Mounting a red dot on an AK is not the same as mounting one on an AR-15. The AK platform presents two specific challenges that buyers often ignore until they have already spent money on the wrong optic. The first is recoil impulse. The AK operating system produces a heavier, sharper recoil impulse than a … Read more
forGlock ships every pistol with plastic sights. That decision makes sense from a manufacturing cost perspective. It does not make sense from a defensive use perspective. Plastic sights break, scratch, and provide no illumination in low light conditions. Night sights solve the illumination problem with tritium. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that produces … Read more
The Glock 22 ships with plastic sights. That is not a knock on Glock’s engineering priorities. The pistol is built to be a reliable, durable duty gun at a competitive price, and plastic sights keep that price reasonable. But plastic sights break, fade, and scratch in a way that quality aftermarket options do not. Every … Read more
The red dot and magnifier combination solves a real problem that a fixed magnification scope or a dedicated red dot alone cannot. A red dot at 1x is the fastest close-range optic available. Both-eyes-open shooting, wide field of view, and no eye relief requirement make it the most aware and fastest-to-acquire optic for targets inside … Read more
The .45-70 Government is one of the oldest cartridges in continuous production. Introduced in 1873 for the Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor Rifle, it pushed a 405 grain lead bullet at 1,350 fps. Modern loads from Garret, Buffalo Bore, and other boutique manufacturers push a 430 grain hard-cast bullet at 1,600 fps from a 22-inch Marlin … Read more
The Marlin 336 in 30-30 Winchester is the lever action deer rifle that defined American woods hunting for over a century. It is short, fast-handling, reliable in all weather, and effective on deer at 200 yards with the right scope. The 336 has also been chambered in 35 Remington, 38-55, and other cartridges, but the … Read more
The Grand Power Stribog is a 9mm pistol caliber carbine that punches well above its price. It is a roller-delayed blowback design that is soft-shooting for a 9mm PCC. The roller delay slows the bolt opening, reduces the recoil impulse compared to a straight blowback design, and produces a reliable action that feeds a wide … Read more
The Marlin Model 60 is the best-selling 22 LR rifle in American history. More than 11 million have been produced since 1960, and the tubular magazine semi-auto design has introduced more shooters to rimfire than any other platform. It is accurate, reliable, and works well with a quality scope. The Marlin 60 uses a grooved … Read more
A thermal monocular is the most versatile thermal imaging tool available for hunters and outdoors professionals. Unlike a thermal rifle scope, a monocular is a handheld device used for scouting, animal detection, navigation, and situational awareness before a rifle is ever shouldered. The best ones work as standalone devices and can often be paired with … Read more
The 7.62×39 cartridge defines its optic requirements more than almost any other caliber. It is a 300-yard cartridge, effective on deer and hogs at that distance, dropping past it. A scope that provides magnification past 10x is overkill for this cartridge’s trajectory. A red dot or 1-6x LPVO is often more practical than a magnified … Read more