The NRA remains a vital voice for American gun owners. There have been controversies, but the NRA still remains the largest organization supporting gun rights in the United States. We think that all persons who value the Second Amendment should consider joining the NRA. And if you are already a members, consider extending your membership or getting a Life Membership.
Right now you can SAVE $900 on an NRA Life Membership. And NRAStore is also offering 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year memberships with significant savings — up to 33% Off the regular price. NOTE: These discounts will only be offered for a limited time, so don’t delay.
Here Are Savings Offers on NRA Memberships:
NRA Life Membership discounted from $1500 to $600 — Save $900 (60%)
NRA 5-Year Membership discounted from $150 to $100 — Save $50 (33%)
NRA 3-Year Membership discounted from $100 to $85 — Save $15 (15%)
NRA 1-Year Membership discounted from $45 to $30 — Save $15 (33%)
All memberships include your selection of a monthly print magazine: American Rifleman, American Hunter, Shooting Illustrated, or America’s Freedom.
As the November 2020 election quickly approaches, many of the candidates’ platforms include proposals that severely threaten your Second Amendment rights. Presumptive Democratic Nominee Joe Biden endorses a broad ban on semi-automatic rifles and further restrictions on handguns. From proposed bans on popular modern sporting rifles and ammunition to mandates for federal licensing and registration, these ill-informed proposals would strip away the rights of law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to protect public safety. It is time you make a choice and take a stand.
As target shooters, hunters, and gun owners, we must not risk our rights! On Election Day 2020, vote to protect America’s firearms freedoms: #GUNVOTE.
Even between elections, target shooters, hunters, and gun owners would do well to stay informed about the issues that affect us. Becoming educated about the views, votes, and decisions of officeholders and those positioning themselves to run for office should be an ongoing concern. #GUNVOTE is here to help you to protect America’s firearms freedoms. Don’t wait until election time. Become educated and keep yourself informed before it’s time to #GUNVOTE.
Protecting your rights has never been more important than it is today. Our national crisis has exposed the politicians who want to strip away our constitutional freedoms. Send them a message! Be a voter in the 2020 elections to protect your rights!
Help Drive Pro-Second Amendment Voter Registration
NSSF is urging all industry businesses and activist-minded individuals to download and display NSSF’s #GUNVOTE Banners on their company websites and incorporate #GUNVOTE messages in their social media campaigns. You can link to Gunvote.org, where visitors can find voter-registration information for their states and other helpful resources.
This message is provided by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry.
Many leading vendors are running sales for the 4th of July week. There are significant savings on select products, or free shipping, or both. Here’s a quick run-down on some Independence Week Sales Events from leading online retailers:
Brownells — Fourth of July Sale (Through 7/5/2020)
Brownells is having a big Fourth of July Sale now through 11:59 pm on July 5th. Lots of great items are on sale: AR Uppers/Lowers, Optics, Barreled Actions, Pistols, Ammo, Reloading Tools and more. In addition there are brand-wide 25% savings on Aero Precision components and 20% Off Triggertech triggers. CLICK HERE to see all sale items.
Graf & Sons — 25% Off All Sightron Scopes
Need a high-quality optic for your match rifle or hunting rig? Looking for a specialized “big wheel” scope for Field Target airgun competition? Sightron offers a wide range of quality scopes at affordable prices. And now the deals are even better. Right now Grafs.com is offering 25% Off ALL Sightron scopes in stock. This sale is good through 11:59 pm CT on July 10, 2020.
Cabela’s — Star Spangled Summer Sale
If you need gun stuff AND camping/outdoor gear, check out Cabelas.com. Right now Cabela’s has a big Star Spangled Summer Sale, that runs through July 8, 2020. Right now you can save 11% on Ruger Revolvers, 20% on select Leupold scopes, 20% on Walker Hearing Protection, and $100 on Garmin Satellite GPS products. The Summer Sale has other fine deals on guns and ammo as well as camping gear.
ScopeList — Significant Savings on Big Brand Optics
Scopelist.com has a number of attractive 4th of July Special. Many Vortex and Leupold scopes are marked down 10-20%. There are also deals on rangefinders and binoculars. CLICK HERE for full list of deals.
