Premier Series Production Rifles Available From Bergara USA

Bergara Premier Series Rifles offer all of the features and performance of Bergara Custom Rifles at affordable prices.

Duluth, Ga. (March 2015) – Bergara USA, a division of Blackpowder Products, Inc. (BPI Outdoors), introduces new production rifles for sport shooters and hunters with the Premier Series BPR-16 Classic and BPR-16 Stalker bolt-action rifles, combining custom looks and performance with the affordability of a production rifle.

Bergara Barrels, already a well-known OEM supplier to several of Bergara BPR 16 Premier Riflethe world’s top rifle manufacturers, entered the custom rifle business three years ago. Incorporating its proprietary rifling process, and under the direction of former Marine sniper rifle builder, Dan Hanus, Bergara’s custom rifles have become widely respected by big game hunters, law enforcement and long-range shooting enthusiasts.

Bergara’s high-performance 416 stainless steel barrels receive a proprietary honing process at its Spanish barrel-making facility. Then, at the Bergara USA factory, this barrel is coupled with the Bergara PREMIUM action, featuring a coned bolt nose and breech and sliding plate extractor. Premier Series BPR-16 rifles are built on your choice of hand-laid fiberglass or Grade 5 highly-figured walnut stocks, both featuring an aluminum bedding block, providing beneficial strength without adding unnecessary weight to the rifle. The barrels and actions receive a Cerakote™ finish, eliminating the glare of the stainless steel and providing extra protection against the elements. A world famous Timney trigger rounds out this rifle’s line-up of best quality components. Read more

Firearms

Smith & Wesson Introduces M&P 22 Compact Suppressor Ready

Suppressor Ready Pistol and Sound Suppressor Adapter Kit Now Available

SPRINGFIELD, MA— As shooting enthusiasts across the nation continue to incorporate the use of sound suppressors in their shooting experience, Smith & Wesson is poised to help extend the trend by offering the new M&P22 Compact Suppressor Ready model. Based on the highly popular M&P22 Compact rimfire pistol, the new suppressor ready model is equipped with a supplemental thread adaptor and packaged with the required installation tools that allow owners to quickly and easily add the suppressor of their choice.

Manufactured entirely in the United States by Smith & Wesson, the .22 LR pistol provides shooting enthusiasts with M&P accuracy and reliability in a new fun-to-shoot, compact profile. Engineered to professional standards, the new tactical rimfire pistol incorporates a variety of features inherent to the design of the full size M&P centerfire pistol in a new, smaller scale suppressor-ready version. Read more

Firearms

How Accurate Are .22 Rounds At 100 Yards?

In the latest “Roy’s Insider Tips” video, American Handgunner Publisher Roy Huntington continues his ongoing quest to discover and share the accuracy, versatility and fun of shooting .22 rounds. In this segment, Roy examines the capabilities of Anschütz bolt–action rifles in .22 LR and .22 Magnum using a variety of ammunition out to 100 yards.

“Even today, after over 50 years of shooting, I can still smile broadly when I have a .22 in my hands,” Roy explains. “It’s not just the memories, but the fact you can have more fun than might be allowed and hardly spend any money doing it!”

In testing varied rifle and ammunition combinations, Roy discovers some interesting possibilities on the use of these two rifles for small-game hunting at longer ranges.

“I think many shooters tend to think of .22’s as short-range propositions,” Roy says. “Some of that comes from cheap rifles and handguns, but much of this notion comes from the fact many people simply don’t take the time to learn to shoot well. At many levels, wringing out the best accuracy from a good .22 rifle at 100 yards is a mini-course in how to become a better rifle shooter. And, there’s something very satisfying about watching those tiny bullets cluster into small groups — almost by magic — ‘way out there’!”

“Roy’s Insider Tips” videos are in response to American Handgunner and GUNS Magazine reader questions, ideas and challenges. In next week’s video Roy takes his Anschütz .22 Magnum out to 200 yards — getting surprising results. If you’d like a question answered or have an idea for a future video, drop Roy a note at editor@americanhandgunner.com.
Contact: Roy Huntington 858-605-0243 or editor@americanhandgunner.com

Ammunition, Firearms

Coast Guard Medevacs Sailor After 66 Days at Sea

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevacs a man from motor vessel Houston Express off the North Carolina coast Thursday, April 2, 2015. The crew aboard Houston Express spotted the man on a disabled sailing vessel and took him aboard approximately 200 miles east of Cape Hatteras. U.S. Coast Guard video by Air Station Elizabeth City

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard medevaced a man who was located on a disabled sailing vessel Thursday approximately 200 miles off the North Carolina coast.

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 5th District Command Center in Portsmouth received notification from the 1,085-foot, German-flagged motor vessel Houston Express at approximately 1:30 p.m., indicating they spotted a man and the vessel approximately 200 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and took him aboard. Read more

General

Dismissed: HSUS Lawsuit to Silence Maine’s Wildlife Professionals

On Friday, April 3, 2015 Maine Superior Court Justice Joyce Wheeler issued a final judgment in the question of the state’s ability to comment on wildlife issues. In her ruling, Wheeler sided with the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and fully dismissed a lawsuit aimed at silencing Maine’s wildlife professionals.

The case started in the closing weeks of the Maine bear campaign over Question 1 on last November’s ballot. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), through their front group Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, sued the state of Maine alleging an improper level of engagement in the. The “state,” in this case, was the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, whose vocal and public opposition to Question 1 didn’t mesh with HSUS’ wish to stop bear hunting in the state.

The original lawsuit sought an injunction that would remove the TV advertisements being aired by the Maine Wildlife Conservation Council that featured department personnel talking about the dangers of Question 1.

