End of Trail at 40 Years

End of Trail at 40 Years

It is officially the World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting, but Covid made End of Trail homeless, until an Indiana club offered to host the first World Championship East of the Mississippi. It turned out to be a huge success, offering access to shooters who never would have made the trip to New Mexico. Plus, Trevor Baucom’s Adaptive Shooter Summit brings disabled vets into the shooting sports with the support of the firearms industry. Julie Golob has a home range practice drill to get ready to shoot the Barricades at Bianchi. And James Jean is spinning himself silly, creating a clay-breaking Impossible Shot.

End of Trail at 40 Years

It has been 40 years since a west coast group of action shooters said,”Let’s try shooting a match with old west guns.” Well, that group became the founders of Cowboy Action Shooting and shooting original, or replica six guns, rifles, and shotguns made before 1898 became very popular in a hurry. So popular that the founders purchased land outside Albuquerque, New Mexico to build up a range to host the annual World Championships of the sport. Founders Ranch became the permanent home of End of Trail. But then came Covid, canceling the 2020 End of Trail event, and the loss of income put Founder’s Ranch out of business. 

So, in the 40th year The World Championship was homeless until the Paradise Pass Gun Range in Etna Green, Indiana stepped-up to be the host. It’s a long way from the home where the buffalo roam and there aren’t antelope playing. But this week the woods in Indiana have turned into home on the range for the Single Action Shooting Society. And End of Trail has people shooting who never could imagine traveling to New Mexico for the World Champsionship.

More information from SASS, Single Action Shooting Society. 

Camp Freedom and the Sig Sauer Academy have again teamed up with Trevor Baucom for The Adaptive Defensive Shooters Summit, it’s the third year of this accessible shooting event, designed for people with disabilities to train and learn with other adaptive shooters at a world class facility in Epping, New Hampshire. Live Free or Die is on the New Hampshire state license plate.  You could say that’s Trevor’s message. The ADSS is the chance to feel free and learn new skills to adapt to the challenges for injured military, law enforcement and Gold Star Families.  

Website for the Adaptive Shooter Summit
 

James Jean - Impossible Shot

When you think of an Impossible Shot, what makes it impossible? Small Target? Moving Target? Unusual release? Well for our exhibition archer, James Jean that’s all business as usual, so this time he’s going to scramble his own equilibrium to make hitting his own hand thrown targets impossible. 

This is the LCP Max, it is the latest evolution of the very popular LCP .380 Pistol, and the Max designation means more rounds in the newly redesigned magazine. The included magazine ships with a flush fit base plate and holds 10 rounds. There is also an extended base plate, but it doesn’t offer any additional capacity, just a little more real estate to hold onto. There is also a 12 round mag available separately. The barrel is 2.8 inches and the overall length is just over five inches. The unloaded weight is just 10.6 ounces. The LCP Max is as accurate as you’d expect an ultra-compact pistol to be, the trigger is decent, with an intentionally long pull, with a predictable break. Subtle touches like the front strap texturing make a bigger difference than you’d expect. The wallet-style inside the pocket holster is included. Suggested Retail is $449.

More information from Ruger

Ruger MAX 9

The Max Nine Compact 9mm, and there are two magazines in the box, the flush fit holds 10 rounds, or the extended magazine holds 12 rounds. The Max Nine has a three-inch barrel, overall length is six inches and, with the extended magazine in place, the height is just four and half inches, width is just eight tenths of an inch. This one has the flush fit external thumb safety, there are options without. All have the integrated trigger safety and the magazine release is reversible. The rear of the slide is contoured to minimize snagging and the Max Nine is optics ready. If you’d like to add a slide-ride red dot, this pistol is set for it. There is a little more snap in the nine-millimeter version and the extended magazines offer extra real estate to the grip. You’ll appreciate it. The Ruger Max Nine is also sporting a Hi-Viz front sight from the factory. It’s the Tritium H3 light pipe, so you’ve got a fiber-optic that gathers light and is illuminated by Tritium when you're in total darkness. That is a high-end aftermarket add on done for you at the factory, and that’s cool. The Ruger Max Nine is $559.

More information from Ruger

Hi-Viz AR Sight

Also from Hi-Viz I’ve swapped out the AR style front sight post for one of their fiber optic AR front sight posts in my offset sights on my Lead Star PCC. That will give me a bit of extra visibility when I go to the offset sights, and that’s typically when I’ve got a left lean that isn’t far enough to  require a support-side swap. It’s a simple drop-in. The AR front sight post from Hi-Viz with fiber optic is just $33 suggested retail.

More information from Hi-Viz

Midwest Competition Works

The latest from Midwest Competition Works, an American company most known among revolver shooters for their magnetic moon clip carrier design, the Revolution Two. They’ve got singles, doubles and even the Revolution Rack for full moon clips in .38 and nine, or 45. And now they’re turning their rare earth magnet technology to bottom feeders. Offering a new line of magazine carriers, for both double stack or single stack designs, and those magnets really do offer retention but let you get your reload on in a hurry. It’s everything you need to build a custom rack from Midwest Competition Works. Prices start around 40 bucks.

More information from Midwest Competition Works

Pro Tip: Julie Golob Short Course Barricade

Smith and Wesson Pro Shooter, Julie Golob has lately been concentrating on Bianchi Cup competition. And that’s got her hoping to get more of people involved. This time, she’s got a practice drill to get ready to shoot the barricades.
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WEEKLY EPISODES POSTED ON THURSDAYS.