“coues deer”

Associate Editor David Herman takes a pair of Leupold BX-5 Santiam binoculars and an SX-4 Pro Guide spotting scope afield to scout the Sonoran mountains.

The B1.2 is lightweight, well balanced, water- and fog-proof, and the optical clarity is outstanding. It is tripod adaptable and versatile, and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Younger hunters seem to be more apt to embrace the ‘dial’ method, while those with a bit more snow on the roof are skeptical of the moving parts. Here’s a closer look at compensating for trajectory in the modern era.

Introduced in the mid-1940s, the 7mm Weatherby Magnum case has minimal taper, maximizing powder capacity, and the correlative muzzle velocities show Roy Weatherby’s penchant for speed. Anything the popular 7mm Rem. Mag. will do, the 7mm Weatherby will do just a bit faster.

Between the .30-06 and .300 Win. Mag., which is the better choice for the elusive “all-around” hunting cartridge? Contributor Philip Massaro examines the pros and cons of each.

With respect to overall performance and ammunition availability, here are the five best all-around cartridges for North American big-game species.

How can we know when the rut will occur based on geographic location? Because history (and the rut) repeats itself.

The X-Bolt Pro McMillan is a beautiful rifle, perfectly suited to all-around Western hunting. Our test model was incredibly consistent and stable, and we would confidently carry it into the field anywhere from the moose swamps of Alaska to the Coues-deer deserts of Arizona.

Any of these five cartridges will set you up for a successful mule deer hunt anywhere they reside.