At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
Brownells — June Tools Sale & Father’s Day 10% OFF
⏺️ » Great selection of reloading and shop tools at major discounts
This week Brownells is offering big discounts on a host of popular tools including priming tools, dies, case measurement tools, presses, scales, gauges, gun vises, and more. There are really some great deals right now. Plus, for a limited time, you can save 10% on nearly all products in stock at Brownells with Discount CODE FDAY10.
MidwayUSA — Hot Deals with Savings up to 75%
⏺️ » Great selection of tools, optics, accessories 25-75% Off MSRP
Yesterday, June 21, 2026 was officially Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year (which interestingly coincided with Father’s Day). Many USA weather services are predicting above average temps this summer in many areas. And “peak heat” summer conditions have arrived already in some parts of the country (e.g. Phoenix was 106°F yesterday, 6/21/26). It’s vitally important to keep your ammo at “normal” temps during the hot summer months. Even if you use “temp-insensitive” powders, studies suggest that pressures can still rise dramatically when the entire cartridge gets hot, possibly because of primer heating.
It’s smart to keep your loaded ammo in an insulated storage unit, possibly with a sealed Blue Ice Cool Pak if you expect it to get quite hot. Don’t leave your ammo in the car or truck — temps can exceed 140° in a vehicle parked in the sun.
The way ambient temperatures, barrel heating, and powder warming can affect cartridge pressures (and hence velocities) was covered in a study Pressure Factors: How Temperature, Powder, and Primer Affect Pressure by Denton Bramwell. In that article, the author used a pressure trace instrument to analyze how temperature affects ammo performance. Bramwell’s tests yielded some fascinating results.
For example, barrel temperature was a key factor: “Both barrel temperature and powder temperature are important variables, and they are not the same variable. If you fail to take barrel temperature into account while doing pressure testing, your test results will be very significantly affected. The effect of barrel temperature is around 204 PSI per F° for the Varget load. If you’re not controlling barrel temperature, you about as well might not bother controlling powder temperature, either. In the cases investigated, barrel temperature is a much stronger variable than powder temperature.”
This Editor had the personal experience of 6mmBR hand-loaded ammo that was allowed to sit in the hot sun for 45 minutes while steel targets were reset. The brass became quite warm to the touch, meaning the casings were well over 120° on the outside. When I then shot this ammo, the bullets impacted well high at 600 yards (compared to earlier in the day). Using a Magnetospeed, I then chron-tested the sun-heated ammo. The hot ammo’s velocity FPS had increased very significantly — all because I had left the ammo out in the hot sun uncovered for 3/4 of an hour.
LESSON: Keep your ammo cool! Keep loaded ammo in the shade, preferably under cover or in an insulated container. You can use a SEALED cool pack inside the container, but we do NOT recommend just bags of H2O ice. And don’t have the container do double duty for food and beverages.
Powder Heat Sensitivity Comparison Test
Our friend Cal Zant of the Precision Rifle Blog has published a fascinating comparison test of four powders: Hodgdon H4350, Hodgdon Varget, IMR 4451, and IMR 4166. The first two are Hodgdon Extreme powders, while the latter two are part of IMR’s Enduron line of propellants.
The testers measured the velocity of the powders over a wide temperature range, from 25° F to 140° F. Hodgdon H4350 proved to be the most temp stable of the four powders tested. [NOTE: New Alliant Reloder TS 15.5 has also proved very temp stable in AccurateShooter’s range tests.]
The 30 BR is an amazing little cartridge. However, 30 BR shooters do have to neck-up 6mmBR or 7mmBR brass and then deal with some issues that can arise from the expansion process. One of our Forum members was concerned about the donut that can form at the new (expanded) neck-shoulder junction. Respected bullet-maker Randy Robinett offers tips on how to deal with the “dreaded donut”.
