American Shooting Journal - January 2023

A Unique Big Game Hunting Ranch

Nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, High Adventure Ranch offers all of the excitement of western big game hunting without the costs and hassles.

Be prepared for a fair chase hunt! With over 3 square miles of prime natural habitat, our ranch provides challenges to even the most seasoned hunter, but our experienced guides and “No Game, No Pay” policy practically ensure that you won’t go home empty handed. In addition, High Adventure’s hunting season is year-round, allowing ample time to fit the most demanding schedule.

While our whitetail, elk, wild boar and red stag hunts top our hunter’s most popular lists, hunters from around the world have visited our ranch, hunting everything from American bison, black buck, fallow deer to Spanish goats and African game.

So, whether you desire a 10-point whitetail mount for your trophy room or simply the thrill and challenge of taking down one of our many elusive big game animals, High Adventure Ranch guarantees memories of an unparalleled hunting experience that will bring you back again and again.

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SHOOTING JOURNAL

PUBLISHER

James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER

ON THE COVER

Robyn Sandoval went from being an archetypal suburban mom to an early member of a local shooting club to executive director of A Girl & A Gun, America’s premier resource for female firearm owners. (A GIRL & A GUN)

COVER STORY

GOING GREAT GUNS

FEATURES

40 A MOOSE FOR MAGNUS

Cassidy Caron is back with another thrilling Canadian big game hunting story, this one about a Swedish client whose 60th birthday bucket-list hunt for a big bull in British Columbia’s frigid – and grizzly-rich – backcountry might have been a bit more than he bargained for.

52 PREPARATION IS KEY: TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR NEXT HUNT

If you’re planning a destination hunt in 2023, Dallas Safari Club CEO Corey Mason has some advice for you. He shares things to think about, questions to ask, resources to use and items to hammer out before spending your hard-earned money on that trip of a lifetime.

63 BULLET BULLETIN: TOWARDS AN ‘ABLR’ ACCUBOND

Nosler’s AccuBond Long Range ranks among the finest projectiles for hunting at truly long ranges. Phil Massaro shares the story of this bullet, its performance and how it gives hunters an “advantage in the wind” and “slightly flatter trajectory.”

79 ROAD HUNTER: HUNTING FARMLAND COYOTES

Throughout the country, farmland could be the most challenging habitat in which to consistently call in wily coyotes. But there are ways to beat them – just ask our Scott Haugen, who shares hunting tips for bagging songdogs in the sheep and soybean fields.

97 SCATTERGUN ALLEY: THOUGHTS ON SHOTGUN FIT

If terms like “length of pull,” “drop at Monte Carlo” and “pitch” have you scratching your head, let our shotgun savant Larry Case explain how adjusting these seemingly mysterious measurements will help maximize your scattergun’s effectiveness.

109 LAW ENFORCEMENT SPOTLIGHT: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON SAVING

“Sometimes it’s not a heroic act that makes the difference. Rather, it’s the ability to communicate that makes the difference.” So writes Nick Perna as he shares the story of fellow Redwood City, California, Police Department Officer Peter Cang, whose masterful negotiation skills have talked “many” suicidal people out of taking their own lives.

113 LEGAL SPOTLIGHT: ON TAPPING THE BRAKES

Defensive display of a firearm can de-escalate a potentially life-threatening attack – but those who carry concealed should also be aware of the risks of unjustifiably brandishing a gun at someone. Shawn Vincent walks us through the ins and outs of a “tap on the brakes” during an aggressive encounter.

127 BLACK POWDER: OF SPOTS SOFT AND SORE

The “Big .50” Sharps is an interesting cartridge for history buffs and buffalo-hunting-era rifle fans, and you can count Mike Nesbitt among them. He traces the origins and permutations of this long load known to leave a bruise on shoulders.

AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2023 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

In a Q&A with lead contributor Frank Jardim, A Girl & A Gun executive director Robyn Sandoval shares how America’s premier resource for female firearm owners is changing the landscape of shooting sports and more.

Breaking News! Braced Pistol or Short Barreled Rifle?

IS THIS LEGAL?

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to

In the high likelihood that the ATF implements a new definition of pistols with a stabilizing brace as short barreled rifles, millions of Americans will become felons overnight! Practically every braced pistol will require registration with the federal government as part of the National Firearms Act, payment of a $200 tax PER FIREARM, and a lengthy background check involving photographs, fingerprints, and wait times that are currently taking 6-12 months for approval! Failure to register these new NFA items will subject anyone found to be in possession or even having access to them to a federal felony charge, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine!

You can protect your entire firearm collection as well as your loved ones with an NFA Trust from Coyote Rifleworks. Creating an NFA Trust through our easy process gives you security, peace of mind, and the ability to hand down the legacy you created to your heirs without the encumbrance of probating your estate, and the NFA Trust will remain in effect for 21 years after the death of the youngest beneficiary of your trust when it was created. Coyote Rifleworks does it the right way the first time, the only time you’ll need it have it done.

Find out more by visiting us at coyoterifleworks.com or call 832-458-1214.

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protect your firearms and your loved ones from the encroachment of the ATF – NOW is the time to act!

GUN SHOW CALENDAR

January 7-8Sharonville, OhioSharonville Convention Center

January 14-15Winston-Salem, N.C.Winston-Salem Fairgrounds

January 21-22Columbus, OhioOhio Expo Center

January 21-22Salem, Va. Salem Civic Center

January 28-29Dayton, OhioMontgomery County Event Center

January 7-8San Bernardino, Calif.National Orange Show Grounds

January 7-8Tucson, Ariz.Pima County Fairgrounds

January 14-15Mesa, Ariz. Centennial Hall

January 14-15Las Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas Motor Speedway

January 21-22Phoenix, Ariz.Arizona State Fairgrounds

January 28-29Ogden, UtahWeber County Fairgrounds

January 28-29Ontario, Calif.Ontario Convention Center

January 7-8Miami, Fla. Miami-Dade Fairgrounds

January 14-15Orlando, Fla.Central Florida Fair Grounds

January 21-22Palmetto, Fla.Bradenton Convention Center

January 28-29Tampa, Fla. Florida State Fairgrounds

January 7-8Kansas City, Mo.KCI Expo Center

January 7-8Great Bend, Kan.Great Bend Events Center

January 13-15Saint Robert, Mo.St. Robert Community Center

January 14-15Cartersville, Ga.Clarence Brown Conference Center

January

January

GOING GREAT GUNS

STORY BY FRANK JARDIM • PHOTOS BY A GIRL & A GUN

If you are a man who loves and respects women, and really cares about the future of shooting sports in America, I advise you to read this article about A Girl & A Gun and then pass it along to as many women as you can. ey will appreciate a women’s shooting sports organization that is actually run by women. Now, I am not telling you to hijack your wife or girlfriend’s social media friend list, but it’s long past time that women around this country realize that shooting isn’t just a guy thing.

More women want to own guns and participate in shooting sports than most people, even industry professionals, realize. I know this because Robyn Sandoval told me so. She is the executive director of A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League (AG & AG), an organization of national scope dedicated to training

A Girl & A Gun executive director Robyn Sandoval shares how America’s premier resource for female firearm owners

is changing the landscape of shooting sports and more.

A Girl & A Gun gives women the opportunity to meet others with the same firearms goals: be safe, be responsible and have fun!

women to shoot for personal defense and encouraging them to continue shooting for the sheer enjoyment of it.

For 12 years, AG & AG worked to expand its reach and training capabilities, refine its course content, and create a supportive sisterhood atmosphere where women could learn about shooting most effectively and not be prevented from evolving into the shooters they wanted to be.

FOR AN IDEA of the sophistication and breadth of their offerings, let me summarize some of the regional and national events crafted exclusively for women shooters.

On the small-scale level, AG & AG created 3-Gun University (3GU), a program where ladies learn all aspects of this fun, fast-paced, action shooting sport over three to four days. AG & AG gathers the best competitors in the industry for small-group instruction and coaching, so participants of all skill levels receive meaningful support to help them grow into real contenders.

For women inclined to long-range precision rifle shooting with a military twist, the AG & AG Sniper School is a five-day stealthy adventure in fieldcraft, camouflage, range estimation, ballistics, scope manipulation, and wind and mirage reading needed to put your bullet on target at ranges from 1,000 yards to well over a mile away – without revealing your position to an overwatch “enemy.”

AG & AG also offers three- to fiveday destination events around the country for members to come together, share new shooting experiences and meet new friends. For all members, there’s A Girl & A Gun’s Dynamic Real-World Immersive Firearms Training Academy at Virginia International Raceway. DRIFT Academy is the first training course of its kind that addresses all aspects of vehicle defense training in, around and with your vehicle – and yes, there will be drifting! AG & AG sponsor Glock also hosts several Glock Getaways at their facility in Smyrna, Georgia,

where ladies train on the range with a Glock professional instructor, become certified armorers, and learn about all the features and functions of the most successful semiautomatic handgun in the world.

For the professional development of chapter facilitators, AG & AG hosts instructor courses with a train-the-trainer focus. e United States Concealed Carry Association’s Instructor Getaways in West Bend, Wisconsin, give AG & AG leaders the opportunity to earn training certifications to offer a variety of curricula to their students back home. More intense are the Complete Combatant Coaching Getaways that feature three days of coaching and instructor development training with Brian Hill, the respected head coach and co-owner of the Complete Combatant. AG & AG chapter leaders are able to tap into Hill’s 40 years of experience

with a wide range of training philosophies with the goal of getting certified as a Deliberate

At A Girl & A Gun events, women learn shooting skills that prepare them for real-world situations.

Engaging targets from around barricades, such as vehicles, teaches women how to maneuver safely with their firearms.

Sniper School teaches women the fundamentals of concealment – that’s Sandoval in a hasty hide – fieldcraft and riflecraft.

Robyn Sandoval smiles with two AG & AG Sniper School instructors, holding her certificates for successfully hitting targets at 1,000 yards, 1,760 yards (1 mile) and 2,003 yards.

Coaching Instructor.

On the large-scale national level, the mother of all AG & AG events is the annual National Conference. It became so big that it outgrew Texas. is year there will be 37 live-fire ranges and 60 simultaneous seminars over three to five days. More than 600 members of all skill levels and interests will rally in Colorado to attend six to 12 training sessions (field and classroom instruction, simulated training, handson “how-to” clinics, and live-fire) with top instructors, get motivated by guest speakers, meet innovative vendors and sponsors, and see relevant product demonstrations. Registration is a mere $400, which explains why the event sold out in under six hours. Seminars cover too many topics to list here, but concealed carry and personal defense, personal safety strategies, competitive shooting sports, and Second Amendment topics are mainstays of the event. Everyone knows girls like to dance, so naturally it concludes with a dance party!

AG & AG has a lot to show for its efforts, but the organization is still an undiscovered treasure for most American women. at needs to change for the benefit of shooters of both sexes, as well as the preservation of the Second Amendment. e unique thing about AG & AG is that it is by women and for women. In light of that fact, I think the success of AG & AG at their mission warrants some study. Why do they succeed where many others fall short? ink about that. Ever wonder why your special lady doesn’t want to go to the range with you? Could it be your humiliating “mansplaining” training style? Maybe she doesn’t think it’s funny when you fart in her port while she’s trying to aim. It could be anything, really. If you care about the shooting sports, and you care about her, stop spoiling her shooting experience and leave the training to AG & AG.   American Shooting Journal recently caught up with AG & AG ED Sandoval to find out more about the organization.

American Shooting Journal

What is it about A Girl & A Gun that makes women shell out $50 to join versus joining the National Rifle Association or their local rifle and pistol association?

Robyn Sandoval A Girl & A Gun is a nationwide organization by women shooters specifically for women. We welcome all women: single, married, young, old, athletic and everyday people. Women of all shapes, sizes, races and creeds. Women of all interests and experience levels, whether they are just curious about gun ownership or want to get involved in advanced self-defense or tactical training; shotgun sports like trap, skeet and sporting clays; hunting; long-range precision rifle shooting so they hit targets a mile away; competitions; and just about any aspects of pistol, rifle or shotgun shooting. AG & AG is a woman’s network to help her get wherever she wants to go as a shooter.

I wouldn’t discourage anyone

Participants in the AG & AG Sniper School show off their ghillie suits and rifles after an overwatch exercise.

from joining the NRA or any other organization. I’m a member of many of them, but I didn’t join them until after I became a shooter, and I became a shooter because of A Girl & A Gun. Without AG & AG, I would still have sought the training I knew I needed to defend myself and my family with a gun, but I may not have become the broadly experienced active member of the shooting sports community that I am today. ere are many places to learn to shoot a gun, and unfortunately that’s all a lot of women ever learn to do. A Girl & A Gun showed me that there is so much fun and empowerment to be had in the wide world of shooting sports, and it created the roadmap that encouraged me to explore them.

ASJ How did you get involved with AG & AG Women’s Shooting League?  RS It was actually my husband who first heard about the new club that was just getting going in my area back in 2011. Julianna Crowder was not only a concealed carry instructor, but she competed in IDPA and was often the only woman at matches. She would see women there with their husbands, but always sitting on the sidelines. She thought it was strange that she didn’t have a high number of women coming to her concealed carry classes, so she began to investigate why women were not interested in self-defense and firearms education. Julianna identified all of the negative excuses that kept women from the range, and then turned them into positives. She decided to make armed self-defense not only a fun experience but an approachable pathway to learning this necessary life skill. She began hosting Girls Night Out at the Range with her firearms, ammo, and a welcoming attitude for anyone who wanted to just “check it out” with no pressure. It was a success, and A Girl & A Gun was born! I attended the third event, and it changed my life. It opened the door to learning about firearms, conceal carry, competition and friendships that I never knew existed.

AG & AG grew organically because of Julianna’s contagious passion for shooting sports and her understanding of the instructional and social environments that

The exclusive Glock Getaway allows ladies to become Certified Glock Armorers and spend time on the range with Glock instructors.

Thanks to corporate partnerships with leading industry brands, members enjoy quality products and training opportunities. Willie Parent, Glock’s director of training, instructs at the AG & AG National Conference.

Charneta Samms shoots her AR-15 rifle in the AG & AG Fall Fest Multigun Challenge, the only all-ladies 3-gun match in the nation.

work really well for women. Other instructors wanted to offer the same model to their communities, so chapters formed quickly nationwide. New and experienced shooters would come to Girls Nights Out or another AG & AG event to find a caring, nonjudgmental, supportive sisterhood among our members and female instructors. Our certified instructors make sure that the environment is safe and that proper marksmanship techniques are taught so as to build a solid foundation for future shooting skills. rough AG & AG, women make friends, they find mentors and they feel comfortable. ey aren’t embarrassed or shamed for what they don’t know yet, and the events foster collaborative learning, where questions are welcomed. We know that the AG & AG approach works because National Shooting Sports Foundation studies show our members are safer, more confident and more capable with firearms than women gun owners who received their training through other means.

ASJ How big an organization is AG & AG Women’s Shooting League?  RS We have over 7,100 card-carrying members, representing all 50 states,

spread between 213 local chapters and the national e-chapter. We don’t have an outside sales team to market us, so all of these women have come to us through our website and word-ofmouth advertising.

Our chapters are the heartbeat of A Girl & A Gun and the chapter facilitators are the hearts of our league in their hometowns. Each chapter is a local group led by an independent instructor with local members, range facilities and schedules. Instructors come to us to be a part of our programs, and they go through a vetting and onboarding process to meet our standards and agree to abide by our rules and guidelines. Some states have several chapters, and a few have none, but every week we answer inquiries from new professionals who are interested in learning more and possibly joining us.

To be a chapter facilitator, a woman must at least be a certified pistol instructor and have an instructor insurance policy. Within the first few months with us, she must also be a certified range safety officer, complete a range response course, complete a Stop the Bleed course, and successfully pass the live-fire qualification test for plain clothes federal agents. Many of

our chapter facilitators were already in the firearms business as professional instructors, but AG & AG has helped to mint several new facilitators who started from the ground up on their own initiative. When you have great leaders, you attract great members.

