St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, is just five days away. Why not plan a trip to the range with your buddies to celebrate. Here are two free Shamrock-themed targets to add to the fun. Shoot these Shamrocks and see if you have the “luck of the Irish”.
To help celebrate this traditional day of Irish pride, parades, and green beer, the NRA has created two (2) fun targets you can download, print, and shoot. Try out these free targets. Click each Irish target photo below to open a high-rez PDF file you can download and print.
The first target features a large four-leaf clover in the middle, with 17 other smaller three-leaf shamrocks around the outside. With five black bulls-eyes in the center graphic, that gives you a total of 22 aiming points for shooting fun. For added challenge we suggest you set this target at 100 yards for rimfire rifle and 200 years for a centerfire gun.
CLICK Below for Big PDF Shamrock Target
The second target offers the legendary Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. Along with a big bullseye on the pot, there are 15 shamrocks in gold circles, plus five small gold bars with tiny bullseyes. Those smallest bulls will be a challenge even at 100 yards. You’ll need a half-MOA (or better) rifle to “clean” this target, hitting the smallest red dots.
CLICK Below for Big PDF Pot of Gold Target
Whether you’re Irish or not, these targets will hopefully bring you a bit of luck. Click each image above to open a high-rez PDF file that you can print out. Then, this St. Patty’s day, wear your green, grab your gear, and head to range for some fun shooting.
Some interesting Drive Band bullets were on display at IWA Show.
IWA Outdoor Classics Exhibition Concludes for 2019
As we publish this in the USA, the IWA Outdoor Classics trade show is drawing to a close. Today marked the last day of the 4-Day exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany. IWA is a big event, drawing over 1600 exhibitors, as well as nearly 50,000 show visitors from around the world. Here is our IWA Day 4 report, with more images from the show. Photo Credit for IWA images: NuernbergMesse / Frank Boxler and Thomas Geiger, All Rights Reserved.
Yes they like big boomers in Europe too. Here is an Austrian Steyr-Mannlicher HS .50-M1 in .50 BMG.
These state-of-the-art, computer-controlled commercial loading stations were on display at IWA.
The sound of silence. The new German-engineered Blaser R8 Ultimate Silence features an integral silencer. The over-sized barrel functions as the silencer.
Some of the best specialized competition shooting coats and pants are crafted in Europe.
Zeiss, a German company, produces some of the best rifle scopes in the world.
Spirit of the Hunt — IWA Showcases Hunting Gear and Clothing
At its heart, the IWA Outdoor Classics event remains a showcase for hunting products. The aisles included collections of antlers, hunting gear, and traditional Bavarian hunting clothing.
Parting Shot — Crack Open a Cold One with a Stag-Horn
Here’s just what you need to open a bottle of good German lager — a stag-horn bottle opener. Prost!
Rifle-maker Weatherby Inc. is finalizing its move to Wyoming, after leaving the politically hostile, high-taxation state of California. Weatherby’s directors are pleased with the move, which has many advantages for the company — not the least of which is getting away from the anti-gun policies of California’s corrupt, one-party-controlled state government.
Weatherby is nearing the final steps in the move to Sheridan, WY from Paso Robles, CA. Weatherby manufacturing has established residency in its new Sheridan, Wyoming facility effective March 1, 2019.
“When you see the words ‘Sheridan, WY’ stamped in the side of a Mark V action, it just looks right. We are excited to see the beginning of our manufacturing in Sheridan, Wyoming.”, says Adam Weatherby.
Weatherby Leaves Hostile Political Environment
Is Weatherby’s Wyoming move all about dollars and cents? Not entirely. California has become increasingly hostile to firearms manufacturers. TheFireamRack.com’s Dan Zimmerman observes: “[Weatherby] wanted to do business in a state that isn’t at war with the very products they make. A state that respects the Second Amendment and won’t try to claw back every single cent it can wring out of businesses located there. So Weatherby made the entirely rational choice to take their company to a place that values what they do.”
