Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Last day of the show! If you wanted to see every exhibitor here, you'd have less than a minute per booth - so obviously we haven't seen everything. Our plan was to visit NEXT first, which we did. NEXT is a few rows of very small tables in the middle of a hallway - it's for the companies who will be exhibiting for real next year. Always good stuff there. Then we went to the New Products Showcase and write down booth numbers that we want to visit for more info. I also had a list going in -... Full story
In the State of Arizona, it is legal to carry a concealed weapon whether you have a permit or not. It is also legal for visitors to do that. Open carry is also legal, and Arizona recognizes CCW's from all other states. That doesn't mean you can carry concealed everywhere without a permit, though. Schools, government buildings, places where alcohol is consumed - these are just a few of the places where you can't carry. Does the store you're headed into have a "no guns" sign? Then you can't carry... Full story
Before you know it, gift-giving season will be upon us. If you have a shooter in your life — a boss, a spouse, a sibling, a best friend, a child or grandchild — I’m here to make your holiday a little easier. Here are some of my top picks: the best gifts for the shooter on your shopping list. Speed Loader One thing everyone learns quickly is that loading magazines is hard on the fingers. Loading them by hand takes strength and dexterity, and hardly anyone I know can do it quickly. Glocks come... Full story
The two most important aspects of good shooting are sight alignment and trigger control. Master both of these, and you'll be an awesome shot. The importance of sight alignment is reflected in the number of different kinds of sights that are available. You are not limited to the sights that come on your gun when you buy it - you have almost limitless choices when it comes to picking your perfect sights. The gunsmith at Shooters World told me that putting on new sights is one of the only things... Full story
Here is a counter-intuitive truth: Small pistols are more difficult to handle, require a better (stronger) grip, and have a lot more recoil (kick) than larger pistols. Many smaller people make the mistake of thinking that since their hands are small, a smaller pistol is ideal.In many cases, the opposite is true. The same goes for buying that first pistol for your child - just because she has smaller hands doesn't mean you should buy her a small pistol. Single-Stack Semis My granddaughters both... Full story
You may have heard the term "bug-out bag" - for sure you've heard or read about it if you ever visit any tactical shooting sites. What is a bug out bag? It's simply an easy-to-grab bag that contains everything you'll need for about three days in case of emergency. The emergency can be a forest fire, weather, terrorism, natural disaster - it doesn't matter what it is; a bug out bag should enable you to survive for a few days until things simmer down or until help comes or whatever. At Home And... Full story
If you carry or even own a gun, safety should be your number-one priority. The four rules should be engraved on your brain like your first-ever address. In case they aren't yet, here they are again: All guns are always loaded. Treat them that way. Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target (and you have made the decision to shoot). Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. GLOCK launched the annual GLOCK... Full story
Even if you bought a pistol purely for self-defense purposes, you need to practice with it often. For one thing, you need to develop muscle memory. Muscle memory comes after you've done a movement so often that you can totally zone out and your body still performs the movement flawlessly. With guns, safety should always be your very first priority, and becoming completely familiar and competent with your pistol is one of the keys to staying safe. Of course, you don't want to get so familiar... Full story
If you're like a lot of shooters, you probably think that taking a gun class is a waste of time and money. After all, there's not much to it - you just aim and pull the trigger, right? That might be okay if all you want to do is go put a few holes in a piece of paper, but what if you decide you want to step up your game? Target shooting is fun, but at some point you may want to get better, and that usually means taking a class. Even For The Seasoned Shooters I've been shooting for decades, and I... Full story
There are a few absolute essentials that every shooter, no matter what his sport, must wear. No range will let you shoot without "eyes and ears" - eye protection and hearing protection. That being said, there are tons of different ways to protect your eyes and ears, and some are better than others, some are good for one kind of shooting and not another, and some are just barely acceptable. Ear Protection Ear protection is one place where you'll find a lot of different products to prevent hearing... Full story
Being around shooting enthusiasts can be daunting. They toss the lingo around with such ease, and if you don't know the basics, you can soon be lost. There's no big mystery - most of the language makes perfect sense, especially once you begin to understand where the words come from. So here are a few to start you out. (As I write this, I'm assuming that you're a complete beginner when it comes to firearms.) Types Of Weapons There's quite a bit of confusion about types of weapons, partially... Full story
Anything that makes your favorite sport more fun, more rewarding, or easier is a welcome gift. For a shooter, there are a lot of great options at a variety of prices. Here are a few great gift ideas for the shooter in your life. Shooting Vest For Women Hey, just because a company throws some pink trim on a shooting vest, that doesn't mean it's great for women. Women are built differently than men, and a well-fitting vest is extremely important in a sport where lifting a shotgun to your shoulder... Full story
Ah, it's almost that time of year again! Time for my wife to do all the holiday shopping, decorating, cooking, baking, buying and wrapping gifts, etc. I just do the paying. Since those days will be upon us sooner than you think, here's a list of great gifts for shooters. If there's a shooter in your family (and I sincerely hope there is), something on this list is bound to make him or her happy. If you are the shooter in question, circle the items you would like and leave this in a conspicuous... Full story
The absolute best way to keep your children safe around guns is to teach them about guns. We keep our guns locked in a gun safe, but we have also taught our children, and now our grandchildren, how to use guns. They know that if a friend displays a gun or even talks about having a gun, they are to go immediately to a responsible adult and let them know. This is not tattling - it's saving a life. I wouldn't let my granddaughter use my table saw without teaching her the safety rules and... Full story
A lot of people think that cleaning a gun is a long, involved process that requires mountains of patches, lots of smelly chemicals, and way too much time. I've been cleaning guns for over 50 years now, and it's true that in the old days, cleaning a gun was a lot more involved. But you can teach an old dog new tricks, and there have been some great advances in the gun industry, especially when it comes to cleaning. Why Clean? Why should you clean your gun? A clean gun shoots more accurately, has... Full story
Target shooting is a sport that a lot of families enjoy, but let's face it - the thrill soon wears off if you shoot poorly. I see it all the time on social media: People post "went shooting with the family, but didn't hit anything – LOL!". Odds are, they weren't actually laughing out loud when they continued to miss time after time. The photos they post usually tell the story: They're holding a pistol with arms stretched straight out ahead, their feet are together, and the top half of their b... Full story
Maybe you're not old enough to remember Ben Avery. I grew up reading his outdoor stories in the Arizona Republic. Ben loved the outdoors and was a heck of a writer. He started writing in 1928 and continued for over 60 years. He received the highest honor that the Department of the Interior ever gives to a non-employee: The Conservation Service Award was bestowed on him in 1968 by then Interior Secretary Steward Udall. Ben Avery was the epitome of an outdoor writer, and the Game and Fish... Full story
With the price of shells going through the roof, it pays to improve your shooting. One of the best ways to do that is to spend some time at the sporting clays range. The Ben Avery Sporting Clays Center on the Carefree Highway just west of I-17 has a great range with five-stand, two sporting clays courses and several trap and skeet ranges. John Greenwell, a National Sporting Clays Association Certified Level II Instructor, teaches shotgun shooting at Ben Avery's Clay Target Center. After thousand... Full story