Federal Ammunition introduced the FireStick muzzleloading ammunition system at SHOT Show 2020. In firearms utilizing this technology, the projectile is still loaded down the muzzle but the propellant is sealed in a shotshell-like polymer capsule which is loaded through the breech end of the barrel and is primed with a 209 shotgun primer. CVA have just announced the release of their new Crossfire break action muzzleloading rifle that uses the FireStick system. Let’s take a closer look at the CVA Crossfire muzzleloader and Federal FireStick ammunition.

This week’s episode of TFB’s Behind The Gun Podcast features both Lucas D and Hop of TFB and TFBTV as we have a nice chat about shotguns. However, as indicated by the title, the topics in this episode are going to vary a bit as our beer supply dwindles and the early hours of the morning start to set in. We’re talking about shotguns, the latest trends in cartridge selection and whether or not a shotgun is actually a wise selection as a primary weapon for self-defense, or as part of your collection as a well-armed civilian. Pull up a chair, grab a nice stiff drink and join us as we ramble about shotguns and much more in this 80th episode of TFB’s Behind The Gun Podcast!

.357 Magnum revolvers are kind of like 1911 pistols – despite being obviously outdated and outclassed in many cases by modern concealed carry options, they’re still loved and carried by many. Taurus’ 605 Defender is one such .357 Magnum option that fits in this category and also comes in at a bargain street price of just $400 for the matte stainless version. Released in 2022, the Taurus 605 Defender has had a bit of time in the market to earn a reputation for being reliable, lightweight, and accurate, with a bit of an excessively heavy double-action trigger pull. The Taurus 605 Defender already comes standard with trench-style sights built into the frame with an orange faceted night front sight. XS Sights wanted me to give the revolver a go with their revolver front sight. Seeing as I haven’t shot any .357 Magnum in a while I figured this would be a fun dive back into defensive revolvers for me so here we go!

HEVI-Shot Ammunition announced back at SHOT Show 2023 that they had a new flavor of waterfowl loads coming – HEVI-Metal Xtreme – and they are now here! The all-new HEVI-Metal Xtreme waterfowl loads boast HEVI-Shot’s original 12 g/cc HEVI-XII tungsten pellets (30%) stacked over steel pellets (70%) in the same shell along with Federal’s FLITECONTROL FLEX wad.

Welcome to TFB Web Deals 59! As in past weeks, we’ve stopped by again to gather up some of the best deals from around the web for guns, gear, and accessories. This can include anything from actual firearms to things like regular ammo bundle deals, magazine deals, and of course, some odds and ends we’ve found deals on throughout the week that we’ve used ourselves. Lately, I’ve been trying my best to keep my ammunition reserves at a respectable level and ammunition is actually not that bad right now in terms of availability and cost (at least compared to the hell that was the COVID years). As always, feel free to drop a comment below with leads to any other deals you’ve found yourself throughout the week! Otherwise, please enjoy this week’s selection of deals in TFB Weekly Web Deals 59.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about a concealed carry gun size guide. If you missed out on last week’s article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I’ve seen a ton of newer people carrying improper holsters and interesting ammo choices. There’s a plethora of fantastic holsters and ammo on the market but there’s a fair amount of poor options as well. Let’s take a closer look at what and what not to carry.

Just for the record, no, I haven’t started writing for the mainstream media, and if someone asked me “How pro-gun are you?”, I’d show them a photo of a battleship. We’ve all had a good laugh whenever the media announces that someone was found with “an arsenal” that included two pistols, a rifle, a scope and (gasp) 1000 rounds of ammo. However, the question still remains, how many guns can one person own? I suggest there are several limits – let’s explore.

Tela Impex may not be a name you’ve heard previously, but they are the newest provider of steel case rifle ammo for the US market. Their 124-grain 7.62×39 load is available now, and a 60-grain 5.45×39 load is coming soon. Let’s dive into the details of this ammunition.

LAHAB Light Ammunition (LLA) is the national ammunition manufacturer of the United Arab Emirates, part of the EDGE Group that we better know through the Caracal firearms brand. A manufacturer up to now solely focused on the military market, LLA is now eyeing the commercial market.

Ammunition has looked largely the same for over one hundred years. Looks, however, can be extremely deceiving. Inside the tiny capsules, changes in technology are ever-advancing. Bullet design, consistent primers, and better powder have been the focus for many years. True Velocity has turned its attention to the final component of a cartridge and has developed composite-cased ammunition, aiming to leave brass in the past. Now, the composite company’s three 5.56x45mm variations are available to civilians.