Exactly what local events a facilitator hosts each month varies from chapter to chapter, but all of them will have at least one Girls Night Out at the Range that combines a few hours of instruction and shooting followed by a casual dinner for socializing and girltalk. Some chapters host Breakfast & Bullets, which is a similar event in the mornings for stay-at-home moms or retirees. Another option is events that happen in the afternoon, depending on interest and range availability. Chapter facilitators also host instructional clinics on a wide range of topics of interest to members, drawing on their own expertise and the resources of local specialists. e topics for clinics range from gun cleaning, holster selection, teaching kids about guns, shopping for a gun, first aid, intro to competition, as well as a variety of curriculums offered by the facilitator. Sometimes clinics are co-ed.

AG & AG events are set up to make the serious business of gun safety and

Shooting from behind cover and concealment are skills that women learn at A Girl & A Gun.

shooting instruction less stressful for women through a mutually supportive sisterhood model that allows for more effective learning. e cost of events varies from chapter to chapter, depending on their relationship with their host range. Some chapters are able to offer special range discounts to members and others charge a nominal fee for instruction and supplies.

One event that is held locally but has national participation is the AG & AG Quarterly Match. It is a simple competition with a new course of fire published each quarter that members can shoot for score and win cash prizes. It is a way for members everywhere to participate on a national level in our community. Even if a woman doesn’t think she has the slightest chance of winning the cash purse, she can still get a good indicator of her skill level compared to her peers. All scores are posted, so you can see where you currently fit along the spectrum of shooter performance across the AG & AG league. It is a useful way to evaluate the impact of your training, and since it involves shooting, it’s also fun. ese matches are cheap to enter, too. ey only cost $14 each.

ASJ According to your website, AG & AG offers several monthly livestream interactive experiences for members.  RS Yes, even without range time, our members can still train through our AG & AG online interactive, virtual Girls Night Out events and seminars livestreamed from HQ two or three times a month. ese events were very popular when we couldn’t get together in person during the Covid lockdowns and we kept them going.

ere is so much quality educational and training content to learn, and women still enjoy the sisterhood that is uniquely AG & AG from their own homes.

ASJ A great instructor told me once that if you can’t be shooting, you need to be dry-firing.   RS She was right! On the national level, we’ve created a digital library as an education resource for our members that covers important introductory shooting topics, as well

A Girl & A Gun is a place for women to learn and grow their marksmanship skills.

More than 550 women gather for training at the organization’s national conference.

The aim is to give women the education and confidence to shoot pistols, shotguns and rifles at any distance.

as subjects that are specific to certain sports, skills, platforms or advanced topics. ere are illustrated articles, videos, online training courses and certification standards. You can learn about shooting stance, holstering in a purse, how to prepare to shoot a qualification course of fire, concealed carry, gunsmithing, survival, lowlight skills using a handheld or weaponmounted light … Truly, I could go on for 30 minutes listing topics.

ASJ I was blown away by the depth of the content there. I’m not sure I could digest all those illustrated articles and videos in a month. I noticed you and Tatiana Whitlock are major contributors to the online library.

RS Tatiana Whitlock is our director of training, and she is a wonderful instructor and role model. People are sometimes surprised when they meet her in person because, based on her reputation and accomplishments, they expect a 6-foot-tall Wonder Woman and she is very petite. With her own experience as a shooter, combined with hundreds of hours on the range as an instructor working with men, women and youth, she is able to teach different techniques for any shooter to be successful, regardless of size or physical dexterity. Tatiana helps women understand that skill with firearms can be a defensive equalizer, and that with practice they can grow in confidence that is a little hard to

quantify. Being able to protect yourself is very empowering and we often see it carry over into other areas of women’s lives in all sorts of positive ways.

As the motto “It’s More Than Shooting!” suggests, it’s about camaraderie, support, inspiration, leadership and so much more. Amy Mazzio goes to hug her daughter Rachel after a multigun stage at Fall Fest.

ASJ Upper body strength is a limiting factor for every shooter, male or female. If you can’t hold up a 10-pound M1 rifle, you’re not going to be able to compete in the John C. Garand match at the annual Camp Perry high-power rifle competitions. If you can’t hold a 3-pound pistol at arm’s length with one hand long enough to shoot the course of fire, you can’t compete in bull’s-eye matches.   RS Upper body strength is not the insurmountable obstacle that many think it is. We aren’t talking about bench-pressing 200 pounds at the gym. Heavy rifles rarely weigh more than 10 to 12 pounds. In terms of racking the slide on a semiauto pistol, it doesn’t actually require much strength at all when you use the right technique. Understanding the options and finding the right technique for her abilities, a little grandma can rack a slide as effectively as the average guy. Our chapter facilitators in AG & AG know the importance of teaching proper technique. Not every woman will use, or even need, every technique to compensate for any strength and endurance limitations, but knowing them is at least helpful

Breaking flying targets is a fun way to spend the day! Starla Batzko participated in AG & AG’s annual Women’s Clays Extravaganza.

and might be a lifesaver.

While the average woman may have less upper body strength and less strength in her hands than the average man, if she wants to shoot competitive high-power or some other sport that requires manipulating a heavy firearm, or going beyond the current limit of her muscle strength and endurance, we have several resources and programs for her to build strength. As part of our membership program, we include a lot of materials on the topic of strength and it is one of the subjects you can learn about on our website. e secret is to do a few pushups every day.

ASJ Drop and give me 20, Private Sandoval!

RS I can do several now, but that wasn’t always the case! When I first tried, I hadn’t done a pushup in decades. After all those years in the legal publishing industry, where the heaviest thing I lifted all day was a thick law textbook, I couldn’t even do one pushup. Well, technically, I could do a half of one pushup. I could go down, but I couldn’t push myself back up! However, I participated in the AG & AG Pushup Challenge, which took a few minutes a day over six weeks and it helped build core and upper body strength that helped me on the range and throughout

my daily life. In addition, we often discuss grip strength and forearm strength in our Virtual Girls Nights Out, so that ladies can practice these simple exercises at home. rough our knowledge of the physical and mental exercises that work well for women, AG & AG can offer guidance and focus to help our members understand their true potential and train smarter for their personal self-defense or recreational shooting goals.

ASJ Speaking of goals, the more I delved into the content on your website, the more impressed I was with the scope and quality of the AG & AG instruction approach. For example, the 208-page downloadable journal you encourage members to use would be helpful to any new shooter, or experienced shooter trying a new discipline. I wish I’d had that when I started shooting.  RS e process of keeping a journal causes the person keeping it to reflect on the things they are documenting. e result is they gain and retain more of what they’ve learned. For example, if you go to a movie with a friend and then talk about it the rest of the night, there’s a much better chance you will recall that movie years later. How many times have you watched a movie

alone on Netflix and then gone to bed, and then a year later pick the same movie out again because you have no recollection of watching it?

ASJ Point taken. I see the benefit of journaling as similar to the benefit a student gets by taking notes in class. By processing the teacher’s lecture through your own brain, and then writing a condensed version into the pages of your notebook, you’ve reviewed the material three times. Maybe this is a stereotype, but keeping a diary or journal seems to me like a woman thing. If it really is a woman thing, I salute you for leveraging that feminine inclination to deep introspective thought into a powerful instructional tool.   RS e idea of our shooting journal actually came from men who we know that keep extensive DOPE (data on previous engagement) books for their rifles. We started with the concept of logging tactical information, then expanded it with personal development and training. e AG & AG Shooting Journal not only serves to document skills learned as well as skills and goals yet to achieve, but it provides a personal coach that can guide a new shooter through the information she needs to lay a solid foundation to grow in her

Women of all ages participate in AG & AG events. Patricia Johnson earns High Super Senior at Fall Fest using her pistol-caliber carbine.

shooting skills. Our journal is designed specifically for women to help them define their shooting goals, guide them to the training they need to get there, and both document and assess their successes and failures along the way to determine what corrective action they need. It comprises live-fire and dry-fire drills, as well as worksheets for each month. ere are also several articles contained within its page that address important topics like lead exposure, transporting and storing firearms, and how to have a meaningful practice session. It can be printed out at home or purchased as a hardcopy.

ASJ I notice you also host the AG & AG online book club every month.

at is almost, though not quite, as stereotypically feminine as a Tupperware party, except for the hardcore shooting/self-defense/ survival/crisis management/Second Amendment subject matter of the books. You read e Gun Rights War by Neal Knox, Deadly Force by Massad Ayoob, e Ranger Way by Kris Paronto of Benghazi siege fame. I want to be in your book club.

RS Our book club is pretty incredible. e book club is another program that came out of shutdowns, as a way to encourage discussions and promote learning when many women couldn’t get to a local range. In addition to dryfire practice, reading can also radically expand one’s knowledge of self-defense and gun-handling skills. We tackle a variety of topics about violence, perceived versus actual vulnerability, the importance of mindset, the value of mental versus physical strength, the price we are willing to pay for safety, logic versus emotion, criminal motivation, and threat assessment, to name a few. It’s an opportunity for intellectual growth, to expand your understanding through the thoughtful consideration of the author’s ideas and get outside your comfort zone. About 200 members will tune in to watch the monthly interactive livestream event and then about 700 more watch the recording and make comments to further the discussion. I’m proud that more and more women are participating in the book club. We even have caravans of women listening to the same audiobooks on

the way to other national destination events, which fosters even more training and camaraderie.

ASJ I have to admit that when I first heard of AG & AG, I did not appreciate the importance of what you ladies were up to in creating a sisterhood of shooters comparable to the brotherhood that welcomed me 50 years ago. In retrospect, I wonder why it took so long for a national woman’s multidisciplinary shooting organization to get traction.

RS Right now, we are still in the pioneer phase of female involvement in the shooting sports. ere will be a continued increase in female participation in the years to come. For the most part, the firearms and shooting sports industries, and our politicians, have yet to realize there are far more women who want to own a gun and learn to shoot than they ever imagined. A look at the demographics of firearms ownership and participation in shooting sports in America shows these traditionally, and in the past almost exclusively, male-dominated activities are in

A Girl & A Gun collaborated with Walther Arms on the PDP F-Series, a pistol engineered for women. Several AG & AG leaders went to the factory floor to build their own.

the midst of a major paradigm shift. For decades we’ve had a steady rise in gun ownership among women and to a lesser degree an increase in female participation in hunting, competition shooting, and other types of recreational shooting activities.   Self-defense is often a driver for women buying their first gun, but then they discover how much fun they can have on the range! at is what drives their next gun purchase, and the next, and the next … Not every woman who initially buys a gun purely for the serious purpose of self-defense is going to evolve into a shooting sports enthusiast for the love of the fun of it, but my experience over the last 12 years shows that many women will participate more if given welcoming opportunities to do so. American gun culture has been historically predominantly a man’s world, and I’m excited to shift this paradigm by bringing more women to the range.

For the past decade, we’ve done a lot to empower women to jump into classes and activities where they might be the only female. Often just walking into a gun store can be an environment where there are no other women, but with the right knowledge and information to make her a confident consumer, a woman can go to any gun

store without being intimidated. And, after being a part of AG & AG, she can take introductory-level classes and eventually advanced classes knowing that she will be respected on the firing line for her marksmanship skills. I’m proud to see more women in instructor roles, and also as directors of training or range owners.

We have had so much support of so many men in the industry who are happy to see more women at the range. ey recognize that the camaraderie and support from women’s-only training can be valuable to many women. Most of our male instructors and range staff love working at AG & AG events because there is no “macho” ego factor and participants really want to be their best selves and also want the other participants to succeed as well. With this positive learning experience, women are more eager to go to more co-ed training classes and matches. A Girl & A Gun is representative for how women are finding their own way to responsible firearms ownership, finding they enjoy shooting, and enjoying the same broad interests in shooting sports that men do.

ASJ When you say women are finding their own way to gun ownership, is that regarding the sizable number of

“Covid chaos” first-time gun buyers who were women?

RS at’s part of it. Of the recordbreaking 20 million guns sold in that two-year Covid period, about 5 million were bought by women. But really, those 5 million are just the latest wave of women who wanted to take the personal responsibility for protecting their own lives, and the lives of their children. ey saw during those riots in big cities around the country that the authorities could not – or worse, would not – respond to 911 calls. en they finally realized, “ e police are not coming. We’re on our own.” e truth of it is that even in the best of circumstances, the police can never respond to a 911 call in time to stop a violent criminal attack. Poor people who live in bad neighborhoods with high crime rates might be fully aware of this; middle class people in nice neighborhoods, with comparatively little crime, don’t call 911 often and were lulled into a false sense of security believing the police will come to their rescue. e nationwide spike in crime awakened them.

I understand this paradigm shift because I lived it. I was anti-gun for most of my life as the archetype suburban, middle class, career woman, wife and mother who feared and

The annual Upland Adventure gives women the opportunity to go on a pheasant hunt, learn about conservation and spend time in the fields with other female wingshooters.

hated guns. Even though I’m a native Texan, guns were not part of my household or family experience. My husband didn’t own a gun or shoot except for a few times as a range guest with friends. I was like many Americans, who only learn about guns from mainstream news media or movies, which is primarily fiction and misinformation. If you’re not part of the gun community, it’s impossible to see “over the mountain” to all the good that responsibly armed people are doing with training, competing, conservation and protecting their families. Many women are so busy working at full capacity to make ends meet, take care of their families, keep their cars running, support their church and their kids’ schools, and raise their children that they don’t step out of the bubble to learn about gun safety. Unfortunately, many accept what is presented to them through the mostly anti-gun legacy media and social media algorithms.

Years ago, I thought that everyone would be safer if all the guns in America were taken away, until I

realized it was never about guns … I wanted evil to go away. Hurricane Katrina was my wakeup call. I saw a TV news clip of a woman in the ruins of a major American city trying to hand her small children to strangers on a bus to take them out of the disaster area. My heart broke for that mother, and I became resolved to make sure that I was never in that situation with my three children. I decided that my plan would be to store peanut butter and tuna fish so that we could shelter in place together as a family. My husband understood that if we were ever in a situation where we needed that food to stay alive, everyone else would too, and surely someone would be desperate enough to kick down our door for it. After arguing for gun control, I suddenly had no argument. I agreed that we would buy our first gun.   Initially I was afraid of the new pistol, and I insisted it stay locked in the safe; however, a mother’s protective instinct overpowered that fear in short order. What if my kids and I were in danger when my husband wasn’t

home to protect us? If I didn’t have the knowledge to retain it and it was taken from me? What would I do to protect my children? I was grateful that I had A Girl & A Gun to guide my journey from fear to competence, and uncertainty to strength.

Once women who have never owned a gun realize that they may be safer with one, they will hopefully seek out training and a community of qualified and caring professionals to guide them. at’s how most of our members find us. I hope that when your readers see this story, they’ll help spread the word to the women they care about, especially the ladies who they think would really enjoy the shooting sports. Starting them out in the sisterhood of A Girl & A Gun chapter events can be the difference between them enduring shooting for their first and only firearms training experience and enjoying a lifetime of shooting sports. 

Editor’s note: For more information about A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League, visit agirlandagun.org.

A MOOSE FOR MAGNUS

STORY AND PHOTOS BY CASSIDY CARON

One of the most rewarding parts of being a big game guide is helping clients fulfill their dreams. Sharing our rugged lifestyle and the wild backcountry we call home is all in a day’s work. While functioning in extreme conditions and in extreme places becomes almost “ordinary” to a guide, we are aware of the privilege and responsibility of revealing the secrets of the chase, in a traditional and ethical fashion, to someone who has traveled from as far as half the world away to join us for a unique experience.

When Magnus’s family contacted me to arrange a moose hunt for him as a surprise for his 60th birthday, I knew this was going to be one of those super-special hunts. As a lifelong moose hunter in Sweden, it had been Magnus’s dream for many decades to travel to Canada and hunt our larger moose species in the vast and unmatched wilderness of the Canadian Rockies.

