Hunt Smarter: Top-Rated Mobile Apps for Hunters in 2025
In today's world of high-tech hunting, a mobile phone can be just as essential as a good pair of boots. Whether you're glassing for elk in the Rockies or planning stand placement for the whitetail rut, the right app can help you scout smarter, track game more effectively, and stay safe and legal in the field. Below is a breakdown of some of the best mobile apps for hunters. Need to get sighted in before a hunt? Finding a nearby range is easier than ever thanks to tools like the NSSF’s Where to Shoot app and online range finder—helping you turn any location into an opportunity to train smarter."
At the core of your app arsenal should be a good weather app with more advanced features than your cell phone's default weather app. Most of the popular weather apps are not only free but also offer very similar features.
AccuWeather offers very localized forecasts with features like MinuteCast, which gives precipitation updates minute by minute. AccuWeather also features extended forecasts, radar, weather alerts and more.
The Weather Channel app is like AccuWeather but with a few more content features, courtesy of its established media presence.
Weather Underground is a solid choice for accessing reliable, general weather data. It includes useful details like sunrise and sunset times—essential for tracking legal shooting hours. One standout feature is its extensive historical weather database, which proves especially valuable when planning hunts in unfamiliar, out-of-state locations. By reviewing past conditions, you can get a clearer picture of typical wind patterns and temperature ranges, helping you prepare more effectively.
The Windy app offers a detailed wind visualization map that allows hunters to check real-time wind direction and speed across complex terrain. Hunters appreciate its wind compass, gust tracking and comparison across multiple forecast models, enabling smarter decisions about stand placement and movement. Windy offers clarity on how wind flows through ridgelines, valleys and topographical features that can make or break a hunt, making it especially valuable when hunting in hilly or forested areas.
onX Hunt is a hunting app that combines detailed GPS mapping with land ownership overlays, allowing users to easily distinguish between public and private property. Users can toggle between high-resolution topographical, satellite and hybrid maps, use 3D views for terrain visualization and download offline maps so navigation works even without cell service. The app’s customizable waypoints, tracks and map Layers—for GMUs, weather, wind, soil, wildfire history and trail cameras—give hunters powerful tools for planning, sign marking and in-field coordination. One of the coolest new features from onX is the leafless imagery feature, which provides a view of the terrain after the leaves have fallen off.
Huntstand is a great hunting app focused on the Eastern United States. One of the most unique features of the Huntstand app is the Stand Reservation and Group Sharing feature. It allows members of a hunt club or a group lease to communicate right within the app. Another unique feature is the ability to integrate with the Command Pro trail camera app (Muddy and Stealth Cam Cameras). This allows you to organize your trail camera photos visually and within one central hunting "hub" of information.
An old standby, Google Earth is still a very powerful scouting tool for hunters of both public and private lands. Users can create and save projects, utilize ground-level view (when applicable) and view properties in tremendous detail in both 2D and 3D.
Pro Tip: Different mapping applications get their imagery from different sources and at different times. It's a great idea to have multiple apps for comparing different satellite imagery offerings.
Another hunt mapping option is the Basemap app. Like many of the other options, Basemap offers mapping with the ability to view a property with different layers. One of the unique features is their LRF (Laser Rangefinder Mapping) feature. This is especially useful for game recovery. Simply range the location you want to get to, orient your phone in that direction and enter the range in Basemap. Using GPS, the app will then set a waypoint at that location.
Spartan Forge is a newer hunting mapping app that has some features unique to its platform. One of the more popular features is the LIDAR mapping overlay, which allows users to see through the canopy of trees to get a better understanding of the terrain below. It also features a deer movement prediction algorithm, in-app live pin sharing and other features typically found on hunting-focused mapping apps.
The Tactacam app works with all Tactacam Reveal cell cameras. It allows you to visualize your camera locations on a map via GPS and organize your photos based on location. You can also request on-demand HD photos from within the app for real-time data. The Hunt Sync feature allows you to pause real-time photo delivery during hunts and receive the photos afterward.
