Lightweight < 1lb for the 5 gallon Compact. They fold down to a small packable size Fairly impervious to freezing conditions. I have had these in sub-10 degree weather and the water can freeze but [...]]]> I’ve used the Reliance Fold-A-Carrier 2.5 and 5 gallon water containers for years for extended back-country camping. This will be a short review:
PROS

Lightweight < 1lb for the 5 gallon
Compact. They fold down to a small packable size
Fairly impervious to freezing conditions. I have had these in sub-10 degree weather and the water can freeze but [...]
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It has been a minute since I have posted. I spent my summer loving and enjoying my family and didn’t take the time to post. I hope that all have had similar experiences with their families as they are a true blessing in every since of the word.

Fall approaches… I know it sure [...]]]>
Hello all,

It has been a minute since I have posted. I spent my summer loving and enjoying my family and didn’t take the time to post. I hope that all have had similar experiences with their families as they are a true blessing in every since of the word.

Fall approaches… I know it sure doesn’t seem that way with temps reaching in the 90’s everyday, but it is. The bow season starts the last week of September here in Tennessee. And so…. I need to go shoot my bow from now until bow season is over. I have been out a few times this summer but admittedly I don’t shoot much when it is hot.

Last year I wrote a post on Scentlok clothing and issued a challenge to them. I requested a free Scentlok suit to trial their product (which would be sent back after the test) and then report an unbiased review of them. As I expected, I never heard a word from them. I can’t say that I blame them because I am just a small time blog writer. Why take the chance of getting bad press?

Well, I bit the bullet. I bought the Scentlok suit and face mask. I will be buying the hat and gloves sometime soon. I will try these items as directed and report on them again throughout the bow season. I must admit that I am somewhat skeptical of the suit. On the other hand I have had some very compelling comments on the subject on my previous post. So, I decided to try it and see.

I bought the Savanna EXT deluxe coveralls for $159.95 at Bass Pro Shop. This seemed like the right first purchase. It is lower priced then the jacket and pants together and it is designed for hotter weather. If this works flawlessly then I may consider buying the suit intended for colder temps. This may even last for the entire season here in Tennessee. I will have to see. A full report will be made in October.

If anyone has had any experience with Scentlok clothing please post your comments. I would like to collect as many opinions as I can throughout the year to give a fair accounting of these products.

God Bless,
Sean

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Today I will be reviewing the Reflex Excursion Compound Bow.

Bow Rating: 5/5

“Short, lightweight, and forgiving, with its alloy riser, Reflex Split Limbs, and the zippy 75% let-off Slam & 1/2 Performance System… Brace height: 8-3/8”; axle-to-axle length: 34-1/2”. IBO speed: 295 fps. Weight: 3 lbs., 15 oz. Color: Realtree Hardwoods Green? HD?.” Bass [...]]]>
Hello All,

Today I will be reviewing the Reflex Excursion Compound Bow.

Bow Rating: 5/5

“Short, lightweight, and forgiving, with its alloy riser, Reflex Split Limbs, and the zippy 75% let-off Slam & 1/2 Performance System… Brace height: 8-3/8”; axle-to-axle length: 34-1/2”. IBO speed: 295 fps. Weight: 3 lbs., 15 oz. Color: Realtree Hardwoods Green? HD?.” Bass Pro Shops description of the Excursion.

Let’s start off by saying, take a look at the Hoyt line up. Do you see any resemblance to the Reflex Excursion? That is because this bow is made by Hoyt. The “Slam and a Half” cam system is very similar to the “Cam and a Half” that Hoyt puts out. In fact the riser and overall design looks very similar to the Hoyt offerings. See for yourself: www.hoyt.com

Now, if the bow is designed like a much more expensive bow we need to ask about quality. Does the Reflex Excursion have the quality to be compared to it’s much more expensive cousin? Sure does. I have shot my Reflex Excursion for 2 full seasons now and have noticed no problems in any of the components. The bow has been used very frequently and I haven’t even had to change the string yet.

Is the bow quiet? You better believe it. I have owned the following bows:

Renegade Tominator II
Mathews Outback
Mathews Switchback
Reflex Excursion

When I compare the performance of the bows listed above, the Excursion gets my best marking. My reasoning is this: In my humble opinion, the Excursion performs as well or better than any of the bows listed above, but priced at only around $300, it costs about half as much as the Mathews selections and a little less than the Renegade (which in my opinion is the worst shooter in the group and costs about $350). I have found that the Excursion is every bit as quiet as any of the selections to my untrained ear and the deer can’t tell a difference either.

