American Hunter

There are few joys as great as a shooting with a high-end, premium optic, with its crystal-clear image from premium lenses. There are also the realities of a modest hunting budget, and staying within your financial means makes for a happier home. Thankfully, the more affordable riflescopes of today are much, much better than the affordable optics of my youth, in that they will actually hold zero, and they don’t make you think you’ve developed cataracts—at least most of them don’t.

Back in 2024, one of Howa USA’s lightest rifles arrived in the U.S. marketplace. Dubbed the Superlite, it was listed as weighing in at just 4 pounds 7 ounces with a blued finish, a 20-inch threaded barrel, a 1-piece scope rail and a Stocky’s carbon-fiber composite stock. I got to handle it at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas that year. As much as I liked the rifle's weight, balance and feature set, it was just one of many new rifles that year and it eventually slipped off my radar.

Federal Ammunition has announced it will be the official ammunition of the Minnesota Wild for the 2026-27 season. This agreement with the hometown NHL franchise is historic as it is the first partnership with a major league professional sports team in Federal's 104-year history. Hockey fans in the Upper Midwest, whether on the radio, on social media or streaming, will see and hear messaging from Federal on recreational hunting and shooting aligning with the Wild's passionate fan base.

On this week's #SundayGunday, we’re checking out the Cascade Rimfire, from CVA, a lightweight rimfire absolutely perfect for tackling squirrel season. Chambered in .22 Long Rifle, the Cascade Rimfire sports an 18-inch barrel that hits the perfect sweet spot between easy accuracy and maneuverability. This Bergara-made barrel is threaded at the muzzle to 1/2x28 TPI for the easy addition of a suppressor.

At 500 years and going, Beretta has outlasted even the Roman Republic’s 482-year time span. When Fabbrica d’ Armi Pietro Beretta was founded, in 1526, the first English colony in what would become America was 81 years in the future; meanwhile, in Europe, the Renaissance was in full swing in Italy—Michelangelo was then 51 years old and painting away in Florence—and the early Protestant Reformation (sparked by Martin Luther in 1517) was impacting the empire of the Roman Catholic Church.

Moultrie has introduced its all-new lineup of heavy-duty metal feeders, available exclusively at Bass Pro Shops. The new lineup includes the 350-Pound Sled, 300-Pound Broadcast and 600-Pound Broadcast metal feeders, all engineered to put bucks on a daytime feeding pattern.

** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. ** Between April 2, and May 8, 2026, multiple suspected destructive devices were recovered in Carson National Forest, near the Tres Piedras Ranger Station in Tres Piedras, N.M. On Aug. 10, 2026, an additional device was turned into the Canjilon Ranger Station in Canjilon, N.M. by a citizen who found it.

The author's first bear hunt over bait. I had a lot riding on my first hunt last fall. For nearly a year my buddies and I planned to spend the first week of September in Down East Maine chasing black bears with serious intentions. I planned to use one of my own rifles, which is a gun writer’s unrequited dream. I messed with a dozen different rifles during the summer, making modifications and developing handloads. By August I had it boiled down to five (or maybe six) different guns.

by posted on September 3, 2026 News, Ammo, Guns & Gear, Shotguns, New for 2026 Support NRA American Hunter DONATE ** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. ** Kent Cartridge is bringing back one of its most requested waterfowl loads with the return of Fasteel Classic Limited Edition for 2026.

The woodchuck poked his head up above the row of squash with that devilish, veggie-raiding half-grin on his face, knowing another feast was about to begin. This was a wily one, who could seemingly feel your presence—and the minute he felt anything less than comfortable he was gone. Thrice the blue jays alerted him to a foreign presence, so we decided to back off quite a bit, though it limited our view.