I have a couple different things to write here today… mostly in the way of positive reviews for a couple purchases and experiences that I have made and had recently.
I have long been in the market for a handgun, I have never owned one before but several years ago took the Utah Concealed Carry class with the hope that one day I would eventually own something to conceal. To be honest, the true reason my dad, brother, and I took the class was to be able to legally carry a sidearm while muzzleloader hunting. When researching various handgun options I have always gravitated towards the revolver platform and found the .357 caliber the most intriguing because of its versatility in being able to chamber .38 special, .38+P, and .357 magnum rounds.
One of the websites that I was most impressed with while researching my potential purchase was Davidson’s Gallery of Guns (GoG). The site was simple and once I narrowed down my desired caliber and price range it was easy to make comparisons between different makes and models. The thing that I liked the most was the “Instant Quote” feature that pulled up the individual actual prices for the local FFL dealers in my area. This feature lists all of the fees, taxes, etc. and shows you the actual end price that you will pay (if you do not have a Conceal Carry Permit there is an additional background check fee). I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting to be assessed some random fees by the retailer but in the end I paid exactly what the GoG quoted me up front.
I made my order (an entry level priced BrazTech/Rossi .357 magnum 6 shot revolver for just under $300) and selected an FFL (Discount Guns & Ammo, 2140 S 1260 W, SLC). They were the cheapest and near my work so that I could simply stop on my way home when the gun arrived. I received a call from a clerk at Discount Guns and that same afternoon I stopped by their store. This was my first firearm purchase and the clerk was very helpful in helping me get the forms filled out correctly. I always worry when I go into specialty shops like this that I’m going to be treated as inferior since it’s my first time there… but all the employees were very polite and took great care of me. You hear horror stories about how some of these places treat their “regulars” so much better than the “first timers.” Based on how they treated me on my first time… they have made a “regular” out of me.
The GoG online purchasing experience was seamless and simple. My revolver was shipped immediately to the FFL that I had selected. The shipping information was included in my order confirmation and I received a call from Discount Guns on the day that I was expecting it to arrive there. I had some concern that maybe it would take a couple days to get through Discount Guns internal receiving system or whatever, and even some concern that they may just sit on my order for a day or two before calling me… but such was not the case. From everything I can tell, the shipment arrived earlier that day and as soon as Discount Guns received it into their system the clerk gave me a call.
Needless to say, I am impressed with both entities that I worked with to make this purchase, Davidson’s/Gallery of Guns and Discount Guns & Ammo. GoG is now my “go to” resource when I get the itch to find out what different firearms cost. Discount Guns & Ammo will no doubt be my FFL dealer of choice for future firearm purchases.

As part of purchasing this new revolver I also purchased all the needed components to begin reloading. Although the majority of my equipment is RCBS, I decided to try out the Hornady reloading dies because they have been running their “Get Loaded!” 2015 promotion where they offer a certain number of free bullets based upon qualifying purchases. Since I bought a die set I was eligible for 100 free bullets, so I filled out the forms according to the instructions, selected the bullets that I would like from the list (the .38cal 110gr XTPs), wrote a check, and put the envelope in the mail. The instructions stated that the redemption would take 12 to 16 weeks. My free bullets arrived yesterday afternoon, after only about three weeks… so quickly in fact that the $6.95 check that I had written to pay for shipping hasn’t cleared my checking account yet!
Hornady has definitely exceeded my expectations in fulfilling this promotion. Let’s face it, Hornady gave me 100 free bullets that it didn’t have to… and could have taken their sweet time in fulfilling this promotional order and made me wait the 12 to 16 weeks. But they didn’t, and have won me over in the process.
In short, I have had three high quality experiences recently that have exceeded my expectations. I will champion Davidson’s/Gallery of Guns as my preferred online firearm retailer, Discount Guns & Ammo as my preferred local FFL, and Hornady will always get my consideration when purchasing reloading equipment (especially as long as they run this “Get Loaded!” promotion… because I like free stuff as much as the next guy!).

PointHunter App... a must have if you hunt multiple states!

It is pretty clear that I only cover the state of Utah on this blog. I have only ever hunted in Utah and for the very foreseeable future Utah will be the only place that I hunt (although I do have a couple of my hunting buddies that reside in New Mexico & Idaho and have an open invitation to apply and hunt in those states). Don't feel bad for me though, I have a great thing going in Utah... I have the privilege of hunting private property and hunt both general deer and elk every year. But "man cannot live on bread alone," and today's hunter "cannot live on general hunts alone."  Many of us desire an experience that we perceive as superior to a general hunt or an opportunity outside of general hunts... so we apply for limited entry and once-in-a-lifetime permits year after year building bonus and preference points. Keeping everything straight is relatively easy for me since my applications are only filed in Utah. But there is a huge group of outdoorsmen who enjoy (and in many cases prefer) hunting outside of Utah. For those who apply for permits in multiple states the Point Hunter app is a welcome tool.

The target demographic is most definitely the hunter who fills out applications across multiple states, and if you fall within that demographic this app will help you stay on top of application dates, preference/bonus points, and drawing results.   

I'd do the app a disservice my trying to summarize its features myself, so for a comprehensive summary of the apps functionality please visit the developer's official blog www.gotmytag.com.  Here you will find all you will need to know about the app including links to both the AppStore (Apple) and Google Play (Android) for you to purchase the app.

Here is the developers "How To" video posted to YouTube:


Basically, if you apply for and hunt multiple states this app is a must have and well worth the price tag of a couple dollars.