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Dec 13, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | Matt Sampson |Todd Bumgardner
Who would have thought that Magpul would become one of the premier producers of affordable polymer stocks for a bevy of firearm platforms? But here we are. The company makes what is arguably the best tactical shotgun stock, a bunch of AR stocks and handguards, and even a great takedown stock. Now, joining their Backpacker stock for the most popular .22LR rifle out there is the new Magpul MOE X-22 stock upgrade for the Ruger 10/22 semi-auto rimfire rifle.
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Dec 8, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | Matt Sampson |Todd Bumgardner
Maybe it’s an attempt on Colt’s part to seem exclusive and niche — you have to be in the know to find out about new additions to their catalog — or maybe it’s just bad comms from the Czech company that now owns the brand about its new product. Hell, there are plenty of guns that Colt still manufactures that are not on their website, like, for instance, the brand new Colt Python Combat Elite in .357 Magnum.
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Nov 29, 2023 | 
petersenshunting.com | Todd Bumgardner
“You hear that noise?” he asked. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound good,” I replied. We’re northwest of Tok, Alaska on our way back to Fairbanks. My hunting partner and I spent 10 days hunting caribou then moose near the 40 Mile River. We headed to town to regroup before heading to the southcentral coast for the last leg of our journey. Now, we’re pulled over along one of Alaska’s few highways figuring, out what’s wrong with his van. The trip started at his house in Fairbanks.
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Nov 28, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | Matt Sampson |Todd Bumgardner |Joe Genzel
Ammo prices have come down from pandemic peaks, finally re-entering the territory of not having to sell plasma to be able to afford to shoot. One caliber that remained mostly untouched was .22 Long Rifle, a storied entry in the family of rimfire cartridges with a rich history that we’ve covered elsewhere.
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Nov 14, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | Todd Bumgardner |Joe Genzel |Kurt Martonik
Americans have loved .30 caliber rifle cartridges since the 1890s when Winchester released the .30-30 Win. And when Americans love a thing, they’re driven to improve it. That’s the story of Roy Weatherby and the 300 Weatherby Magnum. While the Brits invented the magnum rifle cartridge, Weatherby strove to perfect it in .30 caliber form. Building on their work, he infused it with the American spirit to create a high-velocity rifle cartridge decades ahead of its time.
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Aug 30, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | Todd Bumgardner
In every profession or hobby, skills die out over time as technology offers easier, better solutions. But some skills are worth retaining, because you never know when you might need them, and when you need one, you typically really need it. Using a rifle sling to steady an off-hand shot is something a lot of hunters don’t practice nearly enough, but they should. So many of us grew up with Red Ryders and fantasized about slinging lead off-hand like we saw in the movies.
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Aug 3, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | Alice Jones Webb |Scott Murdock |T. Logan Metesh |Todd Bumgardner
If you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere, you might think Mad Pig Customs is just a small Connecticut-based gunsmithing and Cerakote shop. But these guys crank out some super-cool, cowboy-tactical lever action rifles with a dystopian vibe you just can’t replicate with a semi-auto. They also have a way of giving people who feel a lever gun should be all blued steel and walnut stocks panic attacks and general fits.
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Jul 27, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | Scott Murdock |T. Logan Metesh |Todd Bumgardner |David Maccar
When the first shot was fired from a bamboo tube in China sometime in the 10th century, it’s safe to assume that someone watching thought, “Look at that boot. I can shoot farther than him.” And thus, long-range shooting was born. That’s how I imagine it happening, anyway. Some things never change.
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Jul 26, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | T. Logan Metesh |Todd Bumgardner |David Maccar
Outside of gun collectors and history nerds, few people could positively identify the make and model of a random 130-year-old gun from just one photo. That’s not the case with the M91/38 Carcano rifle. Hundreds of thousands of people who have never even held a gun before can positively ID that little gun. For younger people who aren’t that into history, they’ll know “The Carcano” as the most powerful and accurate rifle you can get in Red Dead Redemption II.
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Jul 19, 2023 | 
freerangeamerican.us | Todd Bumgardner |David Maccar |T. Logan Metesh
Double-barrel. Pump. Autoloader. Reading those words likely conjures specific images in your mind, all shotguns. Maybe you see the Remington 870 your dad bought you for your 12th birthday. Or your grandpa’s A5 leaning in a mudroom corner after a cold morning duck hunt. I see the over/under that kicked the hell out of me the first time I shot clays as a little boy. The popularity of these guns overshadows a once common piece of shotgunning history — the bolt action shotgun.
