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What Handguns to Use for Hunting Whitetail

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by Wade Middleton

Learn What Models Wade Uses for Handgun Hunting 

It is a well-known fact I have become addicted to handgun hunting. As a hunter, I’ve always embraced hunting through a variety of means and methods, allowing me to start and end my season earlier in many cases. I consider myself a whitetail hunting fanatic, and as such, I’ve never turned down a chance to hunt with something different. Which lead me into the world of handgun hunting so I could have more reasons to hunt whitetails.

This new addiction has forced me to learn a lot more about how handguns work, how the ballistics of different calibers perform, what ammo works best in hunting, as well as sending me to the range more than ever to learn better trigger control. When you look at handguns, I favor the ones made by Smith & Wesson. You can tell immediately they’re designed for ultimate performance in the field. Many of the models I hunt with have muzzle breaks at the end of the barrel to help reduce recoil. Furthermore, many of these handguns are built to be better balanced in the field, allowing for the opportunity to hunt at longer distances with higher performance. In addition, many of them have triggers that are far more crisp than say some models you might find, which really helps when it comes to trigger control when a whitetail is standing in front of you. Finally, they are built to add various accessories such as scopes, fiber optic sights, and various red/green dot sights. 

Smith & Wesson Performance Center® Model 629 Stealth Hunter

Smith & Wesson Performance Center® Model 629 Stealth Hunter in .44 magnum equipped with a Trijicon SRO sight

This past season I spent a lot of time shooting my Smith & Wesson Performance Center® Model 629 Stealth Hunter in .44 magnum. This is one of my favorite hunting handguns and I’ve been using it for nearly a decade. I recently mounted a Trijicon SRO sight on top of it to field test that sight after shooting the Trijicon RMR sight in the past off this handgun. My early thoughts are this is the best sight in its class.  

The Trijicon SRO is very easy to acquire a whitetail in the sights and place the dot onto the vitals. I am very impressed with the sight picture and how easy it was to sight it in. Overall, I feel this is the best option for this style of sight when it comes to hunting. 

Looking back at my first handgun whitetail buck taken with this model of handgun, I vividly recall practicing all summer at various distances but none of that practice prepared me for that hunt. With little experience personally when it came to handgun hunting, I was, to say the least, nervous throughout the entire encounter. I still remember it vividly, the way that deer was darting in and out of the trees while running and fighting with another deer as they tried to prove dominance to a doe that was nearby. My hands were sweating nonstop as I prayed from inside the pop-up blind for the buck to stop in a narrow shooting lane. He finally did, and ended up turned quartering slightly towards me and I pulled my shot a little bit. I was so worked up that I honestly wasn’t even sure I’d hit the deer. It ended up being that I did in fact, hit the deer mid body up and down but slightly back, so I knew it was a mortal hit. We found the buck about two hours after the shot. My takeaway was that I needed to practice, practice, practice, and really work on my trigger pull with a handgun to help me overcome the excitement of a deer finally giving me a shot.  

Hunting posing with deer and handgun

Wade and his first handgun buck.

I also learned to study more on the various handgun loads. When it comes to most of my hunting and shooting with that handgun, I’ve settled on 200-grain XTP .44 mag ammo from Hornady. I can say undoubtably, the Smith & Wesson Performance Center® Model 629 Stealth Hunter in .44 Magnum set up will always be in my top three favorite hunting handguns and I would argue around about any campfire why I prefer it. 

Smith & Wesson Performance Center® Model 460 XVR 

Smith & Wesson 460XVR Handgun

Smith & Wesson’s Model 460XVR™ has the highest muzzle velocity of any production revolver on earth.

Next up, we discuss another of my favorite handguns, the Smith & Wesson Model 460 XVR. This handgun is known to have the highest muzzle velocity of any production revolver on earth. According to Smith & Wesson, the Model 460 XVR (X-treme Velocity Revolver) is the world’s highest velocity production revolver, as well as the most powerful.45 caliber production revolver. The .460 XVR can launch a 200-grain (13-gram) bullet at 2,330 feet per second (710 meters per second), generating 2,416 foot-pounds force of muzzle energy. 

