Inside Out Outdoors

As I've stated in previous posts, I own a Browning BPS that I use specifically for deer hunting.  Although I love the feel and function of this gun overall, the trigger is one aspect that leaves something to be desired!  My other white-tail firearm that I use is a CVA Accura that has a very good trigger, with a pull around 2 lbs I believe; it's a very light trigger!  From what I have read, the BPS has a trigger pull that approaches the weight of the gun, coming in somewhere between 6-7 lbs. 

This heavy trigger gives me some trouble and I'd prefer a lighter one.  I've done some looking and I've heard a lot of good things about Precision Sports, so I contacted them and they replied with the following:

"If you send us the trigger assembly, with a tag on it with your name address and phone, along with a check for $70 which will cover return shipping we can get to it as soon as possible."

This is another upgrade I plan to make to the BPS in the off season.  For the cost, I find that having a trigger around 4lbs or less would be much better shooting than the heavier trigger that came stock with the gun.  I'm going to try and get a trigger pull gauge and do a before and after and as well as write a review of the work they do. Also I'll try to get a few photos of how to get the trigger assembly out if anyone is interested in this on a BPS. I'm looking forward to getting this work done and getting the BPS out to the range and putting some rounds through it with the new trigger!

Has anyone had any work done by Precision Sports in the past?  I'd like to hear any stories you have about the work you've had done.

-Paul Nicolucci

_I own a Browning BPS 12 ga that has the Mossy Oak Dura Touch coating on it.  I've owned this gun for 2-3 years now and recently this coating has started to come off near the end of the barrel.  I've attributed this to the fact that this is where the barrel comes in contact with the powder solvents that I used to clean the inside of the barrel.  In turn, now the coating is flaking and peeling.  I've searched the internet and have found that many folks have faced the same problem, so it seems that this coating does not hold up very well to some of today's strong solvents.  I've done my research and I've found an alternative that promises to hold up to harsh solvents:  Camo Solutions!  Camo Solutions offers multiple patterns and test their coating with the following solvents:

• Gum Out carburetor cleaner (aerosol)
• Brake-Kleen (aerosol)
• PB Blaster (aerosol)
• Gunk Engine Degreaser (aerosol)
• Birchwood Casey’s Gun Scrubber (aerosol)
• Remington Shotgun cleaner (aerosol)
• Lube Job (aerosol)
• Shooters Choice Copper Remover

When I contacted the company and asked them for some additional information, they gave me the following:

"The materials that we use are 2 stage high performance coatings that are very expensive and have extreme adhesion to the surfaces that we apply. Every surface will have its own primer we evaluate the parts being coated with the appropriate primer. 

Our clear flat finish coating is made for our shop “only” and no one else has access to this clear flat product which has an extreme resistance to the harshest bore solvents, gun cleaners and scrubbers on the market, it’s even resistant to ”Gum-Out Carburetor Cleaner” and “Brake Kleen”.  

Most processors will use what they call water transfer printing coatings, we have tried these but we are not satisfied with the durability of the product, they are not resistant to the harsh solvents and gun cleaners. They use a universal primer and we feel that no one primer can maintain the adhesion to all surfaces."

A link to their pricing can be found here.  I'm planning to ship my barrel out at the start of the New Year and I'll report back on how it looks and holds up!  I'll then give you my recommendation as to what I think about it.  From the research that I've done, this seems to be a very good solution to the problems that are faced with the Dura Touch coating on the Browning and Winchester firearms.

We would like to hear if anyone has tried Camo Solutions as well if you have faced the same problems with your Dura Touch coatings, so drop us a line via email or leave a comment for all to read!


-Paul Nicolucci

Even a cramped storage closet and bad lighting couldn't stop me from getting the second part of my scent control video blog series out to you guys.  I pretty much covered everything I do when it comes to clothing and equipment and hope that it gives some new ideas and tips to everyone.  Watch it and leave a comment, you know you want to!

