ZeroTech Expands the Thrive HD Lineup with the Thrive HD 1-8×24 LPVO Featuring RAR Illuminated Reticle

Nashville, TN — ZeroTech continues to push the boundaries of low-power variable optics with the launch of the Thrive HD 1-8×24 LPVO RAR Illuminated, engineered for shooters who demand lightning-fast engagement at 1x and confident precision at extended distances.

Designed around versatility and speed, the optic delivers a true 1x experience with a generous 124.8 ft field of view at 100 yards, allowing for rapid target acquisition and fluid transitions in dynamic environments. At 8x, the HD optical system and fully multi-coated glass provide crisp resolution and reliable target identification when precision matters.

Built for Modern Rifles and Real-World Use

The Thrive HD 1-8×24 LPVO features a robust 30mm maintube and is machined from 7075-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum, offering excellent strength without unnecessary bulk. Its streamlined form factor and low-profile turrets make it a natural fit for AR and MSR platforms, whether for duty, competition, or field use. Read more

Optics

Vintage Hunting Gallery—Volume 19

 

From the Boone and Crockett Club

 

Vintage 19 cover

The Packout

Most hunters know that the fun stops once an animal hits the ground for good. Sometimes that means dragging a whitetail a couple of hundred yards. Other times, that means breaking down 1,000 pounds of hide, bone, and meat into manageable chunks. The best stories usually happen the farther you are from your rig. This slideshow features old rigs, pack horses, and plenty of sore backs.

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Chandler Moose

SHIRAS’ MOOSE  

B&C SCORE: 205-1/8
LOCATION: Fremont County, Wyoming
KILL DATE: 1944
HUNTER: Arthur Chandler

In Fremont County, Wyoming, guide Frank Tettering put hunter Arthur Chandler on this Shiras’ moose still in velvet in early September. That moose is the second-largest Shiras’ in the records. Check out the number on that old license plate.
Read more

Hunting

Understanding Bullet Construction and Margin of Error

Courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club

Bullet construction

Why bullet design matters almost as much as practice and proficiency
By Chad Carman

Discussions around bullet selection rival debates over net versus gross and even caliber choice itself. Any online forum, Facebook group, or campfire conversation will offer endless testimonials of animals killed at extreme distances, steep angles, or with equipment that appears mismatched to the task. Those stories are real, and they matter. As a good friend of mine puts it, not many animals survive a bullet placed in the right spot. A well-placed shot through the heart and lungs will kill, regardless of construction. That truth has not changed.

Make no mistake, shot placement remains king. However, bullet construction determines what happens when things don’t go as planned.

Despite the ever-increasing number of hybrid bullet designs on the market, nearly all modern big-game hunting bullets fall into three foundational categories: cup-and-core, bonded, and monolithic copper. You will find combinations that blur those lines, especially as manufacturers apply polymer tips to nearly every option. Even so, understanding the underlying architecture remains critical to making ethical shot decisions in the field, based on conditions, distance, and the animal pursued.

The best bullet is not the most expensive option on the shelf or the one with the highest advertised capability. It is the bullet a hunter is willing to practice with, understands intimately, and can place with confidence when conditions are imperfect

Cup and Core

cup and core
Cup and core bullets consist of a lead core seated inside a copper alloy jacket that is mechanically joined but not bonded. This is the most traditional and widely used hunting bullet design in North America, and for good reason. Lead is an ideal material for controlled expansion. In cup-and-core designs, thinner jackets allow the bullet to upset rapidly upon impact, creating large wound cavities and efficient energy transfer. These bullets are typically accurate, affordable, and highly effective at common whitetail distances. Read more
Ammunition

Ongoing study seeks answers to Michigan’s stagnant moose population

Researchers work to collar a moose in Marquette County in the winter of 2024-2025.

DNR, partners to launch second moose capture in UP

By ANDY HENION
Communications representative, Wildlife Division
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan wildlife researchers are preparing to conduct the second phase of a collaborative study that aims to figure out why the Upper Peninsula moose population remains stubbornly stagnant.This month, researchers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Northern Michigan University plan to capture up to 43 moose from the animals’ core range in the western U.P. and outfit them with GPS tracking collars. In the project’s first phase, in early 2025, 20 moose were captured and collared.Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories in our archive at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNREmail. Read more

Wildlife

Winchester’s Super Suppressed Ammunition Available at Retailers Nationwide

CLAYTON, MO — Super Suppressed® is a premiere line of subsonic ammunition offered by Winchester®. With offerings in centerfire handgun, rimfire, and centerfire rifle, Super Suppressed is one of the most comprehensive subsonic ammunition product lines in the industry. Consumers can find Winchester Super Suppressed products at all major outdoor retailers carrying firearms and ammunition as well as local gun shops and ranges.

For those looking to maximize the performance of their suppressors, subsonic ammunition is a must. Winchester Super Suppressed® ammunition offers clean and reliable performance. It is engineered to keep suppressors cleaner by nearly eliminating lead vaporization from the bullet base. The jacket of the open-tip rifle bullets fully encapsulates the bullet base, while handgun bullets use a unique brass disc that encloses the base of the bullet, both features protect the lead core from high temperature exposure that can cause lead fouling.

