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Federal Celebrates 100-Year Anniversary AS

part of its 100-year anniversary celebration, Federal Ammunition is showcasing articles, images, and videos celebrating the company’s rich history on a dedicated website landing page (federalpremium.com/this-is-federal/a-century-of-authority). “For months we’ve been counting down to Federal Ammunition’s 100-year anniversary,” says Brian Anderson, Federal’s director of marketing.

 Federal is celebrating its 100th year through two special publications and a dedicated website.

“Now that the big day has finally arrived, we’re celebrating with a site takeover of federalpremium.com, in which we share the stories, products, and special moments that made Federal the world’s leading ammunition manufacturer.”

“Initially, the site will feature exclusive videos that take viewers on a tour of the iconic plant, commemorate the anniversary, and much more. There is also an interactive timeline that highlights some of the most influential and interesting moments in company history. Visitors can scroll through a slideshow of vintage posters, enter to win big prizes, and learn the full story of Federal’s earliest years. Look for more articles, seldom-seen photography, and other exclusive content that will be added regularly throughout Federal’s centennial year.”

The website will have new anniversary-related content posted every month until the end of the year. But, as TV emcees often say, “Wait! There’s more!”

Federal Ammunition has also released a 100th Anniversary Special Issue magazine. Federal: Celebrating A Century of Ammo, 1922-2022 is a single-issue, 104-page, full-color magazine that was available earlier this year on newsstands throughout the lower 48 states at more than 14,700 stores where hunting and shooting sports publications are sold.

“This is a one-time-only, special-edition magazine that helps communicate the story of how Federal started as an ammo manufacturing underdog to then become the industry leader in shotshell, rimfire, rifle, handgun, and more,” says Jason Nash, Federal’s vice president of marketing. “It’s packed with stories about ammo innovations from back then to right now, conservation initiatives spanning decades of dedication, and interesting facts taken throughout Federal’s history.”

Another component of Federal’s 100-year anniversary celebration is a 244-page hardcover book, Federal Ammunition: The First Hundred Years. It highlights Federal cartridge production and innovation over the past century. The limited-edition book (5,000 copies) is for sale at federalpremium.com/merchandise/. SRP: $59.99.

“It’s impossible to tell every tale in our history, but what we have captured in this book highlights Federal’s journey over the last 10 decades,” says Jason Vanderbrink, Federal Ammunition’s president. “From our humble beginning, the single most essential element of our overall success has been our longstanding commitment to building a superior product. We are proud of our accomplishments and are excited to share our history in this wonderful collection of stories.”

“Our story of perseverance, imagination, and innovation has been shaped by many business leaders before us. Throughout Federal’s existence, we’ve shared this incredible ride with a supportive Anoka community, and our stories of growth and success are forever linked. Federal has been, and will always be, a service leader. It is an honor for me to be part of this company as we celebrate and shape the next century.”

(federalpremium.com)

The Appleseed Project Hits the Mark

by EvE Flanigan

Appleseed Project is a national nonprofit community dedicated to teach ing the classic skill of rifle marksmanship to its attendees, along with instilling a sense of civic and personal responsibility. Although many other programs with that theme have developed in the 14 years since the organization received its charter, the “core” of the Appleseed experience remains a two-day weekend of learning rifle fundamentals. It’s a mixed format of lectures by the organization’s highly trained volunteer instructors and live-fire practice on a 25-yard range with targets of graduated difficulty.

Achieving a minimum score on the Appleseed target, inspired by the U.S. Army’s 1930s-era qualification standard, gives a shooter the once-in-a-lifetime award of the flag-motif “Rifleman” patch. The patch has become a badge of honor of sorts in communities where the program has been conducted. It’s an indication of competence around a rifle, sans electronically aimed optical equipment or bipods at the entry level.

Appleseed has always been accommodating with pricing and is especially welcoming to families, women, law-enforcement officers, and community-specific organizations. The program’s curriculum is standardized, so an attendee at a Florida event has much the same learning experience as one in, say, California. Casual lunchtime stories of documented but lesserknown details of the events of April 19, 1775, leading up to “the shot heard ‘round the world,” take up the sack-lunch hour, and memorable snippets of the same are shared on breaks. By the conclusion of the weekend, participants have learned safe rifle use and marksmanship fundamentals, the effective use of a sling to improve accuracy, and shooting in prone, sitting, and standing positions. They also eventually experience the challenge of shooting accurately under time pressure. As a result, they gain a new understanding of the power of one ordinary person to change the course of history for the better. In short, it’s a challenging and empowering experience regardless of whether a shooter leaves with their Rifleman patch.

