I love this channel so much - it has saved me so much money. I appreciate the fact that while Jim appears to be quite successful, his feet are firmly on the ground, adamantly stating things like "You don't have to spend $250 on pants"... which runs counter to a lot of the messaging out there.
Military Surplus is where it’s at if you need camo, and if pattern and color aren’t important to you, a lot of Military Surplus gear is still good to go, base layers, mid-layers, beanies, gloves, mittens, soft and hard shells, boots, sleeping bags, canteens and canteen cups, and more.
Great Video and very informative. As far as clothing for hunting, I used to wear my leftover camo from the military. Once I outgrew them, it was just jeans and flannel shirts. I layered with t-shirt, flannel shirt, and some form of field jacket. The product that I was willing to spend good money on was my foot wear. Good socks and boots are the most important product for me. Herman Survivor boots were my favorite. Gun that I regret buying...I love Henry lever action rifles. They are smooth, accurate, and reliable. I bought a Henry single shot in 357 Magnum for short range hunting on our property. That was the biggest disappointment in a firearm I have ever experienced. The trigger pull was in the 9.5 pound range. I took it to a gunsmith and the best he could get it down to was about six and a half pounds and it cost me about $75.00. I sold that one pretty quick. By the time I got the base, rings, and scope, I was into this rifle about $700+. It was a big disappointment. I did end up buying the Henry lever in 357 with the new sideload gate. Loving that one!!
For "cheap" rifles, I find the Ruger American to be an amazing one. Maybe we are just lucky, but me and my brother in law both have one and they both shoot great, very accurate, handy rifles.
Yeah, the reviews on the ISOTunes Caliber have been kinda mixed. If you liked the Axil GS, maybe ISOTunes would let you swap the Calibers for their Advance. I haven't hunted with my Advance much, but I've been shooting registered trap for about a year with my set, and been pretty happy with noise cancellation, Bluetooth performance, and awareness of what's happening on the range around me.
I really like the Axil GS Extreme 2.0, once you get the buds fitting down they work very well especially in open fields or outdoor ranges. For indoor ranges I use Howard Impact Pro,bulky but it really lowers the shot noise and being electronic you can still hear every body.
I’ve had trouble fitting the Axil’s in my ear. Indoors I have to double up my ear pro. I use silicone industrial style with my Walkers indoors because of the sound bounce.
Regret selling might also be fun. My regret buying was a Mini 14 prior to the barrel changes. Beautiful gun, reliable and shot terrible for accuracy. Also the cases exited about 1000 FPS.
Great video Jim! Always enjoy your perspective. I agree with your motto - Buy once, Cry once-. It is easy to get caught up in the consumer cycle and thus it pays to really ask yourself, do I NEED this or do I WANT this.
My problem with camo is, I'm a big guy and it's very hard to find anything in 4X or bigger anymore. Used to be easy to get, but now I can't find a pair of bibs to replace my old worn out pair
I still use the old skool 3M ear plugs, the yellow foam ones that you roll thin and insert in your ear. Got some key chain pill containers off Amazon that two of them fit in.
I was torn between the magneto speed v3 and the lab radar. I got the magneto speed and instsntly regretted not buying the lab radar instead... until my friend bought a lab radar. Now we both love my Magnetoapeed.
Good info about the LabRadar, I found that shocking. Will stick with my simple Chrono with the bluetooth to my phone. Latest thing I regret- Magpul Bipod. NOT stable, way too much flex, and you can't "Load" it like more sturdy bipods for accurate shooting. I sold mine and bought an Atlas. Before that, I regretted buying a Bergara Premier rifle, it did not hand load reliably. I ended up selling that and getting a Fierce, reloading issues disappeared.
I’ve never had any issues with the jet boil. I was using a Napatha stove while my mom had a jet boil. By the end of the backpacking trip I wasn’t using my stove because it only took 40 seconds to boil my water with hers!!! The speed of the heating still is quite efficient. So I think it’s a good product. Not best for all applications. However for 1-3 people it’s perfect!!!
Lab radar sells a ultra sensitive corded trigger instead of the internal one. I just lay the cord over my gun and it picks up almost 100% of my shots, even suppressed.
Regarding rifles and accuracy: I recently bought an FR-8 with a refinished stock and a barrel that, upon my inspection, appeared never to have been fired. Cool, right? Shot about a foot wide group at 25 yards. Not so cool. So it turned out that there were some significant imperfections in the fitment of the stock. So I relieved the receiver cutout to ensure there were no high spots causing flex on the receiver or trigger group, epoxied the rear action bushing in place for a precise repeatable fit, and stoned down the back side of the action screws until the lock screws fit them perfectly at my ideal torque. Then I did a really quick and dirty freefloat job on the barrel and the metal collar at the front of the stock and hit the front sight with some orange paint. It was down to shooting about a 5" group at 200 yards on iron sights with almost any ammo I could feed it, save for Malaysian L2A2 ball which still shot about two feet low at that range. Point is, wooden stocks are iffy under good circumstances and they are *not* to be trusted on a surplus or budget gun. If you are buying a cheap gun, be prepared to do a little bit of hand fitting. It's not bad.
my set up for heating water/food is an off-brand pocket stove like your Coleman, with a Stanley $15 pot with lid and two nesting cups from Walmart, all in a MOLLE pouch. Spent maybe $35 on the whole thing including a can of fuel, in 25' weather it boils 12-16 oz of water in about 2.5-3.5 minutes depending on if you can put it out of the wind or not.
@@sstrongman1667 didn’t have accutrigger. It was a cabelas special… I think 299 a couple years ago. We couldn’t figure out why the groups were so bad but it was because the trigger pull was so high. MCarbo makes a kit and the pull is 2.5lb now.
When I first started shooting from a tripod I purchased a carbon fiber tripod, ball head and clamp. The ball head and clamp weighed almost as much as the tripod !! Now I have a carbon fiber tripod with a 75mm leveling head and arca- swiss clamp. No more ball head and clamp, getting rid of almost 4 lbs. Putting the rail on my rifles was a learning process but now that I've done 4 rifles its easy and I didn't pay someone else to do it. The accuracy I get from the tripod is great..
