Hoyt offers some very high-quality compound bows these days. Both the Maxxis and the Carbon Matrix models are very, very good. The problem with the Carbon Matrix is its price tag; it retails at over $1000. The Maxxis is available in 31″ and 35″ axle-to-axle sizes and uses a machined riser, which is sturdier and more reliable than some cast risers. Many archers praise the Maxxis for good balance and low vibration.

The BowTech Destroyer is a clear contender for best compound bow available right now. It comes in both 340 and 350 models, distinguished by the feet-per-second ratio as recorded by the IBO (International Bowhunting Organization). These numbers make the BowTech Destroyer one of the fastest bows on the market. The latest models have some upgrades to get rid of old issues, making this one of your best options for value and quality.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Best Compound Bows on the Market

But that’s where you’d be wrong. Saltwater equipment tends to be much more expensive than its freshwater alternative. They might look a lot alike, but they have plenty of differences under the surface, in the construction and materials and overall strength of the rod and reel. They must be different, not just because saltwater is different from freshwater, but also because saltwater fish are very different from freshwater fish.

Ocean fish are larger and much more combative than freshwater fish. When you hook a freshwater fish, it will flop around and tug at your line, but a little wrestling will land it. But when you hook a saltwater fish, it will fight you with everything it has – which is quite a lot more than the freshwater fish had. For this reason, the saltwater tackle has to be much tougher, so that it can resist these bigger fish. It also must resist the corrosion caused by the salt in the water itself, which is usually accomplished with an anti-corrosive coating and alloys that resist salt inside the reel, too.

Naturally, you need to pick your rod and reel for the type of fishing trip you’re going to take. If you reel breaks, it can be dangerous to your health and to your wallet, so if you’re going saltwater fishing, you must buy the appropriate gear. You simply can’t take chances like that. If, instead, you’re planning on taking a nice trip to a river or lake and doing some freshwater fishing, then freshwater equipment will work just fine – and save you a lot of money over buying unnecessary saltwater gear.

So plan ahead and know what you’re getting into, because saltwater equipment and freshwater equipment are definitely different.

The Original Post is Located Here: Saltwater vs. Freshwater Rods & Reels

And that’s what it all boils down to: the situation. There are two common environments for using a hunting rifle, and what kind of rifle you get depends on which of those environments you’re most likely to be in when hunting season rolls around.

If your environment is deep woods or dense brush, then you’ll need a short- to medium-range rifle, between 25 and 200 yards. Your rifle should be light and mobile, preferably under 9 lbs. with the scope, and it should be no longer than 22 inches. Because your game can quickly find cover, you want a rifle that’s even quicker, so automatic rifles and lever-action rifles are preferable in these conditions if you need to take a second shot. In case you have brush between you and your target, you’ll want a larger caliber that won’t be stopped by a few bushes. Anything .270 or larger with a 120-grain bullet should work for you. You want to avoid anything faster than 2200 feet/second, though, and your scope should have a 3X or 4X option on it – but if you’re in closer than 50 yards, then open sights will work best.

If your environment is the open range instead, then you’ll want longer-range rifles, no less than 200 yards, but 300 yards or more is most likely. Portability is a good exchange for accuracy and velocity here, so go heavier than 9 lbs and longer than 22″ as necessary. Ideally, you’re only going to need to shoot once, so you don’t need automatic or lever-action varieties as much as your deep-woods hunter. Any caliber from 6mm (.243) on up will work for you, too, and 100-grain bullets or larger will be fine. You shouldn’t need to break through any brush cover. Ideal scopes have 6X-9X variable power at least, and greater power would not be a bad thing.

Personal preferences also play a part. Follow the guidelines above based on your primary terrain, but be willing to try out a few options at your local rifle dealer or firearms range before you buy.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Pick the Best Hunting Rifle for You

If your perfect day of fishing involves a lake, stream, or river, then you’re a freshwater fisherman through and through. Knowing that, you now need to figure out which type of fishing rod is best for you. There are three very popular options for freshwater fishing: fiberglass, spinning, and conventional rods.

A fiberglass fishing rod is often parabolic and has a softer feel than rods made of other materials. It also has a softer action (or backbone) than other varieties, especially saltwater varieties. This softer backbone helps the rod load evenly, allowing you to get that pendulum-like motion that helps you cast farther with a little practice. This combination makes fiberglass fishing rods perfect for freshwater circumstances, since one could probably not stand up to the beating a saltwater rod takes, but they’re perfect for the finesse of freshwater fishing.

One type of rod is called a spinning rod because the reel spins perpendicular to the rod (instead of spooling parallel to it). With this system, the guides increase in size the closer you get to the reel and are much larger than the guides on other types of rods. The guides and reel hang below the rod instead of sitting atop it while you fish. The handle on the reel should be ready for your off-hand (that is, if you’re right handed, the handle should be toward the left, but if you’re left-handed, it should be to the right).

