Gear question for the hide

[BoonDoc77]

I will be going hunting in VA this December and will be taking my newly purchased Remington 700P in .300WM with the Bushnell tactical elite 3.5-21x50 scope into the woods for the first time. I will be out all day and not planning on camping overnight although having the ability to would be a plus. Another plus would be to have a shooting mat included to keep me off of the rocks and wet ground. I do have a sling on the rifle. My budget for this part of the project is capped at $200. I can go a little more but I am trying to stick around that number. I have spoken with a couple individuals already who are recommending the Eberlestock X3. What recommendations do you have regarding packing rifle into the field with the rest of the gear? I am open to all suggestions and opinions (including drag bag, mat/case combo's, separate packs and mats combos, etc).
For those that tell me to search, I have and also read 20+ pages of the equipment forum so please no flaming. I have tried to read but you guys have forgotten more than I can learn in a few nights..LOL Thank you in advance.

 

[JohnnyC]

Re: Gear question for the hide

Eberlestock X3 is a fine pack. Add to that either a TAB Gear shooting mat or a Triad shooting mat and you'll be good to go.

The drag bag/mat combos are fine if you're going to the range or something, but if you need to carry extra gear it's not worth it, especially if it's stuff other than shooting gear.

 

[LawnMM]

Re: Gear question for the hide

The triad mat looks like it rolls up pretty compact, compared to many others.

 

[B3dlam]

Re: Gear question for the hide

Erblestocks are great bags only reason I don't have one is I keep spending money on new rifles. A small shooting mat like the triad would be easy to pack along although I have never used a mat while hunting.

As far as spending the night sol makes a Decent survival bivy that plus some fire starters and you should be set.

I will say carrying a sling rifle and a backpack is a royal pain I usuall end up tieing my rifle to my pack rather then messing with the sling.

 

[BusterB]

Re: Gear question for the hide

Not sure what part of VA you will be in, but for the majority of it I wouldn't recommend having your rifle in a pack at all, not too many instances where you wont have time to get it out and get set up before deer runs off. Especially in most western portions of the state. Not sure on the east coast. However my recomendation is separate pack and rifle on sling or in hand.

 

[FALex]

Re: Gear question for the hide

I'd caution you on the X3 only due to the size of the rifle scabbard. I run a 700 5r Milspec with an SSHD, and it was super tight in the X3's scabbard. Now, I am not 100% certain, but I believe the X3 LoDrag has the larger scabbard.

I ended up with the Gunslinger II as a result (can hold most any tactical type weapons platform, including an AR-10 with optic).

Just food for thought.

 

[okkaps]

Re: Gear question for the hide

Maybe snag a padded scope/crown cover then a good pack to put your gear in i.e. poncho, jacket to lay on whatever.

I agree with BusterB...keep it simple and easily accessible yet protect the important parts of your rifle.

 

[scauce]

Re: Gear question for the hide

good luck getting an eberlestock for 200 bucks. ive had a 5.11 bag for 5 years and a deployment to afghanistan. it run me 120. i would suggest those bags. its a 5lb bag you can stuff 15lbs of shit in.

 

[BoonDoc77]

Re: Gear question for the hide

Thank you to all for your help. It has given me some valuable insight and information. With all of this in mind, I have decided to begin my pack collection with the X3 by Eberlestock. Ceylon at Deltaoutdoorsman.com made me a deal I couldn't pass up.
Again, thank you Hide members.

 

[BoonDoc77]

Re: Gear question for the hide

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: scauce</div><div class="ubbcode-body">good luck getting an eberlestock for 200 bucks. ive had a 5.11 bag for 5 years and a deployment to afghanistan. it run me 120. i would suggest those bags. its a 5lb bag you can stuff 15lbs of shit in. </div></div>
Call Ceylon at Deltaoutdoorsman.com. He will surprise you on the price and his customer service is outstanding.

 

[finbox]

Re: Gear question for the hide

If your a tall guy the x3 will not fit you

 

[BoonDoc77]

Re: Gear question for the hide

The X3 has come in and the larger harness and belt installed. It does not fit like a normal "go to school" backpack does, but from what I understand of the instructions given by Eberlestock, it does fit appropriately (I am about 6'4" and wear a size 52 jacket if that helps for a frame of reference). I have only found two minor complaints so far. First, the load straps at the top of the harness have velcro sewn on the end of the strap to aid the user in keeping his/her straps under control (roll the strap and secure with the velcro). While this seems nice, it isn't the norm on the rest of the straps (+1 for the ITW web dominators bought separately and installed)and made for a real pain to install through the plastic connector. Secondly, the back scabbard does not include any means to secure the rifle except the compression straps on the sides of the pack. Unless the compression straps are cinched tight, a rifle (mine is a Rem. 700P with Seekins low rings and Bushnell Elite 3.5-21 G2DMR) can slide around inside the scabbard. I would not personally consider these deal breakers and, true to the rest of the comments found in other threads here, I do like the pack and have already worked with it a bit. It does what it is supposed to do better than anything else I have found. Just a few random thoughts FWIW.