Rate your kit

[Wingy]

Having seen threads about a particular product not doing what it should or failing in some way. With so much kit on the market to part us all with our hard earned cash I thought it may be a good idea to spread the word about some kit you have that is particularly good or bad. A brief description, why you find it good/bad, cost & where it can be obtained from would be helpful.

1) 9 pocket bum bag from target sports £15.00 it sits easily around the waist, carries everything from knives, torch, compact camera, paper towel, drag rope, spare ammunition, rubber gloves, spare batteries, phone, marker tape, plastic bags & hand cleaning gel. Or what ever you decide is required.

2) guardian adventure light, about £18.00 from Amazon or USMC pro. Clip to dog collar/harness to aid following in the dark or dense cover, ideal to leave at point of shot if deer runs off at dusk, while you go to fetch a dog. Use 2x CR2032 batteries, mega bright and robust I've had 2 now for 4 years no issues (batteries have been replaced)
Wingy

 

[Eyefor]

"Cost" is (to me) a relative thing and I am a great believer in "the quality will be remembered long after the cost is forgotten".

Not intending to get into a willy waggling competition but the following bit of kits are, in my opinion, rated somewhere between excellent and superb

Swaro scopes (8 x 56 and 6-18 x 50)
Sako 75 22-250 stainless synthetic
Savage stainless synthetic 7mm-08
AYA No2 (1974)
Musto CS313 goretex jacket and trousers
Drizabone (sp?) stockman hat
RCBS Chargemaster
EKA swingblade and Buck folder.
RCBS Rockchucker
Wilson case trimmer
Forster dies.

 

[BenC]

Deer dogs
Harkila prohunter gear
Alan Wood knives
Nightforce scopes
AIM drag bags
Croots rifle slips
Dave Sretton breast bone saw

Other things are good but this is the stuff I believe is where you really get what you pay for or is real value for money.

 

[1967spud.com]

Wilson trimmer and km neck turner both top bits of kit but best of all the sako 75

 

[Roedinator]

Deer dogs
Harkila prohunter gear
Alan Wood knives
Nightforce scopes
AIM drag bags
Croots rifle slips
Dave Sretton breast bone saw

Other things are good but this is the stuff I believe is where you really get what you pay for or is real value for money.

oh Ben you snob regards pete

 

[re'M'ington]

oh Ben you snob regards pete

He can afford to be Peter.....lol

 

[caorach]

Best value for money bit of kit I have is a mil surplus windproof smock - makes a great stalking jacket, is pretty waterproof with a Nikwax treatment and it only cost a few quid so not hard to replace if I lose out against a barbed wire fence or similar.

Next in line is probably a Crusader stove and cup with a good supply of chafing gel as fuel - you can't beat a good cup of tea and it is miles better than out of a flask.

 

[Roedinator]

Deer dogs
swaro scopes 8 x 56 or 2.5 x 10 x 56
Blaser rifles
Blaser rifle scopes
Blasers rifle slings
Eka swingblades
white plasteres bath
old isuzu trooper faultless
leica rangefinding binos

regards pete .

 

[woodmaster]

I'm glad to see there is no cock fighting going on here What would be really interesting is to see whether with all this (branded) kit which is so superior to the rest has it made much difference to number of deer shot per outing? Or would the advantage be given to the guy who spends less on kit and more on stalking, in so doing has an increased chance of making kills purely by time on the ground against the guy with all the bells and whistles but with less time on the ground. Just a thought.
My Kit:
Sauer 202 classic XT 6.5x55 (good value, well made and should last a life time, barrels replaceable should be needed)
Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16x50 mil dot scope £500 and I'd say 95% as good as the top end stuff, certainly capable of doing the job well into dusk/dawn.
Bushnell elite bins 8x42 Once again 1/3 price of swaro lecia etc, have compared them in the field and really can't see the differance.
Home loaded ammo (This is questionable as I know the ammo shoots better but probably not worth the set up cost over decent factory ammo if only using small amount of ammo, money probably better spent on bins or scope. I like reloading so except the cost)
Leupold range finder (Once again one of those bits of kit that works great but unless out on open land taking shots beyond 150 yds not really required.)
£7.50 mora knife. This is a must have, sharp as a scaple, take a good edge in the field, easy to clean, and if you lost it you wouldn't be crying for days. This has got to be top of the list for value and effectiveness.
Browning jacket (Keeps me warm as toast in the winter, inner removes for the summer) Bought this is Canada. I've never been so comfortable up in a seat or creeping through the wood in the cold than in this jacket, makes the day so much more enjoyable if warm and dry.
Decent boots
A storm kettle for tea break.
That's about it for me and so far I have managed to hit everything my cross hairs land on. I think there may well be an element of beginners luck, but my view as a beginner is have the basics but spend more time working on field craft than trying to fathom out how to work all the gadgets.

 

[bobjs]

My custom built 20 tac,

the rest is just add ons.

bob.