They will custom mold the ear plugs. They will also give you a gearing test and customize the electronics to not only cut off loud noises but also amplify the sounds AND correct for any defects like a hearing aid does.
Thanks for the information. I agree with the Lab Radar...I love hate mine.It's still the best for gathering data. Get the external pellet rifle to make it work with quiet shots and the external battery is a must.. Lets hope for version 2 as the interface is awful. I always have to use the quick guide to refresh usage
I tried axil and I couldn't get them to fit comfortably they did work just got uncomfortable after an half an hour or so. 700 to 900 rifle with a good 150 to 250 scope will definitely work for your lifetime it's worth saving and buying once
I LOVE my Labradar. Sooo much better than a traditional shoot through chronograph and Magnetospeed has its own set off issues. Is it perfect? No, but I still feel it is the best available currently. Use the Bluetooth feature to your phone/tablet and no guessing on the menu. Also use a Piet trigger and you will never miss another shot regardless of what you are shooting including bows and air rifles.
I regret buying my exwife an engagement ring.. Gun wise I sometimes regret the labradar, the magnetospeed is probably what I stuck with. The swagger bipod never made any sense to me, always seemed overhyped and expensive.
On the pack mounted rifle holder I learned my lesson. Huge mule deer buck, and had no quick access to my rifle. Now I carry the rifle or use a slogan outdoors sling. You’ll never have to worry about your sling falling off your shoulder if you buy one. It is rubber, and some say it has an odor. I personally just hung all three of mine up, and let them air out over time. Odor free now. Got one on each of the two shotguns we use a lot, and one for whichever rifle I’m using at the moment.
Hey man, with that Swagger bipod you can push the button in after the legs are out how you had them and they will move into the plastic piece a little farther kind of eliminating the spring action and making the legs more rigid. ✌️
labradar --- use external battery pack for $20 and it lasts days. Use recoil trigger over internal sound trigger. Only complaint is that it is about 100fps faster than what the drop suggests. It measures my 6.5 creedmoor (43.3gr h4350 behind 143 eldx) at around 2820, but the trajectory matches that of the 2700fps. I use it more to verify the consistency of my load and if I am at a node. I have the sig kilo3000 bdx, similar to the fury. I love the ranging and ab capabilities in the field. I do lug my slc 15x56 around at the same time for majority of glassing and filming. After I find game I start filming and move to the sig kilo. Optical quality is inferior to the slc, but sufficient. Of course that's two sets of gear to carry.
Have to disagree about the jet boil. I’ve had mine for over a decade with heavy use. It has been flawless. The igniter has never failed. Yes, you can get cheaper stoves. But the jetboil is a whole system.
That's wierd aboutbthe jetboil. I dislike its general limitations but as far as function it has been absolutely bombproof. One-click light in any conditions.
Established Titles has faced controversy and accusations of being a scam. The company sells souvenir plots of land in Scotland, offering titles like “Lordship” and “Ladyship.” However, these titles are not legally recognized, and the land plots are too small for ownership registration.
My regret buy was a Baikal SxS in 30/06. I never could get it regulated appropriately. That was too bad since it fit me well and came up to my shoulder quickly. Thankfully I sold it for what I paid for it.
Have similar experiences with some of the items listed. I had a Just One pack and found it to be way too heavy for what it did. There are much lighter packs available that hold up just as well. I looked at the Swagger Bipod and after reading the reviews did not buy one. I use a tall Harris bipod and it works great. I own a Lab Radar and agree, when it works, it's great, but it is not intuitive.
Well I did it, and it’s all your fault, well you and Who tee who. I have been looking for decent ear pro, my ears are already shot from being a jet engine mechanic in the AF for 23 years so I decided to order a set of the Axil extreme 2.0’s. Can’t wait for them to show up and try out. Keep up the great videos…
Jim, I'm guessing you never tried my fixes for that Patriot. It's either the front action screw is too long and mashing barrel threads or the mag well, which is also the bedding block is cracked. 25"lbs is the max for the rear screw.
My mossberg patriot (.270) shoots really good! had to try a couple different boxes of ammo before I felt confident in it. Maybe I got lucky, but I probably wont purchase another cheap hunting rifle
I will say I have a bunch of Sitka, the early season stuff isn’t worth the money, it’s still thick and hot, but hunting in wisconsin during gun and even the rut the heavy weight stuff has been worth the money for me. Nothing else has kept me as warm, just my two sense
EXACTLY! The lightweight kuiu pants have been fine for me, but where the high end stuff shines is in the more extremes. Like for late season mountain hunting, it's hard to beat kuiu guide or axis pant or the Forloh one. They are 1/4 the weight of my old wool pants and don't get heavier as day goes on. Sheds snow right off etc...And the giant Sitka Kelvin WS puffy and Skre Ptarmigan puffy pants are so incredible glassing in 12 degrees and 22 mph winds like last week! Wool clothes as warm would have filled a wheelbarrow!
458 Socom. Useless Cartridge. I tried 2 uppers. 2 bolts, and 3 barrels. And every bullet powder combo possible. Best I ever got was 8 MOA. Horrible. Switched to 450 Bushmaster and immediately got 1.5 MOA
The hunting item I regret is the folding Gerber Vital knife. I bought it on the recommendation of a hunting personality and used it on he first elk I ever killed. I broke 2 blades and the 3rd blade kept coming loose. When it is dark and your alone in bear country the last thing you need is your knife to fail you. I use the outdoor edge knife now I believe it is better.
That was my experience as well except it was 5 blades and I couldn't risk skinning the animal out with the 6th. Went to an outdoor research knife with much more support of the blade.
I wanted a Labrador but settled for a Magneto Speed because of price and regret it. The Magneto Speed changes my point of impact and group size on every rifle I own. I can't shoot groups and get velocities at the same time so load development takes 2x as long and uses 2x the components. I hope the AndiScan is reliable, easy to use and comes down in price. $900 seems crazy for a chronograph.
