Hunting accessories are crucial for a successful outing. The right tools can greatly enhance your experience. The experts at Hunt Alaska magazine have curated a selection of top-quality accessories.
Best Hunting Accessories
MagnetoSpeed V3 Ballistic Chronograph in Hard Case
If you plan to shoot much beyond maximum point-blank range, it is essential to know the real velocity of your rifle/load—not just the estimated velocities on boxes of ammo. The V3 is a compact, easy-to-use device that provides very accurate velocities, plus it calculates extreme spread and standard deviation. The V3 fits on barrels and suppressors from .5” to 2” in diameter, and on barrels with muzzle brakes up to 3.5” in length. The kit comes with assorted spacers and a heat shield to protect the unit from hot suppressors, a Pic-rail adaptor, the backlit display unit, and heavy-duty cable.
The V3 uses a micro-SD card to store data, so you can transfer it to your computer if you want to. It uses either a 9V battery or two CR123 batteries for power. The accuracy of this chronograph is 99.5% to 99.9%. We like that everything you need fits easily into the hard case, making it easy to take to the range for use.
Kestrel 5700 Ballistics Weather Meter with Hornady 4DOF
The Kestrel 5700 with Hornady 4DOF quickly and accurately determines long-range holdovers and windage corrections to get you on target with first-round hits. This waterproof, all-in-one unit combines real-time environmental measurements with the powerful Hornady 4DOF ballistics calculator for a rugged, dependable, compact, and powerful long-range shooting tool. No more DOPE cards, guessing at the wind, or being unsure where your bullet will hit when you change elevation. One of the unique abilities of using a 4DOF Kestrel is that you can use zero angle instead of zero range for your ballistics calculations—a growing trend in the long-range shooting and hunting world. Runs on a single AA battery. This unit can hold up to 3 gun/bullet profiles.
Hatch Out West Bipod, Standard 27” with Hatch Slide-On Head
This is the most versatile, easiest-to-use-in-field-conditions bipod Editor George Krumm has used to date. It weighs 19.6 ounces and can be used as a bipod, monopod, or shooting stick. It’s made of aluminum and stainless steel, with a black, anodized finish. As a bipod, height can be adjusted from 6.5” to 27”, making it ideal for shooting prone or sitting. Legs can be angled forward, or vertical, or angled rearward. Adjustments for length as well as varying how wide the legs are spread are effortless, fast, and quiet. The head is adjustable through 60 degrees of cant. This bipod isn’t cheap; it falls into the “Buy once, cry once” category. A taller, 36” version is also available.
Q Trash Panda
This 100% titanium suppressor is rated for calibers up to .300 Win Mag, is 6.9” long, 1.75” in diameter, and weighs just 11 ounces. This makes it a great suppressor for hunting—effective noise reduction, light, and not too long. We tested it on a semi-custom 6.5 PRC built by Oregon Mountain Rifle Co. Says Editor George Krumm: “Shooting suppressed is so much more comfortable than shooting either plain-barreled rifles or rifles with a muzzle brake.
I plan to shoot suppressed whenever possible from this point on. With the Trash Panda, my point of impact shifted about 2.5” at 100 yards when I first shot with it. I re-zeroed, and the POI has been consistent ever since, even after removing and reattaching the suppressor several times. 5-shot groups of about .60 MOA have been the rule; basically, I get the same accuracy I had before using the suppressor. Shooting my 6.5 PRC outdoors, it’s comfortable to shoot without hearing protection (though it’s probably smart to wear it anyway).”
Leupold Backcountry Cross-Slot 1PC Base
Leupold Backcountry cross-slot bases are made of 7075-T6 aluminum, making them very light, yet very rugged. This Picatinny-style scope mount rail was mounted on a Savage 110 Storm in .300 Win Mag. To the base we attached a Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56 using Leupold Mark 4 aluminum rings. Using a Pic rail like this allows for maximum flexibility in mounting the scope for perfect eye relief. This base can accept both Picatinny- and Weaver-style rings. If you’re looking for a lightweight Pic rail for your hunting rifle, this is a good one.
Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber Mossy Oak Elements Contour Pattern Trekking Poles
Hiking with a heavy pack or packing out game is a lot easier if you have a good set of trekking poles. These handsome carbon-fiber trekking poles weigh 8.3 ounces each and are finished in Mossy Oak Elements Contour Pattern camo. The grip material is cork, with an EVA downgrip. The poles use Quick Lock locking mechanisms. They measure 26” when fully collapsed and 54” when fully extended. The poles come with tungsten carbide tips and 4 different tip accessories: Rubber boot tips, sand/mud baskets, snow baskets, and small rubber tips. A carry case is included. Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles come with a 1-year warranty.
Hornady 4DOF app
4DOF stands for 4 Degrees of Freedom. It’s only fitting that the app is free. It is also one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) ballistics calculators available to shooters today. This app can provide accurate trajectories at virtually any range, even in areas without wireless connectivity. Most ballistics calculators rely on ballistics coefficients to predict trajectories and wind deflection. 4DOF uses projectile drag coefficients along with exact physical modeling of the projectile, its mass and aerodynamic properties. It also accounts for aerodynamic jump that results from a crosswind. You can load your rifle and bullet into the app as a favorite, then dial up shooting solutions whenever you need them. Note that it is essential to enter an accurate velocity. You should determine your load-and-rifle velocity with a chronograph.
4DOF has lots of data fields regarding external conditions (i.e. weather); the more accurately you enter data, the more accurate your shooting solution will be. You can link 4DOF to a Kestrel, which would automatically update data fields such as temperature, humidity, wind direction and speed, etc. Once of the coolest features of 4DOF is the ability to perform group analysis on a group you just shot. Group analysis will tell you your exact group size in inches and MOA or MIL. It also shows you where the center of the group actually is, allowing you to better adjust your zero. You can also build range cards with 4DOF. Editor George Krumm’s first use of 4DOF at distance was at steel target he ranged at 470 yards. Using his 6.5 PRC, the 4DOF profile said to dial 5.92 MOA up. Wind was negligible. George scored a first-round impact on that target, and many other targets since. 4DOF works.
Mantis Laser Academy Training Kit—Standard—9mm
Laser Academy is essentially a dry-fire training tool that can improve your shooting. You can use it in your living room, and it essentially allows you to have a training facility right in your home. Laser Academy uses a laser training cartridge that drops into the chamber of your weapon, which delivers a beam of light down your barrel and onto a target when you pull the trigger, which is read by your tablet or smart phone to provide scoring. Our test version was for 9mm handguns. You must specify the caliber you’ll be training with so that you get the right laser training cartridge in the kit. Laser Academy allows you to practice with your firearm in the comfort of your home without burning through ammo.
There are many drills you can run with Laser Academy. All of them will allow you to become intimately familiar with your weapon, and a better shot. Laser Academy can be used with handguns, shotguns, and some rifles. One of the drills we thought was especially valuable was the “Holster Draw” drill. With this, the goal is a fast, accurate shot from a holster. For all of you who own a handgun for bear protection, or simply personal protection, being able to actually practice timed drills will increase your proficiency and could be the difference between living and dying.
Leupold Mark 4 Rings
We tested the 35 mm, matte, high, aluminum version to mount a Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56 scope to a Savage Storm .300 Win Mag. These rings are also made in a steel version. These rings fit onto Pic rails, and we attached them to the Leupold Backcountry Cross-Slot 1PC Base. These rings have hex-head screws to attach them to the Pic rail, making for a very easy, very secure means of attachment. We chose the aluminum versions to cut down on weight. We’ve fired roughly 100 rounds through the rifle and the rings have been rock solid. Each ring uses 4 screws to close. The light weight, secure attachment, and ease of attachment are what we like best about these rings.