Being entrusted with such a dream comes with a lot of pressure. ere are so many variables in hunting that can’t be controlled. Bad weather and bad luck can move front and center very quickly. e mountains don’t always yield their treasures, even when a deserving person works hard to earn them.

Trying to help someone cross off a bucket-list item in nine days of an unpredictable wilderness adventure can be a challenging task.

WHEN MAGNUS’S HUNT began in late October, our unseasonably warm and mild fall weather held. But my gut feeling – and glances at the (rarely accurate) forecast – told me that winter was going to hit at any moment. A change in weather is usually welcome to spark up lateseason hunting action, but our neck of the woods doesn’t ease into things. Winter has a tendency to arrive like a runaway coal train.

A Swedish hunter gets a bit more than he bargained for during a guided hunt for a big bull in British Columbia's frigid and grizzly-rich backcountry.

A very cold morning dawns in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, where guide Cassidy Caron and her Swedish client, Magnus, a lifelong moose hunter, hoped to find a mature animal.

A big bull lurks in the woods at close range; this moose was lucky, as its antlers didn’t meet the minimum requirements to be legal in this part of British Columbia.

Access would become difficult as winter arrived, temperatures dropped and snow began to stack up.

e first days of Magnus’s hunt were amazing. e moose sensed the coming onslaught of tougher times and were heavily on the move. We saw many bulls, but none made the minimum requirement to be legal under British Columbia’s antler restriction rules.

On day three, Magnus’s friend Claus, who joined him on the hunt, missed a shot at an incredible bull. Although it was a shame to lose a chance at one of that caliber, it was a good sign that the mature bulls were still in the area. Despite Claus’s close call and seeing an exciting number of moose, Magnus and I had not had a chance at his dream bull.

By the fourth day, the action was slowing. As I had suspected it would, the weather suddenly changed as an extreme cold front rolled in. e moose hunkered down. It never ceases to amaze me how hard it can be to find a black animal, approximately the size of a pickup truck, when they don’t want to be found.

I decided that our best chance at fulfilling Magnus’s dream would be to hunt in a high-traffic migration corridor that moose might be using to

A big bull migrates to winter range.

exit the mountains as winter barreled in. We set up in a tree stand. Despite having a Buddy heater to keep the frigid edge off, it was painful to sit.

In the first hour, a small bull passed by. I sensed I had made a good call on choosing this location, but as the cold day dragged on, nothing else emerged from the low, dead light of the frigid willow meadow.

We returned the next day to see that the game trail by the stand was trampled with fresh tracks. at gave us the motivation we needed to sit another day. But it was agonizing. e

freezing day crept by without any sign of the moose that had made all the tracks during the night.

It wasn’t until 4 p.m. – eight brutal hours of sitting later – that a decent bull materialized out of the surrounding forest. After so many hours of dreadful boredom and discomfort, seeing the huge body just appear seemingly from nowhere was a rush. But it quickly became apparent that this was not the bull of a lifetime that we had been waiting for.

It was a long, cold hike back to the truck and the mood in camp that night

was subdued. e sudden temperature change had brought a lull in moose activity and guides in other areas were not having much luck either. Despite not wanting to spend another second in that tree stand, I forced us to return to it for a third day in a row.

It was the worst day yet. Nothing stirred, except a few pesky squirrels that came by so routinely that we began to name them. By midafternoon, Magnus had had enough. He had not traveled such great distances in pursuit of a dream to name squirrels!

“LET’S GO.” MAGNUS clearly wanted to try something new for the evening hunt. Believe me, I did not need much encouragement to call it quits on sitting in that tree stand. An igloo would have been more comfortable. But my gut – the secret weapon of every good guide – told me we had so much invested in this spot, we couldn’t abandon it.

ere is a saying, “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” But for me, the question is, What if you stop just short of the treasure that led

As late-season weather set in, a cabin offered a cozy sanctuary from the conditions.

This smaller bull got a pass earlier in the hunt.

you to start digging in the first place?

It’s very challenging as a guide to have to make these decisions, particularly when you are getting down to the wire with time. Secondguessing yourself, and then having a client second-guess you, can really get into your head and throw you off your game. Of course, I knew how much this hunt meant to Magnus.

I made the call to wait longer. Magnus’s response was less than enthusiastic. As the sun dipped down and the temperatures plummeted

to “holy crap” level, Magnus again wanted to leave the stand.

“No, we are committed now.”

I told him that we didn’t have time to hunt anywhere else that day and, though the truck heater and padded seats did seem pretty inviting, it would be silly to leave at that point. It was numbingly cold and numbingly boring. We had not seen an animal all day.

And then there he was.

It had been so many hours of nothingness, not counting the squirrels. We had logged 30-some

hours in the past days of gazing around that empty snow-covered meadow.

en suddenly, there was that huge black body towering above the deep, white sea of willow, his long, powerful stride taking him with ease over the frozen tangle. For his size, the moose was impossibly silent and graceful.

At only 130 yards, it was easy to see his details. e hair on his head was light brown with age, the rounded tops of his big antler pans confirming this was the mature bull we had been dreaming of.

Moose were on the move as winter weather finally arrived.

“Magnus!” I elbowed him hard as the moose crept silently on his long black legs farther into the clearing.

It had been so many days with a stagnant lack of activity that Magnus was a bit slow getting the gun ready.

“Good bull, good bull!” I normally pride myself in staying calm in these moments, but my heart was nearly hammering out of my chest as the bull swung his rack through the willows.

After what seemed like ages, Magnus was ready. A well-placed shot and a followup put the bull down, and just like that, the days of patience paid off and Magnus had his dream Canada moose in the bucket.

Although it was only 130 yards, it took a while for us to fight our way through the tangled willow to the fallen bull. What the moose did effortlessly was a clumsy battle for us through snow-crusted, chest-high and head-high brush.

He was down in a particularly thick patch and it was difficult to move around and maneuver him into a good position to get to work on the huge task of butchering.

AS DARKNESS SET in, we started skinning. Magnus had forgotten his headlamp, so with one light between the two of us, it was going to be an even tougher job.

Ever cognizant of the extremely high grizzly population in our area, the rifle was loaded and leaning on the bull’s rack. Late season can be particularly dangerous, as the cold and promise of a long winter can put the grizzlies into a last-ditch feeding frenzy before hibernation. ey can be extremely aggressive around kills.

We had the bull half-skinned with the top quarters removed and were getting ready to roll him over when I heard it.

Something was barreling at us through the brush. It was now pitchblack and I knew instantly I couldn’t have been in a worse position. I was at the back of the moose, 12 feet from the rifle.

I could hear the willows whipping and cracking as the charging animal got closer. en I heard heavy panting.

“Hey! Heeeeeey!” I was yelling as loud as I could, moving for the gun. e tangled mess of mashed willows under the moose were wrapped around my feet. Between that and poor Magnus flailing around blindly in the dark without a flashlight, it felt like I was locked in place.

Yelling for everything I was worth, I reached the rifle. Being that far from my rifle, even for only a few seconds, felt like a deadly mistake. Luckily, the charging animal broke stride just before I could see it in the edge of a headlight beam that was only reaching a pathetic few yards out into willows.

ere was no doubt in my mind it was a grizzly. As the creature circled down below us, staying just out of sight, it stomped belligerently and cracked its teeth.

ere was some muttering in Swedish and I was certainly getting the impression that this was more of an adventure in the Canadian wild than Magnus had bargained for when he had put a Canadian moose on his bucket list!

With only one gun and one flashlight, it was an obvious choice to leave and return in the morning to deal with the moose in daylight. e bear did not seem to be in a hurry to leave, as we could hear it in the bushes not far off.

I fired a few rounds into the darkness to allow us to hopefully get out of the meadow unscathed.

THE NEXT MORNING, with the benefit of full sunlight, we went back to the moose. I snuck up into the tree stand, hoping to locate the bear before diving into head-high brush. Shockingly, almost eerily, the bear wasn’t there and the moose lay undisturbed. I had not counted on that, but it was a stroke of good fortune.

We worked as fast as we could to get the remaining quarters off the moose and everything loaded onto the quads. e bear didn’t make another appearance but my senses said it wasn’t far off, either.

Magnus’s bull itself was an amazing and ancient moose with tattered ears and a nontypical point sprouting from

Magnus with his bull before darkness set in and things became very interesting with the arrival of a grizzly bear.

Half the moose loaded onto a quad the following morning as guide and client raced the grizzly to recover the bull’s meat and horns, one palmated antler branch of which (right) featured a unique nontypical point.

the palm. Not only did he get the moose he had dreamed of, but he got a true tale to go with it.

His friend Claus got a very good bull as well on the last day of the hunt and I’m pretty sure there are a few stories being told in Sweden about those beautiful moose.

ere is a saying amongst guides and hunters and it is this: “It is called

hunting, not shopping.”

In a day and age when nearly anyone can get anything they dream of, perhaps part of the powerful appeal of hunting is that there are no guarantees. In a world where “safety” has become paramount, there are no certainties in hunting.

My graduation gift after high school was a muskox hunt with the

late great Arctic guide and outfitter Fred Webb. He introduced us to his camp with a little speech, in which he said, “I’m not guaranteeing you a g**damned thing. Not an animal, not even getting out of here alive.”

For me, as a guide, this is part of what I share with my clients. Hunting immerses us all in a more primal way of being in the world. It requires an ability to endure discomfort, and possibly boredom, to deal with disappointment, to face danger and unexpected challenges.

Hunting is about embracing life as an adventure in experiencing highs and lows. It’s really about discovering what you are truly made of.

For me, and hopefully my clients, it is that moment in the hunt where there is that sigh of pure recognition: Ah. is is what it means to be fully and completely alive.

Editor’s note: Cassidy Caron is the owner of Compass Mountain Outfitters. For more information, visit compassmountainoutfitters.com.

PREPARATION IS KEY: TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR NEXT HUNT

What to think about and questions to ask as you begin planning a destination big game adventure.

Even the most experienced hunter can walk into a bad situation if the proper preparation and research is rushed beforehand. If you are thinking about taking on a new challenge or maybe a new destination, save yourself some frustration and read through the reminders below.

It’s important to interview and vet potential outfitters carefully, not because there are bad operators, but because not every hunt is perfect for every hunter. You know your tastes, preferences and abilities better than

anyone, so just be honest with yourself. Make sure you communicate your expectations and ask questions to ensure a good fit. You will thank yourself down the road!

WHEN PLANNING YOUR next hunt, keep these in mind: Forward thinking: Decide now what kind of hunt you’re interested in. Along with your interests, think honestly about your capabilities. If you’re not in good shape, a backpack mountain goat hunt or a spot-and-stalk brown bear hunt in muskeg probably isn’t a good idea; start looking into boat-based

hunts instead. Consider what distances, temperatures and elevations you are comfortable working in. Prepare now to learn as much as possible about the type of hunt you’re interested in so that you’ll know the right questions to ask when the time comes.

Fit your personal hunting style/ accommodations: Make sure you understand the fair chase standards for the type of hunt you’re considering. For example, research or ask about the size of the hunting concession. Some are very large. Others are not. Depending on the species and location, you will also need to consider what your limits

Prospective hunters should put a lot of thought and research into going on a guided hunt to ensure it matches their expectations and abilities. (SHUTTERSTOCK)

The question of costs and contracts is one to sort out well ahead of time, as well as in writing, so there are no uncomfortable surprises while afield.

(SHUTTERSTOCK)

are for shooting distance. Looking into the accommodations can also help you determine if a hunt is right for you. For example, lodges or base camps can look a lot different from your expectations if you do not ask the right questions based on your preferences. Knowing your personal ethics and abilities up front can help avoid difficult conversations down the road.

Look for recommendations: A great way to find recommendations for outfitters is to read the articles in magazines like Dallas Safari Club’s Game Trails. ose members had such great experiences that they wanted to show their appreciation by sharing their stories – not a bad place to start your search if you see something you are interested in pursuing. Once you’ve narrowed your search to two or three operators in the same price range, you’ll be ready to reach out to the outfitters.

ONCE YOU’VE DECIDED on a type of hunt and selected the right outfitter, it’s time to seal the deal. Adventure awaits, but first, paperwork. As you finalize plans with a hunt operator or outfitter, keep a few things in mind:

List of costs: Ask for a complete breakdown of all charges, in writing. Some countries charge an ammo tax or area fee. In some countries, for example, you must pay a fee to transfer to a different game management area. Also, ask about charter fees. In many cases, the cost could double if other hunters are not on the same flight and you are the only passenger. Finally, be sure you understand any sliding scales for trophy fees.

Choosing dates: Finalizing dates can be an exciting part of the process, but make sure you take time to think through your schedule and the time of year. Short hunting seasons, tight

schedules, concession fees, obligation to guides and professional hunters, or PHs, for hunting days, and much more can make it difficult for most outfits to make schedule changes –especially without significant time to make another plan. One additional consideration is to purchase a trip cancellation policy if you think there are any potential conflicts.

Contract: Many hunt operators provide a contract that you must sign. Some destinations require this, while others do not. Be sure to read the contract in its entirety. Contracts should contain the terms and conditions under which you will be granted a refund should you have to cancel or if something goes wrong. Make certain that you are in agreement with all the terms and conditions.

Once you are confirmed, most outfitters have well-developed information kits that will answer most

questions you have leading up to your dates, but you may want to confirm the best way to reach them between now and the hunt. Of course, many overseas operations have a stateside booking agent, which makes communication far easier for the excited client, but see if they have any advice up front about when to communicate next. You never know what questions might come up, and don’t be afraid to ask your outfit or a fellow hunter who has been there before. Good communication is key throughout your preparation.

THIS LIST IS meant to provide some tips and reminders as you navigate your journey for your next adventure. Every time you hunt, you should be open to improving and learning, so enjoy every minute of it! Happy hunting! 

Editor’s note: Corey Mason is the CEO of the Dallas Safari Club and the DSC Foundation, as well as a certified wildlife biologist. For more information about DSC, visit biggame.org.

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB

DSC’s mission is to ensure the conservation of wildlife through public engagement, education and advocacy for well-regulated hunting and sustainable use.

Along with DSC, DSC Foundation funds grants from revenue from the DSC Conven-

tion, funds raised from events conducted by the foundation and the DSC chapters, and from direct contributions from individuals and entities that support and passionately believe in the mission of DSC.

DSC will be hosting its Annual Conven-

tion and Sporting Expo January 5-8, 2023, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. Tickets are available now at biggame.org.

A member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), DSC is a mission-focused conservation organization, funded by hunters from around the world. With a small administrative sta and a volunteer army of 500, DSC hosts its annual convention that raises funds for grants in conservation, education and advocacy. In the past three years, more than $5 million has been channeled to qualified projects, organizations and programs in support of their mission.

To learn more, visit their website or email info@biggame.org.

Fellow hunters who’ve gone on the trip you’re considering are a great resource for getting a better feel for the outfit and field conditions. (MELISSAMN/SHUTTERSTOCK)

Adventure

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB

biggame.org

DSC’s mission is to ensure the conservation of wildlife through public engagement, education and advocacy for well-regulated hunting and sustainable use.

Along with DSC, DSC Foundation funds grants from revenue from the DSC Convention, funds raised from events conducted by the foundation and the DSC chapters, and from direct contributions from individuals and entities that support and passionately believe in the mission of DSC.

DSC will be hosting its Annual Convention and Sporting Expo January 5-8, 2023, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. Tickets are available now at biggame.org.

A member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), DSC is a mission-focused conservation organization, funded by hunters from around the world. With a small administrative staff and a volunteer army of 500, DSC hosts its annual convention that raises funds for grants in conservation, education and advocacy. In the past three years, more than $5 million has been channeled to qualified projects, organizations and programs in support of their mission.

To learn more, visit their website or email info@biggame.org.

SILVER BOW OUTFITTERS & GUIDES

silverbowoutfitters.com

Silver Bow Outfitters offers top-quality Montana guided hunting trips for elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, black bear, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and moose. They also offer unguided hunting excursions from their three fully equipped private hunting campsites.