Gold and Silver Weatherby Commemorative Rifles
The first firearms built in the new facility in Sheridan will be two Wyoming Commemorative rifles, the Gold and the Silver (see photo at top). Both versions will be chambered in .300 Weatherby Mag and will feature the “Bucking Horse and Rider” engraved on the floor plate. The Gold version will feature highly-figured, exhibition-grade walnut while the Silver version will feature AAA walnut. Both Gold and Silver stocks will feature a mountain scene integrated into the fine line checkering. The receivers are highly decorated with beautiful engravings. The Gold version will also have gold and silver barrel bands and will include a custom leather case. The Gold Commemorative cost $10,000.00 MSRP with serial numbers starting at WY000001. The Silver Commemorative costs $6,500.00 MSRP with serial numbers starting at WY000501.
SEE Weatherby videos at Wby-TV.com. Here’s a video featuring Weatherby’s new home state of Wyoming.
The IWA Outdoor Classics trade show is the biggest gun/hunting/outdoor trade show outside the USA. This year 1622 companies are displaying their products and IWA attendance should approach 50,000. The IWA event, held each spring in Nuremberg, Germany, opened yesterday in the Nürnberg Exhibition Centre. The show runs four days, March 8-11, 2019. Here is our IWA Day 2 report, with more images from the show. Photo Credit for IWA images: NuernbergMesse / Frank Boxler and Thomas Geiger, All Rights Reserved.
High-tech Steiner M7Xi IFS 4-28x56mm optic. That box on the end includes a digital display with level and windage/elevation read-outs.
Spectacular one-of-a-kind Walther Q5 pistol with full engraving and custom grips. Wow.
More Walthers — These are Olympic-grade competition Air Pistols.
What’s an outdoor show without a Land Rover and safari gear?
How do you make a beautiful gunstock? Start with a beautiful wood blank. Some stunning Turkish walnut blanks were on display at the IWA Show.
Beautiful Sauer rifle with engraved receiver and presentation grade wood.
There were plenty of handsome wheelguns on display at the Smith & Wesson booth. Accurate revolvers will never go out of style.
We liked this slide-out, mobile gun-locker for rifles and gear. Now that’s some serious storage!
Leading American shooting supplies vendor Brownells has a HUGE presence at IWA.
IWA New Products Center
Along with the main displays for 1600+ exhibitors, the IWA Show features a dedicated New Products Center. Here you’ll find a wide spectrum of new items — airguns, electronics, optics, hunting clothing, knives, cleaning products and more…
We have no idea what this woman is doing with that gadget, but it has something to do with Swarovski Optik. Maybe some kind of virtual reality? What’s your guess?
After SHOT Show in the USA, the IWA Outdoor Classics is the biggest gun/hunting/outdoor trade show in the world. The IWA event, held each spring in Nuremberg, Germany, opened today, March 8, 2019, in the Nürnberg Exhibition Centre. The show runs four days, concluding on March 11th. This is a big event — 1622 exhibitors from around the globe are showcasing their products. In 2018, 46,121 visitors from 121 countries attended the IWA Show. This year, attendance should be even greater.
Photo Credit for this and other images: NuernbergMesse / Thomas Geiger, All Rights Reserved
You don’t see this every day. Exhibition-grade wood and an engraved Walther action on a competition .22 LR position rifle. This handsome rifle is certainly worthy of Olympic Gold.
IWA Show Preview Video
Here are some beautiful shotguns with engraved receivers and stunning wood. You see plenty of exotic firearms like this at the IWA show.
Here a show visitor checks out the sights on a Grünig Elmiger rimfire match rifle.
Along with complete firearms, there were displays of impressive rifle actions.
German gun-maker Walther showcased the new Walther Q5 Match Steel-Frame pistol.
Major German rifle-makers Blaser, Mauser, and Sauer all had large, prominent displays at the IWA Show in the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre.
German Craftsmanship on Display
Along with displays of guns, optics, and hunting gear, the IWA show features workshop areas where skilled artisans practice their trades — you can see engraving, wood-carving, and other skills in action.
In addition to the firearms exhibitors, the IWA show has many vendors displaying archery and bow-hunting gear. IWA has a strong hunting focus — perhaps more so than SHOT Show in the USA.
There was also an AirSoft Shooting Area at IWA where visitors could practice their marksmanship.
M1 Garand Springfield Armory July 1941 production. Facebook photo by Shinnosuke Tanaka.
