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ISSUE 10

SIDES ENTRÉES
30
VANTAGE POINT 06 GET SHARP 30
Editor’s Letter Work Sharp’s New Ken Onion Edition
Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2 34
FRESH MEAT 12
New Gear PUSHING THE
BOUNDARY 34
RIDES 16 Springfield’s Newest Hunting Rifle
Toyota Tundra SR5 Put to the Test
CUTLERY 24 ROASTED ROOSTER 44
Japanese Kitchen Knife Basics Go Field to Fire This Opening Day
44
VISTA 106 WILDEBEEST
SUPER SLAM 48
A One-Off Hunt For Every Subspecies 48

Cover Photo by Kenda Lenseigne

BIY 54
Build Your Own Hunting Rifle

SUCCULENT KAROO
SPRINGBOK SLAM 60
FIREARM SAFETY Hunting the Common, Copper, White,
CARNIVORE reminds you to be safe and:
1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded. and Black Springbok
2. Always keep the gun pointed in a 54
safe direction. WILD RABBIT IN
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until ARMAGNAC 68
60
ready to fire. The French Know a Thing or Two
4. Always be aware of your target, and what About Game Dishes. Here’s One You
lies beyond it.
All content in CARNIVORE Magazine is safely
Can Try as an Early Season Opener
and professionally photographed in a closed
studio or range. Do not attempt to recreate
THE ODD COUPLE 74
any photographs depicted in this magazine. Embarking on the Hunting Trip
of a Lifetime With Two Unlikely
PRODUCT DISCLAIMER Companions: A 6.5 Creedmoor and a
Prices and details for items featured in 74
7mm PRC
CARNIVORE are set by the manufacturers
and retailers, and are subject to change WILD PIGLET LUAU 82
without notice.
Destructive Pest or Flavor Fest?
Throughout this issue you will see PRACTICAL
certain images are labeled as being
1:1 Actual Size. This designation
ACCURACY 86
is for the print edition of this issue. Because Train in Field Positions This Summer
of the various screen sizes on different tablets for Success in the Fall
and computers, we cannot always provide 68 98
actual life size images in digital versions. We THIS ONE IS MINE 90
apologize if this causes any confusion and Three Off-the-Grid Adventures, On 90
thank you for your understanding.
Two Different Continents … With One
Never-Die Rifle

SHOOTING QUAIL LIKE

A GIRL 98
An All-Woman Hunt

4 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 ™

™
 VANTAGE POINT

’ll be the first to put my hand up and say I’m far incredulity, I’m firmly of the camp that Africa gets into your
from an expert when it comes to hunting. Like most blood, and its siren call is irresistible.
adults, mundane tasks of keeping a roof over my Fortunately, a plains game adventure is surprisingly
family’s head and being a good citizen take up most affordable, so long as you’re willing to forgo the five-star
of my time, which means the few weeks a year I get lodge experience, and it’s a trip well within the reach of
to spend in the field are all the more precious. The time most hunters. On a less exotic note, I’ll be taking the rif le I
each of us has to be an active participant in nature, rather built at Aero Precision’s shop to Montana this fall to chase
than a passive observer, is f leeting — so I try to make sure elk around the mountains — if you’re interested in how a
I live each moment in the present, making enduring memo- self-built gun fares when it comes to putting meat in the
ries that’ll last through the years when I’m no longer able freezer, join me on RECOILtv for the full story.
to shoulder a rif le or pull a bowstring. It’s a little depress- As the temperatures start to drop, anticipation within the
ing, but that time will come to each of us eventually, and crew here at CARNIVORE is building in inverse propor-
hunting is a metaphor of our own mortality. tion to the day’s length. We wish all of you a rewarding and
Which is why I’m already making plans for next year. Jon fulfilling hunting season wherever it may take you, and
Wayne Taylor’s story in this issue has inspired a longing whatever ends up on your plate.
to return to South Africa, and the incredible opportuni- Cheers,
ties it offers even mediocre hunters like me. Despite early Iain

6 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 ‫ڑ‬՞Ǐ
PRECISION OPTICS

TIME.
EVERY
SINGLE
MISSION
CRITICAL
PRECISION.

© Copyright 2024 EOTECH, LLC. All rights reserved. EOTECH®, HWS®, Vudu®, Vudu X™, EFLX™ and OGL™ are registered trademarks of EOTECH, LLC
 Editorial.
Editor/ Iain Harrison
Managing Editor/ Laura Peltakian
Features Editor/ Dave Merrill
Contributing Editor/ Steven Kuo
Network Manager/ Luke Hartle
Web Editor/ David Lane
Contributors/ Annette Evans, Tim Fowler, Jack Hennessy,
Kenda Lenseigne, Patrick McCarthy,
Jon Wayne Taylor, Patrick Vuong
Special Thanks/ Rob Gearing

Art Direction & Design. This magazine is purchased by the

Senior Art Director/ Gene Coo buyer with the understanding that
the information presented is from
Art Director/ Katia Sverdlova
various sources from which there
can be no warranty or responsibility
Submissions. by CMG West, LLC, or the publisher
as to legality, completeness and

THREE WAYS TO READ! [email protected] accuracy.

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 FRESH MEAT
MYSTERY RANCH WARNE LaCROSSE VORTEX OPTICS
1 ALL-IN DEPLOYMENT 2 7912M LITE BIPOD, 3 URSA ES (EARLY 4 RAZOR HD 10X32
BAG (INTL) ARCA INTERFACE SEASON) GTX BINOCULARS
COLORWAYS: MSRP: BOOT MSRP:
Black, Coyote $285 COLORWAYS: $2,200
MSRP: URL: Black/Orange, Brown/Gold URL:
$550 warnescopemounts.com MSRP: vortexoptics.com
URL: NOTES: $250 NOTES:
mysteryranch.com Hunters have increasingly re- URL: We all know that there’s a whole lotta
NOTES: alized that the same features lacrossefootwear.com glassing going on when you’re hunt-
Mystery Ranch calls their All-In that make bipods effective for NOTES: ing. Depending on what and where
Deployment Bag a rolling closet, and precision rifles and competi- When out in the field, foot- you’re hunting, every inch and ounce
they’re not kidding. At 42 by 21 by 17 tions are great for hunting — wear can make or break your might matter. To serve this need,
inches, or 160 liters, you can stuff rock-solid stability, extensive experience. The latest in La- Vortex Optics just released com-
it with a ton of gear. It features two adjustments, and rapid Crosse’s line of Ursa hunting pact Schmidt-Pechan prism-style
movable Velcro dividers plus numer- deployment. Warne’s new boots is the 8-inch ES GTX 10x32mm binoculars in its top-of-the-
ous zippered compartments inside 7912M Lite Bipod is light but for early season hunting. line Razor UHD series. Ultra high-
to organize your crap. There are robust, with a head that at- They’re light, nimble, and definition optics and premium coat-
compression straps inside and out to taches to ARCA Swiss (shown non-insulated, with a nylon ings result in a bright, clear image
keep your load tidy, with straps and here) or Picatinny rails (fixed and suede upper and water- with excellent low-light performance.
handles galore to drag it, move it, or or quick detach). proof GORE-TEX lining. Even The new binos have a strong and
throw it over your shoulder. Without coming out of as you rack up the miles, light magnesium chassis, a locking
Between a removable wheeled position, you can adjust up the EVA midsole and Vibram diopter, adjustable eye cups, rubber
frame with monstrous wheels and to 4.65 inches of height in 13 outsole keep you comfortable armor, and tripod mount compatibil-
reinforced construction throughout, increments and 44 degrees of and sure-footed. ity. It’s 5.7 by 5.1 inches and weighs
the bag is built to take punishment cant, with adjustable tension. When you’re hoofing it in 22 ounces. As a premium offering,
transiting the globe, as you’d expect Its height ranges from 6.5 to rough terrain, proper fit is it comes with a suite of accessories,
from Mystery Ranch. While it was 11.15 inches, and legs lock in critical. Fortunately, La- including a GlassPak Pro binocu-
originally designed for service mem- at 0, 45, and 90 degrees. The Crosse offers these boots in lar harness, matching rangefinder
bers to deploy to far-flung locales, bipod is made of 7075 alumi- both regular and wide, so you pouch, neck strap, and lens caps.
we love to pack it with hunting gear, num and weighs 17.5 ounces. can dial in the right fit for your These binos deliver everything you’d
roll it out to the truck, and throw it trotters. They’re flexible but expect from the Vortex Razor line. A
in the bed — it keeps your stuff or- supportive, and the collar is 8x32 variant is also available.
ganized nicely, and you can work out stretchy. Available in black or
of the bag. The “Intl” version shown brown, the boots come with
here is made in Vietnam; you can opt two sets of laces to suit your
for a U.S.-made one for an additional sense of style.
$125.

12 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: CONGRESS SHALL

 DUCK CAMP CRKT WOLFPACK ARMORY AMERICAN DEFENSE
5 ROCKPORT HOODIE 6 SOLDOTNA FIXED 7 NIGHT HOWLER 8 MANUFACTURING
MSRP: MSRP: FLASH HIDER; VORTEX TRIPOD HEAD
$89 $200 LOW PROFILE HUB ADAPTER (ARCA SWISS
URL: URL: ADAPTER (PLAN B) RAIL OR PICATINNY RAIL)
duckcamp.com crkt.com MSRP: MSRP:
NOTES: NOTES: $89; $70 $140; $114
Stripping down when it’s hot Far too many blades are made URL: URL:
and sunny isn’t ideal in the by folks who just want their cre- wolfpackarmory.com admmfg.com
field. Exposed skin will burn ations to look cool. Fortunately, NOTES: NOTES:
— not to mention become there are still some designers While directly attaching your When taking a shot, it’s important to
open season for mosquitos who know how to combine form suppressor to your hunting rifle have a stable foundation. Borrowing
and other biters. That’s why with function, because they actu- is simple and light, there are from the photography world, shooters
we’re fans of the Rockport ally know how to use the tools advantages to using a quick- have increasingly adopted tripods as
Hoodie from Duck Camp. This they make. Russ Kommer falls detach system. Suppressors valuable shooting supports.
lightweight, long-sleeve shirt into that latter category. This aren’t cheap, so this allows Well-known for their excellent
will cover most of your upper longtime knifemaker is also a you to easily use one can on quick-detach products, American
torso while keeping you cool at professional fishing and hunting multiple firearms. Plus, it’s Defense Manufacturing offers several
the same time. That’s because guide, and his real-life experi- easy to remove your silencer for mounts to attach your rifle to tripods
it’s made of Brrr Polyester, a ence shows in his latest creation, transport or storage. There’s and bipods. ADM made an adapter
proprietary fabric that’s comfy the Soldotna. It features a 3.48- a slight penalty in weight and specifically for Vortex Optics’ popular
and quick drying. Plus, it of- inch blade made of 1095 carbon overall length, but the “Plan tripods to attach their mounts directly
fers integrated thumb loops, steel (so it’s sharp, resilient, and B” standard is becoming ever to the tripod head. You can choose
UPF 50+ sun protection, and tough as nails) and comes with more popular as a simple, light, between kits bundled with an ARCA
an overlap hood for added cov- a bespoke leather sheath. The and compact taper mount with Swiss or Picatinny mount. ADM’s QD
erage. Though it doesn’t come handle features Micarta scales, growing aftermarket support. levers are adjustable and have locking
in camo patterns, this hoodie which are grippy and strong. Wolfpack Armory’s Plan B- tabs. The ARCA version is designed
is great for outdoor pursuits, Made in collaboration with TOPS compatible Night Howler flash so that you can loosen the throw lever
such as hiking, fishing, or yard Knives in the USA, the Soldotna is hider and HUB adapter deliver and slide it back and forth to reposi-
work. And it’s even great for elegant in its simplicity yet fierce exactly that. Black nitrided and tion your gun without falling off of the
just a casual night out. in its performance. made of 17-4 stainless, they’re rail entirely. The mounts are con-
low profile, light, and affordable. structed of anodized 6061 aluminum;
They have flats and notches, note that they’re also compatible with
respectively, so you can also certain bipods.
properly wrench on them.

RECOILWEB.COM 13
 Or anywhere you want with Mobilis™ Safes.
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 RIDES

Supercharged Long-Travel Tundra

by Tactical Application Vehicles
Steven Kuo
Matt Ritscher

16 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: MAKE NO LAW

 verlanding, as we know it these days, scent into the rabbit hole of off-roading and overlanding.
combines elements of long-distance His never-ending quest to upgrade the truck began
travel, off-roading, exploration, and with MULE Expedition Outfitters in Washington install-
camping. The joys of the journey are ing a rooftop tent, ARB compressor and rear locker, and
just as important as the destinations, Dometic gear. Then, Sollom hit the
both known and unknown. However, it’s become so trails, at one point nearly rolling the
popular and building rugged — or at least rugged- truck off a mountain on the Washing-
looking — overlanding vehicles so common that they’re ton Backcountry Discovery Route.
often the butt of jokes, especially when their owners After more adventures and with
only use them for commutes and Starbucks runs. empty-nester status fast approach-
That, however, isn’t the case for this 2014 Toyota ing, it was time for Sollom’s dream
Tundra SR5. Brian Sollom used to see and admire the build, and he dropped off the Tundra
truck around town; its original owner had installed some with Tactical Application Vehicles
distinctive upgrades. Then, in 2017, Sollom stumbled of New Mexico at the beginning of
across that same truck for sale at the local Toyota deal- 2021. We’ve featured TAV builds
ership and immediately bought it. Thus began his de- before in CARNIVORE Issue 6 and