Plus there is a very special Make an Offer Program with potentially HUGE savings. On each product page, you will find “Make an OFFER & SAVE BIG” Banner. All accepted offers will be acknowledged with 4 hours during normal business hours (or the next day).
Guns.com — Discounted Guns Plus Free Shipping
At Guns.com you’ll find discounts up to 25% plus FREE Shipping on orders over $49.00 for the July 4th Weekend Sale. There are big savings — up to 25% — on certified used guns. Additionally, Ammo, Mags, and Optics are all on sale. NOTE: This sale ends July 5th 2020 at 12:00 am EDT. Select firearm inventory on sale, local dealers excluded. MAPP pricing excluded.
Whidden Gunworks — Special Shipping Offer for Holiday Weekend
Whidden Gunworks makes some of the best dies and reloading tools you can buy. Plus Whidden Gunworks also sells Barnard actions and complete rifles. Whidden Gunworks will announce a Shipping Offer starting Friday, July 3, 2020. This will provide FREE Shipping for orders made July 3 through July 6, 2020.
Shooting USA will broadcast a great episode today, January 15, 2020. There are three segments worth watching. First the TV show spotlights the popular GAP Grind, a Pro-Am PRS event at the K&M Precision complex in Tennessee. Then this episode covers the NRA World Shooting Championship (WSC) in Virginia. This unique Pro-Am event challenges shooters with a dozen stages, employing a wide variety of pistols, rifles, and shotguns supplied by the manufacturers. The WSC offers huge rewards — over $250,000 in cash and prizes! Finally, there is a historical feature on the Spencer Rifle this week.
SHOW TIMES: This Shooting USA Episode airs July 1, 2020 (Wednesday) at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 PM Central.
PART ONE– 2019 GAP Grind Feature on Shooting USA
Lots of Action, with 20+ Stages
The GAP Grind is a challenging, “high tempo” match with minimal down-time between stages. Over the course of 20+ stages, competitors will fire 200+ shots at a variety of steel, paper, moving, and reactive targets out to 1,200 yards. Targets vary in size/difficulty based on the shooter’s position, distance, and time allotted. Most stages include “stressors” — i.e. time limits or required movement(s).
The GAP Grind is held at the impressive K&M Shooting Complex:
The GAP Grind attracts over 300 competitors — half experienced shooters and the other half newcomers to the sport. The key to growing the shooting sports is attracting new shooters. The best way to bring in “new blood” seems to be the Pro-Am type format. At the GAP Grind, experienced shooters share their knowledge and guide the new shooters through the competition.
Josh Temnnen Facebook photo.
GAP Grind Hardware
You’ll find the latest and greatest PRS hardware at the GAP Grind. Notable in 2019 was the fact that many top competitors “stepped down” from the 6.5/6mm Creedmoor to the smaller, more efficient 6mm Dasher, 6BRA and other 6mm cartridges. The Dasher offers excellent accuracy with less recoil than the 6.5 Creedmoor. Also, many top shooters are now running Kahles optics. Photo by Shelley Giddings.
PART TWO — NRA World Shooting Championship
In 2019, its sixth consecutive year, the NRA World Shooting Championship (WSC) returned to the Peacemaker National Training Center in Glengary, West Virginia. One of the nation’s biggest Pro-Am events, the WSC attracted many of the USA’s top professional shooters, along with talented amateurs. [NOTE: This year’s 2020 WSC has been cancelled due to COVID-19.]
This unique 3-day multi-gun match, held Sept. 18-21, 2019 tested competitors’ skills across twelve challenging stages involving nearly every major shooting discipline for rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Stages included fan favorites like 3-Gun, High-Power Silhouette, Cowboy Action, and more. For more information on the match, check out wsc.nra.org or email NRAhighpower@nrahq.org.
It’s the first day of July, and the big holiday weekend is coming up. Do you have a good first-aid kit in your vehicle to deal with possible injuries to family members of all ages? For just $20.00 you can get an excellent kit from Be Smart/TRI, the #1 maker of First Aid Kits in the USA.
TRI’s Be Smart Get Prepared First Aid Kit has 201 items inside a sturdy case with shoulder strap and carry handle. There is also a handy, detachable mini pouch with key essentials for first aid on-the-go. You can easily bring the mini-pouch along on a bike ride or hike.
