New Leica Rangemaster CRF 2000-B


In 1992 Leica introduced the Leica GEOVID 7×42 BDA Laser Rangefinding Binocular, establishing a new product category and forever changing the hunting/shooting sports. Today Leica continues to establish new benchmarks and reaffirms its leadership position in compact laser rangefinders with the introduction of the new Leica Rangemaster CRF 2000-B — the first compact laser rangefinder capable of precise measurements up to 2000 yards. In addition to this significant increase in maximum range, Leica has added new functions to the high-accuracy ABC™ ballistics system. Read more
Optics

Appeals Court Rules That Non-Serious Convictions Do Not Erase 2A Rights

BELLEVUE, WA – The Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that individuals convicted of certain non-serious misdemeanor crimes do not lose their fundamental rights under the Second Amendment in a decision involving two separate cases brought by the Second Amendment Foundation.

The unanimous ruling came from an en banc panel in the combined cases of Binderup v. the U.S. Attorney General and Suarez v. the U.S. Attorney General.

In 1990, Julio Suarez was stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. At the time he was carrying a handgun and spare ammunition without a permit. He pleaded guilty in Maryland state court to the charge and received a 180-day suspended sentence and $500 fine. Daniel Binderup pleaded guilty in 1996 to a misdemeanor charge related to a consensual relationship he had with a 17-year-old female employee and received three years’ probation and a $300 fine. Neither man was ever incarcerated.

However, in both cases, the crimes could have resulted in jail time for which the federal gun law blocks firearms possession. Binderup and Suarez petitioned the Pennsylvania court in 2009 to remove the state prohibition against firearms possession, but federal law “continues to bar them from possessing firearms because their convictions have not been expunged or set aside, they have not been pardoned, and their civil rights have not been restored,” the court noted.

“Where the Second Amendment’s guarantees apply, as they do for Binderup and Suarez, ‘certain policy choices’ are ‘necessarily’ taken ‘off the table.’ Forever prohibiting them from possessing any firearm is one of those policy choices,” the appeals court said in today’s ruling.

“Today’s victory confirms that the government can’t simply disarm anyone it wishes,” stated SAF attorney Alan Gura. “At an absolute minimum, people convicted of non-serious crimes, who pose no threat to anyone, retain their fundamental rights. That this is even controversial is a matter of some concern.” Read more

Gun Control

HSM Adds Game King Ammo


HSM Ammunition of Stevensville, MT has developed an all new line of hunting ammunition featuring world-renowned Sierra bullets. Sierra GameKing or Pro Hunter bullets are used exclusively with the 47 rifle calibers—from .243 Win. up to .375 RUM, and everything in between—offered by HSM in this new category of finest game-getting Game King ammo produced expressly for the dedicated American hunter. Read more
Ammunition

PolyCase Inceptor 357 Magnum ARX


Savannah, GA – PolyCase Ammunition’s® Inceptor® Preferred Defense ammunition is now available in a .357 Magnum ARX® cartridge. PolyCase combined modern technology with tried and true performance resulting in lighter, faster bullets with excellent terminal performance. They have taken the industry by storm with their innovative polymer-copper projectiles loaded in high quality brass cases.The new Inceptor® Preferred Defense™ .357 Magnum is a highly effective personal and home defense round. This revolutionary, non-expanding patent-pending ARX® design feature leads to highly efficient transfer of energy, superior terminal performance, controlled penetration in fluid-filled targets and optimum maximum range to lessen the chance of collateral damage in a defensive shooting situation. The advanced materials used in the bullet militate against ricochet. The Inceptor® Preferred Defense™ .357 Magnum ARX® reduces recoil while the flat trajectory produces less muzzle lift, aiding in quick target re-acquision, and shooting to the point of aim.

Inceptor Preferred Defense™ Ammunition is produced by PolyCase in the United States, and distributed domestically and internationally and is available in the following cartridges: 380 Auto, 9mm Luger, 38 Special, 40 S&W, 45 Auto and 357 Magnum

Read more

Ammunition

Live Ducks: The Only Judges That Matter

Once birds are in tight, it’s important to keep a realistic chatter. Soft, raspy tones, mimicking the exact sounds of real ducks, are usually the best sellers.

To consistently call ducks into range while hunting, try sounding like one

By Sammy Bruce

I pity the up-and-coming duck hunter, anxious to learn the intricacies of calling but with nowhere to turn for guidance but YouTube and calling contests. While such resources occasional offer a handy tip, most are so crowded with useless chaos they’re often difficult to watch all the way through.

Somewhere along the line, it seems, duck calling contests began rewarding contestants for performing instrumental symphonies on duck calls, rather than for sounding like a duck. So became the accepted measure of success within the industry: Champion callers are often those who can manipulate a duck call to sound the most extreme, not necessarily those who produce the sounds that consistently put the most ducks on the strap.  Read more

Hunting

Federal Premium Cash-Back on Big Game Ammo


Several Federal Premium, Federal Power-Shok and Fusion Ammunition Cash-Back Rebate Programs Currently Running StrongANOKA, Minn. – – Federal Premium announced its launch of a special one-month offer for cash back on its most effective big-game hunting loads. Customers can now get as much as $20 cash back when they purchase up to two boxes of Trophy Bonded Tip or any other Federal Premium Vital-Shok rifle ammunition through the month of September 2016.

