So many online ammo websites, right?

Find out the best places to buy ammunition online from our own positive experiences and fails.

We’ll also cover recommended brands, types of bullets to buy, what is a “good” price, and unfortunately…restrictions based on your state.

And the current best deals for popular calibers.

October 2024 Update: Ammo prices are pretty stabilized for popular cartridges such as 9mm, .22LR, and 5.56/.223. However the Israel/Palestine conflict has added some extra demand. Also added Ammunition Depot into the mix.

AAC, Blazer, & PMC seem to be the most in-stock varieties.

THE QUICK LIST

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Best Places to Buy Ammo Online

1. Palmetto State Armory (PSA)

My go-to online place for buying BULK ammo is Palmetto State Armory.

They will usually be one of the best prices for cases (1,000) rounds of popular calibers…like .223/5.56, 9mm, and .45 ACP.

And they usually do a good job of keeping the essentials in stock…especially with AAC 9mm.

And sometimes you’ll even find free shipping for cases…otherwise, it may be about $20 to 30 bucks.

Their shipping used to be excruciating slow about ~5 years ago, but now with their in-house firearms selling like hotcakes…they’ve got their ammo shipping down as well.

• AR-15 Ammo (.223/5.56)
• 9mm Ammo
• All Ammo
• Daily Deals

What’s your take on PSA for ammo and guns?

2. Ammunition Depot

New on the list starting Summer 2024 is Ammunition Depot due to their free shipping over $149.

And just $5.99 for orders under.

You know when you’re buying ammo it’s pretty easy to go over $149.

And I know what you’re thinking…their prices must be higher to justify it. But amazingly they aren’t and can rival PSA prices for popular calibers.

My most recent order with them as been for 6 cent per round .22LR and as of right now their 9mm is 27 cents per round shipped.

They’ve been quick to ship and actual shipping time will depend on how far you are from Florida.

So if you’re buying a few boxes and love free shipping of popular calibers…check them out.

3. LuckyGunner

My go-to place to buy ammo online is Lucky Gunner for their selection, real-time inventory, and fast shipping, and shipping estimator. I’ve been a customer of theirs for over 6 years.

I find a lot of other retailers skimp in website tech or their shipping departments. There have been too many times where the following has happened:

• I find a great price, order, my credit card is charged, and then I get an email a couple days later that they are out of stock. Now I can either wait for a backorder or get a refund which ties up my credit card for a week.
• I order and it takes a week or two to ship out my order.
• I try to see my shipping costs and I have to create a login and enter all my details first.

LuckyGunner is great since they take care of the three problems above. You get to see their live inventory next to each product, they have a 110% guarantee that your stuff will be shipped the next business day, and you can easily calculate shipping without creating a login.

4. Bereli

My go-to for 9mm for the past few months. Bereli has some GREAT deals for some items such as their Blazer Brass 9mm with free shipping and tax only if you’re from Florida.

They’ve shipped out within 24 hours for all my orders but then it’s down to whatever ground transportation does.

Check out all their ammo deals.

5. True Shot Gun Club

A relative newcomer to the list…but in the most recent dark times of ammo (2020 onwards), True Shot Gun Club has been steadily stocking 9mm and more.

Their claim to fame is being the largest ammo dealer in Arizona and top 10 in the entire US. I’ve been ordering from them steadily this past year and it always arrives.

And often at the best price too.

6. Optics Planet

Optics Planet is one of my go-to optics and accessories shops. They now have a decent selection of popular ammo calibers.

They have all the major calibers in plinking ammo plus more speciality selections like self-defense hollow points and hunting loads.

Be sure to double-check that the ammo you’re looking at is in stock!

7. Brownells

Brownells is where I get most of my specialty tools and gun parts. They also have unparalleled customer service, reasonable shipping, and some good ammo deals.

They are caught up in all the website technology which I love, so you can add all the ammo to your cart, input your zip code, and see the shipping. Makes it much easier to compare across websites.

They stand behind their products and I’ve found it really easy to return stuff. However, I’m pretty sure you can’t return ammo for safety reasons. But for parts and tools, they are the best!

See their All Ammo In Stock section.

8. Cabela’s

Hunters and fishermen know and love their local Cabela’s and since their acquisition by Bass Pro, Cabela’s ammo prices have dropped even further!

Best of all, they almost always have the best hunting ammo you can find in almost every caliber you can think of.

Don’t forget to look at the Cabela’s branded gear also, everything from optics to rifle bags to jackets can be found with their brand name on it and so far I’ve never been disappointed with the quality or price!

9. Sportsman’s Guide

From power tools to guns and ammo, Sportsman’s Guide has almost everything under their roof – kind of like a Cabela’s and Harbor freight mixed into one!

While their standard deals are good, their deals with a Sportsmen’s Guide membership are even better! 10% off of gear and 5% off of guns and ammo, those savings can add up huge in a year of shooting.

Plus they offer ammo back-ordering.

Other Suggestions

These didn’t make our regular list but desperate times call for desperate measures and they might have some stuff left…

• Gorilla Ammunition (niche manufacturer with subsonic loads and 8.6 BLK)
• Sportsman’s Warehouse
• Kentucky Gun Company
• Cheaper Than Dirt (Extreme Price Gouging)

Why Buy Ammo Online?

A survey of gun owners conducted by the NSSF found that 53% of gun owners bought ammo online and that 86% of those cited lower prices and quantity discounts.

I’ve only bought ammo a couple of times at gun stores or the range because I forgot to bring my online bought ammo.

But every time I go, it’s not surprising to see prices 50% higher than what you’ll find online…even after factoring in shipping!

I’d like to also add in variety and tax savings.

Without the restraint of a physical location, online sellers can have tons of selection.

Some guns just like different ammo better than others. I like to order a couple of types to see what shoots best in a new gun, and then later put in a bulk order. Plus, our suggestions will likely be out of state for you…so no sales tax!

Recommended Ammo Brands

These are just my recommended ammo brands based on price, availability, and what worked in my guns.

I shoot a decent amount so I usually go for the budget brands. I haven’t had a problem with any of the below.

• AAC: Currently the most affordable (and available) for 9mm and 5.56. Good stuff that has always gone bang.
• PMC: Cheap and plentiful rounds that I have used in almost all my calibers. Made in South Korea.
• Federal/American Eagle: Also cheap and plentiful rounds made in the USA. I use them interchangeably but word on the street is that AE is Federal’s line that is sold online and in gunshops. Federal Champion is their budget line usually found at Walmart.
• Blazer: Another budget brand that sometimes seems too good to be true. Be aware that the super cheap one might be aluminum cased instead of regular brass. I’ve never tried aluminum casings in pistols since I wanted to keep my brass for eventual reloading, but my buddies and I have had no problems in handguns running Blazer Brass.
• Tula: My go-to AK round brand. Super cheap with polymer coated steel cases. Who cares…it’s an AK!
• Lake City: While US government-owned, Lake City also sells surplus ammo and brass through a lot of vendors. They also sell parts and supplies to other brands so it’s not uncommon to find ammo from Federal with brass or bullets made by Lake City. All of it is quality stuff!
• Others: I’ve also had good success with Sellier & Bellot, and Fiocchi, but they are normally a little higher in price. And if in doubt, just Google the brand and caliber to see if there’s any complains in online gun forums.