Or, for $100, you could get the Caldwell? It doesn't affect point of impact for groups, and still, gets a reading. Another youtuber was comparing it to a Magneto Speed, and they were very consistent. I did have lighting issues once at the range, but I found a hack, where you can tape/attach cheap harbor freight led lights to the diffusers, and that worked really well for me.
@@cobjread I had a Beta Chrony I used and it worked fine when I had my own backyard range. Now I shoot at a busy public range and need something I can set up and use from the bench. Can't be standing 10' in front of the firing line making all the adjustments, running back, looking through the scope, running back, repositioning the chronograph... I've got nothing against traditional chronographs other than they are difficult to get setup at my range.
I whole heartedly regret my first rifle. It is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 7mm Rem Mag. It was manufactured in 2006 and apparently Ruger outsourced their barrels out to a third party vendor and they made the barrels with not so great dimensions. On top of that the barrel profile is so skinny at the muzzle that after the 2nd shot it gets too hot to get a good group. I can't get it threaded for a suppressor or muzzle break for the same reason. I'm very disappointed with the rifle, I've only put 42 rounds through it. The length of pull is also to long for my short ass. I want to get rid of it but I bought a Hornady AP loader to reload ammo for it, it didn't help, still a crappy buy. I like my reloaded but now I never have time to shoot and when I do I just buy ammo for 5.56 and 300BLK. I would get rid of the rifle but I feel bad because it was my first rifle also, I've had a small collection...that I unfortunately lost in a boating accident. 😕
I’ve got one- my HK VP9. What a waste. It’s just another polymer framed, Striker fired pistol. That’s it. That’s all it is. It was my first pistol I owned at the time and I thought I wanted it. $750 later, it was mine. No optic mounting on it, cuts are hard to come by, cut slides cost almost as much as a new VP9, mags cost $50 a piece, it’s just a money pit and now it’s the resident dust collector in my safe. That said, it’s never failed on me (except with steel ammo), it’s always reliable and shoots accurately, but it’s nothing special. I prefer shooting my G17.3 much more to the VP9. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it for something else because I subscribe to the “never sell, only buy” idea, but I rarely use it. Waste of money in comparison to what I could’ve gotten in the same subset of guns.
Appears you have too much money and no experience. Usually we start off with cheap and simple then work up to advanced items like a benchrest. I started off with corn bags. Then I made my first benchrest. The problem with some shooters is they rely on the rest to hold the gun steady, so when the rest allows the gun to pivot the shooter has a very hard time adjusting. Items I regret buying: electronic predator call, 454 Casull, a custom unlimited benchrest rifle, and a predator call that I couldn't test(plastic POS). The electronic predator call has a gun-like trigger for on and off, so it is too easy to set off the rifle/pistol while using the call.
Hey Jim, thanks for the great vid. For some people, some of these it’s might be ok!! For others, not so much. Always appreciate the great content. …….now if we only had more Elk here in Ontario…..
Anything by vortex that has to actually hold up. But hey,.got best warranty! Any cheap rifle that's not a Tikka is lower class BY FAR , so I wish I didn't buy anything besides Tikka or customs. I've had same pocket rocket stove and titanium pot for over 15 YEARS! Zero issues except bad fuel efficiency. I've had jetboil envy on occasion but haven't bothered.
I regret buying a 6.5-300 wby. I love the gun, bought it for caribou hunting and it’s perfect for it but the problem is that I love shooting it and the barrel life is so short that I can’t just go shoot it so it sits most of the time and I find myself hunting with other guns that I’ve gotten more comfortable shooting because I can spend the time with them.
Nikon’s arrowID 7000 VR rangefinder has an image stabilization feature that has made ranging smaller and/or moving targets so much more reliable…easily the most underrated feature in the whole rangefinder market
@@DJ-kg6zq oh I didn’t realize…I bet you can still find them around, well worth snagging if so, or you could wait til Nikon drops another “VR model”…I can only hope/assume the vibration reduction feature will carry over to newer versions
I regret buying my BOG death grip tripod. I sold that for $150. I don’t use my ESEE 6” knife. I love it and it’s wicked sharp but it’s not really useful while hunting. I might use it instead of a hatchet for cutting bone. I bought a GERBER bone saw and it wasn’t any good while field dressing my elk this year. I don’t recommend them.
Axil ear pro rocks! I have Axil StalkR ear pro and it amazing. Blocks out any sound over 80 decibels and amplify your regular hearing by 8X you can literally hear a mouse fart💯
I appreciate your honesty. I was looking at pants in Bass Pro that were almost $300. I'd never spend that much on pants. A guy came by and said he has 3 pairs, their the best pants ever. $300 for pants?!
For camo I normally just wear normal type camo cargos from goodwill with a green or mid to dark grey shirt and then toss over a Mossy Oak pattern comforter when I get to my stand or post I find I have pretty good luck with it but I'm also on my rifle pretty much the whole time I'm set in with good firing lanes.....but I don't think you have to spend beaucoup bucks on camo as long as you have something that will break up your form and not stand out against the rest of the environment your in you should be good
@@pens87668 better not to leave much scent a cold water bath before with no product works great if your just going to be out early morning but 100% agree I can't tell you how many times I've been watching some does in the summer and the wind blows the wrong way never made a sound they still don't see me but they know exactly where I'm at and they're scanning
338win winchester extreme weather. What a lemon. Every day poi shift. No grouping one day next day 1/2 moa. If it cant shoot straight it cant go hunting.
For most of my hunting life, I've just worn jeans and flannels if it was nice out and an orange vest and hat over it. Or I buy Menards insulated bibs and jackets and spray them with scotchgard waterproofing. Ultimate cheap. ;)
My worst purchase was a .243 savage axis… it shoots so well but horrible trigger and the bolt is so stiff it barely chamber’s a round after it’s been shot.. I’ll never buy a cheap gun again
Great video man! You confirm a lot of thoughts I have about that topic. I have a Mauser M18 .270 rifle and I’d love to know your thoughts about it ( I’m new in the game). Thank you so much and keep up the good work
Did you contact CZ on the trigger issue? I'm positive they would have made it right. I bought the Axil G2 earpro. They don't fit my ears and won't stay in. I've tried every plug style. Waste of $120.
