By Beyond Seclusion

In today’s article, Beyond Seclusion uses a Springfield Armory SAINT Victor to try to determine what the effective range of a 9mm carbine is. While a 9mm pistol is suitable at 0-25 yards, the ballistics of the cartridge make shooting the handgun at 50 or 75 yards a trickier proposition. Yet, rifles and carbines are expected to provide excellent accuracy at 100 yards or 100 meters. Does shooting a 9mm round from a carbine offer a significant long-range advantage over a pistol?

When it comes to guns and shooting, what do most of us like to do? Sure, we all consider self-defense, but what do we truly like to do more than anything? Send rounds down range, “BANG THE STEEL”, test our skills, have a reason to spend time with friends outside, and just enjoy shooting without breaking the bank.

Many of us also like the challenge of shooting at distance, not just up close at 50 yards and under. But what if we took a pistol caliber carbine (PCC), which is normally intended for closer-in distances, and pushed it out to longer ranges? Springfield’s SAINT Victor 9mm may just be the solution we are looking for regarding this project.

Let’s see just how far we can shoot a 9mm carbine.

The Platform: SAINT 9mm Carbine

Why the SAINT Victor 9mm? This is where the time-tested 9mm chambering comes into play. It has been in service with militaries around the world for more than 100 years in pistol, carbine and submachine gun forms. It is also a very pleasant-shooting round. You can carry a lot of rounds and accurately put them on target quickly, efficiently, and most important, accurately. The FBI even went back to the 9mm after many years with the .40, an endorsement particularly attractive to the civilian market.

The Springfield SAINT Carbine is an excellent gun that feeds reliably from industry-standard stick magazines. It uses top quality materials and construction. As an industry-leading pistol-caliber carbine, it should be an excellent platform to test the maximum effective range of the 9mm.

We are not here to debate the effectiveness of the 9mm hollow point compared to other calibers — that is an entirely different debate. I will say it is my preferred choice for concealed carry and home/self-defense. Remember, we are not talking in the military sense here folks; we are talking about the civilian world. So, with that in mind, addressing the desires mentioned above regarding going to range, practice, fun, accuracy, cost of ammo, distance, etc., the 9mm is definitely a top contender in my opinion.

For most of its history with the military, the 9mm was primarily chambered in pistols and submachine guns. It was about 20-30 years ago we started really seeing PCC’s introduced into the civilian market. They really took hold and are now incredibly popular. The reasons why are everything we just mentioned. One of the biggest reasons is the cost and availability of ammo, not to mention accuracy out of a rifle and the extra velocity you get with the longer barrel.

I typically get at least an extra 200+ fps of muzzle velocity from a 16” rifle barrel compared to a pistol-length barrel. That also typically gets you 100+ ft/lbs of energy from the rifle and puts us in and around 500+ ft/lbs of energy, which is nothing to turn your nose up at. It’s shy of a 5.56 NATO carbine’s power, but easily surpasses that of the standard 115 gr. 9mm ammo.

So What Is the Effective Range of a PCC?

So, what does that mean for us? We can have our cake and eat it too.

We can shoot more for less than any other caliber other than the .22 LR, and we get an audible “BANG” on the steel out to 200 yards — and even 300. I actually tested this once — I was able to punch through 3” of pine wood and ring the steel at 400 yards with 16”-barreled PCC with a scope. That’s pretty reasonable penetration for a pistol caliber past 100 yards.

At 50 yards, we can achieve MOA groups and easily bang the steel out to 200 yards.

Not long ago, Springfield introduced the SAINT VICTOR 9mm Carbine. Their SAINT line has been very successful with an outstanding reputation for quality and accuracy. It made perfect sense to add the 9mm to that line.

With a 16” barrel and SAINT AR quality, we should easily be able to reach out to 200 yards. I included the link below to the SAINT Carbine for all the specs & tech. With an optic with a bullet drop compensator (BDC) reticle, I was actually able to reach out to 300 yards. I will be completely honest, it is a real challenge at 300. The hold-over is somewhere around 6-12 feet depending on the ammo and bullet weight. With absolutely no wind, it is very repeatable. The bullet is going really slow at that distance, and any wind will really move it. 200 is ridiculously easy and with little hold-over with a 50-yard zero.

I used a Primary Arms GLx 2x Compact Prism Scope with the ACSS Gemini reticle and BDC. It was absolutely perfect for this gun. We zeroed at 50 yards just like described in the manual, and the BDC took us out to 200 yards without difficulty.

The SAINT 9mm is light and streamline. It just feels comfortable in the hands both for bench shooting and standing. If you are shooting from the bench with a bag, you may find the 32-round mag challenging. You will have to have a pretty tall bag, or simply get a 10- or 20-round mag so it is not digging into the table. I was very surprised how easily I was able to consistently hit the steel at 200 yards standing. The 16” barrel really helps with that.

Conclusion on 9mm Bullets from the AR Platform

The 9mm PCC has very little recoil. You literally could shoot all day with no notable effect on your shoulder — maybe your wallet, but not your shoulder. It’s just fun to shoot and, with the ability to reach out to 200 yards, which compared to a pistol, offers a better experience. What’s not to like?

The bottom line? 9mm is cheap, and you can shoot more for less. That lends the pistol cartridge to be a very fun shooter that is still practical and effective. And, as I’ve hopefully demonstrated here more accurate than many people would assume.

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!

Join the Discussion

Go to forum thread

Featured in this video

If you’re going off-grid, you’ll need a water source, usually in the form of a well or borehole.

That’s all well (excuse the pun) and good when you’ve got the power to pump water from it, but if the grid goes down, you’re effectively upstream without a paddle.

Don’t despair – there are several ways to get water from your well without electricity – it just takes a little preparation and forethought.

7 Ways To Access Your Well Water Without Electricity

#1 Generator

Although only 5% of American homes have backup generators, they are one of the best ways to ensure consistent power regardless of grid problems or extreme weather conditions.

While a dual fuel generator may provide the most cost-effective solution, few can produce the voltage needed for a deep well pump to operate.

For deep well pumps, a diesel generator will provide a more effective solution as they are both portable and powerful enough to produce the pump’s required 220v.

#2 Solar Pump

There are numerous different types of solar well pumps available, the best of which can pump water from depths of 600’ or more.

A surface solar pump is a viable option for shallow wells and to move water from your storage tank to your home. For deeper wells, you’ll need a submersible solar pump.

The best solar well pumps can run off batteries as well as sunlight, making them a suitable option for accessing water during extreme weather conditions, as well as during a power outage.

On our small-holding, a submersible solar well pump pushes water to a storage tank at the top of the hill; we then rely on gravity to transport that water down to the house.

The benefit of this two-pronged approach is that we’re not solely reliant on the solar pump, and therefore sunlight, but can get a consistent water supply straight to the house regardless of the weather or the national electricity supply.

#3 Wind-Powered Pump

A wind turbine isn’t something you can always rely on to provide water when you need it as you can be sure the wind will drop the instant you decide you need it, but you can use it to pump water to a holding tank which can then be transported to your home by gravity.

Many home wind turbines can be hooked up to solar panels, providing two alternative power sources for those inevitable emergencies. Read more about hybrid wind and solar systems.

Although you’ll need to invest a few hundred dollars in a good-quality wind turbine, once in place, it costs very little to run or maintain.

If you lack the funds to buy a wind turbine but have an abundance of DIY know-how, you could make your own out of PVC piping, and an old car fan as demonstrated in the video below.

#4 Hand Pump

One of the simplest ways to get water from a well when the power’s down is via a hand pump. The best hand pumps can be alongside your electrical submersible pump, making it easy to swap from one.

Hand pumps are particularly effective for shallow wells and can draw water from a depth of 25’ or less without undue muscle fatigue on your behalf.

Accessing water that’s over 30’ down requires significantly more muscle power, which is why some deep well hand pumps can be linked to a windmill or operated via a foot valve.

A shallow well hand pump is simple to install and relatively affordable. It’s well worth paying that little bit extra for a high-quality pump, however, as you’ll be relying on it in your hour of need.

While you can pick up a pitcher pump for as little as $50, it’s more advisable to invest a few hundred dollars in getting a more reliable, better quality model, like the Pressurized Sealed-Top Water Pump from Lehman’s.

Deep well hand pumps cost considerably more, especially the Bison Stainless Steel Deep Well Hand Pump that can draw water up from depths of 300’. You may well need to be a potential contestant for the World’s Strongest Man competition to achieve this, but it is possible!

The best deep well hand pumps come with a lifetime warranty, require little maintenance and no priming, meaning that you can install them and forget about them until an emergency arises.

The main benefit of a hand well pump is that it requires nothing more than muscle power to operate it, which means you’ll have access to water in all weather conditions. If you opt for a solar pump, you’ll be reliant on sunlight whereas, with a generator, you need fuel.

The hand pump needs nothing at all, making it by far the most sustainable and reliable approach.

#5 Well or Sleeve Bucket

The sleeve bucket is the simplest and cheapest way to get water from your well without electricity. Also known as torpedo or cylinder buckets, the modern-day “well bucket is simply a long, skinny bucket that can be lowered into the narrow confines of a well casing to bring water to the surface.”

A high-quality sleeve bucket from Lehman’s costs less than $100, is made of galvanized steel, and can hold nearly 2 gallons of water. It has a handy device that enables you to discharge water from the bottom, rather than attempting to up-end it and empty it from the top.