Recommended Ammo for Common Calibers

A quick overview of the different calibers and types of bullets out there so you’ll know all the useful acronyms such as FMJ for full metal jacket or JHP for jacket hollow point.

We’ll also have some suggestions for choosing a self-defense gun as well.

Even though we go through 18 calibers in the article above, you’ll probably only see/need a handful of the most common ones. So we’ll start with those first.

223/5.56 Ammo

The round of the super-popular AR-15.

Haven’t gotten one yet? Check out our Definitive Guide to the AR-15.

You can shoot .223 ammo in a 5.56 barrel, but since 5.56 may have higher pressures, you should not shoot them in a .223 barrel.

I always get my barrels in 5.56 so there is no problem. Ammo is around 25-40 cents each at the most standard 55 gr bullet.

You’ll also see some designations of XM and M followed by 193 or 855 for Federal & American Eagle.

XM means it was rejected from military use for some reason but still meets commercial specifications. M means it meets mil-spec. 193 means it is a 55-grain FMJ-BT (boat tail) while 855 is 62-grain FMJ-BT with a steel penetrator for added penetration against hardened targets.

We cover everything in even more detail in Best AR-15 Ammo for Self-Defense & Range. But here are some of our picks.

Our favorite XM193 and XM855 ammo!

And our favorite range plinking round goes to PMC Bronze since the brass is great for reloading and it’s a little softer shooting than the others (perfect for competition).

If you don’t care about reloading…Wolf Gold is the best bang-for-the-buck .223 ammo.

9mm Ammo

I’ve shot over 10,000 rounds of 9mm before I started reloading for competitions.

Price is around 30 cents a round. I prefer 124-grain instead of 115-grain which seems snappier in recoil, but I recommend trying out both to see which one you like better.

I also recommend sticking with brass cartridges instead of cheaper aluminum/steel.

We cover everything in Best 9mm Ammo for Self-Defense & Range. But here’s a couple of our favorites…

For general purpose self-defense…we like the 124-grain Federal HST.

And for those who like heavier bullets…

For plinking…go with AAC 9mm in either 115gr or 124gr.

I also really like CCI Blazer 9mm that is brass cased.

.45 ACP Ammo

I’ve shot over 2,500 rounds of 45 ACP and also go with my standard budget list of manufacturers. Price is around 40-50 cents a round.

There’s not too much variation in weight so I stick with the standard 230-grain.

The extensive list is at Best .45 ACP Ammo for Home Defense & Target Practice but here is our main pick.

For self-defense, the HST passed the FBI ballistics gelatin test with flying colors…dominating in penetration and expansion.

.22 LR Ammo

Reasonably priced .22 LR ammo is getting easier to find at <8 cents a round.

So what is out there (and in stock) is much more expensive.

We’ve compiled an extensive list in Best .22 LR Ammo for Accuracy, Plinking, & Hunting.

But…the CCI at 40-grain is my go-to for .22 LR in my Ruger 10/22.

• CCI – 40 gr (Likely in stock but expensive)
• Federal Automatch Target – 325 Rounds – 40 gr
• Sellier & Bellot – 500 Rounds – 38 gr

7.62×39 Ammo

The good ole AK-47 rounds. My rule is to go with ammo from countries that used the AK but to watch out for corrosive ammunition (which is pretty good shooting stuff, you just need to put more effort in cleaning afterward).

You also need to check with your shooting range rules to see if they allow magnetic (bi-metal) or non-brass ammunition such as Wolf/Tula.

If they don’t, you will have to go with more expensive brands or corrosive ammunition. The general weight is around 122-grain and costs from 25 to 35 cents each. Brass cartridges will be more.

• Tula – Assorted – 122 gr FMJ (Magnetic + Steel, my favorite if the range doesn’t care)
• Wolf – Assorted – 123gr FMJ (Magnetic + Steel, WPA Polyformance is the cheapest)
• PMC – 20 Rounds – 123 gr FMJ (Non-Magnetic + Brass, if the range cares)

7.62×39 Self Defense Ammo

• Sellier & Bellot – 20 Rounds – 123 gr SP
• Hornady SST – 50 Rounds – 123 gr SST

.308/7.62x51mm Ammo

Another of those rounds that are almost identical but with some differences in pressure and dimensions.

Unless you really know what you are doing, keep using the round intended for your rifle.

Since most 308/7.62x51mm ammo will be in long-range (sniper) rifles, we’ll also include some Match ammo.

Most commercial ammo will be around 147-grains and around 60 to 70 cents each while match ammo is around 168-grains and $1.50 per round. I went almost straight into reloading to get the max accuracy out of my guns so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.

All .308/7.62 ammo (Lucky, Brownells).

.308 Ammo

• PMC – 20 Rounds – 147 gr FMJ-BT (Shot my first hundred with this)
• Fiocchi – 20 Rounds – 150 gr FMJ-BT
• Federal Match King – 20 Rounds – 168 HP-BT (For precision shooting)

7.62x51mm Ammo

• Federal – 20 Rounds – 149 gr FMJ XM80C
• Federal – 20 Rounds – 168 gr Open Tip Match (For precision shooting)

308/7.62x51mm Self Defense

• Federal Power Shok – 20 Rounds – 150 gr SP

Shotgun Ammo

The shotgun is unique since there are so many different types of ammunition.

We’ll cover basic target birdshot (#8-#9 is great for clay shooting), buckshot, and slugs. Remember for birdshot, the larger the #, the smaller the pellets. And that 00 (double-aught) buckshot is great for self-defense while slugs are one solid piece of lead.

2-3/4 inch refers to the length of the shell which will fit almost all 12ga shotguns. The problem arises from 3 inch magnum shells.

Prices will vary from 25 cents for target shots to around 50 cents — $1 for buckshot and slugs. I’ve shot tons of Fiocchi and Estate birdshot, and love the Winchester Military Buckshot.

Check out the full list at Best Shotgun Ammo for Home Defense & Range Shooting. But here are some of our picks:

Want to see more of our favorite ammo, guns, and gear? Check out Editor’s Picks.

It’s been almost two years since Forrest Fenn’s riddle was solved, and the $2 million worth of treasure he’d buried was found. Until recently, the only thing we knew about its location was that it was in Wyoming. Until now.

A recent article on Outside Online has revealed that the treasure was buried in ‘an iconic American landmark’ in Yellowstone National Park. Park Rangers are aware of the exact location but want to keep it a secret. They’re concerned that should the exact location be revealed, it would become swamped by tourists, damaging the fragile landscape. However, an ongoing lawsuit against Fenn (who passed away in September 2020) may result in that location being revealed.

Author Forrest Fenn confirmed in a blog post in July 2020 that his chest filled with $2 million worth of treasure was found in Wyoming.

