NAPA, CA (January 2011) – American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI), producers of the most authoritative instructional gunsmithing video courses, continues to expand course offerings to include new firearms, new instruction and new opportunities for anyone interested in learning about guns.Bob Dunlap of AGI

The AGI Certified Professional Gunsmith course provides future gunsmiths with all the current information and how-to’s to set up and start a successful gunsmithing business for a small investment in dollars and time. The AGI Professional Gunsmith course has provided thousands of students with the tools and skills to make money part-time or open their own business.

Unlike most trade schools, the AGI program allows you to complete the program in as little as three months, studying from home, through video instruction representing the latest technology and packed with current information on the design, function and repair of firearms. With over 108 hours of video instruction in pistols and revolvers, rifles, shotguns, .22’s you will also receive instruction on what tools to purchase, how to set up a shop and run a successful business. Students also receive written and practical application testing during the program and when completed receive their certification ready to hang on the wall and announce they are open for business.

The Professional Gunsmith course is an excellent opportunity for anyone recently retired or out of work, which are passionate about firearms and looking to start their own business or as an additional service provided by current firearms dealers.

The American Gunsmithing Institute is the Nation’s premiere Gunsmithing School and has been providing students with the highest level of hands-on instruction in the comfort of your own home since 1993. AGI provides Instruction by internationally known and respected Gunsmiths such as; Gene Kelly, AGI President; Robert Dunlap, AGI’s Senior Instructor; Darrell Holland, custom Riflesmith; Gene Shuey, world-class custom Pistolsmith; Ken Brooks, Repair Gunsmith Instructor and T.R. Graham, an authority and gunsmith on Glocks and other handguns. These Instructors help every AGI gunsmith course to provide students with the latest information and techniques on firearms repair, building and rebuilding.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment reminds hunters that the deadline for application for spring turkey hunting licenses is Feb 1. Hunters may apply at any authorized license agent or online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings.

The 2011 season runs from April 18 through May 31 with hunts lasting from seven to 44 days, depending on the hunt unit. A total of 114,290 licenses are available, including 49,290 general licenses and 65,000 private-land licenses.

“Hunters looking for the greatest flexibility should consider Hunt No. 234, which includes all open areas of the state except the public lands of southern Michigan,” said DNRE upland game bird specialist Al Stewart. “Hunters who do not purchase a license or apply for a limited-quota license by the Feb. 1 deadline can still purchase a license for Hunt 234 until May 1.”

Hunters may purchase a license for Hunt No. 234, which runs May 2-31, so they do not have to pay the $4 fee to enter the drawing for limited-quota licenses. Hunters who do apply for a limited hunt are responsible for verifying their customer ID number. An incorrect customer ID number will disqualify an applicant from the drawing.

Applicants can check if they were drawn for a license beginning March 1 at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings.

“The current regulations were established to maximize hunting opportunity while maintaining high-quality experiences and allowing turkey populations to expand,” Stewart said. “There are now 56,433 square miles of Michigan open to spring turkey hunting.”

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Leupold’s® new VX-R™ illuminated riflescopes combine proprietary powered fiber optic technology and an exclusive FireDot™ reticle to provide hunters with exceptional target acquisition, in the bright light of day as well as the low light of dawn or dusk.

VX-R riflescopes feature a single push button illumination system with Leupold’s own Motion Sensor Technology (MST™). A touch of the button illuminates the dot within the reticle. By repeatedly pressing the button, the user can select between eight different intensity settings including a high-low indicator, which flashes when either the maximum or minimum intensity is reached. After five minutes of inactivity, the illumination system automatically switches to stand-by mode, but reactivates at the same intensity setting whenever the rifle is moved. This helps extend battery life and, by reducing movement, allows the hunter to maintain greater stealth in the field.

In addition, the FireDot reticle in the VX-R has a fiber optic light pipe with a precisely cut and meticulously polished tip designed to deliver an illuminated dot that can be easily seen in bright light, yet is not overpowering in low-light conditions. Once activated, the dot illuminates with bright, sharp definition, while the rest of the reticle remains non-illuminated. This combination leads the eye naturally to the center aiming point and makes target acquisition quick, precise and simple.