All of their Montana hunts include ratios of one guide to one client or one guide to two clients. They do not guide hunting parties larger than eight hunters on a single trip.

COMPASS MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS LTD.

compassmountainoutfitters.com

Experience the thrill of a true wilderness adventure on a Compass Mountain Outfitters nine-day British Columbia moose hunt. If the rush of having North America’s largest land mammal thrashing trees just yards from you is tempting, this trip is for you!

Chase big bulls in BC’s Rocky Mountains while staying in one of Compass Mountain Outfitters’ rustic hunting cabins. With tags secured in advance by the outfitter, and the remoteness of the hunting area, you have a shot at a trophy moose of a lifetime. As an added bonus, it’s easy to drive to base camp and successful clients can take all their meat home if they choose.

ADVENTURE

DETAIL COMPANY ADVENTURES

detailcompanyadventures.com

Discover how in 1980 a courageous and visionary entrepreneur founded the first-ever, woman-owned global sporting agency known as Detail Company Adventures. Learn how, back then, Jeri Booth decided to dedicate her life to offering unrivaled sporting locations, and as a result, created what is today a sincerely grateful global market. Understand how Jeri and her team continue to inspect each destination personally to ensure their most stringent requirements are met. By blending these high standards with a clear understanding of each customer’s unique wishes, they have continually delivered remarkable experiences over the past four decades of leading the sporting travel industry.

HIGH ADVENTURE RANCH

highadventureranch.com

High Adventure Ranch, the oldest big game hunting ranch in Missouri, was founded by Charles Puff in 1983. The ranch has over 30 big game species, with an estimated 2,000 animals. Their guides have over 70 years of experience. The ranch offers lodging, home-cooked meals and full-service meat processing.

TOWARDS AN ‘ABLR’ ACCUBOND

Long-range offering in Nosler bullet line gives hunters ‘advantage in the wind ... slightly flatter trajectory.’

STORY BY PHIL MASSARO • PHOTOS BY MASSARO MEDIA GROUP

We’d seen the mule deer buck hop the barbedwire fence, following his does on a course due east, as the horizontal rays of the setting sun illuminated his antlers and gave great contrast to his coat. Doing our best to hop the same three-strand fence – though with assuredly less grace –

to get into a position to cut o the buck, we were o ered a brief look at him as he paused to look back at us. My guide gave me the shooting sticks, and as soon as the crosshair covered his shoulder, I broke the Winchester’s trigger. The then-new 6.8 Western cartridge sent a 165-grain Nosler AccuBond, loaded in Winchester’s Expedition Big Game Long Range ammunition line, into the buck’s vitals and immediately removed him from my scope.

In Colorado, a shot at just over 200 yards is by no means a long one, though in my native New York it might seem like a country mile in certain areas. Over the course of that week, I used the 6.8 Western and that 165-grain AccuBond Long Range, or ABLR, for my first elk, and many colleagues doubled up in a similar manner, at ranges varying from 50 yards to as far as 450 yards without issue.

Nosler is one of the oldest

Nosler’s AccuBond Long Range ranks among the finest projectiles for hunting at truly long ranges.

family names in the premium bullet industry, with their Partition design revolutionizing the hunting world. Though John A. Nosler’s brainchild remains a wonderful hunting bullet, the Nosler company has never sat upon its laurels. The Ballistic Tip, the Custom Competition, the Expansion Tip, the RDF and more represent their progress in bullet technology, but among my favorite Nosler designs are the AccuBond and its younger sibling, the AccuBond Long Range.

Let’s delve into what makes these

The AccuBond Long Range has a steeper boattail angle and a sleeker ogive than does Nosler’s standard AccuBond.

bullets tick, and why the AccuBond Long Range might be one of the most universal choices for an all-around hunting bullet.

THE AFOREMENTIONED NOSLER Ballistic Tip was among the first projectiles to use a sharp polymer tip for a meplat. That tip serves two functions: first, to help maintain a consistent shape (and therefore a more consistent ballistic coe cient) at the nose; and secondly, to act as a wedge upon impact with a game animal to ensure reliable expansion. And, boy, did it do just that! Some folks consider the lighter-forcaliber Ballistic Tip bullets to be highly frangible, and I have seen that in the field as well. I must say that if of proper sectional density, it can be a wonderful hunting bullet at reasonable velocities on suitable game animals.

Recognizing the e ects of highvelocity impacts on a standard cupand-core bullet – one that features a lead core surrounded by a “cup” of copper gilding metal – can show the shortcomings of the design. Add a boattail to the mix, and core/jacket

Author Phil Massaro took this Colorado mule deer with the 6.5 Western and the 165-grain Nosler ABLR.

The Nosler AccuBond shown in profile, section and upset. Note the polymer tip and boattail.

Among the factory loads for the 6.8 Western, the Winchester 165-grain AccuBond Long Range is Massaro’s favorite.

separation is not uncommon at all. To alleviate the issues, Nosler developed the AccuBond.

While the AccuBond may closely resemble the Ballistic Tip in all but the color of the polymer tip, the exterior conformation is where the similarities end. Nosler has chemically bonded the jacket to the core, resulting in a bullet that will resist premature expansion on those high-velocity impact shots at short distances, even from magnum cartridges.

On the other end of the spectrum – on the long shots, where the bullet has had ample time to slow down and the velocities are considerably lower – the AccuBond’s tapered jacket will still o er enough expansion to destroy the necessary amount of vital tissue for a quick kill. The AccuBond has been shown to give reliable expansion at velocities as low as 1,800 feet per second and has become renowned for

its accuracy. The white polymer tip is unique to the AccuBond bullet – while the Ballistic Tip series uses a caliberspecific color coding – and it makes for a great choice when you need serious accuracy and when you need a bullet that will work reliably in a number of di erent hunting situations.

IN THE LAST two decades, hunting and shooting at increasingly longer ranges have become popular, and while this particular article doesn’t have the space to handle the ethics and morality of long-range hunting, let me simply say that if you are going to take a long shot, please obtain the best tools and training available to do so. Among the tools, I will definitely include the best projectiles you can obtain, and on that list I will certainly include Nosler’s AccuBond Long Range bullet.

How does the AccuBond Long

The .27 Nosler loaded with the 150-grain AccuBond makes a sound all-around choice.

Flat-shooting cartridges like the .25-06 Remington mate well with the Nosler AccuBond, as they give a flat trajectory, retain energy well, and will hold together when tough bones are struck.

Massaro took this axis deer buck on the Hawaiian island of Molokai with a .27 Nosler rifle and 150-grain AccuBond projectiles.

Range di er from the standard variant? I’m glad you asked. While the AccuBond has many of the attributes desirable for a hunting bullet to be used in open country – the spitzer boattail conformation, polymer tip for a consistent meplat, and even bondedcore construction – the AccuBond Long Range takes things a bit further, o ering a little more flexibility.

If you compare the AccuBond and the ABLR of similar weights and diameter, you’ll see that the ABLR will have a higher ballistic coe cient; this is due to a longer taper on the bullet’s ogive and the increased angle of the boattail on the ABLR. The bonding process is the same between the two, yet where the AccuBond has a white polymer tip, the ABLR has a gray polymer tip. Both bullets have the tapering copper jacket, with a good, thick base of copper to provide a platform for the deformed bullet after impact. Looking at the di erences in terminal performance, the AccuBond is advertised to open reliably at velocities as low as 1,800 fps, yet the ABLR will give reliable expansion at

The speedy .28 Nosler is a formidable cartridge, made even better with the heavy 175-grain AccuBond Long Range. (NOSLER)

The AccuBond has a less pronounced ogive and boattail than does its younger sibling, the ABLR. (NOSLER)

The ABLR has a tapering copper jacket that is chemically bonded to the lead core. (NOSLER)

impact velocities as low as 1,300 fps. Yes, the ABLR is definitely engineered with long shots in mind.

To best illustrate what advantages the ABLR will give over the AccuBond, let’s load the 142- and 140-grain models, respectively, into a 6.5 PRC case and launch them at the factory velocity of

2,960 fps, generating roughly 2,750 foot-pounds of energy. The 142-grain AccuBond Long Range has a G1 ballistic coe cient of 0.625, while the 140-grain AccuBond comes in at 0.509; both numbers are respectable, and it’ll take a while for the ABLR to show its advantages. Using a 200-yard zero at

500 yards – what I personally consider the limit of my shooting range – the AccuBond will hit 38.6 inches low, while the ABLR will strike 36.2 inches low. This is not a big di erence at all, especially at that distance, as you’ll have to make some sort of elevation adjustment. In a 10-mph crosswind, the 140-grain AccuBond will need 16.7 inches of correction, while the 142-grain ABLR needs 13.2 inches.

Taking things out to 700 yards, the 140-grain AccuBond will drop 102.2 inches, while the ABLR drops 93.6 inches; the AccuBond will be deflected 35.1 inches, while the ABLR will deflect 27.3 inches – that is an appreciable di erence. At 700 yards, the AccuBond will retain 1,018 foot-pounds while traveling at 1,810 fps, while the ABLR will retain 1,259 foot-pounds while traveling barely less than 2,000 fps. And if you wanted to get crazy (at least for a hunting bullet) and move out to 1,000 yards, the AccuBond will drop 282.7 inches, be traveling at 1,427 fps (still supersonic), and retain 633 foot-pounds of energy. The ABLR, meanwhile, drops 248.3 inches, is cruising at 1,654 fps and still has 863 foot-pounds of energy. The AccuBond

If the magazine and throat allow, the .264 Winchester Magnum can send the 142-grain 6.5mm Nosler AccuBond Long Range at respectable velocities.

While the .375 H&H Magnum isn’t often thought of as a flat-shooting cartridge, when loaded with a 260-grain AccuBond, it shoots as flat as a .30-06.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is well served by the 129-grain AccuBond, giving excellent long-range performance on larger game species.

will drift 80.4 inches in a 10-mph crosswind, while the ABLR will move 60.9 inches. It is at the truly long ranges that the ABLR shows its value in conformation.

WHILE NOSLER – QUITE obviously – will load both of its own projectiles in their factory ammunition, the AccuBond bullet is loaded by Federal Premium in a good number of popular cartridges, including the .300 Winchester Magnum, 7mm-08 Remington, .30-06 Springfield, 6.5 Creedmoor and .270 Winchester. The AccuBond Long Range is loaded in Winchester’s Expedition Long Range Big Game

ammunition line, including the 6.8 Western I mentioned earlier, as well as the .300 WSM, 7mm Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester and 6.5 PRC.

The AccuBond in component form is available in .22-caliber 70-grain; 6mm-caliber 90-grain; .25-caliber 110-grain; 6.5mm-caliber 130- and 140-grain; .277-caliber 100-, 110-, 130-, 140- and 150-grain; 7mm-caliber 140-, 150- and 160-grain; .30-caliber 150-, 165-, 180- and 200-grain; 8mmcaliber 200-grain; .338-caliber 200-, 225-, 250- and 300-grain; .35-caliber 200- and 225-grain; 9.3mm-caliber 250-grain; and .375-caliber 260- and

300-grain. The AccuBond Long Range is available in 6.5mm-caliber 129-, 142and 150-grain; .277-caliber 150- and 165-grain; 7mm-caliber 150-, 168- and 175-grain; .30-caliber 168-, 190- and 210-grain; and .338-caliber 265- and 300-grain. As is evident, the ABLRs tend to stick to the heavier end of the weight spectrum.

For my hunting, I am fine with either model – I tend to test both and let the rifle’s accuracy dictate the choice. If you are serious about longrange hunting, I would probably steer you toward the ABLR, as it gives that advantage in the wind, as well as a slightly flatter trajectory. 

Massaro handloaded these 165-grain ABLRs in his 6.8 Western, and got groups slightly better than the Winchester factory loads.

AMMO+RELOAD

BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION

black-hills.com

The Black Hills Ammunition 10mm HoneyBadger bullet has deep flutes designed for optimum terminal performance without reliance on hollowpoints. The bullet penetrates deeply, cutting through bone and muscle to get to vitals. This is important on all hunting rounds, but particularly when you’re relying on your handgun for protection, including the possibility of bear attack.

If you’re relying on a 10mm pistol while trekking, the HoneyBadger is a solid choice for your defense!

See us at booth #15227

SHELL SHOCK TECHNOLOGIES

shellshocktech.com

If you loved Shell Shock’s lightweight 9mm and .380 ACP cases, wait until you try their .300 BLK cases, with more calibers coming soon. Lighter than brass, with more powder capacity, greater consistency between rounds, and can be picked up with a magnet. Satisfies global military mandates to reduce ammunition weight and increase performance. All Shell Shock’s cases are proudly made in the USA. Shell Shock…Shoot it, Love it!

NORTH AMERICAN AMMUNITION COMPANY

northamericanammunition.com

REDDING RELOADING EQUIPMENT

redding-reloading.com

NXGen Carbide sizing dies leverage the latest advances in materials science, specifically as related to carbide, creating new and innovative designs to increase ease of use and improved dimensional accuracy in straight-wall cases. These NXGen designs create cases with profiles that do not exhibit the wasp waist often found with use of a traditional single-ring carbide. NXGen uses a greater carbide contact surface, giving these dies the ability to better compensate for a variety of wall thicknesses without over-sizing the case body. Materials technologies continually advance and provide Redding engineers with opportunities to create previously unattainable design characteristics to better serve the needs of the straight-wall-cartridge reloader. These advances in NXGen carbide technology, along with enhanced designs, make possible improved ease of sizing and allow for more accurate dimensioning for the entire range of new cartridge case products from suppliers around the world. To learn more about Redding’s ongoing commitment to the precision handloading enthusiast and to request a copy of the current catalog, visit their website.

ROAD HUNTER

HUNTING FARMLAND COYOTES

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Coyotes occupy a diverse range of habitats throughout North America, but hunting them on agricultural land could be the most challenging of all.

Farmland coyotes know when you get up in the morning, when your kids board the bus to school, when you get on a tractor to work, and when you hunt them.

Farmland coyotes constantly see, hear and smell you, which makes outwitting them tough. But if you make the right moves at the right time, success can be consistent.

HIT THE CORNERS

On a recent coyote hunt, I headed to the upper corner of a field to call. I’d never called from this location before, always heading to the brush-choked bottomland instead. But standing water from heavy rains forced all the meadow voles and field mice to higher ground, and in winter, coyotes go where the food is.

Two minutes into my calling, a pair of coyotes came charging in.

“Cutting corners can be very e ective when hunting agricultural fields,” begins Terry Denmon, president and CEO of Mojo Outdoors. “Calling a single corner of a field –usually into areas of trees and cover

where coyotes bed – can be more e ective than calling them into the middle of an open field.”

But what if corner cover is sparse, not allowing for setting up and calling across those edges? “That’s when I might go 50 yards into the open field and set up in the wide open,” Denmon advises. “This situation is all about decoys, though. I run a call and decoy in one, setting it about halfway between the edge of the field and where I’ll be. Make sure it’s o set, so when a coyote comes out, it’s locked on the decoy and caller, not you.”

When hunting aglands, Denmon never turns o his electronic caller.

It takes a little more creativity, but there are songdogs to be had this time of year in ag-rich regions.

Throughout the country, farmland could be the most challenging habitat in which to consistently call wily coyotes. But there are ways to beat them!

Setting up on an elevated location is always a good idea when hunting coyotes, but one agland trick is to call from farming machinery parked in a field. “Coyotes are used to seeing that” equipment, tips expert Terry Denmon of Mojo Outdoors.

“These coyotes are smart and can pinpoint sounds from a long way. When they come out of cover, I want them locking in on the sounds of that call and the movement of the decoy.” Mojo’s Triple Threat E-Caller is ideal for this situation, especially when there’s a crosswind.

