2013 has been a great year in many ways for us at SHWAT™. We hope you have had a good year too. As our focus shifts to 2014 and the promise it brings we take a moment to reflect on what made 2013 good. So, we’ve put together a best of SHWAT™ 2013. These are some of the coolest stories, best gear/gun tests, and most exciting opportunities for you. So take a minute and read some of the best stories of the year. You even get some good ideas for what you want to do next year!
1. Membership Launch By Stephen Owen
Being a SHWAT™ Team Member gives you what you can’t get anywhere else! From member appreciation giveaways including the new Remington 700 Tactical Chassis Rifle complete with top shelf optic, suppressor and more to discounts of some of the best gear on the market and even exclusive invitation only events and opportunities.
Read on to find out how you can be part of the SHWAT™ Team and get the all the benefits now!
2. Remington 700 Tactical Chassis Rifle By Stephen Owen
The remarkable Remington 700 Tactical Chassis Rifle is officially slated for launch at SHOT Show 2014, but here at SHWAT.com we have already shot it, photographed it and can now announce it to you! This is an exclusive product introduction from Special Hog Weapons and Tactics™ in cooperation with Remington. The other big news is that we’re giving one of these Model 700 Tactical Chassis rifles away to one of our members. So, buckle up! You are one of the first people outside Remington to get a look at this precision rifle.
3. To Tavor or not to Tavor – Do you really have to ask? By Stephen Owen
So there has been a lot of buzz on the web and in magazines about the new Israeli Weapon Industries (IWI US) Tavor. The million dollar question is – Is it worth buying? My answer: After chewing through more than 1200 rounds in a full on carbine class and some tactical hunting, yes! And there is good reason for my enthusiasm. If you are looking for a review to just confirm what you have already read about the Tavor, you are reading the wrong article.
We reached out to Fred Mastison of Force Options Training and Security to help us find out what would happen when the Tavor was put under the microscope in a carbine class and tactical hog hunt. We’re talking a private class with no distractions. This is a report of how the Tavor did in the real world. Read on to find out what happens when adrenalin, bullets and west Texas pigs get mixed up with the IWI Tavor and some hard core training!
4. Grandpa’s Gun Reborn project By Jonathan Owen
Loaded question: What if the law of the land prevented you from shooting, training, hunting or even owning an AR-15, an AK-47, or the highly anticipated Israeli Tavor? What if semi-automatic guns and full capacity magazines got banned? Or maybe these great parts of the gun culture were simply regulated just out of reach. It’s too real of a possibility for some, too remote for others.
Well as it turns out, Grandpa’s gun might just have a ton more potential than first meets the eye. It could be a serious shooter. What if could be reborn as an amazing precision tactical rifle that caused involuntary drool every time you pulled it out and could take out clay pigeons (or hogs) at 1,000 yards?
Well, it’s happening and it starts with this story, right here at Special Hog Weapons and Tactics. Top tier companies are joining together here to show you just what’s possible. You’ll want to follow this storyline in the months to come, but we start here. Don’t miss a word. Keep reading, and you’ll want to pass this one along to some forums, some Facebook friends, and even some people you talk to in person!
It all began with an email from Nathan Dudney of Dynamic Research Technologies. We had met a few months earlier on a rainy April day at a Starbucks in Memphis. I was on my range tour trip for my website, GirlsGuidetoGuns.com, and he was in town for work. Over coffee that spring day, Nathan introduced me to DRT and its revolutionary new line of ammunition. The email was an invitation to head to West Texas, which just happens to be my home turf, to shoot some wild hogs. The event solidified over the next few weeks and before I had a chance to think about it too much, I committed.
I was a total newbie and, honestly, a little apprehensive about killing anything…
6. 458 SOCOM: The Hammer of Death for Hogs! By Bill Wislon
I’ve been hunting hogs since the early 1980s and it has become a passion. I normally hog hunt approximately 250 evenings a year. I have constantly tried to gain knowledge and improve my hunting skills. Some of the most important knowledge I have learned is what makes a good hog weapon. Being in the gun industry since 1974 has allowed me to use just about every hog weapon available.
I have been using the .458 SOCOM shooting Barnes 300gr TAC TX bullets almost exclusively for the past year and a half and I can state without reservation it is the ultimate hog medicine out of an AR platform carbine! So far my .458 SOCOM’s have accounted for over 100 hogs. Fortunately, to date we have not failed to recover a single hog shot with them.
I’m going to tell you about a new rifle I’ve been using, and introduce you to the .458 SOCOM’s history and specs by way of the round’s primary developer, Marty ter Weeme. More on the origins in a moment, but Mogadishu plays a part…
7. My Daily Carry Gun and Tactical Hog Hunting: Do They Go Together? By Stephen Owen
Every now and then, you get the opportunity to do something when you least expect it. The circumstances are all wrong, but it’s just too irresistible. Last night was one of those times for me. I was out at relative’s farm north of Dallas trying out a night vision monocular from ATN. I wasn’t there to hunt, but since I know there are hogs in the area, I went prepared. I loaded up an AR-15, grabbed an extra mag just in case and headed out into the field. I did not expect to be shooting hogs with my everyday carry gun.
8. Meet Rand Innovations – CLP Making Your Gun Run Better By Stephen Owen
Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics fame says, “There are hundreds of options when it comes to cleaning, lubricating, and protecting your weapon, but RAND CLP is the best option.”
Not only is there a lot of experience behind that voice, there’s a ton of science. Here at SHWAT™, we were so impressed with this, we decided to sell it. You can make up your own mind. How we came to this conclusion is the alternate title for this review.
We talked with Kyle Lamb, SGM (Ret), US Army Special Forces and the people behind the development of RAND CLP. Read on to get behind the scenes access and learn what makes a CLP great, why it matters and the results you can expect when using it.
9. Black Dagger Military Hunt Club By Stephen Owen
Every now and then I run across somebody doing something extraordinary. Someone serving others without being asked, and at personnel expense in time, energy, money, or all of the above. This is a story of sacrifice. First and foremost, those that shoot and hunt with Black Dagger have given much. They are veterans. Most have been wounded in combat. Many of them have been wounded severely. Dave Winters founded Black Dagger Military Hunt Club (MHC). Dave is himself a 20-year Air Force veteran and is currently a government civilian. Dave’s son-in-law was a wounded in combat and now assists others with PTSD. As you can see, Mr Winters has good reasons to care about those who have paid a high price for freedom.
10. Four State Tour By Jonathan Owen
Last week I had the opportunity drive 2500 miles in six days in a loop that took me to places and people you need to know. Why would you want to know them? Excellence and advancement in their own fields that delivers for you and me, the end users. We’re talking Ammo, two firearms manufacturers, and my favorite holster company. In this story, I’ll briefly take you behind the scenes at each company.
Thank you for helping make SHWAT™ possible! We are looking forward to an even better year coming up with more awesome content with fresh stories and perspective on tactical hunting and everything that goes with it. A special thank you to our SHWAT™ Team Members! Your participation helps us bring you better and better content. Spread the word on the membership program because the bigger the program gets, the more we can add bigger and better prizes to our member appreciation giveaways! So, stick around and help us make next year the best it can be!
