SHOT Show 2018: New Predator Hunting Gear

January 28, 2018 By Mark Kayser

Predator hunters have nothing on whitetail hunters when it comes to gear available to them. Nevertheless, the list keeps growing for the predator crowd. For 2018, you may want to see if there's room in your backpack or gear room for some of these select innovations.

MAGPUL 700 RIFLE CHASSIS

Magpul needs no introduction when it comes to tactical gear and neither does the dependability of the Remington model 700 action. For 2018, Magpul has introduced what it considers the best possible "no limits" rifle chassis in the Pro 700 Rifle Chassis. It's built for short action model 700 actions.

The chassis is built on a bull billet aluminum skeleton wrapped in Magpul polymer that guards your rifle from all of the elements. Precision engineering gives you full adjustability in length of pull, comb high, butt pad height and a molded polymer grip with 5-degree forward edge sweep. Other details include an oversized trigger guard for gloves and adaptiveness for Magpul's innovative magazine system. You get all this and way more for $999.95.

PRIMOS DOUBLE BULL SURROUND VIEW

Every predator hunter isn't on a cross-country hunt. Some sit and wait like whitetail hunters, and for those, the Primos Double Bull SurroundView Blind in three models is a top-of-the-line choice. Unlike other ground blinds that only allow you to see out of a window or two, the SurroundView is constructed of innovative fabric that allows you to see out of every wall, but animals cannot see in. You truly have a full view of everything going on around you. It is indeed revolutionary for all hunting.

The blind is built in a hub-style fashion for quick deployment and easy takedown. It's rugged and has a limited lifetime warranty. Prices vary from $299.99 to $499.99 depending on the model.

FOXPRO PREDATOR MOUTH CALLS

Late in 2017, FOXPRO introduced a series of seven new mouth or diaphragm calls including a Coyote Combo pack with diaphragms for cottontail, coyote howling and coyote pup distress. Other separate models include cat, kitten, raccoon and the three separate listed above.

Why try a diaphragm? They keep your hands free and allow you versatility in volume, plus variances in tone. They also boost your volume capability to send a long-range message. Lastly, they are lightweight when you are taking a long hike and don't want to tote along a heavy electronic caller. Prices range for single calls at $12.95 or the combo pack for $24.95.

Some AR rifles, setups and situations require more than a simple rest off of your backpack. The Caldwell Precision Turret Shooting Rest handles all this and more for your favorite AR. Designed for use with AR-10 and AR-15 platforms, the shooting rest includes a forend clamp to keep the rifle secure, and centered.

An adjustable pistol grip rest supports the rifle in the rear. To adjust quickly in the field the rest includes a swivel and tilt feature to handle most shooting angles. The front leg also has a vertical adjustment of up to six inches. All metal construction guarantees use in any rugged environment. The Precision Turret Shooting Rest retails for $129.99.

NIKON MONARCH 3000 STABILIZED RANGEFINDER

Ranging a predator at long range often requires a steady hand and a good rangefinder for a precise reading. Nikon's new Monarch 3000 Stabilized reduces viewfinder vibrations by approximately 80 percent. OLED reticle display can be set for automatic or five levels of brightness to allow readings in any environment. It includes a 6x monocular, multicoated optics, 18 mm eye relief and a wide 7.5 degree field of view.

Nikon's Hyper Read shoots measurements back to you in approximately .3 seconds. The rangefinder incorporates ID (incline/decline) technology to eliminate the angle out of your shooting equation. The Monarch 3000 Stabilized retails for $419.95.

NIKON MONARCH 3000 STABILIZED RANGEFINDER

LUCKY DUCK RIOT ELECTRONIC PREDATOR CALL

New for 2018, Lucky Duck introduces the Riot electronic predator call. With innovations incorporated from the entire Lucky Duck lineup, the Riot uses those elements to create a compact, go-anywhere unit. In addition to an electronic caller, the Riot also includes a motorized decoy that jiggles and swirls when activated.

The caller's remote operates from 300 feet away and energizes both the caller, and the decoy. Every call comes preloaded with 50 predator-attracting sounds with unit capacity for 2,000 sounds. All of this runs on 13 AA batteries. The best news is that the caller retails for $199.

LUCKY DUCK RIOT ELECTRONIC PREDATOR CALL

Mark Kayser

Mark Kayser has been writing, photographing and filming about the outdoors with a career spanning three decades. He contributes hunting content to most major hunting publications in America. Today his career also includes co-hosting popular hunting shows such as Deer & Deer Hunting TV on the Pursuit Network and Online. He also blogs and is busy posting his hunting life on social media. Mark grew up in South Dakota in a family that did not have a hunting background. Despite the lack of hunting guidance, Mark self-taught himself how to pursue whitetails in the Midwest cornfields and across the Great Plains. His passion for elk hunting was curtailed by the ability to draw tags while living in South Dakota, but a love of the West spurred him to move with his family to Wyoming where he launches DIY, public-land elk hunts annually, most with a solo attack in the backcountry. Mark enjoys hunting all big game, coyotes and wild turkeys, plus he has a shed hunting addiction. When he is not in pursuit of hunting adventures, Mark retreats to his small ranch nestled at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming to spend time with his wife and faithful border collie Sully.

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