“Riflescopes with illuminated reticles are legal for use in all states that allow centerfire rifles for big game hunting,” commented Pat Mundy, communications manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “Our new VX-R illuminated riflescopes allow hunters around the country to see their game in a better way. VX-R offers true daylight-capable illumination as well as the optical performance required to extend those precious minutes at daybreak or day’s end.”

VX-R models include 1.25-4x20mm, 2-7x33mm, 3-9x40mm, 3-9x50mm, 4-12x40mm and 4-12x50mm. Each is available with one or more of the FireDot reticle options: FireDot Duplex®, Ballistic FireDot, FireDot Circle or FireDot 4. In addition, the 3-9x40mm, 3-9x50mm and 4-12x40mm models are available with Leupold’s Custom Dial System® (CDS®), which helps hunters and shooters get on target at any range, with any load, by matching their scopes to the ballistics of their ammunition and sight-in conditions.

Other key features of VX-R riflescopes:

• Leupold’s Index Matched Lens System®, which maximizes light transmission to produce an extremely bright, sharp image across the visual field

• Blackened lens edges for enhanced light transmission, clarity and contrast

• DiamondCoat™, an ion-assisted lens coating for optimal light management and maximum abrasion resistance

• One-turn, non-locking eyepiece to provide smooth, fast and precise focus adjustment for users of different visual acuity, from nearsighted to farsighted

• Precision finger click adjustments for windage and elevation (1/4-MOA for all models except those with the FireDot 4 reticle, which has metric adjustments – one centimeter per click)

• Leupold’s most durable twin bias spring erector system

• Second generation Argon/Krypton waterproofing

• CR-2032 coin cell battery, readily available around the country

VX-R riflescopes have a rugged 30mm matte black maintube and a sleek design that reduces bulk atop the rifle. Sporting Leupold’s familiar Golden Ring, they are backed by the company’s Full Lifetime Guarantee. For more information, visit a local dealer, go to www.leupold.com or call 1-800-LEUPOLD.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Hunters, picture this: Leupold® now offers a trail camera system featuring innovative “plug and play” technology that simplifies the process of taking and retrieving images of game in the field.

The new RCX™ Trail Camera System is not only designed for easy use, but for capturing high-quality images in the places that can help swing the odds in a hunter’s favor. Key components of the system include the USB Controller/Viewer and either a RCX-1 (eight megapixels) or RCX-2 (10 megapixels) camera. A feature exclusive to Leupold, the hand-held USB Controller/Viewer has a three-inch display screen and can be used to download and view images from the camera on the spot, eliminating the need to remove photo/SD cards and check them at another location. With the controller/ viewer, the user can also get real-time alignment of the camera’s view and instant access to all program settings, without opening the camera or removing it from the mount.

“We call our new RCX Trail Camera System a game changer for whitetail deer hunters and others interested in patterning animals,” said Pat Mundy, communications manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “It is the most user-friendly system of its kind, doing away with the hassles common to traditional trail cameras: manual resets, swapping photo/SD cards in and out, guessing on alignment of the sensor and framing of the picture, counting blinking lights, scrolling through confusing mode options, multiple trips to and from your home or truck to view the images, and so on. RCX is also extremely versatile, allowing users to choose how simple or advanced they want the system to be, according to their specifications.”

The USB Controller/Viewer plugs into the USB jack in each RCX camera, and also plugs into home computers to download pictures and images to the hard drive. RCX cameras provide high- resolution color images during the day and infrared images at night, as well as a video/audio option. A special day/night sensor allows the camera to quickly adjust exposure as light levels change, and to activate the infrared system when darkness falls.

Both the RXC-1 and RXC-2 cameras have a 54-degree lens for a wide field of view, and offer 45 degrees of heat/motion sensing coverage to a maximum range of 45 feet. A feature unique to the RCX-2 camera is Dual Sensor Technology (DST™), which provides the option of 10 degrees of sensing coverage out to 90 feet. The user can choose to have the 45-degree sensor and the 10-degree sensor active at the same time.

Other key features include a silent digital shutter, “blink-of-an-eye” (less than one second) trigger speed to capture more complete images, and extremely fast recovery time – after taking a picture, the camera can recover and be ready to take another in two seconds or less, depending on setting. The system is designed to easily take the user through each program setting, step by step. The RCX Trail Camera System offers many customizable features – image file type/size, picture quality, time lapse, operation hours and separate day/night settings, among others.