The Command Pro app works with Muddy and Stealth Cam trail cameras. This feature-rich trail camera app offers unique features, including camera sharing, which lets you grant other app users access to your cameras. The integrated AI Photo tagging automatically tags animals, humans and vehicles. Recently, Command Pro was updated to include analytics, which help the user pattern wildlife and keep track of data such as the number of photos taken with a specific wind direction.
Cuddeback trail cameras have been around for quite some time. Their unique "CuddeLink" systems allow you to use up to 24 cameras on just one cell plan. The cameras act as repeaters, sending photos from one camera to the next until they get to the "home" camera, which then uploads the images to the Cuddeback app. This unique system is excellent for properties with cell service "dead zones" because, as long as one camera has service, and the other cameras can "talk to" each other, the system will function.
The Deercast app's detailed weather-driven deer movement algorithm helps you predict deer activity up to two weeks in advance. Built-in tools like rain history and path tracking help you visualize your hunt in the palm of your hand. One of the most popular features is the DeerCast track tool, which offers expert guidance tailored to your shot placement, helping you to make the right decisions about how long to wait prior to recovery.
The HuntWise app is a popular, data-driven hunt forecasting app. Inside, you'll find HuntCast, which forecasts hourly, species-specific movement windows. The RutCast feature helps you make better hunting decisions during different phases of the rut. Lastly, WindCast helps you choose the best stand locations based on wind direction and scent control.
The GOHUNT app is a powerful tool for out-of-state hunters looking for amazing insights. Visualize unit-specific draw odds in states across the country, share entire folders of waypoints and drawings with friends and view hunting locations in full 3D on your mobile device. If you're looking to hunt out of state or plan your hunt more effectively, the GOHUNT app can be a great place to start.
MyOutdoorTV features many of the most popular shows you'll find on outdoor TV shows, such as the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. They also feature live TV channels and semi-live "JustShot" and "JustCaught" content, allowing users to view timely, in-season content.
CarbonTV provides free access to high-quality hunting, fishing, survival and rural lifestyle videos and series. With an account, users can favorite shows to make it easier to always find the newest content. Along with videos, you can find podcasts and short films on the app as well.
Don't see one of your favorite hunting apps on this list? Send us a message and explain why it should be on our list!
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Beyond the Rifle: Essential Gear for a Successful Prairie Dog Hunt
When most shooters think about prairie dog hunting, their minds go straight to rifles, scopes, and a pile of ammo. But ask any seasoned “dogger,” and they’ll tell you—success in the field often comes down to the gear you bring besides your firearm. From hearing protection and shooting mats to portable benches and wind gauges, these extras can transform a hot, dusty day into an efficient and enjoyable hunt. In this article, we’ll cover the must-have ancillary gear that keeps you shooting comfortably and accurately all day long. And if you’re looking for deep dives into the best rifles, optics, and cartridges for prairie dog hunting, be sure to check out the full Prairie Dog Rifle, Optics & Ammo Guide from StepOutside.org.
By Bob Robb
Comfort and Communication in the Field
There are several items besides rifles, ammo, and optics that will make your day afield more fun. First and foremost, you need to communicate with the others in your shooting party, so electronic hearing protection is the ticket. That way you keep your ears safe and are able to talk to everyone in the group. You will also want excellent eye protection, preferably those that sit off your face a little to prevent fogging, as much for the shooting part as for protection from the blowing grit, sand and dust you’ll find in prairie dog country.
Reading the Wind and Cleaning Your Rifle
A little wind gauge can help you dope the wind and get a feeling for where you have to hold the crosshairs for different wind speeds. A complete gun cleaning kit with cleaning rods, brushes, jags and patches for each caliber is important, too. Taking a little time on high-volume shoots to clean the barrel several times a day is a good idea, as is completely cleaning the rifle at day’s end.