My humble opinion is that any of the bows can be made quiet by using the Limbsaver products available on the market (Limbsaver cable guard dampener, String Leeches, heavy enough stabilizer, limb stablizers, etc) . Once you have quieted your bow the accessories are the things that make the noise. For instance: arrow contact on arrow rest, vibration of the sight, noise from drop-away rests and so on. Find quiet, yet effective components and your bow will be as quiet as it needs to be.

I believe that we as bow hunters have taken the bait from the bow companies. We figure we have to have the fastest bow in the market because that defines quality. Does it? I don’t think it does and here’s why. When you buy the fastest bows on the market it comes with a heavy draw weight. I can draw back and shoot 80 lbs. Great, so I can shoot the fastest bows, right!? But, can I make the bow really accurate at that speed? I can’t… my arm gets tired faster, I can’t hold the bow as long as a 50- 60 lbs draw which I can shoot all day long with minimal fatigue.

IBO speeds are misleading too. They assume there aren’t any accessories on the bow and that it is a specific draw length and weight. Your bow, that advertises itself as being able to shoot 350 fps most likely doesn’t shoot that fast.

Additionally, what is the advantage to shooting 350 feet per second over say 285 feet per second? There is no advantage that I can think of. I can only think of disadvantages to speeds that fast. First of all, the fastest bow on the market still doesn’t go as fast as the speed of sound (1130 fps). So a deer jumping the string is still a possibility. How much speed do we need to kill a deer, elk or moose? American Indians were killing these animals with much less powerful bows than the slowest 50 lbs draw weight bow on the market. I see Uncle Ted killing big African animals all the time with his 52 lbs Renegade Nugebow. So, why do I want to go through the extra pain of shooting an 80 lbs draw weight? I don’t, I set my bow at around 55 lbs because I am more accurate at that weight. Additionally, heavier draw weight causes your bow to be noisier and to be less forgiving.

I have heard many friends say that they can use one pin for all ranges. Ok… is that wise? I don’t think so. I like exacting my ranges with 5 pins. One for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 yard ranges. I can shoot these ranges and anything in between accurately. Much more so than… ONE PIN FOR ALL RANGES. It requires my using a range finder but I’m ok with that. I imagine, as some of my friends have found out, that one pin outfits are more likely to wound or miss animals than a well adjusted multiple pin systems.

That being said compare the Excursion for quality of parts, I have found that the only difference is in the durability of the finish. The finish is my only complaint about this bow. I have had a small area on the riser that has had some of the outer finish flake off where I hold the bow while walking into the woods. I find that this is only cosmetic and truthfully I have to look very close to even notice any flaw in the finish. Admittedly, I am extremely rough on my bow. I use it ran, snow, extreme cold and extreme heat. I sometimes store the bow in it’s case while it’s wet and frequently store the bow in my car during Tennessee summer temps. The finish may be my fault and I refuse to discount this awesome piece of equipment for such a small issue.

Buy this product with no reservations. It performs as well as any other that I have shot and costs the least that I have found on the market.

LOVE THIS BOW!!

God Bless you all,

Sean
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Today I am going to review the Copper John Dead Nuts Hunter Series Bow Sight.

Sight Review Points: 3.5/5

I love this sight and have had the sight for 2 seasons. Here are the things that I like about the sight. First, it is light weight. This becomes important the more you shoot or carry [...]]]> Hello All,

Today I am going to review the Copper John Dead Nuts Hunter Series Bow Sight.

Sight Review Points: 3.5/5

I love this sight and have had the sight for 2 seasons. Here are the things that I like about the sight. First, it is light weight. This becomes important the more you shoot or carry your bow in the woods. Heavier options wear your arm out sooner.

Now you could buy lighter sights but… this brings me to the next point. It has an light weight aluminum construction. If you have ever owned the lighter plastic material sights you know what I am going to say before I say it. They are a waste of money but an even bigger waste of time. Why?

Well, let’s imagine that you bought a new plastic sight. You can find them for $30 so the initial buy in is small. You take your bow to the archery range and lose a couple of arrows to get the sight on paper and then spend the better part of an hour trying to sight the bow in. By now your arm feels like it is going to fall off and your groups are anything but consistent. So you decide to come back another day.