SAAMI, (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) plays a vital role in the firearms industry by setting and maintaining standards for firearms, ammunition, and their components. As an association comprised of leading firearms and ammunition manufacturers, SAAMI serves as the authoritative source for technical expertise, safety protocols, and industry coordination that makes things like manufacturing firearms safe for everyone – not just those who developed the technology. Through extensive research, testing, and collaboration, SAAMI ensures that firearms and ammunition meet rigorous performance and safety standards, promoting responsible manufacturing and enhancing the overall safety and reliability of firearms in the sporting and commercial markets. SAAMI just recently announced that they’ve added a new board of directors seat for AMMO Inc – known not just for producing ammunition, but also for being the principal owner of the gun auction website Gunbroker.com. With this seat on the board of directors, AMMO Inc will have a direct influence on things like cartridge standardization.

Hello and welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 57! Ammunition is probably the single biggest and most ever-present cost you have in your life as a firearms owner. While it can be relatively inexpensive to shoot something like 22LR (about a dime per shot), 9mm (a quarter) and 5.56 (fifty cents) are still pretty expensive when fired in high volumes for competition or purposeful training. So this week we’re gathering up some ammunition-related deals in addition to our regular deals in the hopes you can restock some of your dwindling supply, or add to your growing stockpile for a rainy day.

A new video collaboration by Slow Mo Guys and Kentucky Ballistics was just released. Scott of Kentucky Ballistics had them shoot a variety of elephant guns but it was the .577 Tyrannosaur that was the focus of the video.

Welcome to TFB Podcast Roundup 94! As summer has marched on I’ve been spending a lot of time in the woods with an AK and a Glock practicing in advance of this year’s Finnish Brutality competition. However, aside from the brutality that awaits me in Finland, I can’t help but think about their neighboring country, Russia, and how the conflict between them and Ukraine has shown the world just how complex and widespread drone usage has become in modern conflicts. Naturally, my curiosity and mindset lead me down a specific path on the internet and that’s why this week a lot of our episodes focus mostly on Competition, as well as a cool episode by our friends over at The Gun Collective Podcast about some pretty wild alternative ammunition types including Anti-Drone ammunition. So as always sit back, relax and enjoy this week’s selection of gun podcast content!

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! Last week we talked about the full-size 22LR trainer, the Bergara B14R. Bergara’s B14R offering is somewhat of a rare breed of rifle – it’s not exactly handy, or cheap, and I don’t think it’s supposed to be. The B14R is a perfect replacement for those looking to train for positional shooting for a PRS match, or for just getting more use out of your expensive Remington 700 chassis system. A far more affordable and handy option is the B14R’s little brother, the Bergara Micro Rimfire (Bergara BMR). The BMR features a lot of the same features that make the B14R great, but in a completely dedicated rimfire system that just happens to use a few key components that make it just adjustable enough for the end user to tweak it to their needs and preferences. Today we’ll check it out and I’ll give you my initial impressions on the micro-sized Bergara BMR.

SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) have published cartridge and chamber drawings of a new rimfire cartridge called 21 Sharp which was developed and submitted for SAAMI acceptance by Olin Winchester. While this new cartridge uses a non-heeled projectile, it has a lot of similarities with the 22 Long Rifle. Let’s take a closer look at the design of the new 21 Sharp rimfire cartridge.

The HammerDown series of ammunition by Federal Premium is one of the few lines of ammunition specifically engineered to ensure superior cycling and overall effectiveness for lever-action rifles. In 2020, the Federal first introduced the HammerDown line, which now encompasses a range of choices including 357 Mag., 44 Mag., 30-30 Win., 45-70 Government, and others. The latest addition to this collection is the HammerDown 444 Marlin, featuring a 270-grain load perfect for either states which require a straight-walled hunting cartridge, or just those looking to challenge themselves with a big-bore lever gun.

As we gear up for Independence Day this year, let’s stop and take a minute to be thankful for this great country we have – specifically because of arms. There is an interesting quote that floats around on the internet that I often like to think of when it comes to the very core concept of the 2nd Amendment: “God made men, Sam Colt made them equal.” This quote, even though it was part of a marketing campaign, just reaffirms the idea that, at least in this country, firearms are one of the key concepts of maintaining one’s freedom regardless of what type of life you’re born into. Finding and buying affordable arms and ammunition used to be a heavy investment, usually involving going to a local gun show or perhaps even a county gun show. Fast forward to today and we’ve got more options than you can count in terms of places you can buy arms and ammunition for relatively decent prices. So in the spirit of 1776, and the founding of this great nation, we’re going to be taking a look at a bunch of deals from around the net that are popping up in anticipation of this year’s Independence Day celebration.

The Beretta 1301 shotgun has been the talk of the town over the last year or so with a massive increase in popularity across the board. However, for a lot of people, buying their 1301 is just the first step, a lot of people want to mount optics, want extended tubes, or shotshell caddies. Mesa Tactical is here to fulfill two of those wants/needs at the same time with their new Beretta 1301 compatible SureShell shotshell carrier featuring an integrated Trijicon RMR reflex sight mount.

