October-November 2023 Ballistic Magazine Pulls the Trigger!

As you undoubtedly noticed on October-November 2023 Ballistic issue cover, there are some things found within these pages that are likely to “trigger” some people. That’s OK, though, because many left-wing gun-ban proponents get triggered by just about everything anyway, so this issue will be just one more thing that stands between them and the pie-in-the-sky utopia they believe they are building.

October-November 2023 Issue of Ballistic

These days, it seems like nearly everybody hates lawful gun owners, most of whom are simply trying to make a decent living in a tough economy, mind their own business and live their lives undisturbed while the world seemingly crumbles around them.

Tis The Season For Trigger Pulling

Former VP Joe Biden certainly despises us, and recently he even took a swipe at the next generation of gun owners and hunters—if there is going to be a next generation. In early August it was revealed that the Biden Administration had begun blocking federal funding earmarked under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 for schools with hunting and archery programs. The Department of Education used last year’s so-called Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) as the impetus to cut the funding, and so far efforts to have it restored haven’t been successful.

Many in the U.S. Congress hate us and the haters don’t all have a “D” after their name. The continued push to ban common semi-auto firearms by calling them “assault weapons” shows not only these “rich men north of Richmond’s” disdain for millions of gun owners, but also for the Second Amendment. And many in Congress have vowed to not stop pushing until they get the job done.

The Justice Department hates us. As a follow-up to their new “Final Rules” on pistol braces and so-called “ghost guns,” the DOJ recently announced a new proposed ATF rule that would redefine who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms. The 108-page document, as confusing as it is, leaves little doubt that a person who even intends to sell one gun now falls under that definition.

School Daze…

Many people within America’s school systems even hate us and all that we stand for. Just ask the 12-year-old Colorado boy who was tossed out of class recently for having a Gadsden flag patch on his backpack. I guess in the Vanguard School in Colorado Springs, it’s better to just be tread upon by whoever chooses to do so.

Sometimes it seems like even people who we think should be on our side are against us. Take Liberty Safe for example. Just a few days before this column was written, Liberty Safe gave the combination of a safe they had sold to a lawful American gun owner to the FBI, who used it to get in his safe after they arrested him for alleged participation in the January 6 protest nearly three years ago.

The backlash was immediate, and Liberty later backpedaled, saying in a released statement, “Going forward we will require a subpoena that legally compels Liberty Safe to supply access codes but can only do so if these codes still exist in our system.” But it was too little, too late—especially for the pregnant girlfriend of the man arrested, who is accused of nothing but was held at gunpoint by several FBI agents during the debacle.

2A Awesomeness

To all those folks out there who hate us, here’s a big middle finger for your trouble. We’ve always had the Constitution on our side, and we will never back down.

Let the triggering begin with Bill Foster’s piece on building your own Patriotic, super-scary, “Join Or Die” AR-15. Don’t miss Ballistic’s guide to the top 10 drop-in AR triggers. And OMG, dead animals? Yup, we’ve got hunting guns like Springfield’s new Scout-style Redline as well as successful hunting adventure stories about downing elk, mule deer, monster black bear, prairie dogs, and even a javelina hunt using POF’s 9mm Tombstone lever gun.

The Skillset section, led by the pull-no-punches former Navy SEAL Ray “Cash” Care, is packed with alpha humor, as well as some serious insider talk about children being trafficked at the U.S./Mexico border, and self-defense badassery from Southnarc’s ShivWorks training school.

With so much more shooting, self-defense, 2A/new-gun news and outdoor entertainment to load up on, the only thing left is to pick up your copy today! — Mark Chesnut

LISTEN TO YOUR FAVORITE GUN MAGS: Here’s a special note about digital subscriptions. If you’re one of those people who like to buy and listen to audio versions of books, then you’re in luck. All digital copies of Athlon Outdoors publications including Ballistic, Combat Handguns, Tactical Life, Personal Defense World Concealed Carry Handguns and Guns Of The Old West sport the “mobile view” function which allows you to listen to each issue from any device… your smartphone, tablet or work/personal computer. That’ll keep your hands and eyes free to take on other tasks like driving to work or the shooting range or, well, you get the idea. Enjoy the new feature!

COMPLETE TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES

FARKENSTEIN 5.56

Making the perfect American Designated Marksman Rifle

A TALE OF TWO TROPHIES

A pair of incredible hunts that tell us about who we are as hunters

BEARING DOWN

An epic hunt for a big bruin with Mossberg in Canada.

The Mossberg Patriot in 7mm PRC busts a bruin for the record books

TOMBSTONED ARIZONA JAVELINA

Who says POF’s lever-action 9mm can’t put critters down for the count?