RECOILWEB.COM 17
 RIDES
RECOIL Issue 54. Sollom’s goal was compression adjusters and custom valving, progressive
a supremely capable truck with a Alcan Spring leaf springs, and Archive Garage hard-
tray/canopy system that he could ware, all tuned to TAV’s specs.
live in. A big reason that pickups are so versatile is the truck
Unfortunately, thanks to COVID, bed in the rear, allowing for a multitude of cargo-haul-
supply chain, and other timing is- ing applications. However, for a purpose-built vehicle
sues, it ended up taking two whole like this Tundra, the walls of the bed get in the way, and
years to complete the build. But you don’t need the rear tail gate. A flatbed-style system
what a build it turned out to be. is more effective and efficient, though very spendy.
It’s a big, heavy beast, so the TAV removed the pickup bed and installed a flatbed
drivetrain is appropriately beefy, tray from FiftyTen out of Germany, which makes use of
with a Magnuson supercharger every available inch of space for lockable storage.
FiftyTen's full- bolted on to the 5.7-liter V-8 — it’s a thirsty monster, On top of the tray goes FiftyTen’s full-size camping
size camping
system with so an oversized 46-gallon fuel tank from Transfer Flow system, with a comfortable pop-up rooftop tent and an
pop-up rooftop helps claw back range. The front and rear differentials interior meticulously built out by Goose Gear. Large
tent is roomy and
are re-geared with 5.29-ratio Nitro Gear ring and pin- side hatches on both sides provide convenient access to
comfortable.
ions, driving the 17x8.5-inch black Method 704 wheels the interior of the box and the cabinets, while a 3x3-foot
and chunky 37x12.50 Toyo MT tires. The vehicle is also rear door allows you to climb in. The floor plan includes
recalibrated for the larger rubber, so the speedometer a sink with hot water, benches, drawers, cabinets, ad-
and odometer read accurately, another example of justable table, water tank, and a Dometic refrigerator.
TAV’s attention to detail. Additionally, ARB air lockers An electrical compartment houses the breaker panel,
front and rear provide extra traction when needed. power controllers, sine-wave inverter, and batteries. A
TAV has dialed in long-travel suspension setups for Propex propane heater is ducted into the camper and
Tundras, enabling them to eat up terrain like a billy keeps things warm on cold nights. Plus, an Alu-Cab
goat and to support the weight of expedition-style awning with walls and shower cube, along with a hot
The supercharged buildouts. TAV’s Stage 3 package increases width by shower hookup, make for a relaxing camp site.
5.7L V-8, Total
Chaos long-travel 2.5 inches on either side. The long-travel kit from Total Up front is C4 Fabrication’s Tundra Hybrid front
kit, and King Chaos Fabrication with upper and lower control arms bumper, combining tube and plate construction to offer
shocks make this
Tundra supremely
makes it possible, along with King Shocks remote greater approach angles, clearance for large tires, and
capable. reservoir coilovers and bypass shocks with high-speed tons of mounting options for accessories. Indeed, TAV

18 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: RESPECTING

 RIDES
installed a Come Up winch with plates to provide protection with
synthetic line and a veritable suite less of a weight penalty. The spare
TAV 2014 TOYOTA
TUNDRA SR5
of Baja Designs lighting. The mix of tire and Rotopax containers for
white and amber lights are care- extra fuel are carried on a RIGd
DRIVETRAIN
fully arranged to point in specific UltraSwing hitch mount, while a Pro
5.7L V-8 with Magnuson supercharger;
directions with lens patterns to pro- Eagle off-road jack is tucked into a six-speed automatic transmission;
vide optimal coverage. Additional custom cradle underneath. Nitro Gear & Axle 5.29 ring and pinion;
ARB front and rear air locking differen-
lighting is installed on the side and The entire truck and camper tials; Transfer Flow 46-gallon midship
rear. They’re all controlled via an are wrapped in licensed MultiCam replacement fuel tank
sPod BantamX switch panel and Black, printed at 300-percent scale FRONT SUSPENSION
additional custom switches on the by Image Craft to accentuate the Total Chaos Fabrication plus 2.5-inch
boxed long-travel kit, weld-on spindle
center console. pattern and applied by Revive
gussets, lower control arm cam tab
The huge 37s are tucked under Wraps in New Mexico. gussets, and dual shock hoops; King
McNeil Racing extended fenders Sollom sought to evoke a mili- Shocks long travel remote reservoir
coilovers with high-speed compression
for that girthy wide-body energy. tary theme with this build; he spent adjusters and 2.5-inch 3-tube bypass
Below: The mix of
TAV fabricated custom inner liners white and amber nearly eight years at the National piggyback reservoir shocks with
to maximize clearance so the truck Baja Designs Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. adjusters
lights are carefully
doesn’t need to be any higher than During his time at the Department REAR SUSPENSION
configured for
optimal coverage. King Shocks 3.0 reservoir with internal
necessary to optimize preload of Defense, he worked closely with
bypass and high-speed compression
and travel. The undercarriage is Bottom:
the military, including deploying adjusters; Total Chaos Fabrication rear
armored with aluminum RCI skid #WideBodyEnergy overseas to work with Joint Special shock relocation kit and long travel
Heim sway bar links; Archive Garage
Operations Command during the U-bolt fl ip kit and 1-inch shackle; TAV-
GWOT years. He saw first-hand the spec Alcan Spring leaf springs
bravery of service members who WHEELS AND TIRES
gave their lives for our country, as 17x8.5 Method Race Wheels 704,
37x12.50R17 Toyo Open Country M/T
well as the sacrifices of their fami-
BODY MODIFICATIONS
lies. This touched Sollom deeply,
C4 Fabrication Tundra Hybrid front
and he tries to take the opportunity bumper with full-height bull bar; RCI
whenever bystanders inevitably are skid plates and rock sliders; Come
Up Seal Gen2 winch; McNeil Racing
drawn to his towering MultiCam
fiberglass fenders; Front Runner Slim-
Tundra to chat about their service line II roof rack (modified); Morimoto
and sacrifice. headlights
FLATBED CAMPER
FiftyTen fl atbed tray and full-size
camper system; Goose Gear CEO floor
plan; Alu-Cab 270-degree Shadow
awning, side wall kit, and shower cube;
RIGd UltraSwing MegaFit spare tire
hitch mount; Victron Energy power
system; Dometic refrigerator; Propex
propane heater
LIGHTING
Baja Designs LP9 Pro, LP6 Pro, S2
Sport, S2 Pro, OnX6, Squadron-R Pro,
XL Pro; sPod BantamX
ACCESSORIES
Expedition Essentials recovery board
quick mount, propane tank mount, and
dash mount; Ravelco anti-theft device;
weBoost cell phone signal booster;
RAM Mounts mounts; Rugged Radios
GMRS radio kit; DMOS Delta Pro shovel
and mount; Tuffy center console safe;
Zarges K470 aluminum storage case
URL
tavllc.com

20 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: AN ESTABLISHMENT

TO GET STARTED CALL
866.850.6725 OR VISIT
SILENCERCENTRAL.COM
WE FOCUS ON THE PROCESS
SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON

BANISH BACKCOUNTRY

SHOP NOW
 CUTLERY

Mike Searson

24 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: OF RELIGION,

Opposite page: The Top: Some of the Bottom: Modern hether you’re a professional or
Spyderco / Murray more affordable Japanese chef
just a dedicated and serious
Carter Itama Japanese kitchen knives such as the
Funayki is a shorter knives are paring Nakiri Hocho by home chef, you should look for
version of the knives by Suncraft. Kyoku have artistic outstanding cutting perfor-
Yanagiba with a G10 embellishments such
Burl handle. as Mosaic Damascus mance in your kitchen knives.
pins in the handle. This is especially true if you pride yourself on edible
The Nakiri lacks a
tip and has scallops art that requires delicate and beautiful looks on your
in the edges for final presentation. For many chefs, there’s no substi-
chopping vegetables.
tute for a well-made Japanese kitchen knife.
Japanese kitchen knives have a long history full of
myth and mystery. This is most likely due to Japan’s
relationship with the sword. Particularly, the swords of
the samurai. If there was ever a sword shrouded in my-
thology that defies facts to this day, it’d be the katana.
By examining the historical record, you can quickly
break down these misconceptions while understand-
ing the much-deserved reputation.

The Steel
Traditional Japanese knives are made from high car-
bon steel. This holds true to this day in many instances
even with the rise of stainless super steels. Carbon
steels historically have better edge retention proper-
ties than most stainless steels, and some chefs actually
like the imparted taste of the iron in their foods.
Many times, traditional Japanese kitchen knives will
be made of alloys with different blends of steel for
different properties. This isn’t too unlike the manu-
facture of traditional Japanese swords, and there’s
a reason for that: historically, Japan had never had
particularly good sources of steel. Alloys had to be
made to ensure blades had the right combination of
sharpness, edge retention, hardness, etc.
Although carbon steel or laminated blades may be
more traditional, they do require more maintenance.
Modern Japanese kitchen knives are now made in
stainless steels as well as other alloys to prevent cor-
rosion, though nothing really beats the edge retention
and sharpness of a laminated blade.
VG10 is a stainless steel made in Seki City, Japan,
specifically for Japanese-style kitchen knives. It has
all the right properties for a kitchen knife — sharp-
ness, hardness, edge retention — and offers a good
degree of corrosion resistance. Spyderco Knives
makes some outstanding examples in Japan, including
a series by Muteki Bladesmith Murray Carter.

RECOILWEB.COM 25
 CUTLERY
three slight horizontal cuts in the squid before serving
it to me atop its rice, nigiri style. I never knew what he
did, but it was the most f lavorful piece of nigiri I ever
tasted — all due to how the squid was cut and sliced.

The Handle
On a traditional Japanese chef’s knife, the handles
are typically very simple and spartan. Knives are
most commonly the stick tang type, as the blades are
meant to be replaced when they're ruined.
The handle is often a simple affair made of wood,
and typically has a metal or plastic collar. Elaborate
or expensive handles are typically made for aesthetic
or artistic purposes and represent more of a Western
inf luence. Japanese regard their kitchen knives as
utilitarian tools. They may be some very expensive
tools in certain instances, but tools nonetheless.

The Profile
There are scores of blade shapes and profiles found
on Japanese kitchen knives. Each one is developed
for a different task, so it depends how specialized you
want to get in the kitchen. Most knife styles will have
a relatively thin blade compared to their Western
counterparts. This is for weight reduction and to keep
a keener edge, but you pay a price in fragility.
The Santoku is a staple that can be used in almost
any kitchen. Its name means three virtues, and this is
because the knife is used on meat, fish, and veg-
etables or it can chop, slice, and dice. It has a sheeps-
foot-style blade, which gives it a more linear cutting
edge. It doesn’t make use of the single or chisel bevel,
The Edge Top: One of the most but rather a conventional V-grind more common in
common Japanese
Single bevel or zero-ground knives are very popu- kitchen knives found Western cutlery. Introduced in the postwar period of
lar in Japanese kitchens, especially for slicing sashi- throughout the world the 1940s, this is the most common knife to find in a
is the Santoku with a
mi. These knives get their name from the distinct look distinct sheepsfoot
Japanese kitchen.
of having a f lat side on the left-hand side of the blade blade. Nakiri hoˉ choˉ or Usuba hoˉ choˉ refer to vegetable
to protect the chef’s fingers while slicing and dicing. knives. These knives lack a tip and look like a cleaver
Bottom: Murray
Because of the lack of parasitic drag found on a con- Carter's Wakita or straight razor in shape. The Nakiri has a V-grind
ventional or Western-style kitchen knife, they excel in Funayki is a short like the Santoku, but the Usuba is chisel ground. The
version of the
the kitchen regarding cutting performance. Yanagiba with a plain lack of a tip allegedly goes back to a time when a
Similarly, the clean cut translates well to food prep- black G10 handle. samurai of high rank took offense to a cook pointing
Spyderco offers a
aration by maintaining the f lavors and the textures of line of Japanese
a blade at him while he was preparing the samurai’s
the food. I witnessed this firsthand at a sushi counter. kitchen knives by dinner and knives such as these were then made
It has always been my practice to order anything Murray Carter without a pointed tip.
with a three-layer
special the chef makes — not the special of the day, construction of The Yanagiba is a long, thin knife used for slicing
but what the chef regards as his best work. I watched Aogami Super Blue fish for sashimi or nigiri. The long blade allows for
core clad between
him remove a piece of Ika (squid) which had always layers of SUS410 clean cuts through the entire fish in a single motion.
been one of my least favorites. He took that piece of stainless steel. The blade is thin to prevent bruising or tearing of the
squid and angled his Yanagiba, slicing it deftly. He fish and the unsharpened bevel is slightly concave to
then retrieved a smaller blade from his belt and made prevent the fish from sticking to the knife after being

26 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: OR PROHIBITING

cut. There are many different types in this classifica- ping through bone.
tion for cutting different types of fish such as bonito, Should you have to use a butcher’s steel to fix a
octopus, or fugu (blowfish). There’s even a profile rolled or dented edge, make sure it’s made of the
called Unagisaki hoˉ choˉ , which is specifically designed same steel and hardness of the blade. Otherwise,
for filleting eel. you’ll simply ruin your blade.
Having a set of traditional Japanese chef’s knives
Maintenance is a must if you want to take your food prep and meal
It’s never a good idea to put any chef’s knife in presentation to the next level. They may not be suit-
the dishwasher because of heat and vibration, not to able for heavy chopping or butchering on bones or
mention abrasive and corrosive detergents. Always frozen foods, but plenty of other knives and cleavers
wash your knives by hand with hot, are suitable for that type of work.
soapy water and dry them down with Think of them as you would the paintbrush of an
a towel. If you use a high carbon steel artist for the final finish.
blade, place a drop of olive or Tsubaki
(tea seed) oil on each side of the blade
after it has been washed and dried, and rub it
in with a microfiber cloth to protect it.
These knives should be stored on a magnetic strip,
in a block, or in an individual sheath. Do not keep
them loose in a drawer with other tools that could
damage the edges.
If you need to sharpen your blades, use a traditional
knife sharpener in the form of diamond or ceramic
sticks. Spyderco makes several of them, but if you
want to truly experience the kind of edge that parts
food on the molecular level, then there’s no substitute
for learning to use a set of Japanese water stones.
Avoid using a butcher’s steel unless it came with the
knife. We’ve all seen butchers or chefs rubbing the
blade of one of their knives against a steel rod and
it appears that they're honing the blade down to a
fine edge. They are not. A butcher’s steel is used to
smooth out dents in the edge usually caused by chop-

A Yanagiba is most
often used to slice
fish for sashimi and
can be incredibly
long and sharp.
While a Japanese
Yanagiba can be
exquisitely made
and razor sharp,
don’t think of them
as samurai swords
such as the Tanto.
The reverse side
of many Japanese
knives is flat to
prevent the chef
from slicing a
fingertip.