If you’ve got access to some rope and PVC piping, you can easily make your own sleeve bucket which, while not as sleek or voluminous as a bought model, will still do the job effectively. Find out how to make your own PVC well bucket below.

The only problem with using a well bucket is that you’ll need to remove your submersible pump to get access. With most pumps, this is a fairly simple operation but it’s inconvenient nonetheless and not something you need to do if you have a hand pump.

#6 High Lifter Or Hydraulic Ram Pump

Depending on the topography of the land, you could use a hydraulic ram pump or a high lifter to access your well water. Both these pumps use downhill water pressure to push the water up to a higher point than the original source.

These gravity-fed water systems are easy to install and maintain but are only effective where there is a continuous supply of water and room to install the pump at least a foot and a half below that source.

While hydraulic ram pumps need a higher flow rate and can be rather noisy, high lifters can cope with as little as one gallon per minute and operate in virtual silence. As they are both self-powered, they don’t require any fuel, solar power, or electricity, so can operate regardless of power outages or severe weather conditions.

#7 Build An Emergency Pump

While I don’t feel my DIY skills would be up to the task of making a sleeve bucket, let alone an emergency well pump, there are plenty of people who’ve done just that and are willing to share their designs and methods.

The simplest type of pump to make is one that, like the pitcher hand pump, uses suction to draw water up. Designs like these are cheap and easy to make but will only work effectively on shallow wells.

For deeper wells, a vacuum pump is more effective and, although these are slightly more complicated and expensive to build, there are some informative online tutorials that give a complete list of materials and step-by-step instructions on how to complete the project.

Conclusion

If you’ve already got alternative energy sources, like wind or solar, on your property, getting water from your well when the grid goes down isn’t too much of a problem.

When severe weather conditions, like heavy rain or gale-force winds, disrupt your electricity supply, however, they’re liable to play havoc with those alternative sources as well, leaving you at the top of the well without any water.

The most reliable and sustainable ways of getting water from your well, therefore, are those that rely on gravity, like the hydraulic ram or high lifter systems, or those that need only muscle power.

While sleeve buckets are reliable and easy to use, in many cases, you must remove your submersible pump before you can start accessing the water, which is why the hand pump is the best method of getting water without electricity.

You can install a hand pump alongside your existing electrical pump so you can switch easily from one to the other without having to uninstall anything at all. A top-quality deep well hand pump can draw water from depths of up to 300’, keeping dehydration at bay whatever the weather.

Read more about the different types of well pump.

As per studies, traffic accidents with moose are 13 times more fatal than that with other deers. Each year, more than 500 car accidents occur with moose in northern New England. The injuries sustained by people involved in the accidents were far more serious and fatal due to the weight and height of the Moose. This is a serious issue that has also been reported in Canada and Scandinavian countries.

The moose is the largest and heaviest living member of the deer family. When a vehicle crashed into a moose, it hits its long legs, leading the bulk of the animal into the windshield and roof. You might wonder how tall is a moose and may try to comprehend how big is a moose, which makes it so dangerous in road accidents. When you are aware of its height and mass, you will definitely avoid confronting it when you are traveling north or when camping in the wood. This article will give you a clear picture of its height and size along with visual comparisons.

How Tall Is A Moose – How Big Is A Moose

How Tall Is A Moose

• Moose is the tallest living species of deer.
• According to National Geographic, it is 5 to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulders.
• The average height of adult moose at the shoulder ranges from 4 feet 7 inches to 6 feet 11 inches (1.4 to 2.1 meters).
• The Alaskan subspecies (A. a. gigas) is the largest, and so the tallest, among all the races. It stands over 6 feet 11 inches (2.1 meters) tall at the shoulder.

How Big Is A Moose

• Moose is the biggest species in the family of deer.
• They have 5 to 6.5 feet height at the shoulders.
• Their head and body are 7 feet 10 inches to 10 feet 2 inches (2.4 to 3.1 meters) long, while their vestigial tail is further 5 to 12 cm long.
• Males are heavier than females. Males (bulls) usually weigh from 380 to 700 kg (838 to 1,543 lbs), while females (cows) weigh from 200 to 490 kg (441 to 1,080 lbs). The weight of an individual depends on race or cline, age, and nutritional variations. National Geographic describes their weight as 1800 lbs.
• The Alaskan subspecies (A. a. gigas) is the biggest of all the moose subspecies, which has a 2.1-meter height at the shoulders, a 1.8-meter span of the antlers, and an average bodyweight of 634.5 kg (1,399 lbs) for males and 478 kg (1,054 lbs) for females.

How Big Can A Moose Get

• The recorded biggest moose was an Alaskan moose shot in September 1897 at the Yukon River.
• It was 2.33 meters (7 feet 8 inches) tall at the shoulder and weighed 820 kg (1,808 lbs).
• There have been reports of even bigger individuals, including a male killed in 2004 that weighed 1,043 kg (2,299 lbs), and another male whose weight was reported as 1,180 kg (2,601 lbs). However, these reports were considered unauthentic.

How Tall Can A Moose Get

• The Alaskan moose shot in September 1897 at the Yukon River was the tallest individual.
• It was 2.33 meters (7 feet 8 inches) tall from hoof to shoulder.

How Tall Is A Moose Compared To A Human – How Big Is A Moose Compared To A Person

• When compared with humans, a moose is much taller than even the tallest humans in the world. Robert Wadlow of the United States was the tallest human ever at 8 feet 11-inch height.
• A moose is up to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder, while an adult male human has an average height of 5 foot 7.5 inches.
• The Alaskan moose is more than 7 feet taller at the shoulder.
• When head and antlers are also measured, their total height reaches more than 10 feet.
• Even the tallest human can not stand eye to eye with a moose with a raised head.

How Big Is A Moose Compared To A Car

• The body length of an Alaskan moose is around 9.2 feet. It stands 6.5 to 7 feet tall at the shoulder. A moose has a body weight of around 618 kg (1800 lbs) according to National Geographic.
• An average size Corolla Altis car is about 15.16 feet long, 5.82 feet wide, and has about 4.84 feet in height. It weighs up to 1220 kg.
• So when a moose is compared to a car, a moose is taller and heavier than a car. But a car is longer and wider than a moose. So we can say that a moose is bigger than an average size Corolla Altis car.

How Big Is A Moose Compared To A Horse

• Let’s compare a moose to a horse.
• According to National Geographic, the height of a moose at the shoulders ranges from 5 to 6.5 feet, while the height of a horse at the shoulders ranges from 2.5 to 5.8 feet.
• A full-grown moose has a bodyweight of up to 1,800 pounds, while a horse has from 120 to 2,200 pounds.
• So in terms of size, a moose is bigger than a horse. And in terms of weight, a horse is bigger than a moose.

How Big Is A Full Grown Moose

• On average, a full-grown moose stands 5 to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulders and weighs up to 1,800 pounds.
• Different subspecies have different sizes and weights. Age and nutritional variations also affect their size and weight.
• The Ussuri, Amur, or Manchurian subspecies (A. a. cameloides) is the smallest subspecies. Their full-grown individuals (both male and female) have 5 feet 5 inches to 6 feet 1 inch (1.65 to 1.85 meter) height at the shoulders and weigh between 200 to 250 kg (441 to 772 lbs).
• The Alaskan subspecies is the largest of all the subspecies and the largest deer in the world. A full-grown Alaskan moose has 6.9 feet (2.1 meters) height at the shoulders, 5.9 feet (1.8 meters) span of the antlers, and an average bodyweight of 634.5 kg (1,399 lbs) for males and 478 kg (1,054 lbs) for females.
• The other seven subspecies are of middle size with an average height of 5 to 6.5 feet at the shoulders and a weight range of 320 to 725 kg (705 to 1,598 lbs).

How Tall Is The Tallest Moose

• The tallest moose was an Alaskan moose shot in September 1897 at the Yukon River. It had a hoof to shoulder height of 2.33 meters (7 feet 8 inches).

How Big Are Moose Antlers

• Male moose (bull) have prominent antlers on the head.
• Their antlers grow in the form of cylindrical beams projected on both sides of the head at right angles to the middle of the skull and then forks.
• The growth rate and size of their antlers depend on their diet and age, while the symmetry of their antlers shows their health.
• The antlers of mature bulls have a length between 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters), a spread of 6 feet from end to end, and weigh around 18 kg (40 lbs).
• The antlers of a full-grown Alaskan moose of 5 to 12 years of age have a span of more than 79 inches (200 cm). As they grow older, the size and symmetry of their antlers reduce.
• The recorded widest span of the moose antlers was 83 inches (210 cm).
• The recorded heaviest antlers were of an Alaskan moose, which weighed 36 kg (79 lbs).

How Tall Is A Moose With Antlers

• The antlers of a moose are long from 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters).
• With head and antlers, a moose stands more than 10 feet tall.

How Tall Is A Full Grown Male Moose

• A full-grown male moose (bull) stands an average of 6 feet tall at the shoulders.
• A full-grown male Alaskan moose is 6 feet 11 inches tall from hoof to shoulders. With its head and antlers, it stands more than 10 feet tall.

If you are a Moose lover and a creative person. Apart from learning more about them, you can also leave their footprints in your life. You can turn your favorite moose lookalikes into gifts that you can carry with you at all times and keep forever by designing them yourself, such as enamel pins or keychains. Customize your favorite moose into a cute pin that you can wear as an accessory to express your personality, or give as a gift and collect as a souvenir. At GS-JJ.com, any design and style can be freely selected, come and have a look!

