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Early fall dove shoots are a tradition throughout much of the country. In many ways, dove shoots herald the start of the hunting season. Volleys of shots reverberate around farm country as shotgunners face the humbling experience that often accompanies taking a crack at the fast-flying birds.
For all of the current firearm owners and recreational shooters out there, there are many others who have thought about going to the range or owning a firearm but don’t know where to start. Let’s talk about some of the simple things you should know that can help you get to the range!
Within each eNewsletter, we’ll share engaging information in the shooting sports world including upcoming events, tips from Team Winchester and how to get more involved shooting sports world. In addition, we’ll showcase products that will help you prepare for time spent on the range with family and friends, or, for your next competition. Once again, welcome to the Winchester Shooting Sports eNewsletter!
Desi Edmunds
Hundreds of fellow shooters came to congratulate Matthew Bartholow after notching another incredible accomplishment. He just stepped off the line after winning the 2022 World Doubles Championship at the Grand American World Trapshooting Championships put on by the American Trapshooting Association in Sparta, IL. This shoot is the largest event of its kind. It attracts shooters from all over the world, spanning several days with more than 20 events to compete in. To say Matthew was brimming with emotion was an understatement.
The Amateur Trapshooting Association’s World Doubles Championship, held at the Grand in August, 2021, at the World Shooting & Recreational Complex in Sparta, IL, was particularly memorable, and a point of pride for Winchester.
Like a boss, this buckskin wearing bad boy was a showmen, a soldier, and last but not least a mighty hunter. What’s more impressive than him earning the Congressional Medal of Honor during the American Civil War, or taking 4,000 plus bison in a year in a half to feed Kansas Pacific Railroad workers, is that his legacy and memories live on and are enshrined in Cody Wyoming as if the man never died. As the saying goes, “Hero’s get remembered, but Legends never die.” - The Sandlot
You bought a new shotgun, and now you need shells for it. So you run down to the local gun shop to buy some. But then you see all the mumbo jumbo on the box--Dram Equivalent? Ounces? Shot Size?--and uh, you’re confused! Well, don’t be. Instead, read this!
If you’re searching for a more capable round in terms of terminal performance, and don’t mind larger-framed guns and added recoil, then don’t neglect the 10mm Auto.
When shooting a handgun, it’s very tempting to point the gun where you are looking and expect to hit your intended target. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen like that.
If you bought a handgun for concealed carry purposes—great job! Bear in mind that learning to use a firearm for self-defense involves much more than simply shooting bullseyes on a range, where everything is easy. After the fundamentals—proper stance, grip, sight alignment and trigger squeeze—are mastered, try these two defensive drills.
Hunters often flock to the Lone Star state to dial in on whitetail deer and mule deer. When the Winchester crew visited Texas in January, they had their sights set on antlers. But the hunters got a firsthand look at the wild pig problem in Texas…and got the chance to take a shot at swine.
It’s heartbreaking for a hunter to land the shot, but not locate the buck. We know the scene: The blood trail stops. The search slows. You finally have to admit to yourself that maybe that bruiser is gone……and steals some of your pride and ego right along with it. The trek back to the truck empty-handed can feel like a walk of shame. But there’s no real shame in it, because it happens to the best of us.
The time has come.
When the rut is on, it’s on. A flip is switched. The big bucks move, while you stay still in the stand…hoping all of your hard work will pay off. If you’re shooting Winchester, reliability and power will be delivered every single time. But you need to make sure you’re in the stand when those bucks are on the move.
The skills involved in safe shooting, whether at paper or steel targets or flying clay ones, are the same as those prized in many other athletic disciplines: concentration, hand-eye coordination, breath control. Those, along with the wish to acquire the knowledge to handle and shoot firearms proficiently, are what make the thought of shooting so attractive to so many who have yet to give it a try.
Are you ready for hunting season?
Now there is Foster and Matt Bartholow, the Hardy Boys of the Amateur Trapshooting Association.
If you compare the Bartholows to the Hardy Boys as they shoot their way to singles-, doubles-,*handicap-*, and team-championship fame, then the event where they have had the most spectacular impact, the Grand American World Trapshooting Championship in Sparta, Illinois, a summertime institution for more than a century, could be thought of as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally of trap–an appropriate analogy for two brothers from Rapid City, South Dakota, only 30 miles from Sturgis.
Exhibition shooting has a strong history in America. The sport continues to evolve and grow. Legendary exhibition shooters have helped paved the way for professionals nowadays, including brothers Steve and Aaron Gould.
Passion is packaged in all different ways. The Gould Brothers’ passion comes in the art form of precision: shooting exactly when and where they want, and doing it in style. Their impeccable, show-stopping shooting skills have earned them the reputation as the “World’s Best Exhibition Shooting Team.”
If you’re going to be the best, you need to use the best…which is why the Gould Brothers use Winchester.
You don’t need experts to teach your children about everything. Parents teach safety when it comes to everyday situations, like the swimming pool or crossing the street. Parents start their children down the correct path in life in these areas and many others.
We know where the squad car keys are, we know how to start it. We keep it free from snow when Mark is gone in case another trooper needs it. In Wisconsin, this is funny because sometimes in winter, it seems futile.
