Elite Archery's Varos compound bow has been named Outdoor Life's 2026 Bow of the Year after a three-day evaluation of seven flagship hunting bows. Outdoor Life called it "the most accurate bow we tested," praising its accuracy, user-friendly tuning features, and value. The Varos averaged 2.79-inch groups at 50 yards and outperformed competitors in the final shootoff.
CCI has been awarded the 2026 Gold Award for Rimfire Ammunition by Tactical Retailer and Shooting Sports Retailer readers. The reader-driven awards recognize CCI's quality, performance, and innovation in rimfire ammunition products including Clean-22 Sub-Sonic and Suppressor Max.
Federal Ammunition received the 2025 Gold Award for Best Shotshell from readers of Tactical Retailer and Shooting Sports Retailer. The award recognizes Federal's commitment to quality, performance, and innovation across their shotshell product lines, including Gold Medal, Black Cloud, Prairie Storm, and Custom Shop TSS loads.
Safariland won the Gold Award for favorite holsters in Shooting Sports Retailer's Reader's Choice Awards for the second consecutive year. The brand's Incog X was recognized in 2025, with the upcoming Incog XS launching in collaboration with Haley Strategic Partners.
Leapers received the 2026 American Rifleman Golden Bullseye Optic of the Year Award for the Integrix iXF 4.5X28 Service Rifle Scope. Developed with professional competitive marksmen and featuring German Schott glass, the fixed-power scope is available on Leapers.com for $999.97 before a July 2026 price increase.
NSSF has recognized Range USA with its Five-Star rating for range excellence. The 50-store chain operating across 14 states was founded by Tom Willingham and emphasizes customer experience, safety education, and environmental responsibility through lead mining and brass casing collection.
ATN Corp. won the 2025 Gold Award in the Night Vision/Thermal Category and a Favorite New Product Award from The Shooting Sports Retailer at the NRA Show. The company launched its Generation 6 thermal platform, including the ThOR 6 Elite, ThOR 6 Mini, BlazeHunter thermal monocular series, and Binox 6 multispectral binoculars.
Dead Air Silencers received the 2025 Shooting Sports Retailer Gold Award in the suppressor category, recognized by readers and retailers nationwide. CEO Ernie Beckwith credited the team's innovation, retail partner support, and customer trust for the honor.
Benelli has been awarded the 2025 Gold Choice Award by Shooting Sports Retailer readers, recognizing the brand's performance and reliability as judged by independent retailers across the shooting sports industry.
Liberty Safe earned multiple Gold awards at industry Readers' Choice programs, including recognition from Shooting Sports Retailer, Tactical Retailer, and Predator Xtreme. The awards reflect votes from independent firearm retailers and consumers recognizing the company's commitment to quality and American craftsmanship in gun safe manufacturing.
German Precision Optics announced that its GPO CENTURI 4-16x44i Super-Compact Riflescope received the 2026 NRA American Hunter Golden Bullseye Award. Owner/CEO Mike Jensen praised the riflescope as a game-changer offering compact, high-magnification performance at an affordable price point.
Benelli's Nova 3 Tactical pump-action shotgun has been honored with the prestigious 2026 American Rifleman Golden Bullseye Award from NRA Media. The award recognizes the shotgun's excellence in innovation, reliability, and consumer value, with Product Manager Bret Maffett highlighting its modern defensive features and lightweight handling.
Federal Ammunition congratulates Team Federal sponsored-shooter Vincent Hancock on receiving the 2026 Golden Bullseye Competitor Award from Shooting Sports USA. The award recognizes Hancock's historic achievements in skeet and his contributions through coaching and mentorship to the sport.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. received the NRA's Golden Ring of Freedom honor at the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, TX, with President and CEO Todd Seyfert accepting on behalf of the company. The recognition reflects Ruger's long-term commitment to supporting the National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment, firearm safety education, and youth programs.
Hornady's 338 ARC ammunition has been named the 2026 American Rifleman Ammunition Product of the Year by the NRA Media Golden Bullseye Awards. The cartridge delivers 1.5 times more energy than the 300 Blackout Subsonic and is available in five product lines for AR-15 and micro-bolt action rifles.
Shadow Systems CEO Trevor Roe recognized Check-Mate employees Brian Crow, Robert Potts, and Brayden Shorb for exceptional dedication and technical expertise supporting the company's manufacturing and product development. Each recipient received a complimentary Shadow Systems pistol in recognition of their contributions to the partnership.
Federal's 7mm Backcountry cartridge received the 2026 Golden Bullseye Award from NRA American Hunter for Ammunition Product of the Year. The innovative cartridge features patented Peak Alloy case technology, delivering magnum performance in standard bolt face rifles with 3,000 feet per second velocity through 20-inch barrels.
Dott. Franco Gussalli Beretta, President and CEO of Fabbrica d'armi Pietro Beretta, received the 2026 NRA Defender of Freedom Award at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits for his leadership and commitment to the Second Amendment and American shooting sports. The honor recognizes Beretta's 500-year legacy and continued support of conservation, competitive shooting, and firearm safety education.
Anthony Imperato, Founder and CEO of Henry Repeating Arms, received the Law Enforcement Supporter of the Year award from New York State Fraternal Order of Police Memorial Lodge 100. The honor recognizes Imperato's decades-long commitment to supporting law enforcement through personal efforts and Henry Repeating Arms' "Guns For Great Causes" program, which has supported organizations including the National Fraternal Order of Police and National Fallen Officers Foundation.
SPYPOINT received multiple gold awards in the 2026 Readers' Choice Awards from Bowhunting World and Predator Xtreme, including Best New Product for the FLEX-DARK Series and top honors in trail camera and cellular trail camera categories. The awards were voted on directly by hunters across North America, marking the first time any company has swept all categories.