Michigan Offers Fly Fishing, Wildflower Photography and Other Outdoor Skills Instruction

There’s still space available in some of our upcoming Outdoor Skills Academy classes. You can learn about fly fishing with our Women in Waders class at Bay City State Park on May 19 and our Beginner Fly-Fishing Clinic at Tahquamenon Falls State Park on June 9. Or learn how to take better photos at our wildflower photography workshop with renowned nature and wildlife photographer Tom Haxby, at Mitchell State Park in Cadillac on May 12-13.

The Outdoor Skills Academy offers expert instruction, gear and hands-on learning for a range of outdoor activities, from hunting and fishing to hiking, birding and much more. Classes explore each topic in-depth, for a full day or more, with knowledgeable and skilled instructors leading the way.

 

Check out the full calendar of classes at michigan.gov/outdoorskills.

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

NSSF Expels Dick’s Sporting Goods

The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries, Board of Governors today unanimously voted to expel Dick’s Sporting Goods from membership for conduct detrimental to the best interests of the Foundation.

Dick’s Sporting Goods recently hired a Washington D.C.-based government affairs firm, for “[l]obbying related to gun control.” Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Edward W. Stack announced earlier this year the retail chain would end sales of modern sporting rifles, voluntarily raise the age to 21 to purchase firearms in their stores and called for more restrictive legislation. Dick’s later announced they would destroy the remaining modern sporting rifle inventory. NSSF responded that business decisions should be individually made, but was nonetheless disappointed and the decision does not reflect the reality of the vast majority of law-abiding gun owners.

Firearms, Gun Control

S&W Performance Center SW22 Victory Target Pistols

Monday, May 7, 2018

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.  – Smith & Wesson Corp. today announced that it has introduced four new Performance Center SW22 Victory Target pistols to the Performance Center’s rimfire line of handguns.  The Performance Center SW22 VictoryTarget pistols are chambered in .22LR and are designed specifically for target shooting competitions.  These pistols feature 6-inch target barrels, muzzle brakes, and Tandemkross hiveGrips, amongst many other high-performance features.
Tony Miele, General Manager of the Performance Center, said, “The Performance Center SW22 Victory Target pistols are competition-ready and have been designed for the serious target shooter.  These pistols have all of the upgrades needed to make them competition-ready, including adjustable target triggers, specialty target barrels, and grips.  The Performance Center SW22 Victory Target pistols have custom features, available right out of the box from the Performance Center.”
The Performance Center SW22 Victory Target pistols ship with two 10-round magazines, and are available with either a 6-inch Fluted or 6-inch Carbon Fiber barrel.  Each Performance Center SW22 Victory Target pistol ships with a picatinny-style rail for the quick mounting of an optic and is available both with and without a Vortex® Viper® Red Dot Sight.  Performance Center SW22 Victory pistols are available with an  MSRP starting at $672. Read more

Firearms

America’s Best Aquarium is in Springfield, Missouri

 

New must-see conservation attraction earns second major national recognition

 

Springfield, Mo. – Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium has been voted America’s Best Aquarium through a national public poll conducted byUSA TODAY ranking the top 20 prominent institutions across North America. The nationwide recognition is the second significant award the public has bestowed upon the conservation-based aquarium and museum since its grand opening last fall. Earlier this year Wonders of Wildlife was voted America’s Best New Attraction.