This year, my eldest son Tim who is 19 has worked instructing in pistol and carbine courses in Utah with Tactical Performance Center. Not only has he taught competition shooters, but also brand new shooters, law enforcement and military. While some kids get a job at their local Dairy Queen, there are jobs out there that can help a youth grow not just his or her bank account, but skills with people and situations that most young people won’t ever have to tackle.
Winchester Ammunition has been recognized as the choice of champion shooters for generations. Shotgun competitors have depended on the quality of Winchester AA shotgun shells since 1965, while Winchester has been proud to see the heights to which those shooters can ascend with the brand’s’s ammunition in their guns.
Frank was born in the “Cornhusker” state of Nebraska in 1988, and he was nine when he began shooting with his dad. When Frank’s passion for shotgun shooting began, Frank was particularly attracted to sporting clays.
This is the basic principle, but while using this formula, we realize there are different types of sight picture. Each has a place, depending on the target and style of shooting. From close paper targets we see in some competitions, to refined shots requiring accuracy and finesse, there are different ways we use sights. There is a need to understand what YOU need to see to make those shots.
The question then becomes, home much are you willing to spend in effort? Dry fire can help even the newest shooter because they will learn safe gun handling habits, how to move with a firearm, how to change magazines, transition, “see faster” - all without the need for ammo or travelling to and from the range. So grab your empty gun, mags, holster and mag holders and let’s check out some simple dry fire exercises to help you improve your handgun shooting.
Two of the biggest areas where you can make the most improvement are in the stance and grip. How you stand and how you hold the gun will have a much bigger impact on how you shoot the gun than almost anything. Start at the ground, build up & lean into it.
I’m going to talk about them each in relation to competition to help you figure out if the gun YOU have at home is one you could take out and compete with.
I am active on many social media channels. My job in marketing revolves around the use of the Internet and social media. However, I always feel life would be simpler and people would truly connect more with the outdoors if they didn’t have access to the world at the tip of their fingers at any given moment.
The one thing that came unexpected were the comments I received from fellow hunters questioning why on earth I would ever need or want a suppressor on a hunting rifle. I understand that everyone seems to have an opinion online, but I didn’t expect this from hunters.
Because it will make you a better shot. And it could save the day if you’re faced with a puzzling set of shooting conditions. Ballistic calculators are computer programs based on physics. Scientists have long known what happens to projectiles thrown through the atmosphere.
Unlike a handgun, with its short sight plane, a longer shotgun is much easier to aim, particularly by less skilled shooters during a stressful moment. A shotgun also throws a wider pattern than a single projectile, allowing for poor aim, likely to be made poorer by a stressful situation such as a home break-in or defensive situation.
Maybe we can clear some confusion if we take a hard look at the old 300 Winchester Magnum and the newer 300 Winchester Short Magnum to gain a clearer understanding of what they do. First, both of these powerful magnum rounds exist for the extra reach and punch many shooters demand. North America and Africa harbor good to excellent numbers of large, tough, antlered or horned animals.
However, visions of big bucks dance through my head along with hearing my dad’s voice say, “You’re not going to shoot anything if you’re not out there.” So, I gear up and head out. Through trial and error, I have found some simple yet inexpensive and effective ways to fend off the cold and hunt comfortably in the field for longer durations. Here are my tips and tricks to stay warm in the field this late season:
Think about it, the bullet only has a few inches of barrel to travel down so the slightest dip in the barrel or flinch of the shooter can alter the trajectory drastically in just a few short yards of travel. To improve your ability to fire a handgun accurately, focus on these three aspects of grip for better trigger control and, ultimately, a better aim.
In many sports, training includes some aspect of learning to focus exclusively on the task at hand, filtering out distractions. In endeavors such as putting, basketball free-throws, billiards and pitching, athletes practice blocking out all distractions and using visualization…
Don’t be a hobbyist in the area of defensive skill development. It is great if you gain pleasure from knowing that you are better able to defend yourself or your family if you need to. But, if the only reason that you train is because you enjoy it, you will inevitably start compromising your training… you’ll start deferring to techniques that you perform best in the training environment, not the ones that would serve you best in a fight.
I’ve been in camps where everyone is so exhausted by the time dark comes that food preparation is the last thing anyone cares about. When this is the case, I’ve found a great solution: freeze dried meals. Most people think that freeze dried food would be a last resort or something that is less than desirable to eat. This may have been the case years ago, but this is an area that has really come a long way!
Have you thought about how you can improve your safety by planning to work together with other armed people during a defensive event? Have you considered that not being prepared to interact with other armed people could put you at risk? Here are some tips to help you be safer and be better prepared to deal with threats when there is more than one armed “good guy” on the scene:
Let’s face it, even though live-fire drills are critical to becoming a skilled shooter (and are much more fun), the cost can add up quickly for a lot of people making it difficult to put in the training time needed. Dry-fire drills can be done every day in the privacy and convenience of your home and best of all, they don’t cost a thing. But safety first.
For this match, I helped my friend Cyndi get her rifle zeroed and a little practice in, then we headed to the match. First, we checked out what vendors had to offer at side stages with her mother in law Jane. Them we got Cyndi shooting a pistol for the first time since she was last at a ladies event. Then we got ready for the match with things such as loading mags and organizing gear, listening to stage briefs with the other women in our squad, and then shooting.
