Gear Review – HIVIZ M-Series Shooting Systems

Our first gear review on SoCalHunt is the HIVIZ Shooting Systems M-Series Magnetic front sight.
 

The HIVIZ sight is a light gathering (sort of like a fiber optic) sight for your shotgun.  There are a whole series of these sights for rifles, pistols and shotguns but we will just review the M-Series shotgun sight since that’s what I have.  Now, to start with, I am by no means a great shot with a shotgun.

 

I do okay but I’m not up there with some of the “internet legends” you may read about on some of the internet forums that claim to bag a limit of ducks with 10 to 12 shells.  I’m not saying it can’t be done, just that I’m a little more “average” then that.   I bought this sight last year after the season was over and installed it on my Benelli Supernova.  Installation couldn’t be easier as the sight is held on to the rib of your shotgun by three very powerful magnets.

 

You just set it on the rib and the magnets grab hold.  Then you just slide it up against the factory bead at the end of the barrel (which keeps it from sliding off under recoil) and you’re done.

 

The HIVIZ M-Series comes in four different models to fit almost any shotgun out there.  They are:

 

M-200 – (ultra narrow rib) – fits ribs from .172” to .250” – Beretta field models, Browning Citori 28 & .410 gauge and Sigarms SA-3 & SA-5.

 

M-300 – (narrow rib) – fits ribs from .250” to .313” – Remington: all field models; Browning: Gold 10 gauge, BPS, Auto 5 (older models); Beretta: Competition, T & ST ribs, Pintail auto; Ruger: Red Label field guns; Ithaca: Model 37 and other models; Benelli: Super Black Eagle and all field guns; Franchi: field guns; SKB: field grade small gauge o/u

 

M-400 – (wide rib) – fits ribs from .313” to .438” – Winchester: All post 1964 pump and auto-loaders; Mossburg: All models; Browning: Citori target grades (except super wide ribs), most o/u target models; SKB: field grade 12 gauge o/u.

 

M-500 – (ultra wide rib) – fits ribs from .438” to .563” – Remington: SP 10 gauge and some 1100 target guns; Beretta: Strada ribs; Browning: ½” target ribs; Custom: ½” steel ribs.

If you don’t know which one to get for your shotgun just measure the rib with a set of calipers and buy the one that will fit that size rib.

 

The set comes with four light pipes two red and two green in case you damage one or you prefer one color over the other.  For me, in the marsh and the low light morning conditions, I like the green one.

 

Now to the actual review.  WOW! is about all I can say!  This is the only thing I did different from last year and I am now hitting at least twice as many bird as I did last year.  Even in the early light at start time the green glow at the end of my barrel is impossible to miss.  It’s like a big neon dot out there and is impossible to ignore so you always know where the end of your barrel is pointing.  It is now much easier to align my center bead on my barrel and I am having less instances of not having my gun shouldered correctly which not only makes me a better shot but also helps avoid those nasty shoulder bruises you get as punishment for not shouldering your shotgun correctly.  The HIVIZ M-Series sight, along with the extra light pipes can be purchased for around $25, maybe a little cheaper if you look around on the Internet.  With the price of out non-toxic duck loads now a days it will likely pay for its self in saved ammo very quickly.

 

Rules and Regulations for San Jacinto Wildlife Area 2010/2011 Season

As a service to all heading out to duck hunt at San Jacinto Wildlife Area I will post the rules and regulations for the area.

Handicap reservations will be assigned to designated handicap sites only!

You MUST hunt from your designated hunt site or you will be removed.

No mechanical spinning wing decoys until after December 1^st.

Bag limit:

Ducks – limit 7.   Possession limit is double the daily bag limit.

Of the limit of 7 ducks you may include the following:

Canvasback 1 either sex.

Pintail 2 either sex.

Mallard 7 but only 2 may be female.

Redhead 2 either sex.

Scaup 3 either sex (no scaup may be taken before November 6^th).

In addition to the ducks you are allowed 25 coots.  (personally I don’t see what anyone would want one for)

Geese limit – 8.  Up to 6 may be white and 3 may be dark.

Black Brant – 2.  Only opened between November 13^th to December 12^th.

PLEASE NOTE THE SHOOT TIMES WRITTEN ON THE BOARD AT THE CHECK STATION.  EARLY SHOOTERS ARE SUBJECT TO CITATION.

Reservation card holders will be taken first then a drawing for unused spots and refill will be conducted.

Each blind is allowed 2 adult and 2 junior hunters.

Last time to refill is now 1 PM (this is a change from the information published by Fish and Game, which was 2 PM – due to budget considerations).

No lead shot allowed.  Steel, bismuth or tungsten ammo only.  25 shell limit in the field.

Please pick up ALL trash and spent shells.

All hunters MUST check in and out at the check station.  Keep your entry permit card, issued to you when you checked in, with you at all times while in the field.

YOU MUST CHECK IN ALL BIRDS TAKEN.  Please bring all birds to the check station for DFG personal view before you leave.  Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting opportunities.

No jump shooting, no standing and shooting from the levees (as mentioned before you must hunt from your designated hunt site).  No skyscraping.

San Jacinto Wildlife Area is a type A wildlife area.  There is a $17.75 day use fee for adult hunters.  (or, if your hunt as much as I do a season pass, at $144.21 is a great deal.  That comes out to about $5.15 for each hunt day if you’re fortunate enough to be able to go every day.  Or, on your 9^th hunt you’re ahead of the game).

No dogs permitted in the check station and dogs must be leashed unless actually engaged in hunting.

NO ALCOHOL PERMITTED.

If you have any problems or concerns while hunting in the wildlife area  you can report the problem to the check station office at 951-928-0580.

Good luck and good hunting.

San Jacinto Wildlife Area Loma Linda Children’s Hospital Toy Drive

Once again this year the staff at San Jacinto Wildlife Area is conducting a toy drive to benefit the children at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital.  This effort will run from now until December 24th when the toys will be distributed to the kids at the hospital.   I would encourage all hunters that show up to hunt at San Jacinto in the next few weeks to bring along a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the kids.  This is a chance to show the general public that hunters have a heart.  Tom Trakes, who does a bang-up job of running San Jacinto, told me that they are especially in need of several Radio Flyer Pathfinder wagons.  These are helpful to the children in the hospital as they can be rolled around in them to the various areas of the hospital with their IV’s and other medication in tow.  These wagons retail for about $75 and anyone donating one of these can have their name on the wagon to acknowledge the donation.  Tom also said that a Wii video game system would be helpful in getting the kids up and exercising.  Of course, I know these are expensive items and Tom would be just as happy with people donating dolls, toy trucks, blocks and other such toys that are needed also.  Please do what you can for this noble effort.

Welcome to SoCalHunt.Com’s Hunting Blog!

Welcome to SoCalHunt.Com’s blog!

This is where local hunting reports, gear reviews, hunting photos and hunting tips will be posted.  As things progress more will be added.  I plan on, as a start, posting the hunting results from San Jacinto Wildlife Area, (my favorite place to hunt), and starting off with a few tips and maybe some gear reviews here and there.  Of course photos of our recent hunts will also be included, both here and on the main web site, at http://www.socalhunt.com .  I’m using this blog to contain all of the hunting reports and such as it is easier to update then the web site.  Right now, as I am usually hunting twice a week at San Jacinto, this blog will be updated as often as I have time to do it, however, hunting does come first so please be patient with me.  I will try to get the hunt results from San Jacinto up as soon as I get them (likely the day after the hunt day).

Thanks for looking at my blog and check back often for updates, hunt reports, photos, gear reviews and more.