Want an authentic surplus M1 Garand? You can get these classic battle rifles from the Civilian Marksmaship Program (CMP) through direct sales as well as auctions. If you are looking to obtain an authentic, safe-to-shoot M1 Garand, the CMP is your best bet. Each M1 Garand rifle sold by the CMP is an genuine U.S. Government rifle that has been inspected, head-spaced, repaired if necessary, and test fired for function. Each rifle is shipped with safety manual, one 8-round clip, and chamber safety flag. CMP operations, warehousing, inspection & repair, test firing, sales order processing and distribution activities are headquartered in Anniston, Alabama.
M1 Garand Manufacturer Codes: SA (Springfield Armory), HRA (Harrington & Richardson Arms), IHC (International Harvester Co.), WRA (Winchester Repeating Arms)
The federal law that established the new CMP authorizes the Corporation to sell surplus .30 and .22 caliber military rifles, parts and ammunition to qualified U.S. citizens “for marksmanship”. Accordingly, the CMP sells government-surplus M1 Garands, .22 caliber target rifles, and small quantities of other rifles to qualified purchasers.
M1 Garands at CMP Retail Store in Anniston, Alabama.
How to Order an M1 Garand from the CMP
To purchase an M1 Garand through the CMP, you must be an adult U.S. Citizen, who is a member of an affiliated organization, and who has participated in a “Marksmanship Activity”*. This basically meas you need to join a a gun club and participate in a clinic or match. Proof of club membership and citizenship is mandatory for all ages. However, the marksmanship requirement is waived for those over 60 years. Garands must be ordered by mail or through official CMP Auctions. Orders are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Rifles of all grades are packed for shipment purely by “luck of the draw”. Most orders ship within 2-4 weeks. If price has changed after an order has been received, customers will be notified before new prices are charged. Free Shipping except Puerto Rico and P.O. Boxes. CLICK HERE for ordering information.
Casting Call for Season 6 of Love at First Shot!
Preparation is underway for Season 6 of the NRA TV show Love at First Shot. For the first time ever, the producers have open casting for the show — so you could become a cast member. All interested lady shooters are invited to apply to join the cast of Love at First Shot Season 6. Here’s the trailer for Season 5, so you can see what’s involved:
Watch Love at First Shot Season 5 Trailer (Plenty of Action):
So if you’ve ever wanted the opportunity to shoot with NRA Board Member and Team Smith & Wesson Captain Julie Golob, now is your chance! In keeping with the spirit of the show, the producers are looking for ladies 18 or older who are relatively new to the shooting sports: “Participant must be considered a novice in regard to firearm skills. For the purposes of Love At First Shot, a novice is one who has never before fired a firearm, or who has received basic firearm safety training but, outside of that, has had minimal training. The novice must not actively compete in shooting sports or shoots less than 100 rounds of ammunition per year.”
Open casting is taking place from March 1 to March 31. Applicants must submit the application plus a photo and video and be available for filming on the 2019 dates. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2019 at 9 pm ET. Learn more and apply now at nrawomen.tv/love-at-first-shot!.
According to Shooting Industry magazine, a large segment of gun buyers are now gravitating toward long-range shooting. Short carbines with red dots are OUT. Precision rifles with high-power optics are IN. Interest in long-range shooting has driven sales of modular bolt guns and upgraded ARs in .224 Valkyrie or 6.5 Grendel. Shooting Industry states: “Dealers around the country report interest in long-range shooting has ignited over the past 12+ months”. In fact, “long-range shooting has become a passion for a larger number of shooters, leading to increased potential for sales of guns, ammo, and accessories[.]”
Doug Gifford of CORE Rifle Systems and GTO Guns in Florida observes: “For the past 12 months or so, I’ve seen a huge move toward interest in long-range accuracy.” Modern bolt-action rifles in popular chamberings such as 6.5 Creedmoor “are probably the fastest-moving modular sporting guns at the moment”.
Ruger Precision Rifle Leads the Way
Vikram Mookerajee of Pinnacle Firearms in Indiana says the introduction of the Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) several years ago really “opened up the market” to a broader spectrum of customers. The RPR created a whole new market segment for modular chassis rifles. With “street price” under $1250 (and under $1000 during sales), the RPR delivered a modern-looking, modular rifle system at an affordable price. This was not your grand-pappy’s deer rifle — the modular look appealed to a younger market segment. RPR accuracy out of the box was pretty good too.