Come along on this Winchester video blog with Becky Yackley to learn how to easily and quickly clean your AR platform rifle. Deer season is fast-approaching…you’ll be glad you did.
But for many buyers a lot of questions surround not only which firearm to purchase, but primarily, what caliber it should be. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of many of the top defensive handgun calibers available.
Take a peek at some shooting and scenes from a weekend match. This match was the Generation III Gun Championship in Lake of the Ozarks, MO. The event is a fundraiser to support youth who compete in 3 Gun, and they even had a shoot-off where juniors (kids under 18) picked adults to shoot a head-to-head stage with them while competitors waited for scores from the match to be tallied. Out of the 209 shooters, there were 31 juniors and 23 ladies competing in this match.
There are many variations of kits, you can buy one that will only have the tools for your specific gun or you can purchase one that includes attachments for various different guns. If you have a kit that has several bore brush sizes, be sure to match the appropriate cleaning brushes with the gun you are cleaning to avoid damage and ensure you have a clean gun once finished!
Team USA, powered by Winchester Ammunition, is off to a great start having earned four medals and five top-10 finishes thus far. Ashley Carroll (Solvang, California) and Derek Haldeman (Sunbury, Ohio) have led the charge as Carroll finished sixth in Women’s Trap and Haldeman finished fifth in Men’s Trap. The two then went on to earn a bronze medal in the Mixed Team Trap event Monday. The Trap Mixed Team event will make its debut as an Olympic event in Tokyo in 2020.
Practice shooting from field positions using prone, sitting, kneeling and standing positions with and without assistance from bipods, monopods and the like. Come along on this insightful video blog from Ron Spomer to learn more.
Come along on this video blog from Becky Yackley to see just how simple cleaning a pistol cab be. From disassembly, to an entire cleaning regime to putting the pistol back together…you will see all the steps that go into it. We hope you enjoy this latest video blog from Winchester.
Training at realistic distances will help you gain an accurate understanding of your ability to do so. Your most likely defensive shooting distance is influenced by where you spend your time while armed or with access to a defensive firearm. If you only have a gun staged in your bedroom, then you can predict the distance you would be shooting if someone broke through your secured bedroom door to a high degree of certainty.
The physical variables that give bodies with larger muscles and longer limbs an edge are a matter of physics. Even in this modern day where girls are told not they can “do anything,” there are certain things that certain individuals cannot physically do. A 5′ tall person will not be able to reach something that a 6’3” person can, without artificial help.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and other major industry manufactures, including Winchester, are supporting this initiative to showcase the positive benefits the shooting sports contribute to communities across North America. Online, messaging promoting the month is being noted with#LETSGOSHOOTING.
In our Intuitive Defensive Shooting Courses, we spend 15-20 minutes just talking about the concepts I am about to share with you and then spend a lot of time engaging in the reality based application of those concepts into our live fire drills. First, let’s define “Assessment:” Collecting and Processing Information.
To Navy pilots practicing touch and goes on a carrier deck, and a surgeon doing years of residency to perfect his art, the only way to get better at anything is to practice it over and over. And along the way, some good instruction is critical. Shooting is no different.
Both Rob and I agree that you generally don’t want to try shooting and moving at the same time during a defensive gun use: Plant & Shoot! But, what about the times that you are not actually shooting? When you are drawing your gun, when you are reloading or if you have to clear a malfunction, it probably makes a lot of sense to be moving.
For youth, the promise is that for time spent shooting with supervised qualified Range Officers who adhere to safety measures that govern competitions, groundwork for being a lifelong gun owner with safe firearms handling skills is laid. Furthermore, what is established are good gun habits that will be passed down for generations.
One thing many people forget about is practicing for wing-shooting! I shoot my bow and rifles year round, but many people forget about taking their shotguns out to shoot clay targets. Not only can this be a lot of fun, you’ll find it’s super helpful to improving your wing-shooting this fall.
But, I am not alone in realizing the many drawbacks to having seemingly endless technologies available at our fingertips 24/7, 365 days a year. These drawbacks become especially present in regards to our developing youth and a growing disconnect with nature and the environment around them!
Twelve of the USA’s best junior shotgun athletes have made their way there to compete in the lone World Cup dedicated specifically to Junior shotgun athletes in the ISSF season. For most of the U.S. team, it also serves as a warm-up for the ISSF World Championship for Shotgun in Moscow, Russia starting later this month.
First, think about what type of hunts you have planned for the fall and decide what ammunition will be best. What I love about Winchester is they have done such a good job of making specific ammo for specific needs. For example, I’m shooting DeerSeason XP in preparation for several mule deer & whitetail hunts this coming fall.
Envision the target or if actually using something as a target, bring the butt of the gun smoothly to the shoulder, swing the gun from behind the target catching up to it, and the eye should automatically align down the barrel and looking at the target.
By eliminating as much human error as possible via a solid anchor, you can determine what your rifle and ammo are doing without worrying that YOU may have pulled a shot. Here’s what you need.
