The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources awarded eight landowners the new Legacy of Land Award for their contributions to deer and elk conservation. Recipients include Chad Olson, Clint Kearl, Stephen Ellis, Breck Crystal, Lee Thayn, Chris Robinson, and David and Robin Bradshaw, recognized for wildlife stewardship on their private properties.
Awards & Honors
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks honored 23 central Montana hunter, bowhunter, and trapper education instructors at a 2026 Region 4 workshop in Great Falls, recognizing service milestones ranging from 5 to 35 years. Andrew Oestreich and Brent Lonner received Instructor of the Year awards.
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 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.
Jeff Crane, President and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, received the inaugural Conservationist Legacy Award from the International Order of T. Roosevelt for his decades-long career advancing pro-sportsmen policy and protecting access for hunters and anglers at state and federal levels.
MidwayUSA earned the 2025 Bizrate Circle of Excellence Platinum Award, marking its fourth platinum and eighteenth overall award from Bizrate Insights. The honor recognizes the family-owned retailer's exceptional online customer service and satisfaction, placing it in the top 1% of the Bizrate Insights North America Network.
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.
Amanda Suffecool, Women for Gun Rights Advisory Board Member and NRA Board member, received the Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award at an NRA event in Houston, Texas. The award honors women's leadership and advocacy for the Second Amendment. Suffecool hosts the nationally syndicated radio show Eye on the Target and is active with A Girl & A Gun®.
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.
Brett High, Upper Snake Regional Fisheries Manager for Idaho Fish and Game, has been named the 2026 Richard L. Wallace Native Fish Conservationist of the Year. High's nearly two decades of work have advanced native fish conservation through scientific research, adaptive management strategies, and collaborative efforts with the angling community to protect species like Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout.
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.
Faxon Firearms has won the Shooting Sports Retailer Choice Gold Award for Aftermarket Barrel for the fourth consecutive year, as voted by the magazine's readers of independent dealers and industry professionals. The Greater Cincinnati-based manufacturer's award reflects reader recognition of its in-house-manufactured rifle barrels and commitment to American manufacturing.
Springfield Armory received the National Rifle Association's American Rifleman Tactical Product of the Year Golden Bullseye Award for the Kuna 9mm at the 2026 Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, Texas. Developed in partnership with HS Produkt, the roller-delayed Kuna features a monolithic aluminum upper and 30-round magazines, with pricing starting at $1,179.
Dead Air Silencers and Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. announced that the Ruger RXD30Ti suppressor has received the 2026 American Rifleman Golden Bullseye Award. The suppressor features advanced Triskelion and Nomad baffle technologies, an integrated E-Brake for recoil reduction, and broad HUB accessory compatibility for modern long-range and hunting applications.
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.
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.
Henry Repeating Arms Founder & CEO Anthony Imperato honored four Texans for extraordinary courage at the National Friends of NRA Event in Houston, including three Austin Police Department officers recognized for stopping a mass shooting perpetrator and Juan Lopez, a Carnegie Medal recipient for life-saving actions during a school shooting in Pasadena.
Anthony Imperato, Founder and CEO of Henry Repeating Arms, received the NRA Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award at the 2026 National Rifle Association Annual Meetings in Houston, Texas. The award recognizes his four-decade career revitalizing American firearms manufacturing and the lever-action rifle platform while championing domestic craftsmanship and corporate citizenship through Henry's Guns For Great Causes program.
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.