Hell, You don't need any of that stuff when all you do is step out of your truck and shoot that buck at 350 yards off that tripod you showed us the other day.
Good video. Although I am sorry you don't Care for the Mossberg Patriot. I absolutely love my Patriot in 450 bushmaster. It's an absolute tac driver and with hand loads it is shooting 1/2 inch or less groups at 100 yards.
4:36 "Do you actually need camo?" I have become convinced the answer is "No", or, "It depends on what you mean by 'camo' ". For deer, and most other hunting, you can wear plaid in forest or field colors and be effectively hidden. A black and loden green plaid shirt will disappear among evergreens. The problem is, you may have a long wait to find decent clothes in appropriate plaid.
I think weve all wasted more than a few dollars on products which failed to live up to its marketing. With this being said, I've always enjoyed the "This vs That" videos which compares a premium marketed product to a lesser expensive option that works equally as well.
Bought an expensive laser rangefinder a few years ago...I hardly ever use it. Lately I do most of my hunting in heavy cover and with a .45-70. A rangefinder is just dead weight in those circumstances.
I like Kuiui for there packs. I have one that I use with my mobile saddle set up with sticks. I always buy the Walmart branded camo. It’s usually shredded by the end of the season. Great bud
I bought a CVA Cascade in 308w for $450, it is such an amazing gun, sold my Tika shortly thereafter. It feels and shoots like an $800 gun, will buy more in different calibers but wish the aftermarket would jump on board with them.
Primos shooting sticks. I regret buying two of them. The single stick and the tripod. Useless for elk hunting. I got some use out of both for pronghorn but my quick release gun sling is better. I'm gonna sell the single stick. I'll keep the tripod primos shooting stick for long range pronghorn and the shooting range. Otherwise too expensive for how much you actually use them.
I thought the same thing the first time I tried them. You have to squish the tips before inserting them. After a time or two, they started fitting perfect.
You don't seem to have any links in the description other than to Established Titles. I would like the spelling of the camo company that you shouted out as being good and reasonable.
The first gun I bought myself (I was maybe 16 or so?) was a Mossberg MVP in 5.56. It just seemed really cool. Accuracy was good enough for target shooting, but it jammed at least once per magazine. I eventually traded it for a Mauser and fell in love.
I love my Mossberg Patriot -06 rifle and maverick shotgun. I bought the patriot some 5 years ago. But it's pretty dang accurate. Stay the hell away from the Mossberg 535 limited 12 gauge. That was the first gun to blow up in my face.
You are totally right about the vortex fury and the labradar. Especially the LabRadar. I had one of the first ones and sent it back because I was sure it had to be broken, I bought accessories, and it has never functioned reliably. I assume the people that have success with it are shooting either one gun or one type of set up. But if you’re going back-and-forth between suppressed, unsuppressed, muzzle brake on rifles, it has never been reliable. Huge waste of money.
I was on the fence about buying that. Is it really that bad? I wasn’t really going to use the ballistics but it is a cool feature. I’m hesitant to buy electronic technology because it changes so fast… should I just put the money towards better glass?
@@DJ-kg6zq i’m not sure what to tell you. I know some very high level shooters that use them reliably. The big advantage is that you don’t have anything attached to the gun like a Magnetospeed. I have been experimenting with a Magnetospeed with Wiser mount that mounts to the Picatinny rail. Lab radar would be great if it worked reliably for me. It just hasn’t.
I would love to see your 7 favorite pieces of hunting equipment (knife, flashlight, first aid kit, boots, etc.) and why you like them so much.
I love this channel so much - it has saved me so much money. I appreciate the fact that while Jim appears to be quite successful, his feet are firmly on the ground, adamantly stating things like "You don't have to spend $250 on pants"... which runs counter to a lot of the messaging out there.
Thank you! Appreciate the kind comment.
@@backfire In terms of ear pro, have you tried Tetra? If so, your thoughts?
Military Surplus is where it’s at if you need camo, and if pattern and color aren’t important to you, a lot of Military Surplus gear is still good to go, base layers, mid-layers, beanies, gloves, mittens, soft and hard shells, boots, sleeping bags, canteens and canteen cups, and more.
Great Video and very informative. As far as clothing for hunting, I used to wear my leftover camo from the military. Once I outgrew them, it was just jeans and flannel shirts. I layered with t-shirt, flannel shirt, and some form of field jacket. The product that I was willing to spend good money on was my foot wear. Good socks and boots are the most important product for me. Herman Survivor boots were my favorite. Gun that I regret buying...I love Henry lever action rifles. They are smooth, accurate, and reliable. I bought a Henry single shot in 357 Magnum for short range hunting on our property. That was the biggest disappointment in a firearm I have ever experienced. The trigger pull was in the 9.5 pound range. I took it to a gunsmith and the best he could get it down to was about six and a half pounds and it cost me about $75.00. I sold that one pretty quick. By the time I got the base, rings, and scope, I was into this rifle about $700+. It was a big disappointment. I did end up buying the Henry lever in 357 with the new sideload gate. Loving that one!!
For "cheap" rifles, I find the Ruger American to be an amazing one. Maybe we are just lucky, but me and my brother in law both have one and they both shoot great, very accurate, handy rifles.
I have 2000 dollar rifles and 1000 dollar scopes. But my most accurate rifle so far is a ruger American 270 with an 80 dollar konus pro 3x9. Lol
Yeah, the reviews on the ISOTunes Caliber have been kinda mixed.
If you liked the Axil GS, maybe ISOTunes would let you swap the Calibers for their Advance. I haven't hunted with my Advance much, but I've been shooting registered trap for about a year with my set, and been pretty happy with noise cancellation, Bluetooth performance, and awareness of what's happening on the range around me.
I really like the Axil GS Extreme 2.0, once you get the buds fitting down they work very well especially in open fields or outdoor ranges. For indoor ranges I use Howard Impact Pro,bulky but it really lowers the shot noise and being electronic you can still hear every body.
