Make sure your gun and glass are tuned just right at the range, so you’re on target in the field — where the stakes are high.
By Jodie Stemler
This fall was a big step for me in my journey as a hunter. After many years shooting shotguns and upland bird and turkey hunting, I actually had a big game tag in my pocket. Thanks to the generosity of Weatherby, Inc. I was going to be hunting pronghorn antelope during the Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt in mid-October. Brenda Weatherby had outfitted me with a Mark V Camilla rifle with a Maven RS.1 scope, but the onus was on me to make sure the gun was zeroed in and I was a confident shooter with my gun. As a new big game hunter, it was absolutely essential to me that I kill my antelope as quickly and humanely as possible. Here are some of the steps I took as a new hunter to get me and my rifle ready for the hunt.
Getting your rifle properly zeroed in at the gun range will ensure that it is accurate when you are hunting.
Making sure your gun is properly sighted in is the most important part of being prepared for your hunt. Having never zeroed in a rifle by myself, I knew I had to get it right. I had to be confident with my gun’s accuracy out to 200+ yards (my comfort range for taking a shot). Some of that is simply spending time shooting and getting comfortable with the gun, but I knew that having the gun zeroed in was the essential first step. I talked with Cade Maestas, co-founder of Maven who is also a hunter education and shooting instructor, about the best way to sight in a rifle.
Set the Scope
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the first and most important step is to get your scope properly mounted on the rifle. Unless you have a lot of experience, which I certainly don’t, this should be something you have a qualified gunsmith do for you. Make sure the mounting rings that you use are of good quality and specific to the gun on which you are mounting the scope. A qualified gunsmith will also ensure that the scope is positioned properly along the top of the barrel and that it is level. When it’s set, they should then tighten the rings only to the recommended torque setting.
In this video, Former Army Ranger sniper team leader Ryan Cleckner walks us through his process for sighting in a new rifle in real-time and delivers several other shooting tips in the process.
How Firearm and Ammunition Makers Are Helping Fund the Future of Hunting
You already know that buying a hunting license supports conservation — but did you know that every time you purchase firearms, ammunition or archery equipment, you’re helping protect wildlife and improve access to the outdoors?
A new video from the Partner with a Payer series shows how firearm and ammunition manufacturers, like Beretta USA, are playing a direct role in funding habitat restoration, public shooting ranges and education programs for hunters and new shooters — all through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act.
https://youtu.be/a4OO0R2oc8s?si=01uKuSpMeUyXMKIl
In this latest episode, representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency visit Beretta’s manufacturing plant in Tennessee to see where the funding begins. The dollars generated from the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition are a major reason why we have healthy wildlife populations and great places to hunt across the country.
“Wildlife restoration dollars are so important to our agency. They touch just about every project that we have on the ground,” said Emily Buck, Director of Communications and Outreach at Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. “We’re so incredibly grateful for our hunters and anglers who contribute to the funding model, as well as the federal excise taxes that come from manufacturers that really make what we do possible.”
These funds—combined with money from hunting and fishing licenses—go toward restoring iconic game species like elk, deer, turkey and bear, maintaining and building shooting ranges and supporting hunter education programs that introduce the next generation to the outdoors.
“Knowing that those dollars go to the creation of habitat, to the education of target shooters and to the education of hunters as they become new hunters is extremely important to me,” said Ted Caldwell, Vice President, Supply Chain & Manufacturing Ops at Beretta USA.
The Partner with a Payer program is all about showing how hunters, anglers, manufacturers and wildlife agencies are working together to conserve our outdoor traditions. It’s a team effort — and every time you head to the range or the field, you’re a part of it.
You may also be interested in:
https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/explore-hunting/pittman-robertson-elk-conservation/
https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/explore-hunting/understanding-the-crucial-relationship-between-firearm-manufacturers-and-wildlife-conservation/
In a buckskin outfit and knee-high boots, this hunter holds a shoulder cannon nearly as long as he is tall. What’s your guess on that rifle for #whatriflewednesday? pic.twitter.com/RBEmaZWDkx
If you’re looking for new big-game, waterfowl, target, or self-defense loads, you’ll find all this and more on the floor of the 2025 SHOT Show.
