Sportsmans News

As a firearms instructor, I get to see a variety of trends come and go. One which has been growing for a while with no sign of slowing down is the number of female shooters getting into personal protection and hunting.

Others are also starting to recognize this trend. An article from the Daily Beast looks at the trend not just in women getting into the shooting sports but also the buying power they control. You can read it here.

I am excited to see more women getting involved. I am also excited to see more companies realizing what a lucrative market woman shooters are becoming. Typically guys will buy gear and use it until they lose it or wear it out. Women on the other hand like to keep up with new products and styles coming out and so they buy more often. Retailers and manufacturers are seeing this and are increasing their offerings of products available for women. Also, great companies like Prois are offering outdoor products just for women.

The best part of all of this, is that sport that has been dominated by men for so long and has typically been seen by non-shooters as a male domain, has been exceptionally accepting and supportive of this shift. In general, the shooting sports have always been open to diverse groups joining. I remember when I was a range officer for the NRA we had a group of gay shooters called the Pink Pistols.  They would come to the range in a large groups all dressed in pink shirts. Concerned about how they were being treated by the macho bunch of guys who normally frequented the range, I asked one of them if they were ever given a hard time by anyone at the range. I was told that everyone at the range treated the Pink Pistols with respect and were very friendly and accepting. I was also told that the only problems they encountered were from the gay community.

I have always been proud of my affiliation with the shooting sports community, and stories like that make me even prouder. It is important that we make sure anyone who comes into contact with a gun knows how to safely handle it, and teaching our wives and children how to use it is an important step in keeping them safe. I had two students recently who were husband and wife and I assumed like a typical male oaf that the husband was getting his wife into shooting. How surprised was I to learn that the wife had started shooting with some friends and was dragging her husband along to learn how to shoot.

I am glad to see that not only are woman getting into the sport, but they are taking an equal standing in the shooting sports. Based upon the performance of some of my friends, like Julie Golski Golob and Connie Tomsovic, it won’t be long before women dominate this sport. Strangely enough, I am okay with that.

Sportsman’s News has put together an absolute great group of guns to give away during the 2011 year to those who qualify and participate in our forum. This forum is a great place to share your stories, photos, and video from all of your hunting, fishing, and other outdoor excursions. We will be giving away one gun a month starting at the end of April for those who participate in the forum. Registration is the very first start. We will be drawing one winner out of every person who registers at the end of April. We will be giving away a Smith and Wesson M&P .223 rifle (black gun). Qualifications are fairly simple. You will need to register on this Sportsman’s News website and start participating in this forum. Every time a person gets an additional 25 posts, they will get another draw in the hat for the following month’s give away. You will also need to meet all legal requirements of regular gun purchase to win. The gun will be sent to either the nearest Sportsman’s Warehouse or a licensed FFL dealer in your area. Best of luck to all and I look forward to all of your posts. Click here to get the ball rolling and register on Sportsmansnews.com.

Wyoming starting a bonus point system 5 years ago. So, if you were interested in hunting Wyoming back then, you could have as many as 5 bonus points going into this years application period. Wyoming is a great place to hunt. They have some great elk, deer, and antelope and you won’t have to wait a lifetime to draw. I hunt Wyoming every year with a 2nd choice on my application which allows me to build a bonus point each year and still get to hunt. You only use your points if you draw your first choice. Wyoming is a great state and everyone should apply for the species they desire to hunt. The elk draw is already out, but if you missed it, there will be a points only time to apply later this summer. This buck was a great heavy horned 3 point that was 5 years old and taken in a unit that can be drawn with a second choice every year.

To commemorate the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, 5.11 Tactical will offer a special clothing line with the purpose of raising money for three funds that pay tribute to those who serve the public safety.

“The goal is to raise $750, 000 in total to the funds through this support program,” said Dan Costa, 5.11 Tactical’s CEO. “We are so grateful to the men and women who put their lives on the line every day for us. This is one way  to show public safety officers across the country that we will not forget their sacrifices.”