I’ve had trouble fitting the Axil’s in my ear. Indoors I have to double up my ear pro. I use silicone industrial style with my Walkers indoors because of the sound bounce.
@@J.Young808 Axils would fit me either and the Isos he mentioned are absolute crap
Are the axils Bluetooth?
Regret selling might also be fun. My regret buying was a Mini 14 prior to the barrel changes. Beautiful gun, reliable and shot terrible for accuracy. Also the cases exited about 1000 FPS.
I've had multiple mini 14s new ones and older ones none of them have been reliable or worth the price.
Great video Jim! Always enjoy your perspective. I agree with your motto - Buy once, Cry once-. It is easy to get caught up in the consumer cycle and thus it pays to really ask yourself, do I NEED this or do I WANT this.
Spot on about the jet boil....with a lightweight backpacking stove you can boil water and cook other types of food.
My problem with camo is, I'm a big guy and it's very hard to find anything in 4X or bigger anymore. Used to be easy to get, but now I can't find a pair of bibs to replace my old worn out pair
That’s the deal with camo, you shouldn’t be able to find it🙃😉
Amen to that!!!
I still use the old skool 3M ear plugs, the yellow foam ones that you roll thin and insert in your ear. Got some key chain pill containers off Amazon that two of them fit in.
I was torn between the magneto speed v3 and the lab radar. I got the magneto speed and instsntly regretted not buying the lab radar instead... until my friend bought a lab radar. Now we both love my Magnetoapeed.
Good info about the LabRadar, I found that shocking. Will stick with my simple Chrono with the bluetooth to my phone. Latest thing I regret- Magpul Bipod. NOT stable, way too much flex, and you can't "Load" it like more sturdy bipods for accurate shooting. I sold mine and bought an Atlas. Before that, I regretted buying a Bergara Premier rifle, it did not hand load reliably. I ended up selling that and getting a Fierce, reloading issues disappeared.
Thank you for this comment. I was planning to buy one this week.
I’ve never had any issues with the jet boil. I was using a Napatha stove while my mom had a jet boil. By the end of the backpacking trip I wasn’t using my stove because it only took 40 seconds to boil my water with hers!!!
The speed of the heating still is quite efficient.
So I think it’s a good product. Not best for all applications. However for 1-3 people it’s perfect!!!
Lab radar sells a ultra sensitive corded trigger instead of the internal one. I just lay the cord over my gun and it picks up almost 100% of my shots, even suppressed.
Regarding rifles and accuracy:
I recently bought an FR-8 with a refinished stock and a barrel that, upon my inspection, appeared never to have been fired. Cool, right?
Shot about a foot wide group at 25 yards.
Not so cool.
So it turned out that there were some significant imperfections in the fitment of the stock. So I relieved the receiver cutout to ensure there were no high spots causing flex on the receiver or trigger group, epoxied the rear action bushing in place for a precise repeatable fit, and stoned down the back side of the action screws until the lock screws fit them perfectly at my ideal torque. Then I did a really quick and dirty freefloat job on the barrel and the metal collar at the front of the stock and hit the front sight with some orange paint.
It was down to shooting about a 5" group at 200 yards on iron sights with almost any ammo I could feed it, save for Malaysian L2A2 ball which still shot about two feet low at that range.
Point is, wooden stocks are iffy under good circumstances and they are *not* to be trusted on a surplus or budget gun.
If you are buying a cheap gun, be prepared to do a little bit of hand fitting. It's not bad.
IMO the best camo on the market is ASAT or Predator. Works every time under any condition, including snow. Great vid.
my set up for heating water/food is an off-brand pocket stove like your Coleman, with a Stanley $15 pot with lid and two nesting cups from Walmart, all in a MOLLE pouch. Spent maybe $35 on the whole thing including a can of fuel, in 25' weather it boils 12-16 oz of water in about 2.5-3.5 minutes depending on if you can put it out of the wind or not.
My sons axis had a 6lb trigger from the box. We had to change the spring to make it shootable.
I love Savage, but if you want a good trigger and don't like their accutrigger, definitely better options.
@@sstrongman1667 didn’t have accutrigger. It was a cabelas special… I think 299 a couple years ago. We couldn’t figure out why the groups were so bad but it was because the trigger pull was so high. MCarbo makes a kit and the pull is 2.5lb now.
on the swagger push the botton when the leg are deployed and it seats them in the hole and it become ridged
When I first started shooting from a tripod I purchased a carbon fiber tripod, ball head and clamp. The ball head and clamp weighed almost as much as the tripod !! Now I have a carbon fiber tripod with a 75mm leveling head and arca- swiss clamp. No more ball head and clamp, getting rid of almost 4 lbs. Putting the rail on my rifles was a learning process but now that I've done 4 rifles its easy and I didn't pay someone else to do it. The accuracy I get from the tripod is great..
I really love my custom AXIL with custom amp. Use them for sporting clays but they are awesome for hunting with the amplification!!!
As someone who is currently wearing Axils, I’m intrigued what you mean by a custom amp. Can you elaborate?
They will custom mold the ear plugs. They will also give you a gearing test and customize the electronics to not only cut off loud noises but also amplify the sounds AND correct for any defects like a hearing aid does.
Thanks for the information. I agree with the Lab Radar...I love hate mine.It's still the best for gathering data. Get the external pellet rifle to make it work with quiet shots and the external battery is a must.. Lets hope for version 2 as the interface is awful. I always have to use the quick guide to refresh usage
I tried axil and I couldn't get them to fit comfortably they did work just got uncomfortable after an half an hour or so. 700 to 900 rifle with a good 150 to 250 scope will definitely work for your lifetime it's worth saving and buying once
I LOVE my Labradar. Sooo much better than a traditional shoot through chronograph and Magnetospeed has its own set off issues. Is it perfect? No, but I still feel it is the best available currently.
Use the Bluetooth feature to your phone/tablet and no guessing on the menu. Also use a Piet trigger and you will never miss another shot regardless of what you are shooting including bows and air rifles.
I regret buying my exwife an engagement ring.. Gun wise I sometimes regret the labradar, the magnetospeed is probably what I stuck with. The swagger bipod never made any sense to me, always seemed overhyped and expensive.