This multi-purpose First Aid Kit includes:
• 50 – Bandages 3/4 x 3
• 30 – Bandages 3/8 x 1 1/2
• 6 – Bandages Closure
• 3 – Knuckle Bandages
• 1 – Tapes – .5 x 2.5yd Waterproof
• 10 – Cotton Tips – 2.75″”/10 Pack
• 4 – Finger Splints
• 1 – First Aid Guide
• 4 – Gauze Pad – 2 x 2 / 4 ply
• 4 – Gauze Pad – 4 x 4 / 4 ply
• 1 – Gauze Pad – 5 x 9
• 2 – Nitrile Gloves
• 1 – Instant Cold Pack – 5 x 6
To help ensure that outdoor adventures remain safe and trouble-free, the CTD Shooters’ Log has a helpful Essential Summer Survival Guide. This is worth reading before you venture away from civilization.
Here are some highlights of the article with links for MORE INFO:
First Aid Kits for Campers
You should never venture outside without a first aid kit close at hand. While exploring the outdoors, all types of accidents can occur—from cuts, scrapes, and burns to broken limbs and severe allergic reactions.
Basic Survival Skills
Basic survival skills are a necessity if you plan to spend any amount of time outdoors. These five tips, plus a how-to on what to pack in a lightweight, basic survival kit will help if you are ever stuck, lost, stranded or injured in the field.
How to Treat Burns
Fireworks, barbeques and campfires — in the summer we are frequently around fire, which increases our chance of getting burned. A first-degree burn is most likely home treatable, while a third degree burn requires immediate medical attention. Learn how to spot the differences between minor and severe burns.
Way back in 2008 we shot rimfire tactical events in California. These 22 LR Tactical Precision Matches were fun, with affordable rifles and low-cost ammo. And since you don’t have to spend long hours loading ammo, rimfire tactical matches are also great for people with limited free time. You experience the fun of shooting tactical comps with much lower cost and WAY less prep time.
Over the past few seasons, NRL22 competitions have become popular nationwide. Now the leaders of the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) are planning to join the rimfire tactical game. Earlier this month, PRS organizers announced that the PRS will launch a new PRS Rimfire Series for 2020-2021:
The 2020-2021 PRS Rimfire Series is Launching Soon!
The PRS has been inundated with requests to put the PRS engine, national infrastructure, and outstanding partnerships behind the launch of a brand new PRS Rimfire Series for the 2020 and 2021 season. Over the last few months match directors, regional directors, our shooters, and PRS industry partners have communicated loud and clear that you want a Rimfire Series done the PRS way — and done right.
The Ruger Precision Rimfire should be a popular Factory Class option for PRS Rimfire
Rimfire tactical shooting offers outstanding “bang for the buck” compared to centerfire PRS. Rifles cost less, and .22 LR ammo costs a fraction of centerfire rounds. You don’t have to spend hours hand-loading your ammo. Travel time is reduced because you only need a range with targets out to 200 yards or so.
John Parker, Editor of Shooting Sports USA, explains the appeal of a rimfire PRS series: “PRS … has evolved into a top-tier shooting league, complete with a slick website and leaderboard rankings with data gathered from regional matches held across the country. The group plans to take the same approach with the proposed rimfire series[.] By throwing its hat into precision rimfire competition, PRS joins established .22 LR long-range games like the Lapua Practical Rimfire Challenge and NRL22[.]”
With ergonomics identical to a full-size centerfire fire, the .22 LR Bergara B-14 could become a popular choice for the future PRS Rimfire series. Photo by UltimateReloader.com.
PRS Seeks Input from Match Directors and Competitors
The PRS leadership is excited about its new national rimfire series: “Match Directors, shooters, and our partners appreciate that nothing that comes close to the PRS national level organization, leadership, experience and unrivaled website capabilities. Our series score tracking capabilities from the individual club level to the national level are simply unmatched.
We know that the rimfire community is primarily at your local club level and we have ensured that clubs will be able to provide their shooters with a PRS series that is easy to be a part of and provides loads of PRS benefits. Every PRS Rimfire club will have [its] own club page on our website that automatically calculates and tracks internal club rimfire series scores using the same simple upload system you have all come to love. Scores from each Rimfire Club will populate the corresponding Regional PRS Rimfire Series, modeled after the booming PRS Regional Series. Rimfire shooters will compete for standings at their local club level and also within their region… all rimfire shooters will receive a PRS Rimfire profile that tracks all of their scores, highlights their equipment, and celebrates their achievements.