Following the success of the basic RPR, offered in 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Win, Ruger has introduced a big Magnum version in .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum. This is a large rifle, weighing 15.2 lbs. without optics. And, with a $2099 MSRP ($1700 street price) it is considerably more expensive than the original RPR.
Long-Range Interest Drives Sales of Expensive Optics
The increasing interest in long-range shooting has driven sales of higher-magnification optics, particularly First Focal Plane (FFP) scopes with Mil-type reticles. Core’s Gifford notes: “The long-range trend is moving into real science. Shooters are looking at parallax and focal plane; they’re getting into the science of optics.” The latest generation of scopes aren’t cheap. For example, the 7-35x56mm FFP Nightforce ATACR, one of the most popular optics with PRS shooters, retails for $3600.00! You can buy a pretty nice used motorcycle or bass-boat for that kind of money.
Registration is now open for the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) 2019 Travel Games – a variety of rifle and pistol events held around the country throughout the year. The CMP’s Cup Matches, formerly known as the Creedmoor Cup Matches, will now be a fixture at Travel Games events. Cup Matches include a 4-Man Team Match, an EIC Rifle Match, and three days of 80-Shot events.
2019 Travel Games Schedule:
26 April-5 May – Eastern CMP Cup & Games, Camp Butner, NC
7-9 June – Talladega D-Day Matches, Talladega, AL
16-22 September – New England CMP Cup & Games, Jericho, VT
7-13 October – Oklahoma CMP Cup & Games, Oklahoma City, OK
19-24 November – Talladega 600, Talladega, AL
IMPORTANT: The CMP Travel Games 2019 schedule includes major changes! The Western CMP Travel Games event, usually held in Phoenix in October, will NOT be held 2019. However, the Western Games WILL resume in March 2020. For 2019, the Oklahoma CMP Games event will move from its typical April time-frame to October. Additionally, the Talladega 600 Match has been moved up from December to November.
Oklahoma CMP Cup & CMP Games Matches – The Oklahoma Games were moved from April to October in place of the Western CMP Games & CMP Cup Matches, which will return March 13-22, 2020.
Eastern CMP Cup & CMP Games Matches – The Eastern Games will revert back to a schedule used in the past, with CMP Games matches fired first, followed by Cup Matches to conclude the event.
Take Note: There are NO Western Travel Games in 2019 — Western Games Come Back in 2020.
Competition and Small Arms Firing Schools
Events fired at the Travel Games include a mix of modern and vintage military rifle competitions like the John C. Garand, Springfield, Rimfire Sporter, Carbine and Vintage Sniper Matches. The Travel Games also feature a growing field of pistol opportunities, as well as a Small Arms Firing School for new and experienced marksmen. Other informative clinics are conducted throughout the Games Matches by qualified CMP staff members.
Travel Games Will Employ Electronic Targets
E-Targets Means NO PIT DUTY
Rifle competitions will be fired on CMP Targets, a modern electronic target system that instantaneously produces shot placement and eliminates the need for pit duty. This allows quicker matches, with faster relays, and less wasted time. There is also less physical strain for older competitors.
For more information on the CMP Travel Games and/or to register, visit: CMP Travel Games Page.
When covering SHOT Show 2019 our reporters focused primarily on rifles, optics, and reloading equipment, because this website is dedicated to rifle accuracy. However we know many of our readers are interested in pistols and revolvers, and we bet the majority of our Forum members own handguns. This Editor used to compete in IDPA and other pistol disciplines and I still love my semi-autos and wheelguns.
For you pistoleros, here are five videos covering some of the best new handgun options for 2019. The first video in the list covers multiple handguns — four recommended 1911-type pistols. Enjoy.
Top Four 1911 Pistols from SHOT Show 2019
Pistols Round-Up — Top New Handguns 2019
TOP Five Sub-Compact Handguns Under $500
New COLT Revolvers and 1911s
SIG Sauer P320X Compact
HANDGUN SKILLS — Pistol Training Target
This 12″ Bullseye Pistol Diagnostic Target helps improve handgun marksmanship. The target diagnoses common problems based on shot impact zones. While this target is designed for righties, left-handed shooters can use the target too. Just observe the opposite tips.