Aside from the .460 S&W Magnum cartridge, the revolver can chamber .454 Casull and .45 Colt ammunition. Personally, we’ll use .45 long colt out on the range a lot of times for practicing specific hunting scenarios or if we want to work on our trigger pull. The key reasons being that load is cheaper and does not punish your hands quite as bad as the .460 ammo. 

Smith & Wesson offers this handgun in a variety of barrel lengths, and you can order them with HIVIZ fiber optic sights already equipped (which we recommend and have used in the field). I believe when hunting with open sights, HIVIZ fiber optics sights allow you to acquire the target faster due to its light gathering capabilities. This helps tremendously during those early morning or late evening times thanks to its light-gathering capabilities. I believe this forces me to focus on the sight picture by it catching my eye quickly as I bring the handgun into play on the vitals of a deer or other animal I’m hunting.  

I spent one summer really working with the .460XVR fitted with HIVIZ sights in an effort to take a buck with open sights with the.460 XVR. That experience and the buck I ended up taking, turned out to be one of my biggest handgun bucks ever. I can still see that buck and the other buck he was traveling with working through a broomweed field and coming into range. After calming myself, the .460 round found the lungs and I found the buck less than 60 yards from where I took the shot. The summer of practice really paid off on that one. 

Hunter holding whitetail with hunting handgun

Wade’s practicing paid off BIG TIME!

Regardless, of what model you hunt with, regardless of what caliber you settle on, I simply say practice a lot for the hunting scenarios you likely will encounter. I also recommend that you spend time shooting off a good brace to build confidence in both your trigger pull but also the sight picture for whatever you are going to use be it a scope, red dot, or open sights. The more you shoot, the more confident you’ll be when it comes time to take a shot on whatever you’re hunting. 

Trijicon Quick Release Mounts with Q-Loc Technology

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Trijicon® Inc., global provider of innovative aiming solutions for the hunting, shooting, military, and law enforcement markets, is proud to announce that quick release mounts with Trijicon® Q-LOC™ Technology are now available in a wide range of mounting solutions to fit nearly any optics platform.

Designed for the most discerning users, this line of premium specialty mounts features a proprietary design that offers both quick-release and return to zero. Trijicon’s mounts with
Q-LOC Technology are offered for Trijicon red dots, thermal optics, and a wide range of riflescopes.

Q-LOC Technology is a patented quick release optics mounting system, featuring multiple proprietary recoil lugs to ensure total rail engagement. Shooters can easily remove and re-attach an optic with a Q-LOC mount without the need to confirm zero. Heavy-duty springs enable one-handed operation while also ensuring secure retention under hard and repeated recoil. Q-LOC mounts feature compact, circular knob designs to minimize the hazards of gear snags while also facilitating one-handed mounting and removal.

All Trijicon mounts with Q-LOC Technology are manufactured in the U.S. from 6061-T6 aluminum with precision-cut dimensions to accommodate any platform and ensure optimal placement on MIL-STD 1913, NATO, non-mil spec, and even damaged rails.

“We are excited to bring a family of quick release mounts to shooters and hunters that are strong enough to match the durability of our optics,” said John Trull, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Trijicon. “We’ve applied the same precision in our manufacturing process for these mounts as we do our optics, as well as put them through the same rigorous Science of Brilliant testing, to make sure we’re delivering mounts that meet the standard of Trijicon quality.”

Trijicon's Bolt Action Mount w/ Trijicon Q-LOC™ Technology

Trijicon’s Bolt Action Mount w/ Trijicon Q-LOC™ Technology is designed to keep the optic as low as possible for hunting and long range precision rifle applications.

Trijicon® Q-LOC™ Technology is available for the following mounts:

–Bolt Action Mounts. Suitable for bolt action, lever action, pump action, autoloader, and single shot rifles with a scope rail, the Q-LOC Technology Bolt Action Mount is optimized for proper eye alignment on these rifle platforms. Bolt Action Mounts are available in two heights to accommodate scope objective lenses with sizes less than 42mm (1.06 in. height) up to 56mm (1.125 in. height). Models accommodate both 30mm and 34mm tube scopes.

