Eight years ago, I was invited to Hornady Manufacturing’s facility located in Grand Island, Nebraska, wherein several new products were unveiled. Most notable was the revolutionary “Extremely Low Drag eXpanding bullet, better known as ELD-X. Naturally, nondisclosure agreements were signed that kept everything confidential until October 27, 2015, when this new bullet was formally introduced. ...Read More >

My first vintage Winchester levergun, bought in 1984, was a Model 1894 38-55 octagonal-barreled rifle made in 1897. What an educational experience that rifle was! Although in fine overall condition, there were some odd lines on one side of the receiver and in the bore. When shown to an extremely knowledgeable Gunsmith friend, Ed Webber, said: “Don’t worry, they are simply forging flaws in the steel and quite common on old Winchesters.” That was my first learning experience with vintage Winchesters. That fine fellow also gifted me a Marble tang peep sight and mounted it while I was there. He passed away in 2022 and is missed. ...Read More >

I never had any intention to write anything about scope mounting. Nothing. I avoid it like the 27th mutation of the COVID-19 virus. Why? Because there have been countless articles published over the years dealing with the attachment of scopes, now called “optics,” to rifles. Some have been good, some not so much. Thus, most folks are highly opinionated on the subject. That is never good. ...Read More >

Rebranded in 2018, Blackhound Optics is a relatively new name in the optics trade and one of the company’s Japanese-made, long-range riflescopes is the topic of discussion here – the flagship Emerge 4-32x 56mm FFP MOA ($1,799.99) including a 34mm tube and exposed turrets. The accompanying press release stated the brand was launched to provide the highest-quality optics combined with the best possible value, all backed by a Lifetime Promise Warranty when purchased from a certified Blackhound dealer. ...Read More >