pany to take a look at running some fi eld time with the new model in their inventory, the Fury. This caller is hot, to say the least, and just about number one in the world in terms of holding a massive list of advanced sound selections. I must acknowledge that I’m not a very savvy electronic type, and more old school than most who write for this publication. But rest assured I do understand quality when I see it, and after running this unit now for six months I can say that FoxPro has produced a winner. Hunting Nevada with Coda Hunts and my friend Cory
Lundberg, as well as my local hills this past winter, the Fury was put to work often without a single hitch. Whereas the older FX5 tended to eat batteries, by keeping this new unit on the truck charger when moving from one location to another I have not as yet run out of power. Using eight AA batteries that are rechargeable, the unit can even sit for two weeks and deliver power if needed on a moment’s notice. Living in the mountains, we often hunt right from the door step and down into the canyons close to the house. The FoxPro is at hand like a handgun or rifl e up here, and is in the truck and ready to go at all times. The FoxPro Fury can function by the newly designed TX-500 remote control system that has brighter lighting on the sound list, is easier to operate, and holds an almost unlimited number of sounds. With the new Fury calling system you can program sound sequences, set up sound preset data, and recall sounds automatically. The operation manual is 30 pages long, and I will acknowledge that I’m just getting used to covering some of the information presented in it. The best part of the Fury is that the sounds are unique, and when the going gets tough you can pull a new call out of the hat in short order. I rate this new Fury a full fi ve stars in terms of fi eld operational ease, fl exibility, and quality. JOHNNY STEWART PREYMASTER PM-4 DIGITAL CALLER HS Hunter’s Specialties introduced the new and larger
PM-4 to writers on a very successful bobcat and coyote hunt in Oklahoma this past winter. I have been running these Johnny Stewart units for a very long time, but this was my fi rst look at the new PM-4 Wireless Preymaster digital caller. With the wireless sending unit using a single AA battery
and the player using four of these low budget power cells, the unit is easy to maintain up and running. We found that among three separate units the batteries were still going strong after three full days of very hard calling. At times the systems were being set up and run for at least one-half hour periods 20 times a day or more. I have no idea as to what the Preymaster has for internal
components, but I can say it is completely trouble free and has a remote control range of up to 250 yards under good condi- tions, and always a range of at least 100 yards. Built solid as a tank turret, the unit comes with 12 predator sounds on three cards, and can play two sounds at the same time. Changing the sounds with a library of additional calls is as easy as slid- ing in a new sound card. You can carry a complete set with you that will cover just about every possible need in the fi eld. As to how well the unit works in terms of the critters
coming to it, 11 bobcats and more than 21 coyotes were turned on enough to cause eight song dogs and four ’cats to meet their demise over three days of hunting. That’s success in a good calling environment. I’m sure not saying that every time you turn on the unit something is going to come running to the call, but if the setup is right and the area is workable, the end results can be very positive. I rate the PM-4 very high on the list of calling equipment. Considering price, effectiveness, and construction, I give the system a full fi ve star rating. SPECIAL CHOKES FOR COYOTE SHOTGUNNING
This time smoothbores get the call, and recently a mas-
sive amount of development has gone into new choke sys- tems for producing better payload control against fur on the ground or even sky rats like common crows and barn pigeons. First up on the list are the folks at EnvironMetal Inc. Yes, the new choke tube series they are offering are designed for their Dead Coyote and other tungsten- or iron-based products. Shooting the new turkey tube from Hevi-Shot this past
spring for some pattern prints on both turkeys and coyotes, I was quite impressed with the results. Almost missing the target while shooting tungsten iron No. 6, I still put 42 pellets in a turkey’s head and neck. There was a time that it took a 3.5" 10 gauge and a handloaded 2-ounce payload of 4x6 cop- per plated lead shot to get 40 pellet hits on the target at 40 yards. Those days are history because of modern smoothbore ballistic development. It seems that EnvironMetal Inc. has taken to the devel-
3400 Hwy 30 East • Warsaw, IN 46580 (574)267-4867
www.albertsonsguns.com albertsons@embarqmail.com
opment of “ring chokes,” as they are using a three-ring band on the inside of the smooth tube. As for the Dead Ringer system, it is still alive and about to turn a new corner in the marketplace. More on that deal later. Shooting the new Hevi-Shot choke in a Benelli Super
Black Eagle II, I found the tube liked the tungsten shot a whole lot, but it also took well to a test load of Winchester 2¾ " copper plated No. 5 pheasant shot. Why test this? Be- cause I dusted off two badgers with this load using my X-3 Winchester and a Browning special ultra tight choke this past fall. Also added to the mix was a very sick-looking, mange- coated coyote at 45 yards when it bailed out of some standing corn during a pheasant drive. FOILES WATERFOWL CHOKE TURNED COYOTE KILLER Still another choke tube that is tungsten and iron shot
safe is the Foiles “Strait Meat” brand choke tube system. Designed for long-range goose and duck hunting, this tube
Page 106 July — September 2011
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