How to Optimize Your Hunting Gear
Hunting has been the favorite pastime of people since time immemorial. It is a challenging and thrilling activity that requires the participants to have some skills in order to make the most of it. But even if it isn’t about catching prey, it still is a great way of spending some time in nature.
And to make it even more enjoyable and successful, you probably want to have the best hunting equipment possible. After all, you want to avoid being in a situation where your target escapes because of some malfunction or inferior quality of your gear.
Surprisingly enough, it isn’t always about getting top-of-the-line hardware. In fact, most of the time, it’s about making some small tweaks in order to make your hunting gear work better for you. Here are a few tips on how to do it:
Clean Your Rifle’s Barrel Regularly
One of the most important things you can do for your hunting rifle is to keep its barrel clean. This will not only improve the accuracy of your shots but also extend the lifespan of your weapon. Ideally, you should clean it after every hunting session but if that’s not possible, make sure to do it at least once a month.
To clean the barrel, start by removing all the dirt and debris from the outside. Then, disassemble your rifle and use a cleaning rod to push a patch soaked in solvent through the barrel. Repeat this process a few times until the patch comes out clean.
Once you’re done with that, push a dry patch through the barrel and then apply a thin layer of oil to the inside. This will protect the metal from rusting. While at it, you should also check the trigger mechanism and clean it if necessary.
Match the Right Accessories
When preparing your perfect hunting set, you must ensure that all the accessories you use are a good match for your firearm. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the best scope for 6.5 Creedmoor won’t work on a .308 rifle, but you have to make sure that it’s properly mounted and that the eye relief is right.
The same goes for other elements of your outfit. For instance, if you’re using a sling to carry your rifle, ensure that it’s properly adjusted and won’t slip off your shoulder during the hunt – a padded one is always a good idea.
Stating the obvious, it’s important to note that every piece of your hunting gear adds to your overall weight. Take a look at your bag and see if there’s anything you can leave at home or find a lightweight alternative for.
Sharpen Your Knife
Your knife is the second most crucial part of your gear next to your firearm. If you’re out in the woods and suddenly realize that your blade is too dull to get past some bushes, you’re in for a lot of trouble. You can, of course, try to sharpen it on the go, but that’s not exactly convenient or practical.
Some hunting tutorials suggest that you should sharpen your knife regularly, but the truth is that you shouldn’t do it too often. Otherwise, you’ll just wear out the blade and make it useless. Ideally, you should only sharpen it when the edge starts to feel dull or if there’s a noticeable change in the shape of the blade.
Protect Your Eyesight While Hunting at Night
You probably have some protective sunglasses to use during the day. But what about when you’re hunting at night? This is when your eyesight can really be affected by the lack of light, and even a simple yellow or orange lens can increase the contrast between the target and the surrounding environment.
Furthermore, polarized glasses with blue light filter can further reduce the glare from moonlight – while you don’t typically stare directly at the moon, it can still impact your vision if there’s a lot of light reflecting off water or other surfaces, and cheap glasses can only make it worse.
Wear the Right Clothes for Cold Weather
When it comes to hunting performance, your suit is just as important as the equipment you’re carrying. In fact, comfortable, breathable, weather-appropriate, and properly fitting clothes are often the key to a successful hunt in cold weather.
Think about how inconvenient it is to use your rifle in a thick coat. It’s hard to move your arms, you get too sweaty, and the coat makes it difficult to aim. A soft shell paired with some good layers is always a better choice.
Know Your Gear
This may sound trivial, but you’d be surprised how many hunters don’t know how to properly use their gear – especially since modern equipment comes with many more adjustment options than just the range or the scope.
The standard procedure for you should be to go through the manuals and complementary materials that came with your gear. If you feel like you need clarification on how something works, don’t hesitate to ask a professional or a more experienced hunter for advice.
Make Necessary Upgrades
Proper maintenance is only a part of the story. At some point, you’ll need to make upgrades in order to maximize your hunting performance – and your rifle is the best place to start. Considering how modular most rifles are these days, the third-party market for upgrades is huge.
If you want, you can go as far as to replace every single bit of your firearm. But the more reasonable thing to do is upgrade the parts that actually need it – such as:
Stock
There is something in the design of classic wooden stocks, like those used on old lever action rifles, that makes them look awesome. Unfortunately, they aren’t the most ergonomic, practical, or durable. This is why a lot of hunters decide to upgrade them and get something with more personalization options, as mentioned above.
Optics
You sure can use the stock iron sights, but why not upgrade them to something with a higher magnification power? Most of the time, it’s just about getting a better scope for your rifle, but you can also install night vision or thermal sights if you’re planning to hunt at night – although they may cost a lot more.
Muzzle Brake or Compensator
Larger caliber rifles often come with a lot of recoil, which can be difficult for inexperienced shooters. You can always learn how to counter the recoil, but if you want a more practical solution, consider installing a muzzle brake or a compensator.
Note that although there are no federal laws against them, some states prohibit the use of muzzle brakes or compensators on semi-automatic rifles or pistols. Make sure to check your local regulations before buying one.
Trigger
The trigger mechanism is often overlooked when it comes to weapon upgrades since modern rifles usually come with decent triggers.
However, if you’re using an old model or a more specialized firearm, it might be worth looking for aftermarket options that would allow you to minimize the trigger pull weight and shorten the reset.
Ammunition
Lastly, the ammo you’re using is also crucial to your hunting performance – it should be appropriate for the game you want to hunt and the terrain you’re hunting in. For instance, consider using ammo with a high ballistic coefficient if you’re going to shoot from long distances.
Using high-quality ammunition will not only provide you with more power or accuracy but also extend the lifespan of your firearm. Poorly made casings can be dangerous as they may break inside your gun or crease when feeding from the magazine, which may cause jams.
Protect Yourself from Bugs
Mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects can really ruin a hunting session, and they’re also vectors of some nasty diseases. The good news is that there are plenty of options for you to choose from when it comes to insect repellents.
A standard option is a DEET-based spray. It’s affordable and does the job, but it’s also pretty harsh on your skin and clothing. To help you with that, some outdoor clothing brands offer insect-proof underwear and shirts, which may be a more comfortable solution.
While on it, don’t forget about bear spray. Those huge animals tend to get aggressive when surprised, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Bear spray is a great way of keeping them at bay and will also work on other large predators, such as mountain lions or wolves.
Final Thoughts
Once you get into the hunting world, you realize there’s much more to it than just picking up a weapon and going outside. You need the right skills and knowledge but using optimal equipment is just as important.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can maximize your hunting performance by making just a few small tweaks to your setup. The tips above cover some of the essential things you can do to make your hunting more successful.
As for the bigger upgrades, always remember that you don’t need to invest in all of them at once. Instead, think about what you’ll need at the beginning – your wallet will thank you for it. Good luck!
