Here at Phelps Game Calls we offer a variety of bugle tubes, which can sometimes be confusing for our customers. Here is a little insight to what these different tubes are all about. 

Unleashed Tube

Our tube that has been around for the longest is the "Unleashed" tube. This tube may look like your kid's wiffle ball bat, but it's anything but that. Years ago elk callers found that if they cut down a wiffleball bat, it would make for a pretty decent sounding bugle tube. The large bat had WAY deeper tones and volume than the typical "vacuum cleaner hose" style that had been the industry standard for years. One drawback was these cut down bats lacked the important back pressure that allows for great note articulation and prevents you from having to overblow your calls. In fact, the first bugle tubes Jason Phelps sold were cut down FatBats! The lack of these bat's availability left him scrambling to source more for his tubes. Without a good supplier for these tubes, Jason resorted to the only thing he could do- engineer an all new tube. As an engineer by trade, he began reinventing the wheel, so to speak. Everything that the old bats lacked, the new tube would fix. Using everything he could find from air flow charts, to picking hunter's brains he worked on the new design. The result? Arguably the best sounding bugle tube in the industry! This new tube boasts PLENTY of backpressure. The thick walls of the tube remedied the "plastic" sound the other tubes suffered from. This tube's volume is authentic and loud, which is great for locating bulls at long distances.

Stats 

• 23 3/4" long
• 3 7/8" diameter 
• 12.7 oz.

Renegade Tube

The idea behind this tube came from me (Dirk Durham)! The tube begins it's life as an Unleashed tube. We then have the manufacturer cut the length down and the machine and smooth the mouthpiece, which the end result is a shorter tube with a smaller mouthpiece. I prefer a shorter tube as it fir in my backpack a little easier and for my style of calling, I just like the smaller mouthpiece. These modifications do not negatively change the tube's sound at all. In fact I actually prefer the subtle nuance differences in tonal sound and performance. The result is a little more compact tube with smaller mouthpiece for those callers who don't care for a larger flared type of mouthpiece, and want a loud and articulate bugle tube that sounds authentic up close and far away. 

Stats 

• 20" long
• 3 7/8" diameter 
• 11.4 oz.

Unrivaled

Are you a bivy style elk hunter who counts every ounce? Do you cut the handle in half on your toothbrush just to save some weight? Well my friend, we have a tube for you! The Unrivaled tube is small but MIGHTY! Everything Jason Phelps learned when creating the Unleashed tube, he put into practice designing the Unrivaled. Though the tube is compact in size, the volume is fantastic. It may lack the deep guttural sounds the larger Unleashed and Renegade offer, but it still has very authentic tones that can consistently fool bulls. In fact the high notes are just as loud as it's larger predecessors.  

Stats 

• 17 1/2" long
• 2 3/4" diameter 
• 4.5 oz.

The METAL bugle tube

Cutting edge is the best way to describe the innovative METAL bugle tube. The design was the brainchild of our friend Abram Summerfield. Abram brought this idea to us a couple years ago after being turned down by another call company. We experimented with his prototypes and really believed in the concept behind the tube. After collaborating with Abram and making a couple minor changes, we were ready for production. The tube was designed to amplify the high note of a bull elk which a lot of hunters struggle with. The crisp clear high notes are VERY LOUD and are great for long distance location bugles. The lower tones are a little more subtle compared to our larger tubes, but still reproduce very authentic elk vocalizations. Overall, we have been super pleased with the results and reactions from bulls this fall! The tube is covered by a neoprene sleeve which quiets any impacts from branches while maneuvering through the timber. We offer the tube with two different mouthpiece options. The "EZE Bugler" mouthpiece for those folks who can't physically use diaphragms, and also the "Flared" mouthpiece for those who prefer traditional diaphragms. If you have struggled for years to use an elk bugle, the EZE Bugler version will change your life! It has the most realistic bugles of any external bugle on the market, period. 

Stats 

• 19"- 20.5" long
• 3 1/4" diameter 
• 15-16 oz.