The Forum member was concerned about thinning the brass if he turned his 30 BR necks after expansion: “Everything I have found on 30 BR case-forming says to simply turn off the bulge at the base of the neck caused by the old 6BR shoulder. I expanded my first case and measured the neck at 0.329″ except on the donut, where it measures 0.335″. Looking inside the case… reveals a groove inside the case under the donut. Now, it is a fact that when I turn that neck and remove the donut, the groove is still going to be there on the inside? That means there is now a thin-spot ring at the base of the neck that is .005 thinner than the rest of the neck. Has anyone experienced a neck cracking on this ring?”
Randy Robinett, who runs BIB Bullet Co., is one of the “founding fathers” of the 30 BR who help prove and popularize the 30 BR for benchrest score shooting. Randy offers this advice on 30 BR case-forming:
While the thinner neck-base was one of our original concerns, unless one cuts too deeply INTO the shoulder, it is not a problem. For my original 30BR chamber, thirty (30) cases were used to fire 6,400 rounds through the barrel. The cases were never annealed, yet there were ZERO case failures, neck separations, or splits. The case-necks were turned for a loaded-round neck diameter of .328″, and, from the beginning, sized with a .324″ neck-bushing.
The best method for avoiding the ‘bulge’ is to fire-form prior to neck-turning (several methods are successfully employed). Cutting too deeply into the shoulder can result in case-neck separations. I have witnessed this, but, with several barrels and thousands to shots fired, have not [personally] experienced it. The last registered BR event fired using that original barrel produced a 500-27x score and a second-place finish. [That’s] not bad for 6K plus shots, at something over 200 firings per case.
Check Out the 30 BR Cartridge Guide on AccurateShooter.com
You’ll find more information on 30 BR Case-forming in our 30 BR Cartridge Guide. Here’s a short excerpt from that page — some tips provided by benchrest for score and HBR shooter Al Nyhus:
30 BR Case-Forming Procedure by Al Nyhus
The 30 BR cartridge is formed by necking-up 6mmBR or 7mmBR brass. You can do this in multiple stages or in one pass. You can use either an expander mandrel (like Joe Entrekin does), or a tapered button in a regular dies. Personally, I use a Redding tapered expander button, part number 16307. This expands the necks from 6mm to .30 cal in one pass. It works well as long as you lube the mandrel and the inside of the necks. I’ve also used the Sinclair expander body with a succession of larger mandrels, but this is a lot more work and the necks stay straighter with the Redding tapered button. This button can be used in any Redding die that has a large enough inside diameter to accept the BR case without any case-to-die contact.
Don’t be concerned about how straight the necks are before firing them the first time. When you whap them with around 50,000 psi, they will straighten out just fine! I recommend not seating the bullets into the lands for the first firing, provided there is an adequate light crush-fit of the case in the chamber. The Lapua cases will shorten from approx. 1.550″ to around 1.520″ after being necked up to 30-caliber I trim to 1.500″ with the (suggested) 1.520 length chambers. I don’t deburr the flash holes or uniform the primer pockets until after the first firing. I use a Ron Hoehn flash hole deburring tool that indexes on the primer pocket, not through
Photo shows Joseph (“Skeet”) Borden, with match rifle built by his son, Jim Borden.
On this Father’s Day 2025, we celebrate three pairs of fathers and sons who enjoyed competitive shooting together. This story can remind us how shooting together can help build life-long bonds between fathers and sons.
Joseph Borden and Jim Borden
A while back, Jim Borden made a post on his Facebook Page that made us think about how shooting can build important connections between father and son. Jim recalled how he would go to Piedmont, North Carolina with his father every year for a shooting match: “17 years ago this weekend was the last time dad was able to make the trek to North Carolina for the annual Groundhog contest and the match at Piedmont. Loved the time we spent together. Dad shot competitive benchrest with me from 1980 until June 2001. He passed in August 2001.”
This prompted others shooters to respond with cherished memories of their own fathers:
“I’d give a year’s pay to have my Dad back for an hour, let alone a day. Spend all the time you can with them while they’re here”. — Kerry S.
