Gear We Love: Best Deer Hunting Products for 2013

If you’re ready for some hot gear, the editors and writers of Deer & Deer Hunting did the legwork to find some of the best hunting gear for deer season!

During the annual, massive Archery Trade Association and Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade shows last January, our hearty D&DH crew hit the floor and put leather to concrete (well, carpet over concrete) to come up with some of the best gear coming out this year!

Here are 10 of our Top 50 picks, which will be featured in the June issue of Deer & Deer Hunting. It’s already in the mail to subscribers and will be on store shelves April 4.

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On with the picks!

Ballistic— Mission’s new Ballistic bow is packed with features but comes with a price tag that’s great for budget-conscious shooters. The Ballistic offers a 30.5-inch overall length, draw weights from 50 to 70 pounds, a comfortable 7-inch brace height and other features normally found on higher-priced bows. This one’s a winner for any hunter or 3-D shooter. $499 See it here now

— With blazing speed, smoothness and many other features, the PSE Dream Season DNA has a forged aluminum alloy riser and new Center Pull design that puts the arrow at the dead center of the bow. A new Core cam combined with Centerlock 2 limb pockets helps produce precise tuning for faster speeds and smoothness — up to 352 fps in PSE’s tests. Brace height is six inches on the 2013_PSE_DNA_BC-800x80031-inch bow, which has a draw range of 26 to 30 inches. At just 3.7 pounds, it’s a lightweight speedster with hard-hitting impact. $899 See it here now

— Screamin’ HeaCodeBlueat is Code Blue’s hot pheromone-enriched estrous scent, a mixture of natural secretions and pheromones combined with estrous urine. The combination is a superb buck attractor for curious and rutting bucks. Use it for drag trails and shot spots near your stand, and be ready for action. $17.99 See it here now

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— Diehard bowhunters want a tough, reliable stand that offers no distractions, which is what the Summit Cobra SD is designed to do. It weighs just 18 pounds and has an open front, meaning no obstructions whether you’re standing or sitting. Comprised of a strong aluminum alloy with welded Summitlokt joints, the five-channel platform provides plenty of foot space. Backpack straps assist for the pack in and out with your buck. $259

CVA ACCURA V2 low resCVA’s Optima muzzleloader quickly became popular when it was introduced a decade ago, and the upgraded Optima V2 will turn heads. Featuring the easy break-action design, the V2 offers a Quick Release Breech Plug that makes cleaning a breeze, along with an ambidextrous stock and DuraSight Dead-On Scope Mount. The addition of the dual-use aluminum PalmSaver Ramrod is a great upgrade. It’s available in blued carbon steel or stainless barrels with black or Realtree Xtra Green camo. $320 to $425 See it here now

aBoot— Footwear technology continues to improve, and LaCrosse has a solid hit with the waterproof 18-inch AeroHead. Easy to slip on and remove, it has numerous features we like: 3.5mm insulating neoprene rated to minus 30 degrees, a protective “liquid polyurethane over neoprene” construction to resist abrasions while adding lightweight insulation, and an injected polyurethane insole for cushioning and stability. For those of us with thick legs, the adjustable back gusset and strap is a great addition. $140 See it here now

glock20m— Handgun hunting for whitetails takes a twist with the Glock 20SF in 10mm Auto, which provides ample firepower with appropriate ammunition. The 20SF has 550 ft/lbs of muzzle energy and the legendary Glock durability capable of withstanding hard use and brutal weather conditions. Practice is critical, of course, and most hunters using the 10mm recommend bowhunting ranges for deer. Check your state’s regulations regarding magazine capacity and firearm requirements for game animals. $550 and up See it here now

Knight and Hale call— This is a cool idea: Create a grunt call that looks like an antler. Knight & Hale has done it with Da’ Bone, an exhale-only grunt call made of a soft, pliable material that won’t ding or clank. Da’ Bone produces deep tones of a whitetail buck, soft for quiet mornings or loudly if you need to get a deer’s attention. $20 See it here now

American-Whitetail-small-packaging-family— With a storied history for reliable ammunition, Hornady offers the American Whitetail line in nine of the most popular calibers: .243 Win., .25-06 Rem., .270 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., 7mm Rem. Mag., .30-30 Win., .308 Win., .30-06 Sprg. and .300 Win. Mag. The famed Hornady InterLock bullet offers flat trajectories for hard-hitting impact and penetration with controlled expansion. Definitely a winner for whitetail hunters. $20 and up See it here now

RemingtonModel783Crossfire-590x224Remington hits the bull’s-eye with its Model 783 CrossFire, a budget-conscious rifle in four great calibers — .270, .30-06, .308 and 7mm Rem. Mag. — and packed with features. The CrossFire has a sleek pillar-bedded synthetic stock topped with a SuperCell recoil pad and a free-floated and button-rifled carbon steel barrel. The trigger is adjustable from 2.5 to 5 pounds. It’s tough, durable and reliable, which is what hunters expect and want from a solid big-game rifle. $450 and up

Check out our previous picks HERE

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