There are thousands of new products on display at SHOT Show each year, but some of the most exciting new products for the new year come courtesy of ammunition manufacturers. Never willing to settle for the same old cartridges, propellants, and projectiles, ammo brands are forever improving upon their products, and that results in better options and improved performance for hunters, shooters, and LE professionals. This year a number of noteworthy new ammunition products will debut during SHOT Show 2025, and these include everything from lead-free hunting and target shotshells to new defensive handgun ammunition and several new cartridges. Perhaps the most noteworthy of these is the launch of a brand-new rimfire round from Winchester that is set to take on the oldest established cartridge in existence, the .22 LR. But regardless of your favorite platform or shooting application, there are new loads to get excited about on this list.
Apex Ammunition
For 2025, APEX Ammunition is adding a 3-inch 20-gauge load to their popular TSS/S3 family of blended waterfowl ammo. The new 20-gauge load combines ⅞-ounce of premium No. 2 steel with ¼-ounce of No. 7.5 TSS. This blended load offers maximum versatility and value by combining steel shot, which is affordable and highly effective for close shots over decoys, with TSS pellets that are extremely dense and carry more energy at extended ranges than non-toxic pellets. TSS pellets have a density of 18.3 g/cc, which is 56 percent denser than lead, and this allows companies like APEX to add smaller No. 7.5 TSS pellets to their blended loads, filling out the pattern while still retaining outstanding downrange energy and improving penetration thanks to the smaller surface area of TSS pellets. The steel pellets in this load are zinc-coated to reduce friction and improve patterning.
APEX TSS/S3 waterfowl ammunition is loaded with their tungsten-grade wads, and these blended loads offer the benefits of both steel and TSS shot, making them a great option for serious waterfowlers.
This year CCI’s Blazer is adding hollow-point options to the affordable Blazer Brass line of training ammunition. Four new Brass HP options—9mm 115-grain JHP, .40 S&W 180-grain JHP, 10mm Auto 180-grain JHP, and .45 ACP 230-grain JHP—round out the company’s line of FMJ brass ammunition and offer an affordable and reliable training option with improved terminal performance over traditional FMJs. The new Brass HP loads will be sold in 50-count boxes and come with reloadable brass cases.
CCI has a reputation for offering some of the most reliable, accurate, and innovative rimfire products on the market each year, and for 2025 they’re adding a couple of new products to their lineup, including Suppressor MAX .22 LR ammunition. With a muzzle velocity of 970 fps, Suppressor MAX is safe for use in suppressors and yet it will reliably cycle semi-auto .22 pistols and rifles. The 45-grain segmenting hollow point provides excellent terminal performance at low velocities, and that will make this new CCI load extremely appealing to anyone who runs a can on their rimfires. CCI is also offering a new .22 WMR load specifically designed for personal defense, Uppercut .22 WMR. This .22 WMR load features a 40-grain hollow point bullet that is engineered to offer the optimal blend of penetration and expansion, providing the best possible performance from .22 WMR handguns, but it will also work in .22 WMR rifles. The .22 WMR is certainly on the light side for personal defense, but having the right bullet like CCI’s Uppercut makes a major difference in downrange performance. Booth #11838
Federal has been offering ammunition for hunters, shooters, and law enforcement professionals for over a century, and this year they’re adding a new .44 Remington Magnum load to their HST line of personal-defense ammunition. These 240-grain HST loads offer more energy than 10mm Auto, .357 Magnum, and .44 Special loads yet they produce less recoil than Federal’s full-power .44 Magnum hunting and bear-defense loads. In addition to premium HST bullets, these rounds come loaded with quality propellants and primers and feature nickel-plated cases.
Other new additions to Federal’s handgun ammunition lineup include the addition of .45 Colt and .32 H&R Magnum Hydra-Shok Deep offerings. Both loads come with nickel-plated cases and sealed primers, and both are designed to balance bullet expansion and penetration. The .45 Colt load comes with 210-grain HSD JHP bullets while the .32 H&R Magnum features 80-grain HSD JHP bullets. Also new this year for .32 H&R Magnum fans is Federal’s 85-grain American Eagle JSP practice load, an ideal choice for those who carry a .32 H&R revolver, and a light, affordable practice load for .327 Federal revolvers. Handgun hunters will be happy to hear that Federal is offering a new 10mm Power-Shok load with 200-grain JHP ammunition, a load that is suitable for a variety of game, including deer and hogs.
