Best Budget Gear

[davecollins1992]

Hi,

I'm planning on making the next year full of stalking, shooting and fishing having it done it a while now and wanted to fit as much as possible into a year. Instead of the usual once every now and again!

What are some of the best gear you've had on a budget that lasts and performs, I'm thinking clothing, optics, equipment etc?

Ive put on a couple of stone with the intention of loosing it and most my clothing doesn't fit any more

 

[FISH BOY]

Would keep an eye on the classifieds.

Other option is to scour the sales at Sportsman, Uttings, John Norris etc for a clothing deal. Most of the stuff however just seems to be ridiculously small or the other end of the spectrum.

Not much off the current regular sized stuff - even the semi budget stuff like Deerhunter or Seeland seems to have gone up considerably in price.

Harkila pricing is eye watering now - saw the new Pro hunter jacket for over £700 the other day - bonkers.

Optics - plenty of deals about. Mid range cost wise - Meopta punch way above their price tag.

 

[VSS]

Decathlon solognac trousers.
Haix milsurp boots.
Milsurp pure wool jumpers.
Belgian army milsurp ripstop cotton shirts. (Simply the best shirts I've ever found anywhere).
Cheap bodywarmer from The Factory Shop.
Homemade quadsticks.
Canvas rucksack from a market stall.
2nd hand Leupold scope.
Tilley hat. (Expensive, but buy once, replaced under warranty if wears out).
Darn Tough socks. (As above).
Parker-Hale rifles.

 

[Mungo]

Decathlon is really hard to beat for value that stands up well enough.

 

[ikapdunn]

Decathlon solognac trousers.
Haix milsurp boots.
Milsurp pure wool jumpers.
Belgian army milsurp ripstop cotton shirts. (Simply the best shirts I've ever found anywhere).
Cheap bodywarmer from The Factory Shop.
Homemade quadsticks.
Canvas rucksack from a market stall.
2nd hand Leupold scope.
Tilley hat. (Expensive, but buy once, replaced under warranty if wears out).
Darn Tough socks. (As above).
Parker-Hale rifles.

Have you a link to the Belgian shirt you mention?

 

[VSS]

Have you a link to the Belgian shirt you mention?

I'll have a look in the morning to see if I can find one.

 

[ikapdunn]

I'll have a look in the morning to see if I can find one.

Thanks

 

[User00040]

1. Bushwear Quad Sticks (need to be re-enforced abd used to be much cheaper), still a good option.

2. Mora Classic knives, although folk don't know how to pick the correct model.

3. Remington 700/Model Seven rifles from the 1980's till early 2000's. Litearlly £100 for standard models and £300-500 for fancy ones, avoid anything with 'RR' serial

4. End of line Harkila trousers, not newest models!

5. Bushnell Elite 4500/6500/Elite Tactical scopes

 

[Bo Diddley]

Hi,

I'm planning on making the next year full of stalking, shooting and fishing having it done it a while now and wanted to fit as much as possible into a year. Instead of the usual once every now and again!

What are some of the best gear you've had on a budget that lasts and performs, I'm thinking clothing, optics, equipment etc?

Ive put on a couple of stone with the intention of loosing it and most my clothing doesn't fit any more

If you need new gear look on Vinted for stuff, don't get caught up in the must-have named brands, they don't get any more beasts on the deck or any more fish in the bottom of the net.
Good clothing and equipment have never been better value in the 2nd hand market, loads of folk are selling off surplus/unwanted stuff.
Get out there and live the dream.

Ps, my brother makes me laugh, although he is only stalking in Norfolk his usual attire is a pair of jogging bottoms, his work boots, and a camo smock that was passed to him from a mate who was being kind, I think the smock is branded, he kills plenty of deer with his 35-year-old Remmy 700.... the deer don't seem to mind.