“I think how lucky some folks are to look back in life and have fond memories of doing things with their parents that both enjoyed. I have missed my dad for 44 years and think of him every time I hunt, fish, trap or work on a household project. We did it all together.” — Bill McC.
Another poster explained how he now attends matches with his own young son:
“The time you spent with your father meant as much or more to him. Always cherish [those memories], as I know you will. Last year, I spent … over 400 hours with my then 10-year-old son going to rifle matches. This year will be similar. This photo was from today of my 11-year-old son.” — John C.
So here’s a message to all dads — take some time to introduce your sons (and daughters) to the joys of shooting. Spend quality time with your youngsters while you can. Time passes quickly, boys grow up into men. Ensure you enjoy a life outdoors together whenever you can.
About Jim Borden and Borden Accuracy
Jim began shooting high power silhouette and benchrest matches in the mid 1970s while working for a Fortune 500 company as an engineer. In the early 1980s he began building rifles for himself and then for others. Jim has a background as a gunsmith, machinist, registered mechanical engineer, engineering instructor, project manager, hunter, and benchrest competitor. In benchrest competitions he has set ten world records and won 11 National Championships thereby earning induction into the Benchrest Hall of Fame. Jim also served six terms as President of the International Benchrest Shooters (IBS).
Jim operates Borden Rifles/Borden Accuracy with his wife Joan, sons Jim Junior and John, daughter Andrea Mecca and son-in-law John (Mike) Mecca. Jim is also an outstanding photographer.
Another Father/Son Duo — Sam Hall and Hunter Hall
Sam Hall is a multi-time IBS 600-yard Shooter of the Year, who holds many IBS mid-range records. It’s tough to beat Sam when he’s on his game. But it looks like Sam has a worthy challenger — his own son Hunter Hall, now 15. At age 12, Hunter won the North Carolina State 1000-yard Light Gun Group Title.
At a very young age, Hunter Hall showed an interest in his father’s shooting hobby. It turns out Hunter has the God-given talent for hitting the target. Yes there would be another champion in the Hall family. Here is Hunter, at age 12, winning the NC 1000-Yard Group title. Not bad for a kid not even in High School yet!
Even at just 6 years of age, Hunter showed a keen interest in shooting. Back in 2012 Sam reported: “This weekend we practiced freehand shooting with his BB gun at cans. After that I was needing to zero my Light Gun and get started with a few loads at 100 yards. To my amazement my 6-year-old wanted to accompany me. I could not believe it when he wanted to shoot my competition rifle. I had just put a new barrel and scope on it and needed to zero it. After two shots to get it zeroed he hit a .25 inch dot at 100 yards. I let him do everything — loading it, ejecting rounds, and even working my Farley joystick rest.”
Ken Klemm and Ian Klemm — Father and Son F-TR Aces
Over the last 30 years, a family saga has been playing out in rural Wisconsin: a father fosters within his son the joy of competitive target shooting. It started in a basement shooting range of a small-town elementary school, shooting single-shot rimfire target rifles while cementing the fundamentals of sight alignment, breathing, trigger control, and safety. With a background of competitive smallbore shooting in school and the U.S. Navy, Ken Klemm coached his son, Ian, in a father/son indoor winter shooting league. Ian was determined to shoot as well or better than his Dad and would pursue that goal for the next 30 years. Even after his engineering career took him to the Washington DC area for defense-related work, Ian continued to compete with his Dad by mailing “postal match” targets back and forth for many years.
Father and son shooting together. Her Ian spots for his father Ken Klemm, who is shooting.
Ian has now risen to the pinnacle of his F-TR discipline. Ian Klemm has now won three National F-TR Championships in four years. Ian captured back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, winning at Lodi, WI in 2017, and Raton, NM in 2018. Ian also finished second at the 2019 Nationals. Ian put on another great performance to win the F-TR National title in 2020 under very challenging conditions.
Here is Ian with proud parents Karen and Ken Klemm after Ian won his Second Straight F-TR National Championship in 2018. Father Ken also competed at the 2018 F-Class Nationals, shooting great in both individual and team events.