Perhaps the biggest news this year from Federal, though, is the launch of their new 7mm Backcountry hunting cartridge. There are plenty of 7mm cartridges currently available, but because the 7mm Backcountry utilizes a Peak Allow steel case, chamber pressure can be increased to levels well above what could be sustained using brass cases. The result is increased performance, especially with shorter barrels. With 170-grain bullets, the 7mm Backcountry achieves roughly 3,000 fps from a 20-inch barrel, which is about 150 fps faster than a 7mm PRC from a barrel of the same length. The Peak Alloy steel is far better than the cheap steel alloys used in imported ammunition, and Federal nickel plates the cases for durability and smooth cycling. Because the cartridge diameter is smaller, it will fit one additional round in the magazine compared to other modern 7mm cartridges. Because it works well in rifles with relatively short barrels, the 7mm Backcountry is well-suited for use with suppressors. Federal will also offer 7mm Backcountry ammunition loaded with 155-grain Terminal Ascent bullets as well as 168-grain Barnes LRX bullets, 175-grain Fusion Tipped, and a whopping 195-grain Berger Elite Hunter bullet with a G1 ballistic coefficient of .755.
Though the 7mm Backcountry is certainly big news, it’s hardly the only new rifle ammunition available from Federal this year. There’s a new 6mm ARC load available in the Gold Medal target line this year, and that round is loaded with an 108-grain Berger boat tail bullet with a very high BC. There are also some exciting cartridge additions coming to the Terminal Ascent, Barnes TSX, and Barnes LRX ammunition lines this year as well, and Federal is adding a new .22 LR load to their HammerDown family. The new 40-grain .22 LR Hammer down ammunition features a copper-plated hollow-point bullet that is designed to operate flawlessly in .22 lever guns and offers lethal downrange performance on small game.
Federal has been driving shotshell design and development for decades, and this year the company is offering a long list of new and innovative shotshell products. Most notable, perhaps, is their Master Class line of sporting clay shotshells. Designed specifically to improve your score at clay games, these shells offer a new Podium design wad that is optimized for use in Federal’s straight-wall hull. These shells feature a new, stylish look and feature premium wads, hulls, shot, and other components that are suitable for high-level sporting clay and FITASC shoots. Three 12-gauge loads (two 1-ounce, one 1⅛-ounce) will be available initially, but you can expect the Master Class family to continue to expand over the coming years. Also new from Federal is their 16-gauge BLACK CLOUD load that comes with a blended ⅞-ounce load of premium zinc-plated steel and Flitestopper shot (60/40, respectively) and Flitecontrol wads. There are also four new 16-gauge Ultra Steel loads this year, but for those who like to hit their birds with the heaviest steel payloads possible Federal is also adding a 3½-inch 12-gauge and 3½-inch 10-gauge loads to their Ultra Steel line. Both will come with 1½-ounce loads, and there are blended 10- and 12-gauge loads available as well. There are new HEVI-Bismuth loads available in 16 and 28 gauge this year, and fans of the 28-gauge will be happy to hear that in addition to the HEVI-Bismuth load Federal will also be offering a Heavyweight TSS 28-gauge load as well as a 28-gauge Rob Roberts 28-gauge Custom Shop TSS turkey load as well.
HEVI-Shot is offering some new additions to their line of hard-hitting turkey loads for 2025. First up is HEVI-Bismuth Turkey, which is being offered in both 12- and 20-gauge loads. This ammunition mixes both No. 4 and No. 5 HEVI-Bismuth shot for a lethal non-toxic load. There are four new HEVI-13 Turkey loads this year, all of which are loaded with HEVI-Shot’s 12 g/cc tungsten pellets, which offer 20 percent more knockdown power than comparably sized lead pellets. HEVI-13 Turkey will be available in 12-gauge or 20-gauge 3-inch loads this year, and shooters can select loads with either No. 6 or No. 7 tungsten. There’s a new addition to the company’s Magnum Blend Turkey loads: for 2025 HEVI-Shot is adding a 28-gauge 2¾-inch Magnum Blend offering that features 15/16 ounce ounce of blended Nos. 5, 6, and 7 12 g/cc tungsten pellets. There are also two new 2 ¾-inch 28-gauge turkey loads joining the HEVI-18 Turkey lineup this year, one with 1 1/16 ounces of No. 7 shot and the other with 1 1/16 ounces of No. 9 shot.