The current handheld weapon selection is not only lacking in variety, but has only the wrong kind of variety for this game. The upgrades to the Automatic Rifle are basic stat changes that barely add anything to the feel of progression in survival. Worse, the Elite AR is, almost without exception, the most effective handheld weapon in any scenario, removing any kind of interesting decision in the late game. Because of this, I’m suggesting these changes:

General changes:

• Scrap the weapon upgrade system. If we want to have future weapons, they would likely need to conform to the framework of two beneficial sidegrades and one elite weapon. This becomes difficult to use properly as soon as weapons that aren’t normal guns come into play, and SE would benefit much more from the aforementioned weapons than it would from several variants of normal guns. Progression can easily come from other sources, and handheld weapons are at best an engineer’s last resort.
• Add reloading. Seriously, the R key is unbound by default IIRC and we already have bottles with a fill value. It can’t be too hard to repurpose that code to deal with firing and reloading. Even though the hotbar creates some awkward management, it shouldn’t be difficult to simply pick the first inventory slot with a gun.

New Weapon: Mag-pistol

The basic weapon. It’s cheap, with low range, damage, capacity, and rate of fire, and uses power as well as ammo to fire. Both the gun and ammo would be made in a Survival Kit with only Iron and Nickel, and it would replace the Automatic Rifle (and ammo) that come in the drop pod. The only reason to use it is that it’s better than going hand-to-hand with a Sabiroid.

New Weapon: Rocket Launcher

This should be the go-to weapon if you need to deal damage to a large grid and don’t have a ship. It would be slow-firing, with an ammo capacity of one, large, and inaccurate, but it can do the job. If you can carry enough ammo around to actually score a hit. Of course, it uses standard rockets for ammo and the rockets deal normal rocket damage.

I’d have it take Cobalt to make, so that new players don’t immediately go for it as a weapon and to set up a neat bit of proper progression if Keen ever takes the Uranium and Platinum out of rockets to make them viable.

Weapon Rebalance: Automatic Rifle

The default AR isn’t bad. I’d decrease range and accuracy a little though, as it seems strange that you can deal effective damage at the same range as a Gatling Turret on a ship. Also, so that the Rocket Launcher has a more strongly defined role as an offensive weapon against large grids vs. the AR’s more defensive role that’s actually useful against small ships.

I’ve tried to go for minimalism in this, because of SE’s focus on ship building instead of suit-based PvP and limited dev time. The Mag-pistol is necessary to survive a planet with hostiles turned on unless you find Magnesium immediately. The AR is necessary to deal effective damage at a distance. The Rocket Launcher is necessary to damage buildings or structures without a ship. All three of them use already-existing mechanics, so they shouldn’t be difficult to implement, and they additionally create a rough sort of progression without having one optimal solution to suit combat at the top.

This is my first real suggestion, so I’d definitely like feedback. I can’t notice all the issues, and I’m always trying to improve my ideas.

It’s a fact, 8 wt fly rods get overlooked. Too often we read articles or get into conversations at the fly shop about different fly rod weights and which situations each is best suited for, and the 8wt never seems to match up with angler’s idea of the ideal weight for specific species. It always tends to be one size too large or one size too small. Because of this, we wanted to take a look at 8 Weight Fly Rods Uses.

It’s a shame because this size of fly rod is incredibly versatile but often underutilized. It’s never in the Goldilocks zone, but we would rather have a rod that can cover a lot of different applications, especially if we don’t have the resources to splurge on five different rods.

We explain below some of the uses and situations when these fly rods can be beneficial, and we’ve listed out a couple of our favorite 8 weight fly rods that are on the market.

8 Weight Fly Rod Uses

Uses and Benefits of an 8 weight fly rod

Below is a quick list of some popular game fish that you can easily chase after and land with an 8 weight fly rod:

• Bass
• Carp
• Large Trout (Or average trout using big streamers)
• Pike
• Salmon
• Steelhead
• Bonefish
• Snook
• Redfish

And again, you might find some people that prefer a rod a step up or down in weight, but the point is that an 8wt gives you a versatile rod that can work a lot of different fish, and the truth is there are a lot of different .

With 8wt line, you can work with the heavier flies, often weighted, that get down in the water column quickly such as buggers and Clousers. These rods have the power and stiffness to turn over heavier sinking line but still sensitive enough for more delicate presentation with lighter flies if that is what’s needed.

Some models will be better suited for heavy casting versus light presentation, but 8wt rods are not so far up or down in weight that one or the other is not achievable.

You might also notice several saltwater species in the list above. Fishing for saltwater game is often synonymous with windy conditions. While it may differ from one model to the next, most 8wt rods are often moderate-fast to very-fast action which allows them to load fast and cut through the wind. That said, if you’re chucking heavy flies, especially in wind, wear sunglasses for eye protection!

The main point, and what we want to get across, is that an 8wt rod might not fit every application perfectly, but they’re versatile enough to cover a lot of different fishing scenarios and deserve a spot in your outfit. The crew here at FlyRods.com each have an 8 wt in our quiver, and we always enjoy using them. The seasoned large game angler will tell you, there are a ton of 8 weight fly rod uses!

Key components of a quality 8wt fly rod

Number of pieces

For a long time, it was thought that the more pieces a fly rod had, the less efficient the rod was regarding action and power throughout the rod.

The leaps in fly rod manufacturing and materials have allowed better tapering and ferrule design on the pieces which helps it retain the correct action and power throughout the length of the rod.

Someone really in tune with fly rods is going to be able to tell the difference between the same model in a two piece versus a four piece, but for most people, the difference between the two won’t be noticeable.

The main advantage of more pieces as compared to less is better portability.

Rod materials

Modern rods are almost always carbon fiber graphite or fiberglass. Both can catch fish. Fiberglass is often more in the slow to moderate action while graphite is usually in the fast action range. Action discussed more below.

You will also see a lot of nano-resin materials now being used in conjunction with graphite which increases the strength of the rod without adding a lot of weight.

Handle and grip

Cork is going to be the go-to material when it comes to fly rods. Cork is often given a specific grade ranging from A to AAA with the latter being the highest grade. Some synthetic grips are appearing on the market, but their popularity has not quite taken off.

Most 8wt rods are still only going to have single handgrip though there are 8wt Spey style grips, which we’ll save for another article.

You will also find some rods of this weight with fighting butts. These butts are great if you’re planning on getting into some bigger fish and allow you to take a lot of the pressure off your wrist when trying to get leverage.

Action

A fly rod’s action refers to where the rod bends when pressure is applied. The three main specifications for action are slow (bend more in the bottom third of the rod), moderate (bend in the middle to top half of the rod), and fast (bend in the top third of the rod).

Like any of these components, there is no right or wrong decision when it comes to a fly rod. Slow, mid, or fast action rods can all catch fish. Orvis has a helpful article on it.

There are several ways you can go with action for 8wt rods. Fast action rods are generally stiffer and let you load up quicker and get more line speed, distance, and the ability to cut through the wind.

The downside is that you get less accuracy at short ranges and there is less protection for light tippet, meaning if you hook a big fish you might snap it off.

With a moderate action rod, you get a slower load which can make wider loops trying to lob out heavy flies easier and make casting a bit more manageable for those still working on their technique.

They also are more manageable at short ranges you might run into while bass fishing around structures. You also get a little bit more finesse in your presentations.

Power

The power of a rod refers to how much pressure it takes to make the rod bend. For decent 8wt rods, the power ratings are going to fall anywhere from medium to heavy power.

While it depends on the fish, you are going to want the rod to have some resistance to get leverage on larger fish. A moderate-heavy to heavy power rating is our recommendation. See this guide on rod power by TFO.

Power, action, and stiffness don’t have a clear definition or standard across all of the different manufacturers. In the video below, you can get a better visualization of what these different terms mean.

Our top 8 weight fly rods

Fenwick HMG

Fenwick, in general, is an anomaly when it comes to quality rods at retail store prices. Most fly rods you pick up in this price range are similar to wet noodles when casting but the Fenwick brand surprised us with their rod quality, and the graphite HMG remains true to this trend.

While the HMG won’t fish like the high-end rods itis incredibly affordable, and its performance on the water is not going to dissuade beginners or frustrate more experienced anglers.

The Fenwick HMG 8wt has a single model option with a length of 9 feet and a weight of 4.2oz and four piece setup. We also like the dot alignment system on the ferrules that helps you align all of the guides and keep your casting at its optimum.

Handling

The HMG doesn’t use the highest quality cork, but that’s one part of the rod design that helps drop the price down. The handle is a kind of hybrid Full Wells design, but the rod handles easily in your hands.

The double up-locking reel seat is easy to turn and get a nice tight lock on your reel. There is also a small cork fighting butt on this rod

Casting and Wrangling

The Fenwick HMG feels pretty good casting. You’re going to be able to cast it proficiently on the water and are going to be able to catch fish. It’s a moderate fast action taper which makes it a little more user-friendly to beginners, but it might not give the performance someone out on the flats dealing with wind might want.

With its action, tip performance, and large stripping guides this rod shoots line well and is pretty decent at roll casting. Unlike the other 8wt fly rods, this rod does a lot better at short range than it does at 80+feet. It’s a great rod for fishing lake banks for bass.

Fenwick Eagle

This graphite rod from Fenwick is another excellent 8 weight option for those who want a rod that is going to perform well on the water, including casting and handling fish, without having the steep price tag.