Another bold move Denmon makes is setting up in aglands with the wind at his back. “I’ll set up on the edge of a field and actually put my e-caller downwind from me, so the wind carries the sounds across the field and into cover,” he notes. “If there’s a ditch or tree line across the field, get ready. Don’t count on ’em coming all the way across an open field; you want to shoot

as soon as the dog comes out of cover.”

MORE OPTIONS

Cutting corners and setting up in the open are two options when calling farmland coyotes, but there’s more. If the terrain allows, take the high ground. Many agricultural fields are located at the bottom of rolling hills. They don’t have to be big hills, just rises that allow you to gain elevation, which not only o ers a sight advantage, but increases shooting opportunities. It can also help lift your scent above the low ground, as air usually travels in horizontal layers, like a river.

“I only call for about 15 to 20 minutes, then pick up and go, so I want to be

mobile when it comes to picking a place to call on farmland,” Denmon continues. “My calling style is largely based on covering ground. Most of our coyotes are called in under 10 minutes, with most of those coming in under five minutes, so I want to be able to pick a good spot, call, shoot, and move to the next place.”

Denmon’s ideal field setup is placing the electronic call and decoy in the sun, then hopefully setting up in some shade along the edge of a field. “Any elevation helps, and a tree or row of trees are great, as they o er shade and break up your outline,” he says. “We even do good calling from tractors parked in a field or using old farm machinery as a cover. Coyotes are used to seeing that.”

ROAD HUNTER

and sheep. “For me, when the calves and lambs start dropping, that’s when we get serious about killing coyotes,” he shares. “We actually like having coyotes around the rest of the year, as they keep rodent numbers down in the fields, but once the smell of newborn livestock fills the air, coyotes do a lot of damage and cost us a lot of money. We’ve seen ’em pull calves right out of a cow as she’s calving!”

food, cover and other coyotes are widely spread and ever-changing, which is another reason calling during the rut can be e ective.

Weather can also have an impact on agland coyote hunting success. Flooding creeks and rivers can congregate food sources in fields. Rodents head to any elevated terrain they can find once their holes and trails get filled with water.

Placing

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

When hunting agland coyotes, it’s all about timing, and there’s more than one prime time. Rich, a local rancher near my home, raises cows

The coyote rut is also prime time to call in aglands. The coyote mating season can vary across the country, so there’s no one set time. Out West, prime breeding seems to be from midFebruary into early March, while in the Midwest, it might commence in January.

Males become more aggressive and vocal during the coyote rut, and they cover more ground and respond to a wide range of coyote sounds. Agland coyotes can be very transient because

Heavy snows can also impact coyote movement and activity in fields. One winter I was hunting coyotes in South Dakota. The sheep rancher wanted every coyote shot, but two days of intense snowfall made it impossible to hunt the grass fields the sheep grazed in. When the storm lifted, heavy winds had cleared parts of fields, while deep drifts covered other portions. This made picking places to call easy, and the coyotes responded.

A fast snowmelt can also lead to

Looking to increase your success rate when hunting farmland coyotes? Try setting up and calling across corners, into areas of cover that hold coyotes.

a decoy on the edge of a field, then backing into the open or setting up kittycorner, is a great way to capture the attention of coyotes and pull them out of cover for a shot.

ROAD HUNTER

good agland hunting. A big influx of water from rapidly melting snow can force rodents from their homes, sending them to higher ground where coyotes will find them.

“Post-harvest can be a great time to hunt ag fields,” confirms Denmon. “It opens up fields and exposes food, and coyotes won’t be far.”

CALLING COYOTES

As for what sounds to deliver when

calling coyotes, don’t get intimidated and keep it simple. My farmer buddy, Rich, just uses a handheld cottontail distress sound year-round. I prefer an open-reed mouth call, as I can generate a range of sounds with it, from screaming varmints to birds, and even “kiyi” sounds and fawn distress calls, which can be very e ective in the spring and summer months.

“People get caught up on how many sounds they can make when

calling coyotes, and I’m not sure why,” o ers Denmon. “Almost every coyote I call in is with four or five sounds. My go-to sound is a cottontail distress, and I’ll run that for the first five minutes on my electronic caller, even if there aren’t any cottontails around. Jackrabbit distress sounds are also super; I love those! Then I have a pair of jackrabbit sounds I like, and I try to follow up shots with kiyi calls. I’ll often end sets using the hurt pup, or kiyi, call, as that can bring hesitant coyotes out of cover.”

If you’re intent on using coyote vocalization calls during the winter breeding season that’s currently upon us, starting a set with a few howls can be e ective. They don’t have to be loud at first; you’re not usually covering a big target area when hunting agricultural land, unlike when hunting the vast sagebrush flats of the West. If nothing comes in within the first few minutes, try another series of howls, but make them louder. If nothing shows, try the howls again and follow it up with some kiyi sounds and coyote fighting sounds.

Coyotes often come to calls in pairs during the wintertime breeding season. If you can identify the usually smaller female, shoot it first. Then make loud kiyi or fighting coyote sounds and get ready to shoot the male. Males seem to pause more readily following a shot than females do. This is where having a handheld call, in conjunction with an electronic call, is nice, as things can happen fast. A mouth call allows you to make loud sounds quickly.

Unless they’re mousing in fields, coyotes are in cover, and this is where hunters must focus calling e orts. Find the cover, then the challenge becomes getting coyotes to emerge. The more creative you can be when hunting farm fields for coyotes, the more fur you’ll pile up. 

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s bestselling books, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

Author Scott Haugen cut the corner of this farm field and pulled a big coyote into his lap.

DAVIS TENT davistent.com

Davis Tents are made right here in the USA, and each canvas tent is crafted to withstand years – even decades – in the field. Their passion is to provide a home away from home that helps carry on the tradition of your hunting and outdoor adventure lifestyle.

At Davis Tent, they believe in supporting wildlife and conservation throughout the United States by giving back. Each year they support hunting and wildlife organizations at the grassroots chapter level and commit a minimum of 2 percent of their time and revenue for conservation.

When you’re ready to look into a canvas wall tent, give Davis Tent a call.

V-LINE INDUSTRIES

vlineind.com

Introducing the new SRT Vault, specifically designed to be used by law enforcement agencies and security personnel. Safely stores firearms in areas where officers need their weapon readily available in an emergency situation.

Made from heavy-duty 14-gauge steel with a low-gloss powdercoated finish. Measures 43½ inches by 14 1/8 inches and weighs 50 pounds. Damper for soft closure when mounted horizontally, welded and ground corners on the door, predrilled holes in the back so it can be mounted, and a S&G Spartan lock that can be rotated 360 degrees to accommodate leftor right-side door opening, as well as horizontal use.

Features: S&G Spartan lock, the same lock used on large safes; multipoint locking mechanism; 2 square feet of standard MOLLE panel to organize firearms or accessories; preinstalled ¾-inch foam pad to protect contents; and adjustable quick-release nylon security straps.

Made in the USA. To order, call 805-520-4987 or visit V-Line’s website.

SKYLINE TOOLWORKS LLC

clipdraw.com

Haul firewood, tools and everyday essentials with this all-in-one utility tote.Premium buffalo leather is hand-stitched by Amish leatherworkers and fastened with copper rivets, then finished with a rigid, supportive bottom for the ultimate strength and durability. Made by the historic Woodman’s Pal company, with the reputation for quality, American-made products since 1941.

EXQUISITEKNIVES.COM

exquisiteknives.com Exquisiteknives.com is owned by retired ABS mastersmith Dave Ellis. Dave has been a maker, collector and dealer of world-class custom knives for over 30 years. Celebrity clients come to Dave for those hard-to-find pieces, and both seasoned collectors as well as newbies rely on him to build their valuable collections.The knife pictured is by Larry Fuegen. Larry forged the Damascus steel and did all of the carving.This is just one example of the quality pieces that Dave at Exquisiteknives.com collects and sells to his many clients.

VAULT PRO USA

vaultprousa.com

Vault Pro USA is the number one manufacturer of custom vault doors. They produce vault doors and storm shelter doors. Their products are engineered and built to exceed all FEMA 320 and 361 and ICC500 recommended standards for use in storm and tornado shelters.

Vault Pro is your best choice for residential vault doors, commercial vault doors, ADA-compliant vault doors, and day gates. Custom CAD design, custom art, and all configurations and sizes are available. Made in the USA with American-made steel.

PEET SHOE DRYER peetdryer.com

The Advantage Peet has now been updated to the Advantage Plus Peet. This fan-assisted dryer is now assembled in the USA! The Advantage Plus Peet Dryer is a fan favorite and powers air through the air chambers and DryPorts with a fan, giving the user the ability to circulate room temperature air or slightly warmed air.It dries faster than the company’s traditional natural convection models, yet still extends the life of your footwear by eliminating the moisture that can deteriorate materials.It will dry two pairs of shoes or boots at once, but with the use of Peet DryPorts (sold separately), the consumer can dry tall boots, waders, gloves, helmets and more. It quietly dries your footwear in just one to four hours.

THE BUFFALO WOOL CO.

thebuffalowoolco.com

This is the big boy – these are Buffalo Wool’s heaviest, most insulating, most wicking socks, and most likely the warmest sock on the planet (excepting electric).

Ultrasoft bison fiber blended with fine merino wool means there is no prickly itch from these socks. They will keep your feet warm and dry all winter long.

prolixlubricant.com

PrOlix is a penetrating solvent/dry lube product that was lab-developed and tested by law enforcement, military and commercial shooters over many years. The citrus-based biodegradable cleaner, pioneered in 1995, is the first successful “all in one” gun care product, now deemed “Bio-Technology.” Their recyclable (strain and reuse) products are made of 89 percent or greater renewable resources, a true commitment to sustainable practices and caring for the environment. As such, the USDA has listed PrOlix as a BioPreferred Product

The solvent “goes on wet, cleans, bonds, and the lube turns dry to the touch.” It removes carbon, copper, lead, shotgun plastic residues and black powder. PrOlix will not damage wood, freeze or flash off, and it can be used for commercial and industrial applications as well.

To complement the PrOlix Cleaner/ Lubricant (Dry Tech) line, shooters can use the equally superior “gun-oil and grease replacer” PrOlix Xtra-T Lube for a total care product.

PrOlix will be shipping out their products with a new look soon. Along with the new look, due to many requests, their PrOlix TGCP in the 16-ounce-PRO with an adjustable nozzle and triggersprayer cap will also change to an easierto-handle bottle.

See us at booth #EX430

RANGESTORE.NET

rangestore.net

Never run out of paint again! Sign up for Steel Target Paint Auto Re-Order Program to get free ground shipping. Perfect for match directors, club owners and shooters who frequently purchase paint. Select the color of paint, the quantity of cases, and the frequency of when you want it delivered. There are no fees and you may cancel at any time. Formulated for steel targets, Steel Target Paint was made for shooters, by shooters. It has high paint resin content in a 16-ounce aerosol can and covers quickly. Spend less time painting and more time shooting.

mooresecuritysafes.com

Total custom safe with UL-rated Level 1 ballistic glass with one-hour fire protection at 1,800 degrees (also UL-rated).

Available in custom sizes, paint colors, hand-painted pinstriping or murals. You can display whatever you would like for people to see but not be able to touch or – most importantly – take. Handmade in the USA.

CAMOUFLAGE FACE PAINT

camofacepaint.com

Bobbie Weiner has been in business making Camo Face Paint for all branches of the US Military for 26 years. Bobbie is also the number one supplier for the US Dept. of Defense.

All Camo Face Paint is made in the USA. Bobbie’s company makes three-, fourand five-color compacts (mirror included), as well as tubes and pressed powders in all of the military colors. Everythingis made to military specs and she is always fully stocked and ready to ship. Bobbie will make custom colors and private label is available. All face paint is odorless, hypoallergenic, washes off with soap and water, nontoxic and has a five-year shelf life.

For more information on available products, stop by their booth during SHOT Show, email bw@bobbieweiner.com or visit the company’s website.

See us at booth #20401

PRESENT ARMS, INC. presentarmsinc.com

The AR Hook is another “third hand” from Present Arms. It is an AR cleaning rod guide and upper receiver strut. Simply hook the upper receiver and pin to the lower with the takedown pin.

Use it with Present Arms’ patented Sentinel Plate and AR magazine post, sold separately, for the perfect user-friendly AR cleaning station.

TUFFYPACKS, LLC

tuffypacks.com

TuffyPacks, LLC manufactures global defensive solutions for the everincreasing problem of active shooter incidents.

They manufacture a line of custom inserts that provide a level of personal protection from ballistic threats similar to what law enforcement officers wear daily as bulletproof vests. The TuffyPack Ballistic Shields are built to meet Level IIIA threat requirements. Their inserts have been tested by an independent ballistic lab and the report is available on their website.

When inserted into backpacks, briefcases or computer bags, TuffyPacks’ ballistic shields will provide the highest level of protection currently available as lightweight, concealable body armor. A backpack with ballistic protection weighs only 19 to 27 ounces more than a nonprotected pack (based on the pack size). Additionally, the ballistic shields are removable when the user desires to use the pack in a low- or nonthreat environment.

TuffyPacks’ panels are constructed using multiple layers of ballistic PE material that is a strong, synthetic PE fiber similar to Kevlar. It is used in the global production of body armor, helmets and ballistic vests, just to name a few. The company writes the build date and stamps each panel with a five-year useful life.

You can confidently depend on their panels for protection against all kinds of handgun bullets and fragments, as well as against stabbing with sharp and pointed objects.

POCKET OX

PocketOx.com

The Pocket Ox mini-hoist has been specifically designed to become part of the serious hunter’s all-day everyday pack. Sized to meet the minimal storage constraints of snowmachines, STOLs and ATVs. Offered in three standard sizes: the 16:1 Bull, weighing 24 ounces; the 12:1 Cow, weighing 20 ounces; and the 8:1 Calf, weighing 16 ounces. All models have a block-to-block reach of 12 feet and each block has 2½-foot Vectran attachment bridles. The orange Spectra haul line is rated at 800 pounds. Even the smallest hoist (pictured) has seven standing lines for a theoretical strength of 5,600 pounds. Something else will break.

INVICTASAFE - SECURE DISPLAY

invictasafe.com

Want to display your firearms? InvictaSafe is a revolutionaryfirearm display safe that offers the advantages of a traditional firearm safe, with the added benefit of safely showcasing your firearm like a work of art.InvictaSafe comes in two sizes for rifles and pistols, etc., and you can display more than one firearm. InvictaSafe mounts easily to any wall and utilizes see-through protective ballistic glass with stunning LED lighting that makes your firearm stand out. Securely display your firearms, safely!

RICK YOUNG OUTDOORS

rickyoungoutdoors.com RYO has the reputation for great gear made in the USA, and the newly designed shooting stix are all of that! Starting with robust 7075 heavywall aluminum tubing and super-tight USA stretch cord to suck them together is the basis of quality. The patented head design eliminates arm fatigue when glassing and swings away to open up the shooting lane for rifle, shotgun or pistol. For more details, visit the RYO website.

COLLAR CLINIC

collarclinic.com

Available from Collar Clinic is the Garmin Alpha 200i Handheld and the TT15X collar.

The Alpha 200i dog tracking and training system lets you monitor up to 20 dogs from up to 9 miles (depending on dog device) on a 3.5-inch display with a 2.5-second update rate. Easily control training functions by using the button-operated, dog-focused design. You’ll also have access to premium Garmin navigation features, such as preloaded TopoActive maps, BirdsEye Satellite Imagery with direct-to-device downloads and built-in three-axis compass and barometric altimeter. Now, inReach technology adds two-way messaging and interactive SOS alerts for peace of mind while you’re in the field. A version (Alpha 200) without inReach is also available. Will operate with any TT15, TT15X, TT15 Mini, T5 or T5 Mini collar!