Over the next few weeks, we will be gathering more of your input. We are forming a PRS Rimfire Committee composed of shooters, industry partners, and match directors. If you are a shooter, sponsor, or MD and would like to be a part of this conversation, email info@precisionrifleseries.com.”
PRS Rimfire Preview — .22 LR Long Range Precision Match in Minnesota
Want a preview of PRS Rimfire competition? In this video, Dave Timm of GunsandTactics.com shoots a Vudoo V-22 bolt gun in the Minnesota .22 LR Long Range Precision Rimfire Match at the Rush Lake Range. This PRS-style match had targets out to 300 yards during the main match, followed by a long range challenge out to 465 yards. Dave’s Vudoo Gunworks V-22 rifle features a Grayboe Ridgeback stock and Trijicon Accupower 4.5-30x56mm FFP scope. Dave was shooting Lapua Center-X .22 LR ammunition.
With the civil disorder, rioting, and looting happening in major U.S. cities, many Americans are getting very serious about armed self-defense. But if you own defensive firearms, you definitely need to train with them. Indoor ranges are most convenient for those who live near urban centers, where the biggest threats to public safety currently exist. This article talks about indoor firearms training and the proper procedures you should follow at indoor ranges.
This Video Covers Basic Gun Range Safety Rules and Etiquette
FIVE IMPORTANT SAFETY PROCEDURES for Indoor Ranges
1. Follow the Three Fundamental Rules for Safe Gun Handling
ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
2. Follow ALL Range Officer Instructions
ROs are the first and final authority on any range and their decisions are generally final. Arguing with a Range Officer may just get you thrown out.
3. Don’t Bother Others or Touch Their Guns
Respect other shooters’ privacy unless a safety issue arises. Do NOT engage other shooters to correct a perceived safety violation unless absolutely necessary – inform the RO instead. NEVER handle or touch another shooter’s firearm without their permission!
4. Know Your Range’s Rules
Review and understand any and all range rules and requirements/expectations. For example, what is the range’s maximum rate of fire? Are you allowed to collect your brass?
5. Know What To Do During a Cease Fire
IMMEDIATELY set down your firearm, pointed downrange, and STEP AWAY from the shooting booth (or bench). Range Officers do not want shooters trying to “secure/unload” their firearms in a cease fire situation — they want the shooters separated from their guns instantly.
BAD RANGE BEHAVIOR — Five Things NOT to Do at the Range
Here are the five worst behaviors we’ve seen at indoor ranges. These behaviors are both dangerous and inconsiderate. Any one of these behaviors can get you permanently banned from an indoor range.
1. Sweeping other individuals after loading a weapon behind the firing line is very bad. All your weapons should be empty until you reach your shooting station.
2. Turning the handgun sideways while trying to clear a malfunction or insert/remove a magazine. This will point the muzzle at a fellow shooter. Or, after shooting a gun, the shooter fails to clear the weapon and then places the gun somewhere near the shooting station with the muzzle in an unsafe position.
3. Reacting unpredictably when firing a high recoil handgun. We’ve seen people take a second shot by accident with the muzzle way off target.
4. Not obeying range commands — in particular continuing to shoot during called cease-fires.
5. Poorly aimed shooting that hits target frames or carriers, causing ricochets.
Double-Up on Hearing Protection When Shooting Indoors
When shooting indoors we recommend quality muffs with earplugs underneath, offering double protection. When inside an enclosed range, with other shooters blasting away right next to you, you really need effective hearing protection. But you also need to hear range commands and be able to communicate. That’s why we recommend electronic muffs with plugs underneath.
For pistol shooting, we like the latest Howard Leight Impact Pro Muffs. These offer an impressive 30 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). In addition, these muffs are pretty comfortable and offer Headphone Functionality so you can connect to your smartphone, MP3 player, or other audio device. These muffs are a good value. They are currently offered for $39.50 on ALLMAX.
