Eric Conn

Whether you’re talking about hunting or military applications, the.308 Winchester is by far and away one of the most versatile and popular cartridges ever made. Introduced in 1952 and later adapted for military use as the 7.62 NATO, or 7.62x51mm NATO, the mighty.308 was first chambered for Winchester’s legendary Model

There’s no real way to know what you or your firearm are capable of without adequate training. As Jim Mora so famously quipped after his football team suffered a blowout loss, “You think you know, but you have no idea.” And that’s exactly what you find as you start to train with others more competent than yourself — you were never aware of just how much you didn’t know.

There were enough new ammo introductions at the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas to cover ever shooter’s palate, from the long-range warrior to the competitive pistol champion. Several manufacturers introduced brand-spanking new offerings for newly developed cartridges, like Hornady’s Precision Hunter in 6.5 PRC and Federal Premium with the 224 Valkyrie. There’s been quite a few exciting additions for competition shooters, too, with range-friendly loads from Federal and Inceptor that are capable of knocking down steel targets while reducing splash back from projectiles. There was even quite an assortment of new shotgun loads for wingshooters and turkey hunters.

Among the most popular trends in the shooting sports world today is that of long-range shooting. There’s also a ton of crossover between different genres of riflemen, as hunters look to extend their own maximum effective range on game by competing in PRS events, or simply to hone their marksmanship skills at extreme distance while enjoying a bit of friendly competition. For those who haven’t given it a try, long-range shooting is both an art and science that’s incredibly addicting. Whether it’s ranging targets, reading wind, calculating elevation adjustments, or working up proper leads for moving targets, it’s far more than employing the WAG (wild ass guess) method of shooting. 

From long-range precision rifles to custom-grade hunting rifles, there was plenty of new product debuted at the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas to make every shooter take notice. If any major trends stand out, it’s the widespread and growing popularity of long-range shooting that has spawned several new precision rifle introductions, like Remington’s Model 700 PCR, as well as the popularity of cartridges like the 6mm and 6.5 Creedmoor. Breaking ground in a different arena, CZ USA showcased its 455 Scout rifle in .22 LR, which was topped with one of the company’s new proprietary suppressors. From budget-friendly to budget crushing, there was a rifle for every man’s taste at the show. Here’s a look at some of the best new rifles for 2018.   

One of the hottest firearms introductions of 2017, announced at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, was undoubtedly Mossberg’s 590 Shockwave, which was originally chambered in 12 gauge. Right on its heels came Remington with the 870 Tac-14, another wildly popular defense shotgun, and yet another confirmation of the worth of a compact shotgun that can be had without climbing a Mount Everest of bureaucratic red tape.

Since its introduction in 2007, Hornady has continued to hit the sweet spot among long-range shooters with the 6.5 Creedmoor. A modification of the .30 TC and ultimately an offspring of the .308 Win., the 6.5 Creedmoor is effective because it capably seats bullets with high sectional density and ballistic coefficients, which are remarkably adept at producing flat trajectories and handling the wind. The 6.5 is also popular among competition shooters because it successfully houses these long, sleek bullets in a case that still fits in standard AR-10-style magazines and short-action bolt guns. As a result, the cartridge has been popular in competition and among game hunters.

Until recent years, owning a high-end chassis rifle was restricted to those with an excess cash problem, as many such rifles easily hit and surpass the $10,000 mark. For the most part, these rifles — used in both Precision Rifle Series (PRS) competition and among hardcore long-range enthusiasts of all stripes — have been produced mostly by small manufacturers and custom shops, hence the crushing price tags often associated with them. 

When it comes to long-range competition, the automatic assumption is that you need a riflescope that’s equal or greater in cost to most people’s house payment in order to compete. While you can certainly go that route, there’s also a lot to be said about budget-friendly glass that’s still more than qualified to take on the benchmark 1,000-yard shot. A case in point is Nikon’s new Black X1000, a scope engineered from the ground up to tackle the precision rifle game.