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1 month ago | 
americanhunter.org | Jeff Johnston
Benelli’s Lupo rifle is Benelli to the core. In 2020 the Italian-owned company set out to design a rifle line that was modular, feature-rich, accurate and practical.
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1 month ago | 
americanhunter.org | Jeff Johnston
Time has eroded many details of the hunt from my memory, though that’s not the reason for withholding my turkey hunting partner’s name. Teasing a hunting buddy is fine; public humiliation crosses the line. But there’s a lesson in his story, so that’s why I’ll relay it here … . We’d hunted for two full days and into the third morning when we finally got a gobbler to respond.
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Jan 30, 2025 | 
shootingillustrated.com | Jeff Johnston
It’s widely accepted that a 12-gauge shotgun is near the top when it comes to stopping power in short-range situations. The combined terminal energy of nine 00 buck pellets from a standard, 1,200 fps load is around 1,700 ft.-lbs. at the muzzle. Moreover, each pellet creates a separate wound channel, adding to the devastation while also increasing the shooter’s margin for error in missing.
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Jan 9, 2025 | 
americanhunter.org | Jeff Johnston
Benelli’s original Ethos was launched in 2014 as a refined version of its Super Black Eagle line. The Ethos remedied the SBE’s few shortcomings by improving the shape and angle of the loading gate so it wouldn’t pinch thumbs, adding weight up front for smoother barrel movement, tuning the action to cycle target loads and, finally, adding a spring-loaded detent to the rotating bolt head that ensures the bolt goes fully into battery no matter how softly it’s eased home.
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Nov 17, 2024 | 
shootingillustrated.com | Jeff Johnston
"A man’s got to know his limitations.”Just because Clint Eastwood’s fictitious “Dirty Harry” character is credited for this quote, it doesn’t mean the words ring any less true. Failing to recognize your own limitations can get you hurt—or worse. Also, limitations do not only pertain to the man or woman, but also to the guns and gear he or she chooses.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
americanhunter.org | Jeff Johnston
In terms of overall performance in the hand of a hunter—i.e., max range, versatility for both bow and rifle hunters, ease-of-use, basic ballistic data and sheer toughness—I think Leupold’s RX laser rangefinders are the best on the market. Over the last few years, however, several companies have pushed past Leupold’s technology, specifically in the ballistic solutions department.
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Sep 18, 2024 | 
americanhunter.org | Jeff Johnston
I’m betting plenty of American Hunter readers never considered that the .22 LR could be improved, much less that it needs to be. But that’s not how the gun geeks at Winchester Olin look at such things. Evidently they ask, “Can we do it better?” and “Should we do it better?” and “Will the shooting public buy it?” … in that order.
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Sep 16, 2024 | 
shootingillustrated.com | Jeff Johnston
No doubt we expend much time discussing new guns, gear, ammo and tactics. But the fact is, the single most important thing you can do to survive a home invasion is to actually train with your shotgun. Training has many forms, however, and after the basics of loading and shooting are mastered, the most useful training should involve drills that simulate real-life situations—which, of course, can change rapidly.
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Sep 13, 2024 | 
shootingillustrated.com | Jeff Johnston
Whether inertia-operated (top) or gas-driven (bottom), the operating system of a semi-automatic shotgun will have pros and cons that must be considered before deciding which is best for your particular needs. The godfather of semi-automatic shotguns is John M. Browning’s Auto-5, first produced in 1902.
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Jul 24, 2024 | 
americanhunter.org | Jeff Johnston
Stag Arms used to be the company that sold $650 AR-15s. These guns functioned well—and sold like popcorn at the cinema—but they were basic mil-spec carbines without any bells and whistles. In 2016, however, after the company was sold and later moved its headquarters to Wyoming, Stag’s new management dreamed big. It began producing and marketing high-end ARs, some of which cost nearly three times that of the originals.
