|
|
April 28th, 2009
 Ever wondered how and where rimfire ammo is produced? The CCI plant in Lewiston, Idaho is the main production facility for CCI and Federal rimfire cartridges. This plant also produces Hornady-brand 17 Mach 2 and 17 HMR ammo. This week, ShootingUSA visits CCI’s Idaho ammo factory during the TV show’s “Sighting In” segment. ShootingUSA’s camera crew meets with production engineers and explores the many options available among .22 rimfire ammo. CCI’s Lewiston, Idaho plant produces four million rounds every day in a wide variety of velocities and bullet designs and weights.
 |
 |
Rick Stoeckel, CCI Ammunition Brand Manager, explains the many options offered in rimfire ammo: “The rimfire shooters today — they’re hunters, they’re plinkers, they’re target shooters. And varmint shooting is a big deal today.” CCI offers a variety of different options, Stoekel says, so “you can basically hunt, shoot targets, [do] everything with a rimfire gun.” Working with the ammo experts at CCI, during this week’s show, ShootingUSA tests various choices of .22 ammo for both accuracy and performance on game.
CLICK HERE For BALLISTICS INFO for all CCI Rimfire Ammunition.
(Once on this page, select “View Details” for the particular ammo type.)
Cowboy Action World Championships Coverage
During the same April 29th episode this week, ShootingUSA covers the 2008 “SASS End of Trail” — the World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting held at Founders Ranch outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. End of Trail has become a significant tourist event, drawing thousands of visitors from across the United States.
CLICK HERE to visit Single Action Shooting Society Website.
Photos courtesy ShootingUSA, © 2008, TIER ONE MEDIA, LLC. All Rights Reserved
April 24th, 2009
 Two DVDs Now Offered
The latest video from Velocity Films is “Dog Be Gone and Beyond (Volume 2)”. It features footage from multiple locations, while hunting Ground Squirrels, Rock Chucks, and Prairie Dogs. The video includes field tests of the .17 HMR & .204 Ruger, handgun hunting, plus reviews of the latest varmint hunting gear. This video is offered on DVD only for $17.95. The original “Dog Be Gone (Volume 1)” video is offered on VHS tape for $7.95 or DVD for $14.95.
CLICK HERE to order either video online, or call 800-272-3000 to order by phone from Midsouth Shooters Supply.
CLICK HERE for Varmint Hunting Video Clips (Banned on YouTube!)
April 17th, 2009
Should you sight-in your rifle and practice shooting before you head off into the woods on your deer-hunting trip? Yes, indeed. In the video below we don’t know whether the unlucky hunter’s scope wasn’t adjusted correctly, or maybe he was just a miserable marksman. Many of you may have seen this video before, but it’s still pretty amazing. NOTE: If you are at work, you may want to turn down your volume before launching the video.
April 9th, 2009
All turkey, all the time — that’s the concept behind turkey.realtree.com the new turkey hunting website created by Realtree. This content-rich site contains tons of info for turkey hunters, including gear reviews, hunting reports, video clips, and even a turkey trivia game. The gear archives cover everything a turkey hunter needs: firearms, clothing, footwear, decoys, turkey calls, and shooting accessories.
HD Video Webcasts of Real Turkey Hunts
The new website boasts impressive HD (high-definition) video content on “Turkey Television”. You’ll find multiple high-quality archived hunting videos. Each Friday the “Daybreak” webcast will feature a “semi-live” turkey hunt followed by a segment on the latest turkey hunting guns and gear. You can also download video “podcasts” to your home computer or media player. Topics include: Selecting the Right Turkey Gun, Choosing Turkey Optics, Sighting-In a Shotgun, and Mounting A Scope (or Fiber Optic Sights).