The conventional rod has a spooling reel instead of a spinning one. Everything about this style of rod is traditional: the guides and reel are on top of the rod while you fish, and the guides are smaller than those of a spinning rod. The handle for the reel should be ready for your main hand (that is, if you’re right handed, it should be to the right, and if you’re left-handed, it should be to the left).

If you’re a freshwater fisherman, you probably want a fiberglass rod. Whether that rod is a spinning or conventional rod, however, depends greatly upon your own personal style.

The Original Post is Located Here: Rods for Freshwater Fishing

Compound bows are extremely popular for both target and hunting archery. If you want to use one, though, you need to know how to sight it in. Follow these simple steps to get your compound bow sighted in so you can start using it ASAP.

First, make sure you’re doing this on a day with minimal wind. Sighting your bow in will be useless if the wind has thrown off all of your calculations. Start 10 yards from your target. Take several shots aiming at exactly the same spot. If you’re consistently hitting left or right, move all of your sighting pins in the same direction as your misses – if you’re hitting left of the target, move the pins to the left. Continue to adjust these pins until your horizontal aim is correct.

Next, you’ll need to work on your vertical aim. Up until this point, you’ve probably still been hitting high or low of the target while you’ve gotten your sights lined up horizontally. Now, fire off a few more shots at 10 yards. If you’re consistently hitting low or high, move the top sighting pin ONLY, none of the others, in the same direction – move it up if you’re hitting high, move it down if you’re hitting low. Do not move the other pins at this time.

When you have your top pin sighted vertically, then move back to 20 yards. Fire off a few more shots. Repeat the above steps for the top pin, but move ONLY the second pin from the top. Don’t touch any lower pins and definitely don’t touch the top pin – once you have that one set, you don’t want to move it. Continue this process until all of your sighting pins are aligned.

And that’s it! You’ve sighted in your compound bow. Now, any time you miss the target, you can’t blame it on your bow – just blame it on a lack of practice or that report your boss has been demanding.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Sight in a Compound Bow

If you’re into archery, you probably already know how difficult it can be to use your bow in the wind. If you’re new to archery, then you need to learn – and quick. Wind can be a big factor in whether not you hit your target, whether that target is a doe or a bullseye. That’s why you should check the wind before you shoot, use a stabilizer, and add weight for maximum stability in your bow.

When wind can affect your shot, you always want to use a wind gauge (also called wind detector) powder. This stuff is designed to show you exactly the direction and speed the wind is blowing, so you know how to correct your aim to hit the target. The downside is that this is not always practical when you’re hunting, primarily because of time constraints. Licking your finger can tell you what direction to correct against, but it doesn’t help much with wind intensity. If you don’t think the powder is for you, then your best bet is to practice, practice, practice in windy environments until you can handle a shot on some game.

If you’re worried about wind, you should reduce drag with a stabilizer. This is a rod that you screw onto the front of your bow to give it extra weight and balance. For hunting, you’ll need to get a shorter stabilizer, but if you’re a target archer, then a long stabilizer (between 18 and 36 inches) is ideal.

Using a heavy bow is another way to improve your balance and stability. This can always help you steady your aim before taking your shot. The downside here is also for bow hunters: increasing the weight decreases your mobility, so pursuing wounded game or setting up for another shot can be more difficult.

Whether you’re shooting at a target or a deer, stability is important, especially in windy conditions. Don’t let the wind beat you; get wind gauge powder, a stabilizer, and a heavy bow, and practice until you’re shooting arrows like the Greek god Apollo.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Shoot a Bow in the Wind

There are a lot of hunting purists out there. Some of them are bow hunters, which takes the most skill of any hunting I know; others demand that only open, aperture, or iron sights are used on hunting rifles, and that just doesn’t make sense to me. Yes, it takes more skill to hit a target far away with only a couple of iron sights to guide you, but when we have the technology to improve your chances and the price of ammunition is steadily increasing, why risk wasting bullets? Scopes improve your accuracy and efficiency when hunting. Unless you’re never farther than 50 yards from a target, it doesn’t make sense not to have a scope of some kind.

Scopes don’t guarantee that you’ll kill your target, or even hit it. You have to consider wind, air resistance, humidity, the caliber and weight of your ammunition, and other factors, too. But a scope will improve your chances, especially if you’ve practiced a lot at your local range.

There are two things a scope needs: the widest point of vision available in your budget and waterproof casing. The whole point of a scope is visibility, so the one that lets you see as much as possible as quickly as possible is the best one you can buy. Worse than a narrow scope, though, is poor protection against moisture; if moisture gets inside your scope, it will condense inside and your scope will be useless. Don’t let that happen.