The Eagle uses a four section blank so it’s also a great rod to bring on trips with you where there might be an opportunity to work some water.

This rod features two stripping guides along with the remaining snake guides. All eleven guides are chrome and do well at reducing friction of line leaving the rod and distributing pressure along the rod’s length. The guides, along with the light olive finish on the blanks and cork handles give it a pleasant look.

We like the reel seat on the Eagle as well. It uses a carbon spacer and a two aluminum up locking mechanism that keeps your reel locked and secure.

Handling and Wrangling

The Eagle uses pretty good quality cork for its hand grip, and it has an excellent reel seat. The handle also has a fairly large cork fighting butt for an 8 weight fly rod. The fighting butt along with the full wells cork handle gives you a comfortable setup to work large bass.

It’s a pretty stiff tip, and with its action, you can get quick hook sets, but it’s enough to snap light tippet. That comes with just about any fly rod and not a knock on the Eagle. We just wanted to mention it. This rod is great at picking up subtle takes and is pretty sensitive overall.

The power of this rod is categorized as Fly by the manufacturer. This is usually in the medium to sometimes medium heavy range. That’s more than enough for any bass you might be chasing. That power rating with the handle and fighting butt make this a great big bass rod or streamer rod for large browns. This rod utilizes IM-8 reinforced graphite, so it’s got some durability.

Casting

This is a medium fast action rod, but we think the tip is a little stiff and feels more like a fast action rod when casting. It’s not really a concern, and it is subtle. If you bought the rod wanting that action, you probably wouldn’t even notice. The Eagle picks up line well off of the water and loads quickly to get those large flies back into the strike zone.

This stiffness of the tip helps this rod load line pretty well, and you can get a couple dozen feet of line loaded with a lighter fly tied on. Medium range casts between 30 and 45 feet are where this rod really shines in line management and accuracy. You can get more distance if you’re not throwing a huge weighted fly, but anything past 50’ get’s tough to manage.

TFO BVK

We don’t live under a rock, and we realize that not everyone who wants to purchase a new fly rod has a spare 800 dollars lying around to throw towards a new rod. We like the BVK from Temple Fork Outfitters because it is high quality and provides a performance more akin to the high dollar fly rods without the price.

Handling

These rods feature a full wells grip design and a short fighting butt. The cork is decent quality, it’s not the top of the line stuff, but it’s not going to degrade after a few trips either.

The rod uses an anodized aluminum reel seat with a double uplocking mechanism that is the only issue with the rod. I have used this rod on a lot of smallmouth bass, and there have been several times I have had to pull out the pliers to loosen them as they tend to slip the threading. It doesn’t really affect fishing, but it can be the breaking point when the fishing hasn’t turned out as you hoped.

Casting and Wrangling

These are moderately fast action rods and pretty heavy in the power department even though they are relatively lightweight for an 8wt rod. They are not the most accurate rods at short range, but they can turn over a lot of line quickly and accurately.

G Loomis NRX

G Loomis is easily one of the top manufacturers of high-quality fly rods. They are usually the end goal for most fly anglers when it comes to lifetime fly rods. They carry a steep price tag, but the quality of these rods are second to none in most experts opinions.

Handling

The NRX Saltwater 8wt model is a 4-piece blank that has incredible strength but is only available in a 9’ rod length. These are graphite rods but utilize the nano-resin technology making them light and strong.

The rod uses a full wells cork grip, though the front end of the grip is a bit wider than the back end with the intention of giving you better control on long casts. The up-locking rings on the reel seat are easy to use and give a stable and secure lock on your reel.

Casting and Wrangling

These rods have a very fast taper which is the same as fast action, but they do not have stiff rod tips. This gives the NRX pretty great casting under 40 feet which is usually the weak point for 8wt rods. As far as casting out to 75 and even 100 feet, the NRX can give you tight loops, high line speeds, and accuracy with heavier lures. We also like how well this rod shoots line.

Orvis Recon

The recon has several 8wt models available with different lengths. 7’11”, 9’, and 10’ lengths and those options are a big plus in our eyes because it allows you to match the rod with your main casting style.

Handling

The reel seat uses a double up-locking mechanism to secure the reel, but it runs into the same problems as the TFO BVK rod. But hey, when that is the biggest concern on a fly rod, it’s a pretty dang good rod.

It has an excellent full wells cork grip and also a short fighting butt with a rubber stopper. With its handle and heavy power rating, the recon can provide a lot of leverage on larger fish.

Casting and Wrangling

This is a mid-priced rod, and we only bring that up because its performance is much closer to that of the high-end rods. Like most 8wt rods, the Recon has a fast action taper. This rod has plenty of power, but the stiffness of the rod in hurts the accuracy slightly at ranges within 35 feet. And that is relative to the perfect fly rod.

Compared to a lot of rods out there, it’s a stretch for us to complain about accuracy. You’re not going to have an issue getting heavy buggers or zonkers out past 60 feet. As the length of the rod increases, the power and accuracy you get at longer ranges increases, but the performance up close declines slightly.

Conclusion

An 8 weight fly rod is a versatile tool that can be utilized in multiple fishing applications, and there are a TON of 8 weight fly rod uses. Perhaps more so than any other weight of fly rod. There are a lot of excellent options out there for 8wt fly rods with almost every major fly rod manufacturer presenting several models. We recommend checking out the TFO BVK, which is a good mix of price vs performance.

We hope this short article explained some 8 weight fly rod uses, some key attributes of quality 8wt rods, and has given you some rod options to consider before your next trip to the water.

Have a favorite 8 weight fly rod? Have a good or bad experience with any of the rods we covered? Let us know below in the comments. Like, share, and comment below!

A spear shaft needs the right wood. The wood can depend if you use the shaft to decorate or for combat training. But, this can get tricky for reasons like durability, strength, and more.

So naturally, you must be wondering, what’s the best wood for spear shaft?

Hickory, ash, red oak, and acacia are great options for spear shafts. Hickory is a very reliable option whereas Ash provides a traditional feel. Red oak is a great option for decorative purposes while acacia is widely available.

To know more about these woods, keep reading our article. We have elaborated on their features and differences below just for you.

Let’s begin!

Which Wood To Pick For A Spear Shaft?

With the variety of options available, choosing wood for a spear shaft can be puzzling. However, we have four recommendations: Hickory, Ash, Red oak, and Acacia.

To help you understand these variations, we’ve put together a table.

Type of woodAdvantages Disadvantages HickoryAccessible Strong Durable Not as traditional as Ash Is heavier than other woods Rigid Ash Traditional Lightweight Flexible Prone to rot Not very durable Red oakDurable Great for decorative purposes Splinters easily Heavy to carry and use Difficult to cut and size Acacia Widely available Durable Expensive Temperature-sensitive

We understand that this isn’t sufficient information for you to make a final decision. This is why we’ll go over the differences in more detail below.

1. Hickory

This is the most common hardwood out there. If you’re making a spear for combat and throwing purposes, this is a great option. In terms of cost, hickory is really affordable.

This is because hickory is very strong and durable. So no matter how you throw or use it, your spear shaft will remain intact. There will be little to no splintering of the wood on heavy impact.

On top of that, hickory is widely available. You can easily get it from hardware stores or dealers. This wood is easy to maintain and only needs the occasional wipe down with a damp cloth.

However, this is very heavy wood, roughly weighing 2 pounds. So while yielding the shaft, you may think it’s too stiff and rigid. Also, you might want a spear shaft similar to those used in older civilizations. In that case, hickory isn’t the right choice.

2. Ash

Many spear shafts in history were made from ash. Similar to hickory, this is also a widely available hardwood for spear shafts. Ash is on par with hickory when it comes to cost.

The unique quality of this hardwood is that it’s light and flexible. This makes it easy to yield and maneuver in close range, up to 80 meters. Since it’s light, it’s also a great option for newbies learning to wield and use spears.

However, unlike hickory, ash isn’t very durable. If it bends too much, it’s tough to restore the original shape.

On top of that, ash is prone to rotting. This makes it tough to maintain. Chances are, your spear shaft won’t last longer than a year.

3. Red Oak

This is the most beautiful hardwood of the bunch. This brown wood with red undertones makes a very aesthetically pleasing spear shaft. It tends to be slightly more expensive than Ash and Hickory.

Red oak is also the toughest hardwood out there. So it’s on par with hickory in terms of durability.

However, since the wood is tough, it’s very difficult to cut and size it. If you’re new to spears, this will be very heavy to use.

Lastly, the wood is brittle and splinters easily. Consequently, it can’t take high-impact blows. So it’s best for decorative purposes only. It just needs regular cleaning with a rag.

4. Acacia

If you’re living somewhere where the aforementioned woods aren’t available, use acacia. This is a hardwood that’s available all across the world. It’s highly durable and resists splintering upon impact.

However, acacia is more expensive both in terms of price and maintenance costs.

The natural properties of the wood make it tarnish quickly. So it requires yearly maintenance in the form of polishing.

If you’re unsure about the type of polish to get, check the ones below. Any one of these will make your spear shaft shine.

Now that’s covered, let’s proceed.

Final Decision: What Is the Best Wood for A Spear Shaft?

Don’t have a preference for one over the other? We can assist you.

If you want to make a spear shaft for combat or throwing purposes, opt for hickory. It will give you the strength and longevity you need.

If you want a traditional or low-scale spear shaft, go for ash wood. However, for simply decorative purposes, stick to red oak.