Many of the searchers for my treasure had solves that seemed to neatly fit the clues in my poem. Then when the finder found and retrieved the treasure, other searchers wondered how close they had been to the right spot. Because I promised the finder I would not reveal who found it or where, I have remained mostly silent.

However, the finder understands how important some closure is for many searchers, so today he agreed that we should reveal that the treasure was found in Wyoming. Until he found the treasure, the treasure had not moved in the 10 years since I left it there on the ground, and walked away.

Perhaps today’s announcement will bring some closure to those whose solves were in New Mexico, Colorado, or Montana.

To all of those who did not find the treasure, we hope that you got some enjoyment from the chase. f

For a decade, the $2-million treasure chest sat undiscovered in the Rocky Mountains, with the only man who knew where it was leaving clues to its whereabouts, promising whoever found it could keep it. At least four died in its pursuit, and many sacrificed jobs and their livelihoods. Finally, some lucky sleuth found it. But that didn’t stop the disbelievers.

As is the case with many mysteries, there were plenty of people calling it a hoax, claiming conspiracy theories and disbelieving it even existed. But Forrest Fenn, the man behind the quest, put those theories to rest by releasing pictures of the discovered treasure.

The 89-year-old art and antiquities collector posted three pictures of the treasure on dalneitzel.com, a fan blog dedicated to the treasure hunt. While some remained skeptical, most of the comments on the site congratulated the finder and thanked Fenn for the experience.

It all started when art dealer and former air force pilot, Forrest Fenn, revealed in his self-published 2010 novel, “The Thrill of the Chase”, that he had buried a lockbox full of about 2 million dollars worth of gold, gems, and artifacts. The clues to the treasure’s whereabouts were hidden in a 24 verse poem that is included in the memoir. Many people have quit their jobs and spent their life savings in the quest to find the buried treasure.

THE TREASURE HAS BEEN FOUND

It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains, and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago. I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot.

I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries.

So the search is over. Look for more information and photos in the coming days.

– Forrest Fenn, June 6th 2020

Mr. Fenn stated that the Treasure was located in the 1,000-mile stretch of the Rocky Mountains from New Mexico to the Canadian border and at least 5,000 feet above sea level, in an area that an 80-year-old would not have trouble accessing. Fenn estimates that over 100,000 people have attempted the search for his treasure and originally said that he hoped the hunt would push more people outside to enjoy the wilderness. Asked how he felt now that the treasure has been found, Fenn said: “I don’t know, I feel halfway kind of glad, halfway kind of sad because the chase is over.”

• Related: Police Warn of ‘Deadly Pursuit’ as 2 Have Died in 2 Years Searching for Buried Treasure in Rocky Mountains

Within days of the treasure being found, three separate lawsuits were filed by people claiming they solved the puzzle first, with one lady claiming that the man who got to it first “stole her solve”.

• Related: Man Who Found Forrest Fenn’s Treasure May Have to Fight For it as 3 Others Claim They Solved Puzzle First

In March 2020, two Coloradan snowmobilers were searching for Forrest Fenn’s elusive treasure when they became stranded, and one died in a Utah park. In June 2017, New Mexico authorities found the body of Paris Wallace, a Colorado Pastor who had joined the hunt. A year before Randy Bilyeu disappeared while searching for the treasure, his remains were found in the Rio Grande seven months later.

Tree stand selection, placement, set-up and safety all factor into a successful hunt—and each aspect is a never-ending topic of discussion. Everyone has their own opinions on placement, hanging tactics, concealment and even the tree stand itself. While tree stand hunting is a personal decision, there are a few basic principles that can increase a hunter’s odds of seeing deer, having a good shot and make the entire process far more comfortable—and safe.

Portable tree stands come in three main categories, each suited to different uses and hunter preferences. Hang-on stands, the most basic, are simple stands that must be manually moved into place and secured carefully. Just like the name suggests, self-climbing stands allow a hunter to “walk” the stand up a tree and are best-suited to smooth trees with no branches between the hunter and the ground. Ladder stands look like a combined ladder and tree stand, and can be used on a wide range of trees but are often more conspicuous. Of the three options, hang-on stands are the most commonly used.

We covered tree stand placement thoroughly in our recent post How to Hunt Whitetail Deer Using the onX Hunt App, including sitting food, water, cover and seclusion. We also showed how best to enter and exit your stand without disturbing nearby deer and ruining that shot you’ve been waiting for all season. During the summer months, consider clearing multiple trails into your stand so you can walk in based upon deer feeding habits, wind direction and time of day, and mark these trails on the onX Hunt App.

onX Ambassador Steve Tittsworth knows that in his home state of Tennessee, tree stand placement is the most important part of the hunting puzzle. “Over the course of many years, our deer have learned to look up,” Tittsworth shares. “Once I have determined where I need my stand relative to the deer I’m hunting, I look for cover while looking up myself. Be it 30 feet high or only eight feet high, if that perfect tree is a white oak, hickory or hemlock, I’m looking up for the spot that a deer can’t see. Many times I’ve put a set at only eight feet off the ground in a leafed limb cluster and watched deer look right over top of me. I also set these up so I’m completely covered while the deer is directly under me and my opening comes as the deer is passing me. This ensures he’s looking away and the shot is never quartering to me. Higher is not always the best answer.”

onX Community Engagement Specialist Jared Larsen spent his fair share of time in tree stands while growing up hunting both Wisconsin and Iowa. And after years of hunting out of tree stands, he’s finessed his stand maintenance and set-up for maximum safety and comfort. He recommends:

• Oiling moving / connecting parts in the off-season to eliminate creaking in the cold.

• Adding felt tape between metal parts that touch and move (i.e a metal seat that you can fold up when you stand and fold down to sit—where it folds down, tape with felt to eliminate the metal-to-metal contact).

• If you have large feet, invest in a stand with an oversized platform (small platforms are a common issue with ladder stands).

• If you choose to leave your stand up year-round, remove your foam seating pads; otherwise the foam becomes a favored food for mice and squirrels.

• A screw-in bow holder for warmer hands and far more comfortable sits.

Once ensconced in your tree stand, ensure that you place your gear in easy-to-access locations. The last thing you want to be doing when the time comes is scrabbling for binos or rangefinders—a bit of advance planning can keep things calm, cool and collected and ensure you’re not spooking that mature buck that’s finally decided to make an appearance.

Tree stand security is a significant problem in some regions. Consider placing your tree stand away from heavily-used trails in locations where it’s harder to spot (then add a Waypoint in your onX App so you can find it easily, and share with friends if needed). Secure your stand with a highly-visible lock (a log chain or cable lock works well)—often a would-be thief will be deterred simply by seeing a lock. You can also remove the bottom of the ladder, tree steps or climbing sticks, making the tree stand not readily accessible.

Aaron Warbritton, host of the Hunting Public and onX Ambassador, has a few tricks of his own for tree stand hunting in the Midwest. “I use a lineman’s rope to hang the stand. It allows me to safely lean away from the tree and use both hands to set the stand up, making for a much quicker and safer setup,” he shares.