 

[Roedinator]

I'm glad to see there is no cock fighting going on here What would be really interesting is to see whether with all this (branded) kit which is so superior to the rest has it made much difference to number of deer shot per outing? Or would the advantage be given to the guy who spends less on kit and more on stalking, in so doing has an increased chance of making kills purely by time on the ground against the guy with all the bells and whistles but with less time on the ground. Just a thought.
My Kit:
Sauer 202 classic XT 6.5x55
Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16x50 mil dot scope
Bushnell elite bins 8x42
Home loaded ammo
Leupold range finder
£7.50 mora knife
Browning jacket (Keeps me warm as toast in the winter, inner removes for the summer)
Decent boots
A storm kettle for tea break.
That's about it for me and so far I have managed to hit everything my cross hairs land on. I think there may well be an element of beginners luck, but my view as a beginner is have the basics but spend more time working on field craft than trying to fathom out how to work all the gadgets.

WM one thing is for sure in my opinion regardless of kit for proper deer managment you need to spend time on the ground
regards pete .

 

[Roedinator]

My custom built 20 tac,

the rest is just add ons.

bob.

cant argue with that Bob .

when it arrives ill show you mine if you show me yours regards pete .

 

[BenC]

I'm glad to see there is no cock fighting going on here What would be really interesting is to see whether with all this (branded) kit which is so superior to the rest has it made much difference to number of deer shot per outing? Or would the advantage be given to the guy who spends less on kit and more on stalking, in so doing has an increased chance of making kills purely by time on the ground against the guy with all the bells and whistles but with less time on the ground. Just a thought.
My Kit:
Sauer 202 classic XT 6.5x55
Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16x50 mil dot scope
Bushnell elite bins 8x42
Home loaded ammo
Leupold range finder
£7.50 mora knife
Browning jacket (Keeps me warm as toast in the winter, inner removes for the summer)
Decent boots
A storm kettle for tea break.
That's about it for me and so far I have managed to hit everything my cross hairs land on. I think there may well be an element of beginners luck, but my view as a beginner is have the basics but spend more time working on field craft than trying to fathom out how to work all the gadgets.

Haha yes I see what you mean but the OP was asking what kit you find works for you. I would say the number of deer shot per outing has more to do with the quality of the ground you have and how well you know it, having decent kit just makes the job easier/more comfortable either side of the stalking and you don't have to keep replacing it because it doesn't break. The things that will help put deer on the ground more than the rest of the kit is quality optics which extend your shooting time and a decent dog that will indicate deer you may not otherwise have noticed, also a huge help in finding deer on dusk e.g. when they drop like a stone and you've mis-marked them by a few metres in long grass or they run on a bit. Once you've used top end optics I'd be surprised if you'd go back. Pete you forgot to put your Blaser hat, socks and boxers on the list, sure I remember you telling me how much they improve your success rate

 

[Mungo]

Tesco ziploc freezer bags.
Petzl headtorches.
Neoprene lined wellies (any brand).
MSR Pocket Rocket burner.
Army surplus combat smocks.
Leatherman multi tool.

All superb, and useful for both stalking and just about any other outdoor activity.

 

[Acm]

Well I'll add to the list :
s+b 8x56 scope - incredible quality
edgar brothers 8x56 - less than 1/5th of the price of the s and b and I'd say 4/5ths of the quality .
minox 10x42 - again great for the money .
tikka m595 .308 , I get on very well with it .
Ridgeline torrent jacket - I don't know how it works so well but it does .
Mora 711 hunter - very good for 7 qquid
gerber freeman - very very good for gutting roe . Very good steel
karresuando knives - these are like scalpels , and are made beautifully poor mans fallkniven !

 

[tusker]

CZ 550 American in 30-06
Boker knife
Lakson jacket
Lakson trousers
Bushnell H20 Binno,s
Bushnell Banner scope (3-9x50)
All tried and tested by me over many years and given great service.
Tusker

 

[Acm]

CZ 550 American in 30-06
Boker knife
Lakson jacket
Lakson trousers
Bushnell H20 Binno,s
Bushnell Banner scope (3-9x50)
All tried and tested by me over many years and given great service.
Tusker

I really like the bushnell bins too , but at the time my gunshop had minox on sale , but I use a bushnell banner on my cz .17 hmr which is really good for a working scope . Nice durable finish and a good lambing rifle combo .

 

[Shabz]

Anybody who ever leaves a city should carry one of these on their keys. I've had one for a couple of years and its amazing. I'll be buying a new one to keep and eventually replace this one

ITP A3 EOS LED Keyring Torch | Flashaholics.co.uk

 

[stig]

£15: Snugpak Response Pack bumbag - fits all the essentials in without stuffing pockets
£6: Realtree mesh gloves (off the Bay) - perfect for spring through autumn
£5: Nylon rock climbing sling (10mm x 116mm) - ideal for in-the-field suspended grallochs and machine washable
£55: EKA swingblade
£130: Minox 8x42 bins
£180: Aigle Parcours Prestige wellies

The other stuff, Tikka T3, Fed Power Shok, Zeiss scope etc. all great, but the stuff above stands out for me

 

[Bigboab29]

£15 Jack Pyke skip hat and face mask - really helps
£2 Avon skin so soft - a summer must!
£35 bucklite max - holds a great edge
£350s/h minox 8.5x43 hg - amazing in the low light
£25 bushwear double stick - good value and easily deployed
£20 mini maglite led - trusty torch wont let you down
£2 spare batteries for your torch - dont get caught out