RECOILWEB.COM 27
Work Sharp's New Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2
Steven Kuo

hether dressing game in the field Its biggest advantages are precision, consistency, and
or prepping ingredients in the speed. Precision and consistency go hand in hand
kitchen, a sharp knife is essential with the system, from its sharpening guides to its
— not only is it more effective, electronic speed control. The dual sharpening guides
but it’s also safer. While you can are leather-lined and adjustable in half-degree incre-
(and should) learn how to sharpen knives by hand (see ments from 15 to 30 degrees, to consistently achieve
CARNIVORE Issue 1), motorized sharpeners also have exactly the edge angle you desire. And the new digi-
their place, with some particularly useful benefi ts. tal speed control provides seven repeatable settings
Born of a family business that has spanned four to suit the job at hand.
generations, Work Sharp makes a variety of knife and Notably, because it sharpens with a belt that f lexes
tool sharpeners for use on the benchtop, in the field, while removing material, it creates a lovely convex
and in the kitchen. Their newest benchtop system is edge that folks covet for their durability and perfor-
the Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2, mance. If you have some items on which you wish to
designed and engineered in partnership with the leg- maintain a f lat grind, this sharpener isn’t for them. But
endary knife maker Ken Onion, probably best known the f lexible belt allows you to easily tackle normally
for inventing the SpeedSafe assisted-opening mecha- tricky tasks like sharpening curved blades and gut
nism for folding knives. hooks. In addition to typical kitchen and carry knives,
The sharpener is a corded, powered unit that uses you can sharpen serrated knives, fillet knives, scis-
f lexible abrasive belts to sharpen your knife or tool. sors, axes, pruning shears, and more. Work Sharp in-

30 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: THE FREE EXERCISE

 off when the point reaches the center of the belt, so you
don’t round off the tip. Finesse is important — focus on
being smooth and maintaining proper positioning and
don’t exert pressure; just let the weight of the blade and
the sharpener do its work. Follow the instructions on
repeating the process and switching sides.
Rotating to grind mode opens up the belt for you to
handhold the sharpener on larger tools. Just clamp
them down and grind the edge.
The Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2
is a cleverly designed and effective tool. In our test-
ing, it worked efficiently and very well. With our OCD,
it took some time to learn how to properly finesse the
blade to keep it as perpendicular to the belt as pos-
sible while aligned with the angle guides, all with a
light touch while moving it smoothly. Definitely start
with a practice blade to dial in your technique. Once
you do, you’ll make quick work of the sharpening
tasks on your to-do list.

If you're wrong WORK SHARP

handed, hopefully KEN ONION EDITION
your right hand KNIFE & TOOL
has some dexterity SHARPENER MK.2
because you'll have MSRP:
to use it to sharpen $200
your knife. URL:

cludes five belts from extra coarse to extra fine — the

company provides recommended speed settings and
number of strokes with each belt based on the type
of knife or tool. To swap belts, simply rotate the edge
guide, then pull up the belt change lever to release
tension on the belt.
The sharpening cassette is attached to the side of the
handle and motor assembly. It rotates and clicks into
three positions — storage, sharpen, and grind mode.
Use sharpen mode, with the angle guide pointing
straight up, for most knives. Place the unit on a flat
surface, install the appropriate belt, dial in your edge
angle, and set the speed control. Hold the handle with
your left hand and your knife with your right hand. Place
the blade in the guide, leaning gently on the guide. The
Easily and
guides will flex as you add pressure, so don’t go unga precisely adjust
bunga on them, just use them to set your blade position. the angle guides
from 15 to 30
With the heel all the way in, squeeze the trigger to start degrees in half-
the belt and pull out steadily at 1-inch per second. Power degree increments.

RECOILWEB.COM 31
 Springfield’s Newest Hunting Rifle
Put to the Test
Iain Harrison
Kenda Lenseigne

34 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: THEREOF;

 pringfield released their first foray
into the hunting market right when
government overreaction to the pan-
demic was starting to hit its stride. As
the hordes descended on Costco like
TP-starved locusts, those who recognized that
only possessions you could defend were truly
theirs gravitated to the gun store. And while the
AR-15 or handgun purchase they’d been putting
off for years was priority one, in the end, any
firearm was orders of magnitude more attractive
than in previous years and the 2020 Waypoint
got swept up in the sudden wave of popularity.
And don’t get us started on ammo …
In a world that had lost its collective mind, we
naturally decided to go hunting. As luck would
have it, a news alert about a proposed cull of
mountain goats in Grand Teton National Park
popped up, so an application was made, selec-
tion confirmed, and bureaucratic procedures
endured in order to be one of the very first par-
ties to hunt in the GTNP since the 1950s. The

RECOILWEB.COM 35
 Caption?

36 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: OR ABRIDGING

 PUSHING THE BOUNDARY

rif le we took on that adventure was a short- had a daughter and we were at the “meet the
action Waypoint, chambered in 6.5 PRC, and parents” stage of dating, we’d be regarded
while it never did get to draw blood, another as being from the wrong side of the tracks.
team member did seal the deal on a billy at Guns exist primarily not for the genteel
a hair over 700 yards and at over 10,000 feet pursuit of fur and feather, but for shooting
elevation. It’s a testament to how highly we tyrants in the face.
thought of the gun that it made the cut to ac- The wheel of fashion turns, and while
company us on the hunt of a lifetime. those talking points might still be topics for
Since then, the market has calmed down campfire controversy, carbon-wrapped bar-
a bit, deliveries have caught up to demand, rels and lightweight, durable, non-Tupper-
and new products have been launched. ware stocks are less likely to be the cause
Including the rif le you see here, the Bound- of beard-stroking consternation among
ary model of the 2020 series, built on a new, the blued-steel-and-walnut cognoscenti.
long action and chambered in the mighty — How well does the Boundary bridge these
and trendy — 7mm PRC. worlds? We’re glad you asked.
Like its short-action sibling, the Bound- Above: The
Boundary’s stock
Nuts & Bolts ary’s action is based on the Remington 700 hails from Madison
The original Waypoint 2020 made its footprint. This is the price of admission for County, Alabama,
While the Boundary
and the craftspeople
has ditched bones by dragging in features normally entry to the wonderful world of aftermarket at AG Composites
the detachable
AICS mags of its
found on tactical or precision rif les and bolt gun accessories — anything from chas- do a fine job of
applying a camo
predecessor in placing them in a hunting-themed wrapper. sis systems, to triggers, to magazines are
paint job over its
favor of a BDL-style The result probably left a lot of die-hard available as drop-in parts, should you wish carbon-fiber shell.
floorplate, the
traditionalists cold, as detachable AICS to customize your rif le. Although there’s no
carbon fiber-
adjustable comb
encased barrel and magazines, adjustable combs, and vertical The Boundary retains the 700’s two-lug option, it works well
field-strippable bolt
remain. pistol grips could at the time be viewed as bolt design, but ditches the original spring with low-mounted
scopes.
beyond the pale on a rif le used for killing clip extractor, substituting a Sako-style
Bambi rather than people. We’re not on that extractor housed in the right bolt lug. This
team. No doubt, if the federal government maintains the Remington “three rings of

RECOILWEB.COM 37
steel” bolt head integrity, and in the event of a case
head separation, gas is vented out of two relief holes
on either side of the front receiver ring. Its bolt body
is spiral f luted to handle dirt and reduce friction, raceways are cut with an EDM machine rather than
aided by a slick QPQ coating. In the event of dropping being broached, which produces an excellent finish
the rif le in a swamp, you can quickly disassemble contributing to a slick bolt stroke. Like the Waypoint,
the bolt to rid it of primordial ooze — just press in on the bolt stop is in the left bolt raceway and is both
the bolt shroud, shuck the bolt handle away from the easy to release and substantial, but the Boundary dif-
knob, and the firing pin assembly comes right out. fers in its choice of bottom metal, ditching the detach-
The bolt handle itself rides in a mortise cut in the bolt able box magazine in favor of a BDL-style hinged
body, so there’s no janky solder joint to fail — unlike f loorplate, resulting in more traditional lines.
the original Remington design — and it’s impossible This trad aesthetic extends to the AG Composites
to reinsert the bolt handle either upside down or on Sportsman carbon-fiber stock also, which has a more
the wrong side. The firing pin tail has a pair of cock- open pistol grip than its predecessor, as well as a
ing cams set opposite each other, which evens out the more rounded forend. It carries well, and with a scope
forces applied to it and makes for a smooth bolt lift. mounted, balances just forward of the front action
Finished in tungsten gray Cerakote, our Boundary’s screw. While the overall look and feel is old-school, it
receiver came topped with a pinned and screwed, still manages to incorporate modern features, such as
0 MOA Picatinny rail that extended slightly over the the pair of M-LOK slots under the forend tip and QD
barrel, giving one more slot than if it had ended f lush. sling swivel cups on the left side, thankfully ditch-
There’s plenty of room to mount even the longest ing the usual studs.
scope, and given this is a hunting rif le, the user Carbon-fiber-wrapped barrels have all kinds
needn’t worry about running out of elevation when di- of misinformation, mystery, and internet lore
aling. If they do, the animal is probably beyond ethi- surrounding them, but for hunting applica-
cal range, and if this is a serious concern, then any tions they work well to save weight while
20MOA 700 long-action base can be substituted. Bolt retaining stiffness. And for those of us

38 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: THE FREEDOM

 PUSHING THE BOUNDARY

The Spartan SPRINGFIELD

Precision bipod has
ARMORY
served on several
different rifles, BOUNDARY
ranging from walnut CALIBER

and steel straight- 7mm PRC

pulls, to mangy 5.56 CAPACITY
carbines in places 3+1
east of Poland. It BARREL LENGTH
gets the job done. 24 inches
OVERALL LENGTH
46 inches
WEIGHT (AS PICTURED)
8.5 pounds
MSRP
$2,600
URL
springfield-armory.com

who use suppressors, they offer a wide shoulder at

the muzzle for direct thread mounting. The Bound-
ary’s barrel is supplied by BSF, and they do things a
little differently than other manufacturers, in that the
carbon fiber you see is actually a sleeve that butts
up against a ledge at the chamber and is tensioned
at the muzzle by a threaded cap. The steel barrel
beneath it is turned down to minimal dimensions, and shorten or thread it after it leaves the factory — but
there’s an air gap between it and the sleeve. As with in this instance, Springfield has gone with the most
most carbon-fiber barrels, the length you order is the popular option at 24 inches long, threaded 5/8-24 and
length you’re stuck with — as there’s no possibility to capped with a radial brake.

RECOILWEB.COM 39
 PUSHING THE BOUNDARY

Before heading to the range, we set the Trig-

gerTech trigger to 3.5 pounds and adjusted eye relief
on Leupold’s excellent VX-6HD scope, as well as
equipping the rif le with a Spartan Precision bipod
adapter and Lead Faucet Tactical sling.

Rounds Downrange
Try as we might to get the bolt to bind by racking
it hard or off center, the slick coating did its job and
allowed us to feed and extract without issue. The
radial brake is effective at dampening recoil —
175 grains moving at 3,000 fps is certainly
going to get your attention — but for hunt-
ing, we’d accept the additional weight
penalty brought by the addition of
a suppressor.

40 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: OF SPEECH,

INTRODUCING THE LWC
CHAMBERED IN .350 LEGEND
MODERNIZED CLASSICS, LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE.

ROSSIUSA.COM
 PUSHING THE BOUNDARY

While we’d prefer a slightly lighter trigger, the quality est bit concerned you won’t be able to get ammo or
of break is excellent, without any take-up or spongi- cases in the next decade or need to ensure a supply for
ness, and it allowed us to shoot the kind of groups that an upcoming African hunt, then opt for the 1962 vintage
give confidence in your equipment. Springfield guaran- 7mm Remington magnum. The bullet’s recipients won’t
tees its long actions will achieve .75 MOA accuracy with be able to read the headstamp or tell the difference.
good ammo, and we had no problem exceeding that At the price point at which it’s offered, Springfield
number right out of the gate. After a hundred rounds or has knocked it out of the park with the Boundary’s fea-
so, the barrel sped up by around 40 fps, as measured ture set. Go ahead, price all the components needed
by our Garmin Xero chronograph and groups tightened to put the rif le together. Then, factor in the cost of a
a hair. We’ve seen worse barrels improve by twice this custom R700 footprint action. Given a street price of
amount, but it’s indicative of a quality tube that its per- around $2,100, we’re pretty impressed that the com-
The last hunting rifle
formance doesn’t shift too significantly after break-in. pany can offer the value it does, especially when the you’ll ever need?
The Boundary might just be the last hunting rifle feds have a hand out for their 11-percent excise tax. If Quite possibly, as
we don’t see many
you’ll ever need for North American big game, espe- you’re shopping for a rif le with modern features and a upgrades that could
cially in one of the 7mm calibers. Although 7mm PRC is classic look for adventures this fall, we highly recom- be worthwhile, and
metallic cartridges
the newest hotness, we’ve all seen cartridges come and mend you check out the Boundary. We believe it’s are pretty much at
go in a flurry of marketing hype, so if you’re the slight- well worth the time to investigate. their zenith.

42 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: OR OF THE PRESS;

44 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: OR THE RIGHT
 ROASTED ROOSTER

species when flint and friction was the only technology

that mattered. The sport of hunting game, the activity
itself, allows us to disconnect, to keep our forward-facing
eyes perpetually scanning for the slightest hint of a tail in
tall grass. Our gaze darts between field and dog, always
watching our canine companion for the slightest behav-
ior tick that says, “This is it. Get ready.”
Timesheets don’t matter in these moments. A phone
sits silent in a pocket or in the glovebox of a truck. The
only bars that matter are the ones we hum to calm a bird
dog anxious for the day’s first flush. Then, we gather

erhaps it’s the ritual itself — or the fact It’s a scientifically

proven fact that dog
that fresh game will always taste better slobber is the ideal
than frozen-then-thawed — but a pheasant meat tenderizer for
all gamebirds. Trust
rooster roasted the same day it was folded
the science.
and bagged just tastes better. Or maybe
it’s because it was first marinated in a bird dog’s mouth.
More than likely, it’s all of the above.
Pure facts: Freezing any meat forms ice crystals in
muscle proteins, creating tiny fissures. As a result, when
thawed, meat loses moisture. All that liquid in the vacuum
sealer bag upon thawing out is moisture lost versus if it
were cooked fresh.
Moisture loss from freezing-then-thawing is the main
reason we never want to refreeze any wild game, which is
lean enough as it is and needs all the moisture it can retain.
But cooking a freshly shot bird over an open fire is
an experience harkening back to our earliest days as a

RECOILWEB.COM 45
 Left: It may be
necessary to get
creative in terms
of stacking various
cuts. Keep in mind
that legs, thighs,
and wings need
higher temps to
tenderize, while
breasts are best
pulled at around 150
degrees F.

around a fire with the friends and family with whom we

are blessed to spend the day — few things compare to
this.
A freshly roasted bird earned by a steady dog and gun Below:A log at the
edge of the fire can
exponentially adds to the experience, I’d argue.
serve as a roasting
Roasting a game bird in the field is fairly simple but rack for wings,
does require a few tools and the ability to adapt as thighs, and legs retain more moisture while cooking. For gear, you want to
that still may need
necessary while cooking. Included here is a plucking to cook in order to have a fire pit (or be able to make one safely with a ring
guide — a plucked bird will have more flavor but also tenderize. of rocks), then the wood and/or lump charcoal, a lighter

With legs pointed

toward the coals, the
legs and thighs will
cook at a higher temp
while breasts sit further
away from heat and are
cooked slower. (Legs
require a high temp to
finish at 190 degrees F
versus breasts at 150
degrees F.)