Get Low: Shooting Mats, Bipods, and Tripods
A real bonus is a shooting mat if you’re going to shoot prone, a common shooting position for prairie dogs. They’re also a little kinder on your butt if you like to shoot from the sitting position. While this isn’t optimum for long-range shooting, it’s great added practice for big-game hunting. I bring along bipod (which you’ll also need for prone shooting) or tripod shooting sticks and do quite a bit of firing from the sitting position, as it’s a position I find myself using a lot on spot-and-stalk hunts in the fall.
Portable Benches and Shooting Rests
On a really active town, you’ll often be set up in the same place for quite a bit of time, and this is where portable shooting benches are a great tool. These portable benches allow you to emulate your range's permanently installed sitting benchrests back home, greatly improve visibility and aid in accurate shooting. There are several on the market—some are mediocre, others pretty deluxe and some downright creative—and any one of them is better than shooting prone for an entire day. Another one of their benefits is that once you’ve worn out an area, the bench can be easily moved to the next viable spot.
Sandbags, Rests, and Shooting Vises
For prone and bench shooting, you’re going to need a variety of sandbags and shooting bags. Squeezing a small sandbag under the buttstock while shooting prone (and with a bipod on the front end), allows you to make tiny elevation changes without fussing with your scope. Larger sandbags placed on the hood of a pickup, a boulder or a shooting bench add stability to the front of rifles not wearing a bipod and protect those rifles at the same time. Bench shooters also tend to favor shooting vises. They usually have some sort of protective material the fore-end will rest against, some swing side to side, and most will have some sort of knob arrangement for elevation adjustments.
Plan Like a Pro: Sun, Snacks, and Safety
In all likelihood you’ll also be out away from the conveniences of a human-populated town quite a ways, so be prepared for anything and everything. On hot summer days on the plains, the sun can be brutal. Protect yourself with a good hat, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, lightweight pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. If it’s not too windy, setting up an umbrella or tarp so you can get out of the sun for a spell is worth its weight in gold. That’s where you can set up a couple of folding chairs and a cooler filled with ice, cold nonalcoholic beverages, and snacks. Folding chairs are perfect for spotters as well. Fill up your gas tank, have plenty of liquids and food, bring a basic first aid kit, some bug spray and rain gear and always watch the weather. One year in Wyoming my group was forced to make a run for it when a tornado sprang up seemingly out of nowhere and raced right towards us!
That was almost as exciting as the shooting. On that particular day, four of us tallied how much ammo we had burned in the eight hours before we had to head for the hills. I still have my log book, and the number was 1,087. That’s impressive and why prairie dog shooting is something you should seriously consider giving a try.
Special thanks to StepOutside.org for providing this insightful content.You may also be interested in:
https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/hunter-education/how-to-use-natural-clues-to-read-the-wind/
https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/small-game/prairie-dog-hunting-an-exciting-adventure-in-the-wild/
By Robert Sadowski
The market for night-vision and thermal optics stays red hot, but red dots at LPVOs remain in the mix this year.
Optics such as night vision and thermal are being offered by more brands, making these exotic optics more accessible to hunters. Some price points are still at nose-bleed heights because they are so feature rich the process is more like buying a computer than a scope. Other brands make owning thermal and night-vision optics for mere mortals easier. There still is a steep entry price, but once you go thermal it’s hard to go back. There is also no reason why you can’t put your pistol-buying customer in a red-dot optic. This year there are red-dot reflex sights at all price points. Enclosed emitter red dots (red-dot optics sealed from the elements) are making inroads with models at lower price points. LPVOs (Low-Powered Variable Optics) continue to be a strong presence in the riflescope market. Here are the details.