She was confused, said yes, and as she pulled away, realized what he was doing – helping an elderly man who was out mowing his lawn. The number of shares and comments highlighted how out of place it’s become for young people to help the elderly and for people to just be decent to each other. To put themselves aside and think of others.
The Grand American World Trapshooting Championships (known simply as the Grand American to competitors) kicks off Aug. 2 and will run for 10 days through Aug. 12. It is the 118th year of the Grand American as the first one was held in 1900. The championships feature more than 24 shooting events in which shotgun competitors to go head to head including events for singles, doubles, handicap and even sub-gauges.
Proper handgun fit will make it easier for you to hold the gun, aim the gun, shoot the gun, manage recoil, reload the gun and clear malfunctions. If your gun doesn’t fit your hand as well as possible, it will compromise your performance in one or more of those areas. Proper Handgun fit starts with making sure that you can hold the gun in a way that deactivates any grip safety and allows you to actuate the trigger while the first knuckle of your strong hand thumb is positioned to the weak side of the frame of the gun.
They also meet adults, see new faces and places. But there’s a sport that will not only introduce them to new people nearby, but new people all over the country and world. That sport is shooting. Since 2012, our boys have seen most corners of the US, as well as Italy and Russia. They’ve seen America first-hand. Not from geography books, but with their own eyes.
Rifles and shotguns are often more powerful than handguns and increase your ability to hit your target under circumstances beyond two arms reach, especially for those with less training and practice. In any case, be sure that you have trained to use your firearm under dynamic circumstances and stage it responsibly in your home to prevent unauthorized access.
Unfortunately, in the last 10-years, I haven’t been able to do as much of it as I would like to. However there is still no reason not to practice to ensure good shooting should the opportunity arise. Many people don’t have the ability to shoot trap in their backyard like I did when I was a kid, me included today. So what’s a great way to practice and still have some fun this summer? Join a trap league!
This video will give you a visual of what the choke patterns look like and help you to decide what choke is best for the type of shooting or hunting you will be doing. I hope this video gives you a better understanding of what choke you should use before heading out on your next adventure!
Remember that these tactics revolve around protecting yourself or those you care about inside of your house or apartment, not protecting your belongings or the home itself.
For many years, I believed in the “bigger is better” theory of defensive handgun rounds. About a decade ago, I started paying more attention to the engineering and performance of modern 9mm rounds and I made the switch. I have no lack of confidence in the 9mm round when I recommend to students or carry for the protection of myself and those I care about.
Learning with play while engaged in an activity we are interested in is a strong way to learn. You can turn summer play time into a way to teach firearms safety. Let the kids practice with BB guns, squirt guns, rubber band guns, marshmallow guns… They will learn firearms safety with simple toys.
To continue the celebration of the Games, The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has instituted June 23 as “Olympic Day.” Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO., the USOC serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. It is responsible for the training, entering and funding of U.S teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, while serving as a steward of the Olympic Movement throughout the country.
However, according to most experts, the two terms can be used interchangeably. In fact, Hiram Percy Maxim, who invented the suppressor, named his original device, the Maxim Silencer. Regardless of what you call it, confusion and information abounds around this device that is heavily regulated in the United States, but can be purchased over the counter in Europe where it almost considered rude to shoot without one.
For quick cleaning, I usually do three things: clean the action, clean the slide, clean the bore. This isn’t a deep clean, but just a quick going over. This is what I do during a competition; at the end of the day before I go to bed. If it’s a shotgun, I also clean the magazine tube. I Look over my gun, wipe out the action and clean under the extractor (q tips, brush, rag, paper towel). Add oil. Run a bore snake. Run a dry patch to wipe oil and carbon out. Oil where appropriate. Check gun sights and mag release, reassemble.
The popularity of the latter has been largely driven by a climbing interest in home defense and concealed carry. So, what are the most popular tactical calibers out there today? Let’s take a look:
Winchester: A tried and true name that represents much more than quality hunting and shooting products. It is an American symbol of a beloved past time. Every barrel boasts a story.
Luckily, they didn’t stop with this mindset when they moved to the world of self-defense. There is a huge rising number of Americans buying guns for the first time with personal defense in mind, and many of these new shooters are female. Understanding this, Winchester realized there needed to be a streamlined process when choosing the best ammunition for personal defense and training with it. When looking at an ammunition shelf it can be truly overwhelming trying to decide what ammo is best to protect yourself and your family.
It’s not what one would usually think of when they hear “sport.” This sport takes mental and physical agility, focus, and strength. Young and old, male and female, can compete in it. This sport is competitive shooting. Competitive shooting can vary from low-impact, static disciplines, like NRA smallbore, air rifle, or sporting clays, to ones that demand stamina and explosive power, such as practical pistol and shotgun competitions under USPSA and IPSC governing bodies, to true marathons of skills put to practice in 3 gun and multigun.
So this summer be sure to visit your local range and get together with your friends to have some good old fashioned fun! If you do this consistently you’ll be a better shot this fall! Add some Winchester AA Ammunition and break some clays!
But it’s okay, because that cradle-rocking hand can’t do it from a pedestal – women who work and impact those around them are in the trenches. They’re not up on a pedestal, inaccessible – they’re covered in baby burps and the 1,001 things that need to be done when they get home from work at night.
