Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

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 correct light mode quickly. The small one has high, low, and map modes with run times of 2.25 hours, 4 hours, and 20 hours respectively.

They will also have end cap button protectors and space for laser etching plus Bungee Finger Loop, interchangeable bezels, and reversible pocket clips. The small one will be just under $50 and the medium will be just under $60. Find them at firsttactical.com.

Also, a tiny flashlight that will fit just about anyplace is the Dot USB flashlight by ASP. This tiny light puts out 130 lumens and it's rechargeable. It's built to last - so sturdy you can drop it from 2 meters with no harm, and it's also water resistant.

This is a great gift even for people who don't shoot! The Dot is $35 and you can find it at asp-usa.com. Just enter "Dot" in the search bar. You can even get it engraved.

Sturdy Belt

One thing any pistol shooter understands is the need for a sturdy belt. When you are using a holster on a belt, a cheap flimsy belt stretches and sags. Gunbelts.com has some dynamite leather belts that are beautiful and functional. They start at around $55 and go up, including models with steel cores.

They are quality belts that will last just about forever. Go to gunbelts.com to look at all the styles and colors they have.

Cleaning Kit

If your shooter has an AR-15 in .223 or 5.56, the Real Avid .223/5.56 Pro Pack premium cleaning kit will be their next favorite thing ever. This kit has it all, including a quick reference field guide to disassembly, scraping, cleaning, and lubrication of the gun, all printed on oil and solvent resistant 3x5 inch dog tag shaped pages.

It combines the field guide, scraper, and Gun Boss Cleaning kit into one compact and portable case. Best of all, it's less than $40 on Amazon. Just look for the Real Avid .223/5.56 Pro Pack and it should pop right up. Real Avid also makes the field guides for other types of guns, such as Glocks and 911's.

You can get other small gun cleaning kits as well, including universal kits for pistols or rifles so you don't even need to know what kind or caliber of gun they shoot. A small kit that will fit in a range bag or backpack is a great thing to have, and you get them as low as around $15. Just go to your local outdoor shop or browse online for "small gun cleaning kit".

Anything Camo

If your shooter happens to be a hunter, anything camo is going to be appreciated. Gloves, scarves, hats, shirts - you name it and they need it. On a multi-day hunt, your camo takes a beating and it's always good to have spares to change into. If your shooter is a bow hunter, he or she will need face paint as well.

Hunters who go after desert animals will appreciate lightweight gloves and hats, while those who go after game in the forest will get more use out of warmer wool or fleece items.

Targets

All hunters and shooters also need targets. Keeping your skills sharp requires practice, and that means shooting at targets. There are tons of targets on the market, but some of the best are the kind that are self-sticking and come with a variety of patches to stick over the holes so you can use them over and over.

The kind that are "splatter" targets are awesome because when the bullet hits it leaves a bright colored halo around the hole, making it easy to see where you hit it, even from a distance. You can get Splatterburst targets from Amazon or visit their website at splatterbursttargets.com. There are many other brands as well, and you can find them just about anyplace where guns or ammo are sold. These make fantastic gifts.

Gun Cleaners

It's a sad fact of life that if you shoot, you clean guns. One thing that makes this chore a lot more pleasant is Swab-Its foam swabs. They beat the heck out of using cotton swabs or any thing else. Swab-It's are reusable, lint-free, and gentle on delicate parts but they have sturdy plastic handles that don't break like wood or bend like paper. I love these things!

You can get them specifically for the caliber of the gun, or you can buy multi-packs. Find them on Amazon by visiting swabits.com and clicking on "Amazon Store" on the menu at the top of the page.

Another great gun cleaning gift is a bore snake. The Hoppe's BoreSnake is only $14.99 at Cabelas.com and it combines cleaning steps in one pass. It has a series of built-in brushes that removes loose stuff then scrubs and shines the barrel. It's also reusable hundreds of times and it's super easy to use. These are sold by caliber.

Shooting Cards

For shotgun lovers, target shooting mostly means moving targets, and that means going to the range for trap, skeet, sporting clays, etc. A great gift for a bird hunter or shotgun sports lover would be a shooting card for the local range. At the Ben Avery Clay Target Center in north Phoenix you can get Trap and Skeet for $6 a round – 25 clays.

Blue Force Gear Magazine Pouch

Wobble Trap and 5-Stand are $6.50. Sporting clays are $10 for 25, $20 for 50, and $30 for 100. Or you can spend $115 and get a Pay and Play Card which includes $15 for the card and gives you discounts on the clays. You can reload the card in $100 increments any time. That card would be a great gift for any shotgunner. Visit https://www.azgfd.com/shooting/bactc/prices/ for more information.

Magazine Pouches

Blue Force Gear has some magazine pouches that will fit perfectly into a stocking this Christmas. These mag holders have no sharp edges or hard corners - they are made of military-grade elastic and a high-performance laminate so they will hold two single or double stack magazines. They use hook and loop to attach to a belt or you can slip them in your pocket.

At only 2.25x4.5 inches, they are easy to carry, and at just $26, they are the perfect stocking stuffer. They're made in the USA, have a limited lifetime warranty, and come in four colors. Check them out at blueforcegear.com.