The TT15X dog tracking and training collar has a top-mounted, highsensitivity GPS and GLONASS receiver, so you can track your dog from up to 9 miles away. Rugged and water-resistant to 10 meters (1 ATM), it’s tough enough to run wherever your dog runs. Plus, with up to 80 hours of battery life and sleep mode to remotely put the device to sleep, you can focus on the hunt instead of the next charge. TT15X features 18 levels of continuous and momentary stimulation plus audible tone and vibration when used with your compatible tracking and training handheld. LED beacon lights, activated from your compatible handheld, help keep track of your dog in the field. Visible up to 100 yards away, the lights work in low-light conditions and at night.

MICHLITCH COMPANY

spokanespice.com Do you like hot sauce but don’t like a saucy mess? Try this dry hot sauce rub, newly developed by Michlitch – the Spokane Spice Co. This dry rub is not too hot for covering a steak before cooking. It’s so good that you can sprinkle it on pizza, mac and cheese, popcorn, eggs, fries and grilled vegetables, or even on a tossed green salad for kicking things up a notch.

The Brisket and Roast rub is excellent for grilling, pan-frying or roasting. Rub the spice blend on both sides of a brisket, ribs, roast or steak before cooking. The Smokie BBQ is wonderful on ground beef, potatoes or grilled vegetables. The uses of these blends are limited only by your imagination! Michlitch Company has a great selection of sausage and jerky seasonings, as well as knives and supplies.

Commercial bulk pricing is also available on these products. Call 509-6241490 for pricing or visit their website.

SCATTERGUN ALLEY

THOUGHTS ON SHOTGUN FIT

While seemingly mysterious, LOP, drop and other adjustments will maximize your scattergun’s effectiveness.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY LARRY CASE

his gun shoots where you look,” he said, handing down a well-worn Browning A-5 from the rack. The wiry little mountaineer studied me as I took the shotgun to my shoulder. Knowing I was being scrutinized, I feared I would be found wanting. He was the last of the oldtime, dyed-in-the-wool grouse hunters from my youth and I craved his approval and feared his wrath. Then he softened a little and said, “Well, what I mean is, it shoots where I look; we ain’t

exactly built the same.”

“T

This was my first glimpse into the mystical world of shotgun fit. Like many of us, early on I was handed a shotgun and was expected to shoot it, no complaints. Complain? I wouldn’t have complained if the gun weighed more than me and kicked like the proverbial mule (which they often did).

Just like bullet trajectory, barrel length and how to best sight in your deer rifle, shotgun fit persists as one of the shrouded mysteries of the gun world. It doesn’t have to be that way. Knowing how to properly fit a shotgun is not equal to the science of rockets.

FINDING YOUR POINT OF AIM

It is important to understand that the shooter’s dominant eye is the rear sight of the shotgun, so when we mount a properly fitted shotgun, the gun is “shooting where we look.” What we are going to check here is your “point of aim,” and just like skinning felines, there is more than one way to do it.

First, with the shotgun unloaded and held in a “ready” position, pick an object for a target and focus on it. Close your eyes and mount the shotgun at a deliberate speed. Ideally, if the gun fits you, when you open your eyes you should be centered

A shooter shows cheek-to-stock fit, one of several adjustments that can be made to a shotgun to better match it to the user.

on the target. In a similar method, again with the gun unloaded, have a friend stand about 5 feet in front of you as you aim the shotgun at his nose. Looking down the barrel or rib of the shotgun, the friend should see your dominant eye in the center of the barrel, not o to either side. Your friend should see the pupil of your eye sitting on top of the rib. If your eye is below the rib, the comb of the stock is too low; if your eye is above the rib, the comb is too high.

In a perfect world where everyone is rich and beautiful, we would all go to an expensive gunfitting guy and he would do all of this fitting for us.

What most of these professionals do is put you on a “try gun” – that is, a shotgun with an adjustable stock. Comb height, length of pull and pitch on the buttstock can all be altered to fit you. The gunfitter will have you fire at a pattern board or a steel plate as he adjusts the various places on the stock. If you are not rich or beautiful, you can do a lot of this fitting on your own.

On a safe gun range, hang up a bed sheet or a plastic tablecloth and mark a 4-inch aiming point in the center. Insert a modified or tighter choke in the shotgun and stand about 15 yards from the target. Focus on the aiming point, bring the gun up smoothly and fire the

instant the gun comes to your cheek. Now this part is important: Do not try to correct your aim or look at the bead on the shotgun. We are trying to determine your point of aim and the shooter’s eye is the rear sight, remember? Equally important here is to remember the gun must be mounted consistently each time in the same place.

Continue to shoot (usually three to four shots) until you see a hole appear in a certain location. This is your shotgun’s “group,” if you will. If your shotgun’s group appears above or below the centerline of the target, you will need to adjust the drop on the stock, so let’s talk about that first.

Fit is as important on a defensive shotgun as it is with those used for wingshooting and clay target shooting.

A diagram with a CZ-USA Redhead illustrates shotgun measurements such as length of pull, drop at comb, drop at heel, drop at toe, drop at Monte Carlo and pitch.

DROP AT COMB AND HEEL

“Drop” is the distance from a straight line coming from the top of the rib on the shotgun to the top edge of the stock. Where the shooter’s cheek would meet the wood, this measurement is known as “drop at comb.” “Drop at heel” is the distance from that line coming from the top of the rib to the top of the butt, known as the “heel.” Think of drop as the elevation correction on a rifle sight; in other words, adjusting up and down.

Most problems here deal with drop at comb; you can raise the comb by applying a self-adhesive moleskin material (such as Dr. Scholl’s), building up the surface of the comb until you reach the height you need. Lowering the comb usually means taking material o the comb with a wood rasp and sandpaper; this is best done by a qualified stockmaker/gunsmith.

I once witnessed an overzealous shooter at a high-end shooting club who was told by his instructor that the comb on his shotgun was too high. Taking all that the instructor said to heart, the gentleman showed up the next day with his shotgun, which he had worked on during the night with a piece of broken glass. The gun probably cost him more than my house but his workmanship left a little to be desired.

A quick fix for lowering the comb a little is to simply lengthen the stock. This doesn’t change the comb, but in e ect gets you farther back on the slope of the comb and lowers your cheek a little. Another little trick for lowering the comb is easily done on most pump guns and semiautos. Loosen the bolt in the stock and place a very thin shim where the head of the stock meets the receiver, and then tighten the bolt up. Very thin is the key here, as even a flat

toothpick can change the drop of the gun over half an inch. (Many shotguns now come with shims of di erent sizes to adjust for these problems.)

LENGTH OF PULL

Length of pull on the shotgun is measured from the front of the trigger to the center of the butt of the stock. To determine if the gun has the correct length of pull for you, mount the gun and measure the distance between your nose and the knuckle of your thumb; it should be 1½ inches, which is about two finger widths. If it is more than that, the stock is too long; if the measurement is less, the stock is too short. Remember, any adjustments should be done in very small increments.

CAST ON AND CAST OFF

Cast is simply a bend in the stock of a shotgun designed to put your

Length of pull is a measurement from the buttstock to the middle of the trigger. It is not measured from the bend in the arm to trigger finger.

Shotguns often come with shims of different sizes to adjust for drop at comb or heel. This Mossberg Super Bantam Shotgun has adjustable butt pads.

dominant eye directly over the rib. If drop is the elevation adjustment on a shotgun, cast is the windage. Lefthanded shooters need “cast on,” a bend to the left. Right-handed shooters get “cast o ,” a bend to the right.

A shooter with a thin face can often shoot a shotgun with no cast just fine. Shooters with a wider (fatter) face may need cast to get on target. Most production-model American-made shotguns have no cast – the stock is straight – while many European shotguns are made with cast. Once again, with a flat toothpick-sized shim we can adjust the cast on pumps and semiautomatic shotguns. Place the

Regardless of the type of shotgun – semiauto, pump, over-and-under, double barrel – proper fit is of paramount importance.

will often make a shotgun much more pleasant to shoot. An easy way to experiment with these two items is to loosen the recoil pad and place quarters under there for spacers. In this way you can quickly change the pitch or bring the toe “out” and determine what suits you best.

WHEN GUNMAKERS STARTED massproducing shotguns over 100 years ago, we are told that the average man was about 5 feet 9 inches and weighed 165 pounds. If that is you, congratulations, most of the shotguns that come out of the box might fit you. If you di er from that size at all, however, you will need to learn a little about gun fit.

Today there are several gun companies that include di erent builtin stock adjustments for shotguns, including Benelli, Browning, Beretta, Mossberg and Remington. CZ-USA makes all of its wood-stocked shotguns with cast o for right-handed shooters, so there are some choices out there.

Here is what I suggest. You made all of these adjustments on your shotgun, right? Moleskin on the comb, toothpick between the stock and the receiver, quarters under the butt pad, the whole nine yards. Take this gun, along with your original target that you shot for a “group,” to a qualified gunsmith/ stockmaker and leave the gun with him to measure and fit to you properly.

shim on the head of the stock opposite of the side you want the bend – a righthanded shooter would place the shim on the left side to get cast o .

PITCH AND TOE

Pitch on the butt of a shotgun is simply the angle of the butt relative to the barrels. The toe is the bottom of the butt on the stock, and gunfitters refer to “toe out,” which means bringing the toe away from its original position. To be honest, most American shotgunners know little and care less about these two areas on a shotgun stock.

Closer attention to these two little known details on a stock, however,

My old grouse huntin’ buddy was right about this, all those many years ago. We are not all built the same and you want a shotgun that shoots where you look. 

Editor’s note: Larry Case has been a devoted outdoorsman since he was a child. He will admit to an addiction to turkey hunting (spring and fall), but refuses any treatment. He enjoys the company of gobblers and cur dogs that are loud and people who speak the truth softly. Case served 36 years as a game warden in West Virginia and retired with the rank of district captain. You can check out his podcast and other stories at gunsandcornbred.com.

FIREARMS

BRIGADE MANUFACTURING INC.

brigadefirearms.com

Brigade Manufacturing is proud to introduce the Makasi, a new platform that continues on the legacy that is “The Right Arm of the Free World.”

The Makasi marries the functional aesthetic of the FAL with the familiar handling of AR-style controls. It features a short-stroke gas piston and bufferless recoil system, and operates with a non-reciprocating side-charging handle. The para-style stock is also sidefolding, and is supported with a robust two-screw mounting system that allows for firing in both the folded and deployed positions.

The Makasi is chambered in 5.56 NATO and can be configured with either quad-rail or M-Lok handguards.

Specs: Receiver: upper and lower 7075-T6; Caliber: 5.56 NATO; Action: semiauto; Gas system: short-stroke gas piston; Barrel: 16-inch BBL, 4150, 1:7 twist; Stock: bufferless with Picatinny rail for side-folding para-style stock; Handguard: 12-inch quad or M-Lok rail system; Trigger: Brigade drop-in flat shoe, 3.5 pounds; Sights: metal adjustable flip-up ghost sights; Magazine: SI 20-round and 30-round capacity; and

POLYMER80, INC.

polymer80.com

Polymer80’s PFC9, PFS9 and PFSC9 complete pistols are now available with color matching slides. Five color options are available – black, gray, cobalt, ODG and FDE – with four configurations per model, including optic cut slides.

Recently, Polymer80 has shouldered a considerable amount of legal expenses fighting egregious assaults on our products and the inalienable rights embedded in the Second Amendment. We have never asked for donations to assist our mounting legal expenses; however, we are encouraging people to support us by buying our products. We will use those funds to fight the outrageous attempts made to shut us down –we call this campaign Operation: War Chest. P80 products are proudly made in the USA.

See us at booth #10030

HI-POINT FIREARMS

hi-pointfirearms.com New for 2023 is the Hi-Point Firearms JXP10 chambered in 10mm auto.

The JXP10 is a full-size 10mm handgun, featuring a new slide design of the YC9, threaded barrel (.578x28), full-size 1913 Picatinny rail, new textured grip panels and enhanced manual safety. Red dot-compatible with their new rear sight design; swap out the rear sight for a Pic rail base or mounting plate. The JXP10 uses 10-round magazines that are interchangeable with the 1095 carbine. With an MSRP of $225, the JXP10 is the most affordable 10mm handgun on the market today.

See us at booth #14033

FIREARMS

ADCO

adcosales.com

In 2022 a lot of shotguns filled the pipeline to the point of there now being a surplus in many models, but ADCO has several new and different offerings for 2023 that will thrill true shotgun enthusiasts. One that really stands out is the LEV41. The LEV is for leveraction, and the 41 is for .410 gauge. Yes, this six-shot lever-action comes with a five-round magazine and one round in the chamber. Production is now centered on carbine-type models with 20-inch barrels, but longer barrels are forthcoming. The barrels are, of course, fitted with choke tubes for a full array of pattern selections. This model will be available with either wood or polymer stocks. The attractiveness of the polymer stock and gold receiver is bound to be a popular item, not only for its attractiveness but its utilitarian purposes on the farm, offroad or on the trail.Another handsome model will be the casehardened receiver with a walnut stock. The MSRP is $799 and ADCO will be setting up key master distributors in time to fill orders being taken at SHOT Show 2023.

See us at booth #11030

FMK FIREARMS, INC.

fmkfirearms.com

FMK is introducing a brand generation. The all-new 100-percent USA-made 9C1-G3 is ergonomically built to comfortably fit both large and small hands. The barrel is engineered to sit low for superior point-andshoot accuracy and reduced muzzle flip and is designed with a shock-absorbing backstrap, which softens recoil by one whole caliber. The 9C1-G3 trigger has a quick, light trigger pull that features a drop-free magazine release. The sight system is Glock-compatible; third party sights are easy to install, so feel free to select your favorite pictures. New textured frame with a beveled mag well for speed loading. New custom-designed slide with serrations in the front and back. The new slide allows mounting of any Burris Fastfire 3, Vortex Viper, Venom, or Trijicon RMR optic and mounts right to the slide without any mounting plates.

See us at booth #75811

Tap Rack Holsters is a leading provider of premium American-made gun holsters and knife sheaths. Our products are the result of 40 plus years of combined experience in the military and law enforcement field using American made materials. Every Tap Rack holster and sheath is handcrafted using extreme care, precision and built to last because we’re dedicated to providing premium quality products our customers can rely on.

L.E. SPOTLIGHT

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON SAVING

NICK PERNA

In law enforcement, situations get resolved in a variety of ways. Sometimes an o cer needs to make an arrest to solve a problem, like in a domestic violence case where the suspect poses a threat to the victim. Other times, it’s providing guidance or advice to someone in need.

The toughest situations can be when a person is in crisis and has reached a point where they feel they have run out of options. The despondent, su ering from depression, can come to feel hopeless. The only solution they see to their su ering is to end their life.

Police o cers and other first responders are often called to the scene after the damage is done. Responding to intentional overdoses, self-inflicted gunshot wounds, cuttings and hangings is part of the job. Once it’s done, the result is irreversible. Left are the friends and family members who wish they could have done something – anything – to prevent such an end.

Fortunately, there are those occasions when we get there just in time, and are able to intervene and prevent someone from doing the unthinkable. I’ve witnessed o cers bring people back from the brink of death from overdoses and other suicidal acts, and I’ve known o cers who have risked their own lives to prevent someone from taking their own.

STORY AND PHOTO BY

Northern California officer’s masterful negotiation skills have talked ‘many’ suicidal people out of taking their own lives.

Officer Peter Cang of the Redwood City, California, Police Department has “the gift of gab,” making him a masterful negotiator when responding to crisis calls.

Sometimes, though, it’s not a heroic act that makes the di erence. Rather, it’s the ability to communicate that makes the di erence. Some o cers have “the gift of gab,” being able to string words and sentences together in a way to prevent someone from ending it all.

MANY DEPARTMENTS HAVE negotiators in their ranks. They are members of crisis negotiation units, an element of SWAT teams. They train in hostage situations, dealing with subjects who want to harm others. They also deal with those who want to harm themselves.

O cer Peter Cang of the Redwood City, California, Police Department is a negotiator. His full-time job is as a motor o cer, where he has honed his verbal skills over the years dealing with irate drivers. He has a collateral assignment on his department’s crisis negotiation unit.