Firearms retailers estimate that 40% of their gun customers in the first four months of 2020 were first-time buyers. Personal protection was the over-riding purpose of the handguns, MSRs and shotguns purchased by first-time buyers.
And while the motivation for many of these permit holders is to improve their opportunity to protect themselves in the event of a violent crime, it is fortunate many of these people will never actually need to defend themselves with a firearm. Think of it more as insurance.
Hunters may be hitting the turkey woods, but for many competitive and recreational shooters, the skeet range is where they cut their clay busting teeth and the skeet range is where they return to perfect the wingshooting skills that make this and other competitive clays games so challenging and so much fun. To improve your game on the skeet range this year, follow these basic tips:
That was 120 more students than the previous year, making it one of the largest collegiate clays shooting competition held each year. The event was held March 28-April 2. Shooting competitions were held for International Skeet, International Trap, American Skeet, American Trap, 5-Stand and Sporting Clays. Lindenwood University out of St. Charles, Mo., proved to be big winners at the event taking top Division 1 American Skeet and American Trap, Division 1 International Skeet and International Trap, and Division 1 5-Stand and Sporting Clays honors.
And so on and so forth. Whenever the 9mm crowd and .45 fans begin debating the merits of each caliber as a defensive round, while both cartridges have their merits, two things are undeniable. One, is that the .45 certainly delivers an abundance of stopping power. The second is that having been created more than 100 years ago, it remains one of the most popular, and enduring handgun cartridges still today. Here’s why:
With so many people involved in shooting shotguns for fun, it’s no surprise, with their technology leading shotshells, Winchester has been a big part of the fun as well. Leading the way is Winchester’s AA line of shotshells—without doubt one of the most versatile and unique collection of offerings for any shotshell line available. Here’s why:
We want to recognize Leo for his contributions to Winchester, to its historic NILO Farms hunting preserve, and to conservation and the shooting sports. Leo became manager of Winchester’s NILO Farms preserve in 1961 and carried that responsibility for the next 30 years. NILO Farms is a world-renowned hunting preserve located near Brighton, Illinois, where guests can enjoy hunting ringneck pheasants, chukar partridges, and mallard ducks, and also shoot trap, crazy quail, skeet, Riverside skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, and the tower.
To help ease the feat of finding that perfect way to show your love and affection for that special someone this Valentine’s Day, I’ve created a sportsman-friendly gift guide. I think you’ll find the ideas below are sure to pair well with your Valentine’s Day plans…especially if those plans include target practice in the days to come.
Ah yes…good questions indeed. Do know that I am extremely excited to become a regular blogger for Winchester Ammunition. My objective here will be to share some tips and some experiences on how to get more enjoyment from our great sport! Like you, I have a full-time job. I work as a marketing director in Buffalo, NY. I try to balance my full-time career with my full-time passion for hunting, fishing and just about anything the outdoors has to offer.
As fans of the company have come to expect each year, the Big Red W once again is delivering a host of great new shooting products and ammunition line extensions to make your shooting more fun and productive whether you competitively shoot, hunt or simply plink targets on the farm. Here’s a snapshot of what is fresh from the development teams at Winchester:
But what about the ammo? Do you give much thought about the best way to store your ammunition over these extended periods of time? You should. While most modern ammunition fortunately doesn’t require too much care to ensure it stays as ready to fire as the day you bought it, it does require some care. For any load, moisture and high heat, are the primary enemies. Here are just a few key concerns to keep in mind when storing your ammunition for the off-season.
The Winchester Model 1866 “Yellow Boy”, made in 1871 and chambered for the original 44 Henry Rimfire cartridge, will go to the highest bidder, with the auction closing at 11pm central on December 24, 2016. Visit qtego.net/qlink/foldsofhonor for more information and to place your bid now!
In many areas across the whitetail’s range, the winter is turning cold, maybe even some snow is on the ground, and that buck tag is still burning a hole in your wallet because it’s yet to be filled. Here are five tips to help you finish the season strong.
The Winchester Life crew heads to the sporting clay range at Nilo Farms, eager to share a popular pastime. Near and dear to sportsmen across the country, the clay-target shooting range at Nilo is an exciting and important part of the overall Nilo experience. Each guest arrives ready for the opportunity to shake off the rust, receive world-class coaching by Nilo staff, and most importantly…have fun. There’s nothing quite like pulverizing a floating orange disk into dust with a locked and loaded Winchester.
From the early days of capturing the latest innovations to make shells better (think smokeless powders and later plastic hulls) to the modern wonder, BlindSide, which utilizes stacked hexadhedron-shaped steel shot and Winchester’s patented Diamond Cut wad. But even with the best shells ever made loaded in your shotgun, it does you no good if you don’t follow proper shooting technique and fail to properly lead the fast flying target ducks and geese present.
It should be no surprise that at this time, as there was increasing interest in meeting the ammunition needs of a growing legion of sportsmen, that Winchester shotshells first found their way into the duck boats of waterfowl hunters along the Mississippi River as well as along the Eastern Seaboard. Subsequent ammo introductions quickly followed, including Winchester’s Star line, which coincided with the appearance of the lever-action 1887 shotgun that same year.
