High Ground Media, LLC

Manufactured by Canadian company The Requirements Group and sold in the United States via its subsidiary retailer Shadow, the Bravo hoodie is part of the company’s Elite line and one of its more practical items of tactical clothing.

Specifications for the Bravo Fleece Hoodie:

Constructed in a flexible, weatherproof, three-layer fleece the Bravo hoodie features:

• An outer layer with a 10k hydrostatic weatherproof membrane
• A fully adjustable hood via drawstring
• Zippered pockets on both the left and right sleeve with hook-and-loop panels
• Elastic banded cuffs
• Oversized front pockets with two-way YKK zippers
• Hidden internal pockets
• Concealed shock-chord adjustable hem
• Coats stitching

The Bravo hoodie comes in sizes from Small to XXXL, and in black, olive drab, and coyote.

Outer Layer

Inner Layer

Zipper Liner & Tag

Pocket Access Port

Concealed Hem

Tag

Front Pocket

Shoulder Pocket

Product Evaluation Scores:

• Cost – Average (3/5): With an MSRP of $79.70, the Bravo fleece is accurately priced in a wide market offering a dearth of duty or tactical clothing. Yet when considering the Bravo is a three-layer system that maximizes weatherproofing, the hoodie is actually well marketed.
• Comfort – Good (4/5): The Bravo is extremely comfortable and the layered fleece was notably flexible in both the shoulders and chest. While the XL tested has enough length in the arms, the fleece is also slightly flexible to allow it to stretch slightly and accommodate those with a slightly elongated upper torso. The elastic cuffs stop just at/above the wrist bone. The hood does cover up to the crown of the head, although it would be beneficial if it were either removable or storable into the collar when not in use.
• Durability – Good (4/5): Designed by The Requirements Group and manufactured in Pakistan, the multi-layered fleece uses a method of fabric weave that enables it to attain a 10k Hydrostatic Rating and resistant to most major weather concerns. The seams are not stitch sealed however, so while the larger three-layer surface area is waterproof, with enough heavy saturation the seams will seep first. The Bravo did maintain durability during various stressor tests to include light fitness drills (burpees).
• Functionality – Good (4/5): Overall the Bravo met all functionality expected of it, which is as a lightweight, flexible, duty or tactical fleece. The added benefit of the hidden pockets and rubberized access point enabled for an iPhone with headphones to be threaded through from the inside of the pocket to the inner shell. The hook-and-loop panels also enable for a variety of morale, IR, or unit patches to be worn and be easily visible.
• Weight – Good (4/5): The XL Bravo fleece hoodie weighs approximately 1.8lbs. and is consistent with other light fleece jackets on the market. It is light enough to be worn as a daily wear light coat, or as layered duty apparel. The weight would also do well to serve as a light range fleece to ward off the cold of early morning setup, or late night/low-light range drills.

Overall Rating – Good (19/25)

Product Link: https://therequirementsgroup.com/she-3262/

I am reviewing this product as a courtesy to the manufacturer and via STL Shooting Enthusiasts, so that I can evaluate it and provide my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give positive reviews. All views are my own, and based off my personal experience with the product.

The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the author. The views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

Developed by Arbor Arms USA, the Ambush Belt System is a lightweight, scalable base battle belt. The belt can be fully customized by the user, while still allowing for integration of various accessories and aftermarket products.

Designed as a two-part inner/outer belt system, the Ambush Belt System (ABS) is made with a combination of Type 13 nylon webbing for strength, and laminate nylon for lightweight purposes that give the ABS an overall width of 0.200” thick. Combined with an inner liner belt (optional at time of purchase or sold separately), the ABS can be rapidly donned/removed whenever the situation calls for it.

The ABS includes a 2” outer belt with a core of Type 13 webbing. Around the core material is a laminate nylon wrap that is stitched into MOLLE-compatible segments, and laser cut on three sides for attaching pouches and/or accessories.

As such, the ABS is also customizable at the time of purchase to include your choice of buckle; such as a thermoplastic slide-release buckle (featured), or with a genuine AustriAlpin Cobra Buckle.

The interior of the ABS outer belt features a 1.5” continuous band of hook-and-loop (male) material that is intended to bond to the associated hook-and-loop (female) found on Arbor Arms’ liner belts.

Included in this review is the associated 1.75” nylon liner belt that is intended to be worn through the loops of the trousers and keep them secure. The outer 1” band of hook-and-loop (female) matches to the associated band of material on the interior of the ABS for a solid bond to the overall system. The liner belt is also customizable to include any one of three buckle styles.

 The Ambush Belt System is available in Multicam (featured), Wolf Grey, Coyote, Black, and Ranger Green.

Editor’s Note: With regards to sizing, users would take care to order their belts based on their duty pant size to accommodate for slight variances in seasonal clothing and dynamic movements. Other pouches were utilized to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the ABS, but did not play a role in the evaluation of the belt itself.

Product Evaluation Scores:

• Cost – Excellent (5/5): As a range and duty belt, the Ambush Belt System starts at $89.99 and the price is adjusted up to $99 according to the options selected (color, hardware, accompanying inner belt, etc.). As such the ABS brings a blend of traditional nylon/webbing with the more recent laminate nylon to bring a lighter, flexible, and durable to the consumer. In contrast, other market alternatives to this type of two-part belt system include the CHALK Belt ($199) by Blue Force Gear, the Tactical Duty Belt ($164) by Lead Devil USA, or the UGF Battle Belt ($164) by Grey Ghost Gear. While the ABS is customizable, even with all the upgrades it is still well below the comparable price of other similar belts making it an excellent and affordable option.
• Comfort – Average (3/5): As a belt platform, the ABS offered an appropriate (or average) level of comfort, and while the belt was a size 40” waist, it did run a little on the large side that resulted in a little amount of play when drawing from the holster. The adjustable slide release buckle provided on the belt was able to cinch up most of the slack, but did have only so much travel before bottoming out against the belt. Otherwise the combination of lightweight laminate nylon and webbing gave the user a lightweight platform on which to add various pouches and/or accessories. The outer/inner belt gave a very good level of retention and secure bond between the two, while the inner belt itself gave an appropriate level of comfort with a slotted sizing that the buckle hooked into. A recommendation to Arbor Arms would be to design a cinch-style strap into the inner belt so that the user could more easily cinch the inner buckle to any given slot, and tighten as necessary to comfort. In its current configuration, its cinch to the specific slot that is appropriate but in doing so may not be as tight as preferred.
• Durability – Excellent (5/5): From a durability aspect, there was extensive bartack and double-line reinforcement stitching throughout the ABS, giving it excellent strength and longevity. Each MOLLE section along the length of the ABS is formed via bartack which ensured any pouches added remained secure and there was no risk of the laminate nylon material being compromised. The laser cut laminate nylon also mitigated any fraying of the material along cut edges or where pouches were attached. While the version of the ABS submitted for review included the optional thermoplastic slide-release buckle, it is highly recommended to consumers to opt for the COBRA buckle for the added strength and function. The thermoplastic slide-release buckle is nice and simple, but the longevity of such hardware seldom holds up to hard use or prolonged exposure to UV light.
• Functionality – Average (3/5): The ABS is a simple and functional platform on which to build into it a tailored range or duty belt. The MOLLE segments are appropriately spaced for a variety of aftermarket mounting designs to include; clips, MALICE clips, or traditional MOLLE straps. The inner/outer belt design allows the user to wear the inner belt throughout the day as a regular belt for trousers, but made donning the outer belt very easy and quick. As noted above, there was a little excess in the sizing that a little more adjustability in the outer/inner belt could have mitigated had there been more adjustability, but this didn’t inhibit drawing of magazines or the pistol during dynamic movements. Likewise, observations of choosing the optional COBRA buckle over the thermoplastic slide-release have already been noted.
• Weight – Excellent (5/5): While the volume of the ABS’s materials (light weight laminate nylon) and its design (slide release buckle or COBRA) directly influenced the weight per belt; the 40” belt submitted for review weighed in at approximately 6.4 ounces (w/o pouches and not including the 4.6 ounces for the inner belt). This was relatively light considering it was tested against pulling of pouches and dynamic movements and did not wear or tire on the body or hips. In comparison the CHALK Belt (13 ounces), the Tactical Duty Belt (22.08 ounces), or the UGF Battle Belt (35.36 ounces) all reflect how variations in materials can influence overall weight and bulk. This places the Ambush Belt System as one of the lighter belts available on the market.

Overall Rating – Good (21/25)

Product Link: https://arborarmsusa.com/shop/belts/ambush-belt-system/#ambush-belt-system

I am reviewing this product as a courtesy to the manufacturer and via STL Shooting Enthusiasts, so that I can evaluate it and provide my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give positive reviews. All views are my own, and based off my personal experience with the product.

The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the author. The views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

With the approaching hunting season, shooters will need to prepare for taking the long shot. Whether this is in a tree, on the ground, or stalking among the trees the ability to accurately judge distance and the affects on shot placement can spell the differences between a successful season or getting skunked. The Impact rangefinder by Vortex allows for all-season, accurate range estimation that will help hunters and distance shooters.

The Impact 850 rangefinder is a precise laser ranging device that can register objects up to 850 meters (for reflective targets) or 400 meters (for targets that absorb the laser light, or “soft” targets). It’s accuracy and lightweight, minimalist design can benefit both rifle/pistol shooters, hunters, and competitive distance shooters.

Internally, the Impact is sealed with all external openings or compartments having rubberized O-rings that prevent penetration by moisture. The optical and laser lenses are coated in multiple layers of anti-reflective sealant that maximizes light emission from the rangefinder to the target and back. The adjustable optical lens includes an adjustable eye relief to adjust the image focus.

Features of the Impact include a two Mode function:

• Horizontal Component Distance (HCD) mode for angle compensated ranging to give bow and rifle shooters the critical distance data needed to make accurate shots.
• Line of Sight (LOS) mode displays actual line of sight range.

While the Impact includes angled compensation, the user can also select between “METER” or “YARD” range displays. By holding the “Measure” button, the Impact also uses a continual “scan” feature that allows for on-the-move tracking of the target if needed.

The Impact 850 is powered by a single CR2 battery that gives the rangefinder approximately 5,000 cycles. With the programming’s included auto-shutoff feature, after 10 seconds of inactivity the Impact will turn off. This ensures longevity of the rangefinder, along with the included wrist lanyard that prevents accidental droppage.

Specifications:

• Range Reflective (yards) 850 yards
• Range Deer (yards) 400 yards
• Accuracy + / – 1 yards @ 100 yards
• Max Angle Reading + / – 60 degrees
• Magnification 6x
• Linear Field of View 341 feet/1000 yards
• Angular Field of View 6.5 degrees
• Eye Relief 15 mm
• Length 3.77 inches
• Width 2.95 inches
• Weight 5.5 oz

Product Evaluation Scores:

• Cost – Good (4/5): At an MSRP of $269.99 the Impact is the base model of rangefinder by Vortex, and the most affordable in its rangefinder lineup. It can be found on second/third-party vendor websites for as low as $199, but again care needs to be exercised in choosing a credible retailer. In comparison to market alternatives, the Leupold Marksman 1000 ($229), Sig Sauer KILO 1600 ($299) and Bushnell NITRO 6×20 ($299) all exemplify that the market on rangefinders is diverse and the Impact remains one of the more affordable and simplified rangefinders.
• Comfort – Good (4/5): Roughly the size of a 3×5 index card, the Impact fit nicely in the palm and was large enough to be held by one hand (although using a single hand is not ideal for rangefinding). The MODE and MEASURE buttons were oversized and made pressing them with any finger easy. The light weight also made the Impact easily carried and something that, when added to a vest or lanyard, not uncomfortable or tiresome. The eye relief was adjustable so although wearing eyeglasses was not feasible, the adjustable field of view for the Impact was able to be easily brought into focus.
• Durability – Good (4/5): The Impact had a rigid polymer housing similar to other laser rangefinders on the market. This provides a significant level of protection to the light emitter inside. The buttons, lenses, and battery compartment were all sealed with rubberized O-rings and gave the Impact a moderate degree of water resistance (for rain or droppage into a puddle or stream). The demo model provided did not come with a wrist lanyard, but typically the Impact would have one to secure the device to the wrist. In the event there is any problems with the Impact, like all Vortex products, it is covered under Vortex’s no-questions-asked VIP Warranty.
• Functionality – Good (4/5): While the digital programming of the Impact allowed for a significant measurement of distance; other functions aided in proper shot placement, range estimation, and evaluating angles. Using a .308 caliber rifle, our local range only allowed us to evaluate the Impact’s performance as it related to functional performance—not skill of the shooter to place shots. The angled HCD function would be ideal for those utilizing tree stands during rifle or archery season. The LCD display clearly read out the distance, current mode, viewing angle, and battery life. Although the Impact was tested for several hours, the CR2 held at full battery strength.
• Weight – Average (3/5): The overall Impact rangefinder weighed just 5.5 ounces, and was lighter than most field equipment that would otherwise be carried. This makes the Impact’s functionality and comfort very important and, when combined with its affordability, a very beneficial part of range shooting or hunting. In comparison, other units vary in weight, such as the Leupold Marksman (6.2 ounces), Sig Sauer KILO (5 ounces) and the Bushnell NITRO (5.5. ounces) but not to a significant degree. This makes the Impact of average weight within the current market.

Overall Rating – Above Average (19/25)

Product Link: https://vortexoptics.com/catalog/product/view/id/1833

I am reviewing this product as a courtesy to the manufacturer and via STL Shooting Enthusiasts, so that I can evaluate it and provide my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give positive reviews. All views are my own, and based off my personal experience with the product.

The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the author. The views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.