The RCX camera frame is constructed for durability and to provide maximum protection for the internal components. Each camera can operate continuously for months using eight AA lithium batteries; AA alkaline batteries work as well.

RCX cameras and the controller/viewer can be purchased separately or in kits. The RCX-1 System Kit includes the camera, controller/viewer, 12-volt cable, car adapter, home adapter, USB cable, AA battery pack cartridge tray (batteries not included), lithium-ion battery (for the controller/viewer), six hex standoffs for mounting and a mounting strap. The RCX-2 System Kit offers the same items, plus a lock-down security plate and screws.

For more information, visit a local dealer, go to www.leupold.com or call 1-800-LEUPOLD.

In recent years, accuracy-avid hunters and shooters have made Vanguard® rifles the top seller in Weatherby’s firearms line. Weatherby now takes the performance of Vanguard to an even higher level with the new Series 2 (S2), which is guaranteed to shoot SUB-MOA (a three-shot group of .99-inch or less) with factory or premium ammunition.

Scheduled for a Spring 2011 introduction in blued and stainless versions, the Vanguard S2 rifle features a new two-stage Match Quality Target Trigger. The trigger has an auxiliary sear for a “creep free” consistent let-off and pre-set sear engagement at .008-.012. It is adjustable for weight of pull down to 2.5 pounds.

“Our new S2 incorporates the most significant changes to Vanguard rifles since they were first introduced in the early 1970s,” said company President Ed Weatherby. “An outstanding new trigger, a more current look and a written SUB-MOA accuracy guarantee make the S2 a tremendous value, with all the flat-shooting, hard-hitting performance expected of a Weatherby.”

The Vanguard S2 sports a new Griptonite™ stock with the traditional Weatherby profile that allows quick eye-to-scope alignment and fast target acquisition. Constructed of modern materials, the stock has non-slip panels and a right-side palm swell for improved handling and control. Also new is the metalwork’s matte bead blast finish on both the blued and stainless versions.

Other added features include a 3-position safety, and a trigger housing constructed from aluminum alloy to reduce weight. The Vanguard S2 has a 24-inch barrel and weighs approximately 7.25 pounds. Like all Vanguard rifles, the S2 is based on the legendary Mark V® action. The Vanguard action has a one- piece machined bolt, fully enclosed bolt sleeve and three rings of steel surrounding the casehead for an extra measure of strength and structural integrity.

1605 Commerce Way • Paso Robles, California 93446-3644 • 805-227-2600 • Fax (805) 237-0427 www.weatherby.com

The Vanguard S2 blued version will be available in 15 calibers: .22-250 Remington, .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, .25-06 Remington, .257 Weatherby Mag., .270 Winchester, .300 Winchester Mag., .300 Weatherby Mag., .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, .338 Winchester Mag., 7mm-08 Remington, 7mm Remington Mag., .270 Winchester Short Mag. and .300 Winchester Short Mag.

The stainless version will be offered in .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, .257 Weatherby Mag., .270 Winchester, .300 Winchester Mag., .300 Weatherby Mag., .30-06 Springfield and 7mm Remington Mag. Retail prices are expected to be around $450 for the Vanguard S2 blued version and $600 for the stainless. Right-hand models only.

For more information, contact a local Weatherby dealer, call the company at (805) 227-2600 or visit www.weatherby.com.

Taurus Introduces the Raging Judge in New Caliber
MIAMI – Personal protection, home defense and sport shooting are easy work for the latest Taurus® Raging Judge that fires the larger, more powerful 28-gauge shotshell. The first Judge of its kind is ready to take on whatever comes your way. Whatever “it” happens to be.

The Taurus Raging Judge in 28 gauge comes equipped with the distinctive “Raging Bull” cushioned insert grip for reduced felt recoil and its strong, ordnance grade steel frame is built to take everything the revolver dishes out. Additional features include a single-action/double-action trigger and highly visible fiber optic front sight.

Available in blued or matte stainless finish with a 6.5 inch barrel, the Raging Judge in 28 gauge has overall length 13.75 inches and weighs 67 ounces. Like all Taurus handguns, the unique onboard Taurus Security System® allows users to securely lock the gun using an inconspicuous key-lock.