When you come back you spend another hour getting the sight tuned in at all ranges. You feel confident when you leave that day and all is well until you have to adjust the sight again for any reason. Whether it be to fine tune it further after adding other new equipment or after bumping the sight in the woods. What happens to the plastic sight after it has been adjusted one too many times? The plastic gives way and the pin advances into the grooves that are supposed to support it. Now what? Buy a new sight. Start all over.

With a metal sight you don’t have these worries. You can easily etch in markings to indicate where your sight is adjusted to in case it gets bumped. I like that feature because in the event that you need to change one or all of your pins you know where to put them and you are back in business within minutes.

I like the sight circle. It is huge and doesn’t block the target that I plan to shoot. It sports a hunter orange circle which helps when lining up the peep and your sight in dusk and dawn situations. The sight circle has a place to put a pin illuminating light to increase dusk and dawn shooting.

Last but not least, the sight is quiet. I don’t sense any vibration in it at all. Most folks who listen to me shoot comment on how quiet my bow is. Of course, vibration is a combination of all the components on a bow. But, each piece of the puzzle helps or hurts in the effort to be as quiet as possible.

I have the 5 pin sight which I prefer over the 3 pin model. I paid about $79.99 at Bass Pro Shop. It was at the lower end of the middle priced sights.

I do have to report a problem however. The fiberoptics seemed to dry rot after a couple of seasons. It is next to impossible to find replacement pins to change these pins out. They used to be available at Bass Pro but for what ever reason they aren’t carrying the pins anymore. These pins can’t be replaced by your standard pin due to the angle of the pins. You can’t buy the pins at the Copper John website either. I had to purchase a brand new sight to scalp the pins. That’s $79.99 twice in two years. In my opinion, that’s unacceptable.

I emailed customer service at Copper John about the problem 3 weeks ago and have not received an email acknowledging the receipt of my email much less to answer my question. I am not sure if this is an indication of their customer service or if it is a fluke.

I will say this: If the fiber optic portion of the pins was stronger and more protected, the replacement pins were more readily available for replacement of broken ones and customer service would have been more helpful, I would be giving this product my highest score of 5 stars.

I saw that Copper John has come out with a different style pin in their newest version of the dead nuts series. It seems that the pins are a bit more protected. See pic below of the Copper John Dead Nuts 2 Hunter Pro Series:

This sight is also available at Bass Pro Shop for $89.99 (6 pin sight). I would invest in this sight as the Dead Nuts 1 may be phased out.

Incidentally, I purchased a sight cap that is made for Copper John sights that covers the pins and avoids damage to them. The cap doesn’t add any noise to my bow and only costs about $20 at Bass Pro Shop. This may take care of the problem altogether. I will report on the subject after next season is over.

God Bless,
Sean
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Honda finally jumps into the side by side market with what they are calling their MUV unit (Multi-Purpose Utility Vehicle). After 15 years of development and research, Honda has finally come up with what they are calling a multi-functioning side by side [...]]]> Video of the new 2009 Honda Big Red 700 MUV Side by Side

Honda finally jumps into the side by side market with what they are calling their MUV unit (Multi-Purpose Utility Vehicle). After 15 years of development and research, Honda has finally come up with what they are calling a multi-functioning side by side that is great for work and recreation.

I was recently invited by Honda to their press introduction of their new Big Red MUV. What a blast it was! The ride took place on Catalina Island off the coast of California. This island granted special permission to Honda to bring out their new Big Red MUV units and ride some of the back dirt roads. The ride time was actually a little shorter than normal events like this, but Honda did things right in presenting a great new vehicle to the market with a little different approach.

First Impression

My first impression was this new Side by Side was bigger than I had anticipated. This new Big Red 700 boasts nothing but pure Honda quality and putting simplicity/convenience and safety to the forefront.

Here are a couple of quick thoughts as I wanted to get this video posted to give you a first glance at the new Big Red from Honda. They are now available at select dealers now. A more in-depth article will be coming up in a future issue of Hunting Illustrated Magazine.

The fit and finish and overall quality is commendable. Honda is always at the top of their game on quality, but the Big Red seems top notch

This thing is big. This will NOT fit in the back of your truck (64″ wide and 114.7″ long). The cab is very roomy and Honda chose to do the bucket seats with seat belts with the parking brake lever in the middle.

Full cargo nets and doors are not a surprise being how safety is a big concern. However, the full cargo net on the sides was a little surprise and wasn’t bad getting in and out, but was a little obtrusive when looking out while drive, etc.

The foot pedals (brake and gas) are very good and don’t wiggle at all. Nice and tight. A lot of room on the floor and good angle areas for putting your feet on.