46 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: OF THE PEOPLE

 ROASTED ROOSTER

or other method for lighting the fire, a hatchet or ax to

Field Roasted Pheasant split wood if necessary, tongs to move and turn birds,
kitchen shears, a carving knife and cutting board, and
then potentially a Bluetooth-enabled internal meat probe
INGREDIENTS
(Optional brine instead of spice rub) like a Meater.
(approximately 2-4 servings)
Yes, you can wet brine the bird if you bring a large wa-
+ 1 whole pheasant, + 1 gallon cold water ter container with already mixed brine, though the easier
plucked + ½ cup kosher salt
+ Favorite spice rub (I used + ½ cup white sugar method is likely to pluck, spatchcock the bird, then rinse
Fire & Smoke Society’s + 6 ounces fresh ginger, smashed off, dry, and liberally rub with your favorite spice mix.
Super Bird) + 1 fresh garlic bulb, smashed
Spatchcocking the bird — cutting out the spine and
+ Olive oil + 1 red apple, sliced
folding open the bird to flatten — means that you can
INSTRUCTIONS use the underside, the breastplate inside the bird’s cavity,
as almost a roasting plate. So, after you sear the breasts
Pluck bird and spatchcock (cut out spine and fold open bird, cracking
ribs a bit, so it rests flat). and flip, that bone beneath can sit on a bed of embers
Either brine or rub down with spice mix 1 to 2 hours before cooking. If without the risk of burning the meat. This method allows
brining, make sure you thoroughly rinse off brine prior to cooking. Do you to slow roast the bird without needing a turning
not rinse off spice rub. spit or a vertical poultry roaster. You could certainly still
Start a wood and/or lump charcoal fire, enjoy a beer … or two or three. employ those too (don’t spatchcock if doing so), or you
When ready to cook, place the flattened bird breast-side down on hot could also simply break down the bird and cook each cut
coals. Once decently seared, flip and move bird to edge of fire with feet
(breasts, wings, thighs, and legs) separately.
pointed toward fire.
Breasts are best pulled when 150 degrees F is the in-
Try to rotate the rooster when it’s on its back so that either its legs or
flanks (wings) are pointed toward the fire. Do not burn. The idea is to ternal temp while wings, thighs, and legs require longer
have either the legs or wings absorbing the most direct heat. time for the collagen present in the meat to break down
We’re not concerned with the inside bones in the cavity of the rooster and turn to gelatin. Otherwise, if not allowed to cook for
(the underside after spatchcocking) getting overcooked, as those bones longer to tenderize, those wings, thighs, and legs will be
serve as a hardened layer between heat and meat.
rock hard when trying to eat.
If you’re using a Bluetooth-enabled meat probe (such as a Meater), you
can temp check the breasts. Once they reach 150 degrees F, you can pull
The concept of cooking directly (or slightly indirectly)
the rooster and carve off the breasts. At this point, if the legs, thighs, on coals is referred to as “caveman style.” You do want
and wings are still tough, you may wish to carve them off and add them to use either wood logs or lump charcoal (which is just
back separately to the fire.
charred wood). Charcoal briquettes can produce more
The breasts are done when the internal temp reads 150 degrees F,
ash than desired.
while legs, thighs, and wings should be closer to 190 degrees F.
Enjoy! Reach out to me on Instagram (@WildGameJack) with any ques-
tions or comments. Quick Plucking Guide
+ Do not field dress ahead of plucking as incisions in skin
could lead to tears while plucking.
+ Start with the hackles (the pretty, larger feathers around
collar of bird). These are the “meatier” feathers near
the breast. Use thumb and forefinger. Pull with the grain
(path of least resistance).
+ Next pull breast feathers against the grain. If you en-
counter resistance, go with the grain.
+ Hold bird by drumette, slowly spin and pluck sides of
bird.
+ Pluck wings. May need to pull larger feathers out with
a fist.
+ Hold bird by feet, spin and pluck legs and thighs.
+ The back is the least and last priority. If cutting out the
spine to spatchcock, you don’t need to be as thorough
when plucking the back. (I also cut off the tail no matter
what, so I don’t worry so much about pulling every tail
feather unless saving them.)

RECOILWEB.COM 47
A One-Off Hunt for Every Subspecies
Mike Searson

48 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: PEACEABLY

 t’s not every day that you get a chance at a world
hunting record, especially a super slam in Africa.
Jeremy Mallette, a firearms marketing master from
Texas, had that opportunity in 2023. He took all six
color variants of wildebeest in six days.
This amazing hunt started in January of 2023 at none
other than the Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade
(SHOT) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and his introduction
to Rumano De Beer, owner and Professional Hunter at RDB
Safaris of Limpopo, South Africa.
De Beer would show Mallette what hunting Africa was all
about and change his experience forever.
In April 2023, Mallette became an official member of
the African hunting brotherhood, taking a variety of plains
game, including zebra and antelope. After a few months
back home in Texas, De Beer invited Mallette to come
back to Africa to attempt something unique: to take all six The African plains animals live in large herds and are quick to run at
color variants of wildebeest. any sound of imminent danger.
Slams can be fairly common in Africa, but usually

Right: The white

spot on the forehead
is what identifies
this as a Black King
Wildebeest.

Right: The Royal

Wildebeest was
the genesis for this
hunt. It’s elusive and
rare.

RECOILWEB.COM 49
The Black subspecies
of Wildebeest is
about 150 pounds
smaller than the Blue
Wildebeest.

involve only four variants of individual animals — most

commonly impala, springbok, and wildebeest. This was
unique because no one had ever taken all six wilde-
beest variants, and De Beer had a unique opportunity.
Prior to Mallette’s hunt, less than five people had ever
shot a royal wildebeest, and none had hunted the super
slam. There are less than 40 of these animals and that
means that very few are mature bulls that can be shot
ethically.

Setting up shooting
sticks is essential for
The Royal Wildebeest
most hunts in Africa. Royal Wildebeest go by different names: Ghost,
White, Albino (which it’s not), etc. They are all white in
color except for their light brown-colored horns.
It’s estimated that there are fewer than 40 being
maintained at five separate ranches.
This color variant occurs naturally in the wild, and it’s
not considered a distinct subspecies. Hunting the Royal
Wildebeest gives the breeders who grow and maintain
the population an income and incentive. Hunters allow
the Royals to flourish and be kept separate from the
Blue populations by making it cost effective to breed
them.
As you can imagine, taking one of the hardest to find
animals on Earth doesn’t come cheap. The cost at this
writing is $12,000 to take a Royal Wildebeest, excluding
the five other animals and their costs needed for the
Super Slam. By way of comparison the common Blue
Wildebeest costs around $1,000 to hunt.

50 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: TO ASSEMBLE,

 WILDEBEEST SUPER SLAM

The Ultimate Wildebeest Super Slam

Mallette’s hunt would consist of the following animals:
the more common blue, black, black king, golden, king,
and, of course, royal. This requires 10 to 14 days.
To make things more interesting, the black species
aren’t found near the blues. The animals are kept and
maintained separately to avoid hybridization.
This involved travel between the Free State and Lim-
popo to complete the Super Slam.

The Right Gear

Mallette’s rifle of choice was a Blaser R8 straight-pull
chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum, loaded with
Hornady 200-grain ELDX and topped with a Blaser B2
scope zeroed for 200 yards. A Griffin Armament Taper A young King
Wildebeest keeps
Mount 300 Explorr suppressor rode the muzzle to reduce his eye on the
recoil and keep the noise down. As most shots were at hunter.

long range in excess of 200 yards, a set of shooting sticks

were the order of the day. A set of GPO (German Preci-
sion Optics) binoculars rounded out his kit.
The next week and a half consisted of long drives in
the Land Rover and long walks after dismounting, with
temperatures fluctuating between 40 and 95 degrees.
Wildebeest travel in groups with other herd animals in
proximity such as zebra, springbok, blesbok, and im-
pala. If the wildebeests don’t spook, the other animals
usually do, which sends them all running.

The Hunt
The first quarry was a Black King. These animals
are about 150 pounds smaller than the more common
Blues. A long shot with no cover or concealment for the
hunters took most of the morning to set up on a large
bull. Later that afternoon, Mallette took a huge Black
bull at 300 yards in 20-mph wind from atop the Land
Rover.
The next day involved an eight-hour drive from the
Free State to Limpopo for the Royal. Mallette was able
to stalk to within 50 yards of the bull. There was a bit
of stress and tension as the need for a follow-up shot
could risk striking one of the others as well. Yet, the
Royal was easily taken after a stalk to within 150 yards
while combating the aftereffects of jet lag. According to
De Beer, it was the largest Royal on record.
With half the Slam in the bag, Mallette quickly took a
Golden the next day at about 300 yards.
On what would be the last day of the hunt, Mallette
went on to take the oldest bull in De Beer’s King herd.
This bull was advancing in age and was no longer
breeding, but he was keeping the younger bulls from
doing the same.

RECOILWEB.COM 51
 WILDEBEEST SUPER SLAM

Mallette and De Only one was left, the common Blue. They found a herd
Beer with the King
Wildebeest. within 300 yards flanked by a herd of zebra. The problem
was that the zebra had spotted them and could bolt at any
moment, taking the blue wildebeest with them. Lining up
for a double heart and lung shot, Mallette squeezed the
trigger, and the Blue barely made it 15 yards.

Afterward
Being the first hunter to take all six wildebeest variants
is surreal, and according to Mallette was never even on
his radar of hunting aspirations. It proved to be a very
emotional hunt between experiencing the wilds of Africa
with good friends and even times of stress about making
a shot at long range without a BDC (bullet drop compen-
sator) equipped scope.
If not for hunts like this, the animal populations in Africa
would be horribly affected. Game animals compete with
domestic farm animals for grazing and water. Hunters
incentivize the health of these populations of game ani-
mals due to their value. Wildlife managers make sure that
they’re preserved and kept healthy.
Outfitters in Africa are facing huge challenges as the
rest of the world attempts to ban the import of trophies
taken on these hunts. The rest of the world seems oblivious
to the devastating impact on wildlife that would ensue, cou-
The Blaser R8 with
the Griffin Armament pled with the economic effect on some of these countries.
Explorr 300 silencer Africa offers a unique hunting landscape. From the
proved consistent
and reliable people to the animals to the red dirt and the tall grass,
throughout the Super it’s an experience you’ll never understand until you’ve
Slam.
done it.

SOURCES:

RDB Safaris: rdbsafaris.co.za

Blaser: blaser.de/us
Griffin Armament: griffinarmament.com
International Sportsman: internationalsportsman.com

52 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: AND TO PETITION

54 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: THE GOVERNMENT
Build Your Own Hunting Rifle
Iain Harrison
Michael Bordon

ntil the advent of actions that could hold

consistent, tiny tolerances, building your
own bolt-action rifle meant not only ac-
quiring the necessary parts, but learn-
ing how to run a lathe also. If you weren’t
prepared to put in the weeks required to achieve com-
petence, then finding a good gunsmith was your only
option — you’d pay either with time or money.
Now, there are a wealth of manufacturers making
receivers so accurately that off-the-shelf barrels can
be spun up and guaranteed to headspace correctly.
If you’ve ever assembled an AR-15, you already have
the required skills, as an AR is a vastly more compli-
cated mechanism. This was brought home on a recent
visit to Aero Precision, one of the largest makers of
AR-15 parts, who recently got into the bolt gun world.
We took the opportunity to build a rif le for an upcom-
ing elk hunt, starting with springs and pins, and if we
can do it, anyone can.

Tools
Just as you wouldn’t attempt a brake job on your
daily driver with nothing more than a pair of pliers,
so it is with bolt guns. Thankfully, your tool list isn’t
all that long and you probably already have a few of
them, but the specialized items include a barrel and
action vise (or wrench) and a set of headspace gaug-
es, all of which can be had for less than 500 bucks.
Yes, it’s not an inconsequential outlay, but once you
have them, they’re good for life — and you can always
find a willing buyer if you only want to build one rif le.

RECOILWEB.COM 55
 Top: Doug, Aero
Precision’s bolt gun
expert explains the
intricacies of bolt
stop assembly.

Far left: Assembling

the firing pin, spring
and cocking piece
into a subunit for
insertion into the
bolt body.

Left: Once the firing

pin assembly is
complete, Aero’s
Solus action
allows the user to
disassemble the
bolt without the use
of tools — useful if
you’re miles from
Under the expert tutelage of Doug at Aero, we got drywall tape to create more friction around the bar- anywhere and wind
to assemble some parts — such as the bolt stop and rel, it was secured in a barrel vise and the action up with debris in the
firing pin channel.
firing pin assembly — which will already be installed threaded up to it. A torque wrench was attached to
if you buy an action, but it’s good to have that level an action vise, and everything tightened up to the
of confidence in your own expertise, so we weren’t required setting before being checked with GO and
complaining. NO-GO gauges. Once that was out of the way, the
The most important task is ensuring correct rest of the components fell into place: trigger in its
headspace, and it’s here that skill with a lathe would hanger, action into stock, action screws torqued to
normally come into play. Instead, using a piece of spec, and optic installed.

