ICOtec GEN2 GC300 Review: Cheap, Durable & Effective
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If you are looking for an electronic coyote call from a great brand, that is durable, cheap, and effective, look no further than the ICOtec GC300 Electric Game Call. Although the price tag shouldn’t be the primary factor in choosing the best electronic coyote call, it is certainly nice to get a great deal.
It comes in at the price of an entry level electronic predator call, but boasts similar features to those you’d get from a $200+ electronic caller. Although not as high tech as some of the more expensive callers out there, it includes just enough bells and whistles and extra features so that it’s a pleasure to use it out in the field.
If you need an electronic call that works well in all situations – predator calling, prey calling, bad weather, snow (tough conditions because it muffles sound), there really is no reason to pay lots of money when you can easily get all the essential features at an affordable price of under $100.
Review Of GC300 Key Features
Remote Control Effective Range
The remote works up to 300 yards away, although depending on your terrain, you will more than likely experience an even longer remote control range than that. With a 300 yard range, you can easily remain camouflaged in vegetation or setup you blind from a distance and retain control over your caller.
Remote Buttons
On the remote itself, there’s all the key buttons you could expect to see. There is a single button for each of the 12 animal calls, making it very easy to remember your favorite ones by feel. I know I get frustrated with complex remote controls where I end up too busy focusing on which button to hit and not stuffing up the call sequence instead of watching for the coyotes coming in!
There are also the usual volume up/down control buttons, plus a stop and start button to activate the caller as needed. Lastly, the backlit buttons for night hunting help to make sure you hit the right setting when you’re out in the dark and the available lighting is limited.
Decoy Compatible
Although the GC300 doesn’t come with a decoy, you can easily connect one to the caller via the external jack port and use the remote decoy button to activate/deactivate it.
Batteries
The call itself operates on the commonly used 4x AA batteries which are small and easy to carry extra in your pack. If your call happens to die out on a long hunt, you can simply swap out the dead batteries for new ones. This is definitely preferable versus having to end your hunt and head home early to recharge the caller.
The other thing to note is the remote uses an A23 battery. It’s a type that not many have on hand at home, so you may need to order this special battery type as well before you can get started.
Animal Sounds
It contains twelve excellent sounds, including a range of animal in distress, that will satisfy the needs of most hunters:
- Coyote Pup Distress,
- Fawn Distress,
- Gray Fox Distress,
- Jack Rabbit Distress,
- Coyote Female,
- Coyote Yip/Howl,
- Coyote Male,
- Crow Distress,
- Woodpecker Distress,
- Bobcat Adult,
- Cottontail Distress
- Raccoon Pup Distress
Even though you may think it is limited as you cannot uploadadditional sounds, the ones provided are of a high audio quality and are definitely effective sounds for coyote hunting.
Other Additional Features
If you are looking to project your sounds a little further, the handy tripod mount built into the case easily enables you to lift it up off the ground and position it exactly where you need to. There is also a nifty “bump” handle to make it easier to hang it if you don’t have a tripod available.
Why Buy The ICOtec GEN2 GC300?
Here are my primary reasons on why you should be choosing this product as your next caller:
Comparison to other ICOtec Game Calls
To put it bluntly, in most cases electronic calls of the same brand/series all have similar base functions.
The ICOtec GC300 is the little brother of the GC320, GC350 and GC500, which have various levels of more advanced, extra features that you might prefer while out hunting.
For example, the key difference with the GC350 and GC500 is that both allow you to program in your own calls, which is definitely a great feature that I’ve written about in other articles on my site.
However if you don’t want to mess around trying to program different sounds and getting caught up in the technical stuff, the 12 professional quality audio calls that the GC300 comes with will easily do the job of calling in coyotes.
The GC350 and GC500 also have a USB port and larger storage capacity due to their programmability features, but in terms of power, sound, and wattage, they offer no advantage over the ICOtec GC300.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the remote range really 300 yards?
The exact range may vary depending on where you set up the caller and whether you have line of sight. However, many users of the GC300 GEN2 easily experience an operating range that’s much further than 300 yards. The claim to a 300 yard remote range is definitely not some over exaggeration by ICOtec!
Can you attach an additional speaker?
Yes, there is an external speaker port on the back where you can plug one in if you think it’s required.
How many batteries does the GC300 need?
You will need 4 AA batteries for the main caller and a 23A battery for the remote control, plus additional batteries to replace as needed.
What is the battery life?
The life of the batteries will depending on how often you use it and for how long. You can expect to be able to use it for a minimum of one day of full hunting. However, it’s always good to be prepared and carry fresh batteries in your pack when headed out for an extended hunting trip.
Can I used an add-on decoy?
There is a decoy port to enable the addition of a separate decoy if you want to include a visual component to help lure in your prey. The recommended one from ICOtec is the AD400 Decoy.
Verdict On The ICOtec GEN2 GC300 Electronic Game Call
In my opinion, the GC300 is the best and most reliable entry level electronic call on the market for the price.
The ICOtec GC300 is a highly durable, effective entry level unit. Falling into the “under $100” price bracket, it is a very affordable predator caller. With its 12 different calls and 15-watt speaker, this electronic coyote call will easily satisfy the needs of most hunters.
There are certain features that are missing though – most prominent is the lack of programmability. This isn’t a feature that comes cheap, so new hunters probably won’t be looking for it anyway. If you do want programmability, remember to check out either the ICOtec GC350 or GC500 which includes this.
In terms of an entry level predator caller at one of the lowest prices available, you really can’t do better than the ICOtec Gen2 GC300. When hunting coyotes, you will be sure to get the job done with this fantastic little caller.
