SIGHTS & OPTICS
Two Scopes to Know
A 1-6x24 has plenty of magnification for my big game hunting.
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Accessorizing Your Ruger...
As Marlin fans anxiously awaited Ruger’s rendition of the classic levergun with trepidation, I never doubted it for a second.
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5 Myths About Smart...
Your thoughts on mounting a smart digital scope to your rifle are undoubtedly influenced by all the rampant myths floating around out there. Let’s dispel...
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Leica Range-Finding Optics
Before optical sights, hunters managed to kill game without using rangefinders. If the brass bead dwarfed the deer, the shot was too long. When the sight...
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Streamlight BearTrap
I live in the country and it gets inky dark out here. It seems I’m always needing to tend to the tractor, investigate the chicken coop or fix the UTV so a...
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Streamlight Bandit Pro
I live in the country and it gets dark as all get-out here. When I moved here 13 years ago, I thought “night” was like it was in suburban America.
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Athlon Midas CF36 Tripod
I asked Athlon for a tripod and they sent me one — and it was more than I deserved.
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Holosun EPS and EPS Carry:...
You can now train like you carry thanks to the new EPS and EPS Carry open reflex pistol sights from Holosun.
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REVIEW: Vortex Optics...
In this review for GUNS Magazine, Nic Lenze shines a light on the Vortex Optics SPARC Solar red dot sight.
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Five Common Zeroing Mistakes
Before you can zero a scope, you’ll have attached it — another topic. Bore-sighting comes next. A collimator slipped into the muzzle puts a screen in...
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Lyman Sights
From the No. 1’s debut in 1879 until William Lyman’s death in 1896, he would patent 17 rifle, handgun and shotgun sights.
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The Mako Attacks
With strong input from pistol champion Phil Strader, the SIG P365 created a new genre of defensive handgun: small and light, polymer frame and striker...
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The Swampfox Sentinel
The Swampfox Sentinel is a micro-reflex optic designed for slim, subcompact guns and target-rich environments.
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Eyepal Peep Sighting System
The EyePal Peep Sighting System changed Roy Huntington's ability to use iron sights. Find out why!
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Harsh Reality
Counter-intuitive truths abound in optics. Years ago I was surprised to find, in a riflescope at a gun show, a broken crosshair.
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Learn to Shoot with a Red...
In this First Look, GUNS Magazine Editor Brent Wheat takes a Red Dot Sight class at Gunsite Academy. Sitting down with Gunsite Range Master Chris Currie,...
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Africa Rifles
For many hunters Africa has been a “one of these days” destination. The current pandemic with its restrictions on travel mean we don’t — at least I...
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Big, Bright, Sharp, Flat...
A scope should deliver a big, bright, sharp image as soon as you cheek the rifle. It’s painfully true any hunter whose sight picture doesn’t measure up...
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Top Tools for Optics Mounting
When I started mounting optics for my own guns, and changing them quite a bit for reviews, I realized I was missing quite a few tools that would make my...
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The Ruger Mini-21
The M21 Designated Marksman Rifle used to be the apex predator among gun nerds truly dedicated to their craft.
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The skinny on scopes
The first time I tried using a rifle scope must have been around 60 years ago. The father of a friend had somehow managed to attach a 3/4" tube scope made...
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Binoculars versus boneheads
Over the years, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to use binoculars and spotting scopes. Today’s models, no matter who makes them, are the best optics...
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Real Avid Level Right®...
The Level Right® Pro from Real Avid has completely changed scope mounting, taking a more user friendly and unique approach. This master grade precision...
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How to Transition to a Red...
Red dot optics are the latest advancement in pistol sighting systems but if you're like us, you still have trouble finding the dot quickly. Firearms...
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Is Your Scope Square?
Shooting far, you want the scope at 12 o’clock on the rifle, the reticle absolutely vertical. Absent wind and setting aside spin drift and Coriolis...
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Vortex Venom 5-25 x 56 FFP
Looking for an entry-level long-range scope? The Vortex Venom FFP 5-25 x 56 is great for precision rifle, rimfire, and anyone looking to push their limits.
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Hawke Endurance 1000 Laser...
The waterproof and lightweight Hawke Endurance 1000 Laser Range Finder works out to 1000 meters.
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Rangefinding Binoculars
Light has ever made life more interesting. In Egypt as early as 1300 B.C., polished bronze disks served as mirrors.
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Holosun HE407K-GR X2...
Holosun’s HE407K has turned green, or rather its reticle has, setting a new standard for self-defensive pistol optics.
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Murphy's Law Strikes...
Is it the shooter or the equipment? How do you really know?
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SPYPOINT LINK-MICRO-LT
Trail cameras aren’t anything new. I’ve used them since the days of when you had to take film — remember film, kids?
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The .50 Alaskan Lever Gun
It’s been over 25 years since I first read about the .50 Alaskan cartridge. The history captured my imagination like no other.