In addition to HEVI-Shot’s new turkey loads they’re also offering HEVI-Hitter Waterfowl loads this year that offer 20 percent tungsten pellets over 80 percent steel pellets. These layered loads are available in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauge and combine the affordability and short-range effectiveness of steel pellets with the heavier (12 g/cc) punch of tungsten. There are four new HEVI-Steel layered offerings this year, including 12-gauge 2xBB and 2x4 and 20-gauge 2x4 and 3x5. Also new is a 1 1/8-ounce HEVI-Steel 16-gauge 2¾-inch load that is available in 2, 4, 6, and BB. There’s also a new 16-gauge, 2¾-inch load in the HEVI-Metal Longer Range lineup that also comes with 1⅛-ounce payloads. Lastly from HEVI-Shot are new 100 packs of popular HEVI-Steel and HEVI-Hammer loads in both 12 and 20 gauge.
The big news from Hornady is the .338 ARC (Advanced Rifle Cartridge). This unique round was designed to function in AR-15 rifles. The 307-grain SUB-X bullet at 1,050 fps offers 1.6 times more energy than the .300 Blackout subsonic for improved terminal performance. There’s also a 175-grain HP that offers a muzzle velocity of 2,075 fps. With an overall length of 2.260 inches, this cartridge will function flawlessly in AR-15 rifles and is also a great option for lightweight micro bolt-action guns. Hornady designed the .338 ARC to be cleaner than other subsonic rounds, and it functions with a 1:8 twist barrel for both supersonic and subsonic loads. It is also engineered to provide reliable subsonic and supersonic operation with the same gas settings.
Also new this year is Backcountry Defense handgun ammunition, which is designed to offer threat-stopping straight-line penetration against large, dangerous predators. The heart of this ammunition is Hornady’s new DGH (Dangerous Game Handgun) bullet that features a protected point design that locks the core to the jacket for straight-line penetration without deflection—key features when selecting a bear-stopping bullet. Because it uses a heavy-for-caliber jacketed bullet instead of a hard cast bullet there’s no lead smoke for improved awareness and faster follow-ups. Seven new Backcountry Defense loads are offered this year, ranging from a 138-grain 9mm+P load to a 500-grain .500 S&W Magnum. Hornady is also expanding their existing ammunition lines this year as well. The popular .22 ARC cartridge will now be available loaded with a 70-grain CX monolithic bullet as well as an 80-grain ELD-X hunting bullet. A bit of good news for fans of the 6mm GT as well: factory ammunition will be available for this cartridge from Hornady starting in 2025.
Nosler is taking aim at America’s most popular big-game animal with the launch of their new Whitetail Country centerfire rifle ammunition. Whitetail Country is available in a variety of popular cartridges like .270 Winchester, .30-30, .308 Winchester, and .30-06, and there are also two straight-wall offerings: .350 Legend and .45-70. The .350 Legend and .45-70 loads feature Nosler’s straight-wall jacketed soft point lead-core bullets which are engineered to expand reliably at extended ranges, and the bullet’s ogive is optimized for reliable feeding. Non straight-wall cartridges come with Nosler’s Solid Base jacketed lead core bullets that offer an accuracy-enhancing boat-tailed bullet profile and offer consistent, reliable performance at a variety of ranges. This American-made ammunition is optimized for whitetails and comes loaded in high-quality brass with superb propellants for a very affordable price point.
