Heidi Kaser launches her new column on Shotgun Life that takes you on a shotgun journey from the FBI Academy to her current role with the NRA where she is creating a Women’s Leadership Forum. Sponsored by Randolph Engineering, Heidi’s column will address the role of women in the shotgun sports. Shotgun Life has the highest percentage of women readers of any shotgun publication (34%) and we are proud to serve women involved in wing and clays shooting. Check out Heidi’s column at http://www.shotgunlife.com .

 The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) expanded its online efforts to protect the rights of hunters, trappers, anglers, and scientific wildlife management professionals with the addition of a new forum.

 The forum is the group’s latest Internet resource in advancing the public dialogue for the ongoing preservation of America’s hunting heritage.

 In support of the organization’s mission, Shotgun Life donated the technology and ongoing administration by creating a special forum for the USSA in its own Shotgun Life Forums. These forums are available at http://www.shotgunlife.com/forum. Shotgun Life has also provided a banner-ad link to the USSA forum on its home page at http://www.shotgunlife.com/.

 To participate in the new USSA forum, simply go to http://www.shotgunlife.com and click on the Forum tab in the top right section of the home page, or click on the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance banner-ad link. Once you are in the forum, click on the link that says “Join our Forum. Register Now!” This will give you access the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance as well as the other forums. After that, click on the “New Topic” button to start your own discussion about guarding and preserving our right to hunt.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) provides direct lobbying and grassroots coalition support to protect and advance the rights of hunters, trappers, anglers, and scientific wildlife management professionals. The USSA is the only organization exclusively devoted to combating the attacks made on America’s sportsman traditions by anti-hunting and animal rights extremists.  This is accomplished through coalition building, ballot issue campaigning and legislative and government relations. You can find the organization on the Internet at http://www.ussportsmen.org.

Great How-to Article on Argentina Wingshooting

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who knows more about high-volume wingshooting in Argentina than John Wiles. He has more than 20 years experience as a client and outfitter and loves to share his knowledge with fellow hunters.John gives you the low-down on every possible aspect of what it takes to have a successful wingshooting trip in this world-famous destination. Travel, tips, ammo, guns, food – nothing is left untouched in this exhaustive and entertaining work.

This story was just posted and is a must-read. Go to http://www.shotgunlife.com and scroll down a bit to “Argentina Wing Shooting 101 – OR a Practical Guide to Volume Wing Shooting.”

Shotgun Life just posted the most in-depth review of the little-known SKB 3-barrel set consisting of 20/28/.410 on a 20-gauge frame. In the Grade II model, the entire set cost $5,000 and was considered a great value especially compared with a Browning Citori. Check it out at http://www.shotgunlife.com.

Shotgun Life is pleased to make available direct links to best locator sites on the Internet for wing and clays shooters.

Wingshooters can use the comprehensive WingshootingUSA directory while clays shooters can access WheretoShoot.org directly from our home page.

Best of all, you can use them from your PDA or cell phone if you find yourself on the road looking for a new place to shoot (just bookmark Shotgun Life). Both directories came to us from the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Go to Shotgun Life and scroll down to find these great resources.

Shotgun Life is located at http://www.shotgunlife.com.

The Game Conservancy USA will once again host their Elegant Sporting Clays Invitational and Showcase on September 11-13, 2009 at Hudson Farm, New Jersey.

With its towering waterfall on Station 1, Hudson Farm may rank as the most spectacular sporting clays course in the country. This year’s Game Conservancy shoot is limited to 80 guns with registration on a first-come basis.

The Game Conservancy USA is a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization founded in 1986 to support the work of The Game Conservancy Trust in the UK. The group’s primary mission is to conserve the game wildlife and their habitat, as well as animals that share their habitat with game, in the UK. Recent fundraising efforts have gone towards the Grey Partridge Biodiversity Action Plan – a program designed to halt the 30-year decline in the population of the Grey Partridge due to predation, disease and a disappearing habitat.

In addition to two different sporting clays courses, there will be a host of exhibitors including Boss & Company, Charles Boswell, Griffin & Howe, Perazzi USA, Holland & Holland and other purveyors of fine accessories, shooting trips and art.

The event kicks off Friday September 11th with a demonstration of fine gunmakers and a preview cocktail and dinner party.

On September 12th, the Showcase opens at 9:00 AM with continental breakfast and registration starting at 9:30. At 11:00 AM, the cannon shot signals the opening competition of the Quail course (100 clay targets). Lunch and the vendor showcase start at 3:00 PM.

The next day, Sunday the 13th, presents similar morning activities except that the Pheasant course competition (100 clay targets) starts at 10:00 AM. There will be closing ceremonies and afternoon brunch following the shoot.

Friday’s cocktail party and dinner is $150 per person. The Quail course Sporting Clays Invitational on September 12th is $1,300 for a team of 4, $350 for an individual and $100 for a guest (grounds entrance and lunch only). The prices are the same for the Pheasant course Sporting Clays Invitational on September 13th.

Both courses plus the Friday night cocktail party cost $2,800 for a team of 4 and $750 for an individual. Proper shooting attire is required (no jeans please) and only break-open shotguns may participate.

For more information, contact Lorraine Smario at 203/661-7900 or email her at lsmario@gcusa.org or you can visit the Griffin & Howe web site at http://www.griffin.howe.com.

We just posted a review of the stunning $30,000 Krieghoff Essencia side-by-side. It’s easy to dismiss a gun at this price as stupid or unnecessary, but shoot one of these babies and it will rock your world. Check out our new Peer Review story at http://www.shotgunlife.com.

Shotgun Life Publisher Irwin Greenstein spends 3 exclusive days at Blackwater USA in their tactical shotgun course. Non-stop 750 rounds, cars crashing, helicopters circling overhead and rapid fire everywhere.  Barricades, breeching and speed-loading in one of the most exotic shooting schools on the planet. Check out The Accidental Commando at  http://www.shotgunlife.com.

Shotgun Life has the scoop on the 3 new field guns from Verona as part of the gunmaker’s U.S. comeback. The side-by-side and over-under actually take 3″ shells, so they’re pretty cool. Their new semi-auto is inertia-driven like a Benelli. All 3 new guns are relatively cheap. Check it out at http://www/shotgunlife.com

Shotgun Life managed to get a hold of the new Casear Guerini Apex even though less than 100 have been shipped into the US. The gun is awesome. Check it out at http://www.shotgunlife.com