56 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: FOR A REDRESS

 BIY

Far left: TriggerTech

supplied the bang
switch for this build,
which is secured in
a hanger for easy
replacement.
Left: Once the
action is complete,
the stock bolts are
torqued to spec, and
it’s ready for a test
drive.
Below: If you’re
capable of turning
a wrench, you can
build your own bolt
gun to put meat in
the freezer.

RECOILWEB.COM 57
 BIY

Aero has its own 100-yard indoor range, so the op- Far left: EOTech’s
Vudu X 2-12x40
portunity to check our new build was too much to pass is a good choice
up. Shooting off bags in the prone position, the first for hunting
applications, with
group came in at right around 1 MOA, with the second a wide field of view
a hair larger. Switching ammo brands resulted in a on the bottom
end and enough
0.23-inch group. Not bad for a new gun, so fresh it
magnification for
didn’t even have a box to pulled from. longer shots.
Putting meat on the table in front of family and
Left: The first and
friends is satisfying. Doing it with a rif le you built second three-round
yourself adds another dimension to the experience. groups from a
brand-new barrel.
The third measured
less than a quarter
inch.

58 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: OF GRIEVANCES.

 Hunting the Common,
Copper, White,
and Black Springbok

Jon Wayne Taylor

60 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: A WELL REGULATED

RECOILWEB.COM 61
 ith a little red dot on the ante- The White
Springbok didn’t
lope’s shoulder, a shot rang out.
run far, and his
“Jon reload ...” William said, bloodtrail through
watching the plain below. the flowers made it
an easy track.
“He’s down.” Jaques called.
And he was. William had just never seen a bullet
take that long to get somewhere before.
Down there on the hard, packed ground of South
Africa’s Succulent Karoo desert lay a gorgeous Cop-
per ram. My Succulent Karoo Springbok Slam was off
to a great start.

SIG Sauer Cross

The shot I’d just taken was at the limits of what I’d
practiced with the gear I’d brought, but I had zero
doubt it would hit. Part of that surety was from a whole
lot of long-range practice over the summer, but I had
to give a lot of the credit to my equipment as well. For
this safari, I’d topped the SIG Sauer Cross rifle in 6.5
Creedmoor with SIG’s Sierra 6 BDX riflescope paired
with SIG’s Kilo 6HD binoculars, tying it all together
with the SIG BDX app on my phone.
SIG’s nontraditional bolt gun was a far cry from the The Succulent
Karoo switches
typical fine wood single shots I preferred to hunt with, rapidly from soft
but the rifle had proven itself taking a wide variety flora, like the
Lantern Bush (right)
of game across North America. The bigger change and the magenta
was the optics package. Trusting the electronics was Lampranthus
(bottom left), to
a hard thing to do for a guy who had spent 30 years
shrubs and trees,
behind a MIL-dot reticle — but I’d tested this optics like the White Thorn
combination extensively. Input the data into the app, (bottom right).

62 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: MILITIA, BEING

 SUCCULENT KAROO SPRINGBOK SLAM

range the target with the Kilo 6HD binoculars, put the
dot in the riflescope on the target, breathe, relax, aim,
squeeze. Hits were as precise as anything I could do
using traditional analog methods out to 1,000 yards and
so much faster.
Although the choice of equipment for this hunt was
new for me, the desire for the game itself, and the loca-
tion, was anything but novel.

Succulent Karoo
I’d been wanting to attempt the Springbok Slam
on their home turf, South Africa’s Succulent Karoo,
for years. The Succulent Karoo is a place lost in time,
separate from the rest of the world in geology, flora,
and fauna. It’s estimated that at least 40 percent of the
plant life there lives nowhere else on earth, including
nowhere else in South Africa. I’d brought it up during
my last buffalo hunt with Jaques Jordaan of Ndlotti Safari
Adventures, and he’d told me he knew just the place
and just the guide. When the winter came, we’d be right
here, with William Hayward of Doornrivier Safaris.
The successful shot on that Copper Springbok had
started as a chase for a White Springbok. We spotted it
on William’s property the first morning, but our quarry
winded us early. With seemingly infinite amounts of
both energy and space, we chased it across the pastel
plains by bakkie and over green hills by foot. Near call-
ing the day a loss, we saw a small herd with the Copper
Springbok among them.
Now it was one down, three to go.
A local sheep rancher had told William of a big
mixed herd that included a big black variant on his
property. We drove the massive ranch (even by African

RECOILWEB.COM 63
 came apparent that the group we spooked was actually
the smaller contingent of a larger herd. As we watched
them fly away, a good 600 yards or more and still
sprinting, a single dark figure emerged among their
mass. The farmer wasn’t fibbing. That was a dandy of a
Black Springbok.
They covered the better part of a mile before they
stopped running.
There was no way we were getting to him. Below us
lay similar terrain as the previous day’s hunt — hills and
ridges surrounding massive plains. The springbok are
perfectly suited for this terrain. With their sharp eyes
and fleet feet, they were as safe in the open as a rabbit
in its den.
The Common Springbok ram wasn’t going anywhere,
so we moved down the hill a bit, found a tree, and sat. It
was an easy wait. As the sun rose to its full height, huge
fields of the magenta Lampranthus opened, so bright
they hurt to look at. At every glance, there was some
standards), spotting a few sheep, but no springbok at The first of the plant, some stone, some thing I’d never seen. Beautiful.
all. As William went on to scout another area for kudu Springbok Slam, a The cold plain heated up, and the herd began to
Copper variant.
(and found us a dandy), Jaques and I climbed the near- spread.
est hill to see if we could find the herd. Find them we With an Arca rail attached to the forend of the Cross,
did. They were hiding in the shade of the opposite side I’d locked the rifle into a small tripod facing the herd
of the hill we had just climbed, which fell at a sharp and sat cross-legged behind it. It was an ideal set up.
angle below us. Hugging the hillside, they were running I could sit there, watch and range the Black Springbok
before we even topped the hill. through the Kilo 6HD BDX binoculars, then lean forward
I was marveling at the herd’s speed and accept- and get behind the gun to see the little red dot appear
ing another day of aching legs when Jaques called inside the scope where I’d need to aim. As the spring-
out, “Lead male, 105 yards.” This wasn’t the black ram William Haward of bok moved slowly toward us, the little dot creeped
Doornrivier Safaris
we were looking for, but I’ve hunted with Jaques long surveys a small part steadily up the reticle.
enough to trust his judgement. Two days in, two shots of his seemingly Over the better part of the afternoon, our quarry
endless hunting
out, two rams down — this one a fine Common. range searching for
wandered within about 400 yards. He might’ve gotten
Passing behind another small hill as they ran, it be- game. closer, but at this range, with this setup, that was plenty

64 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: NECESSARY TO

SUCCULENT KAROO SPRINGBOK SLAM

Top: The SIG

Cross rifle in 6.5
Creedmoor proved
capable at ranges
from 130 to over 700
yards.

Middle: Jaques’
quick spotting found
the Common, and
our patience proved
the end for the Black
Springbok variant.

Bottom: A dream
hunt come true,
capped by a typical
Succulent Karoo
Sunset.

RECOILWEB.COM 65
 SUCCULENT KAROO SPRINGBOK SLAM

close enough. Another 140-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip days we’d spent hunting him, he was still. I was also
out, another springbok in the salt. in a great spot, with plenty of time to get into a solid
Three down, one to go. prone position. I entered the wind call into the app and
handed Jaques my binoculars. As he ranged the White
One To Go For The Slam Springbok, a little red dot appeared down the reticle
With only the White Springbok variation left to com- and another to the left. That second dot was my wind
No safari is
plete the slam, we headed back to William’s property complete without hold, meaning I’d need to end up putting the elevation
where we’d been beaten on day one. Climbing a hill, a dog. In this case, dot right about the springbok’s ear as it bent to feed in
it’s William’s ever-
he was easy to spot. That brilliant white coat stood out present pair of order for the bullet to curve its path and find the heart.
against everything around him. But with the wind swirl- Jack Russells. It seemed like a lot longer, but it was just over a
ing around the hills, we ended that day the same way second’s time between the
we did the first — tired and without a White Springbok. muzzle’s report and the
Day four looked like it would end the same. Over shudder of the springbok.
and over again, we’d spend our legs out climbing a A bloom of red appeared
hill, only to see that flash of white disappear around behind his shoulder, bright
the next. As the day wore on — and we wore out — the and stark against his white
wind picked up. fur. The herd ran. He ran with
Like our Whitetail Deer here in the Texas Hill County, them. He didn’t run far.
I’m guessing the Springbok of the Succulent Karoo don’t Four days in. Four rounds
like the wind either. It robs them of the value of their vi- out. Four antelope down. The
tal senses of smell and hearing. Our deer at home com- Succulent Karoo Springbok
pensate by getting in the heavy brush and staying there. Slam, complete.
The springbok retreat to the safety of the open plain.
That’s where we found him. Topping what I swore
— one way or another — would be the last hill of the
day, we saw him far out in the open with a mixed herd Various tortoise
species exist
of others. Without any way to get closer, we’d been throughout the area.
beaten, again. Or maybe not. The author found
them so common
He was quite far away in a high, full value wind. as to be almost
But he was calm and for the first time in the three underfoot.

66 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: THE SECURITY OF

The French Know a Thing or Two About Game Dishes.
Here’s One You Can Try as an Early Season Opener
Tim Fowler

68 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: A FREE STATE,

 s we rounded the corner, your father chose between chicken and rabbit to feed the popu-
stepped out of the woods with a rif le lation. Both were relatively easy to raise, prodigious
over his shoulder. He was carrying multipliers, and matured to eating size rapidly. The
two rabbits. It was clear to all of us we fact that chicken came with the potential for crispy skin
weren’t in Toronto anymore.” tipped the balance in favor of T-Rex’s distance relative.
This was my mother, recounting the last turn on For big game and upland hunters, rabbits and hares
her first trip west to meet the man she would marry, are a bonus. On a recent big game hunt, after skinning
the man who would become my father. West meant and loading three mule deer in the morning, my son and
a 2,300-mile road trip to a country town in central I took a late afternoon stalk around our favorite wood
Alberta with a population of 7,200 and dirt roads. It pile and collected five rabbits — a nice addition to the
was a place where you could step out your back porch pantry. Cottontail rabbits (which this one is) are normal-
with a rabbit gun and walk back an hour later with a ly white meat. Hares and jackrabbit meat (also delicious)
couple of rabbits, and the neighbors would just nod are a much deeper color and stronger flavored — think
and smile. Toronto was then a major city with well turkey legs or even beef instead of chicken.
over 1 million residents. It’s still a good long trip, but A few months back, I interviewed a master Armag-
it was longer back then. My mother-to-be convinced nac blender, employed for decades in a family distill-
her parents to take a road trip to meet the folks she ery in France’s Gascony region. Armagnac is brandy,
wanted to be her in-laws. This recipe for rabbit wasn’t like Cognac is brandy — both from a specific geog-
served on that visit, but maybe it should’ve been. raphy. Armagnac is traditionally distilled in a column
Rabbit has long been a supplemental protein in the still, as opposed to Cognac’s pot still process. When I
North American diet. Back in the war years, rabbits asked the Master what his favorite food prepared with
were a welcome bonus to be added to meager food Armagnac was, he paused for an emotional moment
rations. In fact, there was a time when our forefathers and went on to describe a rabbit dish his grandmother

The business of
acquiring rabbit for
the pantry is aided
greatly with a good
over and under
shotgun.

RECOILWEB.COM 69
prepared with leeks, cream, a lot of love, and finished is used both in the sauce to simmer the rabbit and
with Armagnac. He described how his grandmother finish the dish with a drizzle before presenting it at
drizzled Armagnac over the dish before presenting the table. The unique aroma and f lavor of Armagnac
it to the family. This recipe is the closest I can come is memorable and delightful.
to what he described for me as his favorite Armagnac I chose Duchess potatoes because they’re French,
culinary related memory. delicious, and would perfectly sponge up excess
It’s worth the trouble to chase down both a rabbit sauce. I chose butter sauteed spinach, well, because
and a bottle of Armagnac for this recipe. Armagnac rabbits do like spinach.

Above: Potatoes, eggs, Above: Beat the potatoes,

duck fat and nutmeg are eggs, and fat, season with
the ingredients required nutmeg and a pinch of salt
for Duchess Potatoes. and pipe, large rosettes
(Missing: a pinch of salt.) onto a silicon paper covered
aluminum baking sheet.

Left: Clockwise from part-

ed out rabbit: leeks, grainy
mustard, yellow mustard,
duck fat, Armagnac, 35%
cream, white wine (a white
burgundy would make a
nice choice) and chicken
stock. All-purpose flour for
dredging at the bottom of
the frame.
Below: Season the rabbit
with coarse salt and
pepper and let rest up to 45 Below: Duck fat fried rabbit
minutes while you prepare does look very much like
the other ingredients. fried chicken.