-C.B.

Just wanted to share what $25 in PVC pipe, plastic electrical conduit boxes, rubber cement and a can of flat black spray paint will allow you to make (Special thanks to Cheesycam for inspiring me to create my own stuff!)  As you can see, the smaller mount I made is for my Go Pro and will allow me to get some low angle shots not only for video but also an interesting view for any time lapses I try to do.  To make it was simple (All of this was 1/2"):  3 PVC electrical conduit 45-degree bends and a tee PVC electrical conduit box.  I also grabbed 3 end pieces to put in the ends of the 45-degree bends to help level them out.  The key to this is I didn't rubber cement anything together, meaning I can take it apart and have it not take up much space in my pack.  Quick note:  I am hoping when I make a small slider for the Go Pro that I can just figure out a way to use this mount on the rails, which will help me save some time and a little money (the gears have been turning in my mind the past few days about this!).

The second mount is a shoulder rig for our current main cam, a Canon HFS20.  I finally got the quick adapter I ordered in the mail this past Friday and put it on the rig; it is going to make switching the camera from my tripod to tree arm to this shoulder support very easy and time-saving.  This support was just as easy to make as the Go Pro one, using 3/4" PVC pipe pieces and a L-shaped PVC electrical conduit box.  The list of fittings used for it is as follows:  1 tee, 3 45-degree couplings, 2 90-degree couplings and 2 caps.  I also grabbed a 5-foot long piece of 3/4" PVC pipe since I didn't have any laying around.  I did cement some things together to help with stability, but I can still take it apart and pack it up.  I probably won't carry this with me every time we go in the woods, instead using my tripod as a shoulder support for some footage, but if we come back to the truck before getting our game out, it will definitely be used for recovery shots and what not.  Plus it gives me a another way to get some interesting shots.  Hopefully that gives some of you photographers and video guys (and gals) out there some DIY ideas to try out.  If you've got any projects you've completed and want to share with us, post them up in the comments.  And since it is the beginning of August, this blog entry is one of those that kicks off our monthly comment contest, meaning you have no reason not to leave us your opinion or drop a bit of knowledge!

-C.B.

So just wanted to post two quick reviews of the camera gear I ordered and finally got in the mail (of course both pieces of equipment had to come in while I was working in Mississippi these past two weeks!).

First up is my Vanguard Alta+ 263 AT tripod.  I chose this tripod because of the price ($110 new on Amazon), reviews and specs.  It met the requirements I was looking for in a tripod, from everything like in the field photography and videography to "studo" interviews.  It's light enough to throw over my shoulder and carry back in the woods without too much fatigue setting in while also being sturdy enough to not shift when panning the camera, though the first leg setting isn't the best for this (need the middle leg setting for the best stability it seems).  All that being said, let me list out some of the specs (you can find more after following the link above):

Weight: 3.31 lbs
Leg Sections: 3
Material: Aluminum
Leg Lock Style:  Flip Lock
Feet:  Rubber with retractable spikes
Leg angles: 3 (25 degrees, 50 degrees, 80 degrees)
Extended Height: 60 1/4 inches
Folded Height: 22 5/8 inches
Max Load: 11 lbs
Features:  Hook to hang bag/counterweight, padded leg wraps, rubber shock mount to protect equipment if center column slams down, carrying case

Now we have the one item I wanted last year that I just never got:  A LANC remote.  I won a Varizoom VZ-Rock for a steal of a deal on ebay ($62 lightly used; these are $250 brand new!) and am very pleased so far with it after a little testing.  The side-to-side rocker for the zoom control is smooth and very controllable while the focus rocker works decent too;  I am just going to have to get used to it in order to get smooth focuses though.  The only complaint I have with this remote is that the button to turn on/off the data on the LCD screen doesn't seem to work.  No big deal though since I am used to all of that being up there anyway, plus for $62, who can complain about that?  If I really wanted to get it fixed, I could send if off to Varizoom and they would fix it for $70, which would still put me over $100 less than a new one.  All in all, it does the job intended and is a great addition to our video arsenal this year!