With input from public safety officers, 5.11 Tactical created an anniversary logo that honors the heroes of 9/11. The logo features the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the number 93 to commemorate flight 93 that was forced down by passengers in Shanksville, PA.

The logo will be embroidered on a special line of clothing that will only be available through On-line sales on 5.11 Tactical’s website, www.511tactical.com/911. One hundred percent of the profits from sales of these garments will be donated to the three funds; The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, The FDNY Foundation EMS Fund, and The FDNY Foundation Firefighters Fund.

The garments and bags are available for delivery in May of 2011, but pre-orders will be accepted online starting March 1, 2011. Orders may be placed at www.511tactical.com/911.
It is hoped that people will purchase a hat, wallet, shirt, or bag and that it will generate interest from others who might also purchase an item and contribute to the cause.

Eight products, including shirts, bags, wallets, and hats, will carry the special 9/11 logo. One hundred percent of the profits, up to $750,000 will be donated to the three public safety officer’s funds.

Trade shows are an integral part of life for any manufacturer.  Despite the fact that the show circuit appears to be fun, it is something more akin to chewing on tinfoil.  After four seasons on the circuit, I have constructed some points of insight from the road… Continue Reading

By Steve McGrath

Have you ever heard the cliché, “variety is the spice of life?” I grew up with it being used on an almost daily basis, though I still believe it was just a ploy by my mother to get me to eat more vegetables. After hearing it so often, I swore that it would be erased from not only my memory, but from any future references in my life. I broke my own promise after visiting Alaska this past summer.
Like most of you reading this article, I have long since had Alaska in my sights. Continue Reading

By Stephen B. Owen

Can there be any greater dream for a southern boy than to hunt the wilds of Alaska? That is exactly where I found myself recently when my best friend Chris invited me to go on a moose hunt with him southeast of Fairbanks. While in Fairbanks buying a new scope at Sportsman’s Wharehouse (I just love airline baggage handlers) I picked up a copy of the Sportsman’s News. On my return trip to Tennessee from the moose hunt I began reading my copy of the Sportsman’s News. The articles led me to thinking about my greatest hunts of all time. The hunt I had just completed had to rank right at the top. After re-sighting my rifle, Chris and I flew into base camp on August 31, 2010 the day before the season opener. We awoke to fresh coffee and blue berry pancakes on what looked to be a very promising day as moose were spotted from camp. Four days of at a spike camp, 13 miles of up, over and around mountains and tundra, I returned to base camp with a really magnificent moose on my first moose-hunting attempt. Everything from spotting the moose, to stalking him, to standing for three and a half hours waiting for him to move into position, to pulling the trigger was dream perfect.  Definitely a fabulous hunt to remember, but could it compare with my Dall sheep hunt from the previous year? Continue Reading

By Shawn Monson

The chains begin to rattle and shake, the familiar clicking sound begins as the hoist raises the last deer kill of my Alberta season.  With a final click the deer comes to rest in mid air.  The chains secure its height, and I stare at the carcass as it slowly sways back and forth.  The tools of the skinning shack are quickly snatched up and the sound of sharpening knives snap me out of my trance.  The bitter sweet sounds always remind me of the experience and relationships built every year we are there. Continue Reading

After spending years of shooting a custom rifle, I was very concerned about possibly going back to a factory rifle, but I was told by Scott Grange at Browning that I wouldn’t be disappointed in the performance of the new factory guns.
Our test gun is an X-Bolt which was developed in 2008.  More specifically, we had our hands on an X-Bolt Stainless Stalker in Carbon Fiber.  After years of producing the tried and true A-Bolt, Browning developed this new model which has some pretty good improvements to cater to the guys like me who have been shooting a custom rifle for years, but don’t want to pay the custom gun prices. Continue Reading

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By Kent Danjanovich

The Shot Show was another rousing success this year and many manufacturers unveiled new and exciting additions to their firearm lines.  The following is a list of some of the new models for 2011.  Stop in, pick one up and find out a little bit more about these new additions at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse.
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