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21, 2026, so now’s the time to get a great gift for the “Old Man”. If your father enjoys the shooting sports and hunting, here are some recommended items. These will all benefit “Pops” when he goes to the range or works with his guns at home. All selections cost less than $100.00. For the items sold by Amazon, Prime members can get free shipping in most areas of the country.
Ten Great Father’s Day Gifts for Dad Under $100.00
Protect Dad’s hearing — Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Muffs provide NRR 22 dB sound protection with the ability to still hear conversations and range commands. These low-profile muffs have a compact design that works well with stocks. Offered in 8 colors/patterns these Impact Sport Muffs start at $39.98 on Amazon. These compact muffs also have audio input jacks.
We recommend using muffs over plugs for maximum hearing protection.
Teslong Digital Borescopes are “game-changers”, hugely popular with our Forum members. These Teslong borescopes display clear, sharp digital images on your mobile device. Shown here is the latest rigid version.
The versatile MTM Ultimate Range Box includes cradles so you can do gun maintenance while at the range. A lift-out tray holds small items such as patches and jags. This is a durable product that can hold ammo and other gear. It is now on sale for $56.49 at Midsouth.
Here’s a good primary or secondary press for Dad. We’ve used this Lee Breech Lock Challenger press for many functions. It is sturdy and has a convenient primer ejection tube. This is just $85.49 at Midsouth, including a full 3-die set, plus Breech Lock quick change bushing. This is a great gift for a Dad who reloads — user reviews have been 91% Five-Star. Chose one of 10 die sets: 9mm Luger, .38 SPL/.357 Mag, .40 SW, .44 SPL/.44 Mag, .45 ACP, .223 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, 300 Blackout, .308 Win, or .30-06 Springfield.
This Columbia Bahama II guide shirt is durable and comfortable. More importantly it provides UPF 30 protection from the sun’s damaging rays. The added cape over the shoulder area provides extra protection. Made from breathable nylon, this guide shirt is offered in over 70 colors. This is popular for fishing, sailing, hiking and other outdoors sports. A huge variety of colors and sizes are offered on Amazon starting at $21.29, with most versions $45.00. There are also older model Bahama II Shirts with yet more color choices.
This modern Billconch Biometric Safe will hold two handguns. Equipped with a high-rez fingerprint scanner, the safe can be opened instantly with the gun owner’s finger. There is also a digital keypad for opening plus a key lock.
This the #1-Selling compact biometric gun safe on Amazon and costs just $69.98. User reviews are very positive. This safe features a rechargeable battery that can be charged with a USB cable. This safe is small enough to be placed inside a drawer for extra security.
The latest 2020 Edition of The Wind Book, is the best wind resource in print for competitive shooters. The Wind Book analyzes key aspects of wind reading — vectors, cycles, vertical elements, and mirage. This excellent resource is now $21.27 on Amazon for hardcover, and $14.99 on Amazon for Kindle version.
The Tipton Best Gun Vise is a popular design that works with a huge selection of rifles and shotguns. The rear section has two adjustable clamps for a secure grip on the buttstock. The front can fit a variety of forearms and adjusts for height. There is also a movable center support. The solvent-resistant frame contains storage spaces for jags, brushes and tools. Wheeler center supports for ARs will also fit the center rail on the Tipton Best Gun Vise. This impressive product is on sale now for $79.99 at Brownells, a 38% discount off MSRP.
Walkie-Talkies are “must-have” items for long-range shooting. The MOICO 22-CH Long-Range Walkie-Talkie Set is an Amazon Favorite in FRS Handheld Radios. These MOICO units offer VOX hands-free functionality plus a handy built-in LED flashlight.
This MOICO 2-Radio set is now just $16.99 on Amazon with orange top section. Models with other colors (Yellow, Day-glo Green, Blue, Silver Black) are $19.94, $20.99, or $26.99.
