Companion forum thread to:

Pak-Rifle Review

Ryan,

Great review. Very interesting "Game Getter"

I still think I will stick with my Smith & Wesson Model 317 22 long rifle revolver.

It weighs in at 11.9 ounces (with an empty cylinder) and holds 8 rounds.

With the HiViz sight, I have no problem grouping 6 or 7 out of 8 rounds in 2" off hand. A trekking pole can be used as a stabilizer as well.

Drawback to the Smith is it is over $800 at retail.

I, like you have found by using a Tenkara rod and a .22, many meals can be harvested when in the backcountry.

Great review. I wonder if they'll come out with a big game version some day.
By the way Ryan it doesn't look like Chase is wearing ear plugs. Technically a .22 can still damage hearing over time even though its not as loud as others. You want to us ear plugs or muuffs as much as possible.
Happy hunting (and eating)

Very cool- I really enjoyed this review. Fishing and hunting aren't part of my backpacking experience or skills, but I certainly appreciate and respect these approaches. I've really enjoyed learning about how these activities fit into ultralight backpacking through the Pak-Rifle and Tenkara fishing pole. Thanks for opening my eyes and mind!

Nice review, Ryan! I'm going to have to look into one of these!

Luke has a good point about ear plugs. Personaly I shoot allot of match grade, sub-sonic ammo, for this and other reasons.

Ouch, pretty expensive. But kind of cool.

Ryan

Great review.

I enjoy carrying just a simple sling shot. You never run out of ammo. Keep your eyes open....Saunders Archery is supposed to come out with a Sling Bow sometime next year which they say can be used as a sling shot and for bow fishing.

daryl

Great Review! Hiking, fishing and hunting are all part of the great heritage of the Western States. Keep up the good work.

Hi All,

I just wanted to give a headsup that this forum will be moderated to eliminate the hunting vs. anti-hunting while backpacking debate.

Please keep this particular discussion on track and related to the review of the Pak-Rifle.

If you would like to engage in a debate on the ethics of hunting while backpacking, I fully support that and just ask that you open a new thread in a more appropriate forum, perhaps in the Philosophy Forum.

If you would like to engage in a debate on guns vs. no-guns as unrelated to backpacking, please do so in Chaff.

Thanks,
Ryan

I was looking forward to this review after seeing it on Ryans website.


Great read and fascinating little product. Just have to get the wife on board with letting me spend more money on gear!

Edited by jdeyoung81 on 12/02/2009 06:54:51 MST.

Appreciate the review. I would be interested in hearing comparisons to other options like the S&W Ed mentioned. I've also been looking at the North American Arms mini revolvers which are lighter and cheaper. Any experience with those?

Daryl, what's the weight of your sling shot kit? Are there significant differences in terms of accuracy and weight between models? This seems like another good option.

I just plopped the money down for a Tenkara rod, but at least I can fish all year round. 500 bucks for a gun seems high for my first entry into the sport especially when limited to the fall hunting season. So I'm looking for a cheaper option.

I've been looking for a light weight hunting option after walking past numerous tasty looking grouse, turkey along the PCT this summer. And I was hungry enough that eating a squirrel seemed reasonable.

Just like fishing in many of the high mountain streams and lakes there seems to be little pressure on these small game animals. Most hunters don't hike 10s or 100s of miles into the backcountry to hunt squirrel or small birds so it seems like these populations can sustain a small amount of hunting by a few backpackers. The animals also seem very willing to sit a short distance from me so it seems like they would be easy to hit.

I'd also enjoy seeing an article on collecting edible plants.

Edited by nschmald on 12/02/2009 07:26:35 MST.

Great piece on a new product. I don't currently own a gun but that is one I might someday. I respect others rights tp voice opposition to guns but am big on our birth-right in this country to responsibly own guns. I commend you on keeping this site well rounded in the ultralight realm.

Also, the idea of hunting "only" in a survival situation is silly and probably ineffective if you have no hunting training. Hunting is an outdoor art, as is fly fishing and ultralight packing and requires lots of practice, learning, mentors, proper gear and strategies. Ultralight gear and strategies of any genre is appropriately discussed here if used responsibly in the outdoors.

In keeping with that idea, I'd like to suggest experts on living off the land to contribute more ideas on this site for foraging and preparing, roots, nuts, seeds, leaves, berries, birds, animals, fish etc. that can be found in ultralight backpacking areas.

I had a watercress salad once with smashed wild raspberry dressing that was amazing! I once shot a ptarmigan during an Alaskan packraft trip and it made a great meal on a bed of Rice-A-Roni. I made willow bark tea once to help calm a toothache. I love any and all self-sufficient skills that can add flair, skill and dimension to an otherwise average outing.

I'm all for learning the modern versions of aboriginal skills and gear, not just how to get from A-B as light and quick as possible. Keep up the great work!

Edited by ksawchuk on 12/02/2009 22:25:50 MST.

I don't own a gun and know very little about them, but I appreciate the design and manufacturing that went into this rifle. But, I have some basic questions, so maybe anyone can answer them.

If this gun has no safety and it doesn't have the trigger protector (not sure what it is called, but the piece of metal that usualy surrounds the trigger so you don't hit it by accident) then I'm guessing that you wouldn't load it and walk around with it? Or I guess you could but you would have to be really careful? Or do you find the target first and then load the gun just before firing?

Only asking because Ryan says he hikes with it in his hand...is it loaded all day?

Stephen, I do hike with it loaded, but not cocked. The force required to cock it is very high, so the risk of firing accidentally, say during a fall, is nearly zero.

The lack of a trigger guard *shouldn't* be too much of a concern with this rifle for a few reasons. First, never rely on the safety. Always assume the gun could go off at any time. That's one of the first things I learned about firearms safety. YOU are the safety. In this rifle, you chamber the load manually, so the safety mechanism essentially becomes the cocker. You don't cock until you're ready to fire.

My question is this:

What is the protocol for safely disengaging the cocker without firing? Do you simply break the action back open or is it more of about finessing the bolt carefully back into its resting position while pulling the trigger?

The Pak-Rifle does have a safety, just not a conventional trigger safety. The cocking handle and firing pin can be taken out of "battery" position, by rotating the handle into the slot at the top of the reciever. This renders the action completing inoperable, making it safe to carry with a round in the chamber. It should never be carried with a round in the chamber, and the cocking handle in battery position. Trigger guards are just that, trigger guards, not safety devices.

Jake

Good question, breaking the action would seem the safest, yet jostling the rifle around to break the action while loaded seems unsafe. So I would say either method works, its a judgement call, and muzzle control is of course very important when doing this.

Wonder if they'll ever make this in 17 HMR?

amazing toy, thanks Ryan :)