–Cantilever Mounts. Designed with the perfect dimensions for optimal eye alignment on AR platform rifles, Cantilever Mounts are positioned higher than Bolt Action models for a proper AR cheek weld. Both mount styles are available in 1.535 in. and 1.590 in. heights to accommodate all riflescope objective sizes. The 1.535 in. Cantilever Mount is suitable for use with most clip-on thermal devices. Models accommodate both 30mm and 34mm tube scopes.

–ACOG® / VCOG® / Trijicon Electro Optics Mounts. Engineered for both the Compact and standard-size Trijicon ACOG®, as well as the Trijicon VCOG®, this family of mounts provides an optical axis height of 1.535 in., ideal for clip-on devices. The latest Trijicon REAP-IR® and IR-HUNTER® thermal optic models are also equipped with these quick-release mounts.

–Red Dot Mounts. Available in Low, Full Co-Witness, Lower 1/3 Co-Witness, and 45 Degree Offset, this family of mounts is specifically designed for the Trijicon RMR®, SRO®, and MRO® families of red dot sights. For Full Co-Witness models, the backup iron sights and the red dot align to create the sight picture when looking through the center of the optic. When looking through the center of the optic with the Lower 1/3 Co-Witness mount, the backup iron sights will appear in the lower portion of the sight picture. Finally, the 45 Degree Offset mounts provide users with a low-profile and ambidextrous mounting solution for backup red dots.

Trijicon quick release mounts with Trijicon Q-LOC Technology are in stock and shipping to retailers and shooting sports distributors now!

For more information on the new series of optic mounts with Trijicon Q-LOC Technology, please visit Trijicon.com or contact Trijicon, Inc. at 49385 Shafer Ave., Wixom, MI 48393 • Telephone: (248) 960-7700 • Follow @Trijicon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Trijicon Announces Upgraded Thermal Riflescope Lines

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Trijicon® Inc, manufacturer of Brilliant Aiming Solutions™, is pleased to introduce the latest advancements of the REAP-IR® and IR-HUNTER® line of thermal imaging systems. These new feature-packed models retain Trijicon’s leading image quality, ease of use, and durability while adding functional improvements for more success in the field.

Trijicon IR-HUNTER 35 mm Thermal Riflescope
1.75x Base Magnification / 14x Combined Magnification

Packed with upgrades, both the REAP-IR and IR-HUNTER thermals feature new and improved system controls for faster system response and reduced lag while a new manual focus adjustment for 60mm versions provides improved image quality at all distances.

Trijicon REAP-IR 24 mm Thermal Riflescope
1.2x Base Magnification / 9.6x Combined Magnification

A new USB-C connector allows the use of external battery packs for extended time in the field. The main housings are now constructed from forged 7075 Aluminum and feature updated top-loading internal battery compartments for faster access, a slimmer profile and increased durability. The new quick release mounting system featuring Trijicon® Q-LOC™ Technology provides multiple mounting locations with the ability to affix the scope rapidly and reliably in the dark. This feature also decreases sight-in time and rounds fired with “return to zero” repeatability.

REAP-IR and IR-HUNTER thermals now feature improved reticle choices for instant adaptation to any scenario with today’s most popular chamberings. User-selectable reticle choices include MRAD, MOA, .223 BDC, .308 BDC, and 300BLK BDC options.

All Trijicon Electro Optics thermal scopes feature industry-leading 640×480 resolution, 12 micron thermal sensors with 60 Hz frame rates and are engineered, machined, and assembled in the United States and tested to MIL-STD 810-G.

For more information on Trijicon Electro Optics and the complete array of Brilliant Aiming Solutions™ for the hunting, shooting, military and law enforcement markets, contact Trijicon®, Inc. at (248) 960-7700 or visit www.trijicon.com.

Trijicon Inc. Celebrates 40 Years of Innovation with Customer Appreciation Product Giveaway

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Trijicon®, Inc., a global provider of innovative aiming solutions for the hunting, shooting, military, and law enforcement markets is pleased to announce its “40Fest” celebration! It was 40 years ago when a Ford Motor company engineer named Glyn Bindon set out to turn his passion for optics into the juggernaut of innovation known today as Trijicon. From Glyn’s inquisitive mind came the Bindon Aiming Concept, the legendary ACOG, and company products like Bright & Tough Night Sights, RMR, VCOG, AccuPoint, and numerous additional staples of the military, self-defense, and hunting worlds.

