Got Ammo? Lucky Gunner.com Review

When I was contacted by the folks at Lucky Gunner and asked to do a review, I was intrigued.  I hadn't heard of them previously and I am normally a "go down to the sporting goods store and buy ammo" kind of guy.  I am considered techie by most of my friends and am the technical support hot-line of choice for my family, but I have never ordered ammunition via the internet.  Well after researching this business, I believe I am about to change my ways!

At their invitation, I was invited to shop the Lucky Gunner site and see what might be of use to me.  The layout of the information is great so you can shop by brand or caliber and offer large and small quantities of most ammo.  You can easily bring up the page, find the kind of ammo you are looking for, compare among the choices and order in the matter of a few minutes.  They also have the web site properly formatted for mobile web surfing via your iPhone (a great idea when you are at the range and realize you need to order more ammo).  Lucky Gunner competes by providing competitive prices, only advertises what they currently have in stock and guarantees shipping the same day or next business day or you get a 110% refund.  Since the selection of ammunition only includes what they currently have in stock you may not always find the specific caliber or brand you are looking for, but if you have some flexibility and/or you can wait until they update their site with new inventory, you can easily find what you need.

This past summer I bought my first large caliber handgun (a 44 Mag) for bear protection while traveling in Alaska and discovered that ammunition for some handgun calibers can be difficult to find.  I wanted to pick up some 44 Special rounds to shoot at the range (due to the lower recoil when compared to the magnums) and couldn't locate any ammo at the two major retailers I visited.  I found that this site has a wide selection handgun rounds including both 44 Mag and 44 special rounds.  I always like to plink with the 22s and there are an ample selection of rim fire shells with some great deals on the large quantity orders.  Shot gunners aren't left out either.  As my hunting buddy would tell you, my shell to dove ratio isn't very good and I am always in need of shells. I surfed their 12 gauge inventory and found there are plenty of options to pick from.   I moved on to the rifle ammunition and was elated to see that Lucky Gunner had my favorite Remington Core-Lokt ammunition at that time, so I selected two boxes of 30-06 180 grain pointed soft point bullets for my order.  A couple days later, my order had arrived as advertised.  The ammunition was neatly packed, in great condition, and performed beautifully!

Pros
1.  They offer a wide variety of competitively priced rifle, pistol, and shotgun ammunition.
2.  Shipping is really fast and they guarantee it will be shipped the same day or next business day or you will get a 110% refund
3.  They only advertise what they have in inventory, so it will never be back-ordered
4.  They have free targets you can print off at home.  Pretty nifty!


Cons
1.  You may not find the exact brand you are looking for every time you shop with them, but they do appear to refresh their inventory often so if you are patient and/or flexible, you should be fine.
2.  Although shipping is fast, some days you need ammunition on a spur of the moment, but with some pre-planning you can save some money and not have to travel from store to store to find a certain caliber.


The Skinny
Lucky Gunner appears to be a class act and will be getting my business in the future.  Especially for those calibers that I am more brand flexible such as my hand gun, rim fire, and shot gun ammunition.  I probably won't venture far from my tried and true rifle ammo brands, but if I plan ahead, I'm confident that I will be able to get what I need.

OBN Gear Review: Irish Setter Boots

This is a first for me as I will be doing my first gear review on An Outdoor Adventure.  Why am I doing a gear review you might ask?  Well the folks over at the Outdoor Blogger Network (see the OBN badge on the right side bar for a link) offer weekly gear give-aways to outdoor bloggers so they can field test the equipment and write reviews.  I was the lucky winner of a pair of Irish Setter Rut Master Boots!  So here we go.....

First, let me just say that the folks at Irish Setter are first class!  I won these boots about a week ahead of my turkey hunting trip.  I emailed Joe at OBN and expressed my concern about receiving the boots in time for the hunt.  He shared my concern but then responded by saying that Irish Setter had agreed to ship the boots 2nd day air so that I would receive them in time!  They arrived as promised and are beautiful.

I am a heavy user of rubber hunting boots as they keep my feet dry in wet conditions (such as water crossings, muddy conditions, and heavy dews), but the primary reason is scent control during deer hunting.  I am really hard on my boots while hunting and expect them to perform without fail.  Here is my review of the boots highlighting those aspects that I look for when purchasing new hunting boots.

The first thing I noticed when unpacking the boots is that the quality is obvious.  These boots are made to last.  I pulled out my old hunting boots and did a side by side comparison. 

Side by side comparison of New vs. Old

1.  Heavy Tread:  You can tell this boot has an aggressive tread before you even pick it up.  It has cleat like grippers along the side and when you pick it up to take a look at the bottom you are even more impressed.  The lugs are thick but are spaced out enough that it won't just be a mud trap.  Able to provide traction when you need it most.  I took a look at my sad pair of old boots and noticed that the tread was almost gone in most places.  Granted, these are very old boots, but the wear is more excessive than you would expect.

Serious tread on the Irish Setter Rut Master

Tread that didn't hold up on the old boots.

2.  Reinforced Tops:  The biggest complaint from my old boots has been solved by the folks at Irish Setter!  The weakest part of most rubber boots is where it flexes in the front where my foot meets my ankle.  This has caused my old boots to crack and wear in this area causing holes in both boots!  The Irish Setter boots have reinforced material in this area to prevent that from happening!  Wow!  I know it seems like I am over emphasizing this point, but if you ever stepped in a creek on a day when it it just above freezing and you felt cold water rushing into your socks through your "water proof" boots, you would share my enthusiasm.  These holes also compromise the "scent free aspect of the boots and are the primary reason for utilizing them during deer season.

Pointing out reinforced areas with double layer.

What happens when you don't have reinforced area.

3.  ExoFlex:  What the heck is that?  Well, if I only read about it, I wouldn't have believed it, but this actually works.  The Irish Setter boots have this flexible area in the back that is where you place your heel inside the boot, that allows you to slip it on.  The boot "gives" just a little as you slip your foot in so it isn't a chore, but once you have it on, it is a nice snug fit.  The old boots, well you just use brute force.

EXOFLEX LINK

4.  Comfort:  When you put on my old boots, you can feel the "thin" construction, like there is no cushion of support between me and the sole of the boot.  The Irish Setter boots are luxurious.  They have a cushioning that provides tennis shoe type of comfort with the protection of rubber hunting boots.  No pics on this attribute, but you can imagine me smiling as I put them on!  

Over All Review:  I tried to utilize these boots during my turkey hunt, but the conditions weren't right for this test.  These boots will thrive in a cold and wet environment, but this trip was very hot and very dry.  Had it been a normal wet Spring season, they would have been perfect.  I know that I will be utilizing these boots also this fall season as I bow hunt whitetail deer.  Overall, I give these boots a 5 out of 5 star rating due to their heavy duty construction, aggressive tread, comfortable fit, and the innovative design that helps you more easily put them on.  Let me express my thanks to the folks at Irish Setter Boots for donating the boots and thanks to the Outdoor Blogger Network for coordinating these gear reviews!