Wonders of Wildlife is a gift to the sportsmen and women of America from noted conservationist, angler and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. Johnny endeavored to create a world-class not-for-profit conservation attraction located in his hometown, Springfield, Missouri, next to Bass Pro Shops’ flagship headquarters store – where half the nation’s population lives within a day’s drive.
Featuring an immersive design with surprises around every corner and more than 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds, the $300 million not-for-profit Wonders of Wildlife is unlike any other aquarium on earth. Fans cite the aquarium’s over-the-top multisensory habitats, engaging interactive exhibits and strong conservation ethic as defining features that set Wonders of Wildlife apart. Larger than the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the not-for-profit attraction is the world’s grandest tribute to the conservation movement and the adventurers, explorers, outdoorsmen and conservationists who helped discover, develop and preserve the nation we love. Read more

Wildlife

Where Big Ethanol is King, Many Prefer Ethanol-Free Gas

Report: More ethanol-free fuel sold in Iowa than E15 and all flex fuels combined

DES MOINES, Iowa, May 3, 2018 – Even in Iowa, it appears many Hawkeye State residents aren’t fond of ethanol fuels mandated by the federal government’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

A report from the Iowa Department of Revenue shows that ethanol-free gas (E0) is a more popular fuel choice than E15 (15 percent ethanol) and all flex fuels (E20, E85) combined, with Iowans purchasing more than 200 million gallons of E0 fuel in 2016.

That’s more fuel that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) projects the entire US will be able to use in the near future while still satisfying growing annual biofuel obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Read more

General

Trijicon Introduces Long-Range AccuPower Riflescopes

Wixom, MI   – Trijicon® Inc, manufacturer of Brilliant Aiming Solutions™, is proud to introduce three new long-range AccuPower® riflescope models.

The new Trijicon AccuPower 4.5-30×56 and 5-50×56 riflescopes reset expectations for flexibility and long-range performance. The powerful zoom gives precision rifle shooters, long-range hunters, and tactical shooters the tools necessary to acquire, identify, and engage targets.

The AccuPower 4.5-30×56 is available with either a first or second focal plane reticle. The first focal plane reticles provide fast target placement and a wind hold dot system, while the uncluttered second focal plane (SFP) milling reticles help shooters range targets with pinpoint precision.

For extreme long-range performance, the AccuPower 5-50×56 SFP riflescope features precise milling and hold-over reticles calibrated in both MOA and MRAD. Read more

Optics

Trijicon Adds Green Dot to Miniature Rifle Optic Line

Wixom, MI   – Trijicon® Inc, manufacturer of Brilliant Aiming Solutions ™ is pleased to add a green dot option to its MRO® line of sights.

The Trijicon MRO® with green dot continues the legendary dependability of the MRO and features an adjustable 2.0 MOA green dot. The exceptional lens clarity allows the dot to stand out against targets and backgrounds. The human eye is more sensitive to green, making this version of the MRO especially effective for fast target acquisition in low light and transitional lighting conditions.

The MRO with green dot features eight brightness settings, including two that are night vision compatible, plus one extremely bright setting for use with weapon lights or in very bright lighting conditions. The battery will last one year of continuous use at setting three.

The brightness control atop the optic is ambidextrous, allowing the user to adjust the brightness while maintaining fire control.  The MRO is parallax free, with infinite eye relief for quick and accurate engagement no matter your shooting position. Read more

Optics

Buck Knives Kitchen Cutlery Available Now

Friday, May 4, 2018

For more than 110 years, Buck Knives has been known for quality knives that provide reliability and enhanced versatility. With the combined experience and American made materials, Buck Knives kitchen cutlery is designed for strength, balance, and durability.

Utilizing 420HC steel, all pieces of cutlery, with the exception of the spreader, feature Buck’s standard steel designed to provide the added flexibility necessary for a knife to function well.  Cutlery sets and individual pieces are available in three different handle materials.  The red wood set is a natural red woodgrain that compliments any kitchen. The Black PaperStone® handle material is a durable, recycled material designed to withstand abuse. The Elk handles are the higher end of the sets, featuring genuine Elk Antler.

