Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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I saw a great meme the other day: It said, "Quit saying I'm hard to buy for – you know where the gun store is!". Made me laugh and also made me realize that gift-giving season is almost upon us. If you've got a shooter or two on your list, here are some ideas from stocking stuffer to splurge. SSP Eyewear SSP Eyewear is known for great shooting glasses, and their newest offering is the Methow Kit with six different interchangeable lenses plus the ability to accept an adapter for prescription l... Full story
Arizona is blessed by an abundance of gorgeous hunting country, but that also means that hunters have a lot of ground to cover while hunting. Optics are crucial in most western hunts, but particularly in hunting Coues deer. There's more to "glassing" than just sitting down with a pair of binoculars, so I'm sharing some tips from Leupold, makers of some of the finest optics I've ever used. I'll also share some tips on ammo, gear to carry, and more. Glassing Most hunters carry binoculars, but the... Full story
There isn't much hunting going on this month, and it's a bit warm to go out shooting (unless you pay for an indoor range), but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be training. This is a great time for dry-fire practice, mental conditioning, close-quarters combat training, indoor-range time, classes, and research on legal matters. This is also a good time to check your concealed-carry permit to see if it needs to be renewed soon. Dry-Fire Practice Dry-fire practice is simply practicing with an... Full story
There are many situations that probably don't require a lethal response. A dog attacking your dog as you walk, for instance, or some guy with road rage who isn't armed but is still intent on punching you out. There are also a lot of situations that make you feel anxious even if no one is attacking you: walking through a deserted parking garage at night for example, or walking back to your car at night when no one else is around. You probably wouldn't want to have a gun in your hand for those... Full story
If you have a concealed carry permit and carry a weapon regularly, have you ever considered carrying a back-up weapon? Not just a knife or a tactical pen or a monkey fist, but a secondary firearm? I've heard lots of reasons why you would want to have a second gun on you, and I've also heard plenty of reasons why people don't want to carry a second handgun. Let's look at both sides before discussing what type of secondary weapon to choose and where you might carry it. Pros Guns sometimes... Full story
For quite a while now, waterfowl hunters have been required to use shotgun shells that do not contain lead. Seems the lead pellets in the water get ingested accidentally by waterfowl and it is toxic to them if it builds up. In Arizona, the Game and Fish Department encourages hunters who hunt in Arizona's condor ranges to use lead-free ammo or to remove gut piles if they are shooting lead. The condors eat the remains and get lead poisoning from the tiny lead fragments. If you do use non-lead... Full story
When I was a kid, you could drive out Cave Creek Road to Jomax Road and be in the boonies. We'd go out there as a family, often with another family or a few aunts and uncles. While the ladies made breakfast, we'd set up a bunch of cans or cardboard boxes and we'd all take turns shooting at them. It was one of my favorite things to do as a kid. Afterwards, we'd pick up all the cans and targets and toss the paper and cardboard in the fire, but take the cans home to dispose of. One thing I learned... Full story
Even if you bought a pistol purely for self-defense purposes, you need to practice with it often. For one thing, you need to develop muscle memory. Muscle memory comes after you've done a movement so often that you can totally zone out and your body still performs the movement flawlessly. With guns, safety should always be your very first priority, and becoming completely familiar and competent with your pistol is one of the keys to staying safe. Of course, you don't want to get so familiar... Full story
I'm not as young as I used to be. Last deer season, Margie and I lugged our heavy AR's all over the mountains in very rough and rocky terrain, and it was no fun. By the time you figure your backpack, optics, tripods, rifle, ammo, and water, you could be carrying 40 extra pounds around, mostly uphill and downhill. And that's BEFORE you have to carry a deer out. Heavy Loads For instance, Margie was carrying a big pair of Docter Optics 7X50 binoculars, a backpack that sagged off her shoulders and... Full story
Arizona allows all of its citizens to legally carry a concealed weapon, but a CCW Permit is still a great idea for a lot of reasons. First and foremost is the training you receive when you attend a CCW class. I've been shooting all my life, but I learned a lot of new stuff when I attended a CCW class. 'Shoot Or Don't Shoot' One thing that really opened my eyes was the "shoot/don't shoot" portion at the end of the class. I was handed a plastic pistol that interacts with a large screen, and a seri... Full story
Father's Day is coming up sooner than you think, and sometimes dads can be super hard to buy for. If dad is a shooter, we've got you covered – here are some ideas for gifts any shooting dad would be delighted to receive. Peltor Electronic Hearing Protectors Every shooter needs hearing protection, and Peltor makes the ones Margie and I wear. We love the electronic ones – you can hear conversation, but they electronically detect the sound of gunshots and muffle them. We bought our new dau... Full story
Four-wheeling is a blast – there are so many places to explore in this beautiful state, and many of them are hidden treasures that you can only get to on extremely rough roads. I've always had a 4WD pickup, but on our last deer hunt we became aware of the benefits of having an OHV: an OHV, or quad, or side-by-side, or ATV or whatever you want to call it, can get you where even a 4WD pickup can't go. A Quad Is Faster For me anyway, even if I can get my truck there, a quad can get there faster. I... Full story