However with all that said, there are some tactics that are pretty effective across the board. Below are my 3 favorite whitetail tips & tactics that I feel are most beneficial in the field.
But as the company delved deeper into the production of ammunition, the creation of new calibers and the manufacture of firearms capitalizing on emerging technologies and their own innovative gun designs of the time, Winchester came to develop firearms far removed from those original lever actions. In fact, two of the most famous Winchester model firearms in history, are the Model 12 shotgun and the Model 70 bolt-action rifle.
He has monster bucks, big bear, and incredible waterfowl hunting.
Growing up, we spent many weekends hunting ducks and geese on local public land near my home. The youth day hunts were exceptional as it opened a weekend before the regular opener, but I had never really experienced anything like what Canada has to offer.
And when it comes to shooting, both candidates and the media more often lose sight of the big picture of the role firearms play in the sporting lives of millions of Americans. Here is a quick look at recreational shooting and firearms ownership in America by the numbers.
Second, I’m not around very much and this can be a great way to spend quality time with my mom, dad and brother that wouldn’t normally happen in the fall because of my rigorous schedule. Third, I can’t even explain the joy it gives me to see my own family experience something for the first time. I still absolutely live for hunting, but it really makes me smile to see their excitement.
As the company burst onto the scene in 1866, they would go on to change the way soldiers fought and sportsmen pursued game and play a key role in the settling of the West. Here are three of the most iconic firearms of that time—all of them lever-action rifles. Lever-actions represented the cutting edge in repeating rifle innovation during the second half of the 1800s.
The tags are generally cheap, the hunt will be an experience, and the memories are sure to last a lifetime. This is such an easy way to spread the love of the sport, while finding new ways to enjoy the outdoors on your own as you watch it through a new hunter’s first experiences. As a young girl growing up in Central Minnesota, my passion was always hunting.
The ivy literally covered the ground in some locations for as far as the eye could see. If hunting this area, it was completely un-avoidable. I would never say there’s a deer worth getting covered in poison ivy, but if there were…this buck would probably be it. We were chasing a huge 3×4 mule deer with triple brow tines. He had a ton of mass, huge frame, and just an overall stud of a buck. Unfortunately, he lived in a 2-mile by 2-mile area that was just littered with poison ivy.
But while trigger sessions at the range are a fine way to make sure your big game gun’s scope is on and that you still have a steady enough hand and breathing technique to chew up a bulls-eye at 100 or even 200 yards, there’s an even more exciting way to make sure you are prepared for the big moments this autumn holds. That way is small game hunting.
However, one bad encounter with a rattlesnake can turn a hunting trip into a complete disaster. I’m no expert on rattlesnakes coming from central MN where they are few and far between, but luckily I spend a lot of time around people who are. I’m constantly asking questions and learning everything I can, especially now when I’ve added my new side kick Pork Chop to the mix.
In fact, the original Model 1873s were chambered in this first metallic centerfire cartridge manufactured by Winchester. It wasn’t long before the round received double utility as a handgun cartridge as well when Colt began making their Single Action Army revolver chambered for the round. As both a long gun and short gun cartridge, the .44-40 Winchester soon became a favorite among cowboys and frontiersman of the day.
For years I’ve been shooting some of Winchester’s latest and greatest guns, but on this hunt I was going back to the basics. Everyone in my entire family has had a chance to shoot a Winchester 30-30 lever action gun that has been passed through the Bachman family, but now it was my turn. Thecool part about the entire experience was the fact that this gun originally was used in Russia for boars, and now I was bringing it to Texas for a hog hunt as well.
Gladwell illustrates his point using such icons as the Beatles, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. He well could’ve added famed outdoor personalities Mark and Terry Drury.
In case you missed it the other week, given NBC’s—and the major media’s in general—challenge in adequately covering the breadth of events taking place during the Rio Olympics, Winchester-supported shooter Kim Rhode, 37, set a new world record when she finished third in the women’s skeet shooting event. Only Italian luge legend Armin Zöggeler has won as many consecutive individual Olympic medals.
This means tightening each screw a couple of times over and over, keeping it even. If you don’t do this part correctly, you will have a very difficult time trying to get everything dialed in later on and wonder what the problem could possibly be. Once everything is evenly tightened, to add a little lock tight to the screws to ensure nothing can get loose in the field.
We have lots of space to run around, drive ATVs, shoot our guns, bows, clay pigeons, fish, and almost anything we can think of. One thing that’s almost always a guarantee though, is the fact that there will be some shooting practice included in the weekend.
As the official shotshell sponsor of USA Shooting, Winchester, with their AA line of shells, is looking forward to seeing these competitors shoot for the gold as much as the shooters themselves. Here’s a look at the team:
You can recognize these by the way they scatter bullets. Dress them properly and you can alleviate that problem. Hot barrels aren’t a concern for deer hunters. One and done. But they can be for varmint hunters and target shooters. When you’re running a 25-round long-range target course or picking off a hundred pasture rodents in an hour, you’re scorching your barrel. As it expands, accuracy suffers.