70 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: THE RIGHT

WILD RABBIT IN ARMAGNAC

RECOILWEB.COM 71
 WILD RABBIT IN ARMAGNAC

Rabbit and Duchess Potatoes For Two

EQUIPMENT 8. Once the rabbit is lightly browned, METHOD FOR DUCHESS POTATOES
place in a small Dutch oven or (SERVES 2 WITH SOME LEFTOVERS):
+ Cutting board casserole.
+ Chef’s knife 9. Add another tablespoon of duck fat and 1. Peel 3 large russet potatoes.
+ Saucepan sliced leaks to the skillet and cook for a 2. Place the potatoes in a saucepan
+ Mixer minute or two. covered with cold water. Bring to a boil
+ Spatula 10. Then, add white wine and Armagnac to and simmer until tender. (About 45
+ Mixing bowl deglaze the pan. (Turn off the gas for a minutes.)
+ Container for dredging in flour minute while the alcohol burns off or 3. Drain and let the potatoes cool and dry
+ Cup and spoon measurers prepare for a spectacular flambé.) a bit.
+ Skillet 11. Add cream, stock, and mustard, and 4. Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl, add
+ Small Dutch oven or casserole turn the heat up to a high boil to reduce duck fat, nutmeg, and salt.
+ Piping bag with large star tip by ¼, then pour over the rabbit. Add the 5. Add the eggs and beat the mixture until
+ Silicon paper or Silpat mat finely chopped thyme. it’s smooth and stands in soft peaks.
+ Aluminum baking sheet 12. Cover closely and bake an hour. 6. Use a spatula to scoop the potato
+ Oven and range top 13. Test a rabbit leg by poking it with a mixture into the bag and pipe 3- to
+ Wooden spoon paring knife to check for tenderness. 3.5-inch rosettes onto a silicon paper
14. Let the rabbit rest at the back of the covered aluminum baking sheet.
INGREDIENTS FOR RABBIT warm stove while you bake the Duchess 7. When the rabbit is done, turn the oven
potatoes and whatever you choose for up to 400 degrees F.
+ 1 whole fresh rabbit, cut in six pieces the vegetable. 8. Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes until
+ Coarse salt and pepper to taste 15. When the potatoes and vegetables are nicely browned.
+ 1 leek, rinsed in cool water to remove the ready to serve, drizzle ½ an ounce of
grit, slice diagonally all the white and some Armagnac over the rabbit and sprinkle
of the green with a tablespoon of finely chopped I chose Duchess potatoes because
+ 1 tablespoon grainy mustard parsley. they are French, delicious, and would
+ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard perfectly sponge up excess sauce. I
+ 2 tablespoons duck fat or butter (separated INGREDIENTS FOR DUCHESS
into two 1 tablespoon measures) POTATOES chose butter sauteed spinach, well, be-
+ 2 ounces of Armagnac, retain ½ an ounce cause rabbits do like spinach.
for a drizzle over the hot rabbit when + 3 russet potatoes (about 600 grams or a
served pound and a half)
+ ½ cup 35% cream + 3 large hen eggs use (one whole egg and
+ ¾ cup white wine (a white burgundy would two egg yolks)
make a nice choice here) + 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of duck fat or butter
+ ¾ cup chicken stock. + ¼ teaspoon grated Nutmeg
+ 1 to 2 cups of all-purpose flour for dredging + ½ teaspoon salt I think mother would’ve been impressed if
+ Sprig or two of parsley and thyme, chopped this would have been their welcome dinner.
finely

METHOD FOR RABBIT

1. Acquire a fresh rabbit. (If you don’t

hunt, specialty meat markets often
carry fresh and frozen rabbits.)
2. Start the oven at 350 degrees F.
3. Rinse the rabbit in cool running water
and dry with paper towels.
4. Separate into six pieces: two hind legs,
two fore legs, and two ribs made by
separating the loin into two by cutting
along the backbone.
5. Season well with coarse salt
and pepper and let rest at room
temperature while you prepare the
other ingredients.
6. Melt a tablespoon of duck fat or butter
in a skillet.
7. Dredge the rabbit pieces and flour
and fry over medium heat until lightly
browned on both sides.

72 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: THE RIGHT

FULLY SUPPRESSED
R ANGE DAY + GUN SHOW

NOV 8-9 20
24 APR 11-13 20
25
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+ GEAR FOR SALE + 50+ LANES OF FIREARMS + DAILY GIVEAWAYS

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74 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: TO KEEP
Embarking on the Hunting Trip of a Lifetime With Two
Unlikely Companions: a 6.5 Creedmoor and a 7mm PRC
Luke Hartle

WOULD YOU RATHER?

With two teenage girls living under my roof, I get punishment, by the way — I tossed one out to my girls:
sucked into the occasional game of “would you rather?” Would you rather lose an eye or lose a leg? The uni-
It’s not an experience I’d wish upon any grown man, but versal answer was that they’d rather give up a leg than
because I do genuinely enjoy spending time with them an eye, and I couldn’t agree more: You can always buy
(when they’re not trying to maim one another), I’ll play a new leg, but seeing … well, seeing is everything. It’s
along now and again. the last of my senses that I’d ever want to part with.
After admitting that I’d rather listen to Rihanna than I mention this seemingly pointless bit of information
Taylor Swift — both are forms of cruel and unusual to highlight my perspective when choosing gear for
epic hunts: Seeing is everything. And with my wife at-
tending this trip, I wanted to ensure her visual experi-
ence was top-notch … with the selfish intention of her
falling in love with Africa, thus making a return trip
that much more likely when I present that inevitable
sales pitch to her.
If the pictures in this article didn’t already spoil the
punch line, I chose EOTech scopes for both rif les to
make damned sure Mama was happy.
If you Google the company, the slug that pops up
right there in the results reads “EOTech: Battle-Prov-
en Optics for Military, Police and Professional Shoot-
ers.” They need to get one of their IT guys to get off
their butt and update that, because it should read
“ … and for hunters and shooters who demand perfec-
tion from their rif lescopes.”
Yes, EOTech’s foundation is built upon the optics
they developed for military and law-enforcement
professionals, and it’s clear they learned a lot of cool
sh*t along the way … and folded that knowledge into
their hunting rif lescopes. The viewing experience

RECOILWEB.COM 75
is exceptional, they track with perfection, and aside glass), one on my go-to muzzleloader, and one on a
from using your rif le as a club fend off a charging .300 Winchester Magnum — all in the 2-12x. And I
Cape buffalo, you can’t hardly break ’em. like the Vudu X better than all of them.
On the Bergara 6.5 Creedmoor, I mounted up the I handed the rifle to Richard Mann, who writes for
1-10x28mm Vudu FFP. At the risk of allowing my van- Gun Digest and a pile of other notable gun publications
ity to show a bit here, I was unsure how much I’d like — and who came out of his mother’s womb a hard-core
this rif lescope because of its straight-tube design: I cynic. He looked over the scope, then looked through
once thought scopes without an objective bell always the scope, and said, “I need to get me one of those.”
seemed to look … incomplete. And now … well, I Launched just within the past 18 months, the Vudu X
gotta eat a pile of crow on this one, and it’s never is EOTech’s magical concoction that blends the com-
tasted so sweet. pany’s innovations with a price tag ($800-ish) that’s as
After 15 days afield with this scope — in terrain foul easy to swallow as properly aged elk backstraps. Said
with gear-scratching rocks and red dust that seeps another way: I’m not going to take any cheap shots at
into cracks (on the gear on my body) that will never other brands here, but for what you get in regard to
come out, the 1-10x28mm Vudu easily lands on my durability, functionality, and glass quality with the Vudu
Top 5 list of favorite scopes … and I’ve shot a pile of X, you’ll have to pay a minimum of $1,500 for elsewhere.
’em. There isn’t a single thing about it that I don’t like, The scope’s style is best described as souped-up
and that includes the look. simplicity, with capped turrets and an illuminated du-
I expected for the “modified circle-dot” reticle to plex reticle — with and without holdover and windage
take some getting used to, but my wife, Molly, easily striations.
picked up the rif le and quickly dropped her fallow Oh, yeah: It might sound trivial, but EOTech makes
stag. I might’ve teared up (just a little bit) when the it standard practice to include throw levers on their
Land Cruiser rolled into camp after her hunt. Unfortu- rif lescopes for fast zoom adjustments. I’d personally
nately, not even I can make her smile like that. prefer to never go without one of those ever again.
I paired the Cascade 7mm PRC with a Vudu X Hunting is but PS: My philosophy worked, by the way. If I ever
an excuse to go
2-12x40mm EOTech. If I had to pick one to rule them to Africa. The go back to Africa without my Molly, it’s unlikely that
all, the 2-12x configuration is my absolute favorite for true trophies are she’ll be at home when I return. She fell in love with
undoubtedly the
all-around hunting: I’ve got an old Nikon on my slug adventures and the
the entire experience (well, minus the 15-hour f light
gun (Nikon used to make some outstanding rif lescope memories. between Atlanta and Johannesburg).

76 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: AND BEAR ARMS,

 THE ODD COUPLE

The Cascade LR Hunter in 7mm

PRC (top) and the Bergara B14
Squared Crest in 6.5 Creedmoor
make the perfect pair for any plains
game hunt ... when chambered with
the right ammunition.

SAFARI POWER
So, I did it: I took two chamberings specifically A 6.5 Creedmoor just With a Silencer Central suppressor, the shot expe-
doesn’t have quite
designed for long-range target work, and I traveled enough knockdown rience was so exceptional that my wife genuinely
halfway around the world with them … to hunt. power for hunting enjoyed sending each round downrange, and she’s
elephant. It’s better
For this trip, I shouldered a Bergara B14 Squared to just watch them
not a prolific shooter. The carbon fiber repels dings
Crest Carbon, chambered in 6.5mm Creedmoor. pass on by. and scratches, the action seemed to laugh at the chal-
lenge of functioning f lawlessly while constantly under
barrage from red dust … and Bergara barrels are
known for stacking bullets on top of one another.
I know it’s uncouth to not bring a wood-and-blued
rif le to Africa, but some traditions are meant to be
broken.
My bigger critter getter was a CVA Cascade Long
Range Hunter 7mm PRC. All CVA firearms are fitted
with Bergara barrels (read: outstanding accuracy),
and the adjustable cheek piece is mandatory — I
add a cheek pad, for elevation and not necessarily
comfort — to every rif le without an adjustable comb
height.
My only asterisk on the performance of this rif le is
the weight. At about 8½ pounds naked, the gun is a
little heavy; however, that added weight was definitely
nice to have when sending a 170-grain bullet out of
the muzzle at nearly 3,000 fps.
Also, it might be worth noting that I was consistently
called “ungentlemanly” for running this rif le without
a suppressor. But I suppose that’s more on me than the
rif le, which does come factory threaded …

RECOILWEB.COM 77
 tip was added to the Fusion just this year, helping it
maintain f light stability over longer distances. Plus,
the tip helps control expansion upon contact. Think
“consistency.”
The 140-grain Fusion Tipped ammunition helped
me give truck rides to everything from tiny jackals
to a 250-pound warthog … and most importantly,
my wife’s fallow. The blood trails were short, and the
smiles were big. And, as an aside, I’ve personally
seen a moose fall to a 6.5 Creedmoor. Now, I wouldn’t
recommend it, but with the right bullet put in the right
location, the 6.5 Creed is a meat seeker.
Like the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 7mm PRC quickly set
up its reputation as a long-range steel-smacker, but
on paper, it’s not so different from the 7mm Reming-
ton Magnum, whose field accolades have long been
established. But, shooter beware: While the afore-
mentioned 6.5 Creed produces recoil even a lady can
love, the recoil on the 7mm PRC has some teeth.
I fed my CVA Cascade 170-grain Terminal Ascent
ammo exclusively while in Africa, and although it’s
a bit of an oversimplification, it sure felt like all I had
to do was point and shoot that setup at game, and it
dropped.
A black wildebeest at 157 yards and blue wilde-
Federal’s Terminal
Ascent ammunition EFFECTIVE SLEEPING PILLS beest at 289 yards, both of which African PH’s refer
turns a 7mm PRC Here’s the phrase I use so much that everyone who’s to as “the poor man’s buffalo” because of their ability
“range rod” into a
punchy little death
heard it rolls their eyes, but I’m forced to keep using
wand. That bullet it because so many people don’t listen: The bullet in
is efficient at killing
the chamber will forever be more important than the
animals quickly
... with proper numbers that are stamped on the outside of the bar-
placement, of rel. Read that again if you have to.
course.
“What rifle ya got there, a .30-06? Oh, it’s a .270
Winchester [insert involuntary eye roll]?” Who cares?!
You can kill more effectively with the right bullet in a
.270 Win. than with the wrong bullet in a .30-06 … or
even a .300 Win. Mag., for that matter.
With the right bullets, taking a 6.5 Creedmoor and a
7mm PRC to Africa is a picture-collecting adventure.
With the wrong bullets, you’ll be paying for a lot of
empty blood trails. Target shooters have the luxury of
not needing to worry about terminal ballistics. But to
hunters, terminal ballistics are as important as aerial
ballistics.
Kudu are big
Federal has had the Fusion bullet in their lineup
but they aren’t
particularly tough, for quite a while, and I’ll be the first to stand on an
and pursuing them ammo crate and sing the praises of its terminal bal-
is like spot-and-
stalk hunting listic accolades. The bonded bullet is a killer, and it’s
Midwestern always shot very accurately. But to fully maximize
whitetails in way
more stunning
the aerodynamic proficiencies of the 6.5 Creedmoor
terrain. afforded by the cartridge’s long ogives, a polymer

78 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: SHALL NOT

 THE ODD COUPLE

Above: Hunting in Africa is like seeing the world

through the eyes of a child all over again.

Right: Rarely is one required to rough it while on

safari.

Below: With a little luck, a non-hunting spouse

might get the itch to shoulder a rifle and send a
round downrange, making return-trip negotiations
that much smoother.

RECOILWEB.COM 79
to soak up bullets? Both dropped. A giant 300-pound expanding at distance. I’ve seen diagrams promoting
warthog, facing me at 130 yards? Never took a step. expansion out to nearly 1,000 yards: I cannot verify
A running bull kudu at 100 yards, with a shot that was that because I haven’t tested it on animals at that dis-
too far back? Lights out. tance, and I don’t ever plan to.
All hunting bullets are designed to have a sweet- But I can verify, through personal testing between
spot range. For some, if shot into a target too close, 60 and 450 yards, that these bullets do what the box
they’ll come apart because the bullet is moving so says they’ll do. It’s great stuff (but it’s a pain in the ass
fast. For others, they won’t expand at longer distances to photograph because the bullets and the brass are
because the bullet has slowed down so much. Either nickel-plated).
situation is detrimental to effective and efficient killing. So, don’t hesitate to take a “range cartridge” afield
Terminal Ascent ammunition was designed be ex- for your next meat-gathering adventure … but do
tremely versatile, holding together up close while still leave that match ammo at home.

FRIENDS FROM AFAR

Because everyone’s personality is so different, and
because I so often can’t stand many individuals whom
others adore, I generally refrain from being a match-
maker. Too risky.
But I’ll stick my neck out a bit and recommend that
you call Geoffrey Wayland at Fort Richmond Safaris if
a trip to the Dark Continent might be remotely on your
radar. Go spend some time on a working cattle farm,
listen to his kid’s amateur jokes, over-eat on his wife’s
“holy sh*t that’s good” malva pudding … and fall in
love with Africa. Find yourself a PH who will take self-
ies with your phone when you’re not looking.
It’s rare to spend an hour with someone and feel as
though you’ve been sharing campfires your entire life.
Imagine what that feels like after a 10-day safari.

It’s the unscripted

photos that make
the best blackmail.

As the author
was informed,
hunting without a
suppressor in 2024
is “ungentlemanly.”