This excellent BOG Deadshot FieldPod tripod features twin rifle supports (for forearm and buttstock) making it great for hunters. You can easily traverse left to right, and tilt up and down to change elevation. This allows the shooter to easily track moving game animals while still holding steady on target.
The static vertical height can be adjusted with dual clamps on each of the three legs. The allows a set-up height from 20″ to 42″. Overall weight is under 6 pounds. Price is $89.99 at Midsouth. User reviews of this BOG Deadshot Fieldpod have been very positive.
On Father’s Day, time spent together is more important than any gift that comes in a box…
Today is Father’s Day, a special Sunday when we acknowledge our patriarchs and show our gratitude for all their hard work and sacrifice on our behalf, and the love they have shown us over the years. If you’re lucky, you’re reading this after having spent a day at the shooting range (or the local fishing hole, or golf course) with your Dad. The important thing is to be together with “Pops” and do something you both enjoy together. If you haven’t finalized your Father’s Day planning, here are some suggestions:
1. Hand-wash and wax your father’s truck or car.
2. Clean your dad’s rifles, or help him put together some handloads.
3. Take your dad out to a live music concert, go to a ball game, or maybe head down to the local fishin’ hole.
4. Go for a hike together or just a drive in the country.
5. Head down to Sears or the local hardware store and let you Dad pick out some new tools.
6. Sit down with your dad, bring a note pad, and ask him to tell you some stories about his youth, or his military experience. This Editor learned some amazing things about his own father this way.*
Whatever you choose to do with your father, use your time wisely. Turn off your computer, and go be with your father today. Do something with him that makes him smile. The time spent together is more important than any gift that comes in a box. And, if he lives far from you, give him a call and let him know how important he is to your life. Remind him of the old adage: “Good fathers make good sons”.
When my father, a disabled WW2 Army vet, passed away I received the flag that was draped on his coffin. On most days I fly one of those nylon flags that you can pick up at hardware or department stores. But on holidays, like today, and his birthday, Dad’s flag is out there snapping in the breeze on top of the pole. I find myself talking to him as it gets put up in the morning and comes down at sunset. Hope when the time comes one of my boys will fly my flag. — Bill Slattery Jr.
My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass”! “We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply, “We’re raising boys”. — Harmon Killebrew.
* My father was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in WWII. He was part of three different amphibious landings — North Africa, Sicily, and Operation Dragoon in the South of France. During one conversation about the French invasion, he showed me the invasion armband he wore in 1944. He had kept that band, with its faded American flag, for over 50 years. It is now a cherished memento of his life and service to his country.
Howa Rifles — General Background
Howa is a Japanese heavy machinery company. One of its product lines are firearms, which are imported into the United States of America by two different companies, Legacy Sports International and Weatherby. Legacy sells the 1500 under the manufacturers name while Weatherby re-brands the guns as the Weatherby Vanguard. In general, the finishes on the Weatherby rifles are more refined than the LSI-imported 1500s.
Howa Centerfire Rifles In Review
Howa Rifles Come with Excellent HACT Two-Stage Triggers
Howa 1500 HACT 2-Stage Trigger
Howa 1500s feature the very nice Howa HACT trigger. This is an adjustable, two-stage trigger, set for about 3 pounds (combined stages). Crisp and repeatable, this is an excellent trigger for a factory gun. There is no annoying Glock-style safety lever in the middle of the trigger blade. The 2-stage design and pull weight range works well for a hunting rifle or a rig for PRS competition. Rifleshooter.com says the Howa trigger is “one of the best factory triggers, along with Tikka. I’ve found the Howa trigger superior to a Remington 700 — the Howas doesn’t need to be replaced.”
Writing for the Western Outdoor News, WONews.com, Steve Comus has field-tested the HACT Trigger. Steve writes: “I always liked two-stage triggers, because of the way I could take-up the slack and then actually know when the rifle was going to go off. The take-up on the [HACT] trigger was fast and easy. The crisp, positive release when pressure was put on during the second stage [reminded me] of some of the target rifles I shot through the years.”
