The Stone Glacier 5900 is top notch! Stone Glacier packs are by far the most comfortable packs we have used. The 5900 is a great size for an all around pack. It works fine as a day pack, but it has enough room for a 5-7 day hunt!
8 pounds total seems to be a very nice happy medium. It's a very shootable weight, but still light enough to pack around. Check out a Tikka T3x chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08, or .308. All of those calibers produce moderate recoil, have plenty of quality factory ammo offerings, and are more...
The Kelvin Lite Hoody or the Kelvin Active Jacket would both be great options. If you are constantly moving, the Kelvin Active Jacket would have you covered from around 25-40 degrees. The Kelvin Lite Hoody would have you covered from around 10-30 degrees.
The V4 is a great scope for the price! The glass is great, it's relatively lightweight, and the turrets feel great. You could also take a look at the Nightforce SHV and stay in the same price point. The SHV is heavier and the glass is not quite as nice as the V4, but the SHVs are built like...
A 1 in 9 works perfect for the 245 EOL! You can run them around 2750 out of a 300 PRC with a 26" barrel. There are guys pushing them above 2900 with the 300 Norma Improved and 300 Sherman Magnum!
The 7 SAUM would be perfect for a short elk rifle! The shorter case is more efficient than the 7mm Rem Mag, so you would likely achieve higher velocities than the Rem Mag. As a bonus, you could run a short action and save even more weight! Not a ton of people are loading factory ammo for the...
We have had great luck with Berger 168 grain VLDs and Retumbo! Almost every animal we have shot with the 168 VLD drops like it was hit by lightning. They are extremely impressive.
You could always go with the SHV series! The turrets and zero stop system on the SHV series are not on the same level as the NX8 or the ATACR series, but they are still very nice! In our opinion, it is hard to tell a difference in glass quality between the SHV, NX8, and ATACR unless you are in...
The NX8 and ATACR are both great scopes, but they are designed for different purposes. The ATACR is built for more tactical use, so it is a bit heavier and has a lower magnification range. The NX8 was designed to be a light weight option which makes it perfect for a hunting rifle. The glass...
Lighted reticles are definitely not a must in our opinion. You should take a look at the Nightforce NX8 2.5x20x50 F1! We would recommend going with the MOAR reticle; it has enough features to hold for wind, but it is still a simple reticle. The glass in the NX8 is top notch, the scope is built...
Typically, we are big fans of Berger Bullets. They perform very similar to the ELDX. They will fragment inside the animal and not exit. In our experience, Berger Bullets usually result in the fastest kills. The 215 grain Berger Hybrid is our favorite hunting bullet out of any big 30 cal magnum...
The Downpour Jacket and the Fanatic Jacket are two different fits. The Downpour Jacket is designed to be worn over your early season gear if you run into rain, so it fits a bit tighter than the Fanatic Jacket. Sense the Fanatic Jacket is designed for late season, it is cut large to accommodate...