He adds: “Before I leave the ground, I’ll also tie one end of a 30-foot rope to my waist. The other end I tie to my gear (bow, pack, etc.) so I can pull it all up once in the stand. I also use milkweed pods as wind checkers. The seeds float for a long distance so you can watch wind currents away from your stand, unlike powder which only tells you wind direction at your exact location.”

Tom Petry, onX Ambassador and co-owner of Become 1 TV, believes the details truly set apart serious tree stand hunters. He shared a few of his tips with us:

• When transporting stands to and from your location, be sure to keep all straps, chains, etc. secured to the stand. The sound of metal clanging on metal travels a long way and can spook your game before you get a look at it.

• Once hung, be sure to secure all straps, pull-up ropes and loose pieces so they aren’t blowing in the wind. Dangling straps increase your chance of being seen or heard even when you aren’t in the stand. Spook a mature buck once—even when you aren’t there—and they may change their route instantly.

• Always have at least two stand sets for your major hunting areas, and set up accordingly for your two most typical wind directions.

• Be sure that your access to and from the stand is well thought out. From noise to exposure, how stealthy is your approach?

• Choose a location that will provide a good backdrop, especially if it’s a location that you will hunt throughout the year.

• Always check ratchet straps before hanging a stand. If there is ever a doubt as to the integrity of a strap, throw it out and go buy a new one… it will be much cheaper than the hospital bills.

• Never think you are too cool for lifelines and safety harnesses. They will never be as uncomfortable as the result of falling out.

And don’t forget the creature comforts. If the weather is cold, bring along more layers than you think you’ll need—nothing saps body heat like sitting still in an exposed environment. Layer up, keep your head covered to save body heat and never underestimate the chilling power of a persistent breeze during a cool morning. (Or the hot, beating sun in the afternoon.) Even if it’s pleasant in town, weather in the woods tends to have a mind of its own.

Anyone who has spent time in a tree stand will tell you to bring snacks and entertainment. Snacks, hot coffee and something to burn the hours will go a long way once you’re settled in your tree stand and waiting for the deer to arrive to the area. Make sure wrappers are not crinkly and loud—if it sounds loud in your house, it’s going to sound even louder in the woods. Repackage food into quieter containers if necessary.

Basic tree stand safety—wearing a harness at all times, having a lifeline system on each stand, conducting regular maintenance and hanging your treestand at the appropriate height—all factors into your success in the field. Practice your movements of getting in and out of the tree stand and know your personal limits. With a bit of advance research and good, old-fashioned hard work, you can have your most productive hunting season to date.

header image: Dave Fields

Optics have become standard equipment for most hunting applications with one exception—wingshooting. It’s still relatively rare to see a waterfowl or upland gun that’s equipped with an optic, but that’s changing thanks in part to sights like the Aimpoint Micro S-1 red dot.

The Aimpoint Micro S-1’s miniaturized dimensions and light weight make it an ideal optic for use on a shotgun. With a length of 2.5 inches, a height of 1.6 inches and a weight (with battery) of just 3.5 ounces, the Micro S-1 doesn’t take up a great deal of space on the rib of a shotgun. With a high-strength aluminum housing featuring a semi-matte anodized finish and an integrated carbon fiber-reinforced polymer base, it doesn’t significantly change the balance point of the gun, either.

Unlike traditional shotgun optics that require shooters to purchase aftermarket bases and attach them to the gun’s receiver the Micro S-1’s integrated base fits onto the rib of virtually any gun. By measuring the height and width of your shotgun rib you can determine which base/plate combination is required, and Aimpoint offers an easy-to-follow diagram that helps you determine the right combo for your firearm.

The base secures to the sides and bottom of the rib and, when it’s tightened in place, holds zero even while firing magnum loads. It’s a simple installation process and, unlike traditional shotgun optics, you can quickly and easily install or remove the optic as desired. The Micro S-1 can be positioned at any point along the rib of the shotgun, and the low (.55 inches) optical axis makes it easy to view the 6 MOA red dot from a natural shooting position without having to lift your head from the gun. Eye relief is unlimited and there’s no parallax error with these sights.

The Aimpoint Micro S-1 red dot operates using a reflex collimator with LED display. This offers shooters the ability to adjust point of impact, a major advantage for shotgun shooters. Traditionally, shotguns ribs were designed with different points of impact (POI) based on the application. Trap guns, for instance, have a higher point of impact, from 70/30 (where 70% of the pattern rises above the rib) and up. Skeet, sporting clays, and field guns usually shoot “flat” with a 50/50 POI. Some high-end competition shotguns offer interchangeable ribs to adjust POI, but swapping ribs is a hassle. The Micro S-1 allows shooters to adjust POI quickly in the field using the provided tool and you can also adjust windage — something that’s difficult on guns without an optic. The ability to change POI is a major benefit for shooters and this feature increases the versatility of your shotgun.

Using a reflex sight on a shotgun has traditionally been a challenge because a bright sky can wash out the dot. To compensate for this, Aimpoint offers additional brightness settings. Illuminance is measured in lux (lx), and the Micro S-1’s red dot is visible from .1 lx (the equivalent of a moonlit night) to 55,000 lx (full sun). With 12 separate brightness settings, you can match the intensity of the dot to the light conditions regardless and you won’t lose sight of the dot even when you’re shooting clay targets or birds in full, bright sunlight.

Aimpoint Micro S-1 reflex optics are powered by a single CR2032 3V lithium battery that lasts for 50,000 hours of continuous use. Operating temperatures range from -20 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and the unit is submersible to 15 meters which means if you drop your gun in shallow water while duck hunting your optic will still function properly. The durable Aimpoint sight is also resistant to shock, humidity, vibration and is resistant to occasional chemical exposure from gun cleaners, lubricants, fuel and insect repellents.

Aimpoint Micro S-1 Red Dot Sight Applications

I mounted the Aimpoint Micro S-1 red dot on the rib of a CZ 1012 12-gauge semiauto shotgun and zeroed the unit for a flat POI at 20 yards. The polymer base holds firmly onto the gun’s rib and even after multiple rounds of skeet and five stand there was no shift in point of impact. Despite having used shotguns with traditional beads throughout my shooting career I found that transitioning to the Micro S-1 was seamless. The aluminum housing is compact enough that it doesn’t distract the shooter and the 6 MOA dot offers a reference point regarding muzzle position even when the shooter is focused on the target. When I transitioned to trap targets, I had the option of adjusting POI to 70/30 in seconds. Additionally, I fired a full box of 3-inch magnum turkey loads through the CZ 1012 and the Micro S-1 withstood the heavy recoil without shaking loose or shifting POI.

The Aimpoint Micro S-1 improved my accuracy when shooting moving targets, especially on very bright days, and science shows that I’m not alone. Research conducted in Sweden in 2018 indicates that shooters who used Micro S-1-equipped shotguns performed markedly better than shooters who used guns with traditional bead sights on the country’s mandatory hunter exam. Two separate trials demonstrated that hunters using Micro S-1 optics hit a combined average of 24% more targets on the portions of the exam that simulates running hare and flying upland birds that shooters who didn’t use an optic. That’s an impressive jump in accuracy and lends credit to Aimpoint’s claim that shotgun performance improves with a reflex sight in place.

