Kim Rhode, a decorated U.S. Olympic athlete and shooting sports ambassador, received the NSSF Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award at the SHOT Show. Rhode has competed in six consecutive Olympic Games, earning six medals across three shotgun disciplines, and serves as Vice President of the International Shooting Sport Federation and board member of USA Shooting.
Safari Club International (SCI) named Michigan State Senator Jon Bumstead its 2026 State Legislator of the Year Award recipient for his leadership in hunting, conservation, and science-based wildlife management. Bumstead, a SCI Life Member and former Michigan Chapter president, founded the Michigan Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus and has advanced conservation funding and hunter education legislation.
FightLite Industries earned the 2026 Action Target Safety Award at Industry Day at the Range for demonstrating the highest safety standards. Action Target, the award sponsor, recognized FightLite's commitment to hearing and eye protection, ammunition control, and safe firearm handling practices.
Guns.com announced twelve winners of its inaugural Readers' Choice Awards at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, with categories spanning firearms, optics, ammunition, and tactical gear. Winners include Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2 Carry Comp, SIG SAUER 1911-XCARRY, Hornady ammunition, and Safariland holsters, voted by millions of customers rather than editors or manufacturers.
Mission First Tactical's MFT Guardian Duty Holster earned the prestigious National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) members testing approval and recommendation. The holster features instinctive locking system technology with magnetic and aerospace carbon fiber rod technology, designed for law enforcement and first responders.
Dead Air Silencers received Hook & Barrel Magazine's 2025 Top Shelf Award for Top Performing Suppressor Brand through reader voting. The award recognizes Dead Air's suppressor portfolio, including the Sandman series, Nomad line, and Wolfman, for their performance, durability, and reliability across hunting, recreational shooting, and duty-use environments.
Outdoor Edge's Razor APX has been named Best Knife in the 2025 Born Hunting Gear Excellence Awards for its innovative design and replaceable blade system. The lightweight, titanium-coated stainless-steel knife features the company's patented RazorSafe® push-button system for tool-free blade changes.
Krieghoff International announced its 2025 Top Dealer Awards, recognizing duPont/KRIEGHOFF (Gold), Pacific Sporting Arms (Silver), and Paxton Arms (Bronze) for outstanding sales performance and customer service. The three dealers represent over a century of combined experience in the shooting sports industry.
Dead Air Silencers' RXD22Ti has been selected as a Ballistic's Best 2025 award recipient for its effectiveness and design in the rimfire suppressor category. The titanium-bodied suppressor delivers excellent sound suppression with a serviceable design suited for training, competition, and recreational shooting.
Dallas Safari Club announced Jeff Crane as the 2026 recipient of the Peter H. Capstick Hunting Heritage Award, recognizing his decades of conservation leadership and advocacy for hunters and anglers. Crane's career with the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation has advanced science-based wildlife policies across multiple administrations and all 50 states.
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. has been named Top Optics Brand by Hook & Barrel Magazine's Top Shelf Awards, as voted by the publication's readers across 21 categories. CEO Bruce Pettet expressed pride in the recognition, noting the company's commitment to manufacturing high-performing sporting optics.
Safari Club International and Texas Trophy Hunters Association honored Congressman August Pfluger with the 2026 Lone Star Wildlife Champion Award for his commitment to hunting, conservation, and outdoor heritage in Texas. The seventh-generation Texan and former Air Force Colonel has championed sportsmen's interests and wildlife management policies throughout his service representing Texas's 11th Congressional District.
Dead Air Silencers earned the Shoot On 2025 Excellence Award for its Sandman X Suppressor, recognized for innovation, durability, and exceptional sound and recoil reduction. The award validates Dead Air's commitment to engineering excellence and reinforces its position as a leader in suppressor innovation.
Dead Air Silencers received an On Target Magazine Editor's Choice Award for the Mojave45 suppressor, recognizing its performance, versatility, and advanced Triskelion™ Gas Management System. The suppressor features modular configuration, 3D-printed titanium construction, and compatibility with both tilting-barrel and fixed-barrel hosts.
Dead Air Silencers' RXD30Ti suppressor has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 American Rifleman Golden Bullseye Award. The suppressor features advanced Triskelion™ and Nomad™ baffle technologies, an integrated E-Brake providing up to 40-percent recoil reduction, and broad HUB mounting compatibility for modern long-range and big-game applications.
Bowtech's Alliance bow earned Best New Bow and second place in the New Product Launched categories at the 2026 ATA Show in Indianapolis. The compact hunting bow weighs over 4 pounds, reaches 338 FPS, and features Bowtech's DeadLock Cam System and GripLock customization.
Springfield Armory's Kuna 9mm has won Ballistic's inaugural Best Gun of the Year award, marking the first time this honor has been given to any firearm. Developed in partnership with HS Produkt, the roller-delayed PDW features a monolithic aluminum upper, cold radial hammer forged barrel, and translucent 30-round magazines, with pricing starting at $1,020.
Hornady has been named the Top Ammunition Brand by Hook & Barrel's Top Shelf Awards, which honors best-in-class outdoor industry brands. Seth Swerczek, Hornady Communications Manager, emphasized the company's commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Winners will be honored at the 2026 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
Hook & Barrel Magazine announced winners of its Second Annual Top Shelf Awards, honoring best-in-class outdoor industry brands and personalities across 21 categories. Editorial Director Nino Bosaz praised the community response, with awards to be presented at SHOT Show 2026.
The Beretta 1301 Tactical C has been named 2025 Ballistic's Best Defensive Shotgun by Athlon Outdoors' Ballistic's Best awards. The shotgun earned the highest overall score among defensive platforms tested, recognized for exceptional performance, reliability, and real-world defensive capability.