Although all rifle types are welcome (except full auto), the most popular are .22-caliber semiautos, as they’re easy on the feed bill and easy for most anyone to shoot all day. Appleseed Project is serious about the “most anyone” part. People with physical challenges for positional shooting are welcomed. And even before the onset of these contentious times, the program had a clear rule that historical content stays apolitical.

It's no secret that shooting is commonly described as empowering by women who learn the skill. And Appleseed is doing its part, with a growing cadre of female instructors and shoot bosses that have come up through its ranks. There are now more “Ladyseed” events on the calendar than ever—clinics in which attendance is limited to women. Currently, there are 15 Ladyseed events scheduled for 2022 in nine states spanning several regions of the country.

To learn more about the Appleseed Project or schedule yourself, friends, or family to experience a memorable weekend of shooting and learning, visit appleseedinfo.org.

(appleseedinfo.org)

FAST AND FRIENDLY 5.56 BRASS QUALIFIER SPEEDS THE RELOADING PROCESS

In 2012, Bill Birmingham of Farmington, Missouri, founded a company—Fast And Friendly Brass—to process and sell brass in the St. Louis area. In two years, the company was selling brass nationally. But in late 2015 Birmingham changed the direction of his company in order to focus on a bigger need in the market—better tooling and equipment to improve the efficiency of reloading and brass processing. Since then, the company has become an industry leader in high-quality products to make reloading more precise and efficient. Its latest innovation is the 5.56 Brass Qualifier, a machine designed to speed up the processing and the reloading of 5.56 ammo.

“Every commercial brass processor and reloader knows that sorting good 5.56 brass from bad is the absolute worst part of the job,” says Birmingham. “It is mind-numbing work that can be hard on the hands and even harder on the eyes. Our machine automates this job, reducing the time it takes to get good brass ready for loading and speeding up the production. It also cuts costs and provides uniform quality of brass.”

The 5.56 Brass Qualifier can be tuned to allow or disallow any diameter neck size, depending on how tolerant the particular press or other equipment is to misshapen brass. The machine automatically rejects blanks, cases with crushed necks, and live ammo, though it will not check for case dents or sort by headstamp.

A single 5.56 Brass Qualifying machine can check up to 12,000 cases per hour, limited only by collator speed. For the best results, pairing the Brass Qualifier with the Fast And Friendly Brass Collator gives you the ability to produce at higher volumes.

(fastandfriendlybrass.COM)

THERE’S NO STOPPING HYDRATREK

Hydratrek amphibious vehicles are being used around the world for a wide array of applications, including wetland access, flood response, search and rescue, snow navigation, land reclamation, survey, mining, game and fish enforcement, prescribed burns/ wildland fire response, ranch management, coastal recreation, and hunting purposes. When other equipment, such as trucks, ATVs, boats, and tractors, have to stop due to deep mud, muck, swamps, snow, or other rough, wetland terrain, Hydratrek vehicles are designed to plow on through.

One example of the company’s line is the D2488B. It is designed for the heavy hitters that have wetland projects in the utility, pipeline, survey, seismology, and construction industries. This vehicle is also popular with public safety organizations that routinely deal with the threat of hurricanes or river flooding.

The rear cargo bed allows for material handling and/or personnel carrying. By providing a maximum footprint of less than 2.2 psi, the D2488B will perform well in swamps, marshes, snow, and sand. It is powered by an 85-hp turbocharged Kubota diesel engine, and it offers over 8,000 pounds of pulling capacity. Built in Covington, Tennessee, the D2488B is constructed from marine-grade aluminum, operates via a closed-loop hydrostatic drive system, and has two rear propellers for deep-water crossings. Dual bucket seats in the operator cabin make for a comfortable, smooth ride.

There are two planetary-gear drive motors that provide high torque to the 24-inch rubber-track system. Options include front- or rear-mounted electric or hydraulic winches, seating for eight persons, powder-coat paint, saltwater kit, enclosed cab system with insulation, tie-down points, backup alarm, rear cargo rack, LED emergency lighting, and quick-connect hydraulics. (hydratrek.com)

IHEA’s Online Firearm Fundamentals Course

Aims to Support New Shooters by Jodi Stemler

the last two years have proven anything, it’s that many Americans want to take personal responsibility for the safety of themselves and their families. But with 5.4 million first-time firearm owners in 2021, there is also a critical need to ensure that they learn how to safely handle, store, and use their new purchase. Partners within the shooting sports industry are working together to provide ranges and retailers the tools they need to ensure that their customers get off on the right foot.

The International Hunter Education Association-USA (IHEA-USA) has long served a role in supporting new hunters, but their current president Alex Baer wants to fulfill their mission as a resource of learning to the industry for all shooting and hunting education opportunities. With this in mind, the organization has launched a new Firearm Fundamentals curriculum that offers three online courses in handgun, shotgun, and rifle safety.