Beginning as a small tool manufacturer in Porto Alegre, Brazil more than sixty years ago, Taurus has become a diversified, international company celebrating resounding success as one of the world’s leading small arms manufacturers. In 1941 the company produced its first revolver, and in 1984 changed the industry forever by offering customers an unqualified LIFETIME REPAIR POLICY™, posting record growth every year since. For additional information about Taurus and its complete line of products, visit www.taurususa.com. High-resolution images are available for download at www.taurusdownloads.com.

MIAMI – Personal protection, home defense and sport shooting are easy work for the latest Taurus® Raging Judge that fires the larger, more powerful 28-gauge shotshell. The first Judge of its kind is ready to take on whatever comes your way. Whatever “it” happens to be.

The Taurus Raging Judge in 28 gauge comes equipped with the distinctive “Raging Bull” cushioned insert grip for reduced felt recoil and its strong, ordnance grade steel frame is built to take everything the revolver dishes out. Additional features include a single-action/double-action trigger and highly visible fiber optic front sight.

Available in blued or matte stainless finish with a 6.5 inch barrel, the Raging Judge in 28 gauge has overall length 13.75 inches and weighs 67 ounces. Like all Taurus handguns, the unique onboard Taurus Security System® allows users to securely lock the gun using an inconspicuous key-lock.

Beginning as a small tool manufacturer in Porto Alegre, Brazil more than sixty years ago, Taurus has become a diversified, international company celebrating resounding success as one of the world’s leading small arms manufacturers. In 1941 the company produced its first revolver, and in 1984 changed the industry forever by offering customers an unqualified LIFETIME REPAIR POLICY™, posting record growth every year since. For additional information about Taurus and its complete line of products, visit www.taurususa.com. High-resolution images are available for download at www.taurusdownloads.com.

By Carol Bambery

The Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy, and others submitted a petition on August 3, 2010 under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). The petition aimed to regulate the distribution of lead in shot, bullets, and fishing gear. EPA rejected the portion of the petition to ban lead in ammunition on August 27, 2010, stating Congress expressly exempted ammunition from being regulated by this law. EPA’s decision was based on the exclusion of shells and cartridges from the definition of “chemical substance” in TSCA section 3(2)(B)(v).

On November 11, 2010, EPA denied the proposal to regulate lead in fishing gear on the basis that the petitioners did not exhibit the need to do so in order to prevent risk to public health or the environment as required by TSCA. Last month the Center for Biological Diversity, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Project Gutpile sued the EPA for failing to regulate lead. The plaintiffs are asking that the Court order the EPA to initiate the petitioned action, namely to develop and implement regulations “to prevent poisoning of wildlife by spent lead shot, bullets and lead containing fishing tackle.” NSSF and Association of Battery Recyclers’ have already filed motions to intervene which have been opposed by the Plaintiffs. SCI and NRA have confirmed that they will also intervene in this case.

Carol Bambery, General Counsel for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Washington, D.C., will file an amicus brief on the side of the EPA, SCI, NRA and NSSF on behalf of the 50 state fish and wildlife agencies. The federal court brief will set out examples of when lead has been a concern, the state fish and wildlife agencies have been proactive in implementing regulations, educational initiatives and other efforts to reduce lead exposure to fish and wildlife in cases where population-level impacts have been documented. The steps the states have taken make a nationwide ban on all lead inappropriate. The federal court will hear the case in late spring.

Michigan Legislative Update

The following Bills are now law. Both became effective Dec 16, 2010

House Bill 4431 and Senate Bill 0212 (Public Acts 294 and 295 of 2010) These bills amend the Michigan Penal Code to allow a law enforcement agency that seized or otherwise came into possession of a firearm or part of a firearm subject to disposal to retain the firearm or part of a firearm for certain purposes, instead of forwarding it to the Michigan Department of State Police for disposal as currently required, a law enforcement agency could retain a firearm or part of a firearm for legal sale or trade to a federally licensed firearm dealer or for official use by members of the seizing agency who were employed as peace officers.

