If you’re like me, you have memories of your first few hunts walking side by side with your grandfather while 

he lugged an old humpback Browning A5 towards the stand. In our neck of the woods, if you weren’t hunting with an A5 or a Remington 1100, then you just weren’t a hardcore hunter. Things have changed now as more guns have entered the market to fit niche customer groups, and change also came for the old A5. The original gas operated beast designed by John Browning was discontinued around 1998 after being in production for about 96 year. If I’m not mistaken, the new model A5 was announced in 2012 in a 12 gauge chambering. Not too long after, in 2016, the 16 gauge variant was introduced. If I had to guess, I bet Browning is cooking up a 20 gauge version of this gun over in their Utah headquarters to be released in 2020 and drive folks wild yet again.

The gun itself resembles your grandpa’s A5 with the humpback design, but features an inertia operating system. Looking at the gun, it’s not too much different than most new guns on the market today, it’s offered in a wooden stock version with glossy finish and a handful of camouflage patterns. New this year is the Wicked Wing version of the gun which is designed for waterfowlers and features some over-sized mechanisms to be easily manipulated with gloves on. It also sports a nice burnt bronze Cerakote finish.

I happen to be lucky enough to have an A5 in both the pre-1998 and post-2012 styles, so I can tell you there are major differences in them. First off, the new version is much lighter, which in turn lets the recoil knock your shoulder around a bit. I wouldn’t say it’s unbearable, and it’s nothing more than any other inertia-operated gun on the market today. Being an inertia gun, it is a little more reliable than the guns of the old days. These new guns do not have a ring system to adjust when changing length of shells either. From 2-3/4” to 3-1/2” it’ll eject them every time. My gun seems to pattern very nice as well. I decided to skip the Buck Kicker choke tube on this gun for deer hunting, and instead use the Federal Flight Control Buckshot with an Improved Cylinder choke. I did pick up a set of 3 Carlson’s Waterfowl choke tubess to duck and goose hunt with however. Another nice feature of this gun is the DuraTouch coating, it basically gives the gun a rubberized feel so you can grip it in all weather conditions and as we all know, hunting rarely occurs in optimal weather.

So if you want to give your kids the same memories of dad and grandpa carrying a Browning A5 through the woods or into the duck blind, I highly suggest checking out the new line of Browning A5 shotguns. Let your old school A5 become a “safe queen” so she doesn’t get any more scratches or rust from beating through brush or wet decoys being tossed in the boat. Then when the weather is right, or it seems like it’ll be a great hunt, break out the old A5 and share a story or two while hunting!

plethora of defense rounds from various manufacturers. When making your selection, you could always go with what you've used in the past, but is there something better out there? Why is it better? What situations should it be used for? We'll try to help answer some of these questions because there are some great new choices out there that might work perfectly for you.

First and foremost, we're not recommending or promoting any of these rounds, they are simply subjects in this post to help understand what is available out there.

Before we dive into specific cartridges, let's go over some of the ammo basics. When it comes to self defense handgun ammo, most people look for two things - reliability and expansion. The reliability typically comes from two different things, feeding properly each time and going "bang" each time the trigger is pulled. Expansion is pretty self explanatory and that is how much the bullet expands upon impact.

Bullet Terminology: We'll keep this as basic as possible. When reading a box of ammo you'll likely see different acronyms like FMJ, TMJ, JHP, CPHP, etc. These are denoting the type of bullet each round is loaded with inside the box. In order of how they're written above, these would mean Full Metal Jacket, Total Metal Jacket, Jacketed Hollow Point and Copper-Plated Hollow Point. There are a few others, but these sum up the majority of bullets.

Full Metal Jacket - A solid piece of lead wrapped with another metal, typically copper.

Total Metal Jacket - A solid piece of lead wrapped entirely with another metal, typically copper. Most people would argue that FMJ and TMJ are the same, but some FMJ rounds don't cover the bottom of the bullet, they only cover what shows outside the brass casing.

Jacketed Hollow Point - A hollow point that is wrapped with another metal, typically copper.

Copper-Plated Hollow Point - A hollow point that is wrapped or "plated" with copper. Not much different than a JHP, they just denote the metal in the acronym.