As a leader in online learning, IHEA-USA worked with Kalkomey Enterprises, the top provider of online hunter education courses, to develop the Firearm Fundamentals courses. Each class is carefully designed to ensure that new gun owners have a safe and positive experience as they develop competency. For brand-new shooters, buying the firearm is only the first step; many need guidance in the most basic aspects of safe gun ownership.

“We’ve learned through teaching hunter education that a strong safety training foundation is the key to preventing firearm incidents,” reads the Firearm Fundamentals website. “No matter how you plan to use your gun, whether it’s for self-defense or target shooting, proper training that develops solid knowledge of operation, safe storage techniques at home, and correct use on the range will give you the confidence to use your firearm in a variety of situations.”

Firearm Fundamentals teaches firearm safety rules and ownership responsibilities, including safety in the home, proper storage with locks and safes, and safe transportation. Each course path then builds specific handling information for each category of firearm as well as care and cleaning. Importantly, the courses then walk the new shooters through range safety and etiquette and describe opportunities to use their firearms in fun environments. The goal is to help these new shooters get beyond the initial purchase to feel confident as they move out to their local shooting range. The course costs a nominal $12.

Leaha Thomas is a marketing expert at BOLT Strategies working with IHEA-USA to share the course with the public. She notes that the organization is offering downloadable collateral materials for retailers to print and share or to direct to the site using QR codes.

“If gun shops want to help with safe firearms handling at the local level, they will have the materials they can download and give to new firearms owners,” Thomas says. “We are also working with digital industry partners to help share the curriculum and offering manufacturing partners the opportunity to get their brand in front of new customers through the materials.”

The Firearm Fundamentals courses build on IHEA-USA’s existing platforms for hunter education, and the organization will continue to support the industry and state fish and wildlife agencies on their R3 (recruitment, retention, and reactivation) efforts. Beyond basic knowledge and firearms safety in the field, new hunters and shooters need mentors to support them along their path.

IF Another new IHEA-USA project, LearnHunting.org, is designed to address some of the thousands of people every year who take hunter education but don’t buy a license. The mentoring platform is designed to connect mentees with someone who can help them as they proceed out to the field. Thomas notes that IHEA-USA is also building an innovative campaign to push out into the mainstream media to target new gun owners and direct them to their suite of services. The tools are available for use, and partnerships will ensure that new hunters and shooters take advantage of the online learning opportunities. “IHEA-USA is interested in partnering with retailers and ranges to ensure that they have safe firearms handlers in their stores by being a supplier of safe gun handling and safe hunting for all Americans,” Thomas says. “We are leading the charge to ensure that everyone has the tools to protect themselves and their families in a safe manner.” For more information and to check out the Firearm Fundamentals curriculum, go to ffcourse.org. To learn more about IHEA-USA, go to ihea-usa.org.

(ihea-usa.org)

Industry Day at the Range and NSSF Renew Partnership

NSSF, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, has renewed its contract with the SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range, returning as Title Sponsor for the next three years. Now in its tenth year, Industry Day at the Range will be backed, yet again, by one of the most prominent organizations in the shooting sports industry.

“We’re thrilled to welcome back the NSSF as Title Sponsor for our 2023 event,” says Kelsey Puryear, manager of Industry Day. “Extending this partnership with a multi-year agreement just builds on our prominence in the industry and bolsters the relationship we have with the NSSF and the annual SHOT Show. We have high expectations for 2023 and are excited to bring together the best our industry has to offer—alongside the NSSF and other returning sponsors.”

Industry Day at the Range is the most influential one-day trade event in the hunting and shooting sports industry. In addition, it’s the only range event officially associated with SHOT Show, and it’s sponsored by the NSSF. Held annually the day before the opening of SHOT Show, Industry Day at the Range brings together invited media members, buyers, and manufacturers to preview and test the latest products—some of which have never seen the light of day.

According to Puryear, space is limited for additional exhibition space, so new exhibitors are encouraged to register as soon as possible. As in previous years, the 2023 Industry Day at the Range will take place at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club in Boulder City, Nevada, and will be held on Monday, January 16, 2023— the day before the SHOT Show opens.

 American Tactical will be an exhibitor at Industry Day at the Range. The Bulldog, a semi-automatic 20-gauge tactical shotgun, is a new offering from the company.

(shotshowrangeday.com)

ATN UNVEILS X-SOUND HEARING PROTECTION

American Technology Network is probably best known for its innovative night-vision and thermalvision products. Now it is moving from the eyes to the ears with the introduction of the ATN X-Sound Hearing Protection line. Built on the success of its SMART HD Optics technology, ATN X-Sound is designed to protect hearing by reducing noise to safe levels.