 

[Muntybuck5803]

1. Bushwear Quad Sticks (need to be re-enforced abd used to be much cheaper), still a good option.

2. Mora Classic knives, although folk don't know how to pick the correct model.

3. Remington 700/Model Seven rifles from the 1980's till early 2000's. Litearlly £100 for standard models and £300-500 for fancy ones, avoid anything with 'RR' serial

4. End of line Harkila trousers, not newest models!

5. Bushnell Elite 4500/6500/Elite Tactical scopes

I agree with @caberslash Bushnell LRHS/LRTS are very good scopes for the money. I now have two and would buy another. Can be seen on here for around £300-400

 

[User00040]

I agree with @caberslash Bushnell LRHS/LRTS are very good scopes for the money. I now have two and would buy another. Can be seen on here for around £300-400

Everything you have bought off me is a bloody bargain, more like robbery!

 

[VSS]

Have you a link to the Belgian shirt you mention?

Sorry, I can't find a link to the exact same ones. It was a few years ago I bought them. Glad now that I ordered an extra half-dozen when I realised how good they were
They're the only shirts I wear these days (apart from the one smart one that I keep for weddings and funerals).

 

[Dave31]

Sorry, I can't find a link to the exact same ones. It was a few years ago I bought them. Glad now that I ordered an extra half-dozen when I realised how good they were
They're the only shirts I wear these days (apart from the one smart one that I keep for weddings and funerals).

Could you take a photo of what you have? I'm struggling to find them.

 

[NullMac]

MilSurp poncho £20. Wish i had one years ago.Its cheap so you think it is crap. Mistake

Ex military stalker on one of the Cairngorm estates used a pair of b&q joiners breeks with kneepads and the £20 milsurp goretex waterproof trousers with braces things over the top. When the Harkilas wear out that is what will be replacing them. Not sure i need the kneepads, not so much ice but still.

If you must have a rucksack, milsurp bergen. Could get a roe in I suspect but nothing bigger. They have an internal frame so better than the Roe/Sika sacks. Cost varies on condition. I spent £50 and it was in great nick. Sadly I shoot Sika mainly.

Sako 75. £500 lol: see posts elsewhere). Or take a drive to Holts and inspect their vast collection of rifles for something half decent.
Moderator £50 - Holts.
Sling - bit of rope or a bungee.

Reloading gear on here or UKV.
Lee powder scoops.
Lyman mini scales. £50, produces single digit sd's.

Cheap **** not to buy: Lee Dies. Harris bipod knock offs (Chinese metals may not be). Wind indicators (thats what grass is for).

Prices pre GreedFlation.

 

[nun_hunter]

eBay or AliExpress for molle pouches, bags and harnesses. You're not in the SF and in mortal combat so a cheap molle pouch or bino harness will see you through and cost a fraction of the top branded hunting makes. The molle system allows you to move bits around, find what works for you and is cheap to replace and if you do find an expensive branded system that works basrles off you previous testing then you know it's worth it.

 

[ikapdunn]

Sorry, I can't find a link to the exact same ones. It was a few years ago I bought them. Glad now that I ordered an extra half-dozen when I realised how good they were
They're the only shirts I wear these days (apart from the one smart one that I keep for weddings and funerals).

Thanks for looking nonetheless!

 

[VSS]

Could you take a photo of what you have? I'm struggling to find them.

Here you go.
I have some in khaki, some in olive green, and a few blue ones.
100% cotton. Ripstop weave.
Really comfy and hard-wearing.
The sizing is all to pot, though. They must have giants in the Belgian army! I had to send the first ones I ordered back, and drop down a size or two.
Several different sellers had them. One had them incorrectly listed as polyester, but they are cotton.
Prices varied from about £17 up to £24, depending on colour.

(Sorry my bedroom floor is not very photogenic, but that's where they live when I'm not wearing them ).

 

[stevec]

I was going to say a Svord drop point hunter knife, although I have just looked them up and they are sadly no longer a budget item, at least not in the UK.

I still like mine a lot though

 

[LarryLightFoot]

FleaBay for secondhand smocks or trousers etc, their only going to get trashed in the field also for army surplus gear, thermals, ecw socks boots etc .
Haix ECW Gortex Boots £85 new save yourself thick end of £300 rather than some of the brands .
Classifieds on here for a lot of things, rifles scopes the lot .
Mora knife cheap and does the job .

 

[Mossypaw]

Opinel knives and old Speer flat based bullets.