NRA Cancels WSC and NRA Police Shooting Championships Due to COVID-19
No big money this year at the NRA World Shooting Championship — the event has been cancelled. And Likewise the NRA Police Shooting Championship will not take place in 2020. This is the Year of Pandemic, and two more major shooting events have fallen victim to COVID-19.
Yesterday the National Rifle Association (NRA) issued the following statement:
Due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the many ensuing federal and state safety regulations and mandates, the NRA has made the difficult decision to cancel the NRA World Shooting Championship and the NRA National Police Shooting Championships. Both events were scheduled to be held in mid September 2020 in West Virginia and Mississippi respectively.
We share your disappointment that both these competitions that attract participants from across the globe had to be canceled. The NRA wishes everyone good health and the best of luck. Stay safe and healthy.
The WSC was a big deal. It attracted top multi-gun competitors such as Jerry Miculek, Dan Horner, Doug Koenig, and Bruce Piatt. The winner took home a fat check for $25,000. This unique 3-day multi-gun match tests competitors’ skills across twelve challenging stages involving nearly every major shooting discipline for rifles, shotguns, and pistols. This major match attracted both sponsored Pros and “regular Joes”. Shooters were split into two groups: a Professional Division for sponsored shooters, and the Amateur Division for non-sponsored competitors. All firearms, optics, and ammo were provided by match sponsors for both divisions.
This video shows features of past NRA World Shooting Championship
All Equipment Was Supplied at NRA World Shooting Championship
“What makes this event very unique, especially to a professional shooter, is all the equipment is supplied. You have to leave your ego at home and just try to adapt as best you can to the equipment that you have supplied.” — Jerry Miculek
WSC stages encompassed everything from trap to bullseye pistol to PRS-style precision rifle. There was even a cowboy action stage with Henry “Golden Boy” lever-action rifles.
CCRKAB Hopes Millions of New Gun Owners Can Aid Second Amendment Battle
First concern over the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a huge increase in gun purchases. And the civil unrest, rioting, and looting that followed the death of George Floyd caused countless citizens to seek armed self-protection. COVID-19 and the riots convinced millions of Americans to become gun owners for the first time. These citizens wanted to protect their families, homes, and businesses. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA.org) hopes that these new gun owners may aid the fight to preserve the Second Amendment and gun rights in the USA.
“Look at all of the new people who suddenly decided to exercise their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms”, observed CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “We’ve witnessed something that is nothing short of a sea change… about gun ownership. We’ve heard anecdotal reports from all over the country about people flocking to gun shops who had never before owned a firearm. Now that they are gun owners, we expect them to be very protective of their rights”.
March, April, and May 2020 saw record numbers of background checks, according to FBI data and information from industry sources. For example in April 2017, gun sales set an all-time record — up 71% from the pervious year.
Gottlieb added: “We welcome all of these new gun owners to the firearms community… many of them are minorities, especially black and female citizens … from all age groups. They can… gain a new understanding of our efforts to protect the one fundamental right that actually protects all of the other rights.”
“This new wave of gun owners could become a formidable force during this year’s election,” Gottlieb noted. “From now on, we expect millions of new gun owners to pay closer attention to candidates, and reject those who would trample on their Second Amendment rights. With legions of new gun owners ready to protect these newly-discovered rights, it could be a pretty scrappy election year…”
What you see above is what happens when you shoot the wrong powder in a muzzle-loader. Specifically, a charge of smokeless powder was used instead of black powder or black powder substitute. The difference in energy (by weight and volume) between black powder and modern smokeless powder is huge. You should never, ever run smokeless powder in a black powder recipe. The result can be catastrophic. In this case the hapless shooter lost a couple fingers. So he got a free twin-digit amputation, thanks to his reloading mistake. The lesson to learn here is to always double-check your propellant before loading. And never “re-bottle” smokeless powder into a different container with a different label (or worse yet, no label at all).
This incident happened in Indiana a couple years back. As reported by the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR), this was a classic case of “user error”: “Corporal Eric Doane worked a firearm accident last night in Martin County that resulted in the shooter losing a couple fingers. This is what can happen when you shoot smokeless powder out of a muzzle-loader designed for black powder.”
Protecting your rights has never been more important than it is today. Our national crisis has exposed the politicians who want to strip away our constitutional freedoms. Send them a message! Be a voter in the 2020 elections to protect your rights!
