“handloads”

Be it a bucket list hunt in a land of giants, an anniversary escape with a loved one, a quick scouting trip turned big-buck showdown or the culmination of a trophy slam, American Hunter readers searched for and found opportunity near and far this past year.

Leave the tourists behind in Maine to find an adventure Downeast.

The downrange performance of No. 8½ lead shot belies its diminutive size. If you’re an upland hunter and aren’t using it, you’re missing out.

Contributor Brad Fitzpatrick shares the gear he used on a recent caribou hunt in Alaska.

While there is a lot of overlap in the .30-caliber cartridge lineup, and many great choices available, you’d be hard-pressed to find a cartridge with a better blend of powder efficiency, low recoil, quick cycling and striking power than the .308 Winchester.

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.

Between the .300 H&H Mag. and .300 Win. Mag., which cartridge is the better design and makes more sense for the hunter? Contributor Philip Massaro examines the pros and cons of each.

Weighing in at 5.5 pounds, the ultralight Sauer 101 Highland XTC is a well-balanced, all-around rifle, featuring a hand-laid carbon fiber stock, fluted and factory threaded barrel, fluted bolt and all the standard S101 features that guarantee reliability and accuracy.

Traveling abroad can be a daunting experience. Add in the complexities of traveling for a hunt, and the adventure can sometimes seem more trouble than it's worth. Our author took the chance anyway, and was rewarded in Spain with not only an incredible hunt, but a firsthand reminder that despite cultural barriers, hunters everywhere speak the same language: stalk, shoot, eat, enjoy, repeat.