I’ve got a 720 youth 20ga for my son to use.
He’s 10.
He’s loved it and had no issues whatsoever with the trigger.
Just my 2¢
On the pack mounted rifle holder I learned my lesson. Huge mule deer buck, and had no quick access to my rifle. Now I carry the rifle or use a slogan outdoors sling. You’ll never have to worry about your sling falling off your shoulder if you buy one. It is rubber, and some say it has an odor. I personally just hung all three of mine up, and let them air out over time. Odor free now. Got one on each of the two shotguns we use a lot, and one for whichever rifle I’m using at the moment.
Odor isn't going to matter at all! If they smell rubber, they already smell YOU!
Hey man, with that Swagger bipod you can push the button in after the legs are out how you had them and they will move into the plastic piece a little farther kind of eliminating the spring action and making the legs more rigid. ✌️
labradar --- use external battery pack for $20 and it lasts days. Use recoil trigger over internal sound trigger. Only complaint is that it is about 100fps faster than what the drop suggests. It measures my 6.5 creedmoor (43.3gr h4350 behind 143 eldx) at around 2820, but the trajectory matches that of the 2700fps. I use it more to verify the consistency of my load and if I am at a node.
I have the sig kilo3000 bdx, similar to the fury. I love the ranging and ab capabilities in the field. I do lug my slc 15x56 around at the same time for majority of glassing and filming. After I find game I start filming and move to the sig kilo. Optical quality is inferior to the slc, but sufficient. Of course that's two sets of gear to carry.
Have to disagree about the jet boil. I’ve had mine for over a decade with heavy use. It has been flawless. The igniter has never failed. Yes, you can get cheaper stoves. But the jetboil is a whole system.
That's wierd aboutbthe jetboil. I dislike its general limitations but as far as function it has been absolutely bombproof. One-click light in any conditions.
Mossberg used to be a cheap shotgun for new shooters. It still is. Also, if you're looking for binoculars, buy Steiners with a sports auto focus
Established Titles has faced controversy and accusations of being a scam. The company sells souvenir plots of land in Scotland, offering titles like “Lordship” and “Ladyship.” However, these titles are not legally recognized, and the land plots are too small for ownership registration.
My mossberg patriot in 308 is very good at 50 yards or less, but at 100 it is very erratic
A leather Bianchi holster for my Smith 629 that doesn't cover the trigger yet has a snap break over the hammer. Was $85 and never used it ugh
My regret buy was a Baikal SxS in 30/06. I never could get it regulated appropriately. That was too bad since it fit me well and came up to my shoulder quickly. Thankfully I sold it for what I paid for it.
Just get the Ruger American and buy a fancy stock as well as decent glass. Job’s done.
Have similar experiences with some of the items listed. I had a Just One pack and found it to be way too heavy for what it did. There are much lighter packs available that hold up just as well. I looked at the Swagger Bipod and after reading the reviews did not buy one. I use a tall Harris bipod and it works great. I own a Lab Radar and agree, when it works, it's great, but it is not intuitive.
I hunt with mismatched Walmart camo and olive drab pants. I do have a Kuiu jacket for when it's really cold though. You don't need fancy camo.
Skre is the bomb. Wrangler ATGs are awesome for pants
Well I did it, and it’s all your fault, well you and Who tee who. I have been looking for decent ear pro, my ears are already shot from being a jet engine mechanic in the AF for 23 years so I decided to order a set of the Axil extreme 2.0’s. Can’t wait for them to show up and try out. Keep up the great videos…
Hit the front button on the swagger bipod it sucks the legs in and makes it more stable.
I own a patriot in .270 and I love it. It’s super nice and super accurate for me. Killed a few deer around 100 yards or so.
Jim, I'm guessing you never tried my fixes for that Patriot. It's either the front action screw is too long and mashing barrel threads or the mag well, which is also the bedding block is cracked. 25"lbs is the max for the rear screw.
My mossberg patriot (.270) shoots really good! had to try a couple different boxes of ammo before I felt confident in it. Maybe I got lucky, but I probably wont purchase another cheap hunting rifle
I bought a motion switch for my Lab Radar. Game changer for use with suppressors. Can't remember who makes it, but it wasn't expensive.
I’ll check it out
Eric Cortina put it about a foot ahead of the suppressor to make it work. I hope I spelled his name right. Great guy.
The external trigger is made by JKL PRECISION. I use it and have never had an error. It's a gamechanger with the labradar!
@@Mrjaspgu Only "issue" I've had with it is forgetting to disarm the lab radar and having it trigger when I drop the bolt. More of a user error.
I will say I have a bunch of Sitka, the early season stuff isn’t worth the money, it’s still thick and hot, but hunting in wisconsin during gun and even the rut the heavy weight stuff has been worth the money for me. Nothing else has kept me as warm, just my two sense
Staying dry and warm is worth whatever money it costs. Whether it's the perfect camo pattern or not means nothing.
EXACTLY! The lightweight kuiu pants have been fine for me, but where the high end stuff shines is in the more extremes. Like for late season mountain hunting, it's hard to beat kuiu guide or axis pant or the Forloh one. They are 1/4 the weight of my old wool pants and don't get heavier as day goes on.
Sheds snow right off etc...And the giant Sitka Kelvin WS puffy and Skre Ptarmigan puffy pants are so incredible glassing in 12 degrees and 22 mph winds like last week! Wool clothes as warm would have filled a wheelbarrow!
Well, for me it's my Joe Biden commemorative back pack. Complete with a bag of hair to sniff.
458 Socom. Useless Cartridge.
I tried 2 uppers. 2 bolts, and 3 barrels. And every bullet powder combo possible.
Best I ever got was 8 MOA. Horrible.
Switched to 450 Bushmaster and immediately got 1.5 MOA
Well if you sit out in. The 30° rain for 12 to 14 hours then you’ll be damn glad you invested in that Sitka camowear
The hunting item I regret is the folding Gerber Vital knife. I bought it on the recommendation of a hunting personality and used it on he first elk I ever killed. I broke 2 blades and the 3rd blade kept coming loose. When it is dark and your alone in bear country the last thing you need is your knife to fail you. I use the outdoor edge knife now I believe it is better.
