Hunting Season has already started in some states, and is right around the corner in other locations. For readers who plan to hunt game this fall, we recommend you brush up on hunter safety and learn the laws in your jurisdiction. Here are some helpful resources for hunters: Safety Tips, Hunter Education, License Requirements, and Where-to-Hunt interactive map. Top photo courtesy Horn Fork Guides, Ltd., in Colorado.
Hunter Safety Tips NRAFamily.org has a good article listing seven salient safety tips for hunters. Anyone preparing for a fall hunt should read this article before heading into the field. Here are three key bits of advice:
1. Be Positive of Your Target before Shooting
This might sound overly simplistic, but the fact remains that, every year during whitetail season, farmers everywhere are forced to spray-paint their cattle or risk having them “harvested” by hunters who don’t bother confirming the species of the large ungulate in their sights. Why does this happen? The most likely explanation is “buck fever,” meaning that the hunter wants so badly to see a nice big buck that sometimes his eyes deceive him into thinking that there’s one there. When in doubt, don’t shoot.
2. Scopes Are Not Binoculars
Never use a riflescope as a substitute for binoculars. The temptation to do so is real, but when one does this, one is by definition pointing the muzzle of the gun at unknown targets.
3. Know When to Unload
When finished hunting, unload your firearm before returning to camp. You should also unload your gun before attempting to climb a steep bank or travel across slippery ground.
Visit WhereToHunt.org
There’s a great online resource for hunters that will help you find game locations in your state and ensure you have all the proper permits and game tags. WheretoHunt.org features an interactive map of the country. For all 50 states, the NSSF has compiled information about hunting license and permits, where to hunt, hunter education classes, laws and regulations and more. For each state you’ll also find a link for required applications and license forms.
Click Map to Get State-by-State Hunting INFO
Hunting Affiliation Groups
There are many good organizations dedicated to promoting hunting and preserving our hunting habitats. These groups all offer valuable information for hunters:
Do you enjoy shooting pistols for sport, or perhaps you carry a handgun for self-defense? If you’re like most of us, you might benefit from a “refresher course” on the fundamentals of handgun shooting. The NRA has created a useful Infographic that covers important basics of handgun marksmanship — key things such as Sight Alignment and Trigger Control. Here are the first four (4) lessons. Click the link below to see all SIX (6) training topics: Sight Alignment, Sight Focus, Trigger Control, Breath Control, Hold Control, and Follow-Through.
Are you getting ready for that Fall 2021 hunt? Would you like a FREE Special Hunting Edition of On Target Magazine? Just CLICK HERE to read the latest 85-page magazine in digital PDF format. This issue features New-for-2021 Hunting Gear, plus a round-up of new Suppressor-Ready LR Hunting Rifles:
Mossberg Patriot Long Range Hunter
Springfield 2020 Waypoint
Savage Impulse Predator
Sig Sauer Cross
In addition, two other interesting new hunting rifles are reviewed: Brenton 450 Bushmaster Stalker Carbon Hunter 18, and Rossi R92 Lever Rifle.
Here’s a clever little device from Creedmoor Sports. This $14.95 PUCK lets you run multiple cleaning/uniforming attachments with one easy to use center disk. Store the attachments on the outer diameter and transfer to the threaded center section as desired. This is a clever invention that could work great in your range kit.
Attached Tools Are NOT Included
But before we go any further, TAKE NOTE — the $14.95 only gets you the threaded central Puck disk. ALL the other attachments are sold separately — you have to pay MORE Money — got that? Most people already have inside/outside chamferers and primer pocket uniformers, so the Puck should work well. It fits all 8-32 threaded tools, which includes 95% of most case prep tools.
The Puck — Universal Brass Case Prep Tool Holder
Product Description from Creedmoor Sports
Attach up to four case prep tools threaded 8-32 (95% of case prep tools on the market). The Puck encourages a light touch and is more ergonomic to use than most hand tools on the market today.
Quickly rotate the tool to progressively work through your case prep. Set it up with an outside deburrer, inside deburrer, primer pocket cleaner, and crimp cutter. You can easily rotate through the tools.
A handy tool for the range bag, pair the Creedmoor Puck with any brush or pull cord with an 8-32 thread. Use for detailed brushing or use the Puck as a puller. Thread on picks for scraping off carbon or getting dirt out of tight spaces.