So let's get into some specific cartridges...

Federal Guard Dog - This cartridge was designed for use inside homes and buildings. The problem this round solves is that with most FMJ rounds, you don't get much expansion. Expansion not only causes more injury to your potential target, but it also slows the bullet down when passing through objects such as drywall or plywood therefore lessening the chance of striking a family member in another room. For a JHP round to work properly, the hollow point cavity must fill with a fluid-like substance such as ballistic gelatin or flesh. These hollow point cavities however can fill with clothing materials, drywall, dirt or something similar and will not expand much upon impact causing them to act like an FMJ round and punch through walls with greater ease. The Guard Dog round is an FMJ round, but it is filled with a blue polymer ball that allows the rest of the bullet to expand upon impact and slow down the round and/or cause more damage. *Note: This round will pass through walls, but it is designed to stop faster than typical FMJ rounds. Please always know your target and what lies beyond your target.

Hornady Critical Defense - This cartridge is one of the most popular in the self defense market and its purpose is much the same as the Federal Guard Dog. Like Federal, Hornady realized the importance of expansion and that JHP rounds were not always doing the best job at expansion. Thus, Hornady developed the FTX bullet. At the nose of the FTX bullet, you'll find a Flex Tip. The Flex Tip is sitting inside the hollow point cavity and acts as a barrier to keep other objects from filling the cavity and also acts as the fluid agent to make the bullet expand upon impact. An added benefit of the Cirtical Defense line is low-light propellants. Hornady uses specific powders to ensure you aren't blinded upon firing one of these rounds which is nice because chances are if you're using it, it'll be in darkness. Also, Hornady has released that they'll be introducing a 223 REM version of the Critical Defense line for all of those folks using the AR-15 platform for home defense.

Hornady Critical Duty - This particular round was developed with law enforcement in mind, but it has certainly caught the eye of many self defense handgun users. For those of you that don't know, the FBI has a protocol for the bullets its agents use in the field. We won't go into the details of that here, but know that this round passes that test with flying colors. As a matter of fact, this round passed the FBI protocol even after passing through certain barriers like heavy clothing, plywood, glass, and drywall. Hence why Hornady refers to this round as being "barrier blind."

Liberty Civil Defense - This is a rather light round and it was designed that way on purpose. This is a lead-free round with a deep hollow point cavity. Lead-free means the round is lighter and in most cases when a round has a light bullet, there will be less felt recoil (such is also offered with Hornady Critical Defense Lite). The deep hollow point allows this round to expand even without containing the ever-so-malleable lead that most rounds have.

If you're not sure which ammo to choose for your self defense situation, give us a call, send us an Email or stop by the store and we'll be glad to guide you in the right direction. We have an incredible amount of combined knowledge and experience here at Dance's with ammunition, firearms and even reloading.

If you're ready to choose your next self defense round - take 5% off on us for reading this article and don't forget to share this article with your friends! Use coupon code: DEFENSE5

If you've ever purchased a scope, certainly you've seen a set of numbers similar to 3-9x40 or 6-24x56 AO or 2.5-10x44 IR. So what do these all mean? Essentially, what your reading is: (minimum zoom) to (maximum zoom) and the size of the (objective lens) or (min zoom)-(max zoom)x(obj lens). Looking at the second example above, the AO will stand for Adjustable Objective and in the third example IR stands for Illuminated Reticle. The reticle of course is sometimes better known as the "crosshair" or "crosshairs" by some folks. You should also see on the box a number like 1" tube, 30mm tube, or less commonly 34mm tube or even 36mm tube.