Lastly, if you can’t find the other woods, go for acacia. Simply store the shaft in a cool place, below 86℉ to keep the wood from tarnishing.

We hope these let you decide the best wood for your spear shaft.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How thick should a spear shaft be?

Answer: Ideally, the diameter should be 1 to 1.5 inches. This is a good range of thickness that’ll let you handle the spear well. Anywhere in this range should allow you to handle the spear with one or two hands.

Question: How long should a throwing spear shaft be?

Answer: Depending on your height, it can range from 5.5 feet to 8 feet long. If the wood is light, then opt for 6 to 7 feet. This is the optimal length for single and double-handed throwing. If the wood is heavy, and you’re 6 feet or taller, go for 8 feet.

Question: How to take care of the spear?

Answer: After each use, wipe it down with a damp rag. Wait for it to dry completely. Opt for storing the spear in a cool and dry room. Once every 6 months, polish the spear to keep it looking brand new.

Final Words

With everything covered, now you should know the best wood for spear shaft. Make sure you pick the wood for the task it needs to do.

Good luck with the project and we hope the wood you pick serves you well.

If this article helped you, let us know in the comments below!

With a .177 air rifle, there is a lot you can do including target shooting and hunting. Talking of hunting, what can you hunt with a .177 air rifle?

As a whole, a .177 air rifle can take on the small-sized game, pests, and birds. So, ethically, you can kill rats, pigeons, squirrels, rabbits, and co. In some special cases, a powerful .177 would even take down slightly larger animals like groundhogs.

While a .177 air rifle is popularly used for backyard plinking and target practice, they are certainly a good choice for hunting down small game. However, as a shooter, you need to be within the correct range and using more imposing pellets, aim accurately at the target.

Doing otherwise means you could mishit and end up only injuring the animal. Let’s look into this topic further.

What Can You Hunt with a .177 Air Rifle?

There are plenty of animals a .177 air rifle can down. However, they will only be small-sized although you can still kill larger animals with higher-end, powerful .177 air rifles.

The animals you can hunt with a .177 air rifle include most rodents like mice and squirrels, rabbits, both small and large birds, mongoose, chicken, among many other small game and pests.

Generally, .177 air rifles do not produce a lot of muzzle energy but you get enough to take on the mentioned animals. You can definitely kill game using very little power as long as you make the most out of the shot by preparing well.

Another thing you gain by shooting a .177 is top velocity. There are not many air rifles that shoot over 1000 fps more than this caliber. With top velocity like this, accuracy, which is a key quality of the best hunting air rifle is never going to be a problem.

Most .177 airguns have a minimum of 12 foot-pounds of muzzle energy and the maximum range you will engage a target with such an air rifle and get results is about 35 yards. Yet, there are certain .177 air rifles that can produce as much as 30 foot-pounds past 50 yards.

If you are looking for an efficient and effective air rifle in the .177 category, you can consider the Benjamin Trail NP XL air rifle, (View on Amazon) a gas piston break barrel that offers plenty of power in excess of 25 foot-pounds of muzzle energy and great accuracy.

Alternatively, you can work with the Gamo Swarm Maxxim air rifle (View on Amazon) that offers a 10x magazine for non-stop shooting. Swarm Maxxim offers consistent power and great durability.

What is the Effective Range of a .177 Air Rifle?

When you are hunting or doing another activity such as target practice, it’s important to understand the air rifle’s effective range. This helps you to estimate how far your air rifle can go to get you reasonable results.

One pertinent question you can ask yourself about a .177 is what is the effective range of the pellet gun? Generally, with a .177 air rifle, you can shoot accurately at your target out at 60-80 yards.

The reason why the effective range of most .177 air rifles is such high is because of the faster velocities most of them come with. Take an example of 1000 fps. If you fire a pellet at this velocity, its trajectory goes flatter and this means more accuracy at longer distances.

Many .177 caliber air rifles offer velocities in the excess of 1000 fps. Look at this Gamo Whisper Fusion Mach 1 air rifle (View on Amazon) that can send pellets downrange at 1420 fps and offers many other indispensable features of a proper air hunting air rifle.

Whether you are hunting for rodents or birds, the Whisper Fusion has the perfect effective range to get the job done always.

Is a .22 Air Rifle More Powerful than a .177?

There is no doubt that two of the most renowned calibers of air rifles feature .22 and .177. Oftentimes, many people think that they are the same in functionality and power but that’s not true.

You would probably ask: is a .22 air rifle more powerful than a .177? There is no straightforward answer to this but basically, a .22 air rifle would be more powerful than a .177 air rifle. On average, a .22 caliber air rifle is capable of producing over 18 foot-pounds of muzzle energy while a .177 about 15 foot-pounds.

If you consider the kind of pellets each shoot. The .177 pellets are lighter than the .22 pellets. What this means is that the heavier .22 pellets are hard-hitting more than the lighter .177 pellets.

It’s true that a .22 air rifle will shoot pellets at a slower speed. But that’s probably due to the heavy nature of their pellets which is exactly the reason why the guns generate the extra energy compared to their .177 counterparts.

So, if you were looking for a perfect choice in an ideal hunting scene, you will definitely consider a .22 any time.

That, however, doesn’t mean that .177 air rifles are not powerful enough. In fact, there are certain .177 air rifle models on the market that offer serious power than .22 air rifles.

Can You Kill a Deer with a .177 Air Rifle?

Sometimes if you are just getting some foothold in the airgunning world, you think your air rifle can tackle almost every target on the way. Many newbie hunters keep asking the question; can you kill a deer with a .177 air rifle?

By and large, on paper, you cannot kill a deer with a standard .177 air rifle. This is because the pellets used are extremely lightweight and literally below 10 grains in weight. This means they generate less power on impact.

A deer is not the ordinary small targets like birds and rodents you’d easily knock down with that amount of energy. Deer is large and it takes a lot of power. So, you’d probably want to use a higher caliber like a .30 or above.

Nevertheless, there is a slim chance of hitting and knocking it down with a .177 air rifle. You need to be extremely close to the animal and make sure you hit it in the head or lung area.

Even with that, the size of the pellet used in form a .177 will not impound the deer on the spot. It may run off with the injury; which is unethical and irresponsible on your side as a shooter.

If using less powerful air rifles on large animals is going to be a personal trend in hunting, sooner than later the authorities will be on your shoulders. So, as much as you want to try out new things, it’s just cruel to engage a deer with a .177.

Can a 177 Air Rifle Kill a Fox?

A fox is a fairly large animal. And if you have only a .177 air rifle in your possession, you’d likely ask whether a 177 air rifle would kill a fox or not.

In general, there are very few .177 air rifles that can humanely kill a fox under normal circumstances. Not unless you close into about 10-15 meters and aim the pellet right through the fox’s head.

Of course, it has to be a more powerful .177 air rifle with a minimum of over 30 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. If you are not sure about your air rifle, you simply get a higher caliber and work with it rather than making the animal suffer due to a mishit.

One thing you have to remember about foxes is their tough skin that takes an awful lot of energy for a pellet to penetrate.

What .177 Pellets Are Best for Hunting?

When you go out hunting for squirrels and rabbits or other small game, you definitely need proper hunting pellets. For the record, not all pellets you find on the market are meant for hunting.

The best .177 pellets for hunting weigh much higher. They are supposed to hit hard and leave some massive impact on the target.

Ordinarily, a 177 pellet is lightweight, weighing in at 7.5 to 10.5 grains on average. With this weight, it’s hard to knock down most animals and birds.

But, it’s possible to still get .177 pellets weighing in the region of 14.5 grains. These are practically heavier pellets and provide some serious knockdown power, which is what you need for any hunting activity.

The shape of the pellet is another big factor in its effectiveness. The best shapes for hunting include hollowpoint, wadcutters, and domed pellets.

You can consider the Crosman Premier Super Point .177 Cal pellets (View on Amazon) that come in a 500 ct tin.

Final Thoughts: What Can You Hunt with a .177 Air Rifle?

You can hunt a lot of small-sized animals and birds in the wild and in your backyard. These could include rodents like rats and squirrels and birds like pigeons and swallows.

Different .177 air rifles come with different power capabilities. This offers shooters a chance to even extend their list from just small game and pests only to some fairly larger targets as well.

Arguably, rifles are harder to shoot (and harder to shop for) than pistols and shotguns. Out to a certain distance, rifle shooting is pretty straightforward, but long-range shooting might be the most difficult kind of shooting there is. What’s more, you’ll often see many kinds of scopes and attachments on rifles. Do you need any of that stuff? How do you know if you do?

Buying your first rifle doesn’t have to be hard or confusing, as long as you ask the right questions and follow the right steps.

Why Do You Want a Rifle?

Most people buy rifles for one of three reasons: hunting, home defense or sport shooting. Most rifles are designed primarily for one of these three purposes, although some can fill multiple roles fairly well. For your first rifle, we recommend focusing on just one of these applications — whichever is most important to you. Later in this guide, we’ll offer some tips on how to choose the best rifle for your specific needs. If you’re more interested in a different kind of firearm, we have a guide to buying your first handgun and a guide to buying your first shotgun, too.

Know the Law

Under federal law, you must be at least 18 to purchase a rifle from a gun shop or licensed firearm dealer. Most states have the same requirement, but in some places, the minimum age may be higher. Be sure that you understand the law before attempting to purchase a firearm.

