Hunting

The Benelli Performance Shop guns never fail to electrify. In the past we have seen these special editions tuned up for 3-Gun, sporting clays, and other specialized ventures. This year, Benelli is all about the hunting marker, with three Performance Shop models built just for taking game.

I am not a shotgun connoisseur; that wasn’t really the style in my neighborhood unless we count very illegally sawed off versions. But the Barrett Sovereign shotgun I saw was staggeringly beautiful. If you had told me it was a $20,000 English shotgun, I would have believed it. But, with pricing starting at $2,200 and going up to $6,550, these are great deals for the money.

New for 2017 is Kimber’s Subalpine Mountain Rifle, available with a Gore Optifade camo finish. Kimber also teamed up with Leupold to make matching scopes.

Being a full-fledged member of the cult of the 10mm, this was an excellent SHOT Show for me. New from Kimber this year is the Super Jagare. “Jagare” is German for hunter, and this new model should excel at that. Chambered in 10mm, it features a full 6-inch barrel to really exploit the velocity capability of this round. The barrel is also factory ported, which helps keep the gun controllable during recoil.

The R20FFTM from Windham Weaponry is a top-quality .308 AR at a very reasonable price. Packing in Magpul gear, great performance and a surprisingly reasonable price point, this one is well worth a look if you want a “bigger brother” AR for your collection.

Under Armour’s betrayal of hunters isn’t the only cause of the company’s collapse. But it can’t be a coincidence that the company has struggled more than ever after it chose to appease extreme animal rights groups rather than its clientele.

Primos’ new Gen 3 Trigger Sticks offer several improvements on the older generation, making an already excellent product even better.

CZ has come out this year with some new pistols. First and foremost of these is the P-10 C pistol, a polymer-framed, striker-fired handgun ready for duty or CCW use. Also new are the Shadow and the Shadow 2, which are sure to excite fans of the venerable CZ-75 line. The Shadow has been dominating the production class of USPSA for some time now. Also new are some exciting sporting shotguns.

Thompson/Center (T/C) has a long tradition of catering to the outdoor and sporting markets with its innovative and affordable firearms and gear. New this year is an addition to the popular Compass line in 6.5 Creedmoor. The Compass has made a name for itself by offering guaranteed MOA performance at a $399 MSRP. The bolt-action rifle is light and handy and well-designed. And, now it is tapping into the popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor long-range cartridge.