FRI | NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Cold fronts and frigid temperatures get big bucks up and moving, looking for food or chasing does. A cold-weather kit ready for the elements is a must-have for late-season whitetail hunts. Nomad's Conifer Collections is feature-rich and up to this season's cold weather hunting task.

At the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) annual Dixie Double, SPC Jared Eddy, 24, of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, claimed not one, but two overall wins. He bested a field of 100 athletes in air rifle and over 60 in smallbore to find his double victories.

Robert Feldmeyer, 46, of Queen Creek, AZ, made his mark at the 2024 Western CMP Games, CMP Pistol & CMP Cup Matches by logging three new pistol event records through his outstanding performances.

Streamlight® introduced the Nano Light® II, an ultra-compact LED keychain flashlight that provides steady, bright light for one hour of run time using a single AAAA alkaline battery. It fits easily on a keychain or zipper pull and is available at the ready to illuminate any professional or consumer task.

Safariland® announces the release of left-hand fits for the Incog X Inside-the-Waistband (IWB) Holster. The addition of left-handed fits has been highly requested and has been a long time coming for the number one best-selling holster.

This holiday season, you too can own The Original Galco Die Hard Movie Rig. A retro design, it uses the 1980s-era three-point shoulder harness mated to holster and magazine carrier components for the classic Beretta 92FS. The premium leather is distressed at the factory, providing a vintage look to match the well-worn film prop as worn by John McClane in his battle with Hans Gruber.

Target Sports USA announces the winners of their annual Ford F-150 giveaway. This sweepstakes has become a way for the TSUSA team to express their appreciation to customers through thrilling prizes and unforgettable experiences.

NSSF® celebrated the announcement that a lawsuit has been filed against Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey, seeking declarative and injunctive relief from state authorities enforcing Public Law 2023, Chapter 678, Maine’s new 72-hour waiting period law that denies law-abiding Mainers the ability to take possession of a newly-purchased firearm after they pass an FBI NICS verification.

Kinsey’s Inc. is proud to recognize a new hire in the company, filling their Brands Sales Manager position. Kinsey’s new Brands Sales Manager, Joseph Eccker, started at the company on September 30, 2024.

NSSF® is urging President-elect Donald Trump to take decisive action to disband the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and put an end to government-funded efforts to infringe upon the Constitutionally-guaranteed Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

European American Armory Corp (EAA) launched a new 1911 full of exceptional features at a competitive price point. The Girsan Influencer X is a full- size, single-stack 1911 handgun chambered in 9mm, 10mm, 45acp or 38 Super. The Influencer X series has a starting MSRP of only $689.

Taurus reintroduces the Taurus 650, a true shrouded hammer, 5-shot revolver chambered in the venerable .357 Magnum. The Taurus 650 offers a smooth, Double Action Only (DAO) trigger pull with an internal shrouded hammer, making it the ultimate choice for everyday carry and quick deployment in critical situations.

Bajío Sunglasses debuts the “Camo Kit for a Cause,” featuring exclusive Shadow Grass Habitat frames to help preserve essential wetlands. This initiative launched in partnership with Ducks Unlimited and Mossy Oak, aims to protect and restore wetlands across North America. The limited-edition release combines Bajio’s top-quality frames with Mossy Oak’s Shadow Grass Habitat pattern.

Winchester Ammunition launches an all-new “Hunting” Instagram channel with scroll-stopping content for those that live for the hunt. The new Instagram channel will be fully dedicated to providing content that captures the essence of hunting, including products, locations, people and more.

Leica announces the release of the Geovid Pro 42 Orange Edition, a striking new variant of their acclaimed Geovid Pro rangefinding binoculars. This model retains the exceptional features of the Geovid Pro 8x42 and 10x42, now presented in blaze-orange housing, designed for enhanced visibility in the field.

ZeroTech continues to offer outstanding value with its Vengeance Line of Riflescopes. Engineered for hunters, competitive shooters, and tactical professionals, the Vengeance series delivers precision, reliability, and advanced features typically found in much higher-priced optics.

Leaders within the outdoor industry continue to step up and support MidwayUSA Foundation and the industry's future. MidwayUSA Foundation relies on the support of retailers and suppliers in the outdoor space. Bettinsoli USA is a long-time sponsor that has assisted with a variety of programs to ensure youth shooting programs have quality items for their fundraising efforts.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) announces a new campaign with Ministry of Defence where 10% from each set of Fighting Words Bracelets sold will support SAF’s legal efforts. Three bracelets are included in the set, each with a different slogan and come in black, gray and green.