Apex Optics
Apex Optics' new VAPOR 1-4x22mm variable-zoom PRISM sight (SRP: $699-$799) is the first variable-zoom prism sight available on the market. Designed for tactical situations, competition, or anyone looking for cutting-edge innovation, precision, and durability, the VAPOR offers effortless zoom from 1X through 4X with a simple turn of the front zoom ring, similar to a traditional riflescope. It is compatible with Picatinny mounts for easy integration into any AR-style platform. A six-position illuminated, glass-etched reticle with off settings between each brightness level is built into a 30mm one-piece aircraft-grade aluminum tube. The new ION 1x25mm red-dot sight (SRP: $350) is designed for defensive and tactical pistol or AR platforms. The ION uses the RMSc footprint, so it is compatible with all RMSc mounts. Features include AutoSleep and JOLT-AWAKE technologies that automatically power down during inactivity and instantly reactivate with motion. There are 10 brightness settings, including two for night-vision use. Reticle options include a 6 MOA dot or a selectable three-position MRX reticle. The Edge BLACK 1-10×24 LPVO (SRP: $1,800) is now fully assembled and quality controlled in the USA and offers the same unparalleled performance as the original Japanese-made Edge 1-10×24.
Check these out on: apexoptics.co
Barska
The NVD35 Night Vision Adapter (SRP: $549.99) transforms nearly any riflescope into a highly efficient night-vision system by attaching seamlessly to the ocular lens of most riflescopes. Equipped with a 1024×768 pixel OLED display, the NVD35 boasts a digital zoom range from 1X to 5X. The easy-attachment mechanism allows for quick installation and removal, making it highly adaptable for a variety of shooting scenarios.
Check these out on: barska.com
Burris
The Fullfield riflescope line has a 50-plus-year reputation of proven performance, and for this year the Fullfield line has been redesigned with five magnification ranges and a variety of reticle options. The proprietary 4X zoom system offers performance in a compact scope, combined with simple Plex or more advanced MOA and BDC-based reticle options. The optional Burris Knob Synergy turrets elevate performance. Six new Fullfield models include a 2-8x35mm, 2.5-10x42mm, 3-12x42mm, 3-12x56mm, 4-16x50mm, and 6-24x50mm (SRP: $192-$600). Whether you're a hunter or a long-range shooter, the Fullfield lines offer value and performance.
The new FastFire E (SRP: $420) is an enclosed emitter red-dot optic designed for a variety of platforms and to ensure reliable performance in any environmental conditions. Built with an aluminum body, the FastFire E is constantly powered on with a 60,000-hour battery life from one CR2032 battery that juices a red or green 3.5 MOA dot.
Check these out on: burrisoptics.com
C&H Precision
The new COMP MAX (SRP: $339.95) is an open-emitter red dot with a viewing window larger than other red dots. The COMP MAX is purpose-built for competition, duty, or concealed carry. It has the same footprint as the RMR and features a multiple reticle with a 2 MOA dot, 30 MOA circle—or both. The new EDC-EN (SRP: $275) is an enclosed emitter red dot to protect against dirt, dust, and debris interfering with the emitter. Powered up 50,000 hours, the EDC-EN features shake-to-wake technology, so it instantly comes on and powers off after five minutes of inactivity. It uses a RMSC footprint for a wide range of compatibility. Red and green dot reticle models are available with multiple reticle choices: 2.5 MOA dot, 34 MOA circle, or both. The HNT-R MAX (SRP: $339.95) is another open emitter red dot with a large viewing window, RMSC footprint, and True Timber camo finish. Add this to your turkey shotgun.
Check these out on: chpws.com
C-More
The RTS3 (SRP: $749) open emitter red dot is a total redesign to maximum performance and reliability. The RTS3 placed first overall at the 2024 USPSA Carry Optics National Championship. It features a large viewing window; is available with either a 3, 6, or 9 MOA dot; has 50,000 hours of battery life; and the footprint is compatible with STS2 and RTS2 mounts. It also has a 30-year warranty.
Check these out on: cmore.com
Crimson Trace
Crimson Trace has evolved two of its best selling products, the Railmaster CMR-201 and CMR-206 Universal Laser Sights. Now both lasers are equipped with aluminum rail clamps to outlast the competition and prevent slipping.