The ammunition purchase must be made between September 1, 2016 and September 30, 2016. See the back of the rebate coupon for full details and conditions. To download and view this coupon, visit www.federalpremium.com/news/promotions_rebates.aspx.

The company has several other rebate offers running through December 31, 2016.
· Big Buck Slug Rebate: Receive up to $10.00 cash back when you purchase qualifying Federal Premium Vital-Shok slug ammunition.

· Drop Ducks Like Rain Rebate: Get up to $110 back when you buy Black Cloud waterfowl ammunition by the case.

· Shoot Bucks, Save Bucks Rebate: Purchase up to two boxes of any Power-Shok rifle loads and receive up to a $5.00 mail-in rebate.

· Take 5 with Fusion: Purchase up to two boxes of any Fusion rifle loads and receive up to a $5.00 mail-in rebate. Additional rebate offers are also available.

For full details and downloadable coupons for all of these promotions, visit www.federalpremium.com/news/promotions_rebates.aspx.

Federal Premium is a brand of Vista Outdoor Inc., an outdoor sports and recreation company. For more information on Federal Premium, go to www.federalpremium.com.

Ammunition

Boone and Crockett Releases Essay on Fair Chase


MISSOULA, MT– The Boone and Crockett Club, the oldest hunter-conservationist organization in North America, has released a comprehensive essay on fair chase, the first and longest standing honor code in North American hunting.”Millions of hunters worldwide practice fair chase, many without even knowing this code has a name or that the Club originated it,” said Club President Morrie Stevens. “With public misperceptions about hunting on the rise and increasing questions about hunting practices and new technology, we feel it is time to re-visit this fundamental part of hunter’s conservation ethic.”

The concept of fair chase—the ethical pursuit of a game animal in the field—emerged over 125 years ago at a time of environmental crisis when many formerly abundant wildlife populations in North America were on the brink of extinction. Theodore Roosevelt, after witnessing the bleached bones of thousands of slaughtered bison, was determined to do something about this travesty.

The new code of conduct for hunters established by Roosevelt and the Boone and Crockett Club not only transformed individual behavior and purposes for hunting, but also supported the new conservation principles the Club was promoting. The system of wildlife conservation we have today is still based on the Club’s principles of limiting harvest and wisely managing wildlife populations to ensure they will never be threatened again, as well as an ethical approach to hunting that meets with the expectations of sportsmen and society.

The Club’s essay on fair chase explores the code’s historical roots and provides a framework for how modern fair chase hunters think about hunting practices and customs. It delves into how hunters evaluate new technological advancements, regional traditions and why fair chase is more a matter of the “spirit of the hunt” than a set of written rules. The essay also addresses the opportunity for hunters to foster a positive public perception of hunting by conducting themselves in an ethical manner.

“Fair chase is rich with benefits,” said Stevens. “Not only to the game we hunt and the traditions of hunting, but to hunters personally. Fair chase is linked to such things as self-reliance, discipline and character development, and caring for something greater than ourselves. Understanding the value and transformative nature of a fair chase ethic is just as important for those who hunt as it is for non-hunters.”

The new essay can be read at this link: http://www.boone-crockett.org/pdf/On_Fair_Chase.pdf

About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Montana. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.

Hunting

Thin Green Line Needs Your Help

Around 12:45am on Sunday, August 21, a California game warden patrolling in the redwood country of Humboldt County in northwestern California about 30 miles SE of Eureka, spotted a car that was shining a spotlight in the woods. Surmising that the people in the car were spotlighting deer, the warden approached their car. The occupants of the vehicle fled and began shooting at the warden. As the poachers fled, they continued to shoot at the warden’s truck.

Wardens typically patrol alone in remote areas without immediate back-up. The warden radioed in asking for back-up. The warden did not return fire as he was driving as that would have been more dangerous. According to Cal. Fish and Wildlife’s Information Officer, Capt. Patrick Foy, eventually, the pursued vehicle crashed into a tree and the suspects fled on foot into the woods, leaving two guns in the abandoned car. The warden was not injured.

“Due to the presence of multiple suspects, their intent on shooting him, and lack of immediate assistance, the warden waited for help before continuing the search,” according to Captain Foy. Multiple agencies responded to the call for assistance from the warden.

The poachers have not yet been found. A group of environmental organizations and the California Wildlife Officers Foundation are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the capture of Shawn Eugene Hof Jr., 24, who allegedly was illegally hunting wildlife with the poachers when he fired multiple shots at the warden on Aug. 21. Hof is described as 5 foot 9 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information in this case is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office crime tip line at (707) 268-2539.

This incident is, unfortunately, not that unusual. According to warden Jerry Karnow, former President of CA Wardens Association, game wardens in California are involved in an average of at least one police shooting a year. Remember in 2013 it was CA game wardens who played a major role in the pursuit of Christopher Dorner. Considering that there are only 250 wardens in the field in CA for 38 million people, this means that wardens are engaged in more shootings than the average city police force of 250 officers.

California wardens are not alone. According to the FBI, game wardens nation-wide are nine times more likely to be assaulted in the line of duty than a police officer. http://www.policemag.com/channel/patrol/articles/2012/03/a-law-of-unintended-consequences.aspx

 Karnow and Lt. John Norris, who heads a tactical unit of game wardens currently focusing on busting illegal marijuana gardens, both agree that this year is the worst in memory for illegal marijuana grows on wildlands in California. Read more

General
1 … 1,361 1,362 1,363 1,364 1,365 … 2,071