Howa Barreled Actions Are Available Now at Brownells
A wide variety of Howa barreled actions are available now at Brownells.com starting at $521.00. That’s a decent deal considering these include action, barrel, AND excellent HACT 2-stage trigger. These Howa barreled actions are offered in three sizes (Mini, Short, Long/Magnum) and with standard, heavy, and carbon-wrapped barrel types. Various barrel lengths are also offered for popular chamberings such as 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester. All these M1500 barreled actions come fully assembled with the barrel chambered, installed, and properly headspaced.
RifleShooter.com has articles showing how to build rifles with Howa barreled actions. Despite popular beliefs, Howa barrels are NOT that hard to remove. We asked Bill at RifleShooter.com about the process:
Q: Is it difficult to remove a barrel from a Howa 1500?
A: Not very. I’ve heard from some smiths that worked on Howas (years ago) that the factory barrels are difficult to remove. However of the half dozen or so Howa barrels that I’ve pulled, they’ve been very easy. I use a Brownells action wrench with the top piece for a Rem Model 700 and the flat bottom resting against the flat on the wrench.
You may have heard internet grumblings about removing Howa barrels. Some folks say they are extremely difficult to remove without a relief cut. Well Bill at Rifleshooter.com demonstrates that Howa barrels can be removed without trouble, provided you have the right tools. Watch this video:
Watch Howa Barrel Removal Video — Quick and Easy (Click Speaker Icon for Audio)
Howa Actions — Three Options
Howa offers three action lengths: Mini, Short, and Long. You can see the bolts for the three action lengths in the image below. The Mini-Action has similar external dimensions to the Remington Model Seven, however, the Mini-Action’s bolt does not travel as far to the rear. This is a mixed bag. The upside is you have a quicker action (shorter bolt throw). The downside is you are limited to shorter rounds such as the .223 Remington, 7.62×39mm Russian, and 6.5 Grendel. But if you need a bigger cartridge, just choose the standard or long action Howa variant.
Howa 1500 vs. Remington 700 — Important Differences
Is the Howa 1500 action a Remington 700 clone, or some kind of improved Remington 700? No, not really. While the top radius of the Howa 1500 does match the Model 700, and they can both use the same two-piece scope bases, there are a number of differences.
If you look at the Howa 1500 alongside the Remington 700 you’ll note the M700 is a round action, while the Howa is a flat-bottom action. In many ways the Howa’s bottom half reminds me of a push-feed Winchester. This means the chassis and stocks that support a Howa 1500 are not V-block based like you’ll find on a 700, instead they have a flat bottom. While the bolt of the Howa is similar in external appearance to the Model 700, it does offer some improvements, notably an M16-style extractor and a firing pin assembly that can be easily removed without tools.
Howa 1500 action screws are metric and are in a different location from the 700. The Howa 1500 has an integral recoil lug that accepts the front action screw, this means you have more of the front action screw engaging the action. WARNING: If you install it into a poorly-fitted stock or action you may bind it.
Based on the questions we get on a daily basis on our 800 (Customer Support) line, twist is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the gun field. So let’s look deeper into this mystery and get a better understanding of what twist really means.
When you see the term 1:14″ (1-14) or 1:9″ twist, just exactly what does this mean? A rifle having a 1:14″ twist means the bullet will rotate one complete revolution every fourteen inches of the barrel. Naturally a 1:9″ turns one time every nine inches that it travels down the barrel. Now, here’s something that some people have trouble with. I’ve had calls from shooters thinking that a 1:14″ twist was faster than a 1:9″ because the number was higher with the 1:14″. The easiest way to remember this is the higher the number, the slower the twist rate is.
