Feature Articles

As Vortex’s entry level rangefinder, the Impact 850 outperforms its price point. As someone who does a variety of hunting, I look for diversity in my gear. I want equipment that’s going to function whether it’s spring or fall, archery season or gun season, and good conditions or poor. When it comes to a rangefinder, I’ll be looking for optics that can function for bowhunting deer, shotgun hunting turkey, and rifle hunting elk.

Blaser is not a centuries-old European gun dynasty, but in the last 50+ years it has made a name for itself with innovative designs and production of high-quality rifles, shotguns and drillings. The continues in the tradition of the F3, as a shotgun that delivers performance and innovation, but at a significantly more affordable cost. [...]

Winchester’s marketing slogan was quite a bold statement, but one that was not braggadocio. When the Model 70 was introduced – way back in 1936 – it represented what I consider to be the ultimate culmination of the American bolt-action hunting rifle. It had all of the necessary appointments: a strong action – closely related to the Mauser Gewehr 98 – with a reliable extractor, capable of handling the highest of cartridge pressures, a well-fitting stock, an excellent trigger and a three-position safety which would (eventually) work perfectly with a rifle scope.

Remington has had some mild successes on the handgun front, and several debacles. I know all about those debacles, I came off the top rope over the RP9, and I stand by that decision. Big Green and I might’ve had a difference of opinion over that, but they didn’t hold a grudge. And I am glad, because this week we are taking a look at something that is an unmitigated success.

CZ came out of the gate swinging this year, with a couple of items sure to please the crowd. Most notably, they’ve entered the suppressor game.

The Springfield Armory Custom Shop is not a place we visit often, lest I need to remortgage my house. But they do put out top notch guns, for those of discerning taste. I have never been accused of that, but they let me fondle the goods anyway.

Burris has taken a step away from the big ticket items this year, reaching back into the prism realm. New for this year, the Tri-Modular Prism riflescope, or TMPR. Available in 3x or 5x, these are the same size as the previous models, with a 40% gain in field of view. Illumination is now push button instead of dials, slimming the package. The reticle switches from red, green, or blue, and now features night vision settings to match the daylight ones.

Leupold is an obvious class leader in rifle scopes, with a full line across every budget and purpose. With that kind of DNA in the system, it only makes sense that they have expanded the lines to cover every other optical need of the hunter and soldier. There are some exciting additions this year, and you are going to like them.

Never shy about putting a company on the spot, we dropped by Safariland with a baited ambush, to see who would walk into it. That unfortunate person was Keith Garcia.We ambushed him with other questions at SHOT to get the nitty-gritty details of what we can expect from the high-quality holster maker.