Why are these numbers important to you? Let's take a look below:

• Minimum Zoom - This is the lowest magnification power you will be able to achieve with this scope. If you're shooting targets relatively close to you, you may want this number to be pretty low. In the first example above, at the lowest magnification on the scope, your target will appear 3x closer than with the naked eye.
• Maximum Zoom - This is the highest magnification power you will be able to achieve with this scope. If you're shooting long distances, clearly you're going to want a pretty high number here. In the first example above, at the highest magnification on the scope, your target will appear 9x closer than with the naked eye.
• Objective Lens - Generally the bigger this number is, the larger "picture" you're going to be able to see when looking through the scope. You'll also hear some people call this the "bell" of the scope. For instance, in the first example above that scope has a 40mm bell.
• Tube Diameter - This is how large the main body tube is between the eye piece and objective lens. The larger this tube is, the more light the scope can gather in most cases.
• Illuminated Reticle - This one is fairly obvious. This indicates that the reticle of the scope can be illuminated for low light situations. Most illuminated reticles are going to be red in color, but green is also quite popular and occasionally you'll see a blue reticle (which is actually quite helpful for some folks that are color blind) or a yellow reticle on optics such as reflex sights.
• Adjustable Objective - This allows you to focus your scope on targets at differing ranges. You'll also hear this called adjusting the parallax. Side note: some scopes have a parallax adjustment on the side of the scope and it's often designated by SF for Side Focus.
• Focal Plane - Scopes can be offered with either a First Focal Plane (FFP) or more commonly Second Focal Plane (SFP). Your average scope has a Second Focal Plane and you'll notice when adjusting the power ring for your magnification, the reticle appears unaffected. On a First Focal Plane scope, as you adjust the magnification higher, your reticle will also enlarge as you zoom in on your target.
• Turrets - Turrets are the "caps" you see on the side and top of your scope in the center of the main body tube. These allow you to adjust for windage and elevation and in turn affect where the bullet will impact on the target in relation to where you're aiming. On a scope that you typically only use for hunting, the turrets are usually only utilized when "zeroing in" your scope. Most hunting scopes have the turrets capped so they don't accidentally get moved and throw off your shot. Target or Tactical turrets typically are uncapped and allow you to "zero" the scope and lock in those settings at "zero" on the scope. Then since the turrets are uncapped, you can use the turrets to quickly adjust for wind or elevation on longer or shorter distance shots and then return your scope to the "zero" you set previously.

What to keep in mind when you purchase your next scope that we haven't already covered?

• Make sure when you purchase the rings to mount your scope that you know what size your tube is on your scope. This is critical because only the right size will work, there's no "making it fit" for the most part.
• Be careful with your objective lens, it may seem like bigger is better, but at some point the "bell" on your scope is going to touch your gun barrel and that is not going to be good for you. While rings are offered in Low, Medium, High and even Extra High heights, the closer your scope is to your gun barrel, the better off you're going to be when shooting.
• An illuminated reticle can be great for you, but remember to turn it off or prepare to keep spare batteries handy. In most cases the battery is going to be a CR2032 or CR1632.
• Be mindful of your scope’s magnification as well. The higher magnification you "zoom in" to, the smaller the picture you're going to see and the scope is going to become more sensitive to movement and appear shaky.
• The bigger and more features the scope has can be perfect for some shooters, but typically they add weight to your scope and those ounces can be precious on long hikes through the woods or when trying to hold steady on that monster buck across the field.
• Some scopes have reticles that are specific to certain calibers or guns such as slug guns or muzzleloaders.

Since you took the time read over this entire topic, enjoy 5% off anything in our Optics category with coupon code: OPTICS5

If you've got any questions feel free to send us an Email at info@dancessportinggoods.com or comment below!

The Ruger American Rifle Ranch edition in .450 Bushmaster was an enjoyable rifle. This Thumper ain’t Bambi’s friend by any means. Easy to spot due to its short overall length and distinctive muzzle break; it should wreak havoc in the forest where shots are 200yds or less. Accuracy from the already hot barrel was more than acceptable. Another Ruger that was on point was the Precision rifle in 5.56. Simply a solid platform that delivers consistent hit after hit on the x-ring.

A big chunk of the rifles present were chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, as more manufacturers are getting behind this round. This made all of that hard work behind the trigger, not so hard on this aging shoulder. Tikka offered up their T3X in this chambering. With its slick action and crisp trigger, the Tikka T3X was a pleasure to shoot and accuracy does not disappoint. Another 6.5 that caught our attention was the Savage 16 Lightweight Hunter. Coming in at just under five and a half pounds bare bones, this flyweight with its short barrel and Accu-trigger is on point. It shot well and won’t wear you down humping it through the woods to and fro.

