Time for another off-topic post! I’m writing this because there’s not a lot of good information on this vehicle. I needed a vehicle to replace my well loved but aging and rusting, 2003 Dodge Caravan. Why import a right hand drive JDM to Canada? Because the used car market is pants-on-head retarded right now and I’m a cheapskate. JDMs over 15 years old can be imported into Canada. You can’t really find older RAV4’s (the Vanguard is pretty much a Rav4) with similar mileage on them, so it can be a bit hard to compare apples to apples but $13k gets you a RAV4 with ~200k kms on it or a sketchy rebu ..read more

The Savage Model 99 is a lever action rifle made in the US. As the name implies, the design originates from 1899 and from the serial number range, this particular rifle is in 303 Savage and was made in either 1900 or 1901, so pretty early into the rifle’s 98 years of production. Savage 99 Specifications & Features Around 7 lbs in weight (this one was 6.94lbs) 5 round rotary magazine + 1 in the chamber Round counter on the side (some models don’t have this) Cocking indicator 20-26″ barrel Hammerless design Using the Savage 99 Functionality is well thought out on the Savage 99. The interna ..read more

Most hunters take big game at 25-125M. What do you need to do if you want to shoot further than that? Spitting distance: 0-125M For the typical distance that most hunters take big game, you don’t need much. Rifle: most any centerfire rifle will work. A scope is not required but will make shot placement a bit easier at around 100. Cartridge: even lower power cartridges like 30-30 or 7.62×39 are fine for deer or elk but you might want a heavier bullet for Elk. Skills: Basic marksmanship will do. If you have a good rest, ANY hunter can make a shot at this distance Short range: 100-300M Rifle: At ..read more

The Lockhart Tactical Raven is a rifle platform designed and made in Canada. It comes in 9mm, 5.56, and 308 sizes. Unlike 180’s like the WK180C or the WS-MCR, the Raven uses a gas tube instead of a piston. Whole rifles are around $2000, while builders kits can be had for $1300-1500. The rifle shown in this review is on loan for review from Gustavo Honzofo. Specifications: As this comes in a builder’s kit and has such compatibility with common parts I’ll be comparing this rifle as a modular builders kit. Note that there are some differences between the 9mm, 556, and 308 versions. I’ll show the ..read more

I’m going to update this post with interesting news that comes up during Shot Show 2024. S&W is releasing the Model 1854: a lever action rifle in 44 magnum. It has mlock slots on the forend, is in matte stainless, removable magazine tube thing at the end, and MSRP of $1279 N/A for Canada since we can’t buy handguns at the moment, but Daniel Defense is bringing back the Hudson H9 pistol. MSRP of $1299. The post Shot Show 2024 Running Summary appeared first on The Hunting Gear Guy ..read more

The Cabela’s Covenant 4 (sometimes called a Covenant Tactical) is an inexpensive white labelled scope sold by Cabela’s. I have both a 4-16×44 FFP and a 4-16×44 SFP. I’ve also reviewed the Covenant 7 and Cabela’s Intensity LR scopes. The second focal plane model is just a bit more compact in length. Covenant 4 Scope Specifications 4-16×44 or 6-24×60 30mm tube “Christmas tree reticle” with lots of holdovers in MOA. FFP (First Focal Plane) or SFP (Second Focal Plane) Side parallax adjustment Target turrets for elevation and windage (ie: not capped, accessible at all times) Mine had 73 MOA of el ..read more

Cabela’s Intensity LR is a white labelled scope from Cabela’s that comes in 4-16×44. I’ve previously owned the Covenant 4, 5, and 7, is this one any good? Cabela’s Intensity LR Specifications & Features 4-16×44 Sold in SFP (second focal plane, as pictured) or FFP (first focal plane) Illuminated reticle or not (this one’s not) Side parallax adjustment 30mm tube Zero-stop elevation turret 25 MOA per rotation elevation turret 3.6″ eye relief Fairly simple reticle with some wind holds (max 6 moa windage holds) So, this thing’s claim to fame is the elevation turret: it does a lot per rotation ..read more

The Savage Model 334 is a Turkish-made, bolt action hunting rifle. In fact, it’s a rebadged ATA Turkua. It’s priced basically the same as their Savage Axis but is it any good? To both cut to the chase AND break Betteridge’s law, it is good and it’s my new #1 recommendation for a value-priced hunting rifle. Note: this is a review in progress, published early so I can share findings early. This message will be deleted once it’s complete. Savage 334 Features & Specifications Available in .243, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Winchester 20 or 22″ barrel Black synthetic or Turkish Walnut stock 3 round ..read more

I don’t typically review knives because I’m not going to go through the effort of scientific sharpness and durability testing (check out Project Farm on YouTube for that kind of stuff) but I picked up this Gerber Air Ranger and have been using it daily for about a month. How about a review in bullet points? Aluminum handle that’s lightweight but not as light as my similarly sized knives with G10 handles I like the handle texture/grip The nub for the liner lock is quite small but it’s got a satisfying click when it closes The clip is too tight from the factory. I’d prefer more angle to catch m ..read more

2023 was a busy year for me. 2023 by the numbers Brewed 600 bottles of homemade wine Co-hosted ~50 episodes of Slam Fire Radio. We reached 31k people on Facebook We had 24k views on YouTube Cumulatively, we’ve had 413k plays of the podcast via iTunes, though most months are only 4000-5000 plays. Published 35 videos on YouTube for HuntingGearGuy. My videos were watched 1.5 million times in 2023 Wrote 28 articles for this website. My articles were read by 770k people in 2023 Helped put on 15 Mapleseeds across Alberta Attended 13 shooting matches, including 2 major 3gun matches (CHAS Battle o ..read more