The Creedmoor Puck is made from 416 Stainless Steel. This is both corrosion resistant and magnetic. Use a magnet to stick a Puck the side of your reloading press to easily store your prep tools and keep them at your fingertips for quick touch-ups while loading. The diamond knurling makes this tool easy to grip while in use. The patent-pending Puck tool is designed for heavy use and should last a lifetime.
The NSSF has a new Share Center webpage, with key information and graphics that gun owners can easily share through social media. Second Amendment advocates now have access to a growing library of shareable facts with infographics. These can be shared directly to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as well as blogs, forums, and websites. In addition, the graphics can easily be attached to emails.
Topics include hunting, gun safety, modern sporting rifles, background checks, conservation and more. The NSSF plans to regularly add more shareable materials to the NSSF Share Center.
The NSSF states: “The firearm industry needs your help to correct misinformation and misconceptions about the firearm industry and gun owners to ensure that our freedoms remain protected. The new NSSF Share Center makes it easy for anyone to lead discussions on social media and beyond.”
Here are some of the available infographics. To see all Share Center materials, go to NSSF.org/share.
The National Rifle League (NRL) started off sponsoring major centerfire tactical matches, similar to PRS competitions. That proved successful so the NRL added a .22 LR Rimfire series, called NRL22. The NRL22 rimfire discipline has been a major success, as rimfire guns are fun to shoot and ammo is very affordable. The most popular NRL22 matches have drawn up to 200 rimfire competitors. And now there is a companion rimfire long-range series, NRL22X. Learn more about NRL22 and NRL22X at NRL22.org.
NRL22 is a great way to get into competition shooting with minimal expense. There are five (5) classes: Open, Base, Ladies, Young Guns (8-16) and Air Rifle. Base Class is for the budget-minded shooter — the combined MSRP of Rifle and Optic may not exceed $1200.00 (so you could spend $700 on a rifle and $500 on a scope for example). That keeps the sport affordable. Open, Youth, and Ladies Classes have no price limits on Rifle and Optic. Visit NRL22.org to find an NRL22 match near you.
The NRL also sponsors NRL22X matches. These involve significantly longer distances for greater challenge. The latest NRL22X match is the XLR Rimfire Rumble, to be held in Grand Junction, Colorado this Saturday, September 18, 2021.
The two videos above from Long Range Shooters of Utah feature footage from the January 2019 course of fire from the NRL22 Rimfire Competition Series. Note the snow-capped hills in the lower video. Useful commentary explains how competitors establish their shooting positions.
How to Participate in NRL22 and/or NRL22X
If you want to get started in NRL22 or NRL22X competition, you’ll need an NRL22 annual membership. These run from $25-$85 depending on class and discipline. CLICK HERE for annual membership information.
NRL22 Membership Benefits Include:
– Eligibility to participate in all NRL22 matches
– Eligibility to participate in all NRL22X matches
– Welcome gift (not all welcome gifts are the same)
– Scoring and Ranking for all events
– Newsletters and updates
– Eligibility for special NRL22 raffles and giveaways
– Access to special NRL discounts from participating sponsors
NRL22 Publishes Monthly Courses of Fire
This video from a Utah NRL22 Match features shooters from each of the four rimfire classes. With the NRL22 program, scores from from local matches like this are ranked against scores from other matches nationwide. In advance of match dates, NRL22.org publishes 5 courses of fire to be used in that month. Each course of fire will always include 2 prone stages, 1 positional, 1 barricade, and a fifth that can be any of those. Details of the course of fire, including target distances, target sizes, time limits, and barricade profiles, are listed at NRL22.org.
Official NRL22 Rimfire Steel Target Package
To facilitate consistent NRL22 match scoring, there is an official NRL22 Rimfire Steel Target Kit. Crafted by JC Steel Targets from AR500 steel, this kit from JC Steel Targets includes 8 hanging targets, 4 KYL (Know Your Limits) targets, plus all needed hangers. That’s lot of steel and hardware for $394.99. There is also an official 2020/2021 Expansion Target Package with 5 more hanging targets for $79.95.
