 3-in-1 will do just fine), a medium brass-bristle cleaning brush, some paper towels, and your pre-1982 penny. Pick a spot to start, put some oil on the metal, rub the penny over the area, and wipe [...]

29 03, 2017

Is Old Ammo Safe to Shoot?

2020-06-10T09:16:30-04:00March 29th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|3 Comments

Mike: I have some boxes of Core-Lokt .270 loads that must be 10 years old? Are those shells still safe to shoot and hunt with? Love the blog, keep up the good work.—George from Nebraska George: For starters, let me say that I’ve been hunting with .270, .30-06 and 7mm loads from a test batch I got at least 10 years old. Some of the cartridges are 15 years old.They are still reliable and accurate, and I’ve killed dozens of bucks with them. If center-fire cartridges are stored in a dry place at moderate temperatures with low humidity—say on a shelf in a dry basement where you have a dehumidifier running—they can have an amazingly long shelf life. There are [...]

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