The unit’s innovative base design makes it the most versatile shotgun optic available. You can attach it to your upland shotgun while hunting birds or braking clays and then quickly transition the Micro S-1 to a waterfowl or turkey gun. It also improves the accuracy potential when shooting smoothbore slugs and its low-light capabilities make the Aimpoint Micro S-1 red dot a superb option for home defense scatterguns. Never before has a single optic offered this level of versatility for shotgun shooters in such a compact, durable platform. MSRP: $820

A barrel is essentiallya steel cylinder with the bore drilled out. It’s as simple as that. For typical handguns (with their short barrels), there isn’t that much more to it. But with rifles, for which the barrel is often the largest and heaviest component, the overall shape of the barrel can take many different forms. This is generally referred to as barrel contours or profiles.

As a baseline, consider a barrel with no exterior material removed, known as a bull barrel. Here, the outer diameter is constant along its length. Naturally, as a perfect cylinder, this is the heaviest profile, though the diameter can vary from large to small (typically referred to as heavy, medium and light).

At the cost of weight, bull barrels do provide some benefits. With all that steel and surface area, they take longer to heat up. This helps maintain accuracy under sustained fire and prolonging their useful life.

Their rigidity also helps prevent deflection, whether from a sling or pressure on the handguard (if not free floated) or from the addition of a suppressor. While it can be unpleasant to carry the damn thing and potentially awkwardly front-heavy, a heavier barrel equals a heavier weapon. A heavier weapon is generally steadier while shooting and helps mitigate recoil impulse.

Of course, you could also simply select a shorter barrel. This reduces weight and can actually increase stiffness of the barrel, potentially helping with accuracy but at the cost of a loss of muzzle velocity. And if you plan to shoot longer distances, you’ll appreciate a higher velocity.

Tapering

Metal can be removed in various ways from this perfect cylinder, thus also lightening the barrel. It can be tapered, where the diameter at the breech end is greater than at the muzzle — with everything from a linear taper to various other profiles, limited only by the manufacturer’s imagination. It doesn’t make much sense for barrels to be tapered in the other direction, since pressures are greatest in the chamber and decrease as the bullet travels down the bore. Not to mention that it would make the rifle imbalanced all together.

Yet, there are lots of AR-15 barrels that have profiles mimicking military configurations, such as the ubiquitous M4 profiles that have thinner diameters under the handguards and thicker in front of the gas block, along with a cutout to mount an M203 grenade launcher.

Eric Kincel, Director of R&D for Bravo Company USA, Inc., explains, “The original AR-15 and early M16 barrel profiles were never like that. But with the adoption of the M16A2, the mass at the front of the barrel was added for one reason and one reason only — the barrels were bending when soldiers were prying crates open with the muzzle end of the barrel. Seriously.”

Tapering is a time-worn method of reducing the weight and improving a rifle’s balance and handling. While less weight is always a bonus when carrying a rifle, there are tradeoffs in heat dissipation and barrel rigidity. It’s a delicate balance to maintain. This is why matching barrel contours and treatments to your rifle’s intended use is key.

Fluting and Other Treatments

Material can also be removed in other ways, leaving the overall diameter constant but relieving metal in other patterns. With advancements in machining tools, more and more complex patterns are possible. Everything from fluting, which is longitudinal grooves (either straight, spiral or radial), to other geometric patterns (such as dimples, hexagonal honeycombs, etc.) are possible.

These sort of treatments are intended to shave some weight. They also maintain greater outer diameter and provide quicker cooling of the barrel during sustained fire, since more surface area of the barrel is exposed. And since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they can look pretty damn cool as well, while still serving as an attractive host for your suppressor.

Let’s look at two identical barrels. If you flute one of them, the fluted one will not be as stiff as the non-fluted barrel. In theory, you can increase a barrel’s diameter enough to offset what you lose in stiffness from adding fluting. However, the simple rule is that no fluting means a stiffer barrel.

For complete rifles (or complete uppers), manufacturers tend to offer barrel contours that match the intended purpose of the weapon — from hunting rifles with relatively lightweight tapered barrels to target rifles meant for a benchrest with bull barrels to general-purpose ARs with medium-weight barrel contours.

Barrel makers are churning out custom, semi-custom and prepackaged offerings with a wide variety of profiles and contours. For those spec’ing out a build, whether bolt gun, gas gun or otherwise, virtually anything you desire can be done … with judicious application of cash or credit.

We’ve never had so many options as we do right now. So as always, choose what best matches your intended use, and enjoy!

Barrel Contours: Tale of the Tape

To demonstrate a variety of options, we obtained four identical standard 16-inch mid-length gas system barrels with government profiles (and 0.750-inch gas block) from Bravo Company USA. We sent three of them to Adco Firearms to be dimpled, fluted and turned down to a lightweight contour.

Dimpling is harder to apply, hence the price premium. It also results in less weight loss. So we dare say one would need to really like the aesthetics to make this choice.

It’s not uncommon to see a fluted process, and this provides a nice balance of characteristics.

The lightweight contour removes the most material, winning the “Biggest Loser” competition here with its anorexic pencil profile.

The pricing listed in the chart in the gallery above encompasses Adco’s gunsmithing fees plus parkerizing (shipping not included). Note that the stripped standard barrel retails for $310. Dave O’Malley with Adco suggests fluting or dimpling for those who want to use a suppressor or crank out high rates of fire. But he advises that “none of these services are ‘needed’ and fall into the ‘want’ category.”

Nevertheless, he’s more than happy to turn “end users’ ideas into reality.”

This article is from the summer 2015 issue of Ballistic Magazine. Grab a subscription to Ballistic Magazine at OutdoorGroupStore.com.

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Field judging black bears is notoriously difficult. They might just be one of the most difficult species to judge. Not only can it be hard to tell a big one from a little one, but sows and boars look very similar…and sows can get big!

If you’ve ever put yourself in a fast decision, quick draw scenario, then you know what it’s like to sit at a high stakes black bear gambling table. But, with a bit of pre-game day know-how and the help of a few tricks, those all too commonly experienced ground shrinkage issues should be no problem to steer clear of.

Field Judging Black Bears

1. Hunt an area that consistently produces big boars.
2. Learn how to know the difference between a sow and a boar.
3. Look for a stout neck and a wide head with “small” ears on the sides.
4. Look at the size of the body.
5. Watch how they move.
6. Compare them with the bait barrel.
7. Watch for rutting activity.

Hunt an area that consistently produces big boars.

Big bears are very particular about where they live. If you’re not hunting in those areas, you won’t kill a mature boar.

It is the giant super intellectual, predatory boars that keep every hunter daydreaming, and these old un-hunted crankers are our objective and goal. While these specific bears are choosy about a lot of things, much the same as any other big old age class animal, they are firstly very particular about where they live.

