Collecting bones with Michael Waddell’s signature airgun
On the way out to Las Vegas I read Michael Waddell’s new autobiography, Hunting Booger Bottom: Life Lessons from the Field.
The enjoyable book offered a look at how Waddell evolved from a simple country kid who loved to hunt, into a simple country man who is one of the biggest names in the hunting industry.
Waddell has turned his popularity into big business. (As I read back over my first version of this blog entry I realized it gave the impression that his book offered some insight into Waddell as a business man, but the book really didn’t get into that much. I also changed the title to more accurately reflect the content of the posting.)
Anyway, I don’t have a problem with Waddell being a successful cash collector. Hunting needs popular, influential ambassadors like Waddell out there. I don’t know him personally, but I know a lot of people who do and they have nothing but good things to say about him. If he can make a good living while helping positively promote hunting, more power to him.
Waddell is on a short list of hunting celebrities who has the branding thing down, and that was pretty evident at SHOT.
Products carrying the logo from Waddell’s popular Bone Collector TV show were in abundance. One was this GAMO air rifle, which was autographed by Travis “T Bone” Turner, a member of the Bone Collector brotherhood and himself a pretty well known hunting celeb.
Now, I am a big fan of serious “adult” airguns and am happy to see them growing so much in popularity in recent years. If having Waddell’s name on this gun increases sales and gets others out there enjoying airguns like I do, that’s great.
But this gave me a chuckle.
I mean, the “bone” in bone collector pretty much refers to antlers or horns (though maybe a big bear skull would also qualify). Now, there are some super magnum airguns out there that can collect some bone. But this .177 caliber job ain’t one of them.
Unless maybe you’re talking about a jackalope.
January 25, 2010 - 11:41 PM
Saw a commercial for this exact air rifle last night on the Outdoor Channel, had to laugh. Maybe the “bone” would be a european mount of a squirrel skull.
Look like Vegas left you enough money to get some great play toys. Woo Hoo!
Oh, I didn’t buy it. It was just on display. SHOT is really just a hands-on catalog for retailers, distributors, etc. Look and touch, then place an order there or maybe later. If I could have bought an airgun, the Benjamin Marauder would have been near the top of my list.
The only things I brought back were some catalogs and a couple cool plastic camping sporks ($1 each) for the kids.
Mark
Did you see the Traditions “Express Double Shot Over & Under Muzzleloader” at $899.00 that will be new for 2010. I mean your readers want details of what’s new what can we expect from hunting shows in the future.
How much have these shows have taken an economical hit besides the ones we spoke of last year this time. What did some of the hunting personalities have to say about hunting the surrounding areas.
Details Man, Details we’ve got to have Details! LOL!
Still if you notice “my current avatar” it’s a photo of a target shot with the Traditions XLT Accelerator. at a 100 yds using XTP Hunter bullet by Hornady in 240 grains and 100 gr. of 777 pre-formed pellets.
The target was shot off hands no bracing or shooters bags was used. 3 shots that could fit in the center of a Silver Dollar 2 shots a 1/4 inch off center without a cleaning patch.
For those of you that bought a Traditions Muzzleloader go to their Website for the Mail-Rebate Coupon for your rifle purchased in December.
Lastly Mark
you spoke of the Caliber of Air Rifles I seen one hunting show were a hunter felled a Moose with a .45 Caliber Air Rifle what did you think of the changes in air rifles of today vise yesterday.
Just think not everything seen in Vegas stays in Vegas. Pun intended.LOL!!
VarmintAir’s Airgun Hunting Blog
Devoted to the sport of responsible varmint and small game hunting with Modern Adult Airguns
Benjamin Marauder .22
http://varmintair.typepad.com/.a/6a010536785851970b0120a76ec74d970b-800wi
Five shots, 18.1 grain JSB’s at 55 yards.
http://varmintair.typepad.com/.a/6a010536785851970b0120a76ec953970b-800wi
http://varmintair.typepad.com/.a/6a010536785851970b0120a76ecabc970b-800wi
Benjamin Marauder dropped Prairie dogs at 80 and 90 yards with boring regularity.
The Bone Collector has some Vicious Competition !!
Amateur- I’ll try to answer a few of your questions.
–I didn’t see the Traditions Express. With two barrels it would be illegal for muzzleloader hunting in Virginia, though.
– There were 58,000 people at SHOT, topped only by the 2008 show. There were more than 1,633 exhibitors. Unlike so many sectors of the economy, the firearms industry is still doing really well (though not like it was last year).