The CMR-201 also features a robust polymer body, brightest allowable 5mw red laser, and externally replaceable 1/3N Li battery. The small footprint fits on a wide range of handguns and rifles. The CMR-206 features a daylight visible 5mw green laser—brightest allowable by law. Both lasers come with two rail fit adapters: universal and GLOCK profile. SRP: $129.99, CMR-201; $239.99, CMR-206.
Check these out on: crimsontrace.com
Eotech
The housing of the super-short Vudu 3-9×32 riflescope is constructed of lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum. This second focal plane design comes in at 6.8 inches and is fog-, water-, and shock-resistant. The turrets offer 1⁄4 MOA adjustments and are both capped for protection. A rotary dial provides an illuminated reticle with 10 brightness settings, and the CR2032 battery provides roughly 300 hours of operation. The unique design provides an integrated base that is also compatible with aftermarket mini-ACOG mounts. For those wanting a non-magnified solution, EOTECH offers a version that includes a ring mount and EFLXTM that can be mounted to the front tube section. It can be positioned at the top or at 45-degree offsets for close or moving targets.
Check these out on: eotechinc.com
GPO
It shouldn’t take retailers long to figure out the new CENTURI lines of riflescopes offers all the features shooters demand at an affordable price. The CENTURI 4-16x44i FFP Super Compact riflescope (SRP: $519.99) has a small footprint at just 9.9 inches long. It weighs a mere 20 ounces. Features include a first-focal plane milliradian reticle illuminated with GPO iControl technology, .1 milliradian turrets that lock, and an innovative “in-cap” zero-stop locking function. Other models in the CENTURI family include a 2.5-15x44i (SRP: $619.99), 2.5-15x50i (SRP: $619.99), and 3-18x44i (SRP: $619.99). All feature a 6X zoom magnification and are built on 30mm tubes.
Check these out on: gpo-usa.com
Hawke Optics
The new Vantage IR 1-4x20mm Turkey Dot riflescope (SRP: $239) is designed for turkey hunting with features like a full Mossy Oak camo finish and Turkey Dot illuminated reticle. It comes with flip-up covers, honeycomb sun shade, and removable zoom throw lever. The new XB30 FFP crossbow scope (SRP: $219.99) with an FFP reticle is a first for crossbow optics. The XB30 FFP SR illuminated reticle keeps you on target at any magnification.
Check these out on: us.hawkeoptics.com
Hi-Lux Optics
The Malcolm Long Rifle Telescope Gen II (SRP: $799) blends period-correct aesthetics and modern performance. The Malcolm comes equipped with a 6X magnification eyepiece, sliding dovetail mounts, a 5-inch extended sunshade for 30-inch barrels, and parallax adjustment from 10 yards to infinity. If your customer's rifle barrel has both front and rear sight dovetails, you should be able to mount this scope without any drilling or tapping. Dove mounts are compatible with Uberti, Shiloh, Perdesoli, and Chiappa rifles.
Check these out on: hi-luxoptics.com
Pulsar
Engineered with cutting-edge technology and precision craftsmanship, Thermion digital thermal riflescopes deliver clarity and precision to ensure success in any low-light environment. For 2025, Pulsar adds three models to the Thermion line: 2 LRF XP60, 2 LRF XG60, and 2LRF XL60. All feature a video recorder, AMOLED 2560×2560 display type and resolution, a 60mm objective lens, and 64 Gb of built-in memory. The units can detect images up to 2,000 meters (2,800 for the 2LRF XL60), and the included remote control allows hunters to to adjust settings and make precise shots without ever losing sight of the target.
Check these out on: pulsarnv.com
Riton
The new 5 Primal 3-18×50 Crossover Scope (SRP: $999.99) is designed to be just as useful on the 1,000-yard range as in the backcountry. Built on a 34mm tube, the Primal features .1 mil capped turrets and the popular Long-Range Hunter (LRH) first-focal plane (FFP) reticle with a Christmas-tree style set-up. The new 3 Tactix 3X Magnifier (SRP: $249.99) adds magnification to 1X dot-style optics when you need it—and stays out of the way when you don’t. The push-button design flips the magnifier out of the way to run a dot without additional magnification. Features include two mounting height configurations and a choice between a dot-only or a circle-dot reticle. Pair the 1 Tactix ARD 2 (SRP: $229.99) with the 3 Tactix 3X magnifier for a versatile package.