These giant boars will hold and defend prime areas.

If you are not in an area that has big bear, and focusses calculated strike effort specifically at them, you may as well have stayed home.

How to tell the difference between a sow and a boar.

The first thing when your field judging black bears is to determine whether it’s a sow or boar. At times this is exceedingly easy when it’s a mature boar, but it can sometimes be difficult to tell difference between a battle hardened old sow and a big boar. Age catches up to us all. Until boars start approaching adult weights at 7-9 years old, it can be very tough to tell them from sows.

When you hunt with an outfitter that targets large, age class boars, and discourages shooting sows will tip the odds in your favor. This management ideology just makes sense. After all, sows are crucial to population dynamics, they are the best big boar bait available.

If a bear has cubs with it, it’s a sow.

In every case where you see a larger sized bear with one or more quite notably smaller and obviously dependent bears, the larger bear is guaranteed to be a sow. However, many sows will have young of the year that they won’t bring with them into a bait site. They’ll stash their cubs in a tree before coming into the bait. Given any opportunity will kill cubs, a mature boar will kill and eat her cubs, so as to bring a sow into estrus cycle.

A dead ringer with sows is the visible presence of nipples.

On wet (nursing) sows with young, the cubs pull out hair around the nipples which can profile them, making them visible, even from broadside, and this can be especially evident on older, larger sows. A good outfitter will set up the bait to give you “angle views” that can really help in obtaining this visual.

Look at the head.

Female black bears have broad heads and narrow muzzles.

Females’ faces are slender and more pointed than males. The smaller the ears look and the farther apart they seem, the better the bear. If you can envision an imaginary upside down triangle on the bear’s head going down to its nose, and all sides are equal, then it’s a mature bear.

A mature boar’s head is quite wide, and will have a thicker, stouter neck.

Boars with some years under their belt will always appear to have smaller ears that are off more to the side of the head than up top. They can show a quite distinct center line crease that runs down their forehead from between their ears. This muscle structure can be quite predominate and noticeable on some big boars.

The smaller the ears look and the farther apart they seem, the better the bear.

If you can envision an imaginary upside down triangle on the bear’s head going down to its nose, and all sides are equal, then it’s a mature bear. A young bear’s head will look big and its ears will look huge and almost touch. Young bears also move at a quick pace and seem skittish and clumsy.

Body Size

Look at length of legs, chest size and how big the head is in comparison to the body.

If his head and ears look small in comparison to his body he’s a giant. If his legs look thick top to bottom, that’s a good sign. A boar’s leg will look as big below the knee as above the knee. A sow’s legs will have a V shape from top to bottom.

Mature boars will exhibit what appear to be blocky, low to the ground profiles.

Watch for bears that are exceptionally wide across the brisket with heavy, wide set front legs. Watch for what appears to be shorter more evenly tipped hair. Big boars do not normally look shaggy with longer ratty looking coats as do younger bear, though belly hair will hang low pronouncing the big belly look. Magnum old sows can exhibit these same profile traits though, so nothing is static. All of these confirmation dynamics are affected by genetics and range factors, and black bears are diverse creatures with individual traits, similar to people in that way.

There is nearly no mistaking a big boars, how they move and how they conduct themselves, especially when around other bears. Big is big. Nearly anyone can identify a true giant boar.

They will rule every roost they roll into. Other bears will openly display caution and fear when they make an appearance at the party. Yes they look just like that discovery channel monster on TV. Really big bears will have a crease down the center of their forehead, and often scars on their faces. A giant boar can also appear so big it looks like he’s dragging his belly when he moves.

If the neck looks almost as big in front of the shoulder as his body does behind the shoulder, he’s a shooter.

That said however, it’s an entirely different issue with a medium to large bear. Field judging black bears of this caliber becomes difficult. Even younger, smaller framed bear often look like they belong in this class without the strong utilization of visual sizing aids.

Big bears move like they are big.

Large bears also move slowly, swaying side to side with a big belly and an air of confidence about them.

They can display indecisiveness, but all animals including people take pause when thinking and processing info, however, they will not be the bear that gets jumpy at every sound out there. If a bear comes in and has all other bears clear and undivided attention, promoting rapid submission or displays of fear, it will be a boar.

The body language of a non-submissive large male in any specie is a rapid telltale of dominance, and such intolerant mannerism is as well the case with dominant big boars.

If you see ripped up ears and/or heavy facial fight scarring on a big bear, do not waste any more time looking, it is show time. If you see a larger profile bear moving and trailing a smaller bear into the bait site, take the time to be sure, but it is virtually guaranteed to be a boar following a hot sow in.

A great method for field judging black bears is to compare them to the bait barrel.

If a bear is as tall as a barrel standing on its end, shoot!

Bait barrels are a great tool to use in size determination. In addition, it really helps to cut logs at each bait site that are 5 feet in length. If a bear meets/exceeds the length of these on the ground, it will likely be a shooter.

To aide in sex identification, strategically placed tree mounted “candy” jars provide a standing, unobstructed belly view.

Hopefully this overview can help a bit with this notorious subject of field judging black bears.

Big black bears can be a challenge to successfully square off with, but so long as moves are calculated, one nearly cannot go wrong. The hope is for giant net book 21 inch boars to be the first bear to walk in on everyone out there, but until that happens, keep looking those bear over and have fun!

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This is my main page for survival hunting and trapping. These are links to proven ways you can hunt, trap and snare animals in a survival situation.

Please understand that I hate killing things. I do it because if I don’t kill and eat something, I die. And I kinda like staying alive. So, I kill things. But I do it with as much respect to the animal as I can.

Here’s a list of things that I follow as closely as possible when it comes to hunting and trapping. And these apply to survival situations as well as for sport.

Make a Clean Kill

First of all, make a clean kill. The faster the animal dies and the less suffering, the better. Learn where the kill zones are when hunting.

If you’re trapping, set traps that kill right away, either on impact or by drowning the animal quickly. Use leg holds and traps that constrict an animal’s movement only when nothing else will work. I can tell you from experience that it’s pretty sickening to find a leg and nothing else in a trap. Learn from my mistakes.

Same thing with snares. Set them so they kill the animal right away. You don’t want to be responsible for maiming an animal and make it suffer. This is especially true when setting survival snares with primitive gear. You don’t want to assume that what works with a wire snare will work with twisted fiber, it often doesn’t.

Use the Animal Wisely

Use as much as you can from any animal you kill. You’ll certainly want to take all the meat and edible internal organs. You can also cook the bones, eat the meat off them, and grind them into a nutritious paste. Take anything else you can use like the stomach, tendons and esophagus.

But… and this is where I disagree with well-intentioned laws in some areas, sometimes you want to leave a little food behind for the natural predators in an area. That’s especially true if you aren’t in a survival situation.

You are taking the food source of the coyotes, badgers, foxes, hawks, owls and mountain lions. All those predators will scavenge anything you leave behind, providing them with at least some of a meal they might have gotten all of if it wasn’t for you.