O cer Cang is one of the best

in the business. He is credited with many “saves” – talking people out of harming others or themselves. His technique is simple: gain and maintain rapport with the folks he is talking to. The key is persistence, never giving up. If he hadn’t become a cop, O cer Cang would have been a great car salesman. Luckily, he chose to do a law enforcement job.

I’ve been present on multiple occasions when O cer Cang has worked his magic. One particular event comes to mind.

On a warm spring day a few years back, we responded to a call of a subject wanting to jump o a six-story parking structure. When I got there, O cer Cang was already trying to reach out to the man. During a break in the negotiations, O cer Cang shared with me that he didn’t think he was going to be able to help this one, but that he would keep trying.

For the next 20 minutes, the

man moved closer and closer to the ledge, trying to make himself jump. Despite this, O cer Cang kept trying. Eventually, he got the subject to step down from the ledge, where he was safely contained and put into contact with a psychiatrist.

During the event, I took the photo you see on page 109. I like the photo because it shows Pete doing what he does best: helping others. I also enjoy it because, unlike most suicide calls, this one had a happy ending. 

Editor’s note: Author Nick Perna is a sergeant with the Redwood City Police Department in northern California. He previously served as a paratrooper in the US Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also has a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco. He is a frequent contributor to multiple print and online forums on topics related to law enforcement, firearms, tactics and veterans issues.

LEGAL SPOTLIGHT

The act of displaying a gun at an attacker without firing it is called a “tap on the brakes” by Craig Douglas, a longtime police officer who also leads an Extreme Close Quarter Concepts training class. (SHUTTERSTOCK)

TAPPING THE BRAKES

STORY BY SHAWN VINCENT

have no idea how many people I’ve pointed guns at in my law enforcement career that I didn’t fire on,” Craig Douglas says. Craig’s 21-year law enforcement career included service in a narcotics unit and two years spent undercover. During that time,

he encountered countless dangerous criminals. “If I point a gun at someone,” Craig explains, “I’m most assuredly comfortable with shooting them. I’ve just chosen for the moment not to.”

What Craig is saying is that, in the course of his law enforcement career, he has faced the threat of great bodily harm or death on multiple occasions, and during the process of deploying deadly force – during the shooting

cycle – the attacker responded in a way that allowed Craig to interrupt the cycle and choose not to shoot when the attacker de-escalated at the sight of the firearm. Craig refers to the act of displaying a firearm without actually firing the weapon as a “tap on the brakes.”

“Clearing a covered garment and establishing a grip on a gun – that works,” Craig says. “Clearing a covered

How defensive display can de-escalate a potentially life-threatening attack – but be aware of the risks of unjustifiably brandishing a gun at someone.

garment, establishing a grip on a gun, and actually taking it out of the holster, but not pointing it at someone – that works. That’s a tap on the brakes.” These are examples of defensive displays.

To be clear, an unjustified defensive display of a firearm is a serious crime. While laws vary from one jurisdiction to the next, unjustified defensive displays can be charged as brandishing, assault, assault with a deadly weapon – or several other criminal charges that carry the risk of significant time behind bars. Nonetheless, Don West, criminal defense attorney and national trial counsel for CCW Safe, stresses that any criminal consequences related to a defensive display are generally “light-years” less severe than the consequences of unjustifiably discharging your firearm – even if no one is harmed or killed.

There is a lot of subjectivity involved in the legal justification of defensive displays. Defenders who deploy a defensive display during circumstances that would have

otherwise clearly justified the use of deadly force assume less legal risk than defenders who present a firearm in more ambiguous circumstances – say, against a seemingly unarmed defender. It may be easier to justify clearing a cover garment and gripping a pistol than to explain the need to draw to a low-ready position. Pointing a gun at someone – which is much more serious than just a defensive display – requires significantly more justification.

TWO OF THE high-profile self-defense cases we’ve explored help illustrate the nuances of defensive display.

Sheri McClatchy was an attendant at a laundromat in Mississippi when an angry patron attacked her, wrestling her to the ground. McClatchy managed to break contact and retreated to her car, where she retrieved a pistol and called 911. Security camera footage shows the angry patron attempt to reengage McClatchy, who holds her pistol in a lowready position, pointed at the ground. When the angry patron moves closer,

McClatchy raises the pistol, causing her attacker to retreat. She never fires.

Don West notes that the use of deadly force may not have been legally justified against an unarmed attacker in this particular situation; nonetheless, it’s clear McClatchy’s defensive display thwarted a second attack without a single shot, and she ultimately faced no criminal charges.

Michael Drejka was also attacked in a parking lot, but his encounter ended much di erently. Drejka had started an argument with a woman who had parked in a handicapped parking spot, and he didn’t notice her partner Markeis McGlockton as he swiftly approached and shoved Drejka to the ground. From a prone position, Drejka drew his pistol and pointed it at his attacker. Surveillance footage shows McGlockton taking a couple of steps backward upon sight of the gun. Like in McClatchy’s case, the presentation of the firearm served to interrupt the attack, but unlike McClatchy, Drejka completed the shooting cycle, firing one fatal round that pierced McGlockton’s heart.

A jury found Drejka guilty of manslaughter and a judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Had Drejka not fired, he likely wouldn’t have faced charges for simply pointing the weapon at his attacker.

AS A CRIMINAL defense attorney, West says the most common call he receives from people facing criminal charges related to self-defense incidents involves the defensive display of a firearm. Many of those charges come as a result of the defender presenting the weapon before the threat posed by the attacker rose to the level that would justify a defensive display.

Firearms instructor and CCW Safe contributor Steve Moses suggests that some concealed carriers may draw their firearms too early because they are not confident in their ability to quickly deploy their weapon in a moment of crisis. Training is key. A concealed carrier should feel comfortable in their

Strong verbal skills and even martial arts training can help ward off attacks before they even begin, negating the need to display a firearm, which itself bears some legal risks if a threat is ambiguous. (SHUTTERSTOCK)

ability to quickly clear a cover garment, establish a grip on the pistol, and safely draw the firearm.

When the aggressor is unarmed, as in the McClatchy and Drejka cases, the defender may need to draw in close proximity with an attacker, which means the attacker could potentially wrestle control of the gun away from an inexperienced defender. Steve says that in Craig Douglas’s Extreme Close Quarter Concepts, or ECQC, training class, students learn how to safely draw and fire when the attacker is within arm’s reach.

“It gives the students the ability to use a firearm from a very close position, a retention position, when they’re in danger of being entangled,” Steve says. “It gives the students additional options and more confidence. It’s a very powerful thing for the students to have in their possession that would prevent someone from going to a firearm too early, simply because they didn’t know

what else to do.”

In a recent podcast about managing unknown contacts, Craig taught us that we can potentially avoid physical conflict by developing our verbal skills, and we can project more confidence during a confrontation by having at least some exposure to martial arts or contact training. The confidence of knowing how to survive a physical blow, combined with being competent at drawing a weapon from a retention position, gives an armed defender more options when managing an unknown contact. Craig says all these skills contribute to an interdisciplinary approach to self-defense.

THE LESSON FOR concealed carriers is that adopting an interdisciplinary approach to self-defense and developing verbal skills and martial arts abilities – in addition to competent gun handling – gives you more options when navigating ambiguous

encounters with unknown contacts.

Some of the most tragic selfdefense cases we have studied involve good-intentioned armed defenders that go to the gun either too soon or too late during an encounter with an unarmed attacker. We call this the “armed defender’s dilemma.” The skills Craig teaches can help armed defenders solve this dilemma and survive a violent encounter without facing serious legal consequences in the aftermath – especially if they can articulate how they used their training to identify the nature of the threat and to mitigate the confrontation before resorting to deadly force.

Editor’s note: Shawn Vincent is a litigation consultant who helps select juries in self-defense cases, and he manages public interest of high-profile legal matters. Mr. Vincent is also a regular contributor to CCW Safe’s news and podcasts.

Concealed Carry

BULLARD LEATHER

bullardleather.com

Located in Throckmorton, Texas, Bullard Leather offers holsters, belts, magazine holders, wallets and knife sheaths. All of their holsters and belts are made from Hermann Oak leather, and all holsters are custom-fitted to the specific gun.For more info, email bullardleather@gmail.com or visit their online store.

TRIPLE K MFG. CO.

triplek.com

For gun owners who prefer a dedicated crossdraw-style carry, the No. 671 Crossdraw Concealed Carry Holster is available from Triple K Mfg. Co. Open top allows for easy draw and a leather stiffener assures easy reholstering. Adjustable tension screw ensures proper gun retention. Available for a variety of revolvers and semiautomatic pistols in tan color with plain finish. Fits waist belts up to 1¾ inches wide.

See us at booth #72852

SKINNER SIGHTS

skinnersights.com

The Skinner Sights HTF bag allows your firepower to be “concealed in plain sight,” yet ready in case of an emergency. Holds up to a 40-inch long gun and two handguns. Room for three rifle and eight pistol magazines. Knife, flashlight and accessory pouches. Cordura construction with heavyduty stitching. (Firearms and accessories in photo are not included. For illustrative purposes only.)

See us at booth #52536

CONCEALED CARRY

TAP RACK HOLSTERS

taprackholsters.com

Tap Rack Holsters is a leading provider of premium, Americanmade custom gun holsters, but they do not stop at gun holsters. If you want to carry it, then they want to build it. Tap Rack Holsters started with gun and mag holsters and branched out to provide knife sheaths, spear mounts, emergency and first responder tool carriers, mask and bag inserts, wallets, passport, iPad, laptop, cell phone, flashlight, pepper spray, taser gun carriers, RV light mounts and so on.

At Tap Rack Holsters they are dedicated to building the best Kydex products possible and ensuring their customers are 100-percent satisfied.

TED BLOCKER HOLSTERS

tedblockerholsters.com

One of Ted Blocker Holsters’ most popular products is the #1 Lifeline Shoulder Holster. It is the most comfortable you will find anywhere. The straps are very soft and supple yet also very durable for daily wear. The straps are adjustable to a fit that is perfect for you. The holster and mag pouch can be changed out if you want to use the straps for other guns. Choose from tan, brown or black. Accommodationcan be made for very large sizes. Also check the website out for custom inside- and outside-the-waistband holsters, Alaskan shoulder holsters, duty and Western holsters, belts, hats, knife sheaths, and otheraccessories. Tooling and leather flower carving available.

ALFORD DESIGNS LIMITED, LLC

etsy.com/shop/AlfordDesignsLtd

Alford Designs’ beautiful, handcrafted, leather-embossed and leather-lined concealed carry purses feature a special V-shaped pocket inside for your small pistol, plus a cut-resistant strap. All products are made in Virginia, and they offer patent-pending cut-resistant leather straps that can be purchased separately. Offering fine handcrafted leather products since 2015.

CONCEALED CARRY

COVERT CARRIER

covertcarrier.com

The Covert Carrier is designed for “deep” cover or “backup” use. It was created for smallframed, single-stack semiautomatic handguns. Caliber options for the Covert Carrier range from .45 to .22. It can be fitted to a removable grip panel or adapted to the handle of a polymer pistol and fitted with their Universal Small or Large Rubber Sleeve.

The key element to the device is the stainless steel appendage fastening means, or clip. The clip is designed in a lazy “S” shape. A segment is draped over the user’s waistband material and the handgun then disappears – inside the waistband – from view, behind the cloth below the beltline.

The Covert Carrier gives the user an option to carry appendix fashion, with total handgun concealment, without a traditional holster, case or pouch. Covert Carrier’s “grab and go” feature is the strongest in the concealed carry industry. There is no cloth, elastic, leather or plastic to wear out or break. Other carry options include pocket, purse or boot; however, when used inside the waistband and carried below the beltline, it becomes the gold standard for concealed carry.

RED RIVER TACTICAL rrtholsters.com

The Type I Holster V3 is the newest addition to Red River Tactical’s line of holsters, withnew features that make this holster remarkably comfortable and exceptionally concealable for outside-the-waistband carry.

This holster is based off of their Type I Holster V2, with some design and construction changes. The V3 holster has a higher ride height than their Type I Holster V2, a more aggressive forward cant of 25 degrees (plus or minus 2 degrees) and a cutaway on the holster’s leading edge for a significant increase in comfort. It is also constructed with the thickest Kydex they use: 0.125-inch-thick Kydex. This thicker layer is applied to the backside layer of the holster, making it extremely durable and giving it an exceptional feel of retention, while 0.080-inch-thick Kydex is used on the frontside, allowing a wide selection of Kydex colors and patterns.

MOONSTRUCK LEATHER

moonstruckleather.com

Fine Italian cowhide leather, unique exotic hides, all handcrafted in the USA, is what makes MoonStruck Leather concealed carry purses stand out from the crowd, and you can too! From a beautiful embossed black crocodile to captivating exotic axis deer, they have luxurious conceal and carry options for the woman who demands style with protection.

They stand behind the quality of every product they sell, both in construction and materials. Every purse is meticulously handcut, sewn and constructed by experienced leather craftsmen to exacting standards. From the selection of the leather to the last stitch, they guarantee you’ll love your MoonStruck Leather purse.

CONCEALED CARRY

KUSIAK LEATHER kusiakleather.com

Kusiak Leather has integrated claw technology into its American IWB holster. If you are not familiar with the claw, it helps conceal the pistol by applying pressure to the inside of the belt and rotating the grip of the pistol towards your body for maximum concealment.

The claw is made up of three layers of rosewood and 10 layers of carbon fiber, with an overall thickness of about .2025 inch. Kusiak uses Shellac all-natural sealant and it makes the wood as waterproof as you would expect leather to be. Paraffin wax and silicone lubricant are added to the inside to make your pistol glide in and out easily and also to further protect the finish of your pistol.

An all-American product, the American IWB features a second layer of 5/6-ounce leather over the upper section and sweat guard for added reinforcement. This not only makes it stronger, but also allows it to stay open, making reholstering easier.

SWAPRIG HOLSTERS LLC

swaprigholsters.com

The Talon Appendix Carry holster is an extreme-comfort, hybriddesigned appendix-carry holster. The Talon holster has a bottom “lobe” that creates a smooth, comfortable bend that makes for a blended transition from the bottom of the holster to the leg area. The Talon is made with premium leather and Kydex. The Kydex portions of the holsters, called SwapSkins, are interchangeable with SwapSkins of well over 500 carry guns and laser/light/slide optic combinations. The Talon is available in right- or left-hand models and available in tan, brown and black leather color. All SwapRig products carry a lifetime warranty.

SMARTCARRY

smartcarry.com

All SmartCarry holsters are sweat-proof and built for comfort. They come with a waterproof backing, durable fabric in multiple colors and a new and improved strong elastic and Velcro waistband.

SmartCarry hand-makes and customizes each holster to fit your gun and your body.

The Gun+Mag+Valuables holster accommodates one gun, a spare magazine, speed strip or knife, as well as an additional pocket for items such as cash, ID, concealed carry permit or even your cell phone. What

SmartCarry calls the “valuables Pocket” is a flat pocket that covers the entire back of the holster and consists of two layers of polyurethanelined Rip-stop that will keep your valuables and gun dry and sweat-free without adding bulk to the holster. It’s especially great for taking a walk or run and keeping your hands free and pockets empty.

OF SPOTS SOFT AND SORE

The “Big .50” Sharps has teased a soft spot in my heart, as well as created a sore spot on my shoulder, for over 40 years. When I started “Sharps shooting” with my first Sharps rifle, that was the caliber

or cartridge I chose. At the time, that wasn’t a bad choice because I was mainly interested in hunting. But now my interests are much more in favor of target work and competitive shooting, areas where the Big .50 Sharps might not be the best choice for several reasons – its size and recoil topping the list.

Before getting into my shooting

tales with this cartridge, let me clarify that the Big .50 Sharps is what we commonly call the .50-90, or the .502½-inch Sharps. There is a larger .50-caliber cartridge that is usually credited to Sharps and that is the .50-140, or the .50-3¼-inch. While Sharps rifles can be found with that chambering, the .50-140 didn’t appear until 1882 or so, at least a year after the

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT

Three “Big .50” cartridges surrounded by a heavy buffalo rifle in that caliber, as well as skinning knives and other emblems of the era.