Other legal requirements apply. To purchase a rifle, you must:

• Not have any past criminal convictions, with certain limited exceptions

• Not have undergone treatment for drug or alcohol addiction within the last five years

• Not suffer from any disease or mental illness that could impair your judgment

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant

• Obey all other state and county laws in your place of residence

If you need help finding or understanding your local firearm laws, contact the police department or sheriff’s office. They’ll be happy to help you fill in the blanks.

Types and Parts of Rifles

Before you buy your first rifle, you should have a basic understanding of the vocabulary of firearms, as well as the types of rifles and how they work. We won’t cover everything there is to know about rifles here, just the fundamentals. You can find a more detailed breakdown in our guide to identifying the parts and functions of a rifle.

• Rifle bullets are measured by caliber, which describes the diameter of the bullet in either inches or millimeters. Generally, you can assume that the measurement is in inches if it doesn’t have a “mm” specification, as in “7mm.” Larger bullets typically travel faster, hit harder, and inflict more damage, but depending on your needs, that may not be the ideal outcome.

• The barrel is the part of the rifle through which bullets travel after being fired. The end of the barrel (from which bullets exit) is called the muzzle, and the end closest to the shooter is called the breech or chamber.

• Depending on the type of rifle, bullets (also called “rounds”) are loaded into a detachable magazine, a tube magazine, or directly into the chamber by hand.

  • A magazine is a container that feeds bullets into the chamber, usually by means of a spring. Detachable magazines, as the name suggests, can be separated from the gun entirely. Tube magazines, on the other hand, are integrated into the rifle itself.

• The bolt is a heavy, cylindrical part driven by a spring or operated by hand. Its function is to push bullets out of the magazine and into the chamber.

• The charging handle, if present, enables the shooter to manually retract the bolt, and the bolt release allows it to return to its normal forward position.

• The stock rests against the shooter’s shoulder to provide support and stability.

• The trigger actuates the firing pin when pulled. The firing pin, in turn, strikes the primer of the bullet currently loaded into the chamber, igniting the gunpowder and causing the rifle to fire.

Action Type

There are many different rifle action types, but in most cases, the differences are negligible from the user’s perspective. For simplicity, we’ll go over semi-automatic rifles (a broad category), bolt-action rifles, and lever-action (or pump-action) rifles.

The majority of rifles owned and sold today are semi-automatic. These rifles use detachable or integrated magazines and fire one round with each pull of the trigger, with no further action required from the shooter. Many novice shooters prefer semi-automatic rifles for their simplicity and ease of use, although they’re typically more expensive.

Bolt-action rifles are close behind semi-automatic models in popularity. They may use detachable or integrated magazines, or they may require rounds to be loaded directly into the chamber by hand. After firing, the shooter must manually retract the bolt to eject the empty casing, then close it to chamber a new round. Bolt-action models are easy to use and often cheaper than semi-automatic rifles, making them another great choice for your first rifle.

Today, lever-action and pump-action rifles aren’t very common, but they’re still popular with certain kinds of shooters. Both have integrated, tubular magazines similar to those found on many shotguns. Shooters load rounds into the magazine individually, then chamber rounds by actuating the forearm or lever mechanism. Some shooters prefer inexpensive, pump-action rifles chambered in small calibers, such as .22LR, for target practice or varmint control.

Caliber Selection

When you’re ready to start shopping for your first rifle, we recommend choosing a caliber or range of calibers first, based primarily on the role you most want the rifle to fill.

There’s no official consensus on where the dividing lines are between small, medium, and large rifle calibers, but there are some especially common and popular calibers within each group.

• Popular small calibers include .22 LR, .22 WMR and .17 Hornet

• Popular medium calibers include .223/5.56, 7.62x39mm and 6.5mm

• Popular large calibers include 30-06, .308, and .50 BMG

If you plan to go hunting, caliber selection depends on what you want to hunt; you’ll need bigger bullets for bigger game. Sport and recreational shooters also choose calibers based on the particular sport. Different events call for different calibers, and there’s a lot of variance. Home-defense rifles should generally be medium-caliber, but overpenetration may be a major concern; we’ll cover this in more detail toward the end of this guide.

Carrying or Transporting Rifles in Public

In most states, it’s legal and fairly straightforward to transport long guns in your vehicle. Keep them in a case and unloaded to be safe. You can also check cased guns as baggage when you fly domestically—just make sure you comply with all TSA and airline-specific regulations.

It’s also legal to drive through firearm-unfriendly states with guns in your car, as long as you comply with all provisions of the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA). For more information, check out our guide to traveling with guns.

Other Considerations

Safety

Most modern rifles have external safety mechanisms that must be toggled off before the rifle will fire. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the safety mechanism of any rifle before you buy it, as there are many different kinds. Always follow the four rules of gun safety, and if you have kids, make an airtight plan for keeping your guns out of their hands (our gun safety guide for parents is a good start).

Reliability

In the context of firearms, a gun is reliable if it consistently fires when it’s supposed to (and never fires when it’s not supposed to). Most modern rifles are highly reliable, but be sure to emphasize this point in your research.

Capacity

Magazine-fed rifles typically hold between five and thirty rounds. In general, a bigger magazine is better, but some states have implemented legal restrictions on magazine capacity, so make sure you know the law. There are also some situations wherein you may want or need a smaller magazine — more about that in the next section.

Size, Length and Weight

A rifle’s overall size, weight and caliber are three of the biggest variables that determine how easy or hard it is to fire it. In particular, smaller shooters will find it more difficult and uncomfortable to fire large, high-caliber rifles.

Pay special attention to a rifle’s length and weight if you plan to install any firearm attachments, such as scopes, bipods or extended magazines. It’s easy to get carried away with attachments, too many of which can make a rifle too bulky and awkward to use effectively.

Price

Guns are expensive, and high-quality guns are really expensive. Even so, we don’t recommend looking for the cheapest rifle you can find. Cheap rifles are more likely to be poorly designed or manufactured, either of which can lead to safety or reliability problems. There’s nothing wrong with shopping around for a good deal, but in our experience, it’s best to spend a little more on a well-made gun that you can count on for a lifetime.

Accessories

New shooters should buy only those accessories that are truly essential for the rifle’s intended purpose. For example, if you want to hunt deer or compete in long-range shooting sports, a decent or high-end scope is virtually mandatory. A sling and a hard-sided case are good investments for any rifle shooter.

Ease of Use

There is such a thing as “too much gun.” If you’re new to rifle shooting, start simple and master the fundamentals first. To that end, a mechanically simple rifle with few or no accessories is often best. Once you’ve become familiar with a rifle’s parts and operation, you can confidently upgrade to a fancier, more complicated model if you want to.

Cleaning

There’s usually a linear relationship between simplicity and ease of cleaning. Bolt-action plinking and hunting rifles that have only a few moving parts are quick and easy to clean, whereas some semi-automatic models can require much more labor-intensive maintenance. Whichever way you go, never underestimate the importance of keeping your rifle meticulously clean.

Choosing the Right Rifle for Your Needs

Now that we’ve gone over the basic considerations, we’ll offer a few tips on choosing your first rifle based on its primary purpose.

Hunting

You’ll want to choose the caliber of your hunting rifle based on the kind of game you plan to hunt. Your local Game and Fish department likely enforces restrictions regarding minimum calibers for large game (bullets that are too small can’t ensure a clean kill and cause the animal unnecessary suffering). Conversely, you don’t want a large-caliber rifle for small game; there won’t be much usable meat left behind.

In some states, there are also restrictions on magazine capacity for hunting rifles. The intent behind these laws is to encourage hunters to take careful shots so as to maximize the chances of a clean, humane kill — an important skill to practice, even if it’s not mandated by law.

A high-quality scope is arguably the most important part of a hunting rifle. Any experienced long-range shooter will tell you that an expensive scope on a cheap rifle will serve you better than a cheap scope on an expensive rifle.

Sport Shooting

Again, we can’t offer much specific advice on choosing a rifle for sport shooting because it will depend heavily on the sport. There is one useful rule of thumb, though: don’t spend a ton of money on a rifle right out of the gate. Start with a basic, affordable rifle that complies with the rules of the sport and give yourself some time to make sure you want to stick with it for a while. If you do, you can upgrade your gear later on.

Home Defense

Pistols and shotguns are typically better home-defense weapons than rifles, but not always. The biggest problem with using rifles for home defense is overpenetration. Rifle bullets travel much faster than pistol and shotgun projectiles, meaning they tend to go through more things before finally stopping. This can be a real problem indoors; rifle bullets are more likely to penetrate multiple walls, possibly hitting your other family members, or even your neighbors several houses over. You could be held civilly or criminally liable if you accidentally shoot an innocent bystander while defending your home.

If you do choose a rifle for home defense, keep the caliber relatively small. Calibers like 5.56 are popular for home defense because they offer decent stopping power without a wildly increased risk of overpenetration. Be sure to also choose ammunition specifically designed to minimize penetration, such as hollow-point rounds or frangibles. Or you could opt for a shotgun to defend your home instead.

Finally, bear in mind that rifles are long, meaning they’re difficult to maneuver in small rooms or hallways. Regular training on using long guns in close quarters can help mitigate this concern.

Once you’ve narrowed your list of potential rifles down to a few candidates, test them out, if possible. Many gun ranges rent out rifles for $10 to $20 per hour so you can try before you buy. If you’ve never fired a rifle before, sign up for a beginner’s class or ask an experienced friend to help you get started. After following all the steps in this guide, you’ll be well-prepared to buy a rifle perfectly suited to your needs. Happy shooting!

