You learn a lot about turkey loads and shotguns after you send several dozen patterns down range in the name of research. For starters, I think I’ll stick to a 20 gauge next spring after putting my shoulder through the wringer. The devastating patterns from some of the 20-gauge loads also made that an easy decision.A few of these points might seem like no-brainers, but they still warrant explanation based on the findings. Regardless, all of these points should come as good news for hunters considering upgrades to their existing turkey guns. Here are a few things I learned from…

The best turkey hunting shotguns shoot consistently tight patterns with the right choke and ammo. Aside from that, there are other details that make them more desirable in the turkey woods. For instance, lightweight, shorter guns make it easy to maneuver when you’re run-and-gunning or need to pivot when that gobbler makes an unexpected loop. Red dots allow you to see more of your target as it bobs and weaves through the timber. And camo? Cool but not necessary.This isn’t a comprehensive list. Your favorite one might not be part of the test I conducted, but that doesn’t mean it’s…

Thompson/Center Arms is known for two things. One is establishing the American-made muzzleloading market starting in the early 1970s. The other is the Contender, a modular and barrel-switching single-shot system that could be configured as a rifle, handgun or shotgun, which was later expanded to the Encore line capable of accepting higher-pressure cartridges. The original company was sold to Smith & Wesson in 2007 and subsequently phased out. In 2024, former owner Gregg Ritz purchased the company back and returned it to its Rochester, N.H., birthplace. New for 2026, the company has introduced and expanded the modern take on the…

00:00:02 Speaker 1: Welcome to this special bonus drop of Backwoods University. We put out these bonus episodes on occasion when something on the extraordinary scale comes to our attention, and this is very well one of those times. If you remember, back in the fall, we published an episode called Pogy Boats where we dove into a long standing conflict between the commercial menhaden fishing industry and recreational fishermen, charter fishermen, and kind of the conservation community in that area. We talked about by catch concerns, which bycatch is non target fish or other aquatic wildlife that wind up…

While it’s certainly a saturated marketplace these days, the AR-15 has never been more popular with American firearm enthusiasts, and many manufacturers are continuing to feed the need with new options loaded with new features. For the year 2026, the flow of new rifles hasn’t stopped, and there are a few notable examples worth examining. From the budget-priced to the fully loaded, here are seven new AR-style rifles out this year. Hi-Point | Model HP-15 Rifle M81Hi-Point’s HP-15 lineup has expanded to include hydro-dipped camo patterns (and a gold Cerakote, if you really want attention) with a few nice ergonomic…

00:00:10 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This is Col’s Week in Review with Ryan col Calahan. Here’s CAP. A new study looked at coked up Atlantic salmon. Yes you heard that right. Researchers in Sweden completed a research project that assessed the effects of cocaine and its metabolite benzil ech john in ech jonen benzelec jinen. Well, it’s a mouthful on fish. To do this, they fed hatchery Smoltz slow released drug capsules before releasing them into a lake, and then studied their behavior and survival rates. The high salmon swam about twenty percent…

00:00:08 Speaker 1: This is the me Eater podcast coming at you shirtless, severely, bug bitten, and in my case, underware listening podcast. 00:00:18 Speaker 2: You can’t predict anything. 00:00:20 Speaker 1: Brought to you by first Light. When I’m hunting, I need gear that won’t quit. First Light builds, no compromise, gear that keeps me in the field longer, no shortcuts, just gear that works. Check it out at first light dot com. That’s f I R S T l I t E dot com. Holy Smokes were joined today by paleontologists and writer Steve Brussati, who has…

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DA Targets produces an innovative line of polymer, self-healing, reactive targets. They have silhouette targets. They have gong targets. And they have knock down targets, too. Like other reactive targets, knock down targets make an excellent training aid. The marksman doesn’t need to wait to inspect a target following a series of shots in order to find out how well he is shooting. Instead, the target reacts immediately, providing instant feedback about the effectiveness of each shot. This provides more accurate and powerful reinforcement of marksmanship skills. It is also a lot more fun. One of DA Targets’ most innovative…

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