About NRL22 Tactical/Practical Competition The goal of NRL 22 is to make Precision Rifle competitions more available to every community. However, nearly all localities have access to 100-yard ranges and most shooters own a .22 LR rifle. The NRL22 program is designed so any facility with a 100-yard range can host matches. Participants at local NRL22 events can then attend a National Championship. NRL22 started with four classifications: Open, Base, Ladies, and Young Guns (8-18 age). Air Rifle is the new fifth class. For the 2018/2019 Competition Season, over 700 shooters attended NRL22 matches. In the 2019/2020 Competition Season, the NRL22 expects significant growth and is excited to welcome new members and clubs.
In recent years, airgun manufacturers have come out with increasingly potent air rifles capable of shooting hefty projectiles at serious velocities. Some of these new air rifles pack serious punch, making them viable for certain game hunting purposes. Did you know that hunting with an airgun is legal in most states?
This Video Shows Squirrel Hunting with Air Rifles in the UK
Interactive Airgun Hunting Map from Pyramyd Air
In conjunction with the Airgun Sporting Association (ASA), Pyramyd Air has compiled state-specific rules and regulations for airgun hunting. These are displayed on an interactive map. The Airgun Hunting Map allows users to choose a type of game they want to hunt, or select a state and get complete and up-to-date information on the local airgun hunting laws. This map shows the states where it is legal to hunt with airguns, and also lists state restrictions on huntable species (each state is different). The resource lists 100+ species — everything from squirrels to elk and everything in between.
Airgun hunting by state: Simply click on the state, and it will list all the species that are allowed to be hunted in that state. Airgun hunting by specific game: Choose any state, and click on the species name you want, and it will highlight all the states where that particular species can be legally hunted.
The interactive map has 8 categories: Big Game, Small Game, Furbearers, Nuisance Species, Exotic Species, Upland Bird, Predator Species, Waterfowl. To see the states which approve a particular category, click the applicable category on the Pyramyd Air Hunting Map.
Shown below are the results for Big Game and Small Game Species.
IMPORTANT: You MUST click on the state where you are planning to hunt, and see the specific species allowed for airgun hunting. Just because a state shows RED for “Big Game” does NOT necessarily mean you can hunt deer or elk or even groundhogs!
Read this again!! Each state has a specific list of game animals permitted to be hunted with an Air Rifle. You absolutely MUST look at the individual list for the particular State! For example, though California appears as a Big Game-approved red state, you may NOT hunt deer or feral hogs there with an air rifle. Only these species may be hunted with airguns in CA: Aoudad Sheep, Coyote, Jackrabbit, Opossum, Pigeons, Quail, Rabbit, Skunk, Squirrel, Sparrow, Starlings, Turkey, Weasel.
In other states, the list of allowed species is VERY different. So, you MUST check the list for the state where you will hunt!! To access the list, go to the Pyramyd Air Hunting Map Page and click on the particular STATE.
IMPORTANT: Because of the ever changing laws, use the Pyramyd Interactive Hunting Map as a guide, but always consult with your local state authorities to be sure there are no recent state changes impacting hunting laws and regulations in that particular state!
We’ve found Brownells Discount Codes that can still save you up to 10% on your purchases. These Discount Codes will qualify you for significant savings on guns, ammo, parts, and reloading components at Brownells. Use these Codes during check-out and the savings will reduce your net cost. Get $100 off a $1000 order, $50 off a $550 order, $40 off a $450 purchase, $20 off $250, $15 off $150, or $10 off $99. NOTE: These discount codes have unlisted expiration dates, so they may expire at any time. Accordingly, don’t dawdle if you find products you want. Also, if one Code doesn’t work, try another.
NOTE: None of the above codes include FREE or Discounted Shipping. But Code Q63 offers Free Shipping/Handling for orders over $99.00 (with no other discounts). Depending on the weight/size of the item, this might be a better deal than saving $10-$20.
MEMBERSHIP Shipping Benefits: With $49.95 Annual Brownells EDGE Membership, Brownells provides FREE 2-Day Shipping on most orders and other important benefits.
Hunters — here’s a tempting way to win a top-tier hunting rifle or a New Mexico Antelope hunt. Gunwerks in Wyoming is running a photo contest this month. Submit a great image and you could win a valuable prize. This year’s prize list includes: Gunwerks Rifle System (ClymR, Magnus, or Verdict); Long Range University Antelope Hunt in Raton, New Mexico; and Revic BR4 Ballistic Laser Rangefinder.