She is one of only 51 athletes in history to win five or more Olympic medals and was the first U.S. Olympian to win medals at five consecutive Olympic Games when she won a gold medal in the 2012 games. She won her first gold in 1996, won a bronze in 2000, another gold in 2004 and a bronze in 2008. If she medals in Rio, she will be the only U.S. athlete to ever do so and the second athlete ever to win six consecutive medals.
It’s all about practice, knowing one’s gun, and coming up with the best ammo combination to ensure confidence when that big buck steps out. For me, repetition is key so when the moment of truth happens, I simply go into autopilot and everything becomes second nature.That’s perfect for hunting, but another time a hunter-shooter wants the repetition to kick in would be in the case when a handgun is needed for personal protection.
Baseball players can lay claim to being the unofficial “boys of summer,” while in August, the eyes of the sporting world will turn much of their attention to the Olympic games in Rio, but for competitive shooters across America, it’s not a bad time to be a competitor either.
Let’s face it, summer is a great time for enjoying a little shooting outdoors and it’s particularly a fun time to sharpen your handgun skills. Winchester added several new products to its line of handgun ammunition offerings in 2016 that will help make those outdoor shooting sessions cleaner, easier and perhaps most importantly, more affordable.
Tillar, Arkansas was the location on May 18-25, when she secured her spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Shooting Team. Rhode locked up her spot before even competing in the Friday final—14 points ahead of her closest competitor. It will be Rhode’s sixth consecutive Olympic games, a feat few athletes in the world have ever achieved.
Dubbed the “Thriller in Tillar” on the USA Shooting website, the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials begin this week at the Delta Shooting Sports Complex. The four spots remaining to be filled include the top overall finisher in Women’s Skeet, Men’s Skeet, Double Trap and Women’s Trap.
But to truly appreciate just how far Winchester has transformed the American landscape not just for sportsmen, but for all people who enjoy a life of freedom and safety provided by our soldiers deployed around the world and the police officers who work our country’s streets, it’s important to note some of the key dates and developments throughout the company’s earliest days. Here’s a look at what took place the first 50 years.
The M93 shotgun introduced shooters to the concept of the pump-action. It was superseded by Browning’s M97 pump. This scattergun was so rugged and reliable that America’s dough boys used it as a trench gun in WWI. Police employed it as a riot gun and waterfowlers found it so deadly that it helped end the era of market hunting while later ushering in the three-shell limit for duck and goose hunting in 1935.
From its high-velocity .22 Winchester Rimfire in 1890 through its .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire of 1959 right up to the world’s fastest rimfire, the 17 Winchester Super Magnum of 2013, the brand has kept its rimfire tradition alive and flourishing like few companies in the modern era (much less the last century and a half).
They are constantly pushing the envelope and coming up with way to make hunter/shooters more effective in the field. Think about that for a minute – for 150 years Winchester has been making innovative guns and ammunition for hunters just like me…and just like you.
When this lesson is delivered by a recoiling scope hitting your brow, you tend to remember it. But how can you prevent relearning it, again and again?
Think the groundbreaking 17 Winchester Super Magnum, introduced just two years ago, that shattered the speed record with a deadly accurate 3,000 fps muzzle velocity. Centerfire performance at rimfire cost is what the 17 Win Super Mag brought to the table. Winchester continues breaking ground in the rimfire world in 2016 with the introduction of a subsonic .22-caliber LR round.
The reasons are simple. This is usually plenty of gun to ethically take down most North American big game animals, it’s an extremely flat shooting round, and most importantly it has low recoil. In my book these are the most important things to keep in mind when choosing a caliber for a new hunter. Regardless of what caliber you pick, here are some very important tips to remember.
For these high-volume shooters—new and old—as well as competitive shooters who can also burn through ammunition in their pursuit for victory, Winchester introduces USA Forged ammunition, featuring precision-manufactured steel shellcases. The shellcases culminate a long development process and are proudly manufactured in Winchester’s Oxford, Miss., manufacturing facility.
And for gun enthusiasts and sportsmen, part of those wishes may well—in fact they should—include the commitment to be become more accomplished shooters in the new year as well. With that, here are five resolutions that if committed to, will make for a great 2023.
One of the most important things I do is spend a significant amount of time at the rifle range to ensure that I have an overall understanding of my gun and ammo combinations. If you find yourself getting ready for an upcoming hunt and realize you didn’t do the proper preparation, I’ve come up with a few tips and considerations that you can still utilize to help you find success.
Coinciding with the introduction of Winchester’s Deer Season XP line of ammunition, Winchester Repeating Arms debuted a new rifle, one that select members of the outdoor media first got to try last season. One of those writers, David Draper, shared his opinion on the new Winchester rifle in this year’s 2015 Winchester Ammunition catalog. Draper writes:
For some, it’s part of an effort to tune up for the coming fall upland and waterfowl seasons; for others, it’s the best way they know to make the most of the gorgeous summer weather by busting clays and burning through shotshells. No matter what your motivation, make the most of your time behind the buttstock and master each of the most typical shot presentations you’ll face on the course. Here they are with advice on each.
In fact, no matter what the subject, misconceptions often persist as one person says something to a friend, on Facebook or on some message board and it gets repeated and shared enough that it becomes the truth. The more discussed the topic, the more widespread the misconceptions it often seems. Certainly there are many notions that persist when it comes to recreational shooting in America.
