Free Range American

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.

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.

Nov 9, 2023 | freerangeamerican.us | Joe Genzel |Kurt Martonik |Jace Bauserman

The Marlin Dark Series has finally been reintroduced to the gun world under Ruger’s banner for the first time in three years. The rifle line was the first lever gun from a major manufacturer to include modern features from the factory, like a unique polymer stock and — as the name suggests — a blacked-out look, whereas most lever guns at the time were blued or Parkerized with walnut furniture — or something even more old school.

Nov 7, 2023 | freerangeamerican.us | Scott Murdock

Picture yourself getting the jump on a big prairie dog town. You crest a hill, lay your trusty .22 across a fencepost, and peer through your scope. It’s pretty far. You might need to aim a little bit high. If only you paid more attention to the MOA vs MRAD debate. Experience might tell you that your bullet hits a certain distance low at 150 yards and a little more at 200 yards, but “a little low” doesn’t give you much to work with, especially when you don’t even know the distance to your target.

Oct 26, 2023 | freerangeamerican.us | Joe Genzel |Kurt Martonik |Jace Bauserman |Phil Bourjaily

My first exposure to the Remington 870 was not at a shooting range or in the woods pursuing wild game. It came when I  was 10 years old, sitting on the couch at a buddy’s house watching an R-rated movie I shouldn’t have been. Point Break (1991) starred Keanu Reeves as “Johnny Utah,” an ex-college quarterback turned FBI special agent, and his partner “Angelo Pappas,” (Gary Busey) a surly, disliked, out-of-shape veteran agent.