The 6.5 Creedmoor is beloved by many for its long-range shooting capabilities.

However, the 6.8 Western recently emerged as a worthy contender to dethrone the 6.5 as everyone’s favorite cartridge.

Is that possible?

When comparing the 6.8 Western Vs 6.5 Creedmoor, which one comes out on top?

Let’s find out.

6.8 Western Vs 6.5 Creedmoor

The 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge and 6.8 Western cartridge look similar to each other and the 270 WSM; in fact, if you’re not paying close attention, it would be easy to mix them up.

However, don’t let their similar appearances fool you into thinking they perform exactly the same.

We’ll walk through both calibers regarding their performance and specs to decide a winner for each category.

At the end of the article, we will count the winner of each category to determine a winner.

Cartridge Specs

As I mentioned, the 6.8 Western round and 6.5 Creedmoor round have a similar appearance, but there are noticeable differences if you know where to look.

Let’s start with the bullets; the 6.5 Creedmoor uses a .264″ bullet while the 6.8 Western bullet is .277″.

The larger 6.8 Western bullet typically comes in 165-grain – 175 gr. It’s also offered in a 130-grain bullet.

The typical 6.5 Creedmoor bullet ranges in weight from 120 gr to 147gr.

The 6.8 Western has a case length of 2.02″ and a cartridge overall length (COAL) of 2.955″ which is slightly longer than 2.86″, the traditional definition of a short-action rifle cartridge.

The 6.5 Creedmoor has an overall length of 2.825″ with a case length of 1.92″.

The shoulder angler of the 6.8 Western is 35-degree, while the 6.5 Creedmoor is 30-degree.

The 6.5 Creedmoor has a smaller rim diameter of .473″ than the .535″ rim diameter of the 6.8 Western.

It makes sense that the 6.5 Creedmoor has a smaller case capacity of 52.5gr and maximum load pressure (SAAMI) than the 74.0gr of the 6.8 Western. 62,000 psi for the 6.5 Creedmoor and 65,000 psi for the 6.8 Western.

6.8 Western Recoil Vs. 6.5 Creedmoor Recoil

As a young shooter, I was hesitant to shoot a gun with a lot of recoil. As I’ve matured, I have learned to handle the recoil better, although I’m not an expert marksman.

The lighter the recoil the easier it is to be more accurate.

Recoil still matters to me because I enjoy shooting a lot. If I’m at the range, I prefer not to come home with a bruised shoulder.

While I’m hunting, felt recoil doesn’t matter as much because my adrenaline is usually pumping, but I don’t want a rifle that will knock me out of my tree stand! And if you want an enjoyable hunting experience this fall, make sure you stock up on Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor hunting ammo and bring home the buck of a lifetime.

Felt recoil is determined by several factors, including but not limited to bullet weight, gun weight, recoil pad, and how well you shoulder the rifle.

The 6.8 Western has 30.1 ft-lbs of felt recoil, while the 6.5 Creedmoor only has 15.63 ft-lbs of felt recoil.

The 6.5 Creedmoor nearly has half the recoil of the 6.8 Western, so if you’re sensitive to recoil, the 6.5 Creedmoor is the best option for you.

Trajectory

The bullet trajectory matters because the flatter the bullet shoots, the better for the shooter because the adjustments will be minor compared to a projectile with more drop.

All bullets shoot in an arch because of gravity, but a faster bullet velocity will resist gravity better than a slower bullet so that it will have a flatter trajectory.

The 6.8 Western shoots heavier bullets at a faster velocity than the lighter bullets of the 6.5 Creedmoor, so it has a flatter trajectory.

Zeroed in at 200 yards, the typical 6.8 Western bullet will have a 6.3″ drop at 300yds, 18.1″ drop at 400yds, and 38″ drop at 500yds.

The typical 6.5 Creedmoor bullet zeroed in at 200yds will have 7.9″ of drop at 300yds, 22.4″ of drop at 400yds, and 44.4″ of drop at 500yds.

The winner is the 6.8 Western it has a much flatter trajectory.

Accuracy

Like everything else when shooting, several factors determine the round’s accuracy. The rifle, shooter, recoil, and bullet are contributing factors.

You can take the same rifle but shoot two different brands of ammo from it, and the accuracy will vary.

What I’m saying is that accuracy is a fickle metric.

Both calibers are extremely accurate since both were designed with long-distance shooting in mind.

There will be little difference in accuracy in the hands of a well-trained marksman.

But for the average shooter like myself, the 6.5 Creedmoor will be slightly more accurate than the 6.8 Western because it has less recoil.

The winner by a slight margin is the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Ballistic Coefficient

The ballistic coefficient (BC) measures how well a bullet resists wind drift and air resistance. To say it another way, it’s how aerodynamic a bullet is in numerical form.

High BC bullets are preferred because this means the bullets will resist the wind more.

Generally, heavy bullets will have a higher BC as it takes more force to change the flight of a heavier bullet than a lighter one.

Ballistic coefficient varies from bullet to bullet based on design, weight, and other factors beyond this article’s scope.

Anything over .500 is considered a high ballistic coefficient.

You can generally expect a 6.8 Western 165gr AccuBond Long Range bullet to have a BC of .620. The heavier 170 gr Ballistic Silvertip bullets have a lower BC of .563.

Surprisingly the AccuBond Long Range 142 gr and the Hornady ELD-X 143gr 6.5 Creedmoor bullet have a BC of .625, and the 140gr Ballistic Silvertip has a ballistic coefficient of .509.

The 6.5 Creedmoor has the higher BC, but only slightly.

Stopping Power

Many internet warriors will argue stopping power doesn’t matter, and they’re right, to a point.

A well-placed shot from a small caliber (with little stopping power) can be as effective as a larger caliber.

However, stopping power matters because not every shot is perfectly placed.

Generally speaking, a bigger bullet will leave a bigger hole, so the larger caliber should have more stopping power, but bullet design also plays a role.

A full metal jacket (FMJ) won’t cause as much damage as a jacketed hollow point (JHP).

Stopping power is also determined by how well the bullet penetrates the target. This is often measured as Sectional Density (SD).

Sectional density is the ratio of the diameter of a projectile to its mass.

In theory, a heavier projectile will be longer and have a higher sectional density, meaning it will penetrate further than bullets with less mass and a lower sectional density.

This means that bullets of different weights of the same caliber will have varying sectional densities.

Generally speaking, the 6.8 Western will penetrate further because it has a greater sectional density than the 6.5 Creedmoor.

The 6.8 Western is the winner of this section because it has more stopping power than the 6.5 Creedmoor due to its larger-sized bullets.

Hunting

The 6.8 Western has an advantage here because it was designed as a hunting cartridge; however, don’t discount the effectiveness of the 6.5 Creedmoor as a hunting round.

Both calibers are capable of long-range hunting, so it ultimately boils down to which hunting bullets can be used for the widest variety of species.

Which big game cartridges give you the most bang for your buck? Sorry, I couldn’t resist!

The 6.5 Creedmoor performs best while varmint hunting, whitetail deer hunting, and pronghorn hunting. It can ethically harvest a mule deer, but it’s not recommended to hunt game any larger than deer since it has a small bullet.

The 6.8 Western is capable of ethically harvesting elk. You can use the 6.8 Western while moose hunting, but most hunters prefer a larger caliber because of the increased size of a moose.

The 6.8 Western edges out the 6.5 Creedmoor to win this category of big game hunting.

Home Defense

Unless you’re defending your home from an invading army that’s still a long way off, I wouldn’t recommend these calibers for home defense or self-defense.

These calibers are designed for bolt-action rifles that are not the best for home defense situations.

This is because the bullets will penetrate walls and could harm your family members or neighbors.

They also take a long time to reload and aren’t easy to aim in close quarters.

That’s why I recommend using a 12 gauge or 20 gauge for home defense and a 9mm or .45 Auto for self-defense.

If you only own one gun and it’s chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.8 Western, by all means, use it to defend yourself, but you should understand the risks you’re taking.

This section is a tie. Neither caliber stands out for home or self-defense.

Long-Range Performance

The 6.5 Creedmoor has incredible long-range performance. It’s not even close when we compare the 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 308 Winchester. The 6.5 easily outperforms the 308 in long-distance shooting.

That’s because the 6.5 Creedmoor was designed to outperform the 308. What about the 6.8 Western?

How does it measure up to the 6.5 Creedmoor?

The 6.8 Western outshoots the 6.5 Creedmoor in long distances because it has a flatter trajectory, a heavier bullet that resists wind drift, and more downrange retained kinetic energy.

The 6.8 Western is the best choice for long-range applications.

Ammo Cost & Availability

One of the most important factors to consider before purchasing a firearm is ammo availability and its cost.

If you often enjoy shooting at the range, it’s best to go with the caliber that is more readily available and costs less per trigger pull unless you have a well-stocked trust fund!

The 6.5 Creedmoor is the older round, so more companies manufacture ammo for it, such as Winchester, Hornady, Browning, and Sellier & Bellot.

The cost per round for 6.5 Creedmoor is $1.50 to $2.75.

The 6.8 Western is still a new cartridge and much more difficult to find because not as many manufacturers are making it.

Winchester and Browning are the two primary companies that make ammo for the 6.8 Western.

As of this writing, it will cost around $2.95 to $4.60 per round.