April 8th, 2009
 On today’s broadcast of ShootingUSA television, Jim Scoutten and his crew feature a recent Three-gun Challenge Match at Fort Benning, Georgia. In this event, hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), both Army and civilian shooters compete with pistol, rifle, and shotguns in a multi-stage, timed course of fire. ShootingUSA airs Wednesdays on the Outdoor Channel at the following times:
* Eastern Time: 4:30 PM, 8:30 PM, 12:00 Midnight
* Central Time: 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM, 11:00 PM
* Mountain Time: 2:30 PM, 6:30 PM, 10:00 PM
* Pacific Time: 1:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 9:00 PM
Stages Re-Create Medal of Honor Scenarios
Each of the eight stages in the three-gun match recalls the actions of a Medal of Honor recipient with portions of each citation read to the competitors as the explanation of the course of fire. This annual three-gun match helps advance the Army Marksmanship Unit’s mission of improving skills throughout the Army, according to AMU Commander, LTC Frank Muggio, “This type of competition is exactly what we want our soldiers to be able to do in the field. They identify a target, they choose the right weapon system to engage the target, and they take out the target, and not anything around the target.”
The video clip below (not from ShootingUSA) shows Erik Lund’s Stage 5-winning performance at the 2008 Fort Benning 3-Gun Challenge.
March 31st, 2009
Today, after weeks of “teaser” pre-release marketing, Benelli introduces its all-new ‘Vinci’ line of self-loading shotguns. While Benelli’s product launch press releases are understandably self-congratulatory, the new shotgun does have many impressive features. Overall, this is a significant new product — not just another 1960s design in new clothing.
CLICK HERE for more photos, and product specifications.
First, the take-down/assembly procedures are impressively simple — the steel receiver/barrel assembly attaches directly to the front of the buttstock with a simple twist fitting. The receiver is very low profile and the entire bolt and bolt buffer assembly operates along the same axis as the bore. That’s smart engineering that should make the gun more controllable under recoil. Benelli claims that the combination of the all-inline, inertia-driven bolt system with the “Comfortech Plus” buttpad gives the Vinci 72% less felt recoil than other lightweight shotguns. (That’s quite a claim — it would be interesting to see how Benelli substantiates that number.)
We like the fact that the stock is easily adjustable. You can adjust Drop, Cast, Length of Pull and Cheek Height — all without tools. The tubular magazine and forearm can also be quickly removed without tools. Various forearm and stock options allow the Vinci to switch from standard shotgun, to pistol grip turkey gun, or to a pistol grip tactical scattergun. The Vinci is currently offered with either 26″ or 28″ barrels. Colors are matte black, Realtree APG camo, and Advantage Max 4 camo.
CLICK HERE to view Vinci Shotgun Videos.
NOTE: May take a long time to load or stall on slow connections.
March 23rd, 2009
On March 28-29, the Arizona Game and Fish Department hosts its Outdoor Expo 2009 at the largest public shooting complex in the nation — the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, located just west of Interstate 17 on Carefree Highway. At the event, which is FREE, you can try out many different shooting disciplines. Plus there will be archery classes, mounted (horseback) shooting demos, wildlife info sessions, and many other outdoor activities. This is a very popular event — the 2008 Outdoor Expo drew over 26,000 visitors.
Outdoor Expo visitors will be able to test the latest firearms from companies like Glock, Smith & Wesson, and Ruger. Visitors can also try a variety of specialty shooting disciplines, such as cowboy action shooting, black powder, tactical pistol, and silhouette shooting. You’ll receive tips from top shooters, including past cowboy action Champion Evil Roy (Gene Pearcey).
 
 Shotgun fans can shoot skeet, trap or sporting clays at Ben Avery’s enhanced Clay Target Center. Kids can shoot .22s and air guns while learning more about firearm safety. Guests (of all ages) can take an archery class or try out “3D Archery” on a walking course through the desert. There will be many exciting demonstrations at the 2009 Outdoor Expo. Visitors can witness a mini-gun demonstration or even shoot a vintage Gatling Gun.