Check these out on: ritonoptics.com
Umarex
The Umarex RDS8 (SRP: $39.99) stands for Red Dot Sight 8 and is compatible with various airguns, airsoft guns, and imaged paintball training equipment. The RDS8 is a compact, lightweight red dot sight with an 8 MOA reticle with two brightness levels. A Picatinny universal mount is included so it can adapt to a variety of other air-powered platforms. The OR/MOS Adapter Plates (SRP: $20) are now available for select air-powered Walther PDP and Glock models in airgun, airsoft, and paintball variants. The plates come in the most popular mounting footprints for Trijicon, Vortex, Leupold, and C-More.
Check these out on: umarexusa.com
U.S. Optics
The new RISE Red Dot Sight (SRP: $279.99) is a high-performance reflex sight equipped with a 3 MOA red dot, 10 brightness settings (including night vision), and a durable aluminum housing. It is compatible with the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro footprint, and is ideal for pistols, shotguns, and rifles with tactical, sporting, and home-defense applications.
Check these out on: usoptics.com
Winchester Supreme Optics
The new line of value-focused riflescopes includes six models: 6-18x50mm SF Illuminated Reticle (SRP: $344.99), 4-12x44mm SF (SRP: $241.99), 3-9x40mm (SRP: $206.99), 3.5-10x50mm (SRP: $218.99), 2-7x32mm (SRP: $144.99), and 1-4x24mm Illuminated Reticle (SRP: $264.99). Features include premium lens multi-coated with Winchester WINcoat to transmit the maximum amount of low dusk or dawn light to your eye. All scopes use second focal plane (SFP) reticles and fast-focus eyepieces.
Check these out on: worldofwinchester.com
XS Sights
The DXT2 PRO Series night sights are designed for self-defense. This improved Big Dot line offers increased durability and corrosion resistance due to the upgraded tritium lamps and BlackNitride surface finish. The PRO Series is also the first XS Big Dot available with a green glow dot front sight that delivers high contrast in bright light while glowing extremely bright in low light.
The DXT2 PRO Series sights offer the same exceptional benefits of the original XS Big Dots with a large, easy-to-see tritium front sight with dual-illumination technology for high visibility in low light and a rear, tritium stripe for fast and easy vertical alignment. The overall design and sheer size of the dot at 0.188 inch drives focus to the front sight for lightning-fast target acquisition. The sights will fit selected models from Glock, SIG Sauer, Springfield Armory, Smith & Wesson, and FN. SRP: $153.
XS Sights is also offering new, pre-drilled front sights, featuring a self-illuminating tritium Glow Dot, for S&W K-Frame, L-Frame, J-Frame and Ruger SP101 revolvers. The dual-illuminated front sight has a self-luminous tritium vial surrounded by XS’ proprietary photoluminescent Glow Dot that absorbs ambient light to glow in low light. The pairing ensures the front sight will glow brightly in low light and contrast well in bright light conditions.
While the Standard dot sets come with a front sight only, the Minimalist sets come with a front sight and serrated, anti-glare, non-tritium rear sight. It is designed to be as minimalistic as possible while driving focus to the front sight.
Check these out on: xssights.com
X-Vision Optics
The latest to the FLEX thermal optic lines is the all-new compact TR2 (SRP: $3,499.99) with features like detection range up to 1,700 yards, 1-4X magnification, a large 2.56-inch display screen, customizable color-palette and reticle selections, and a quick-release Picatinny mount.
You may also be interested in:
https://www.letsgoshooting.org/resources/articles/firearms/new-handguns-coming-to-stores-in-2025/
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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