Straight Talk

I love long-range shooting. There is something about it. It’s both mysterious and objective, discerning and adaptive. It’s multiple. It’s the combination of elements to break a perfect shot. The conclusion is the sound of ringing steel carrying from a great distance—elation erupts.Long-range shooting (in its various mediums) has come to dominate the shooting sports world. In response, there has been tremendous growth in the shooting industry catering towards precision shooting. One of the

Vortex Optics is a household name in the shooting world. Their VIP warranty, excellent customer service, and unending number of options make them the favorite of many shooters. Part of their success is leaning into the Good, Better, Best mantra when working on product development. Vortex believes in having an option that will fit in anybody’s budget. That can be seen in the Diamondback Tactical, Strike Eagle, and Viper lineups (yes there are more options on either end of the spectrum).With

I grew up loving Westerns. Part of the love was from being raised on a farm—I could relate to some of the ideals and issues discussed. However, it was escapism, a leave from reality, that led me to them. Even Star Wars, my favorite cultural phenomenon and intellectual property has its roots in Western movies. Not only were the stories and characters interesting, but the gunfights were spectacular (at least in my memory). Think, if you take the Quigley Sharps rifle out of Quigley Down Unde

If you go to any gun counter salesman worth their salt and mention the Smith & Wesson Sigma Series to them, a soured expression will appear on their face. The SW9 was Smith’s earliest effort to make a striker-fired polymer gun that competed with Glock. Well, it competed, maybe too closely. Glock sued Smith and essentially won with an agreement made outside of the courtroom. Regardless, the SW9 possessed a hellaciously long and heavy trigger that rivals any that claim to be the worst t

Right at the closing bell of the holiday season, Smith & Wesson launched a package that many fans will pine to be under their Christmas tree. Companies continuously add tag lines to package deals as promotional marketing. Think Springfield’s Gear Up Promo or Sig Sauer’s TacPac offerings. Most times manufacturers add additional magazines and other gear to base model guns to entice customers. This largely works, especially in a world where the value of the dollar is continuously degraded

The end of 2023 is fast approaching. In the gun world, that means manufacturers are focused on clearing out excess inventory and preparing for yearly reviews and inventory audits. The consumer is generally rewarded with their patience via holiday sales and manufacturer rebates. But sometimes a company will release something new just in time for the Christmas season. It’s a last effort to generate buzz amid the chaos the season brings. This final entry from one of the industry's biggest pus