80 CARNIVORE ISSUE10° | 1A/2A: BE INFRINGED.

 THE ODD COUPLE

Left: Bushman Above: If magic Below: Friendships

cave paintings in is indeed real, form much more
the Eastern Cape of it’s most likely quickly in hunting
South Africa. to reveal itself camp than they do in
through a southern the outside world.
hemisphere
campfire.

RECOILWEB.COM 81
82 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
Destructive Pest or Flavor Fest?
Jack Hennessy

he sad truth is so often hog hunters leave

their kills to a muddy grave, rarely dragging
the beasts from the muck and butchering
and feasting on the flavors invasive swine
has to offer. Then, others are willing to eat
sows, or younger pigs, but never boars. Thanks to my
friend Ronny Katzenberger of Texas JAGD (based out of
Austin), I’ve hunted, butchered, and cooked several wild
pigs and found all — small, big, sow, boar — quite tasty.
Like any wild game, preparing and cooking the beasts
comes down to a methodology that varies from that of its
domestic counterparts. For starters, wild hogs are often
leaner than store-bought pork and their fat, in general,
has a different flavor to it. Both when you butcher a fresh
wild hog and then cook it later, more often than not, you’ll
get both the smell and subtle taste of maple syrup. It’s
kind of a sweet, wild flavor, and unique to these feral ani-
mals responsible for $2.5 billion worth of annual nation-
wide agriculture damage.
The recipe here calls for roasting a whole wild piglet,

RECOILWEB.COM 83
though the same techniques referenced here could cooking at a very low temp in
be applied to any cut of wild hog. I did think there was the oven, we braise the meat
some novelty to a pig roast and simultaneous semi-luau over several hours until it falls
theme with friends (Hawaiian shirts mandatory), so I off the bone.
woke up at 3 a.m. to make certain this pig was done by If making this recipe — or
dinner. any authentically smoked bar-
A note on food safety with wild hogs: they can carry becue, for that matter — make
trichinosis. Because of this, I make a point to serve at no sure to plan ahead. You want to
less than 145 degrees F, a temp that will kill trichinosis. rub down the meat the night
However, with this recipe here, the internal temp will before. Not only does this give
likely exceed 200 degrees F, so you’ll be more than safe it time to absorb spices, but
to consume. it also allows time for salt to
For pig roasts using a domestic hog, those hogs are bind to muscle fibers, which
shaved, so the skin keeps in moisture. With wild pigs, helps retain moisture dur-
rarely will you be able to shave and roast. Generally ing cooking. Then, the entire
speaking, you’ll likely remove the hide, which is a smoking-braising process is
process. In doing so, a skinless wild pig will dry out approximately 14 hours.
quicker. This is why we religiously spritz while smok- So, set your alarm, don your
ing with a mix of apple juice and apple-cider vinegar. best luau shirt, and maybe
Doing so both keeps the exterior moist, and — fun crack a beer for yourself when
fact — the smoke adheres better to moist, cold meat. it’s time to start braising the
And while with a domestic pig you could roast or pig.
smoke all day while fat and collagen denature, turn to
gelatin, and add succulence to the meat, because wild Because you’ll wind
up skinning your
hog is so lean, we smoke it only long enough to add that piglet, you’ll need
smoky flavor. Then, we want to basically reconstitute to mitigate the loss
of moisture while
with the addition of beef stock and red ale. I love me
smoking with the
some Walnut River Brewing Warbeard (a red ale only addition of apple
found in Kansas, but soon to appear in Wyoming and juice.

Missouri, too).
With the addition of liquids, then covering and

Bigger hogs have some tasty meat in their jowls, but pigs this size are
generally not worth the effort to recover it. But your dog will thank you.

84 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 WILD PIGLET LUAU

Luau Piglet
INGREDIENTS
(approximately 20 servings, potentially more)

+ 1 whole wild piglet, skinned

+ Meat Church The Gospel rub
+ Meat Church Honey Bacon BBQ rub
+ Spray bottle with 50:50 mix of apple juice and apple-cider vinegar
+ 6 medium yellow onions, sliced and caramelized
+ Olive oil
+ Kosher salt and black pepper
+ 6 jalapeños, sliced
+ 48 ounces (minimum) beef stock
+ 4 12-ounce cans (minimum) of red ale (Walnut River Warbeard
used here)

PROCEDURE

+ Liberally apply rubs to all sides of fully thawed piglet and allow to red
in cold cooler or fridge overnight.

+ Smoke piglet at 200 degrees F for 4 hours with your favorite wood
flavor. (I went with Traeger’s Cherry blend mixed with their Mesquite.)
Spray with apple juice and apple-cider vinegar mix every half hour
to hour and flip the piglet if necessary to make sure all sides get an
adequate smoke and spray.

+ Prior to finishing the 4-hour smoke, start an open fire with either
wood or lump charcoal or a combination of both.

+ While the fire builds, in a large, deep cast-iron skillet, add a thin layer
of olive oil and place on the stove over a medium-high burner. Add
sliced onions and lightly salt and pepper. Once slightly softened and
seared, turn heat to low and stir every so often to caramelize onions.

+ After smoking the piglet for approximately 4 hours, start carving off
quarters (so front shoulders and hindquarters) and searing directly in
fire. Turn to get an adequate char, then add to a large aluminum tray
and cover with equal amounts of beef stock and red ale.

+ Continue to sear all quarters and place in aluminum tray. (You may
need more than one large tray.) Carve off flanks and pop off ribs at
spin and sear. Chop off spine to sear loins (or just carve out loins and
sear). Lastly, try to remove the head and sear the neck. Add all seared
parts to an aluminum tray and try to keep mostly covered with beef
stock and red ale.

+ Turn oven to 200 degrees F. Add caramelized onions and sliced jala-
peños overtop seared hog and cover aluminum trays with foil.

+ Leave hog bits covered in oven at 200 degrees F for 5 to 6 hours. You
may wish to check every hour to make sure liquid still covers most of
the meat. If necessary, add more beef stock and red ale.

+ When finished, the hog meat should easily shred and fall off the bone.
Feel welcome to lightly salt all to taste (meaning if it tastes slightly
bland, add a bit of salt, but do not oversalt to where it tastes salty).

+ Yes, you can serve a bottle of barbecue sauce alongside shredded

hog. To reheat, add shredded hog (bones optional) to a skillet and
warm with red ale (and maybe a bit of barbecue sauce).

RECOILWEB.COM 85
Train in Field Positions
This Summer for
Success in the Fall
Iain Harrison
Kenda Lenseigne

86 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 Equipment
Before launching down the path of individual skills,
let’s talk about gear, because if there’s one thing hunt-
ers are gay for, it’s the latest Gucci kit. Let’s face it,
it’s a lot easier to whip out a credit card to pretend to
purchase performance than actually putting in effort to
gain solid, fundamental skills. If you’re itching to spend
money, then the most important items you can buy are
ammo, more ammo, or a .22LR facsimile of your hunting
rifle, which might make your ammo budget stretch a
little further. Ideally, if you’re hunting with a bolt-action
rifle, then your .22LR trainer should be a bolty also,
but if you already have a 10/22 lurking in the back of
the safe, then don’t think you need to dash out and buy
a Bergara B14. The mechanics of building a shooting
position, pressing the trigger and breaking the shot
without disturbing your sight picture are way more
important than bolt manipulation. Just don’t get carried
away with doing mag dumps.

Pack Drills
Ideally, we want to be able to shoot
off our backpack whenever possible
but should recognize this isn’t going
to happen most of the time, especially
if you plan on hunting from a blind
or tree stand. Nonetheless, building
a solid position from prone allows us
to build confidence in our equipment
and verify both zero and data. Not
many people bring a rear bag into the
field, but if you use a bino harness,
e’ve all heard the old trope of Sitting positioned you don’t have to, as this will serve to stabilize the rear
some clueless nimrod turn- with a pack jammed of the buttstock and allow us to make fine adjustments
between your legs
ing up at hunting camp with the is much more for windage and elevation. Shuffle your bino harness
price tag still on his rifle, yet stable than sitting around until it’s under the butt of your rifle, then use
positioned alone.
confident in his ability because You can also use it your support hand to either grasp the stock or make a
the counter jockey at the gun store boresighted it for him. to stabilize the stock fist under it to bring the reticle where you need it be-
when shooting from
In the words of the great philosopher Homer Simpson, fore making the shot. After each shot, get up, shake out,
a tripod or cover.
“It’s funny, ’cause it’s true.” Don’t be that guy. and pick up your pack again — practice getting down
Whether you’ve dumped a bunch of cash on the trip of into position as quickly and efficiently as possible. Shot
a lifetime, or you’re just noodling around the back forty, timers are a good tool to use here.
you still owe it the game you’re hunting to make the best, Need to get off your belly in order to clear brush?
most ethical shot possible and maximize the potential of Get into a seated position and then wrap your arms and
both your own skill and your equipment. No one expects legs around your pack, squeezing it in order to gain as
top-level athletes to just show up on the day and turn in a much stability as possible. Don’t forget to use your sling
PR or break a world record, so why should your perfor- to complete the setup. Pro tip: Don’t force your rifle into
mance be any different? If you want to drill the center the target, as this will create stress in your muscles and
of an 8-inch kill zone, on demand, then there’s no better induce tremors in the rifle. Adjust your entire body by
time than yesterday to start work. The second-best time shuffling your ass around until the rifle points naturally
is today. Here are a few drills to get you started. at the target.

RECOILWEB.COM 87
 Natural Support
Rocks, brush, and trees are everywhere, so make competition have a place on the mountain. So if you
them work for you. One of the hardest things to teach carry a tripod for your spotting scope or binos, make
older shooters who were raised on the four classic it work for you when setting up for a shot. Like using
military shooting positions is to raise the strong side natural features, one of the most overlooked aspects of
knee when kneeling behind cover. The “reverse kneel” shooting from a tripod is stabilizing the rear of the rifle
isn’t quite as much fun as reverse cowgirl, but it’s prob- — you’ve got the front end nailed down with the sticks,
ably going to get you more hits on target. so think of what you can do to steady the buttstock. Use
Using stacked feet
looks goofy — until you your pack under your master elbow to eliminate shakes
try it. It works better Tripod Drills when shooting from kneeling or sitting. Alternatively, if
with stiff-soled hunting
boots than sneakers, With the spread of ARCA Swiss rails onto the you’ve got an ideal piece of natural support such as a
but you can practice forends of hunting rifles, using a tripod is no longer conveniently located rock or stump, wrap your master
with whatever you’re
wearing.
the preserve of PRS shooters, though techniques from arm around your tripod and use your support hand to

88 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 PRACTICAL ACCURACY

Use your QD swivels

to full advantage by
disconnecting the
rear and wrapping
your sling around
your belt. Push
into the tripod with
your support arm
and pull back on
the sling to create
tension and dial out
wobble.

tions, you’ll know what a literal pain in the neck it is.

One way to improve your chances of success is to lie
perpendicular to the fall line and use Hawkins prone.
To do this, grab your sling at the front swivel with your
support hand and set the toe of the buttstock directly
on the ground, with your strong-side shoulder press-
ing down on it. This creates one of the most stable and
lowest-profile shooting positions and was popularized
by British snipers in World Wars I and II, who didn’t
care if their stocks got scratched up. Somehow, it never
gained much acceptance by those with fancy wood …
Another way to gain stability is to stack your feet,
using your boots to stabilize the front end of the rifle.
hold one of the legs while resting the buttstock on it. Instead of fighting This looks weird the first time you try it, but once you’ve
gravity when
If you’re forced to take a shot off the sticks from placed rounds on top of one another, it doesn’t seem so
shooting downhill,
standing, then a trick shamelessly stolen from military try laying across the strange.
snipers working in urban hides is to unhook your rear fall line and sticking The key to using any of these techniques effectively
the toe of your
sling swivel and wrap the sling through your belt a stock into the dirt. is to familiarize yourself with them ahead of time. If
couple of times. Push forward with your support hand Hawkins prone is the you’re trying to recall details from a magazine article
lowest position that
to create tension in the sling and eliminate wobbles. can be used with a
while attempting to pull off the shot of a lifetime, you’re
full-power hunting wrong. Might we humbly suggest getting your ass to
Downhill Cheat Code rifle and is useful the range and making any mistakes there, rather than in
for those awkward
If you’ve ever tried to shoot from high to low posi- shots on a gradient. the field?

RECOILWEB.COM 89
90 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 Three Off-the-Grid Adventures, closed behind him.
“I’ve already killed more sh*t with a Mossberg than
on Two Different Continents … you’ll lie about in 10 lifetimes.”
With One Never-Die Rifle For the next couple days, I remember stewing about
Luke Hartle that spontaneous little interaction. Partly because I
wasn’t sure that little brat heard my verbal twist of the
ha ndful of years ago, I was working knife before the door closed behind him, but I was
the bench during bantam tryouts for mostly perturbed because this kid’s thoughts on Moss-
our local hockey association. If you’ve berg are not isolated. I wanted him to know how wrong
had kids in sports, you know how this he was and why he was so wrong.
goes: You write a check for a stupid In the backcountry, So, I headed to the basement and started counting
amount of money, and as long as you “volunteer” within looks don’t mean a coup. Turns out, I’ve got a handful of Mossbergs in my
damned thing. If it
the organization for a pre-determined amount of hours, can’t run dirty, don’t
working guns collection.
they rip up the check. take it. There’s a FLEX shotgun (remember those?) I used
It’s pretty much forced labor, but it’s less painful than
having them cash that check. So, I was working the
bantam (think eighth and ninth graders) boys hockey
tryouts.
More often than not, those boys are pretty focused,
silent and too tired to give anyone much lip, but they’ll
generally hit me with a fist bump and thank me for my
service (they think it’s funny because they know I’m
there against my will).
I had been working with these guys all week, and
on the final night of tryouts, the boys were handing me
their pinnies and heading toward the locker room …
when one of them turned around and came back.
“Thanks for the help, man. And we really need to get
you a new hat.” Then, he winked at me.
As he walked away, I pulled off my lid to confirm that I
was indeed wearing the hat that I thought I was wearing.
Mossberg.
Being too proud to be bested by a little hockey punk,
I yelled down the hallway just as the locker room door

RECOILWEB.COM 91
 in Alaska to tag a pair of Sitka blacktails and my first

Making Friends harlequin. There’s also a little .410 bantam shotty my

daughter has used to kill her first two Eastern turkeys
with Frank … and it’s the gun my son used to miss his first turkey
the first time we hunted together (yes, he cried like a
LOCATION: Frank Church Wilderness, Idaho newborn). And, although it hasn’t been fired in a while,
SPECIES: Rocky Mountain Elk I’ve still got the Mossberg 4X4 I used to give my fire
AMMUNITION: Nosler AccuBond Trophy muley a ride in the truck.
Grade, 180-grain And then there’s the .300 Winchester Magnum Pa-
OPTICS: Bushnell triot, complete with the Marine Coat finish Mossberg
NOTES: Despite being a true wilderness (mean- once used before anyone in the gun industry had ever
ing the tree huggers will lock you up and throw heard of Cerakote. Together, that rifle and I are more
away the key for even thinking about inter-
nal combustion while within its boundaries), lethal than a redhead on a bad hair day.
the Frank Church Wilderness still wears and There isn’t a one of those guns that will fetch a pile
maintains a series of airstrips from the 1920s
of money, but each of them has been at my side while
originally used for fire management.
creating some of my favorite memories afield … and
That means a rifleman can catch a ride deep in
into the backcountry and hunt elk in the middle that’s what makes a gun truly invaluable.
of September … and in case that subtle bit of So, here’s the scrapbook of that .300 Win. Mag. (same
hunting trivia went over your head, rare is the barreled action, wearing two different stocks) and I on
opportunity to hunt elk with a rife during the
bugle. three different unique vacations, when we left my wife
And, more importantly, it means that it’s possi- at home and made some pretty intimate memories
ble for a hunter to catch a plane ride to a pack of together.
mules and not have to be chaffed and exhausted And, “hockey kid,” if you somehow stumble across
well before ever reaching camp. In the words of
a very wise Canadian friend of mine: “Strong like this little nod to my Mossberg hat … I’ll sell it to ya for a
bull, smart like tractor.” thousand dollars.