Those who compete with shotguns know that every load is just a little bit different when it comes to 12 gauge. While there is a litany of options out there for those looking to defend their home, hunt deer, or even shoot birds out to extreme distances, there are very few competition shotshell loads on the market which has led a few shooters to develop their own loads to work with their competition shotguns. Federal Action Shotgun aims to eliminate that need for shotgun athletes with a new 12-gauge load that balances shootability, control, and power and also comes in a convenient 200-round case.

If you haven’t been checking Destin at Smarter Everyday on YouTube then you missed his latest video. He was trying to replicate a historic event where two minié balls collided mid-air and fused together. Well, Destin tried to recreate bullets hitting bullets and film it in slow motion. He was partially successful. What was more interesting is following along with the setup and safety procedures he created for this recreation.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many different types of guns, their applications, and even some of the weird history and obscurities surrounding rimfire guns. This week I want to talk about some quick and easy ways to keep your pistol proficiency up throughout the summer months while avoiding some of the heavy costs usually associated with running pistol drills. What’s more is that instead of a lot of your standard drills, I’m trying to include pistol drills that will really take advantage of the money you’ll already save – these are all really low round-count drills and the goal is to keep each of these drills to 50-rounds or less. This means that for all 3 drills, you should be able to head to the range with your targets, gun, shot timer, and 100 rounds of reliable rimfire ammunition and you’ll be out the door with some solid pistol training sessions for $13 or less in ammunition. Below I’ll give you 3 different rimfire pistol drills you can use to brush up on your handgun skills on a budget, included will be photos, links to the free targets, and video examples of each drill.

Ammunition subscription services were a popular way for a lot of customers to order ammunition regularly so they could either keep shooting regularly or simply stock up over time with the various monthly subscription tiers. However, with an increasing amount of people looking for alternative stores of wealth that aren’t either purely intangible or easily sold, AmmoSquared has decided to make the pivot from a subscription-based business model, to a bank account based business model using ammunition as the storage model for wealth.

There have been a handful of new 10mm handguns to hit the market recently, and along with that, Federal Ammunition is excited to announce the expansion of their popular Train + Protect line with their new 10mm Train + Protect 180-grain ammunition. Like other offerings in the Train and Protect line, the 10mm variety offers the customer a full power round that is suitable for defensive use but is also economical enough to be trained with on a more regular basis.

Welcome to our yearly round-up of 2023 Father’s Day Deals! Father’s Day is a singularly special day not just here in the United States, but across the globe with most nations taking a single day to honor fathers and venerate the responsibility, and position of fatherhood. For a lot of you dads reading and watching here at TFB and TFBTV, firearms are probably a huge part of your life and likely one of your biggest hobbies and if your experience was anything like mine, your father, or the father figure you grew up with, likely had a massive influence on your attitude towards firearms, and the 2nd Amendment, I know mine did.

Kent Cartridge is excited to announce its latest innovation for waterfowlers, Fasteel+. Building on the success of the popular Fasteel 2.0 line, Fasteel+ offers a new shotshell experience by incorporating two sizes of steel pellets in one shell. This new line is supposed to deliver exceptional patterns and unparalleled on-target lethality through the use of a layered zinc-plated steel shot load. The layered shot, consisting of larger Precision-Plated Steel Shot pellets atop smaller pellets, ensures tighter patterns and increased energy transfer to the target. With zinc-plated pellets and nickel-plated heads, Fasteel+ exhibits excellent corrosion resistance, making it an all-weather performer. Hunters should be able to expect reliable ignition and outstanding velocities, regardless of the hunting conditions.

Creedmoor Sports continues to expand their lineup of reloading tools with the new Shoulder Datum Tool. When used with calipers, it can provide a comparative measurement of shoulder setback after sizing. This tool has six separate openings that allow measurements of 79 SAAMI calibers.

True Velocity, Inc., designers of lightweight composite-cased ammunition, have announced a new partnership with FN America. The partnership will look to test True Velocity’s conversion kit which can chamber the M240 in the proprietary 6.8TVCM composite-cased cartridge with the change of a barrel.

Hodgdon has just announced the latest addition to their line of shotshell reloading powders, the High Gun. Formulated specifically for 12-gauge loads, this flattened-spherical powder is advertised to pack a powerful punch, delivering outstanding performance and precision. Hodgdon High Gun allegedly closely replicates the Remington Nitro 27 factory loads and guarantees consistent metering, clean burning, and uniform patterns. This new Hodgdon shotshell powder is available immediately at retailers selling reloading products. The powder is available in 1-pound and 8-pound canisters.

We all do stupid things sometimes. In my case, I do the same stupid things repeatedly. In recent months I managed to get two pieces of .300 Win Mag brass stuck in two separate dies. This was both embarrassing and was getting in the way of making more ammo for my Winchester 70 sniper homage. Fortunately, RCBS offers a stuck case tool for this job. Let’s see how it works, and if it works.