Monday, January 14, 2013

Mathews Creed

I recently made a trip to Scheels, to shoot the new Mathews Creed.  Several local Mathews "experts" explained to me that this was the best bow on the market, because of its new SimPlex cam.   The cam allegedly produces the smoothest drawing solocam bow ever produced.   The Creed certainly looks and feels the part.   It weighs just 3.85 pounds, but still feels relatively stable in the hand, when coupled with a heavier stabilizer.   It has an axle to axle length of 30".    I tested the bow with Beman ICS 400 arrow, with a 100 gr. field point.  When first drawing the bow, I immediately questioned the claim of the smoothest drawing solocam ever.  I felt a bit of a hitch, before hitting full draw.   It wasn't a huge problem, but still noticeable.   The bow had a solid backwall, and with the 80% letoff, I felt like I could hold it all day.   The first shot I noticed the bow wanting to "jump" a little more than I had anticipated.   I was actually shocked with how much vibration it produced.   This could be from the bow not being totally setup, with quality products.   I expressed this to several of the "experts" around me, and they told me that's because I just don't know what a good bow is.   These brand driven people drive me to the point of insanity.   Overall, the Creed seems to be just another rebranded bow Mathews produces year after year.   Coupled with the $999 dollar msrp, and the fact that it doesn't shoot as well as a bows from 4-5 years ago,  I wouldn't suggest this bow to anyone,  except the people who need to show how well off they are at the archery club.   Do yourself a favor when purchasing a bow, and shoot everything and anything you can get your hands on.   Do not let peers tell you to strictly shoot the brand they do.   Find the bow that is right for you, not for your peers.    Good Shooting!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Bushnell 10x42 All-Purpose Binoculars

I purchased a pair of the Bushnell 10x42 all-purpose binos at Cabelas last fall.   These binoculars  use 10x42, nitrogen-purged, BK-7 prism lenses.   They are extremely high quality for the $99.99 price tag.   They feature a long eye relief, which is very nice for eye glass wearers.   These binos are rugged and durable.   I have dropped them out of the truck on several occasions, and after being dusted off, they perform like new.     They are also fairly compact, with a no slip grip, which is good for putting them in an outside pocket on a pack.   These glasses are in no way as clear as the higher end glasses, but they are extremely good for the price.     I would recommend these glasses to anybody, especially for backup glasses.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Tasco 3.0 Digital Game Camera

I purchased this $50 game camera with very limited expectations.   I figured a camera at this price would be nice backup to my more expensive cameras.   Tasco has made a inexpensive product, which actually produces a great images, and doesnt burn through batteries.   It is a fairly small camera, with a 50ft flash range, and a moderately fast trigger speed.  It uses 4 c-cell batteries, and they lasted me an entire scouting season.   The tree mounting strap included with the product is the biggest set back.   It is garbage.   Use your own strap to rig this up, and you will be way better off.   The camera is definitely a great camera for someone just getting in to the trail camera market, or for a landowner looking to get multiple cameras out.   Do yourself a favor and don't overlook this camera, because it is "cheap."   It is worth the minor investment.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Remington Edge 500

I recieved the Remington Edge 500 Rangefinder as a Christmas present.   It features a 6x24 lense that is  suprisingly clear.  It ranges out to 500 yards, and can be set to display both meters and yards.  The T3 angle compensation seems to work very well.   The scanning mode is hit or miss.   Sometimes it will scan no problem, and other times it will only range the initial object.  It is very lightweight and compact which is very handy, easily going in to a shirt pocket.    At longer ranges, you need to be very steady in order to get a reading, which can be quite the pain.   However, within 200 yards or so it performs flawlessly.  With a price tag of $160, I would say this rangefinder is everything you need, at a price that won't require to also trade your arm.   I definitely recommend this rangefinder to whitetail hunters.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Big Buck Classic

I attended the Big Buck Classic at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Ne yesterday.   The show overall is a very entertaining.   The booths are setup, in a way, that a person has to move up and down like aisles of a supermarket.   This setup causes some congestion, because people decide the need to walk the wrong way down the aisle.    I visited the Hunting Lease Network booth, and both gentleman there were very helpful with a wealth of knowledge.  The website for the Hunting Lease network is, www.nationalhuntingleases.com/,   check this out if you are interested in finding a nice piece of property in over 20 states.   Wasp archery was another booth, that intrigued me with a display on their table that showed how durable their broadheads were.  This display had several Wasp tipped arrows blown through several sheets of aluminum plates, and remained intact.   Very Impressive!   The gentleman there were very friendly and professional.   Look into the new z-force mechanical, looks very menacing! www.wasparchery.com    Triple T Hunt, out of Lynch, Nebraska  had a modest booth, but offers some of the best valued pheasant, deer, and turkey hunts out there.   Tom Allen, co-owner, of the company is very pleasant to deal with, and will go above and beyond to make sure you have a great hunt.   The website for them is www.triplethunt.com,   look into what they have to offer.   You will not be disappointed. 
Make sure you get yourself out to the show next year and support some of the local guys, even if beers are seven dollars!