Dump box is wide enough to fit a full wood pallet in the back with the tailgate down. Back dump box has composite plastic sides and the bottom is a metal wrapped in composite plastic. Includes nice rubber mat as well and slight rounded corners so dirt and junk don’t get caught.

Maintenance is very convenient and the most thought out of any Side x Side. Easy access to the battery, air filter, oil and dipstick.

All four tires are the same size. At first I think this is what kind of gives the Big Red its “weird” look for lack of a better term. Kind of looks a little disproportionate, but the tires are a 25 x 10-12.

How is the power? Not bad, and for the size of the machine and the motor being a 675cc I think it does fine (1,431 lb. curb weight). Nothing that will blow your socks off, but Honda doesn’t like to blow your socks off with these kind of vehicles. Good low end power for the rough stuff and decent mid and high range. Also comes with fuel injection to help on cold starts, high altitude and performance.

But what about transmission? This was a big question for me as I was curious if they were going to put in their Hondamatic or not. I like the transmission they have in their Rubicon ATVs, etc. However, I was not impressed with the newer transmission they put in their 700 Rincon ATV. It looks like they did a little combination of both, however it leans more to the Rincon-type transmission. They call it an Automotive-style with three gears. The transmission is not a fluid pull of power. This has three distinct forward gears that does shift automatically as it goes through the power train. Overall this worked fine. However, this is still not my most preferred choice of transmission for an automatic.

Four-Wheel drive mode is the best Honda has ever put out. Why? This is Honda’s first attempt at all-wheel drive differential lock in any ATV or MUV. They have a simple lever on the dash that you can slide into two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive with limited slip in front, then you can go into four-wheel drive with all-wheel differential lock. This works very well and for a machine of this size is a must. I am impressed with Honda’s new four-wheel drive system and hope they start implementing their differential lock on their ATVs.

Braking and engine braking is good. For a vehicle of this size you need to get it stopped. The disc brakes does the job and Honda has a good “hold back” engine braking system that helps on steep descents. Put it in four-wheel drive mode and you have all four tires holding you back.

How is reverse? There is no override button on the Big Red so reverse power is just what you get. I stopped coming down a steep hill and purposely put it in reverse and went back up it. There was no problem and the power was good and strong.

Handling is good and overall the machine feels very stable. It is not made to bust in the corners and try and brake the back tires loose. For what it is it does fine. The suspension is also similar, as it works for moderate speeds and roads. The front suspension does have some limitations at higher speeds on rough, bumpy roads.

So what about price? I was actually a little surprised Honda was able to keep this vehicle in the 11,000 range. Not to say that is not a huge amount of money, but puts it competitive with the Ranger and Rhino. List price for the red Big Red is $11,399 and the Natural Gear Camo version of Big Red is $11,899.

Is it a good Hunting Rig?

I had at one time one of Honda’s lead Japanese developers with me riding in the passenger seat. During this ride I was purposely looking for anything I could go over that was rough or nasty. There was a rut that ran up the full length of this hill. I could have clearly avoided this and stayed on the “good” side of the road. As I busted up the ruts and put it into four-wheel drive, scraping the bottom, jerking us around quite a bit, spinning the tires, I could tell he was quite curious and amused.

After we had stopped at the top, he questioned why I choose to take the line that I did. He asked if that was similar to what I would find while out hunting. I told him that was nothing to what you will find out in the West during a hunt, but it was close to the circumstances that you will run into. Ruts, rocks, mud, steep and deep hills, and more are common. I think the Honda’s new Big Red 700 MUV will make a great hunting rig and they have plenty of cool accessories to add.

Early Conclusion

My ride time was limited to what was available at this event and we weren’t able to really let it all hang out due to the location and some of the restrictions that we had on the island. Honda is targeting the new Big Red 700 MUV Side by Side to the hard worker who likes to do some recreation on the weekends or hunts in the fall. More utility minded then sport, but overall recreation is very good. Definitely targets more of the Polaris Ranger crowd than say the Razor RZR or Yamaha Rhino 700.