Unless you’re the lead

horse, the view never
changes ... or not.
Views in the Frank
Church Wilderness are
spectacular.

92 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 THIS ONE IS MINE

Above: Good com-

pany is hard to find
in the wilderness,
especially when
they’re not bugling.
Walk softly and
carry a big rifle.

Left: As a gun nerd,

recovering a bullet
is nearly as good
as the antlers that
grow on top of the
meat. This is the
single 180-grain
Nosler AccuBond
that ended the old
bull’s reign.

Right: With late-

September overnight
temps bottoming
out near freezing,
hanging meat for
days on end wasn’t
a concern. Luck-
ily, bears weren’t a
concern, either.

RECOILWEB.COM 93
94 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 THIS ONE IS MINE

Sleeping in a full-
on bed, in a tent,
in the middle of
the African bush Hunting Below the Belt
country is preferred
over the amenities LOCATION: Northern Cape of South Africa, near Kimberley
any five-star hotel is
capable of offering. SPECIES: Warthog, gemsbok and kudu
AMMUNITION: SIG Sauer Elite Hunting HT, 165-grain
OPTICS: SIG Electro-Optics
NOTES: When it comes to Africa, there seems to be two distinct
From warthogs to camps of hunters with very little middle ground to share: those who
gemsbok, and of
have been there and cannot wait to go back … and those who don’t
course kudu, the
understand the appeal because they haven’t been there yet.
Mossberg Patriot
proved to be the Hunting on the other side of the Earth’s hemisphere belt is indeed an
perfect safari experience that cannot be compared to any type of hunting available
companion, and I in the United States. From meeting the people to chasing the critters,
didn’t have to worry it’s an unexpectedly addicting venture.
about scratching
the barrel or And, if that’s not enough to get you on a plane, it’s also worth noting
dinging the stock. that the American dollar goes so far in South Africa that it’s possible
It’s a workhorse to feel incredibly wealthy while spending a very responsible amount
that thrives while on the trip of a lifetime.
covered in the red
dirt of Africa.

RECOILWEB.COM 95
 THIS ONE IS MINE

A Moon-Walk in Texas
LOCATION: Far West Texas, near Alpine
SPECIES: Scimitar-Horned Oryx
AMMUNITION: Remington Premier Long Range, 190-grain
OPTICS: Riton
NOTES: No need to hit up Elon Musk on X to beg for a ride to the moon
when you can visit the borderlands of West Texas. Heck, you might
even get a rare glimpse of illegal aliens going for a quick swim in a
river.
And if that doesn’t entice ya, what about the opportunity to hunt an
extinct animal? Yes, you read that correctly.
Because there are no longer sustainable populations in their histori-
cal home ranges within Nepal and Chad, the scimitar-horned oryx
is technically considered extinct … despite there being a healthy and
huntable free-ranging population thriving under the watchful eye of
local ranchers and outfitters. (Texas does not regulate the hunting or
trade of exotics.)
And, in case you’re wondering, extinct animal meat has a rather heavy
grain structure but is surprisingly tender. Almost sweet.

For any hoofed

animal on this
planet (even the
extinct ones), it’s
impossible to go
wrong with a .300
Win. Mag. and the
right bullet ... in fact,
it’s definitely overkill
in most every case.

It’s weird being able

to drive to another
planet. West Texas
is stunning and
unlike anywhere
else on Earth.

96 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
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98 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°
 An All-Woman Hunt
Annette Evans
Kelly Mason and Ashleigh Mallard

Shoot Like a Girl hunting ood is the center of so many of our memo-
mentor Suzi Greenlee
showing off one of her ries. For Cherita, the aroma of smoky
mentee’s successes in sausage sizzling in cast iron calls to mind
the field
her father’s early morning weekend hunts
— hunts she wasn’t invited to because “hunt-
ing wasn’t for girls.” Her younger sister, Cierra, however,
started participating in these hunts after sneaking in,
with her braided pigtails giving her away but convincing
her father that hunting maybe was for girls after all. Still,
Cherita cherishes her memories of the sounds and smells
of rabbit simmering in cast iron with gravy and white
onion, the result of her father and sister’s hunting to feed
their family.
Last fall, Cherita finally got to try her hand at bringing

RECOILWEB.COM 99
game home herself, when Cierra invited her big sister are the fastest growing demographic of the shoot-
as her “plus one” to the 2023 Hunt Like a Girl - Quail Beretta ing sports, they still only make up 10 to 15 percent of
Hunt, a Plus One Project, at the Barnsley Gardens and ambassador hunters in the United States. Previously, Hunt Like a Girl
Desirae Edmonds
Resort and the Beretta Shooting Grounds by High Ad- (right) with her
introduced women to hunting in small groups, one at
venture Company, located on a beautiful Georgia estate plus one, Alis (left). a time, pairing women with experienced mentors to
midway between Atlanta and Chattanooga. learn the entire process,
Unlike earlier Hunt Like a Girl events, this time, Beretta from shooting a gun
and Shoot Like a Girl invited hunt alumna and asked to harvesting game. In
them to bring along a guest so that we could all partici- this event, Karen Butler
pate in the National Shooting Sports Foundation +ONE® and her Shoot Like a
Movement. The +ONE initiative invites every shooter and Girl team showed us
hunter to share what they do with someone who hasn’t that even newer hunters
yet experienced being out on the range or in the field. could be a vital part of
It recognizes that while many are like Cierra and bringing more people
exposed to the shooting sports as a part of their family into the shooting sports.
heritage, many are like the friend I brought, Minerva, Having our mentor
who had nobody in her life to teach her. It also recog- team on hand was cer-
nizes that many are like Megan, who married into a tainly helpful, especially
family business of guns but hadn’t yet had the oppor- when it came to provid-
tunity or desire to learn how to hunt until her mother- ing technical instruction
in-law, Jona, asked her to come to Georgia and go about how to operate
after quail with us. Or like Francesca, who works in the and shoot the guns pro-
firearms and outdoors industry and was eager to learn
more but only had her first chance to hunt because of Right: Megan, a
+ONE guest (center),
her friendship and professional relationship with her getting advice from
hostess, Emanuela. Jona (left) and Shoot
Like a Girl hunting
mentor, Melanie
+ONE Bolke (right).
Shoot Like a Girl and Beretta took the +ONE concept Below right: SLG
hunting mentor
a step further as they recognized that while women Kelsey Puryear
(right), welcoming
Emanuela (left)
and her +ONE,
Francesca (center),
to the Movement.
Below: Cherita (left)
and Cierra (right)
in the field for their
hunt.

vided for the hunt (Beretta Silver Pigeons in 20 gauge)

or what we should be doing in the field. The on-site
event team had decades of experience in the field
between them and infinite patience for our questions,
concerns, and excitement.

100 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°

 SHOOTING QUAIL LIKE A GIRL

None of us participants had ever hunted quail before, ing sports, you don’t need to find an expert for your
and we would not have had such an amazingly edu- first trip out. You could find a friend who is as new as
cational and successful experience without the orga- you and enjoy being lost together. Or you could find
nizers, mentors, guides, and dogs. As I learned when a friend who is still a novice and ask her to take you
I joined Hunt Like a Girl for a waterfowl hunt, having along, so you can have both moral support and some
The mentors and
their support and knowledge was a huge part of what guides were key to clues about what to do and how to do it. This hunt
made my curiosity about hunting turn into a love for the the success of all showed us how much a new hunter with little experi-
of the hunters, and
sport. we were all very
ence can still help a brand-new hunter on their first
The difference this time around was that all the new appreciative. time in the field.
guests came already knowing someone. It’s always
intimidating to step into a new environment, no matter
how welcoming the hosts try to make it. For a woman
on her own, especially one with only second- and
third-hand exposure, the male-dominated world of
hunting might be one of the more challenging fields to
decide to enter. Like that one friend at a party, it’s that
much easier when you’ve got someone on your team
alongside you, especially if your friend has been there
before. If you’re lucky, you’re like Alis and have some-
one in your life who is already comfortable with the
shooting sports like her friend, Beretta ambassador De-
sirae Edmonds. (And we all wish we were as elegantly
adventurous as Alis.) You can dive in knowing that your
friend is already familiar with everything you aren’t in
this new thing you’re trying.
But your friend might not know everyone at that party,
and they might not know exactly what’s going on either.
Below: Annette (right)
They’ll just have a little bit more comfort and confi- and +ONE Kristen (left)
dence than you can yet claim. And it turns out that’s with another key to our
success: the dogs.
enough to be a guide. As the saying goes: In the land of Right: Annette (right)
the blind, the one-eyed woman is queen. showing off her +ONE,
Minerva (left).
When you’re looking for an entry into the shoot-

RECOILWEB.COM 101
 SHOOTING QUAIL LIKE A GIRL

Quail Hunting
Quail hunting was new to every invited participant
not part of the Beretta and Shoot Like a Girl staff, but
the returnees had all hunted with mentors and guides
before. We knew members of the staff. Some of us had
prior time together, like Emanuela and I at our Hunt
Like a Girl Waterfowl Hunt, or Desirae and Jona through
the clay sports world. We had fired shotguns before
and taken game. Most importantly, we remembered
what it was like to anxiously anticipate our introduction
to every facet of hunting, since it had been brand new
to us not long before. It allowed us to be encouraging
and supportive, and to enjoy our guests’ moments of
pride and delight while we remembered our own firsts
in the field. It’s a special experience for everyone who
brings a new shooter into the sport, but it’s perhaps
most impactful when it’s your first time seeing some-
one’s eyes light up with pride and accomplishment.
Taking someone on their first hunt is a good feeling Above: The hunt the family. That’s not always an option in today’s world,
was successful for
but returning Hunt Like a Girl participant Annette (the all of the ladies. and it’s even less of one for women and girls. This event
other Annette) says it’s an even better feeling when was special for creating a setting that allowed Annette
it’s part of creating a new family heritage. Hunting is to expose her suburban-dwelling daughter, Kristen, to
traditionally passed on from father to son in the form hunting and to pass down related skills that she’ll be
of early morning expeditions and initiation into men’s- able to use and share with others in the future, even
Below: With the
only camps, where masculine camaraderie is as much help of our furry though Annette was a newer hunter herself.
a part of the experience as bringing home meat for friends! This quail hunt also demonstrated another beautiful

102 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°

 TEXAS
Ft. Worth, TX | Feb 23-24, 2024

ATLANTA
Atlanta, GA | Jun 7-9, 2024

WEST
SLC, UT | Oct 4-5, 2024

2024
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T H E B L A D E SH OW @ B L A D E _ SH OW @ B L A D E . SH OW
 SHOOTING QUAIL LIKE A GIRL

aspect of the +ONE Movement. Not everyone asked we couldn’t stay in our seats and at our tables during a
to come as a “plus one” had expressed a deep desire Almost all of the
lively breakfast.
to learn how to hunt. Some, like Megan and Alis, came women who took And, at the very end, we left each other reluctantly to
part in the Hunt Like
primarily because they had been asked by someone make our ways home, forever connected through our
a Girl – Quail Hunt
they cared for and were willing to try it for the sake of experience. experience.
their relationship. Expanding the shooting sports and
hunting community goes beyond making opportuni-
ties available to people who are interested. Sometimes,
our loved ones need a little prodding. That’s not to say
you should force a friend or family member along on
a mandatory fun trip to the range or hunting camp
if they’re adamant that they want nothing to do with
guns or — even worse (to them) — killing and eating
animals. If they are open to the idea, though, consider
gently introducing them to the joys and challenges of
harvesting wild game for the table instead of waiting
for them to come to you.
Time spent in the field together, enjoying nature
and the hunt, creates a tight bond among the party.
It was no different for us despite our widely varying
backgrounds and experience levels. Our hunt camp
was a lovely cottage on the Barnsley grounds, and our
campfire came with mock arguments about the supe-
riority of golden brown versus flamed-to-black roasted
marshmallows. Conversations at all hours touched on
topics as light as favorite movies that made us laugh Below: Shoot Like
a Girl Chief of Staff
and as heavy as our personal challenges. There were Christa Forrester
celebrations of success with clay and live birds, and grabbing one of
many selfies during
giddy selfies interspersed with quiet walks through our fun-filled days
nature. We enjoyed a catered group meal where we together.
Right: Cherita
toasted our new sisterhood and confused servers when
proudly documenting
the success of her
sister, Cierra, on the
practice range.

104 CARNIVORE ISSUE10°

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