Don’t Hunt or Trap Unless You Have Water

Also, remember that if you don’t have plenty of water, you don’t want to eat anything at all, especially meat. It takes a lot of water to digest protein. If you are eating meat but aren’t drinking enough water, your body will suck the water right out of your cells to digest the meat. And that will dehydrate you even more.

In some of the instruction here I use modern ways to acquire game. In other cases it’s pure primitive where you are going out with nothing but a knife.

Wherever I can, I make videos to go along with the articles and pictures. It takes a tremendous amount of work, but I know you guys appreciate it.

Survival Hunting And Trapping Links

Survival snaring with modern snares Here are the topics that are coming in this section on survival hunting and trapping: Survival hunting – making an atlatl Survival hunting – throwing sticks traditional archery and how to make a selfbow. Survival trapping with modern traps Survival trapping with primitive traps Survival snaring with primitive snares

Heath Wood

While sitting around the campfire on the first night of our 3-day trip, I told my wife that I was going to go to bed, because I wanted to get up at sunrise and be on the river to start fishing.

While doing a few last-minute preparations before hitting the sack, we laughed at how much easier it is to get up early when heading out to hunt or fish than it is to go to work. The truth is, whether it’s getting up early to sit in a treestand, to hear a tom turkey gobbling while still on the roost or to cast a line into the water at sunrise to catch big bass, we do it because we know that this is the most active part of the day for an outdoorsman to have success. The thrill that comes from this knowledge and experience is what keeps our adrenaline high, and our anticipation elevated enough to be able to bounce out of bed before the first light of day.

As we enjoyed ourselves each day of our trip on the Jacks Fork River in southern Missouri, I began to realize that peak movement times and getting out of bed earlier than usual was not the only two similarities that hunters and fisherman have.

On this trip, I spent much of each morning and evening walking the banks and wading into the waters to try my hand at catching smallmouth bass and goggle-eye. As I walked along the quiet banks of the river, one of the many thoughts that entered my mind was how having success catching fish in small streams such as the Jacks Fork involves the same factors and techniques as when hunting successfully.

Best Time Of The Day

As mentioned earlier, one of the most significant similarities between hunting and fishing is the time of day. On the majority of most of my hunting and fishing trips, I enjoy early morning and late evenings the most. As with most animals and fish, these are the times that they are most active, mainly because of food. Early in the morning, it’s time to eat breakfast. It is the same with deer or fish; they are in search of food, thus being why the activity is at its highest.

While walking the banks of the river fishing, I noticed that I caught more fish during the first couple hours of the day than any other part of the day, mainly because the fish were hungry and feeding on bait. In the small streams that I was fishing, one of the most popular food sources is crawdads: Smallmouth bass and goggle-eye love feeding on crawdads in the swifter parts of the current. My bait of choice was a plastic tube in a pumpkin color or something brown with a little green tinge to it. These baits best resemble the food that the fish are most likely feeding on.

Late evenings are like that of early mornings. Animals and fish are ready to feed before dark, also making it an excellent time to catch fish while feeding. Besides fish wanting to eat, another reason early mornings and late evenings seem to be more successful in that the temperatures are on the cooler side during these two times of the day. Again, another similarity to that of hunting. When temperatures are more pleasant, activity is going to increase.

Feeding Areas, Travel Routes and Scouting

The term pre-fish may not mean anything to someone who has not been around fishing tournaments. In many tournaments, anglers will get a day before the official competition to pre-fish. During this time, anglers will spend their time searching for spots with the most fish, and more importantly, finding the biggest fish.

The key to success while hunting or fishing is knowing where the animal or fish live, where they travel, and where they feed. To be able to find out where fish are located, anglers must spend time scouting, like that of a deer hunter. Anglers will search where fish are feeding, what bait they are fishing on, and where they spend the most time. By being prepared before a competition, the fisherman will be more successful when the time comes to weigh in.

On my fishing trips on the small rivers and streams in southern Missouri, I observed several small crawdads swimming around in the shallow water as I walked up and down the banks. By seeing a lot of bait in the water, I decided to use a plastic tube bait in multiple colors that resembled the crawdads.

In the rivers and streams that I was fishing, one will find a lot of structures underneath the water. Things like trees, old logs, and rock ledges provide excellent cover for bass to hide under until the current brings food by them. While fishing a structure in the river, which has a constant flow, I elected to pitch and flip my plastic tubes upstream, letting the natural current pull my bait past the logs and rock ledges. By timing the depth of bait to be eye level with the fish when passing by the formation, I was able to get a lot of reactions from smallmouth. When flipping plastic tubes near a structure, I prefer using my Lew’s Super Duty GX3 bait caster reel in a 6.5:1 gear ratio, paired with a Lew’s Custom Black 6′ 8″ med/heavy rod. As for my line, I use Strike King’s Fluorocarbon line in a 10-pound test because it easy to feel the smallmouth react to the bait and super tough, even around structures.

It is essential to carry a quality setup such as my Lew’s rod and reel. When walking the banks fishing for smallmouth, one does not have the luxury to reach in a rod box and grab another pole if something tears up or quits working. Instead, I rely on proper equipment that will allow me to fish without interruption.

The key to success while hunting or fishing is knowing where they live, where they travel, and where they feed.

Stay Hidden

Another similarity between hunting and fishing – that I have found while walking the banks fishing small rivers and streams – is to stay hidden. When I say small rivers and streams, I mean I am fishing an area in which, from bank to bank, it will measure anywhere from 10-feet wide to 40-feet wide. Most of the time, I can wade across with no problems, except for being seen by fish.

When walking the banks and wading to fish, I try to stay far enough away from my casting target so that bass will not catch my movement. Some may think I am crazy; however, if the fish can see you walking or wading near them, they will not bite.

When deer hunting or even predator hunting, I continually use shadows and natural obstructions to keep from being spotted by an animal. The same goes when walking the banks or wading. I like to stay in the shadows if I am close to where I think the fish are going to be.

If one will pay attention to what is in between you and the fish, the chances of getting more bites will increase dramatically.

Over the years, I have always noticed the same men and women who passionately hunt in the fall and winter seem to be the same men and women who become as equally passionate about finding big fish in the spring and summer. It comes down to the similarities when pursuing both. It is easy to see that it is the thrill of seeking, finding, and pursuing that fuels the fire of our passion for being in the outdoors regardless of the time of year.

The longstanding practice of conducting warrantless searches on private property by officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is unconstitutional, a three judge panel hearing a case in Benton County Circuit Court ruled Tuesday.

The ruling invalidates Tennessee law that TWRA has relied on to conduct warrantless searches and surveillance on private land in order to fulfill its mission of enforcing the state’s hunting, fishing and wildlife laws.

It’s an authority that is not explicitly extended to any other state or local law enforcement. The law, the judges wrote, gives rise to an “intolerable risk of abusive searches” and violates the Tennessee Constitution’s property protections. It is “unconstitutional, unlawful and unenforceable,” their ruling said.

An attorney representing Hunter Hollingsworth and Terry Rainwaters, two Benton County men who filed suit against the TWRA over warrantless searches on their lands, called the ruling a “momentous thing.”