As more companies begin to make this caliber, I suspect the price to drop at least a little due to competition.

The 6.5 Creedmoor wins this category because the ammo is easier to find and less expensive.

Rifle Cost & Availability

Winchester and Browning are currently the only two making rifles chambered in 6.8 Western because they’re the two companies that developed the new cartridge.

This means they set the price for the rifles. Thankfully, they’re reasonably priced.

A Winchester XPR chambered in 6.8 Western will cost $599, which is the same price as the same short-action rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.

Both calibers in the Model 70 also cost the same, $1,629.

The Browning X-Bolt chambered in 6.8 Western costs $2,699 vs. the 6.5 Creedmoor costing $2,679.

This difference is minor, but the number of companies who make 6.5 Creedmoor firearms compared to the number of companies that make rifles chambered in 6.8 Western is astounding.

Mossberg, Nosler, Ruger, Remington, Springfield Armory, Weatherby, and many more produce rifles chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.

So the cost of 6.8 Western rifles and 6.5 Creedmoor rifles is nearly the same, but the overwhelming availability of the 6.5 Creedmoor gives it the win in this section.

Reloading

Reloading is one of the best ways to save money on ammo.

Most shooters prefer to handload because it gives them the greatest control over the final product.

Once you figure out what bullet works best with the twist rate in your barrel and the powder brand that burns cleanest, you can fine-tune each round for optimum performance.

You can control the controllable variables instead of being at the mercy of mass-produced factory loads.

Both calibers can be reloaded; however, since the 6.5 Creedmoor is the older round, more information is available.

Plus, the reloading supplies are easier to find because more people reload this caliber.

Keep in mind this also means there’s a higher demand for all the supplies, so they will be some of the most difficult to find when supplies are low.

As the 6.8 Western grows in popularity, the information will become more available, as will the reloading supplies.

Until then, the 6.5 Creedmoor wins this round.

6.8 Western Vs 6.5 Creedmoor Ballistics

The ballistics of both calibers are similar because they’re intended to be used in comparable scenarios.

However, they are not precisely the same, so the team at ammo.com made a ballistics chart for the 6.5 Creedmoor, and I found some ballistics data on the 6.8 Western.

6.8 Western Ballistics

The muzzle velocity of a 165gr Nosler AccuBond Long Range 6.8 Western bullet is 2,970 Feet Per Second (fps).

At a 200-yard zero, the 6.8 Western bullet will drop 6.3″ at 300yds, 18.1″ at 400yds, and 38″ at 500yds.

Obviously, this information will change as the variables and conditions change, but this will give you a good idea of where to begin.

6.5 Creedmoor Ballistics Chart

Note: This information comes from the manufacturer and only for informational purposes. The actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

6.8 Western Development

The 6.8 Western traces its roots to the .270 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) released in 2002 and its parent cartridge, the 270 Winchester.

The .270 WSM fell short in a few key areas, primarily the lack of twist rate in the rifle barrels, so Winchester and Browning teamed up to improve it with a new cartridge that could handle a faster twist.

They accomplished their goals with the 6.8 Western and released it in 2021. Initially, they received a lot of criticism for introducing a new caliber instead of increasing the production of their other calibers because they were struggling to keep up with demand.

However, that criticism has subsided, and the popularity of the 6.8 Western is beginning to rise amongst long-range shooters and hunters.

6.5 Creedmoor Development

The 6.5 Creedmoor was created out of necessity. In 2005 Dennis Demille was approached by several competition shooters complaining about the unreliability of their guns and 6mmXC ammo.

So he talked with his friend Dave Emary, Hornady Manufacturing’s senior ballistician, who told Demille to make a list of what he wanted from a new cartridge.

Demille came back with his list-

1. The cartridge must be able to fit into a magazine for the rapid-fire stages of the competition.
2. Less recoil than a 308 Winchester for better follow-up shots and shooter comfort during rapid fire.
3. Flatter trajectory than a 308 with an accurate, high BC bullet.
4. Good barrel life.
5. Uses readily available reloading components so results can be duplicated.
6. Reloading recipes printed on the box.
7. Produced in quantities that could keep up with demand.

In 2007, Hornady debuted the 6.5 Creedmoor. At first, most people were skeptical of the round, believing it to be too small for hunting and not enough power for long-range competitions.

It didn’t take long for the nay-sayers to become fans, and the rest is history.

Parting Shots

If my math is correct, the 6.5 Creedmoor won 6/11 categories, making it the winner by a narrow margin.

I think it is pretty apparent that both calibers are highly effective rounds, and neither would be a terrible choice for long-range shooting.

However, when it comes to the 6.8 Western vs 6.5 Creedmoor, the lesser recoil of the 6.5 Creedmoor gives it an edge for most people.

If you’re a big game hunter, the 6.8 Western is the way to go.

I can confidently say the 6.5 Creedmoor is not obsolete.

Dusting clay pigeons is a great way to spend time with your shooting buddies.

Most ranges probably have a trap range, a skeet range and maybe even a sporting clays set-up of some sort. But what about the casual day out at your backyard range? How do you get those clay pigeons sailing through the air so you can smoke them?

Today we’ll take a look at some options that will allow you and your shooting buds to set up a fun clays range for the afternoon.

Types of Throwers

There are really two main types of throwers available. Manual and automatic.

The manual throwers can be as simple as this MTM Clay Target Thrower. If you practice a bit and have someone with a decent arm, this option will work. However, for a better shooting experience let’s stick to the throwers with a spring activated throwing arm.

Manual throwers are classified as “full-cock” or “3/4-cock” mechanisms. The full-cock machines mean you have to manually pull the lever back to reset it against the full force of the spring.

On the other hand, the 3/4-cock machines have a gear or clutch mechanism that only lets the arm travel in one direction and the momentum of the arm partially cocks the machine so you have much less effort required to reset the machine.

Check out this video from Do All Outdoors showing how easy the 3/4-cock traps are to reset.

Got all that? Now we’ll go into the best clay throwers.

1. Do All Outdoors – Backyard Clayhawk 3/4-Cock Trap

This trap is a great entry level 3/4-cock thrower. It has a tripod-type base that can be staked to the ground or mounted on a piece of plywood something else to make it more stable.

The trap can launch clays up to 70 yards and is adjustable up and down and side to side. It can also be configured to launch rabbit targets. These are meant to mimic a bouncing, running rabbit and roll on their edge along the ground.

2. Trius One-Step Trap

If you can’t talk someone into some range time, the One-Step allows the shooter to launch clays and shoot by themselves. This is a full-cock thrower, so the reset effort is a bit more.

However, you can load singles or doubles and also launch high-angle clays. To launch the bird simply step on the lever to release the throwing arm.

3. Do All Full-Cock Competitor Trap

For $29 you can hardly go wrong with this basic trap. The trap allows you to launch singles, stacked doubles and or side-by-side doubles. Clays can be launched up to 55 yards with this little machine. I borrowed my brother-in-law’s Competitor to teach my nephew the basics of shotgun shooting.

By easing up the spring tension a bit you can slow the targets down and allow them to “float” a bit and get new shooters into the groove and learning how to engage moving targets. A great entry level trap.

Note: this trap needs to be staked securely or mounted to something heavy so it doesn’t jump around too much.

Automatic Throwers

When you’re ready to spend more time on the range and want speed up your shooting it’s time to look at getting an automatic trap. These traps will generally be powered by a 12-volt battery and allow you to load 50 or more clay targets in the magazine.

The trap is released remotely by a wired switch or a wireless set-up depending on the model. Most of the remote switches are designed to be foot operated so you can launch targets when shooting by yourself.

The coolest thing about automatic traps is that they are available with options that move side-to-side, up and down or both so you never know exactly how the target will be launched!

4. Champion WheelyBird 2.0

The WheelyBird 2.0 is the upgraded model of the WheelyBird – and the upgrades are nice! The cycle time is only 1.75 seconds and there is now a wireless remote and a foot pedal to allow for more variation and shooting angles.

Best of all, the WheelyBird 2.0 can launch targets up to 75 yards.

5. Do-All Outdoors Fowl Play Automatic Clay Pigeon Skeet Thrower Trap

The Fowl Play trap has a lot of great features for practicing your wing shooting skills. The trap will throw targets up to 55 yards and can be adjusted from 5 to 35 degrees of elevation.

To really add some challenge to your practice just bolt on the Adjustable Wobbler Kit. The Wobbler allows targets to launch from random left to right angles as well as changing the elevation. The Fowl Play trap comes with a 25 foot wired foot pedal, but a wireless upgrade is available.

This is a great thrower, to begin with, and the optional upgrades allow you to continue to improve over time.

What’s your take on it?

Closing Thoughts

If you are an aspiring wing-shooter having your own trap makes a lot of sense. As long as you have a safe area to practice these traps allow you to shoot anytime you want and will likely save you a fair amount of money over time.

If I were to purchase a manual trap today I’d definitely be looking at 3/4-cock models because of their ease of resetting.

I really like the Fowl Play automatic thrower from Do-All Outdoors because as a base model you get everything you need plus the option to upgrade and continue challenging your shooting abilities.

No matter which one you choose, you’re sure to have a blast every time the shooter yells “Pull!”.

Want more shotguns in your life? Check out our 5 Best Home-Defense Tactical Shotguns!

Do you shoot trap? What’s your favorite shotgun? Let us know in the comments! Then check out our Best Trap, Skeep, & Clay Shotguns.