Turtlebox Gen 2 Portable Speaker
This unit offers 120dB of sound in a tough, waterproof (IP67) package. What more could you want from an outdoor speaker to be used in Alaska? This 6” x 9” Bluetooth speaker is at home in the tailgate, on the ATV, in the boat, at the job site—pretty much anywhere. It has stainless-steel tie-down anchors to secure it. There’s a battery status indicator, USB-C output enabling you to use it to charge other devices, and you can even wirelessly connect 2 units together for true stereo sound. Large rubber feet on the bottom and also on the back keep it from sliding around. The illuminated LED rubber control pad includes volume, play/pause, and track skip. If your boat doesn’t have a stereo, no big deal. Get a Turtlebox and you’ll be good to go. 12” wide x 7” deep x 8.75” high; it weighs 10 pounds.
Cascade Mountain Tech IPX8 Waterproof LED Flashlight
This waterproof (IPX8), LED flashlight has a stainless-steel core, but a poly-nylon shell to provide impact resistance, and to prevent contact frostbite. The light is adjustable from 200- to 650 lumens, with settings for flood, spot, or strobe. It weighs 4.8 ounces, is roughly 1.65” in diameter and 5.25” long. Our tester loves the fact that this light has the polymer shell so you can use it in very cold temps without the chance of it freezing to your skin. He added that the light is somewhat bulky considering its length, due in part to the strong LED and the 4 AA batteries it takes. Runtime on high is 2 hours. Using lithium AA batteries improves cold-weather performance. The housing has an attachment point for a lanyard or wrist strap.
Kestrel 5700 Elite Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics and LiNK
The Kestrel 5700 Elite Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics is a comprehensive weather meter for measurement and logging of primary environmental conditions, including wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, heat index, pressure, and altitude. It also contains a powerful ballistics calculator to help you hit your long-range shot on the first try. This rugged, waterproof meter employs the Applied Ballistics bullet library of custom drag models, an exact measurement of your bullet’s drag profile plus corrections for Aerodynamic Jump, Spin Drift, Coriolis, and Drop Scale Factoring to achieve accurate extended long-range shots.
The unit connects to your smartphone using Kestrel’s LiNK Ballistics app for iOS or Android and is powered by a single AA battery. Kestrel units provide much more accurate DOPE than a range card alone, and the 5700 Elite can hold up to 30 gun/bullet profiles. If you’re looking to stretch your effective shooting range well beyond maximum point-blank range, a Kestrel is a necessity.
Black Diamond StoneHauler 120L Duffel Bag
This duffel has been thoughtfully designed to stand up to the rigors of adventure travel. Built with a rugged outer skin made from recycled materials, the bag features burly handles and a shoulder-strap system (with sternum strap) that is adjustable and removable. To help keep track of the mountain of items you can stuff into this cavernous pack, the duffel sports 2 interior mesh zipper pockets and dual outer pockets. The duffel closes with a beefy #10 YKK reversed coil zipper.
PEET Advantage Plus Heated Shoe and Boot Dryer
This unit provides fan-assisted drying for 2 pairs of boots (or shoes) at the same time. The dryer can be run with- or without heat and features a timer that ranges from 15- to 240 minutes in 15-minute increments. We highly recommend that you dry your boots, shoes, and gloves when they get wet, as that will significantly prolong their lifespan. We’ve also found that drying boots helps control odor that develops in footwear.
Fisher Space Pen Trekker
Sometimes it’s handy to have a writing device while in the field. The problem is that due to the varied conditions, an ordinary pen sometimes doesn’t work. The Fisher Space Pen Trekker solves the problem. It is guaranteed to write in temperatures from -30ºF to 250ºF, underwater, in zero gravity, even upside down. If you need a pen that will absolutely work in any environment, this is it. The housing is made of black powder-coated brass. The pen is 3.91” long, and .36” wide, and writes in black ink with a medium point. Includes a lanyard, carabiner, and key ring.