“Political campaigns are won and lost on TV, especially in the case of ballot issue campaigns,” said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA Foundation’s vice president of government affairs. “There is no doubt that our opponents saw the wildlife management professionals at the department as a distinct threat to their campaign. In response, they attempted to silence the only true experts—the professional staff at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.”

On Oct. 22, 2014, Maine Superior Court Justice Joyce Wheeler denied the request for a temporary restraining order by Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, which sought to remove television commercials opposed to Question 1. In her ruling, Justice Wheeler sided with the right of the state to provide comment. This ruling ensured the TV commercials remained on the air, and just a few days later sportsmen were victorious at the ballot box, defeating Question 1 by a 53-46 margin. Despite the victory on the temporary restraining order and at the ballot box on Nov. 4, the lawsuit remained active.

In light of judge’s decision and with the election over, on Feb. 24 the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife moved to have the case dismissed because of mootness—a move wholeheartedly supported by Maine Wildlife Conservation Council. However, HSUS lawyer Rachel Wertheime countered that the lawsuit was still valid because the organization would be filing paperwork to once again put a bear-hunting ban initiative on the state’s 2016 ballot.

In her ruling today, Justice Wheeler responded to that motion by fully and finally dismissing the case at the Superior Court level, leaving HSUS, and their front group Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, with few options outside of appeal to the state’s Law (Superior) Court.

“The Superior court already ruled that the state was well within its right to speak out on this issue, and now they have now decided that since the election is over, the case is moot,” said Heusinkveld.  “This ruling just reaffirms our position and is a clear victory for sportsmen and women. There should be no doubt left, the people of Maine deserve to hear from the experts when it comes to these issues.” Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

The North American Virtual Sportshow

The North American Virtual Sportshow announces the Biggest Gun Giveaway Since WWII Sweepstakes.  The sweepstakes will begin April 2, and consumers can easily enter the giveaway here. 

Firearms from Smith & Wesson, CZ, Mossberg, Taurus, Rock River Arms, Heritage, Howa, and Remington will be given away during this sweepstakes. In addition to the firearms, bricks of .22 ammunition will also be given away.  

“We are excited to announce such a great giveaway for outdoor enthusiasts that attend the North American Sportshow,” said David Gray, North American Sportshow President. “Consumers can visit the show online for 10 minutes or two hours, see some great outdoor exhibitors and enter to win some great prizes.”  Read more

Firearms

Food Plots and Habitat Plantings for Game Birds

One aspect of wildlife management that is growing rapidly is the restoration of native habitat and growing crops with game birds like quail and turkey in mind. I am of the opinion that loss of habitat may be the number one factor in a list of many reasons for the steady decline in quail numbers over the last several decades. Turkey on the other hand, have had remarkable success and have a population that is abundant across most of the U.S.

Whether you are trying to attract turkeys and keep them on your property or attempting to provide food and cover for a couple coveys of quail, there are several easy to plant annual crops that can be very beneficial. Millets, sorghum, and sunflowers are all easy to plant warm season annuals that can be planted as stand-alone crops or as a blend like BioLogic’s WhistleBack. A lot of people want to plant something that is providing food within a couple weeks like they do for deer, but it really doesn’t work that way for birds. For game birds we are really trying to create food, cover, and brood habitat that they seek out. Giving the birds all they need through the changing seasons will keep them at home and discourage them from wandering to neighboring properties. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

NRA National Sporting Arms Museum features 16 original works of sporting and wildlife art on loan from Remington Outdoor Company

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Famous works of sporting and wildlife art and historical firearms on loan from Remington Outdoor Company are now on display at the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum. The 7,500-square-foot museum, which traces the evolution of hunting, conservation and freedom, is located at Bass Pro Shops flagship superstore in Springfield, Missouri.

N.C. Wyeth, titled Dangerous Bend.

Museum visitors can see 16 original oil paintings by America’s foremost outdoor artists from the last hundred years. Many of these paintings were used in Remington advertisements and their popular calendars and later displayed throughout the company’s facilities. In those early days, few would have guessed that many of those artists would become icons to later generations and thus some works of art were lost or destroyed.  However, in the 1960s, a rescue mission recovered and restored many of these masterpieces. Today, the Remington Art Collection includes over 400 original works of art and is believed to be the largest collection of sporting and wildlife art in the world. Read more

General

New Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 in Mossy Oak Treestand

KITCHENER, ONTARIO – The new Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 is a hard-hitting powerhouse that’s built for today’s most serious hunter. The Mega 405’s blistering speeds and bone crushing power makes it a highly-capable crossbow for taming the world’s biggest and deadliest game one arrow at a time.

The compact Matrix Mega 405 weighs in at 6.2 pounds and features a 290-pound draw weight, 13.8-inch power stroke, and arrow speeds exceeding 405 fps. And yet it can be comfortably hand-cocked with Excalibur’s efficient T-Handle Crossbow Cocking Rope.

Like the Matrix 380, introduced a year ago, the Matrix Mega 405 features Excalibur’s Compact Recurve Technology. Along with its compact Ergo Grip stock, this crossbow provides stable, in-close, well-balanced control for precision shooting. Further, its shorter, more powerful limbs are 60-percent stronger than Excalibur’s previous standard-setting most-durable limbs. The 405 also features Excalibur’s Quad-Loc riser that contains each limb on four sides for maximum accuracy and consistency.

  • Fewer moving parts – Less to go wrong
  • Bullet proof reliability
  • Fast, accurate
  • No tuning or timing issues
  • Ability to change your string in the field within seconds
  • Ability to de-cock without shooting an arrow

The Matrix Mega 405 Crossbow is offered in Mossy Oak Treestand. For more information, log on to www.excaliburcrossbow.com.

Archery
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