F
Field Ethos
Guest
By Terry Houin
There was a very comfortable and familiar feeling when I dropped the Armasight BNVD-51s, aka Nods, over my eyeballs and strapped on the Boombox, as we darkened the headlights and cruised the dense brush country. In another life this is when we would flip the switch from lighthearted and jovial to serious work mode. In those days, like tonight, we owned the night, we controlled the circumstances, and we chose when and where to strike.
Tonight’s targets, while tough as nails and possessing an extremely strong will to survive, were not on the dangerous side like targets of my past night excursions. Tonight, as we roll down unfamiliar lanes cloaked in darkness and using technology to our advantage, we stalk the Nilgai of South Texas.
For those of you not familiar with Nilgai, the largest of Asian antelope species, I would encourage you to put them on a short list. You hunt them for the challenge, the experience, and the savory freezer full of meat and not for the almost comically inadequate headgear. They are cagy, tough as nails, and delicious. A mature bull will tip the scales at 600 pounds or better and will not go down without a fight.
Among the group we had plenty of options for firepower and I used a few for different circumstances, but my go-to for quick shooting and movers was my little Q Boombox.
You guys know I love my Boombox chambered in 8.6 BLK with a stubby little 8-inch barrel. This particular prototype was the first to take a bison and an elk a year and a half ago and has served me without problems since.
Keeping the 190-grain Ultimate ammo rounds tamed out front I employed a Q Short Shop, not the quietest for the supers but an overall compact package was my goal. And let me tell you, the 190 Ultimates were nasty; we dumped several over the weekend with this setup, including a few in full stride getting out of dodge before lawn darting.
On this excursion I swapped the optics to the new Nightforce NX6 1-6x cradled in my go to Reptilia mount. I chose the NX6 as I wanted an LPVO for fast and tight shooting. High-quality glass and a durable housing that left no doubt I could beat it like a redheaded stepchild and not worry about losing my zero. As we rolled around the tight bends and dense brush, I kept her rolled down to 1x with the center dot lit up. In this condition I could easily find my dot with both eyes open and get rounds on target fast as shit.
For night ops I had the new EOTech OGL-C, the commercial version of what’s available for Mil/LE guys. Slightly less power than the OGL, because dumb people ruin all the cool shit for us civilians. Its compact design fits well on the Boombox; it’s tight to the top rail, the width is not much wider than the handguard, and with the fire button on top I could wrap my hand around the handguard and laser and use my thumb to activate the laser without the need of the included pressure switch. The OGL-C has a visible green laser slaved to the IR laser, which makes sighting in easy peasy, and the IR illuminator has a simple lever on top of the unit to rip between flood and spot. The control switch on the back makes it simple to roll between Vis hi/lo, IR hi/lo, and dual hi/lo.
Going into this hunt I knew I needed to have a fast-shooting package that packs a hefty punch for these beasts. We needed to anchor them quickly, as they don’t like leaving blood trails and can cover ground quickly.
With a best-in-class rating for the Boombox, you won’t find a better semi-auto with this firepower in a smaller, lighter or more reliable platform.
I’d also put the EOTech OGL-C in the top tier for lasers on the commercial side. Smart design, compact size, with a long battery life and plenty of power for night work.
The Nightforce NX6 has found a place in my arsenal. The 1-6x and 3-18x that I’ve shot have lived up to the high standards that NF is known for.
The post Brush Country Blaster appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
There was a very comfortable and familiar feeling when I dropped the Armasight BNVD-51s, aka Nods, over my eyeballs and strapped on the Boombox, as we darkened the headlights and cruised the dense brush country. In another life this is when we would flip the switch from lighthearted and jovial to serious work mode. In those days, like tonight, we owned the night, we controlled the circumstances, and we chose when and where to strike.
Tonight’s targets, while tough as nails and possessing an extremely strong will to survive, were not on the dangerous side like targets of my past night excursions. Tonight, as we roll down unfamiliar lanes cloaked in darkness and using technology to our advantage, we stalk the Nilgai of South Texas.
For those of you not familiar with Nilgai, the largest of Asian antelope species, I would encourage you to put them on a short list. You hunt them for the challenge, the experience, and the savory freezer full of meat and not for the almost comically inadequate headgear. They are cagy, tough as nails, and delicious. A mature bull will tip the scales at 600 pounds or better and will not go down without a fight.
The Tools
Among the group we had plenty of options for firepower and I used a few for different circumstances, but my go-to for quick shooting and movers was my little Q Boombox.
You guys know I love my Boombox chambered in 8.6 BLK with a stubby little 8-inch barrel. This particular prototype was the first to take a bison and an elk a year and a half ago and has served me without problems since.
Keeping the 190-grain Ultimate ammo rounds tamed out front I employed a Q Short Shop, not the quietest for the supers but an overall compact package was my goal. And let me tell you, the 190 Ultimates were nasty; we dumped several over the weekend with this setup, including a few in full stride getting out of dodge before lawn darting.
On this excursion I swapped the optics to the new Nightforce NX6 1-6x cradled in my go to Reptilia mount. I chose the NX6 as I wanted an LPVO for fast and tight shooting. High-quality glass and a durable housing that left no doubt I could beat it like a redheaded stepchild and not worry about losing my zero. As we rolled around the tight bends and dense brush, I kept her rolled down to 1x with the center dot lit up. In this condition I could easily find my dot with both eyes open and get rounds on target fast as shit.
For night ops I had the new EOTech OGL-C, the commercial version of what’s available for Mil/LE guys. Slightly less power than the OGL, because dumb people ruin all the cool shit for us civilians. Its compact design fits well on the Boombox; it’s tight to the top rail, the width is not much wider than the handguard, and with the fire button on top I could wrap my hand around the handguard and laser and use my thumb to activate the laser without the need of the included pressure switch. The OGL-C has a visible green laser slaved to the IR laser, which makes sighting in easy peasy, and the IR illuminator has a simple lever on top of the unit to rip between flood and spot. The control switch on the back makes it simple to roll between Vis hi/lo, IR hi/lo, and dual hi/lo.
Uncle T’s Takeaway
Going into this hunt I knew I needed to have a fast-shooting package that packs a hefty punch for these beasts. We needed to anchor them quickly, as they don’t like leaving blood trails and can cover ground quickly.
With a best-in-class rating for the Boombox, you won’t find a better semi-auto with this firepower in a smaller, lighter or more reliable platform.
I’d also put the EOTech OGL-C in the top tier for lasers on the commercial side. Smart design, compact size, with a long battery life and plenty of power for night work.
The Nightforce NX6 has found a place in my arsenal. The 1-6x and 3-18x that I’ve shot have lived up to the high standards that NF is known for.
The post Brush Country Blaster appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