Now, the biggest misconception is that if a shooter has a .223 with a 1:8″ twist, his rifle won’t stabilize a 55gr bullet or anything lighter. So let’s look at what is required. The longer a bullet is for its diameter, the faster the twist has to be to stabilize it. In the case of the .223 with a 1:8″ twist, this was designed to stabilize 80gr bullets in this diameter. In truth the opposite is true. A 1:8″ will spin a 55gr faster than what is required in order to stabilize that length of bullet. If you have a bullet with good concentricity in its jacket, over-spinning it will not [normally] hurt its accuracy potential. [Editor’s Note: In addition, the faster twist rate will not, normally, decrease velocity significantly. That’s been confirmed by testing done by Bryan Litz’s Applied Ballistics Labs. There may be some minor speed loss.]
Many barrel-makers mark the twist rate and bore dimensions on their barrel blanks.
Think of it like tires on your truck. If you have a new set of tires put on your truck, and they balance them proper at the tire shop, you can drive down a street in town at 35 MPH and they spin perfect. You can get out on the highway and drive 65 MPH and they still spin perfect. A bullet acts the same way.
Once I loaded some 35gr HP bullets in a 22-250 Ackley with a 1:8″ twist. After putting three shots down range, the average velocity was 4584 FPS with an RPM level of 412,560. The group measured .750″ at 100 yards. This is a clear example that it is hard to over-stabilize a good bullet.
Twist-rate illustration by Erik Dahlberg courtesy FireArmsID.com. Krieger barrel photo courtesy GS Arizona.
In the case of United States v. Hemani, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled unanimously (9-0) that the use of marijuana or cannabis can not be used as a basis to deny a citizen his Second Amendment right to bear arms, and specifically to own a licensed handgun.
In U.S. v. Hemani, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that the federal ban on firearm possession by “unlawful users” of controlled substances violates the Second Amendment when applied to routine marijuana users who are not shown to be dangerous or intoxicated while possessing a gun. This SCOTUS decision affirmed the rule of the Fifth Circuit removing criminal charges against the defendant Ali Hemani.
Case Background & Facts: Ali Danial Hemani, a Texas man, legally surrendered his licensed handgun and pointed agents to his marijuana stash during an FBI search. He was neither accused of using the weapon nor intoxicated while possessing it.
The Charge: The government prosecuted him under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), which makes it a felony to own a firearm while being an “unlawful user of or addicted to” a controlled substance.
The Challenge: Hemani moved to dismiss the indictment, arguing that this categorical ban violated his Second Amendment rights under the Supreme Court’s Bruen standard.
Supreme Court Decision
The Court found that stripping millions of state-legal marijuana consumers of their fundamental constitutional rights without showing individualized dangerousness stretches too far. Writing for the unanimous Court in the majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch rejected the government’s argument that Founding-era laws against “habitual drunkards” historically justified categorically banning marijuana users from owning firearms.
A concurring opinion by Justice Thomas cites the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) amicus brief multiple times to argue that, “[a]s a matter of both original meaning and this Court’s precedents, Congress lacks the power to regulate the possession of firearms solely on the ground that they crossed state lines at some point in the past.”
Support from Both Civil Rights Groups and Gun Rights Organizations:
The case had unconventional alliances, with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the NRA filing briefs in support of Hemani. Here are highlights from the ACLU case report:
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held today in U.S. v. Hemani that the government cannot prosecute someone as a felon simply for using marijuana and owning a gun that is securely stored.
In 2023, the federal government charged Ali Hemani under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), which makes it a felony for someone who is an “unlawful user of” or “addicted to” a controlled substance to possess a firearm. Hemani was charged under this statute as an “unlawful user” based on his use of marijuana and the fact that he owned a firearm that was safely secured in his home. The court held that the government’s prosecution of Mr. Hemani under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) based on his marijuana use violates the Second Amendment.
“Today’s unanimous 9-0 decision makes it clear that the government cannot make it crime for people to own a gun, which the Supreme Court has held is a fundamental constitutional right, simply because they use marijuana,” said Cecillia Wang, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union.
CLICK HERE for Reason Magazine U.S. v. Hermani case analysis which includes an audio case report.