That was my experience as well except it was 5 blades and I couldn't risk skinning the animal out with the 6th. Went to an outdoor research knife with much more support of the blade.
Thanks for the heads up guys! I’m definitely just getting a really nice fix blade now with some Japanese sharpening stones!😆
I wanted a Labrador but settled for a Magneto Speed because of price and regret it. The Magneto Speed changes my point of impact and group size on every rifle I own. I can't shoot groups and get velocities at the same time so load development takes 2x as long and uses 2x the components. I hope the AndiScan is reliable, easy to use and comes down in price. $900 seems crazy for a chronograph.
Fine point. Hadn’t thought about that.
Or, for $100, you could get the Caldwell? It doesn't affect point of impact for groups, and still, gets a reading. Another youtuber was comparing it to a Magneto Speed, and they were very consistent. I did have lighting issues once at the range, but I found a hack, where you can tape/attach cheap harbor freight led lights to the diffusers, and that worked really well for me.
@@cobjread I had a Beta Chrony I used and it worked fine when I had my own backyard range. Now I shoot at a busy public range and need something I can set up and use from the bench. Can't be standing 10' in front of the firing line making all the adjustments, running back, looking through the scope, running back, repositioning the chronograph... I've got nothing against traditional chronographs other than they are difficult to get setup at my range.
I whole heartedly regret my first rifle. It is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 7mm Rem Mag. It was manufactured in 2006 and apparently Ruger outsourced their barrels out to a third party vendor and they made the barrels with not so great dimensions. On top of that the barrel profile is so skinny at the muzzle that after the 2nd shot it gets too hot to get a good group. I can't get it threaded for a suppressor or muzzle break for the same reason. I'm very disappointed with the rifle, I've only put 42 rounds through it. The length of pull is also to long for my short ass. I want to get rid of it but I bought a Hornady AP loader to reload ammo for it, it didn't help, still a crappy buy. I like my reloaded but now I never have time to shoot and when I do I just buy ammo for 5.56 and 300BLK. I would get rid of the rifle but I feel bad because it was my first rifle also, I've had a small collection...that I unfortunately lost in a boating accident. 😕
Appreciate honest assessments and good advice!
Lol
I’ve got one- my HK VP9. What a waste. It’s just another polymer framed, Striker fired pistol. That’s it. That’s all it is. It was my first pistol I owned at the time and I thought I wanted it. $750 later, it was mine. No optic mounting on it, cuts are hard to come by, cut slides cost almost as much as a new VP9, mags cost $50 a piece, it’s just a money pit and now it’s the resident dust collector in my safe. That said, it’s never failed on me (except with steel ammo), it’s always reliable and shoots accurately, but it’s nothing special. I prefer shooting my G17.3 much more to the VP9. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it for something else because I subscribe to the “never sell, only buy” idea, but I rarely use it. Waste of money in comparison to what I could’ve gotten in the same subset of guns.
Appears you have too much money and no experience. Usually we start off with cheap and simple then work up to advanced items like a benchrest. I started off with corn bags. Then I made my first benchrest. The problem with some shooters is they rely on the rest to hold the gun steady, so when the rest allows the gun to pivot the shooter has a very hard time adjusting. Items I regret buying: electronic predator call, 454 Casull, a custom unlimited benchrest rifle, and a predator call that I couldn't test(plastic POS). The electronic predator call has a gun-like trigger for on and off, so it is too easy to set off the rifle/pistol while using the call.
Hey Jim, thanks for the great vid. For some people, some of these it’s might be ok!! For others, not so much. Always appreciate the great content. …….now if we only had more Elk here in Ontario…..
Anything by vortex that has to actually hold up. But hey,.got best warranty!
Any cheap rifle that's not a Tikka is lower class BY FAR , so I wish I didn't buy anything besides Tikka or customs.
I've had same pocket rocket stove and titanium pot for over 15 YEARS! Zero issues except bad fuel efficiency. I've had jetboil envy on occasion but haven't bothered.
I regret buying a 6.5-300 wby. I love the gun, bought it for caribou hunting and it’s perfect for it but the problem is that I love shooting it and the barrel life is so short that I can’t just go shoot it so it sits most of the time and I find myself hunting with other guns that I’ve gotten more comfortable shooting because I can spend the time with them.
Nikon’s arrowID 7000 VR rangefinder has an image stabilization feature that has made ranging smaller and/or moving targets so much more reliable…easily the most underrated feature in the whole rangefinder market
It’s discontinued? what a bummer
@@DJ-kg6zq oh I didn’t realize…I bet you can still find them around, well worth snagging if so, or you could wait til Nikon drops another “VR model”…I can only hope/assume the vibration reduction feature will carry over to newer versions
I regret buying my BOG death grip tripod. I sold that for $150. I don’t use my ESEE 6” knife. I love it and it’s wicked sharp but it’s not really useful while hunting. I might use it instead of a hatchet for cutting bone. I bought a GERBER bone saw and it wasn’t any good while field dressing my elk this year. I don’t recommend them.
I agree with the fury. I was disappointed with its clarity and the focus knobs would move way too easily
Axil ear pro rocks! I have Axil StalkR ear pro and it amazing. Blocks out any sound over 80 decibels and amplify your regular hearing by 8X you can literally hear a mouse fart💯
I appreciate your honesty. I was looking at pants in Bass Pro that were almost $300. I'd never spend that much on pants. A guy came by and said he has 3 pairs, their the best pants ever. $300 for pants?!
I bought a Savage Model 110 Apex Hunter XP in 350 Legend it came with the Vortex Crossfire 2 scope, and I paid $675 for it it's a great gun
I bought red head and Magellan in college and it’s been getting the job done
AMEN on the labradar. Not user friendly AT ALL! And I use it a lot and still can’t get used to it.
