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Field & Stream Names Top Outdoor Gear

New York, N- Field & Stream magazine gave top honors to the best new hunting and outdoor products yesterday,announcing thirty winners in eleven categories in the magazines annual "Best of the Best" round-up. Winning products were battle-tested by the magazine's expert panel of gear fanatics to ensure they're up to snuff. "Best of the Best" winners, along with other notable outdoor gear, are featured in Field & Stream's September issue, on newsstands August 21.

"It's been an incredible year for gear," says Jay Cassell, Deputy Editor of Field & Stream. "We tested more than 500 products and these thirty came in head and shoulders above the rest. These are the items we consider to the best of the year; worth your time, worth your money."

Test team members devoted three months to rigorously testing each product during a process dubbed the "Field & Stream Torture Test." Products were shot, bent, driven, dropped and generally abused. Anything that faltered was immediately eliminated. Beyond surviving the torture test, winning items were ultimately selected based on significance of the innovation, the quality of the design, and the value they bring to outdoorsmen. Criteria varied, depending upon the category, but all of the winning products share one characteristic: excellence in their field.

For more on Field & Stream's "Best of the Best," please see the September issue of the magazine or visit www.FieldandStream.com

FIELD & STREAM'S 2008 BEST OF THE BEST WINNERS:

KNIFES

Best Utility Knife (TIE): Chris Reeve Pacific $309

Best Utility Knife (TIE): SOG Mini Vulcan $140

Best Hunting Knife (TIE): DiamondBlade Monarch I Folding Knife $395

Best Hunting Knife (TIE): Cabela's Bell & Carlson Gator $90

OPTICS

Best Midpriced Binoculars: Leupold Mojave 10x42mm $480

Best Top-Priced Binoculars: Leica Ultravid 10x42mm HD $2,095

Best Big-Game Riflescope: Trijicon TR20-2 AccuPoint 3-9x40mm $750

Best Long Range Varmint Riflescope: Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16x42mm $700

BLACKPOWDER

Traditions Pursuit II XLT $322-$526

SHOTGUNS

Best Hunting Shotgun: Smith & Wesson Elite Gold $2,380

Best Target Shotgun: Caesar Guerini Summit Sporting $3,639

RIFLES

Browning X-Bolt $800-$1,000

BOWS

BowTech The General $799

ATVs

Best Traditional ATV: Yamaha Grizzly 550 FI Auto 4x4 EPS $7,800

Best Utility ATV: Yamaha Rhino 700 FI Auto $10,700

TECHNOLOGY

Coast LED Lenser H7R Rechargeable Focusing Headlamp $100

Brunton Solo 15 Power System $650

Spot Satellite Messenger $170

Garmin Colorado 400t GPS $640

Stealth Cam Prowler $400

Midland GXT850VP4 26-Mile Radio $128

BOOTS

Irish Setter Snow Claw XT $169

CLOTHING

Browning Transitions Series Apparel $56-$200

Sitka 90% Series Pants and Jacket $229, $249

MISCELLANEOUS

Mystery Ranch NICE Frame With Crew Cab Package $660

Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid $50,490

Expedite Yote Coyote Decoy $39

Ruger 22 Charger $369

Hilleberg Allak $670

Ameristep Z Lounge Ladder Stand $400

Field & Stream, The World's Leading Outdoor Magazine, is the country's largest enthusiast title and most recognized outdoor publication. Devoted to the complete outdoor experience and lifestyle, Field & Stream (www.FieldandStream.com) gives its readers the knowledge and inspiration to pursue the sports they love. It celebrates the outdoor experience with great stories, compelling photography and sound advice, while honoring the traditions hunters and fishermen have passed down for generations. Established in 1895, Field & Stream is published 11 times per year by the Bonnier Corporation.

The Bonnier Corporation (www.bonniercorp.com), one of the largest consumer-publishing groups in America and the leading media company serving passionate, highly engaged audiences through more than 40 special-interest magazines and related multimedia projects and events.