The Barrett MRAD, while not your everyday hunting rifle; deserves a mention on shear awesomeness. The MRAD allows the end user to change calibers by switching out the barrel and bolt head making it possible to go from 6.5 Creedmoor to a .338 Lapua Magnum. With a laundry list of other features; this is truly a long range rifle system for the shooter who demands the best. And yeah, it definitely shoots!

If you’re a fan of the M1 Carbine then Inland Manufacturing deserves a look. We had the opportunity to shoot a couple of examples and they were a great reminder of how fun the 30 Carbine is to shoot. Legacy Sports is importing the Lithgow Arms Crossover LA102 from Australia. This is a really neat looking gun and those of you familiar with Enfield will recognize the name. If we are lucky, we’ll be reporting on this rifle in more detail in the near future.

Least you think we only shot rifles; the A400 from Beretta, the Remington V3 and Versamax were each good performers during some informal clay shooting. In the realm of handguns the new Gen 5 Glocks were all that we expected and easy to shoot. Ruger offered up their new 10mm 1911 and SP101 Match Champion; with both guns performing great and a pleasure to knock down some steel with. The Beretta APX, with its radical looking slide was present and its shootability caught us by surprise. My sidekick really enjoyed the Sig 320 X5, consistently making me look bad. Springfield Armory’s booth offered up the 1911 Range Officer Elite and the XDE; and each held their own.

To sum it up; there is a ton of new and exciting stuff out there. For rifle guys; you definitely need to check out the 6.5 Creedmoor. This mild recoiling round gained favor in the long range scene and has quickly made a name for itself in the hunting market. Stop on in your local gun shop and check ‘em out along with any of the latest handguns and shotguns. Thanks to our hosts at Elm Fork down in Texas. We already have a hankering for next year’s trip!

So imagine having a gun with the accuracy of a rifle, taking up just a little more space than some of your large frame pistols and revolvers. Couple that functionality with a Glock 33 round 9mm magazine and you’ve truly got yourself a great self-defense gun in case you get caught in a bad situation or a handy rifle for trying to pick off a few of those coyotes out in your field that have gotten acclimated to sound of farm equipment. It’s quick, easy to use, easy to deploy and readily stored away for future use.

As far as accessories go, the Sub 2000 does accept M-LOK attachments at the 30, 60, and 90 degree angles on the polymer forearm of the gun. Personally, I’m a fan of an angled foregrip (AFG) on the bottom so you have a little something to hold on to during firing, yet you don’t take up as much space as you would with a full vertical grip. Of course there are endless possibilities of grips, lights, and gadgets to attach, but I believe Midwest Industries may have already released the most useful. The Midwest Industries T1/T2 Optic mount and the Mini Picatinny Rail Optic Mount allow you to attach optics to the gun without compromising its ability to fold away for storage. This mount attaches via the M-LOK system and has a cam feature that allows you to twist the optic out of the way when folding the gun and twist it back under the gun for storage.

Insert Smith & Wesson and the M&P 10 Performance Center rifle. Smith chose to skip the door-buster, economy, base model rifle in this caliber and send it straight to the Performance Center and for that I applaud them. After all, it is a match round. Looking at this rifle out of the box, it is almost ready to shoot. You’ve got a Magpul fixed stock, Magpul MOE+ grip, 15” M-LOK rail, 20” barrel (5R rifling), 10 round PMAG, and threaded muzzle. In case you’re wondering, the 6.5 Creedmoor uses most of the same parts as a 308 Winchester including bolt carrier group and magazine. Likely, you’ll want to add a scope, one piece scope mount, bipod, muzzle brake, and possibly a new trigger; but those are optional pending your application with the rifle. For all you lefties, the gun is also ambidextrous right out of the box.

I was lucky enough to shoot this rifle recently along with about 100 other folks at a range day event held by Dance’s Sporting Goods and it truly impressed. The S&W representative had the rifle dialed in with a Vortex Viper PST scope at 300 yards and hitting 10” steel was laughable it was so easy. We eventually decided we would up the challenge and set up clay targets at 300 yards and let folks shoot at those. Even shooting at 4.25” targets at 300 yards within the first hour of even seeing this rifle, we were all hitting center mass and disintegrating these clays into orange dust.