“This is a decision that’s going to have a really huge impact on private landowners in Tennessee,” said Joshua Windham, an attorney for the Institute for Justice, a libertarian leaning law firm.

Windham said the ruling may have implications beyond Tennessee. The Tennessee Constitution’s property protection language, cited by the judges, is echoed in the constitutions of 16 other states, potentially leading to legal challenges of similar wildlife agency enforcement practices elsewhere. TWRA’s practice of patrolling private property without an owner’s consent or a warrant is not uncommon.

A spokesperson for TWRA on Wednesday did not immediately respond to questions about the ruling, or whether state officials plan to appeal.

State wildlife officers patrol private lands across the state year-round without giving owners notice, obtaining consent or appearing before a judge to make a case for a warrant, court records said.

TWRA officers sometimes investigate turkey-, dove- and deer-hunting offenses by crouching in bushes and secretly taping hunters — hiding within the line of fire in some instances cited in the lawsuit. The agency keeps no records of when or how often officers enter private property. TWRA officers do not need a supervisors’ permission before entering private land. There are no agency rule limiting how long officers may spend searching private property.

TWRA attorneys have argued that state wildlife officers must have the flexibility to enter private lands to do their jobs. The agency’s mission is to protect wildlife and enforce hunting, fishing and boating laws. The vast majority of hunting in Tennessee takes place on private property and wildlife aren’t confined to public lands, they noted.

TWRA also cited a well-established U.S. Supreme Court precedent, known as the “open fields doctrine,” which says that property owners have no “reasonable expectation of privacy” on private property deemed to be an open field — property outside the immediate vicinity of an owner’s home or yard, such as a field of crops well beyond a farmer’s homestead.

But the three judge panel in Benton County concluded that the Tennessee Constitution gives property owners more protection. Article I, Section 7 of the Tennessee Constitution provides a “broader guarantee of security for an individual’s real property than its federal counterpart,” they wrote.

Tennessee’s Constitution protects all “property, real or person, actually possessed or occupied,” the court noted. Under Tennessee Supreme Court precedent, land possessed or occupied extends beyond a homestead. Only “wild or waste lands” that are not used, farmed, fenced or otherwise utilized are excluded from those protections, the state Supreme Court has found.

The judges also concluded that the statute giving TWRA the right to enter private land amounted to a “general warrant,” giving officials wide latitude to conduct searches. “General warrants are dangerous to liberty and ought not to be granted,” the court ruled.

Hollingsworth, a Benton County railroad worker, said Wednesday he felt vindicated after years of challenging multiple TWRA officers forays onto his property, where they secretly hid behind bushes to videotape Hollingsworth, his girlfriend and friends while they hunted and socialized. They patrolled his land and surveilled his movements.

“I think it’ll be a lot more relaxing to be on my property and you won’t have to be paranoid that they’re looking at you all the time,” Hollingsworth said. “I think it’s fantastic that other people will get to enjoy their property without worrying if they’re being watched.”

Rainwaters similarly expressed “great relief to have the court recognize that searching my property without permission and without a warrant was unconstitutional.”

“It’s even better to hear that the court doesn’t believe anyone else in Tennessee should have their rights violated in the same way,” he said. “I’m going to sleep a little better tonight knowing that state officials have to respect my property rights.”

The case was heard under a new state law requiring a panel of three judges, one from each division of the state, to hear challenges to state law. Judge Donald Parish, Chancellor Jerri Bryant and Judge Russel Parkes presided over the case.

Parish, who concurred with the majority of the decision, filed a dissenting opinion in which he argued the court should have gone further.

The Institute for Justice had requested an injunction barring TWRA from entering private property — which was rejected by the panel because they had already concluded Tennessee’s law was invalid.

But Parish noted that TWRA lawyers argued that their authority to conduct warrantless searches also rests in the Tennessee Constitution’s recognition of a personal right to hunt or fish, subject to reasonable regulation.

Parish also cited a TWRA officer’s conversation with Hollingsworth in the court’s record. Hollingsworth told an officer who showed up on his property that he wasn’t invited.

“When you bought your hunting license, you invited me,” the officer told Hollingsworth.

Absent an injunction, Parish wrote, “I believe an ‘intolerable risk’ of improper searches by the TWRA persists.”

Germany has a long tradition of gun manufacturing, dating back to the 1500s. Today, some of the best air rifles in the world are made in Germany. If you’re in the market for a new air rifle, you may want to consider one of these German-made options.

Umarex

Umarex is a German company that has been making air guns since 1972.

Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of air guns (including Umarex air pistols such as the Beretta Elite II), tear-gas and signal pistols, paintball markers under the RAM brand and airsoft guns, based in Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia. The firm was founded in 1972. Its United States subsidiary headquarters is located in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Their rifles are known for their quality and reliability. The Umarex Steel Force is a good choice for those looking for an affordable entry-level air rifle. It’s also a great choice for plinking and target practice.

Check out the Umarex Walther LGV Master Pro for something a little more high-end. This rifle is designed for serious air gun shooters and hunters. It features a precision trigger and ScopeStop, which ensures that your scope stays in place when cocking the gun.

Weirauch

Weirauch is one of the oldest airgun manufacturers in Germany. Their guns are known for their exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail.

The Weirauch HW100S is a good choice for an accurate and powerful air rifle. It’s also relatively quiet, making it a good choice for hunting.

The Weirauch HW97K is another great option from this manufacturer. It’s designed for target shooting and features a front sling swivel and adjustable trigger pull.

Hammerli

Hammerli is another well-known German airgun manufacturer. Their guns are used by competitive shooters and hunters around the world.

The Hammerli 850 AirMagnum is a good choice for those looking for an affordable yet high-quality air rifle. It’s also one of the most popular guns among beginners and casual shooters.

For something with a little more power, check out the Hammerli AR20 This gun is designed for serious hunters and competitive shooters. It features a bullpup design and comes with a scope rail mounted on top of the barrel.

Walther

Walther is one of the most famous gun manufacturers in Germany. They’ve been making guns since 1886 and their products are used by the military, law enforcement, and civilians around the world.

The Walther LGV Challenger is a great choice for an accurate air rifle. It’s also relatively quiet and has minimal recoil, making it a good choice for beginners and casual shooters alike.

For something with more power, check out the Walther LGV Ultra Master Pro Target Rifle. This gun was designed for competitive shooters and features an ultra-precise trigger system that can be adjusted to your specific needs.

Diana

Diana is another well-known German gun manufacturer with a long history (the company was founded in 1890). Their guns are known for their quality, accuracy, and durability.

The Diana 48 Sidelever Spring Rifle is an excellent choice if you’re looking for an accurate air rifle that’s easy to cock thanks to its sidelever design. This gun also has minimal recoil, making it ideal for beginners or casual shooters who want to avoid being bruised by stronger guns!

Another great option from Diana is the Diana StormRider. This gun packs quite a punch but it’s also surprisingly quiet given its power.

(For more on the best .22 air rifle on the market, see this post)