Why would you want to pay for a custom gun stock? First of all, for the way it looks and feels -- McMillan offers a variety of colors and combinations so you can make your rifle one of a kind. More importantly, a custom McMillan gun stock can help improve your groups at 100 yards anywhere from ¼ inch to ½ inch – and at greater distances, that can make a lot of difference. You can also get a custom fit to your gun – it's no fun trying to shoot a rifle that is too long, too short, ha... Full story
According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, the number of concealed carry permits in the U.S. is surging, and that increase is led by women and blacks. Over 6 percent of the adults in America now have a concealed carry permit - over 8 percent outside of California and New York. Why Carry A Concealed Weapon? These permit holders are very law-abiding citizens: In 2016, just 0.0092 percent of permit holders were charged or convicted of a felony. Why do people want to carry a concealed... Full story
Check Out These Four Great New Pistols It's January as I write this article , and that means it's time for the S.H.O.T. Show in Vegas. The Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trades Show is a huge deal that covers an incredible amount of square footage and lasts five days if you include the Industry Day at the Range. Margie and I will be going again this year, and we'll have a lot of stuff to tell you about next month. The S.H.O.T. Show is for Industry and Media only – you can't just walk in because y... Full story
Whether the shooter in your life is a tactical shooter, recreational shooter, hunter, competitor, pistol, or shotgun shooter, he or she will definitely appreciate a shooting-related stocking stuffer this Christmas. Here's some we think they will like. Flashlights TriTac Flashlights from First Tactical now come in small and medium models. They are powered by Duracell Ultra CR123 batteries and both lights feature an Intelligence Button system with a half-second delay so you can easy find the corre... Full story
We shooters are all alike: No matter how close our groups are, we wish they were closer. We wish we shot better at long range, or on the move, or in low light, or from a different position, or with our non-dominant hand - well, you get it. We just flat wish we shot better. We all know that practice is the best way to improve our accuracy, but not all of us have the time to get to the range as often as we should, and the range can be pricey even with a membership. For some of us, the range is a... Full story
In an earlier article I discussed the pros and cons of wearing clothing that is obviously tactical in nature - the olive green or camo BDU pants, combat boots, etc. Those send a signal to even a casual observer that you may be armed or at least need to be watched. But there are plenty of tactical clothes that don't stand out but still give you plenty of places to stash your gear where it is easily accessible, whether that is a gun or just your usual EDC (Every Day Carry) gear. EDC Gear Is... Full story
What is the purpose of carrying a concealed weapon? For me, it's the ability to defend myself or my loved ones if we are violently attacked. The key is concealment. If you really want to fly under the radar, it's not enough to simply hide your weapon - too many "concealed" carriers advertise the fact that they have a weapon. How? Body language and clothing are the top ways. Easy To Spot Many times I can spot a guy who's carrying the instant he stands up because odds are, he's going to grab his... Full story
Fathers' Day is just around the corner, and men can be so hard to buy for. Seems like if we want it, we just go buy it, and if we don't, it's because it's too expensive. So here are a few gift ideas for any dad who loves guns - and I'll bet he didn't even know about these, or he'd have gotten one! Revolver Desk Clock At four inches wide and just over three inches high, this little batter-operated desk clock will keep great time even if the power goes out. Plus it looks super cool – exactly l... Full story
Mothers' Day is the perfect opportunity to show mom (or your wife) how much you love her by getting her a gift that she'll enjoy all year long. There are lots of cool things for moms who shoot, or for moms who would like to get started in the shooting sports. Here are some to fit any budget. UpLULA® Pistol Magazine Loader Loading magazines by hand is a not only a nail-buster, it's slow. The Maglula UpLULA® loader makes loading magazines incredibly fast and easy, with no fingernails... Full story
There is no denying that the best way to keep your skills sharp is practicing. Shooting is no different. If you want to be good at it, you have to practice. Going to the range is good practice for trigger control, etc., but there are limitations at the range. You can't move around, you can't draw, you can't rapid fire, you can't shoot from cover - etcetera, etcetera. To practice defending yourself, you need to develop some special skills. A lot of those can be practiced at home. First Things... Full story
I'm assuming that if you have a Concealed Carry Permit it's because you actually carry a weapon and would be willing to use it to defend yourself or your loved ones if your lives were being threatened. You may think that self-defense is cut and dried, but even here in Arizona, there are cases where, even though it seems to be a clear case of self defense, the shooter goes to jail, gets charged with a criminal offense, and could ultimately lose, even though he whole-heartedly believes that his... Full story
Once you get your concealed carry permit, you have to decide how you're going to carry. There are lots of options, and the bad news is that you really won't know which one you like best until you've tried them. And, I don't mean just try on a holster at a store - you've got to actually put a gun in that holster and wear it for a few days. Don't base your decision on what your buddy uses – holsters are different for every person. You're probably going to end up with quite a few holsters in the d... Full story
The SHOT Show has officially started and the entire event is packed to the gills. It's spread over several floors and many areas of the Sands Convention Center, and we can already tell it's going to be impossible to see everything in just the few days we have here. So our first stop was the New Product Center. Here are some of our favorite things from there. The Crooked Horn Outfitters' PhoneSkope is ideal not only for hunters, for for birders, sports enthusiasts, or anyone else who want to be... Full story