If you need a better reason to add this rifle to your collection, consider making it one of your deer rifles. Hornady added the 6.5 Creedmoor caliber to their American Whitetail lineup this past year and the round will perform well for just about any deer hunt. If you hunt powerlines or long fields on a windy day, it never hurts to have a flat shooting round and the semi-automatic platform is a dream when quick follow up shots are needed.

As you may have expected coming from the Performance Center, this rifle carries an MSRP of $2035 and while I have not seen one yet at retail, I would guess it will sell for a couple hundred dollars under the $2000 mark.

One of the first variations to pass thru these hands is the Hunter 20 gauge Slug Shotgun. This gun ships with a scope base, so all that you will need is to pick out the perfect scope, rings and some shells. With a 24” barrel, reversible cocking spur on the hammer, Crushzone recoil pad, and a lifetime warranty this gun feels nearly perfect. With the milder recoil of the 20 gauge and todays sabot slugs you and junior will be crushing whitetails on out there a ways.

The CVA Hunter 20 gauge smoothbore is a great alternative if your area restricts the use of slugs. Also sporting a 24 inch barrel; this smoothbore 20 comes with a fixed modified choke. There is no 12 gauge listed as of yet; but you can elect CVA’s offering in .410. Those of you looking for a budget rifle won’t be disappointed either, as there are models currently listed in .223, .243, .35 Whelen (wow), .44mag, .45-70 and 7mm-08.

Looking for the right gun to start off your kids, your grandkids or your spouse off with? Looking to add a slug gun to your toolkit? Maybe even if you just appreciate the ol’ single barrel because it was your first real gun; then perhaps it’s time you checked out what the good folks at CVA have brought back to the market for us. The CVA Hunter is here and most folks will be pleased to find it on their local gun shop shelves.

Help share our shooting sports heritage by bringing your spouse, your kid(s) or a buddy along to share in the experience and don’t forget to talk about firearm safety and to take ‘em shooting.

As you may have guessed, the main target customer for this rifle was the ever-growing market of predator hunters in North America. Thus, you will find this rifle offered in quite of few smaller, flatter-shooting calibers. Another feature that separates this model from the original American is a threaded barrel. Many predator hunters and tactical shooters are becoming more aware of noise pollution and are gradually adding suppressors on their guns to cut down on noise. The trigger on these guns is the same as that of the American which is known as the Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger. This trigger ranges from 3-5 lbs and we have found it to be one of the nicer stock triggers offered today in an economy gun. Another plus for this gun is it’s detachable magazines. Capacity is 4 or 5 rounds depending on the caliber, and it’s always nice to have the options of carrying a spare magazine with pre-loaded rounds than having to reload on the fly.

Drawbacks on this gun are few and far between for us without getting too picky (it is an economy gun after all). First and foremost, the polymer green stock will suit most people for their shooting needs, but if you aren’t a fan, there are some aftermarket stocks available to accommodate what you need. The other main drawback we have found is the integral scope rail is not a true Weaver or picatinny style. It will fit Weaver rings, but it has oddly spaced gaps instead of continuous slots. Again, for most shooters, this won’t be a problem. Even if your scope and standard rings will not work on this rail, there are plenty of extended rings on the market to help your scope fit to this rail.

The Ruger American Predator is offered in 223 REM, 22-250 REM, 204 Ruger, 243 WIN, 6.5 Creedmoor, 308 WIN, and 6mm Creedmoor. Barrels are 22” on all models except the 308 WIN for now, which should provide excellent ballistics out of an economy priced rifle. You’ll even find some of these models now available from the factory with a Vortex Crossfire II riflescope pre-installed. These guns retail at $529 without the scope and $699 with the scope, but as usual, your local gun shop will come in under these prices more than likely.