“Moving into the hearing protection market is an obvious choice for ATN,” says James Munn, CEO of ATN Corp. “Our X-Sound Hearing Protection ear muffs not only offer noise reduction, but they provide the user with individual controls for adjusting the volume of the surrounding noise levels and separately controlling your media volume. With the ATN X-Sound, you can listen to music and even take that office call while you are sitting in a tree stand.”

The ATN X-Sound Hearing Protection uses NNR 22dB noise-reduction technology. It offers 22+ dB noise reduction while delivering natural sound with omnidirectional microphones. The sound-activated compression circuit has a reaction time of a mere .02 second. Using a smartphone or other Bluetooth-compatible device, the user can connect their ATN X-Sound Hearing Protection earmuffs to music, podcasts, and phone calls. An audio input jack and two high-gain omnidirectional microphones are built into the earmuffs.

The low-power earmuffs are ergonomically designed with low-profile ear cups that allow for full clearance of a rifle or shotgun stock without having to adjust your earmuffs or the gun. The compact folding design makes storage easy, and the comfortable headband is made of a durable metal frame that keeps the earmuffs from slipping. SRP: $119.

(atncorp.COM)

Bergara Introduces a Trio of New Rifles

by EvE Flanigan

Bergara, a division of BPI Outdoors, has been busy in the rifle workshop, and it is now showing off three new models for both field and range. First among the new Bergara rifles is the Premier Divide. It’s the company’s solution for fans of its HMR model who want a lighter rifle for field duty. The aim is in the name, with “Divide” indicating the middle ground between tactical and hunting pursuits. It’s available in 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .300 Win., and .308 Win. Barrels are 22 to 24 inches. The Premier Divide’s light weight of 7.2 to 7.4 pounds is achieved through a carbon stock by AG Composites and Bergara’s new Cure carbon-fiber barrel.

The Cure barrel is truly different. According to a company press release, “Bergara cured the carbon barrel disease of inconsistency by getting steel and carbon to perfectly work together by managing heat. Cure barrels are uniquely optimized both mechanically and thermodynamically via a proprietary, patent-pending, carbon weave with embedded stainless strands that move heat. Every aspect of the design was optimized to yield an ultralight, stiff, straight, rugged barrel, shot after shot. The Cure reduces barrel weight by over two pounds, without suffering impact migration problems of light-profile barrels.” SRP: $2,749-$2,799.

Another upcoming Bergara, the Premier Canyon, represents the coalesced input from the substantial portion of Bergara customers who are big-game hunters. This lightweight, muzzle-device-ready rifle has a bolt that’s ready to deliver smooth, quiet, reliable cycling in harsh environments. Barrels are 22 to 24 inches. This rifle features an AICS-style detachable magazine, except for the .375 H&H, which has a hinged floorplate. Other chamberings include 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge, .308 Win., .300 Win., 300 PRC, and 28 Nosler. The Premier Canyon weighs in a 6.2 to 6.5 pounds. SRP: $2,379-$2,429.

Last in the lineup is a rifle designed for the backcountry hunter who’s ready to be modern as well as free to move. The MgLite is built on an XLR Element 4.0 magnesium chassis and looks more like a long-range competition rifle than a hunting companion. The skeletonized carbonfiber buttstock folds flat, making the MgLite packable. At less than two pounds, Bergara says the MgLite is one of the lightest rifle chassis systems

in the world. Like the Premium Divide rifle, the MgLite also makes use of a 22- or 24-inch Cure barrel. Built-in forend features include a bubble level and machined-in RRS 1.5-inch Arca-Swiss dovetail. Chamberings will be 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .308 Win., and .300 Win. SRP: $3,229-$3,349.

(bergarausa.com)

SHOT Show New Hotel

The newest property to open on the Strip in over ten years brings together three top-tier Hilton brands—Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords—under one roof as Resorts World Las Vegas. Guests will be able to earn Hilton Honors Points during their stay.

Take a worldwide tour of the culinary arts with more than 40 food and beverage options to explore. Enjoy live music at Dawg House Saloon, dry-aged American cuts and Japanese-certified wagyu steaks at Carversteak, or unwind at Eight Lounge, where you will find an extensive cigar list, hand-rolled tobaccos, and a large selection of whiskey.

Resorts World Las Vegas is conveniently located eight minutes away from The Venetian Expo, and SHOT Show offers shuttle service to and from The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum.

To get the most out of your stay, sign up for Genting Rewards to start earning Genting Points, Badges, or Milestones for your activity throughout the resort. Use them toward gaming or resort spend and unlock surprise new perks and prizes. For room-block inquiries, contact the hotel at rwlasvegas.com.

(rwlasvegas.COM)