One of the crowd-pleasing highlights of the event will be live competition by cowboy mounted shooters at the brand new cowboy action riding ring. Skilled riders maneuver speedy quarterhorses while shooting black-powder blanks at balloons. Watch the video below to learn all about this exciting sport:
When you’re not shooting or watching live shooting events, you can visit with more than 100 Outdoor Expo exhibitors, including sportsmen’s organizations, conservation groups, shooting clubs, government agencies, and commercial vendors of outdoor products and services.
For more information, visit the Outdoor Expo website, www.azgfd.gov/expo, or CLICK HERE to view the 2009 Outdoor Expo promo video.
March 17th, 2009
The 36th Annual IWA & OutdoorClassics trade show, the European equivalent of our SHOT Show, came to a successful close yesterday, March 16th. The 3-day exhibition, largest in Europe, drew more exhibitors than ever before — 1,132 from 53 nations. The 2009 event also set a new high in the number of IWA visitors, estimated at 32,000. The largely confident mood at IWA (despite the economic crisis) was tempered by concerns over the school shooting in Winnenden.
Despite the world economic downturn, IWA exhibitors observed that sales and orders remain strong. “With an export share of 80 per cent in some cases, it was feared before the start of IWA that the economic crisis would bring the industry a drop in sales in 2009 after a number of good years. But this has not been confirmed [yet]; the exhibitors are very satisfied with the course of the exhibition,” says Olaf Sauer, President of the Verband der Hersteller von Jagd-, Sportwaffen und Munition (JSM). Klaus Gotzen, General Manager of JSM, adds: “The strength of the industry lies in the high quality and innovativeness of its products. The great response from the visitors and the record number of exhibitors show that the industry is closing ranks to face the global challenge”.
For more information about the IWA arms show, visit the IWA Web Site, or download this official Survey of IWA Exhibitors and Visitors from the 2008 exhibition. The Video below shows many of the exhibits at the 2009 IWA show. (Note: there is a soundtrack so turn down your speakers if you’re at work.)
March 1st, 2009
It’s the first of March and spring is right around the corner, so here’s a little something to stir your spring fever. Below is a video prepared by Anschütz to promote that company’s line of match rimfire rifles and air rifles. You’ll note there’s some very nice rifles … and a rather comely model. OK, this is shameless merchandising, but they use pretty girls to sell cars, plasma televisions, and even beer … so why not use a pretty girl to sell rifles. Be forewarned though, this may be a little racy for a work computer. But, as one YouTube viewer commented: “Nice girl and nice rifles!”
February 25th, 2009
There are many television shows about hunting. But the Freedom Hunters series, we believe, deserves special recognition. Freedom Hunters arranges “once-in-a-lifetime” outdoor hunting adventures for American military combat veterans. Footage from these hunting trips, along with background stories on the service men and women chosen for the hunt, are packaged into weekly cable broadcasts. Click the image below to visit Freedom Hunters’ Video Archive. There, click on the “PFC Josh Reilly” link to view great clips from a Wyoming hunt.
Freedom Hunters Seeks Female Veteran for Wyoming Pronghorn Hunt
Freedom Hunters is looking to present an all-expense-paid Wyoming pronghorn hunt to a female veteran. Freedom Hunters producers are specifically looking for women who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq. The hunt will be guided by Llano Outfitters (Casper, WY, 307-235-4865), one of Wyoming’s premier elk, deer and pronghorn outfitters. The hunt will take place in late October 2009. Applications must be received by March 15, 2009.
The woman selected to participate in this hunt will receive gifts from product sponsors and will be featured on a future episode of the Freedom Hunters television show. Those interested in applying for this opportunity should apply via the Freedom Hunters’ Application Page on the web.
Freedom Hunters is a 501(c)3 charitable organization serving the American military family. It is dedicated to honoring those who protect our freedoms. For more information about Freedom Hunters Programs, visit FreedomHunters.org or e-mail info [at] freedomhunters.org. Freedom Hunters airs Fridays at 4:00pm MST on the Altitude Sports and Entertainment network.
|