And to celebrate Glyn, the company he founded, and their loyal customer base, Trijicon is giving away optics, sights, and gear valued at over $50,000.

 

SWAG GIVEAWAY!

The celebration begins with Trijicon’s Consumer SWAG giveaway, starting August 23, 2021, and running through September 2, 2021. To score Trijicon SWAG, Trijicon’s social media followers will be asked various 1980s and Trijicon trivia questions. Movies, sports, music, and television: if it happened in the 1980s, it may well be a trivia question.

Hopeful winners should also brush up on Trijicon facts and history. How? Start by following Trijicon on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter where Trijicon history will be posted, as well as on Trijicon’s website at: Trijicon.com.

 

OPTICS GIVEAWAY!

Trijicon AccuPoint® 3-18×50 Second Focal Plane (SFP) Riflescope MOA Ranging Reticle with Green Dot, 30mm Tube, Satin Black, Exposed Elevation w/ Return to Zero Feature

Then comes the Consumer Optics giveaway, Celebrating Trijicon’s 40 years of Innovation, from September 3, 2021, to October 1, 2021. Simply visit the dedicated Trijicon website each day at 40Fest.com and enter to win. Daily winners will receive one of an amazing variety of Trijicon optics and sights, including but not limited to the following:

 

  • ACOG 1.5x16s BAC Riflescope
  • ACOG 3.5×35 BAC Riflescope
  • ACOG 4×32 Tritium Riflescope
  • ACOG XB 3×24 Crossbow Sight
  • AccuPoint 2.5-10×56 Dual Illuminated Riflescope
  • AccuPoint 3-18×50 Dual Illuminated Riflescope
  • AccuPoint 3-9×40 Dual Illuminated Riflescope
  • AccuPoint 5-20×50 Dual Illuminated Riflescope
  • Credo 1-8×28 Tactical Riflescope
  • DI Night Sights with Retainer & Fiber Multipacks
  • HD Night Sights
  • IR-PATROL Thermal Monocular
  • MRO Green Dot Sight
  • MRO Patrol Red Dot Sight
  • RMR Type 2 Adjustable LED Red Dot Sight
  • RMRcc Red Dot Sight with Mount of Choice
  • SRO Red Dot Sight
  • Tenmile 6-24×50 Long Range Tactical Riflescope
  • VCOG 1-6×24 LED Riflescope

Plus, three lucky winners will receive one of these Grand Prizes:

–The VCOG 1-8×28 riflescope, the U.S. Marine Corps’ Squad Common Optic

–The REAP-IR, one of the top thermal optics made today

–And a long-range shooter’s best friend, the new Tenmile 4.5-30×56 first focal plane riflescope

We think Glyn would be proud of the company, our continued dedication to innovation, and our fine and loyal customers. And to celebrate Trijicon’s 40th Birthday, our customers will receive all the gifts!

Trijicon, Inc. has led the industry in the development of superior any-light aiming systems since the company’s founding in 1981. Incorporating four decades of innovation, Trijicon’s riflescopes and sights are the most advanced aiming systems available today. For more information on the company’s proven self-luminous aiming systems for tactical and sporting applications, contact Trijicon, Inc. at 49385 Shafer Ave., Wixom, MI 48393 • Telephone: (800) 338-0563 • Or visit Trijicon.com. Follow @Trijicon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Trijicon Creates a New Company Website

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Trijicon®, Inc., a global provider of innovative aiming solutions for the hunting, shooting, military and law enforcement markets has dramatically redesigned its website to better serve the needs of the entire shooting community. Improved navigation, more detailed product specification information and interactive tools help users determine specific product options based on their individual requirements for a wide range of applications.

 

“Interaction and functionality were our key focus points when designing the new Trijicon website,” said Chuck Wahr, Global Vice President, Sales, and Marketing. “We wanted to develop a single, service-oriented destination for our dealers while providing a true community atmosphere for everyone.”

