Blog

In June I had the opportunity to travel to Provo, Utah, to shoot the Rocky Mountain Airgun Challenge. RMAC was held at the Garth Killpack Shooting Range in Hobble Creek Canyon. I loved being on the range and learning about the different airgun competitions. I was signed up for 100-yard Benchrest, other Umarex shooters were signed up for that and the other competitions like Precision Marksman Challenge, Speed Challenge, and Big Bore Slug Challenge.

Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect. While I’m a lifelong hunter and have enjoyed plinking Coke cans in the backyard with an old pellet rifle for decades, competitive airgun shooting was a foreign concept to me - aside from what I have caught on TV at some odd hour of the night during the Olympics. If you’ve never delved into the competitive side of airgun shooting, here’s what it’s like at RMAC.

About once a month my husband and I would go out to dinner with some of his work friends, they all shared common interests such as liking the same shows, movies, and games. Most of them had gone to the range together to shoot on the weekends. One of my husband's friends, John (not his real name), was NOT a fan of firearms. I’m not entirely sure why but I believe that the dislike might have stemmed from his political views.

It’s Friday morning in Utah at the 2021 Rocky Mountain Airgun Challenge and the sound of airgun pellets banging steel is music to the ears. The wind is howling through the valley of the Utah mountains South of Salt Lake which intensifies the challenge across the different stages. The roar of a squad and spectators and the compilation of smiles when a competitor pulls out a close win is joyous.

Eydin lines up his shot for a sighter on the berm. His Umarex Airguns teammate, Todd Bruner by his side spotting for him. His spotting scope of choice is a Vortex Razor HD. Eydin, the TXHogDude on Instagram puts the projectile firmly in the center of his target. He’s ready for the RMAC Big Bore Slug Challenge.

I don’t want this to be a Dr. Phil article but have you ever sat down and thought about why you enjoy getting out hunting, fishing and backpacking? There’s something rewarding about getting outdoors, living off the land and feeding your family. But, it’s also a good excuse to get out and enjoy God’s creation.

Needless to say, ammunition has skyrocketed in the past few years, and that’s only if you are lucky enough to find what you are looking for. Couple that with busier than usual ranges and practice starts to feel more like a chore than a hobby. Those that don’t want to put up with it have an option that has been there all along, except now with enhanced realism. For those that missed the title, yes, I’m talking about BB guns.

The world of airgunning has never been more diverse. Seriously, there are all kinds of air guns that didn’t exist a few years ago, or if they did exist, they were the playthings of the wealthy or used only for sanctioned competition. The air rifle can still do what it always has done, but it can do other things, too. In this growing sea of airguns and categories of airguns, a shooter can get lost in all the fluff. In this blog entry we are going to look at the various categories and explore a few examples of each to help you decide what format will best fit your needs.

I suppose that “wheelgun Wednesday” is the most appropriate day of the week to write an airgun blog on the coolest revolver we’ve ever made. Bold claim? Yes. One of our license partners, Smith & Wesson, has been the go-to manufacturer of high quality revolvers since the 1850s. In a mere 30 years they will be celebrating 200 years of the S&W brand! That is quite something else, indeed. In these passing generations of manufacturing and development Smith & Wesson has made some very enduring handguns. The venerable Model 10 comes to mind as the service weapon of choice for hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers going all the way back from the turn of the 19th century. Many agencies continued to use the Model 10 until the turn of the 20th century, too.

Not all of us are fairweather shooters or hunters. Some of us will push the envelope and go out and play in all sorts of less than hospitable weather conditions. Whether you like to get out and shoot when it's hot, fair, or freezing you want to know if your equipment will perform, right?