– Airguns continue to advance, with the pre-charged pneumatic sector really taking off. But there’s something to be said for the traditional spring-piston (most being break-barrels) that have been around for so long. There are still many of those guns out there and they are fine.
– There is really no competition between the Benjamin Maruader and Gamo Bone Collector. The BC (a spring-piston gun) shoots a .22 cal lead pellet at about 750 feet per second. That’s around what my two spring-piston .22 air rifles will do, and is fine for squirrels and such. The Marauder (a PCP gun) hits about 1,000 fps in .22, giving it significantly more downrange energy for larger small game such as groundhogs. It’s also available in .25 cal. The Marauder is extremely accurate (as seen in that link you provided). I haven’t seen tests of the Bone Collector, but Gamos aren’t known for accuracy.
So the Marauder is a much better gun. But it’s also much more expensive. The Marauder costs around $470, but you need a $200 pump and a scope. The Bone Collector will be in the $400 neighborhood (with a scope) when it hits the market next month.
Mark
My wife just pointed out to me on a “Shoot and See Target” that the initial target spot shot is the size of a nickle.
http://varmintair.typepad.com/.a/6a010536785851970b0120a76ecabc970b-800wi
The shot group is within the circumference of a dime which is within the circumference of a nickle.
Which makes Benjamin Marauder Top Dog Period. Now my wife wants the rifle in question for spring and summer plinking.
http://varmintair.typepad.com/.a/6a010536785851970b0120a76ec74d970b-800wi
Benjamin Marauder Part 2 – AGR Episode #24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4wMEqD2ZKU
American Airgunner
http://www.americanairgunner.com
That’s a Big Honking Pellet!!
American Airgunner Show 2010 Schedule
Mondays 5:30 pm EST
Thursdays 10:00 am EST
Thursdays 9:00 pm EST
Fridays 12:00 am EST
December, 2009 – American Airgunner Signs exclusively with Sportsman Channel for Season 2
American Airgunner TV will be available exclusively for the 2010 season only on Sportsman Channel. Stay tuned for Season 2 of AAG in High Def beginning March 29th 2010
The Beast Is Down!!!!
2000lb bison shot with the Quackenbush Air Rifle .457 Safari gun
Stephan Boles shot this HUGE bison from 53 yards. He took 2 shots through the shoulder and took out both lungs. The 510 grn Hunters Supply bullet was traveling at 700 fps.
http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/steph_bison.jpg
It all started at the Canadian border with one of Dennis’ LA .457′s. Went in to register it. The inspector came out to get the serial number off of the gun. The number 813 is stamped on the riser as we all know. Well the officer said it was not valid as it has to go on the main part of the rifle (for a firearm).
I told him it was an air rifle and was not considered a firearm in my state. He looked at me like I had 3 eyes. He says Air Rifle!. Yup would you like me to discharge some air? He said yes!. After making sure it was unloaded I let one rip under the canopy. BOOM! , in a flash all the agents that were inside came running out shouting is everything ok?
The officer with me hollers back , it’s ok , it is just an air rifle. He was sure surprised. After a laugh, off I went. In Canada anything over 450 fps has to be registered as a firearm. (By the way he could not believe the bore size).
Got to camp in another hour and got settled in. Later that afternoon I went to my blind at 4:00. It consisted of a pile of boulders. I snuggled in for the long wait. Legal shooting time ended at 9:43. Well at 8:45 I spotted him coming towards the bait from my left side. I got down low and kept trying to keep an eye on him.
He disappeared. Twenty minutes go by and I am wondering where he went. I looked to my right and there he was again. He had circled around me from behind. He was very cautious as he made his way by me. My heart was pounding. He headed towards the bait again and stopped. Seemed like he was not going to come any closer. He started moving again. Again he stopped and looked all around. Finally he committed himself and moved towards the bait again.
He was about 25 yards from the bait and around 35 yards from me, as he came into full view I raised the trusty .457 and let him have it. KA BOOM , he spun around and bolted off. It was only a few seconds and I could hear him thrashing behind the bait around 50 yards or so. I loaded another slug and went looking for him. It was not long before I found him piled up.
The 422 gr. Robert Vogel hollow point went clean through both shoulders. When my guide came to pick me up he could not believe I was successful with a BB gun as he called it. Needless to say we had lots to talk about that evening.
It was a hunt of a lifetime. I have taken many bear with bow, & rifles this was a fun hunt to take a animal like a bear with an Air Rifle.
http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/index.1.jpg