All that is left for me to get are a Zoom H1 for the Go Pro (audio is the key ingredient to good video and the Go Pro's on-board mic is seriously lacking), a set of wireless mics (a big investment and might not happen this year) and Beachtek adapter, and finally a light for those early morning/late evening "camp" shots as well as nighttime recovery.  Got an opinion on the items I touched on in this entry?  If so, let your voice be heard and leave a comment!

-C.B.

In my honest opinion, a good flashlight is one of the most important pieces of equipment any hunter (or outdoorsman) can invest in.  Every hunter knows you need a reliable firearm, matched ammunition and good comfortable clothing; however one of the most over looked pieces of equipment is the flashlight. 

I have to admit I was in this same category for quite awhile.  Last year while I was bow hunting with Cory and our friend Chris, I shot a doe about an hour before dark.  We heard the doe go down out of sight; however by the time we got the climbers off of the trees, found the arrow and packed all of our gear up, it was already pitch black out.  We found a blood trail and started to track the downed deer.  As the blood trail became scarce I found myself on my hands and knees in areas trying to find the next spot of blood.  This difficulty was due to the lack of a good flashlight.  The lights we were carrying were not bright enough to make the tracking easy.

Once we had admitted defeat we got Chris and headed back to the trucks (a solid mile away) with our gear so we could fetch a brighter light.  We walked back to the area we thought the deer had gone down in and started to scan with our light and we found her quite quickly.  Let me pause for a quick tip:  When looking for a downed deer in the dark, scan with your light from left to right slowly and look for the white under belly and the glow of the eyes from the light.  This trick has saved me more than once!

After that trip I decided I needed to spend the money on a good flashlight so this would not happen to me again.  Over the past couple of years the technology of flashlights has advanced immensely.  The market is flooded with terminology such as LED (Light Emitting Diode), which can make the average outdoorsman cringe with tech lingo.  Some of the things to look for when shopping for a solid light are as follows:

1) Multiple brightness settings, a low and a high will be fine for most people.

2) I prefer a light that runs on regular AA or AAA batteries as these are usually less expensive than other batteries and you can use a rechargeable battery as well as they are easy to find at any store!

3) I would recommend an LED light that has an output of at least 100 lumens.  I purchased a Browning Hi Power light that can be found here for about $75.  In my opinion, the brighter the better!

The Browning light I purchased runs on two AA batteries, is 145 lumens (measure of brightness) and reaches out to about 150 yards.  It is also compact enough to fit in a cargo pocket and does not weight a ton!  With my new light it makes getting to a stand in the morning much easier not to mention tracking and finding downed game!

So if you are looking for your next hunting investment, think about making it a good quality flashlight.

-Paul Nicolucci

So I wanted to write a review on the Mundial 5-inch Boning Knife that I recently purchased.  I bought this knife from Bass Pro about two months ago and have used it multiple times since.  I recently put on a North Carolina Pig Pickin' and used this knife to carve up the pig.  For the price of about $11 you really can't beat this product! 

Pros:
- The blade is made of a high carbon stainless steel.  This has two benefits:
    1) The high carbon steel holds an edge longer.
    2) The stainless portion of the mix keeps the knife from rusting.
- Handle is sturdy
- Blade holds a great edge!  I carved an entire 134 pound pig without sharpening.

Cons:
- A couple more inches in blade length would be nice for larger jobs, not really a Con since you can buy larger boning knives but worth mentioning that the 5-inch blade won't be the right choice for larger game.  However, average size deer, etc would be a good fit!

If you do your own butchering or are just looking for a good knife for kitchen butchering then this is a good buy.  We all need a few good knives and this one won't break the budget!

-Paul Nicolucci