Off Range

Evan Koch calls himself a “wood butcher” on Instagram, but he wields chisels with world-class skill to craft, carve, and checker gunstocks for high-end rifles and shotguns. Checkering, of course, is the functional, yet decorative carvings on gun stocks in which fine lines intersect in diamond-shaped...

A “fudd” is a derogatory term for a certain type of gun owner. Like the Looney Toons character of the same name, fudds are cantankerous. Old-fashioned. Set in their ways and suspicious of anything new-fangled. They probably don’t know the difference between a “clip” and a “magazine.” They despise...

Here’s a scenario most new hunters and gun owners have experienced. You’re at the gun range when the friendly fellow at the neighboring bench offers to let you shoot his rifle. You happily agree, but when you sit down at the bench and get behind the gun, you realize that you don’t actually know how...

Most hunters love their shooting irons (sometimes more than they should), but nothing in this life is perfect. Rifles don’t always perform like you hope, and one bad experience can be enough to banish a once-loved rifle to the back of the safe. But is it really the gun’s fault? How do you know...

The fascinating thing about shotguns is you never really know how one will pattern a shotshell until you pull the trigger and see the results on target paper. A shotshell delivers hundreds of projectiles downrange at the same time. Once these pellets, which vary in size and are comprised of...

When I started hunting in middle school, I was lucky enough to cut my teeth on classic deer rifles. On Saturday mornings during deer-dog season, my grandfather and dad would load me up, and we’d head to their camp and wait for the dog handlers to show up. I have distinct memories of my grandfather’s...

Purchasing a suppressor has historically been one of the most frustrating experiences for gun owners. The paperwork is onerous, but the wait time is what really gets you. No one wants to drop $1,000 on something (plus a $200 “tax”) just to wait a year or more to bring it home. Those days appear to...

You can tell a lot about a guy by what kind of rifle he shoots. Not that it matters, but what does your favorite rifle cartridge say about you? Does he follow trends and need the latest and greatest gear? Does he appreciate novelty or cherish a passed-down .30-06? Does he hunt the thick timber or...

On January 20, Gaige Zook and Jackson Harbor went out for a duck hunt on the Platte River near Torrington, Wyoming. They took along Maurizio Justiniano, an unlicensed hunter who wanted to learn more about waterfowling. Tragically, Justiniano will never get the chance to take Hunter’s Ed or shoot a...

What makes a good varmint cartridge? It should be accurate in most factory rifles. It should be flat-shooting, meaning it doesn’t drop too much at longer rangers. It should also have limited recoil to allow for a full day of prairie dog hunting and use a narrow bullet to preserve the pelt as much as...

The Biden administration finalized a new rule last week described by Attorney General Merrick Garland as a “historic step” in the “fight against gun violence.” It aims to increase the number of background checks on gun sales by expanding the pool of people who must obtain a federal firearms license...

The Minnesota state legislature is considering a bill that would not only ban lead ammunition and tackle for hunting and fishing but also prohibit lead ammo for youth shooting sports. The legislation forces all K-12 shooting leagues to adopt a rule by November 1, 2024, that requires nontoxic...

On January 16, the California Wildlife Resources Committee opened the table to discussion on banning the use of plastic wads in shotgun shells. The topic was brought forth by the Surfrider Foundation, who gave the committee a presentation on the impacts of plastic wads on California coastlines. They...

A bill that would ban most semi-automatic rifles in the United States was introduced last week in the U.S. Senate. Rather than prohibit certain cosmetic features, the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act targets a firearm’s operating system. And while the title of the bill...

Whether used for war, self-defense, or hunting, guns that can stuff more cartridges into less space offer their users an advantage. That’s why Sig Sauer’s “high-capacity micro handgun,” the P365, was such a sensation when it dropped in 2017 and why other gun companies wasted no time mimicking their...

Nearly 14 million Americans purchased a gun for the first time in 2020 and 2021. Some sold their guns after the pandemic subsided, but many still have those firearms locked in safes or tucked away in underwear drawers–and they still haven’t fired a shot. There are many reasons for this, but one is...

Ah, the gun range. One of the only places in the world where you can have fun sustaining minor inner ear damage and publicly debate terminal ballistics without earning sideways looks from soccer moms. The patrons are friendly, helpful, and (sometimes) knowledgeable, but they can also be…eccentric...