Intended for target and range shooting, Winchester Super Suppressed® ammunition pushes velocities below the speed of sound to reduce decibel levels. Pairing subsonic ammunition with a suppressor optimizes noise reduction creating a safer and more enjoyable shooting experience. Read more

Ammunition

Warne Introduces New MaxLite MSR Scope Mount

Warne® announces the release of the new MaxLite™ MSR Scope Mount, a lightweight, value-driven optic mounting solution designed specifically for modern sporting rifles.

The MaxLite MSR Scope Mount is precision-machined from 6061 aluminum, delivering a strong yet lightweight platform. Purpose-built for MSR platforms, the mount features robust construction, proper MSR height, and an ideal forward cantilever to help shooters achieve correct eye relief when running LPVOs and other modern optics. The MaxLite mount is available in both 1-inch and 30mm tube sizes, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of popular scopes. Read more

Firearms

FPC Files Fifth Circuit Brief in Lawsuit Challenging Federal Ban on Interstate Handgun Sales

 

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed its opening brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Elite Precision Customs v. ATF, which challenges the federal laws prohibiting licensed firearm dealers from selling handguns to out-of-state buyers. FPC filed its appeal after the district court wrongly upheld the ban.

FPC is joined in this case by Elite Precision Customs LLC and two individual FPC members. The plaintiffs are represented by David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson, and William V. Bergstrom of Cooper and Kirk, PLLC, along with Cody J. Wisniewski of FPC Action Foundation and R. Brent Cooper of Cooper & Scully, P.C.

The brief was filed at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in New Orleans and covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Read more

Gun Control

Blaser Introduces the R8 Professional 2.0 Rifle

San Antonio, Texas – The Blaser R8 Professional 2.0 is the modern evolution of this iconic straight-pull rifle, with enhanced features to improve your hunting experience.

Featuring a new, ergonomically optimized vertical pistol grip for increased comfort and improved control when firing, the R8 Professional 2.0’s ambidextrous palm swell fits both right- and left-handed shooters. Other enhancements include new molded elastomer grip inserts, manufactured using 2K technology, which have a better surface texture for improved grip in the worst weather conditions. The Diamond Like Carbon A+ (DLC A+) coating of the barrel surface provides the ultimate protection against corrosion and scratches. A height-adjustable comb is now standard and helps you achieve precise alignment in the shooting position at the push of a button, and the receiver is permanently embedded into the synthetic stock for extra protection, enhanced rigidity, and precision. The fore-end also allows mounting a Harris bipod and/or Picatinny rail.

Long known for its speed, accuracy, and durability in the most brutal hunting conditions, this newest R8 is available as a Blaser kit with custom TSA approved hardcase featuring pre-cut interior foam for extra protection on your global adventures. In addition to slots for the rifle, there is space for two rifle scopes, a scope mount, and extra barrel for easy storage. The R8 2.0 takes this newest generation R8 to a higher level.

“The R8 Professional 2.0 kit is an upgraded system for Blaser owners in the United States and, for added convenience, all existing R8 parts fit this newly designed stock and receiver,” said Jason Evans, CEO, Blaser Group. “The hard case is also an attractive element of the new system for our customers who travel the globe to hunt and also those who hunt closer to home and value an improved storage option.”

Available in Black Brown and Dark Olive, three stock length options are available – 14.56 inch is standard, but customers can easily exchange for 13.97-inch or 15.35-inch length.

Five different packages are offered through Blaser Premium Dealers from Rifle Only to a Rifle and Optics Package with QDC.

MSRP: Starting at $5,500 Read more

Firearms

Smith & Wesson Partners with Lipsey’s to Release Exclusive Field Ethos Model 36

Crafted with the finest materials and precision engineering, this limited-release J-Frame is designed with iconic features, enhanced to meet the demands of today’s shooters. The Model 36 Field Ethos revolver is chambered in .38 Special +P and has a 5-shot capacity. Its no-lock frame and 1.88-inch barrel feature a blued carbon-steel finish that perfectly complements the installed Tyler Gunworks premium walnut boot grips. Out of the box, this model ships with a fixed gold bead front sight and integral notch-in-frame rear sight, ensuring a classically reliable sight picture. As a product of Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center, this Model 36 receives an action job before leaving the factory, resulting in a smooth, consistent trigger pull. This revolver is double-action only, features a bobbed hammer for ease of concealment, and displays a specially engraved Field Ethos trademark on its side plate.

Experience the perfect balance of timeless craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology with the new Performance Center Field Ethos Model 36. For more information, visit www.smith-wesson.com. Read more

Firearms

Mule Deer Foundation Statement on Catalina Island Extermination Bill

The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) has released a statement on the following legislation passed for exterminating mule deer on Catalina Island in California:

The Mule Deer Foundation is aware that mule deer were introduced to Catalina Island in the 1920s and are not historically native. However, their long presence has made them a valued part of the landscape to many Californians for ecotourism and recreation. As mule deer across the West and California have been in decline for more than 60 years, it is disappointing to see deer entirely removed from yet another location rather than being managed at sustainable levels. Science shows that some grazing can be compatible with healthy ecosystems, and experts have raised concerns that complete removal could unintentionally increase wildfire risk by allowing fine fuels to accumulate. The Mule Deer Foundation (muledeer.org) stands ready to help develop science-based management frameworks for Catalina Island that reduce impacts while maintaining a controlled deer presence consistent with public values.

Greg Sheehan
President/CEO
Mule Deer Foundation Read more

Wildlife
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