Offering a new level of service to dealers, distributors and industry partners, Trijicon.com features customized user portals for easy access to marketing, sales and customer service tools. Additionally, an updated dealer locator allows users to find a Trijicon retailer with ease.

 

Trijicon.com also focuses on education and overall brand experience for the consumer. Optimized search functions along with product selection and comparison tools make it easy to find the perfect aiming solution regardless of firearm platform or end-use. Team Trijicon community pages and integrated social feeds allow consumers and dealers to stay current with tips, tactics and all things Trijicon.

Explore the new site, join the Team Trijicon Community, and learn more about Trijicon’s latest product offerings at www.Trijicon.com

HOW TO: Prepare to Shoot in Cold Weather

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A hunting scenario a lot of people can’t control, that they don’t necessarily think as much about is, their clothing in a hunting situation. They’ve spent all summer practicing at the range, in the early fall, they’re wearing a light jacket, light clothing. Then next thing you know, they’re out in a hunting situation, and it is cold, they’ve got tons of gear on, and they’ve put gloves on for the first time. They’ve never pulled the trigger with the gloves! They’ve never raised their handgun into a  position to take a shot with all that clothes on and it’s binding and it feels different and the entire summer of practice, and the entire early fall, it kind of goes out the window.

We highly suggest spending some time shooting with gloves if you think you’re going to be wearing gloves in a hunting situation. We know when it’s cold, we’re gonna have our gloves on. Because the entire handgun is going to feel different. From how you load it, to how the trigger feels, to how you reload. Everything about it is gonna be a little more cumbersome and you’re gonna feel like you’re fumbling a little bit, so don’t forget to practice with your gloves on. And if you’ll spend some time preparing for that different feel, it will pay off. You know, because repetitive practice in anything, is gonna help you be more successful.

 

GEAR SEEN IN THIS VIDEO

Performance Center® 460 XVR: https://bit.ly/2GpA8dQ

Performance Center® Model 629 Stealth Hunter Revolver: https://bit.ly/2PEHtIg

Walker’s XCEL Electronic Muffs: https://bit.ly/2FYvQLQ

Trijicon RMR Red Dot Site: https://bit.ly/2GejjU2

Hornady® LEVERevolution® for Revolvers and Lever Guns in .45 Long Colt: https://bit.ly/2WMaA0f

HIVIZ Litewave H3™ Tritium/Litepipe: https://bit.ly/2rgH7ga

Caldwell Tack Driver Gun Rest: https://bit.ly/2BhLfCf

BOG POD Shooting Sticks: https://bit.ly/2s4vPMG

Cabela’s O2 Camo: https://bit.ly/2F5ccvD

Yamaha Viking VI Side by Side: https://bit.ly/2TqPMsE

How-To Perfect Your Trigger Pull

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Trigger pull and the follow-through in a hunting situation with a handgun to us are two really important things. They vastly differ probably from your competitive shooters and how they would focus on it and what they would be thinking about, but in a hunting situation, it is one shot, one kill in a perfect world. That trigger pull is something on a handgun that’s really different than a rifle or your shotgun. It’s a lot longer, it’s a lot more drawn out, and staying through it, for lack of a better word, is something really key in a hunting situation.

We look at a lot of our misses on the range and even bad shots when we’ve been hunting. It’s been a forced fast pull of the trigger, a jerk, in our mind with that small barrel, you’re pulling everything left or down in a lot of those situations. We think that’s what you want to avoid and obviously the way to avoid that is practice and kind of concentrating going through it. That motion and that practice will pay off and help you begin to focus on that after the boom and staying down and through on that target and not try to peek link in golf. When you peek, you top the golf ball.  If you peek right at that moment of truth, when you’re expecting that gun to go off, your aiming point is gonna differ.

So trigger pull, good slow follow through in your mind, make it all good one motion staying down on the target.  We think it’d be a big key thing for guys that are picking up handgun hunting to help raise their success.