From the rise and popularity of YouTube and the widespread ability to film quality footage from our smartphones to compact video cameras and digital SLRs capable of shooting HD footage, it seems if something happens in society these days, someone else is filming it. And while this is arguably not always a good thing, the improvements in technology have allowed for some great entertainment,
I was allowed to go along with my parents, but I couldn’t be the hunter until I had completed my hunter safety course and turned that 12-years old. Recently, more and more states have lowered their age limits and have even implemented a try before you buy type approach with the Families Afield program.The way this works is new hunters are allowed to try hunting before taking their hunter education course as long as they hunt under the supervision of an experienced mentor.
Named for Mr. Olin (“Nilo” is Olin backwards), Nilo Farms was established in 1952 as one of America’s first game preserves. For decades, it has maintained a commitment to the development and demonstration of hunting preserve and game management techniques. Nilo has contributed a wealth of new information to the hunting and game preserve community.
Every kid, situation, and opportunity may be different but there is one thing that holds true across it all. Have fun and let them experience things for themselves. I just returned from a an incredible show in Oshkosh, WI called the Greater Wisconsin Outdoor & Sportsman Festival where the main focus was bringing families together and providing activities that embrace the outdoor lifestyle.
While writers who cover the outdoors and recreational shooting are often quick to tout the benefits of sharing our hunting and shooting passion with family and friends, it’s important to note, these same pursuits are perfect ways to spend some quality time alone, too.
This can be a great way to get a new kid involved in shooting, or even spend a day improving your own shooting. Plinking is an inexpensive way to get a ton of shooting in and can be extremely fun. Everyone knows that practice makes perfect, but there are very few of us who want to go out and shoot 2-3 boxes of .300 Win. Mag to try and improve one’s skills. It can be done, but when it comes to repetition I prefer using something like a .22.
Body Alignment—Square the body off behind the rifle so that recoil is traveling straight down your body. Angling your body to the side prevents your body from acting as a dampener to the shockwaves from the shot and may even jerk your body to the side causing misalignment on follow up shots.
It’s a great skill to master and a lot of fun to do whether competing or simply plinking targets. Whether you’re a novice or practiced at “going long,” the following tips on long-range as they relate to the shooter’s equipment (rifle, sighting system, ammunition) will help you keep on target no matter how far you wish to test your rifle and load.
Indeed, many range and shooting facility owners have busy schedules during the summer months, filled with classes, fun events and competitions. Shooting competitions are a great way to improve your shooting skills, ramp up the fun and meet like-minded firearms enthusiasts like yourself.
The number of leagues in my area of Minnesota alone has grown a ton in recent years and for good reason! They’re a lot of fun, great practice, and an excellent way to meet fellow shooters in your area. Trap leagues are easy to join, you simply need to find one in your area. In my opinion, there are two easy ways to find a league close to your home.
But with so many resources available, shooting clubs welcoming members, public ranges opening up and available classes and events, finding a good place to shoot is easier than ever.
This year marks a huge milestone for one of Winchester’s most celebrated lines of ammunition—AA shotshells. Odds are, if you’ve ever done any kind of clays or shotgun target shooting, whether it be sporting clays, skeet, five-stand or just tossing clays out on your own with some friends, you’ve probably shot AA shells. Certainly among the best performing and most celebrated target loads, it’s no wonder AAs have been around for so long.
In fact, Winchester’s Defender line of ammunition has at least one offering for every handgun caliber, rifle, rimfire cartridge and shotshell typically employed in the defense of home and person. Additionally, there are truly unique loads that exhibit true “thinking outside of the box” to improve terminal performance, all in an effort to stop an assailant.
The good news is there are a ton of other activities we can do outside to keep us busy and occupied until the next hunting season rolls into place. I’ve come up with a list of what I believe are the 11 best ways to spend your off-season outdoors.
Recreational shooting is great fun. But gun ownership also carries with it many responsibilities, key among them, keeping people safe when around firearms and keeping guns out of the wrong hands—particularly out of the hands of young children.
But it isn’t a company satisfied to sit on the strength of past successes, and in fact, continues to redefine how we as hunters and shooters continue to excel behind the gun. As evidenced by their 2015 product line-up on display at the recent Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas (SHOT), many of Winchester’s biggest game changers have come in just the past few years.
Deer Season XP
As the biggest announcement in 2015, Winchester has created a load specifically for deer hunters. The new Winchester Deer Season XP is engineered for one purpose—dropping deer in their tracks. With its radical new Extreme Point polymer tip bullet, Winchester Deer Season XP combines a massive impact diameter for immediate and violent expansion with an elevated ballistic coefficient for flatter trajectory and long-range accuracy.
Until recently, the best—and almost only way—to easily do that was to actually buy several boxes of a particular ammunition and put it through the barrel to see how it performs. That or refer to manuals that might provide some insight, most of buried among pages of data not essential to the shooter’s interest.
Shooting sports has a robust history in America. In its early days, the pastime was primarily dominated by men. Society generally considered it “unladylike” for women to use a firearm. Shooting was a man’s job.