I love my gs extreme. Actually have some for work and a set on my plate carrier
Love the honest reviews like this
For camo I normally just wear normal type camo cargos from goodwill with a green or mid to dark grey shirt and then toss over a Mossy Oak pattern comforter when I get to my stand or post I find I have pretty good luck with it but I'm also on my rifle pretty much the whole time I'm set in with good firing lanes.....but I don't think you have to spend beaucoup bucks on camo as long as you have something that will break up your form and not stand out against the rest of the environment your in you should be good
You definitely don’t need to spend a fortune on camo. I buy all of my stuff from Dunhams. Masking your scent is more important than camo in my book.
@@pens87668 better not to leave much scent a cold water bath before with no product works great if your just going to be out early morning but 100% agree I can't tell you how many times I've been watching some does in the summer and the wind blows the wrong way never made a sound they still don't see me but they know exactly where I'm at and they're scanning
338win winchester extreme weather. What a lemon. Every day poi shift. No grouping one day next day 1/2 moa. If it cant shoot straight it cant go hunting.
magnetospeed v3 bayonet chronograph, dial in sensitivity and done.
Ever thought about having an online “garage sale” Jim? I’d be happy as a new hunter to try out that pack!
For most of my hunting life, I've just worn jeans and flannels if it was nice out and an orange vest and hat over it. Or I buy Menards insulated bibs and jackets and spray them with scotchgard waterproofing. Ultimate cheap. ;)
Really appreciate your honesty
My worst purchase was a .243 savage axis… it shoots so well but horrible trigger and the bolt is so stiff it barely chamber’s a round after it’s been shot.. I’ll never buy a cheap gun again
Great video man! You confirm a lot of thoughts I have about that topic.
I have a Mauser M18 .270 rifle and I’d love to know your thoughts about it ( I’m new in the game).
Thank you so much and keep up the good work
Did you contact CZ on the trigger issue? I'm positive they would have made it right.
I bought the Axil G2 earpro. They don't fit my ears and won't stay in. I've tried every plug style. Waste of $120.
Hell, You don't need any of that stuff when all you do is step out of your truck and shoot that buck at 350 yards off that tripod you showed us the other day.
Good video. Although I am sorry you don't Care for the Mossberg Patriot. I absolutely love my Patriot in 450 bushmaster. It's an absolute tac driver and with hand loads it is shooting 1/2 inch or less groups at 100 yards.
4:36 "Do you actually need camo?" I have become convinced the answer is "No", or, "It depends on what you mean by 'camo' ". For deer, and most other hunting, you can wear plaid in forest or field colors and be effectively hidden. A black and loden green plaid shirt will disappear among evergreens. The problem is, you may have a long wait to find decent clothes in appropriate plaid.
I agree , The Lab Radar absolutely SUCKED . Fought with that thing all the time.
I think weve all wasted more than a few dollars on products which failed to live up to its marketing.
With this being said, I've always enjoyed the "This vs That" videos which compares a premium marketed product to a lesser expensive option that works equally as well.
Bought an expensive laser rangefinder a few years ago...I hardly ever use it. Lately I do most of my hunting in heavy cover and with a .45-70. A rangefinder is just dead weight in those circumstances.
I like Kuiui for there packs. I have one that I use with my mobile saddle set up with sticks. I always buy the Walmart branded camo. It’s usually shredded by the end of the season. Great bud
@Backfire I'll buy those Fury AB binos off you if you haven't gotten rid of them yet...
I bought a CVA Cascade in 308w for $450, it is such an amazing gun, sold my Tika shortly thereafter. It feels and shoots like an $800 gun, will buy more in different calibers but wish the aftermarket would jump on board with them.
Primos shooting sticks. I regret buying two of them. The single stick and the tripod. Useless for elk hunting. I got some use out of both for pronghorn but my quick release gun sling is better. I'm gonna sell the single stick. I'll keep the tripod primos shooting stick for long range pronghorn and the shooting range. Otherwise too expensive for how much you actually use them.
I tried AXIL and they did not seem to fit in and around my ears well and were uncomfortable. I was going to try Decibullz.
I thought the same thing the first time I tried them. You have to squish the tips before inserting them. After a time or two, they started fitting perfect.
Ya, I got a backpack kinda like yours, what I needed was a simple
Good daypack. So good money wasted !
My first pistol I ever got at age 18 was a Springfield XD in .357 Sig.... nuff said on that one ... 🤦♂️
F paying that much for ear pro. Jesus Christ like $200 to $800 for those is absolutely stupid. I’ll stick to my foam plugs lol.
You don't seem to have any links in the description other than to Established Titles. I would like the spelling of the camo company that you shouted out as being good and reasonable.
Skre
@@backfire thank you!
@Backfire so what are you going to do with the stuff you don't like or will not use? Sell it? Keep it? How cheap will you go if you sell it?
Woo more Backfire!!!!
The first gun I bought myself (I was maybe 16 or so?) was a Mossberg MVP in 5.56. It just seemed really cool. Accuracy was good enough for target shooting, but it jammed at least once per magazine. I eventually traded it for a Mauser and fell in love.
I love my Mossberg Patriot -06 rifle and maverick shotgun.
I bought the patriot some 5 years ago. But it's pretty dang accurate.
Stay the hell away from the Mossberg 535 limited 12 gauge.
That was the first gun to blow up in my face.
You are totally right about the vortex fury and the labradar. Especially the LabRadar. I had one of the first ones and sent it back because I was sure it had to be broken, I bought accessories, and it has never functioned reliably.
I assume the people that have success with it are shooting either one gun or one type of set up.
But if you’re going back-and-forth between suppressed, unsuppressed, muzzle brake on rifles, it has never been reliable. Huge waste of money.
I was on the fence about buying that. Is it really that bad? I wasn’t really going to use the ballistics but it is a cool feature. I’m hesitant to buy electronic technology because it changes so fast… should I just put the money towards better glass?
@@DJ-kg6zq i’m not sure what to tell you. I know some very high level shooters that use them reliably. The big advantage is that you don’t have anything attached to the gun like a Magnetospeed. I have been experimenting with a Magnetospeed with Wiser mount that mounts to the Picatinny rail. Lab radar would be great if it worked reliably for me. It just hasn’t.