You need a scope. For almost every situation when hunting, you need some kind of scope. Don’t let “honor” waste your ammunition and lose your game. Practice makes perfect. And make sure your scope has a wide point of vision and waterproof casing.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Select a Scope

The best material used in modern fishing rods for saltwater fishing is graphite. One of these is perfect for casting into deep water. A graphite fishing rod has a lot of lifting power and a heavy structure, making it capable of resisting all the stress saltwater fishing can put on a rod. Graphite can also transfer vibrations very easily, so you’ll be able to feel the movements of any fish you’ve hooked and counteract them. The primary downside of a graphite fishing rod is that it is too rigid to cast easily, making it much more effective for the open ocean than the confines of a river or lake.

There are plenty of options for style in a saltwater fishing rod, including spinning rods and conventional rods, but one of the best options is actually a fly-fishing rod. These rods have a medium to slow taper with a backbone towards the middle section. This is necessary for casting lightweight bait (especially flies), whether that bait is wet or dry. Casting well is important here, so companies have made the rods stronger and more sensitive than other rods. Manufacturers like G-Loomis, St.Croix, and Okuma have invested a lot of money in making these rods cast perfectly.

It’s true that fly-fishing rods are also used for freshwater fishing, but the sheer amount of money invested in improving these skillful rods makes them stronger than other styles, so they can handle the bigger, more combative fish of saltwater fishing just as easily as saltwater rods (provided, of course, that they have been coated to protect against corrosion).

Graphite probably won’t work for a fly-fishing rod, but it will definitely work for spinning or conventional rods. The choice is up to you and the style of fishing you prefer. But make sure you get a proper saltwater rod for your saltwater fishing trip.

The Original Post is Located Here: Rods for Saltwater Fishing

The perfect lure can only be perfect for the right fish. For example, trout prefer the minolure, while bonefishes prefer Millies Bucktail. Mackerels prefer diamond-shaped lures, whereas bass prefer lures shaped like other fish or snakes (of course, if you’re fishing for bass, make sure you make your lure act like a fish or snake, or else no bass will ever be tricked into taking the bait). Dorado, sailfish, and tuna all like squid bait, so you need the right lure for that.

But which lure you use also depends on the type of casting you do. If you use a spinning rod, a conventional rod, or a fly-fishing rod, you cast in different ways. In the same way, you need different lures for each type of cast. You can’t just throw the same lure on all of your different fishing rods and expect to get the same results. It just doesn’t work that way.

If you’re a beginner, though, you can always go with spoon bait. It’s the cheapest and easiest to use, making it great for people who are new to fishing. A spinner lure is good for beginners, too. The rotating spindle and blade always end up resembling bait fish, so you don’t need the finesse and fine touch it takes to make your bait look like food to a fish (instead of just bait).

Once you’ve decided on your style, your location, your fish, your rod, and your reel… then you can decide on your lure. Make sure it works with all of those earlier decisions, or your fishing trips will keep coming up empty.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Choose the Right Fishing Lure

Two hunters. Two weapons. Which is better? There’s a lot of debate between hunters about whether bow hunting or rifle hunting is the better sport. But all of that makes very little difference; the real question is whether bow hunting or rifle hunting is the better sport for you. We’re going to go through the benefits of each style and let you decide for yourself what kind of hunting you want to undertake.

Bow hunting has a number of benefits. First of all, bow season is less crowded than rifle season. With fewer participants, you get fewer accidents, fewer disturbances, and more big game. Both elk and mule deer spend more time out in the sun during this season, too. The weather is clearer and warmer, without all the frigid temperatures and moisture associated with the rifle hunting season. Besides all that, how many people do you know who can hunt with a bow? Success in this arena takes talent, practice, and skill, far above other sports. There is definitely room for bragging rights.

That’s not to say that rifle hunting has no advantages over bow hunting. Rifles are fun and challenging, but they’re not frustratingly difficult, like bows are. In the same way, they require less practice, which means you can involve more of your family and friends. Even children can learn the basics of rifle hunting with a little practice, so you don’t have to be out there all alone if you don’t want to be; instead, you can get your progeny involved in your favorite pastime. Rifles also have much greater range than bows. Rifles and bullets are also less expensive than bows and arrows. Plus, in rifle hunting season, there are no leaves on the trees; it might be a little chilly, but you can see your game clearly.

It’s all about personal preference: which do you want to participate in? Bow hunting or rifle hunting? Just remember, whichever one you choose, there is a specific set of equipment you need to have in order to be good at it. That might be a bow and arrows, a stabilizer, and archery repair equipment, or it might be a rifle and bullets, a scope, and gun maintenance equipment.

The Original Post is Located Here: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting