Real hunts · Real numbers · No studio
The guy behind the scope cam
On this page
Golden Guns Outdoors is a gear review and airgun tech site, run by one hunter in Southern California. Here we review optics manufacturers, thermal optics, high-end PCP brands, and camping, overlanding and premium outdoor gear. The field guides cover invasive species management, farm protection and collateral damage prevention: safe backstops, shot placement and knowing what's beyond the target.
My own test rifle is an FX Impact M4 in .22, topped with a DNT Zulus 4K, shooting 40.1gr ACE FRAG slugs. Most of my field testing is in Southern California, and some desert hunts on the channel were filmed in Mexico. I film hunts through the scope so you see exactly what I see: the range, the hold, the shot, and the result. The clean ones and the humbling ones both make the channel.
This site exists because most airgun "reviews" online are written by people who have never carried the gun past a bench. Mine come out of the truck dusty.
My everyday setup on a hunt, recorded through the scope.
How gear gets tested here
Reviews on this site follow one rule: nothing gets recommended as hunting gear that hasn't been hunted with. Not unboxed. Not shot at paper once. Hunted with. When a page compares gear I haven't hunted with, like the beginner PCP table, it says so at the top of the table and cites where every number came from.
- Chronograph first. Every load gets a 10-shot string over the Garmin Xero, recording average velocity, extreme spread, and energy, before it's trusted on game.
- DOPE before hunting. Holdovers get confirmed at real distances on the range, then re-confirmed in field conditions.
- On-camera results. The scope cam records the shots. Field claims on this site link to the footage that backs them.
- Time in the truck. Long-term verdicts come after months of hunts, not launch week. Durability opinions require durability.
Editorial, sponsorship & affiliate policy
- Affiliate links fund the site. Some links earn a commission at no cost to you (Amazon Associates). Which retailer pays never decides what gets recommended; field results do.
- Sponsorship, disclosed. Arken Optics and Utah Airguns sponsor my YouTube channel, and I'm a brand ambassador for RTI Arms. Arken has sent me scopes, including a pre-release Outrider 2-12x42, and Utah Airguns did the slug tune on my FX Impact M4. Any page that mentions one of these partners says so at the top, and a partner never decides what I recommend.
- Negatives get published. Every review carries a "who shouldn't buy this" section. A review with no cons is an ad.
- Corrections are public. If a number or claim turns out wrong, it gets fixed and noted, not quietly deleted.
- Hunt legally, always. Everything on this site assumes you follow your state and local laws on legal quarry, seasons, and discharge. The doves in my videos are Eurasian collared doves, which California allows with an air rifle; mourning doves aren't legal with one (why).
Corrections log
- September 2026: Clarified that the doves in my footage are Eurasian collared doves. Corrected the Zulus 4K review: DNT doesn't build in an IR illuminator, so the review now says to add an external one rather than calling the built-in IR weak. Swapped video embeds so each review shows footage filmed with the gear it covers. Added the Arken sponsorship disclosure.
- July 2026: Updated the FPE formula to the 450,436 divisor from the official AAFTA Field Target Rules (was 450,240).
Contact
Landowners in the Imperial Valley or rural San Diego County: I remove invasive pigeons, starlings, ground squirrels and coyotes from farms, dairies and ranches, starting with a scouting visit at no charge. Request a scouting visit.
The fastest way to reach me is a comment on the latest video; I read them. For business and brand inquiries, leave a comment asking for the business contact and I'll reply directly.
Find Golden Guns Outdoors on YouTube.