CUTTING EDGE HUNTER

Nosler’s Model 21 delivers exceptional precision and packable reliability

MODERN SCOUT

Springfield puts the pedal to the medal with the new Model 2020 Redline

TOP 10 TRIGGERS

The best of the best drop-in triggers for the AR platform

5 FOR THE BUSH

American-made, fixed-bladed knives to stay on top of your backwoods tasks

GET .300 HAM’RD

Wilson’s Protector Elite Carbine proves ready to rock hard for nearly everything

TORTURED PLINKER

FN 502 Tactical passes a 2,222-round range test with flying colors

TUNDRA FACELIFT

Seven easy upgrades to turn a Toyota pickup into a rugged outdoorsman’s rig

DEPARTMENTS

BREW HA HA

Meanderings of a modern cavalier

EDITORS’ CHOICE

A collection of great gun safety and EDC gear

PATRIOTISM

A proper guide to caring for and flying Old Glory

CRITTERS

The ladies have a Stag P-dog party in the grasslands of Wyoming

THE UNKNOWNS

This pair will help you stay in the field longer via fuel and heat

CLAY CORNER

CZ’s G2 Intermediate side-by-side gives moderate-stature shooters an on-target fit

WILD RIDES

It’s not a donkey… It’s not a horse it’s Kawasaki’s new 4010 SxS

AFTER HOURS

From Kentucky to Scotland, navigate the world of whiskey like a boss

GEAR GUIDE

Nine unusual suspects for creating buzz around the vessel rather than the beverage

SKILLSET MAG

INSIDER INFO

More than 20 tidbits of crazy-fun copy

ON THE COVER

CA$H IN!

Motivational Q&A with former Navy SEAL Ray “Cash” Care who bleeds red, white and blue

5 SKILLSETS TO MASTER

Take life by the horns with this smattering of sage alpha know-how

FIGHT OR DIE

Let Southnarc’s ShivWorks training company keep you out of the morgue

LAND OF THE LOST CHILDREN

A 100-ton reality check about the ongoing, multi-billion-dollar human trafficking tragedy

ROAD TRIP

Pack extra underwear when you visit these seven spooky, Skillset-approved venues

FOUR WAYS TO PASS THE PEE TEST

This silly advice might just land you your dream job

LAST CALL

The bossman sounds off about psyops and shows off some #SKILLSET Fam pics

Get your print or digital copy or subscription to the October-November 2023 issue of Ballistic at OutdoorGroupStore.com.

Dual covers for Ballistic and Skillset Oct-Nov 2023.

On October 11, 2022, Ballistic reported:

The October-November 2022 issue of Ballistic Magazine features Chris Pratt and Jack Carr.

Ah, the sizzling hot and “dry as a popcorn fart” summer of ’22 is finally in the rearview. Now we can set our sights on the upcoming fall hunting, shooting and backwoods adventures.

October-November 2022 Ballistic Magazine

As you’ll see, much of the firearms content ahead dovetails greatly with deer and big-game seasons on the horizon. We’ve showcased guns from companies like Weatherby, Sabatti, Traditions and CVA that will get your blood pumping for the action of the hunt.

But editor-in-chief Linas Cernauskas and I are not one-trick ponies over here at Ballistic—we cover a helluva lot more than just hunting guns. As editors with Athlon Outdoors, our work revolves around assigning articles (and ultimately reading them five or six times) that fill periodicals including Ballistic, Tactical Life, Combat Handguns, American Frontiersman, Personal Defense World and Guns Of The Old West. That’s a lot of reading when you consider each of the roughly 40 issues we produce has an average word count of 50,000.

Terminally Awesome Issue

Jack Carr goes behind the scenes on The Terminal List.

Since I’m a glutton for punishment, I also read books—unrelated to work, of course—in my downtime. This summer, my favorite read was Jack Carr’s fifth in his James Reece action-thriller series, In The Blood. And like every great novel, the ending leaves readers wanting more. Luckily, this summer Carr’s words from his first novel hit the “big stream” on Amazon Prime with The Terminal List series starring Chis Pratt. If you haven’t seen it yet, for the love of all that is holy, do so, but not until after you read Carr’s exclusive, behind the making of The Terminal List, which starts on page 36. Call me a fanboy if you must, but Carr’s insights and writing make that my favorite story of this fall issue.

Gun fans love The Terminal List on Amazon Prime.

Cernauskas has this to say about the issue: “As the EIC, I get to live through our content creators, whether discussing Foreign Vs. Domestics guns (‘Roundtable,’ pg. 132) or Scotch’s Tasty Cousins (‘After Hours,’ pg. 152). But I have to tell you, I am a little tired of letting the writers have all the fun. That’s why I am starting a charity so I can buy a Brabus Crawler (‘Wild Rides,’ pg. 88). It’s only $800K, so please reach deep into those couch cushions and send in your change.

The roundtable has some fun with foreign versus domestic.

“On a more serious note (not really), I am always looking to get in shape, more specifically, round shape. ‘Wild Kitchen’s’ Deer Tags & Duck Ravs (pg. 146) paired with ‘Scotch’s Tasty Cousins’ might help me achieve my peak ‘shapeness.’ Hopefully my wife will be able to roll me out of the kitchen.”

Skillset Gets Scary Good

Our partners in crime at Skillet have a strong lineup, too. Editor Ben Tirpak and his crew of merry bandits prep you for the Halloween season like nobody else can. From a jaunt to Midsummer Scream and a sit down with Arizona law officer Catherine “Cat” Rybka, to a history lesson on cannibalism and 28 ‘Insider Info’ tidbits that’ll make you the smartest person in deer camp or at the range—Skillset fam members are covered.

The crazy real stats surrounding Halloween.

Enjoy this issue, and please fire back at us via editdesk@athlonoutdoors.com. You all are our lifeblood, and we appreciate your taking the time to be part of our labor of gun love.

So with all things fall covered, the only thing left to do is to pick up your copy today!