When you first pick this gun up; you can tell right away that something different is going on. The grip texture on this pistol is aggressive, way more aggressive than earlier M&P’s. Now don’t get me wrong, I like it. There is more coverage around the circumference of the grip itself, which will provide for positive control of the weapon. If you are not a fan of stippling underneath the trigger guard; then you will be pleased to know that it has been eliminated from this location on the M2.0.

The slide of the M2.0 has a refined look as well. Scallop cuts along the lower front sides of the pistol will make performing a press check a breeze without cluttering up the lines of the slide. The corner of the ejection port just above the extractor has been beveled as well. Still intact from the earlier design is the visual port for checking for a loaded chamber.

S&W engineers also redesigned the slide stop on this weapon. Now I’m not intelligent enough to understand everything that they’ve got going on here, but the notch on the slide and the bearing surface of the slide stop are both more pronounced. This should give a solid lockup when the mag runs dry or when clearing the weapon. It also seems easier to drop the slide on the M2.0. The slide has a

I mentioned the chassis earlier, so poking under the hood you’ll find a beefier gun altogether. Noticeably the front slide rail lugs (that part that your slide rides on) have been lengthened a lot. That can’t be a bad thing and gets me thinking of smoother cycling and improved accuracy. Also of note while under the hood, is the re-enforcement of the frame in the region of the picatinny rails where folks hang things like lights and lasers. There is metal in there folks, so the frame will be more rigid in the front end.

A few other visual observations regarding the frame is that roll pins have seemingly been replaced with solid pins. The trigger over-travel stop is higher in the back of the trigger guard and the beavertail on the back of the frame has been chopped. The familiar takedown tool in the butt of the gun has been updated with a built in retention lanyard pin. A nice touch to be sure. The trigger on this gun is crisp as described by S&W and there is an audible reset to the trigger.

This new gun from Smith & Wesson has a lot of enhancements and is worth a look from anyone looking for a new pistol this year. Included with your potential purchase are two magazines, four interchangeable backstraps and a lot of innovation and knowhow from the fine folks at Smith & Wesson. Stop on by your local gun shop and ask to check one out.

Don’t forget to help share our shooting sports heritage by bringing your spouse, your kid(s), or a buddy along to share in the experience and don’t forget to talk about firearms safety and to take’em shooting.

First and foremost, Daniel Defense is one of the few companies today that uses cold hammer forged (CHF) barrels. There are numerous debates on how to rifle a barrel, but we won’t go there now, CHF in most people’s opinion is the most accurate style of rifling. The DDM4v11 comes chambered in 5.56 NATO with a 1:7 twist, or 300 BLK with a 1:8 twist, making it excellent for shooting those heavier bullets which works great for match shooting and hunting. The DDM4v11 barrel also uses mid-length gas system which reduces recoil over typical carbine length gas systems. Paired with the right optic and ammunition this barrel will prove to you why it deserves to be in another class from other ARs. If a longer barrel is your thing, the DDM4v11 is offered in a Pro version with an 18” rifle length gas system barrel as well. For folks looking to shave a few ounces off the weight of the gun, the DDM4v11 is offered in a LW and SLW version as well.

As far as aesthetics go, the DDM4v11 sports a 15” KeyMod rail, Daniel Defense furniture, and is offered in Black, Mil Spec+ Bronze, Tornado Grey, and Kryptec Typhon. The KeyMod rail is excellent for adding attachments quickly and securely. The KeyMod system offers a return to zero for attachments as well. If you are a fan of Magpul’s M-LOK system, have no fear as the gun is offered with that setup as well in the DDM4v7 model. The Daniel Defense furniture is another great feature of this gun. Instead of the old A2 style furniture many ARs come with these days, Daniel Defense has created their own overmolded furniture to give you a better, more comfortable grip on the rifle. The stock, rail, and receiver end plate all have QD sling attachment points as well. This offers the shooter the ability to use a single or double point sling system without adding attachments and weight to the rifle – sometimes it truly is the little things.

All in all, these rifles make for an outstanding hunting, target, defense, or just plain recreational plinking rifle. You will find the MSRP of this rifle starting around $1599, but your local gun shop will likely come in under that figure. Don’t forget, a rifle is only as good as the optic you have paired with it.