Getting started in long-range shooting? Need some pointers on gun set-up and hardware options? Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics has created a helpful series of videos for the NSSF covering long range shooting. Bryan, a past F-TR Long-Range National Champion and Chief Ballistician for Berger Bullets, knows his stuff. His Applied Ballistics squad was the winning team at the 2016 King of 2 Miles event. Here are four (4) videos, each covering a topic of interest for long-range shooters. Running 3-4 minutes each, these videos can help you get started, and invest wisely when acquiring your next long-range rifle, scope, and accessories.
Long Range Precision — The Keys to Success
TIP for Plotting Long Range Trajectories: You want to know the true, actual ballistic coefficients of your loads. The BCs listed by manufacturers for their projectiles may be somewhat unreliable — the real BC could be higher or lower (and BC can change with velocity). That can result in problems at longer distances. Using sophisticated equipment, Applied Ballistics has measured true BCs for hundreds of projectiles. Plugging these verified numbers into your Ballistics App can improve your hit percentage at long range.
Tools of Choice — Purpose-Built Long Range Rifles
TIP for Choosing a Rifle: When you’re selecting a rifle for long range shooting, it’s important to understand your application and objectives. The applications for long-range shooting can be very refined. You have to select all the details of your application to select the correct rifle. Here are two examples — a semi-auto AR-platform rifle with scope and a bolt-action Fullbore (Palma) rifle with aperture sights. There are many other long range disciplines — F-TR for example. The F-TR rig uses a bipod and rear bag and a scope. To be competitive, a modern F-TR rig should shoot well under half-MOA.
Equipment Advice — Upgrading Your Hardware
TIP for Upgrading Your Rifle: At some point factory rifle owners will recognize weak links in the equipment chain. You can run that factory rifle for quite some time, but the barrel is eventually what’s going to hold you back. The twist-rate may not be high enough to stabilize the high-BC bullets. So the first thing you’re going to want to upgrade is the barrel. You want to get a fast twist-rate barrel with a chamber that is optimized for the bullet you’ll be shooting. A good-quality, custom barrel will be easier to clean, and it will improve the overall accuracy and precision of your shooting.
Big Boomers — Large-Caliber Rifles for Long Range
TIP for Shooting Hard-Recoiling Rifles: Bryan Litz defines “Large Caliber” as .338 caliber and bigger. These rifles can shoot heavy bullets with high BCs. However there are some trade-offs. It can be hard to maintain good fundamentals of marksmanship (trigger control, sight alignment) when you’re fighting heavy recoil and burning 100+ grains of powder. You’re dealing with the challenges that high energy brings. You want a muzzle brake with any cartridge .338 or above. Also, when considering lathe-turned solid bullets, remember that these typically have less sectional density compared to lead-cored bullets with similar profiles. This affects ballistics as well as recoil energy.
The way ambient temperatures, barrel heating, and powder warming can affect cartridge pressures (and hence velocities) was covered in a study Pressure Factors: How Temperature, Powder, and Primer Affect Pressure by Denton Bramwell. In that article, the author used a pressure trace instrument to analyze how temperature affects ammo performance. Bramwell’s tests yielded some fascinating results.
The 30 BR is an amazing little cartridge. However, 30 BR shooters do have to neck-up 6mmBR or 7mmBR brass and then deal with some issues that can arise from the expansion process. One of our Forum members was concerned about the donut that can form at the new (expanded) neck-shoulder junction. Respected bullet-maker Randy Robinett offers tips on how to deal with the “dreaded donut”.
Joseph Borden and Jim Borden
Today is Father’s Day, a special Sunday when we acknowledge our patriarchs and show our gratitude for all their hard work and sacrifice on our behalf, and the love they have shown us over the years. If you’re lucky, you’re reading this after having spent a day at the shooting range (or the local fishing hole, or golf course) with your Dad. The important thing is to be together with “Pops” and do something you both enjoy together. If you haven’t finalized your Father’s Day planning, here are some suggestions:
Howa 1500 HACT 2-Stage Trigger