Sharps company closed its doors. So, the .50-140 really shouldn’t be referred to as an original Sharps cartridge.

Calling the .50-90 a Sharps cartridge is correct, even though that was never a Sharps loading. Sharps never loaded their .50-2½-inch cartridge with less than 100 grains of powder, so it should be remembered as the .50-2½-inch Sharps, as was commonly designated on the rifle barrels. And, just to make the water surrounding this cartridge a little

The 2½-inch-long case of the .50-90 towers over a .50-70 cartridge.

With its 30-inch barrel, author Mike Nesbitt’s ’74 Sharps by C. Sharps Arms weighs 14 pounds.

muddier, Sharps also loaded their .502½-inch cartridge with heavier charges of powder, depending on the bullet weight. The .50-90 loading was a very popular load for the Sharps rifles from Union Metallic Cartridge Company, which fired a 473-grain paper-patched bullet. The UMC loading was popular enough that the .50-2½-inch Sharps cartridge became generally known as the .50-90.

THE .50-90 WAS introduced in 1872 and the first rifle of that caliber left the Sharps factory in August of that year. Its primary intended purpose was for bu alo hunting and it is interesting that one noted bu alo hunter, J. Wright Mooar, had two rifles of this caliber, which should still be in the family. Another hunter of note, Jim White, had three of the heavy .50-caliber rifles, according to O.P. Hanna, White’s partner in Montana. White’s rifles were stolen when he was murdered in 1880, so Hanna’s story is all we have left. One of the most remembered bu alo hunters was Billy Dixon and it is said that he used a borrowed .50-90 to make his famous long shot that brought an end to the Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874.

Sharps’ Big .50 certainly had the power, and it was said that more oneshot kills on bu alo could be made with it than with any other rifle. At the same time, the .50-90 had some drawbacks. The biggest drawback was its accuracy and we have found no record of it being used for long-range, or Creedmoor, competition. In fact, it was said that the Sharps .44s could do at 1,000 yards what the .50s could only do at 600 yards.

That might be a factual comparison, as the .44-caliber rifles, as well as the later .45s, were certainly recognized for their superior accuracy.

But even as a rifle for bu alo hunting, the .50-90s were made in rather small numbers. In his highly detailed book, Sharps Firearms: Volume II, Roy Marcot estimates that only about 320 Sharps sporting rifles were made in this impressive caliber. That estimate is probably pretty close and it was made after extensive research. If you recall, the .50-90 was introduced in mid-1872 and it was discontinued as a standard caliber by Sharps in early 1876 when the .45-caliber rifles, both the .45-70 and what we today call the .45-110 Sharps, were introduced. After the company’s move to Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1876, the .50-90 was still available but only on special order.

What this might mean is that it’s very likely that more .50-90s are in use today than there were back during “the great bu alo harvest.” That’s just a guess on my part because I have not contacted either C. Sharps Arms or Shiloh about the number of Big .50s they have made.

FOR SHOOTING WITH the Big .50, I prefer to load my ammo basically the same way it was loaded back in the 1870s, whether by the ammunition companies or by the bu alo hunters right in camp, with black powder and paper-patched bullets. To make those loads, a list of certain ingredients is needed, and we’ll talk about the items on that list in detail.

First let’s talk about the brass cases for the .50-2½-inch, and those are

currently on the list at Starline. There are some other custom brassmakers, such as Roberson Cartridge Company and Bu alo Arms Company, but Starline is a prominent outfit with a good product. Brass by Starline is also probably the easiest to find. Check availability at starlinebrass.com. The Starline brass for the .50-90 is well made, properly head-stamped, and accepts standard large rifle primers.

Next, let’s select a favorite black powder. I recently used Swiss 1½ Fg, just 90 grains of it. I say “just” 90 grains because the .50-90 case can certainly hold more. The old Sharps loading could be easily copied by using 100 grains of powder. If I found the heavier powder charge to have advantages, I’d certainly use it. My recent loads with the 90 grains of Swiss loaded very nicely with no need for compression of the powder.

Over the powder, we’d want a fiber wad. I used the .060-inch-thick wads

Here’s Nesbitt’s five-shot group fired with paper-patched 473-grain bullets. “More shooting and perhaps tweaking of the load should produce a better group, along with some sight adjustment,” he writes.

from John Walters. He has a very wide selection of wads with other thicknesses available. I pretty much use the .060-inch wads as standard.

Then we’d need some bullets. Let me recommend the swaged bullets for paper-patching from Bu alo Arms Company. It’s good to try some of those, along with getting some patching paper, before buying an expensive bullet mold to make your own. Trying some bullets of di ering diameters will also give you some good hints on what diameter you want a bullet mold to cast.

My own choice of mold is from KAL Tool & Die (kal.castpics.net) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They make a very impressive adjustable mold for the Sharps paper-patched bullet with the Sharps style of nose. This bullet style is basically a copy of the old Sharps bullet and the adjustable feature is an added bonus. In my rifle, because of the barrel’s rate of twist, heavier

bullets would probably perform with greater accuracy, but because I am more interested in duplicating the old loads, my mold is adjusted to cast bullets weighing 473 grains. Those tapered bullets have a diameter near the base of .498 inch, although smaller diameters can be ordered.

After casting, the bullets are patched with two wraps of patching paper, available from Bu alo Arms. The paper is .002 inch thick and the double wrapping gives the bullets an overall diameter of .506 inch at the base, with the front of the bullet slightly smaller so it enters the rifling very easily.

Before the bullets are seated in the cases, a lube wad approximately 1/8inch thick – made by BPC Lube and available from C. Sharps Arms – is put over the wad, which is over the powder. That is to keep the black powder fouling soft. Then the bullets are inserted with fingertips, not with the seating die. Push the bullets down over the lube wad, pushing just hard enough so some of the lube is forced into the cup base of the bullet. After that, the loaded cartridges can be run through a taper crimp die just to remove the “bell” of the case mouths and to firmly hold the paper-patched bullets in place.

I PREPARED JUST five .50-90 cartridges like that and took the 14-pound rifle to the range. I fired at a 100-yard target, depending on the old sight setting for getting some shots on paper. The fiveshot group was on the edge of the black, to the bottom right of the bull’s-eye. More shooting and perhaps tweaking of the load should produce a better group, along with some sight adjustment. That might be done sometime soon, maybe for another story.

Several legends about the Big .50 Sharps remain, long after the days of bu alo hunting have passed. Many of those legends are supported with well-documented facts. We can easily assume that the .50-90 holds the record for one-shot kills on bu alo. That’s why I always say, “There’s nothing like a .50.” 

PARTS+ACCESSORIES

ULTIMAK

ultimak.com

Lyle at UltiMAK designed the first practical AK optic mount in the 1990s, and has been adding to the product line ever since. Supported platforms now include a host of AK variants, including AK pistols, plus the M1 Garand rifle, M-14/M1A, Mini-14 and the M1 .30 Carbine.

Starting out in a musical instrument shop, Lyle has applied his unique perspective on mechanics and ergonomics to the field of firearms. Since then, UltiMAK has been making and selling optic mounts and rail systems for over 20 years, and has become the name in mounting systems for the above rifle platforms.

UltiMAK’s latest product is a forward optic mount for the KP-9 pistol made by Kalashnikov USA. For the rest of the product line, check out their website or call 208-883-4734. Avail yourself of the UltiMAK system, and let your rifle sing!

CDNN SPORTS cdnnsports.com

CDNN Sports carries a wide range of firearms, parts and accessories like the Bushnell 4-12X40AO Sharpshooter scope and rings.

The focus and parallax will always be dead-on accurate thanks to the adjustable objective that adjusts from 10 yards out to infinity. Adjustable parallax makes it great for airguns, rimfire and high-power bolt-action rifles.

The Sharpshooter also includes Weaver-style aluminum rings in the box that will work on both Weaver and Picatinny rails to get you mounted up and on the range fast and without the additional cost.

Bushnell riflescopes are constructed of a one-piece tube made of aircraft-grade aluminum, and are watertight and nitrogen-purged so you won’t have to worry about fogged-up glass or failed seals when you’re out at the deer stand.

Bushnell’s turrets are a simple ¼ MOA per click for easy sight-in and the low-profile caps protect your zero from moving on you while out in the field or in storage for the season.

An improved optical design with multi-coated surfaces improves on the already great image quality that makes a Bushnell Banner scope the go-to optic for your next hunt.

Visit CDNN Sports’ website for more details and to see what else they have to offer.

DIVERSIFIED INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS, INC. diproductsinc.com

As the owner of the company and an avid shooter and hunter, Bob Bland of Diversified Innovative Products, Inc. was tired of the plastic parts continually breaking. He knew that other shooters and hunters had the same frustration as well. So, he sat down with a cup of coffee, a napkin and a pencil and drew out a couple of parts. He then searched locally for different machinists to make his designs. That was just the beginning!

DIP Inc. now has 500-plus parts all made of aluminum or steel – no plastic! – and they are continually designing new products. Everything is manufactured locally in the Pacific Northwest, United States of America.

DIP Inc. is currently designing new steel trigger guards for the Steyr .22 LR. They have great products for the S&W .22 Victory Pistol. And one of their newest designs is the Howa Mini Action Trigger Guard/Magazine Well, a great improvement.

Visit their booth at the SHOT Show and the NRA Show.

See us at booth #42129

Parts+Accessories

LUTH-AR luth-ar.com

The newWing GripAR Pistol Grip by Luth-AR LLC: thick, robust, tough and ambidextrous. Designed with shooter ergonomics in mind. The full palm swells fill the hand, providing a consistent and rapid grip positioned to promote accurate and repeatable shots on target. The thumb rests and palm shelf work together to lock the hand in place shot after shot.

Features: Designed with wings on either side for enhanced support and handling leverage, also doubling as thumb rests; ambidextrous grip with full palm swell; palm shelf for additional support; robust texture on side panels and backstrap for a non-slip grip; and more. Designed by Luth-AR and made in the USA.

Priced affordably, the MSRP is $28.95. Dealer, quantity and OEM pricing is available upon request.

See us at booth #42804

GENTRY CUSTOM LLC

gentrycustom.com

A family-owned business, Gentry Custom’s motto is “Where guns are not a hobby, but a way of life.” They believe in gun ownership and gun safety.

Gentry Custom is known for the Quiet Muzzle Brake, which will make for a user-friendly rifle. The Quiet Muzzle Brake reduces recoil and muzzle jump so you can get that second shot off if needed, without the large increase of noise to the shooter. Many of the factory rifles have been threaded for a muzzle brake.

Gentry Custom offers 5/8 x24 threads and many others.

Call them today and they can provide the proper Quiet Muzzle Brake for your rifle. Gentry Custom also offers a threeposition safety for the Remington family of rifles and the Mauser 98.

TACTALOAD

tactaload.com

TactaLoad is a new company providing quality aftermarket accessories. The FLASH-5 is a unique shotgun stock incorporating an internal magazine that offers the shooter instant access to five additional rounds of ammunition. The FLASH-5 protects your spare ammunition and feeds them out the bottom of the stock fast!

See us at booth #42120

BOONE TRADING COMPANY,INC.

boonetrading.com

Finally, imitation elephant ivory (laboratory-created) that really looks and feels like African elephant ivory! Boone Trading Company has been making genuine elephant and mammoth ivory grips for nearly 50 years and they are so excited about this material to replace the no-longeravailable African elephant ivory.Many customers have reported that these grips actually look better than their real ivory grips. Boone Trading Company calls it American Ivory, imitation elephant ivory, and each pair has unique grain just like genuine ivory. Available now in full-size 1911 grips.

Parts+Accessories

EVOLUTION GUN WORKS

egwguns.com

The Picatinny rail mount from EGW allows you to mount your red dots – like Trijicon RMR, Trijicon SRO, Holosun 407c, Holosun 507c, Holosun 508t, and any other red dots with the same footprint – to the 1913 Picatinny rail. It does not work with Weaver rails. EGW’s Picatinny rail is precision CNCmachined from aluminum and hardcoat anodized.

REPTILIA

reptiliacorp.com

After more than two years of development and testing, Reptilia is proud to announce the Recc·E Stock for AR-15/M16 and AR-10/SR25 pattern rifles. Designed at the request of a military end user, the Recce·E Stock features a constant cheek weld, ambidextrous QD sling attachment points, rubber buttpad, and a modular design that allows usage of a standard AR-15 carbine buffer system or A5/SR-25 carbine buffer system by replacing the receiver extension (buffer tube) and forward portion of the stock. Weighing only 12 ounces, including the proprietary AR-15-length receiver extension, the Recc·E stock is the ideal lightweight solution for the entire spectrum of AR-pattern guns, from compact to precision.

Technical specifications:

• Receiver extension: 7075-T6 aluminum, Type III Mil-Spec anodized finish;

• Materials: Impact modified glass-filled nylon polymer, 7075 Type III anodized aluminum, nitrided alloy steel hardware;

• Weight (AR-15/M16): 12 ounces;

• Weight (AR-10/SR-25): 12.7 ounces;

• Length of pull (AR-15/M16): 10.8 to 14.2 inches;

• Length of pull (AR-10/SR-25): 11.6 to 15 inches.

ALUMAGRIPS

alumagrips.com

AlumaGrips’ Desert Eagle grips have undergone a redesign with improvements that are second to none. First AlumaGrips removed almost 1/8 inch from the thickness of each grip, and then they enlarged the radius on the back edge of the grip to reduce the overall circumference. Finally they eliminated the need for two screws as well as the plastic insert that traditionally is needed for mounting the grips. Excellence in design and function, that is the goal of AlumaGrips.

Parts+Accessories

HANDLEITGRIPS

handleitgrips.com

Handleitgrips is a veteran-owned and -operated company that manufactures textured rubber, sandpaper, and their Edge Series grips for firearms. Their products are some of the most innovative, versatile and exciting in the industry. Whether you’re a beginner or a competition shooter, their products will aid in safe handling, increase control, and add confidence while using your firearm. At Handleitgrips, they offer a wide variety of grip materials and colors to choose from.

KKM PRECISION

kkmprecision.com

Welcome to the world leader in custom national match-grade pistol barrels. At KKM Precision, they use state-of-the-art robotics and advanced multiaxis CNC machines to produce the most accurate pistol barrels available. They have taken pistol barrel manufacturing to a whole new level of precision with purpose-built robotic systems and advanced in-process measuring probes. They specialize in advancing pistol barrels.

NOWLIN ARMS

nowlinarms.com

Proven reputation. Eight world championships and 22 national titles, all won by competitors using Nowlin. Today, you can elevate your own 1911 to this level of performance with Nowlin’s ECM Match Grade barrels. Made from 416 rifle-quality bar stock, with ultrasmooth ECM rifling, 40 RC hardness and an 8 RMS bore finish, Nowlin 1911 barrels deliver maximum accuracy. Nowlin’s unique precut barrel locking lug design ensures precise engagement, while centering the firing pin on the primer. Under 1 inch at 25 yards and under 1½ inches at 50 yards in the company’s barrel testing fixture.

ACCU-SHOT

accu-shot.com

The BT81 Lil’ Brandi is Accu-Shot’s long-awaited answer to getting a 1913 Picatinny rail mounted on a traditional rifle stock without taking the rifle apart, drilling holes or damaging the stock. Installation utilizes the existing sling stud and provided cross pin, set screw and hex wrench. It features three usable slots for attaching any rail-mounted Atlas Bipod and a sling attachment to utilize a sling if desired. Machined to Picatinny rail standards from 6061-T6 aluminum with Mil-Spec Type III Class 2 finish. After 15 years of no price increases, Accu-Shot is still improving, innovating and adding to their product line. Proudly designed, engineered, machined and assembled in America. See us at booth #20117