Remington has continued to expand their classic Core-Lokt line of hunting ammunition, and for 2025 the company is offering Core-Lokt Tipped Lever Gun ammunition. Building on the rugged and time-tested Core-Lokt design, these bullets are optimized for lever-action rifles and feature a flat polymer tip. Ballistic coefficients are also improved for better downrange performance. For example, Remington’s 180-grain Core-Lokt Tipped bullet features a BC of .212, which is considerably better than the soft-point 180-grain .360 Buckhammer load that offers a BC of .163. This translates to better downrange performance with flatter trajectories, more energy, and less wind drift. Six new Core-Lokt Tipped Lever Gun loads are available for 2025: .30-30 Winchester 150-grain, .35 Remington 200-grain, .45-70 300-grain, .444 Marlin 240-grain, .32 Winchester Special 170-grain, and .360 Buckhammer 180-grain.
There are other new additions to the Remington Core-Lokt family this year, too: Remington is working with Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat and adding an 150-grain Core-Lokt .300 Ham’r load. Also new for 2025 is a .300 Remington Ultra Magnum 180-grain load to their Core-Lokt Tipped line.
Remington’s new shotgun products include their Premier Royal Flush line of upland hunting ammunition. These loads feature plated lead shot for consistent patterns. With shot sizes ranging from No. 4 to No. 6, you can find the right load for hunting everything from preserve birds to wild-flushing late-season roosters. Also new this year is Remington Duck Club, an economical steel load available in both 12- and 20-gauge offerings that’s ideal for a variety of situations.
Fans of steel shot should also check out Remington’s new Nitro Steel Duplex 20 gauge. Available in three different 3-inch, 1-ounce loads, Nitro Steel Duplex comes with a blend of 2x4, 2x6, or 4x6 shot, making it a versatile, affordable non-toxic load for your sub-gauge duck gun.
Remington’s rimfire line is extending in 2025 with the introduction of Wheelgun 22, a 39-grain truncated-cone lead .22 LR bullet optimized for use in revolvers. Wheelgun 22 is low velocity and low noise, making it the optimal choice for plinking. Remington is also releasing Standard V, a 38-grain lead round-nose .22 LR bullet made for the economical shooter. Also new for 2025 is Remington’s revamp of the .22 Short. These will be offered in both a 29-grain plated round nose and a 27-grain plated hollow point. All of these new loads, as well as the existing offerings from Remington, will include new technological advances and can be identified by the “R” head stamp.
Winchester is changing the rimfire game with the launch of their new 21 Sharps, and in doing so they’re taking on the oldest and most popular cartridge available today—the .22 LR. The .22 LR has been popular since the 1800s, and it’s estimated that there are around 2.5 billionrounds of .22 LR produced annually. However, despite its popularity and longevity the .22 LR is not without its issues. Foremost among those is the use of a heeled bullet that restricts bullet design. Faced with the option to change the .22 LR cartridge or bullet, Winchester wisely opted to redesign the bullet profile to eliminate the need for a heeled bullet. The new .210-inch .21 Sharps bullet can be loaded into .22 LR-sized cases. This offers Winchester the flexibility to use a wider variety of bullet designs than are available with the .22 LR. Winchester will initially offer four .21 Sharps offerings: a 34-grain JHP, a 37-grain copper-plated lead bullet, a 42-grain FMJ, and a 25-grain lead-free Copper Matrix bullet. The Copper Matrix is groundbreaking because it offers a rimfire option in areas where lead ammunition is banned. Velocities range from 1,300 fps for the 42-grain FMJ to around 1,750 for the 25-grain Copper Matrix bullet, and that translates into excellent terminal performance on small game. Winchester claims that the 34-grain bullet expands to an average of 173 percent of its original size while retaining 99 percent of its original weight and penetrating nearly three feet of gelatin. All of which means it performs appreciably better than the .22 LR. The design requires nothing more than a barrel swap to change .22 LR rifles to .21 Sharps, and the ability to use new, modern, and easy-to-manufacture bullets could potentially help mitigate periodic rimfire ammunition shortages that have plagued shooters.
Also new from Winchester is Last Call, a brand-new waterfowl load that utilizes 18 g/cc TSS shot for improved lethality on ducks and geese. TSS will be available in 12-, 20-, and 28-gauge offerings as well as .410.
Because it utilizes high-density TSS pellets, Last Call ammunition is loaded with pellets that are smaller in diameter (No. 5 to No. 9), and this allows for more pellets per shot. TSS’s incredibly high density makes it lethal on birds, reducing cripples and resulting in cleaner, faster kills.
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