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XS Sights Minimalist Night...
Minimalist Night Sights are ideal for shooters who want the fastest line of sight to the front post and don't want focus on the rear sight too much when...
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The Springfield Armory...
The Springfield Armory Hellcat showed the world what we could expect from the next generation of concealed carry guns.
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Meopta Optics
Like Swiss watches and Italian sports cars, Teutonic optics have a hallowed history. Hensoldt and Zeiss, then Leica in Wetzlar — and Schmidt & Bender in...
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The HEX Dragonfly
Springfield Armory has been churning out butt-kicking guns since 1974. Their catalog launched with such staples as the M1A and 1911 and has steadily evolved...
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Meopta MeoPro Optika LR ...
It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Meopta optics. Made by one of Europe’s largest and oldest high-end optic manufacturers headquartered in the Czech...
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No Motion Pictures!
The bull had dropped right away. The sharp image of crosswire on rib had yielded to the brief but violent blur of recoil.
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ATN Optics Now Available...
New for 2021, ATN has gone Mossy, offering X-Sight 4K Pro, ThOR 4 and ThOR LT models in three different Mossy Oak patterns — Bottomland, Break-Up Country...
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SIG BDX
You’ve had days that profited nothing. This one was casting long shadows behind the hills north of Craig. Then — “There!” Cory and I pointed in sync.
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Baby my scope?
It’s vacuum-sealed and built to brook recoil from loads capable of flooring elephants. So what’s to baby?
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MEPRO FUBS Offer Backup,...
New for 2021, Meprolight’s Folding Back-Up Sights (FUBS) offer tritium-enhanced front and rear AR iron sights in a low-profile design that also features...
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Night sights make sense
My first exposure to tritium night sights came decades ago came at a gun range when I was chatting with a sheriff’s deputy. He showed me his...
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Leupold DeltaPoint Micro...
A new take on the Leupold DeltaPoint series, and red dots in general, the new DeltaPoint Micro is an enclosed, compact and low-profile red dot designed...
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Binocular vision
When we were younger, with 20/20 vision, we could see like eagles, hawks and owls but that’s no longer the case — it might be why I keep a pair of...
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Holiday Gift Guide: No...
With guns and ammo off the table, we put together a list of firearm accessories and gear you can actually find online/in-store to buy as gifts this holiday...
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Trijicon RMRcc
Alternating live rounds and empties, then clearing jams by pounding the pistol sight on a wooden post to free the slide, I left the post for dead.
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Rate Your Own Optics
The view was instantly brighter, details sharper. In hand, it was lighter than any binocular I’d yet carried afield. And it was less expensive! A field...
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Best or Bust: Arguing Over...
A huge point of contention in the shooting world, the Guncranks share their opinions about red dots and how old dogs can learn new tricks with the...
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Holosun & Shield Sights...
Household names for quality optics, Holosun and Shield Sights recently announced updates to popular red dot models for pistols, each improving upon previous...
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Riton Patrioptic Series...
For those seeking products stamped “Made in America,” look no further than the new Patrioptic series and new Patrioptic 1-8x28 from Riton Optics, the...
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Long-Range Recording with...
Previously specializing in bow, shotgun and fishing pole-mountable video cameras to capture every hunt and catch, TACTACAM has entered the spotting scope...
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A Different Red Dot Sight...
American Handgunner Editor Tom McHale takes a First Look at Aimpoint's fully enclosed red dot sight, the Acro P-1.
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Leupold Optics
“You can’t go there now! The passes are closed!” So spoke locals in the middle of their northern Wisconsin winter.
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New Products December 2020...
CMMG offers the Resolute and Endeavor Rifles in 6.5 Grendel. Available from many ammo manufacturers, the 6.5 Grendel is a worthy addition to the AR platform
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Trijicon Huron 2.5-10x40...
A friend of mine made an astute observation: “You buy rifle scopes on faith. They all look good on paper and coming out the box but you quickly find out...
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Real Avid Level-Right Pro...
Mounting a rifle scope is one of those processes where do-it-yourself rigs and projects abound. The most commonly used procedure is to put a small level...
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5 New Accessories for Slim...
As more gun owners begin to carry firearms for self-defense, more carry-friendly handgun options have emerged — specifically slim compacts and...
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Meopta MeoPro HD80 ...
I’ve always wanted a “real” spotting scope but there is the tiny matter of disposable income.
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Primary Arms GLX 2X Prism...
I’ve never been a huge fan of low-power optics on ARs but this one might change my mind.
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Pulsar TRAIL 2 LRF XP50...
An upgraded model of the Pulsar TRAIL LRF XP50, the second-generation riflescope boasts increased thermal sensitivity, image detail and ruggedness for even...
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Red Dot 101
There’s no faster sight than a red dot. However, some look like receiver sights, others like scopes. What gives?
