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Shotshell ammunition is a bit more complex than centerfire rifle, pistol or revolver ammunition. With shotguns and shotshells, you need to know the gauge of the shotgun and the length of its chamber, but you must also consider shot and payload size and velocity. The total understanding of shotshell ballistics seems more like a soft than hard science, and ironically, when it comes to shotgun shooting, the practice seems to have more feel to it than the absolute of shooting rifles and handguns. To help you better understand shotshells, here’s a look at the basics of shotshell cartridges, shotshell pressures…

This Week in History: On June 16, 1779 US General Anthony Wayne (pictured) captured Stony Point, New York, inflicting heavy losses on the British. — June, 1462: Vlad III the Impaler (the inspiration for “Dracula”) attempted to assassinate Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in a night attack at Târgoviște. But the failure of that attack forced him to retreat from Wallachia. — And in 1873: US President Ulysses Grant declared a portion of Wallowa Valley, Oregon are a reservation for the Nez Perce Native American tribe. But the order was rescinded two years later and the tribe was forcibly re-located to…

My dad hauled a beat-up old pop-up camper into the Virginia mountains every deer season. It wasn’t much more than a tent on wheels, just some canvas walls, a tiny two-burner stove, and barely enough room for two people to stand up. But after a hard day of climbing steep ridges and toughing out frigid conditions, it felt like a little slice of heaven. It had just enough room to peel out of wet clothes, warm up a meal, and then climb into sleeping bags on thin mattresses instead of the cold, hard ground.That little camper didn’t need a list…

Armed Citizen® Today On Memorial Day, a 27-year-old man whose motives were unknown allegedly began shooting inside the Price Chopper grocery store in Pleasant Hill, Mo. He struck a teen worker and fatally struck a 45-year-old woman inside the store, but when approached by two armed citizens, he turned his gun on himself. The suspect was nonetheless reported to be in stable condition at the hospital and is facing charges of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of first-degree assault. The teen was also listed in stable condition. The police chief praised the two armed…

To say that lever-action rifles have gone tactical recently would be a bit of an understatement. Adding skeletonized stocks and M-Lok fore-ends to these traditional rifles have introduced a new generation to their benefits. A new collaboration between modern lever-action specialists Ranger Point Precision and Line49 Rifle transforms Henry’s groundbreaking Lever Action Supreme Rifle(LASR). Line49 Rifle’s LASR conversions add enhancements to Henry’s groundbreaking lever-action rifle. Introduced in 2025, Henry’s LASR sought to transform the lever gun world, with features like an adjustable trigger, free-floating barrel and AR-magazine compatibility, in a compact package that came chambered for modern AR-style cartridges. It…

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I love making and shooting lead projectiles for my 1911 pistols chambered in .45 ACP. My standard load consists of a 200-grain Lyman 452460 bullet seated over a healthy charge of Unique powder in a Winchester case, initiated by a Federal large pistol primer that chronographs slightly slower than 1,000 fps. It is more accurate than I can shoot, and it stops varmints as well as game animals decisively. Being a fan of Colt pistols, I picked up a used Single Action Army chambered in .45 Colt not too long ago, to go along with a .45 Colt Ruger Vaquero…

Sightmark launched its first family of prismatic riflescopes: the Strikon FMP (Fixed Magnification Prismatic) and the Strikon VMP (Variable Magnification Prismatic). Developed for modern sporting rifles, home-defense carbines, hunting shotguns and competitive shooting, the Strikon family represents Sightmark’s entry into a growing optic category with the company’s hallmark commitment to rugged, accessible performance. Prismatic riflescopes use a glass-prism system rather than the traditional erector-tube configuration in most scopes. This results in a shorter, more compact optical package that delivers greater edge-to-edge clarity, reduced distortion and a brighter picture without added bulk. The Strikon FMP and VMP bring that technology to…

The National Rifle Association is inviting Americans, coast-to-coast, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States—and the freedom for which it stands—by exercising their rights by participating in the “ARC Across America” National Challenge. The nationwide competitive shooting event, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, brings responsible firearm owners together in friendly competition while learning new skills and honoring the traditions that helped found and shape this great nation. The challenge allows firearm owners across the country to compete in ARC matches at participating clubs and ranges and see where they rank against fellow competitors nationwide. At…