 

Performance Center 460 XVR: https://bit.ly/2SveOKl

Cabela’s Six-Shooter Pistol Scopes: https://bit.ly/2SveOKl

Walker’s Silencer Ear Buds: https://bit.ly/2TA5pyl

Walker’s XCEL Electronic Muffs: https://bit.ly/2FYvQLQ

Cabela’s O2 Camo: https://bit.ly/2F5ccvD

Bog Pod Shooting Sticks: https://bit.ly/2s4vPMG

Trijicon RMR Red Dot Site: https://bit.ly/2GejjU2

HIVIZ Litewave H3™ Tritium/Litepipe: https://bit.ly/2rgH7ga

Hornady® LEVERevolution® for Revolvers and Lever Guns in .45 Long Colt: https://bit.ly/2WMaA0f

Trijicon’s New Pistol Optic

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The Specialized Reflex Optic

 

Trijicon®, Inc., global provider of innovative aiming solutions for the hunting, shooting, military and law enforcement markets, is excited to introduce a new sight that is easy to shoot, easy to use, and easy to trust. The new Trijicon Specialized Reflex Optic or Trijicon SRO™ is a red dot style sight specifically designed for pistols and optimized for target and competition shooting.

With a large clear lens, and an unobstructed field of view, the SRO enables quick, simple dot acquisition for effortless dot tracking during recoil. These benefits allow the shooter to keep focus on the target, which significantly increases shooting speed and accuracy.

The SRO uses the same mounting footprint as the Trijicon RMR®, which means the sight can be easily mounted on many popular red-dot-ready pistols and existing RMR® mounts. The optic is designed to work with suppressor height iron sights in the same way as the industry-leading RMR®.

The top-loading battery compartment allows easy battery replacement without removing the sight from the pistol. The parallax-free SRO has intuitive illumination control for dot brightness, including both manual and automatic dot brightness settings and a new brightness Lock-In feature. A CR2032 battery powers the optic for 3 years on setting 4 of 8.

 

The SRO is manufactured in Wixom, MI with forged 7075 aluminum and tempered glass for durability that can be trusted. The wide field of view and clear lens with a clean, crisp dot keeps your focus on the target to improve shooting accuracy, making the SRO a great choice in any application.

For more information on the Trijicon SRO or to find a dealer near you, visit www.trijicon.com or contact Trijicon, Inc. at 49385 Shafer Ave., Wixom, MI 48393 • Telephone: (248) 960-7700 • Follow @Trijicon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Trijicon’s Electro Optics Division Expands the REAP-IR® Thermal Riflescope Line

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Wixom, Mich. — Trijicon® Inc, manufacturer of Brilliant Aiming Solutions™, is pleased to introduce the latest additions to the REAP-IR family of thermal imaging systems. The new and improved REAP-IR models retain Trijicon’s leading image quality, ease of use, and durability while adding new, user-friendly features.

 

THE REAP-IR® TRIJICON MINI THERMAL RIFLESCOPE

Trijicon is now offering two additional magnification options with enhanced features to the 35mm effective focal length variants (2.5x base optical magnification). The REAP-IR will now be available in 60 mm EFL (4.5x base optical magnification) and 20 mm EFL (1.5x base optical magnification) models. The new and improved variants and the existing REAP-IR configurations will be available for purchase.

The new REAP-IR variants feature a simplified “Easy Zero Method” which makes sighting in the optic easier and more intuitive. Getting rounds on target is now a matter of aligning an on-screen digital icon with bullet impacts using provided MOA readouts.

Integral Picatinny top rail for accessory mounting.

Trijicon also updated the main housing to include an integrated Picatinny rail interface for mounting optional accessories, such as a Trijicon RMR®. The battery compartment has been redesigned to a ruggedized, top-loading compartment with an easy-to-use thumbscrew to allow simpler night-time operation.

All Trijicon REAP-IR optics feature 640×480 resolution, 12-micron thermal sensors and 60 Hz frame rates. The REAP-IR family comes standard with five included reticle options, and six advanced polarity settings for exceptional visibility in any environment. Trijicon Electro-Optics thermal scopes are engineered, machined and assembled in the United States and are tested to MIL-STD 810-G.

For more information on the REAP-IR and the complete array of Brilliant Aiming Solutions™ for the hunting, shooting, military and law enforcement markets, contact Trijicon®, Inc. at (248) 960-7700 or visit www.trijicon.com.