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Meprolight Mepro Foresight
My first experience with an electronic sight was a number of years ago. Back then, the generic buzz term for such products was “holographic sight”
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The Forgotten Four
Warren Page once wrote: “I had thought the question of scope power for selective shooting of open-country [deer] had been settled … the 4x is just about...
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SIG Romeo1PRO Red dot optic
The SIG SAUER Romeo1PRO red dot optic offers two design features negating the most common complaint against red dot sights on defensive pistols: finding the...
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New Products July 2020 Issue
The Aluminum Slip-Joint Folders from Bear & Son Cutlery are lightweight slip-joint pocketknives. They have aluminum handles that conveniently fit in pockets...
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Truglo Tru-Tec Micro Red Dot
Red dot sights are all the rage because they offer quick target acquisition under a variety of lighting conditions alongside unlimited eye relief.
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SIG Sauer Tango6T 1-6X24
Back when I wore the uniform, our weapons were the end result of laborious and protracted selection processes.
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Mounts Count!
Like racing tires and blue-ribbon taxidermy, a costly scope avails you to nothing if stupidly attached.
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Geezer Guns
An old saying goes, “Don’t let your mouth write checks your butt can’t handle.” In bygone days I used to brag to my friends in the BPCR Silhouette game
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Franchi Momentum
When a convergence of technology in the firearms world reached my doorstep, it was a surprise.
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Meopta Optika HD 10x24 Binos
I’ll grant you I’m not an optics expert and have a hard time telling multicoating from a muffuletta. However, to my degenerating (or is it degenerate?)...
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Drawing First Blood
Shooters sift rifle scopes by price, power, dials, reticles, lens diameter — but what about length?
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New Products April 2020 Issue
The Bond Arms Grizzly is a single-action, double-barrel pistol chambered for .45 Colt and 2.5" .410 shells.
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SHOT Show Sights: Show Day 1
A daily photo dump of the best sights from the range and show floor of the 2020 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
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XS Sights DXT Night Sights
The day I realized my aging eyes couldn’t clearly see the front sight on a pistol was eye-opening (pun intended).
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Viridian Delivers Quality...
Arriving on the scene with cutting edge technology back in 2006, Viridian Weapon Technologies has since become a top name in laser sights and lights.
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Rangefinding Reticles
Any reticle that will subtend — or bracket — a known measure at a known yardage can put you on target at any distance, if you know the size of the target.
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Leupold Mark 5HD 7-35x56
Can you even see a target at 2,000 meters? I can’t, at least not with the naked eye, but having recently rung an 18" steel plate steel at 1.2 miles, I can...
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Skinner Sights Aims to Please
There are several ways to equip a lever-action rifle with sights and most shooters, at least those of us who have been around for a while, need something...
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Axeon Second Zero
Occasionally, a smart-aleck will describe how a complicated machine works via “FM,” which stands for Freakin’ Magic. Essentially, it’s a simple way...
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EOTech XPS2 Green
It’s not cool to admit, but darn it, I like EOTech holographic weapon sights (HWS). I like them because I’ve used them for years on my police patrol...
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Hold the Phone!
Had the buck been peeking from behind a rock, or screened by aspens, my grip on the binocular wouldn’t have dented its jacket. “Shoot!” I hissed,...
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Ruger 350 Legend Ranch Rifle
Our guide, Steve Jones, slammed the four-wheel-drive utility vehicle to a halt on the rocky Texas ranch trail. Wild pigs are hated around these parts,...
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Meopta Optika6 Scope...
Fall hunting seasons are just over the horizon and the weeks remaining allow time for serious hunters to put new glass on their rifles, get zeroed and start...
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The Essential Optic
Our eyes need light to see. Light has properties of particles and rays. As early as A.D. 1100 Arab scientist Alhazen described the behavior of reflected...
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Trijicon SRO
Having been a devoted user of Trijicon tritium night sights on my defensive handguns for more than two decades, the new SRO (Specialized Reflex Optic) got...
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Athlon Cronus Spotting Scope
We’ve all been there, especially with new shooters. Trying to make a hit at long range is hard enough, but trying to get a rookie to learn what “X”...
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Reticles: The Critical...
“Little people, little pleasures,” sighed Alice early in our marriage as she watched men in heavy jackets hug big rifles to perforate dime-size circles.
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EOTech Vudu precision...
We’re always looking at the next new piece of equipment to see if the elusive “something” is there. Occasionally we strike pay dirt. This time, it’s...
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Skinner Sights Bush Pilot...
Fantasy is the catalyst responsible for many gun purchases. With lust-filled eyes, racing heart and sweaty palms, we think to ourselves, “I need that gun...
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Trijicon SRO (Specialized...
Spring has sprung and in addition to all the flowers and pollen, the firearms industry is seeing plenty of new products popping up at the National Rifle...
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Meopta’s New Optika6...
When we had younger eyes capable of spotting game at a glance toward the far side of a canyon or valley, topping a rifle with a telescopic sight just...
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