Pieces include an 8” Chef’s knife, Fork, 8” Slicer, 4” Large Paring knife, 2 ¾” Small Paring knife, 4” Steak knife, and 4 7/8” Spreader knife.  All pieces available individually or in block sets.  Each piece comes with Buck’s famous edge that stays sharp longer and is easier to resharpen- making the kitchen tasks safer and easier. Buck Knives cutlery is made in the USA and backed by Buck’s famous Forever Warranty. Read more

Cutlery

SIG SAUER Launches BDX Electro-Optics System

NEWINGTON, N.H., (May 4, 2018) – The SIG SAUER Electro-Optics division today unveiled their all new Ballistic Data Xchange (BDX) rangefinders and riflescopes with integrated Applied Ballistics® and wireless Bluetooth® technology.  This groundbreaking BDX technology enables interoperability and key ballistic holdover information to be exchanged wirelessly between SIG SAUER BDX Electro-Optics products.  The foundation of the BDX system was designed for simplicity and ease of use.  SIG SAUER BDX requires no new learning, and uses the same tools hunters and shooters have been using for years.

How does BDX work? The BDX rangefinder and riflescope system is simple, fast, and intuitive.  Simply download the “SIG BDX” app available for Android or iOS smartphones, pair the KILO BDX rangefinder and SIERRA3BDX riflescope, set up a basic ballistic profile, and then you’re ready to shoot or hunt.  Once you are in the field, range your target as you normally would, and the KILO BDX rangefinder will utilize onboard Applied Ballistics Ultralight™ to instantly send your dope to the scope via Bluetooth.  Using your basic ballistic profile the ballistic solution is calculated for your target and will instantly illuminate on the BDX-R1 Digital Ballistic Reticle with windage and elevation holds in the SIERRA3BDX riflescope.  A blue LED on the riflescope power selector indicates that the BDX system is paired, and when the reticle has received new ballistic holdover and windage data from the rangefinder.

“Rangefinding riflescopes of the past have had two major shortcomings: they are either big, boxy and heavy, or extremely expensive,” said Andy York, president, SIG SAUER Electro-Optics.  “The revolutionary and affordable BDX system packs advanced ballistics technology into a simple platform that looks just like the rangefinder and riflescope that every hunter is using today. It is extremely simple to use; range a target, put the digital ballistic holdover dot on target, pull the trigger, impact.  Incredibly accurate and extremely simple, just connect the dot.”

The BDX family of rangefinders includes: KILO1400BDX, KILO1800BDX, KILO2200BDX, KILO2400BDX, and KILO3000BDX rangefinder binocular.  These rangefinders include many of the legacy features that the KILO name was built on: Lightwave DSP™ digital rangefinder engine, Hyperscan™ with 4 times per second scan rate, RangeLock™, and the Lumatic™ auto-adjusting display. Read more

Firearms, Optics

SIG SAUER Announces P229 Legion SAO

NEWINGTON, N.H., (May 4, 2018) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to introduce the P229 SAO pistol as the newest addition to its Legion Series of firearms.  Legion is an exclusive product line developed by SIG SAUER based on input from elite shooting professionals, and designed to exceed the expectations of the serious shooter.

“The P229 is one of SIG SAUER’s classic pistols and is iconic amongst shooting enthusiasts.  It is widely regarded as one of the best designed and proportioned pistols within the elite shooting community,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Commercial Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc.   “We are really excited to introduce the much anticipated P229 SAO to our Legion Series because it was our Legion members that asked for this variation.  The Legion Series P229 SAO pistol is the natural evolution of the shared mission of SIG SAUER and our Legion members – to never settle.”

The Legion P229 SAO is a 9mm, hammer-fired pistol, equipped with X-Ray 3 Day/Night Sights.  This is an all-metal compact pistol with a Legion-gray coated slide and frame, a SIG Master Shop inspired flat trigger, enhanced checkering on the front strap and under trigger guard, and custom high checkered black G10 grips with a Legion medallion.  Like all Legion Series pistols the P229 SAO features a reduced and contoured elite beavertail, which allows for a higher grip, but a reduced profile, thus eliminating printing.  The Legion P229 SAO pistol comes standard with three 15-round magazines (state-compliant 10-round magazines available.) Read more

Firearms
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