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

When I stepped outside last week and heard the eerie calls of coyotes, little did they know they weren’t only signaling their brethren, but me, too. Those early-evening, high-pitched yelps and barks might have communicated a fresh kill to the nearby pack; to me, they were flaunting their very existence in my territory.

Which of us arrived in the neighborhood first is a moot point. Whether humans have encroached on varmint homeland or vice versa matters not. No doubt animal rightists have helped with the expansion of coyotes and foxes into areas of the country, as never before, through their use of campaigns against fur. So be it; that’s today’s reality. But, that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Let nature take its course; it’ll all balance out, they claim. Fine. But, as a human animal, I am part of nature, too, and with God-given abilities, I have the capacity to be a factor in the natural selection process.

That power would manifest itself in a manner the varmints would least suspect it. My friend, Joe, was on his way from the big city for a little “balancing act.” First we purchased fur takers licenses to go along with our small game tags, just in case foxes fell for our clever ruse. Joe would be the rifleman and I would manage calling operations. As our boots noisily crunched the snow on the way to our blind, we discussed strategy. Joe would wait for any target to become motionless. There’d be no running shots, unless our prey had busted us and were running away.

To minimize noise, we split up, and I snuck to a position some 100 yards upwind of our deer-converted, varmint blind. While Joe was setting set up his Ruger .300 Winchester magnum in the shack, I set out a Flambeau Lone Howler coyote decoy with a battery-powered motion rabbit at its feet,. Flambeau’s coyote copy is a life-like, full-bodied replica complete with an imitation fur tail and collapsible legs. It can be positioned in 3 ways: lying, sitting, or standing. The wire tail can be adjusted for the desired effect, too.

It has worked for us in the past and we were confident our first set this season would trick the local killers this time out, too.
After the wireless Fox Pro game caller was hung from the branch of a nearby white pine some 90 yards from our ambush position, I joined Joe in the shack.

We sat. We chatted. We waited.

After things settled down for a while, I punched up a rabbit distress cry on the caller and ran it for about a minute and then stopped. At the far corner of the field two forms appeared – red foxes!

Joe dialed in one of the stationary predators and launched a rocket-like, 110- grain missile. At 146 yards, in less than .14 of a second after the muzzle blast, fox number one was down. Fox number two escaped into the woods, but out of nowhere, another one appeared in front of us. Surprised, Joe wasn’t able to gather himself until it was doing the fox trot at a 90-degree angle from us. Bullet number two traveling at 2454 miles-per-hour won the race at 111 yards and the pair of foxes had been officially outfoxed.

The more I hunt, the more I appreciate good decoying techniques. The Lone Howler decoy far downwind, permits undetected hunter movement, which is vital to the pretense. Additionally, when the predators approach, the realistic nature of the deception tends to cause them to ignore potential danger. They proceed on a beeline to the fast- food foolery.

Varmint season had begun with a bang – two, in fact. And, the local population of turkeys, pheasant, and rabbits will be better for it.

This week, the NRA and countless Americans offered prayers and condolences for those killed and wounded during the senseless assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

Yet while those of us who defend the Second Amendment were respecting the heartache of the people of Tucson and waiting to learn the full facts of the case, anti-gun activists were renewing their push for more gun control laws. (“In the wake of these kind of incidents, the trick is to move quickly,” the Violence Policy Center’s Kristen Rand told MSNBC.)

Rand and other gun ban advocates were quick to push several schemes.

The most widely publicized is the proposal by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) to re-impose the 1994 ban on new manufacture of ammunition magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, and to criminalize the transfer of existing magazines between law-abiding gun owners. These magazines are standard equipment for self-defense handguns and other firearms owned by tens of millions of Americans. Law-abiding private citizens choose them for many reasons, including the same reason police officers do: to improve their odds in defensive situations.

Also, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) proposed to ban possession of firearms within 1,000 feet of the President, Vice President, Members of Congress or federal judges. Obviously, this proposal would be ignored by anyone who intends to harm a government official. But it would impose extraordinary burdens on honest gun owners, creating potentially hundreds of square miles of roving “gun free” areas throughout the United States.

There’s no question that the debate over gun control will continue after the Tucson attack. Please rest assured that the NRA will, as always, stand front and center in defense of the rights of gun owners. And, as always, watch your NRA-ILA alerts for the latest news and calls to action on these critical issues.