Part 1 of the Montana Bear Hunt Series
As an optics company we get the opportunity to meet some great folks and introduce them to our red dot sight line up, rifle scopes, and our digital optics. Sometimes those people reach out to us, and sometimes we find them. Sometimes we meet at trade shows, and sometimes we find ourselves liking each-others content until someone finally breaks the ice and we have an actual conversation. Social media is funny like that, it can bring out the absolute worst in humanity but sometimes it brings people together in the most random ways. That is how a random post on a social media platform turned into a bear hunt.
Meet Chanelle and Ian
If you spend much time on TikTok or Instagram, you have probably run across @marvelousmrsfisher. Chanelle and her husband Ian are hilarious, and we have been fans since… well since before they were super famous. After seeing a post of Ian hunting, our team at Accufire reached out to ask if he would be interested in trying our optics and best pistol red dot sight. Long story short, he liked what he saw and invited our CEO and our resident sniper to come up to Montana for a bear hunt.
The Long Drive North
This hunt was several months in the making. We had to get schedules lined up, permits purchased, guns built, and gear prepped. Finally, the time came and Brandon and Cav hopped in the Accu-mobile and drove from Texas to Montana. If you have ever made that trip you know that there are a few different routes, but eventually you wind up in Colorado Springs or Denver headed up Interstate 25. Instead of the most direct route, Team Accufire took a few detours to take care of some loyal dealers and spend time with some mountain hunting gurus.
Specialty Sports and Supply and our Red Dot Sight
We will get to the hunt in a minute, but the drive was half of the experience. The first major stop was in Colorado Springs at Specialty Sports and Supply. To call this place a gun store would be like calling Costco a corner market. Specialty Sports and Supply is a several thousand square foot retail space that appears to have been a grocery store in a previous life. Now, instead of milk and eggs, patrons will find thousands upon thousands of the finest guns available for retail purchase.
They have firearms, knives, red dot sights, and traditional optics, ammo, and accessories. It is mildly overwhelming but absolutely worth the detour if you are in the area. Brandon and Cav got to run the staff through the ins and outs of our product line and browse the colossal inventory of firearms in the store.
As is the case for most of our dealers, the digital optics steal the show. The Omnis Digital Spotting scope and Incendis Thermal Clip on are the belles of the ball. The ATRO 20 (Advanced Tactical Rifle Optic) and ATRO 8 top the charts for Accufire’s traditional optics. However, since the release of our Red Dot Sight this year, many of our dealers have reported that optics such as the QSO Red Dot Sight or the PCO Red Dot Sight may soon take the throne.
The staff at Specialty Sports and Supply gave the guys some great feedback on our Pistol Combat Optic line and the Quick Standard Optic; information that we will use to improve our red dot sight selection. We want to send a big thank you to Specialty Sports and Supply for taking the time to meet with us and learn more about our line up.
The Kifaru Show Room
The next stop on their North American road trip was the Kifaru show room in Riverton, Wyoming. If you are not familiar with Kifaru, they are one of the premier technical hunting and outdoor brands in the world. All of their gear is made tough – meant to withstand everything the wearer might experience from South Texas brush to the wild Hindu Kush.
The Guys Gear
Their packs, shelters, and technical outerwear are all designed and tested by professionals who understand the ”why” behind equipment performance. The guys picked up some killer gear that made a huge difference once they got on the mountain. The 8 Man Tipi and Smith Cylinder Stove are a match made in back country heaven.The footprint and heat created by the tipi and stove respectively are well worth what little weight they add to your load. The ability to get in out of the elements and warm up after a long day on the mountain is priceless.
They also picked up the Doobie, Kifaru’s answer to the military issued insulated poncho liner, more affectionately known as the “woobie.” It is light weight, usable as a sleeping bag or ground pad, and comes with an upgraded stuff sack. The Game Bags the guys picked up are supposed to be the absolute best on the market. They are made of an extremely tough nylon blend that is designed to take wear and abuse year after year.
Stone Glacier in Bozeman Montana
The final side quest of the journey was a quick stop at the Stone Glacier shop in Bozeman, Montana. Similar to Kifaru, Stone Glacier is committed to providing the avid hunter or outdoorsman with the highest quality, most durable equipment on the market. Looking at technical clothing online is great and can help point you in the right direction. However, nothing can match the opportunity to put your hands on the merchandise and have a conversation with the professionals who designed and tested that clothing.
Stone Glacier is Very Passionate in Their Work
The depth of knowledge represented there and the passion that they have for their craft is truly inspiring. And of course, Team Accufire went shopping. The fellas got Chinook Merino Hoodies and Boxers, an excellent base layer for mountain hunting. Wool is the original performance material and the merino wool that Stone Glacier uses is the best of the best.
The right base later can make or break a hunter, and the folks at Stone Glacier have put in the time and the miles ensuring that their products are firmly in the “make you” category. They also grabbed a pair of the Cirque LITE jackets. Designed for versatility, the Cirque jacket can be your primary insulation, outer layer, or a mid layer for those extra harsh days on the mountain.
Little did they know, the smallest item they purchased at Stone Glacier would have the greatest impact on the trip. Brandon grabbed a Stone Glacier Havalon game knife. The aluminum alloy knife takes a variety of stainless steel scalpel blades including the #60A. Unlike traditional knives, the Havalon never has to be sharpened. When one blade dulls you simply trade it for a new one and take your knife from dull to surgical in a few moments. The Havalon is light weight, compact, and rugged. Many game animals, large and small, have been processed with a Havalon.
The Red Dot Sight in the Mountains
Once all the shopping was complete the guys got back on the road and finished out the final leg of the trip: Bozeman to Helena. Neither of them had ever done a hunt quite like this. Brandon is no stranger to the outdoors, and Cav has hiked up and down mountains in Afghanistan to go get two legged critters that shoot back, but they were both excited to see what this kind of mountain hunting was all about. Brandon had the tag and was the primary trigger man, but Cav had the most important job: security. He carried a 10mm pistol with our PCOS red dot sight, just in case the hunters suddenly became the hunted.
Stay tuned, Part 2 of this three part series will be coming soon.