Dealer Specs

Engine Type 675cc liquid-cooled OHV semi-dry-sump longitudinally mounted single-cylinder four-stroke
Bore and Stroke 102.0mm x 82.6mm
Induction Electronic fuel injection (PGM-FI): 40mm throttle body
Ignition Full-Transistorized type with electronic advance
Starter Electric

DRIVE TRAIN
Transmission Automatic with hydraulic torque converter, three forward gears, and reverse
Driveline Direct front and rear driveshafts with 3 drive modes: 2WD, 4WD, and 4WD with all-wheel differential lock

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION / BRAKES
Front Suspension Independent double-wishbone; 5.9-inch travel
Rear Suspension Independent double-wishbone; 7.1-inch travel
Front Brakes Dual hydraulic 200.0 mm discs
Rear Brakes Dual hydraulic 200.0 mm discs
Front Tires 25 x 10-12 bias
Rear Tires 25 x 10-12 bias

DIMENSIONS
Length 114.7 inches
Width 64.0 inches
Height 76.9 inches
Wheelbase 75.7 inches
Seat Height 34.0 inches
Bed Length Inside 33.0
Bed Width Inside 52.6
Bed Weight Capacity 500 lbs
Towing Capacity 1200 lbs
Ground Clearance 10.3 inches
Turning Radius 13.8 feet
Curb Weight 1431 pounds
Fuel Capacity 7.9 Gallons

OTHER
Note Recommended for Drivers 16 years of age and older.
Available Colors Red,Camo
Model ID MUV700

FACTORY WARRANTY INFORMATION
1 year Transferable, unlimited mileage limited warranty; extended coverage available with a Honda Protection Plan

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Hello All,

Today I am going to review the Benelli Nova 12 Gauge Pump Shotgun.

Review score: 5/5 stars

Here’s what Benelli says about their shotgun:

“Just when everyone thought that the pump action shotgun couldn’t be improved, Benelli unveiled the Nova Pump. Completely original and innovative, the Nova Pump incorporates its polymer stock and lightweight receiver into a [...]]]>

Hello All,

Today I am going to review the Benelli Nova 12 Gauge Pump Shotgun.

Review score: 5/5 stars

Here’s what Benelli says about their shotgun:

“Just when everyone thought that the pump action shotgun couldn’t be improved, Benelli unveiled the Nova Pump. Completely original and innovative, the Nova Pump incorporates its polymer stock and lightweight receiver into a single unit for unsurpassed strength and weather resistance. Italian styling and high-tech ergonomics, such as distinctive grooves on the pistol grip and fore-end in place of conventional checkering, complement the Nova’s innovative engineering.

With dual-action bars and rotary head locking lugs, the Nova will handle anything from target loads to 3½” magnums. To help dampen the recoil of today’s super-heavy magnum loads, the Nova 12-gauge is specially designed to accept a Benelli recoil reducer.

Available in black, Advantage® Max-4 HD™, Timber HD™ and new Realtree® APG HD™ finishes, and as a youth model or slug gun, the Benelli Nova is the most versatile pump-action shotgun ever made — and just when everyone thought the pump gun couldn’t be improved.

Benelli’s Nova is truly a 21st Century pump shotgun. In a revolutionary shotgun manufacturing process, corrosion-proof polymer is over-molded on a skeleton framework to form the one-piece receiver and buttstock. The lightweight polymer stock also provides plenty of room for mounting an optional 14 oz. recoil reducer.”

“The button on the underside of the fore-end activates a shell stop, allowing the chambered shell to be removed without releasing rounds from the magazine.”

“Checkering was fine for old-fashioned wood stocks, but the Nova uses distinctive grooves that give both unmatched gripping surfaces and an unforgettably distinctive look.”

From www.benelliusa.com/firearms/novaPump.tpl

OK, let me say that this is a pretty great shotgun. The camouflage covering seems to be very protective… almost like a rubberized coating. As mentioned above the shell stop button is very convenient while carrying the gun around between hunts. It doesn’t replace traditional safe handling but adds another safety measure with added convenience. Removing all shells while walking to the truck may be a little too much for some hunters. What if you see something while walking right? Well, carry the shell in your hand and quickly add it to the gun if an opportunity arises. Then you will have your 3 shots loaded and ready to go before the bird gets out of sight.

The Benelli Nova 12 gauge shoots up to 3 1/2″ shells and cycles smoothly and with little effort. The pump handle is not loud and sloppy like most other shotguns priced just below this one. The gun is very comfortable to handle and priced in a range that even poor folk like me can afford it with a little saving. Academy Sports has the black matte 20 gauge for $329.99… I believe that I paid about $350 for my 12 gauge, in Realtree APG, at Bass Pro Shop last year.

Unless you have lots of money and just gotta have the semi-auto, this is the shotgun to buy.

God Bless,
Sean

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