How to Enter Hunting Photography Contest
To enter the contest, submit your #Gunwerked photo via the Gunwerks 2021 Photo Contest Page. Or, you can post the image to your own Instagram Page or Facebook Page. Just be sure to “hashtag” the image with #Gunwerked reference label.
How to Take Better Hunting Photos
For tips on how to take better hunting, wilderness, and trophy photographs, listen to Gunwerks Podcast 69: Better Field Photography And Trophy Pics. Click Arrow to play.
Today’s precision shooter is connected. He or she is likely to bring a number of electronic items to the range, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, Kestrel, LabRadar chronograph, and more. These digital devices all require electricity to operate. Unfortunately, most ranges don’t include convenient charging stations for your gadgets. Therefore you need to bring battery back-up. Here are three good options, with storage capacities from 10200 mAh to 42000 mAh. The first unit is fully weather-proof, so it is good for hunters and tactical shooters exposed to the elements. The largest power pack, with AC outlet, is quite versatile and works well on car-camping trips.
1. FosPower 10200 mAh Waterproof Charger, $29.99
When you’re at the range or on a hunt, it’s smart to have a USB-output battery pack for smart phone, target-cam monitor, even a LabRadar. There are many battery packs available, but most are fairly fragile, with exposed ports. This “ruggedized” FosPower 10200 mAh charger is different. It is waterproof, dust-proof, and shock-proof. (IP67 certified: dust and water resistance for up to 3ft/1m for 30 minutes under water.) It can handle all that a PRS competitor or hunter can dish out. It even has a handy LED light. Right now it’s priced at $29.99 with FREE Shipping for Prime members.
2. EasyAcc 20000 mAh Battery Pack with Fast Charging, $42.99
If you want to charge multiple devices, such as a tablet and a LabRadar, you need serious capacity. The EasyAcc 20000 mAh battery pack can charge up to four devices simultaneously. Notably, this $42.99 Battery Pack charges faster than most other 20K packs. It has two power input ports, allowing it to fully charge in 6-7 hours. (We have another 20000 mAh battery unit that takes over 16 hours to fully charge!). This unit will charge an iPhone 7 six times, a Samsung S8 four times or an iPad Mini two times. Note, 78% of Amazon purchasers rated this unit Five Stars (with 13% Four-Star reviews).
3. Jackery 240Wh USB, 110v AC, 12v DC Power Station, $199.99
Many folks have asked us “How can I use a laptop, chronograph, or electronic powder dispenser that requires 110 volt AC power when I’m at the range?” Sure you can take power from your car’s 12 volt cigarette lighter jack, but you’ll still need a very long cable and a 12 volt to 110 volt step-up transformer. If you run a cable from the parking lot to the bench or shooting bay you’ll have to leave a window open in your vehicle and fellow shooters can trip over the long cord.
A better solution is to get a portable, combo USB + 110 volt + 12 volt power unit. This versatile 240Wh Jackery Power Station will drive a 110v device, 12v units, PLUS charge a USB tablet and cellphone, all at the same time. You can run a LabRadar for DAYS with this advanced Lithium Ion power-pack. It will also power CPAP machines and other 12v devices. One nice feature is rapid charging. Before your range session or camping trip, plug this into the wall. It will get fully charged in about 3.5 hours from a 110v outlet. Also this unit can recharge from a paired Jackery solar panel ($179.99 sold separately, see below). By itself (without solar panel) the Jackery portable power source is $199.99 on Amazon. See Jackery Product Store.
The goal of NRL 22 is to make Precision Rifle competitions more available to every community. However, nearly all localities have access to 100-yard ranges and most shooters own a .22 LR rifle. The NRL22 program is designed so any facility with a 100-yard range can host matches. Participants at local NRL22 events can then attend a National Championship. NRL22 started with four classifications: Open, Base, Ladies, and Young Guns (8-18 age). Air Rifle is the new fifth class. For the 2018/2019 Competition Season, over 700 shooters attended NRL22 matches. In the 2019/2020 Competition Season, the NRL22 expects significant growth and is excited to welcome new members and clubs.