Davidson's announces the expansion of the exclusive N-Frame Model 20 heavy-duty exclusive revolver line produced in collaboration with Smith & Wesson. Based on consumer demand, Davidson’s now introduces the Model 20 in a 6” barrel variant limited to 500 units.

APEX Turkey TSS shotshells are now shipping and orders of three boxes or more will come in APEX’s popular, limited-edition, Mossy Oak Greenleaf wooden cigar box.

Langdon Tactical Technology (LTT) announces the launch of their new series “Lessons Learned”. In this series, the LTT team will share the lessons we've learned throughout our journey.

Join Jess Pryles, professional carnivore and chef, as she explores the world of hunting, butchering, and cooking all types of protein in her new original series, Hardcore Carnivore, airing on Outdoor Channel Mondays at 9:30 p.m. ET.

 

FEATURE

(All images are from Jon Wayne Taylor for Shooting News Weekly.)

Winchester Optics Supreme W20-60x80mm Spotting Scope.

If you’re looking through a rifle scope for just a few minutes, the quality of your scope is nowhere near as apparent as if you’re looking through it all day, especially if you’re scouring small objects far away. While teaching a recent long range precision course, the other instructors and I spent hours behind the new Winchester Optics Supreme W20-60x80mm Spotting Scope. Especially for a spotting scope under $400 — placing it very squarely in the budget end of the market! — it did not disappoint.

Given its price point, the Winchester Supreme Spotting Scope has great glass. Take a look at the image above. That was taken through my phone, without digiscoping (just holding the phone up to the eyepiece), which means the clarity and brightness is significantly degraded compared to what is presented to the eyeball. That telephone pole is about 750 yards away.

The scope is featured packed. Nitrogen filled with a twist out eye cup, it’s also got a built-in sunshade, and the entire body rotates 180 degrees. There’s also a small compass inside the included lens cap. It’s not graduated or precise enough to use for calculating fire solutions, but it’s handy if you just want to use the spotting scope as a nighttime telescope or to know where the sun is going to be on your range days.

Given its sub-$400 price, the multi coated lens was also a surprise. Dust blew right off and I experienced no glare and good light transmission at dawn and dusk. Very good, but not amazing, at least not when compared to other optics from ZeroTech and Leupold. Then again, those scopes were at least 5X the price. That extra little bit of light at near dark is great, but it comes at a very steep price.

The body of the spotting scope is made of ABS plastic. It will hold up to bumps and dings, but I’d be concerned about its ability to withstand heavy falls onto rocks, like I have unfortunately experienced on some hunts. Winchester advertises the spotting scope as waterproof, so I dunked it in the tub for a full minute without ill effect.

Winchester sells the 2-60X80 spotting scope as a complete system. Included with the package is a small metal tripod as well as a stout cover/carrying case. What’s particularly nice is that cover/case provides a good deal of protection all around the scope and is built so that all of the functions of the optic can be operated with the case on.

The case, included tripod, and spotting scope add up to roughly 3-and-a-half-pounds of weight, meaning that this scope is particularly easy to grab and take to the range. That’s where this particular scope really shines. With a 60X zoom, spotting hits on steel even at a mile, or seeing .22-inch holes in paper at 100 yards, is pretty easy, and it’s really just nothing to grab the whole thing in its case and head out.

The Winchester Optics Supreme W20-60x80mm Spotting Scope is one of the first in a brand-new line of budget priced optics from one of the most venerable names in shooting and hunting. Although I love extreme quality optics, the industry doesn’t really need another $2,500 spotting scope. The gap right now is quality optics at a price newer shooters can actually afford. If their spotting scope is any indication of what Winchester Supreme Optics has in store for the rest of their line, they’re going to have trouble keeping up with the demand.

Specifications:
WINCHESTER® SUPREME® SPOTTING SCOPE 20-60×80 mm
Angled Eyepiece
POWER: 20x 60x
OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 80 mm
OCULAR LENS DIAMETER: 25 mm
EXIT PUPIL DIAMETER: 4.0 mm/1.3 mm
OCULAR LENS OUTSIDE DIAMETER: 28 mm
OBJECTIVE LENS OUTSIDE DIAMETER: 82 mm
EYE RELIEF: 17 mm/ 15 mm
WATER PROOF: IPX7 (1m/30min) IPX7 (1m/30min)
WEIGHT: 59.97 oz
SKU: WQ-SS-SPRM13-20-60×80
UPC: 840369204349
Price: $386.99

— Jon Wayne Taylor, Shooting News Weekly

This feature originally appeared in our Shooting News Weekly (SNW). If you would like to receive a weekly rundown of tip stories from Shooting News Weekly you can subscribe here to the Friday newsletter.
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