FRI | DECEMBER 5, 2025

Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Vincent Hancock leads the list of Federal Ammunition-sponsored shooters who recently earned their way onto U.S. National Shotgun Teams for future events.

Hillsdale College shotgun athlete Ava Downs ’27 helped the U.S. take home a bronze medal at the 2025 ISSF Shotgun World Championship near Athens, Greece, on Oct. 18. Downs and Walton Eller represented the U.S. in trap mixed team, in which rank is determined by the combined scores of one male and one female athlete from each country.

NEXTORCH North America introduces the WL25 Tactical Weapon Light with Green Laser. This rail-mounted tactical light blends a high-output white light with an integrated green laser. Delivering up to 1,200 ultra-bright lumens and 44,100 candela, its focused beam can reach a distance of up to 459 yards.

Athlon Outdoors is closing out the year with a serious bang. December’s Free Gun Friday is officially live, and this month’s prize package is stacked with gear. One lucky winner will take home a Q Sugar Weasel rifle, an Armasight Jockey 320 thermal optic, and 500 rounds of Black Hills 5.56 ammunition.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is now accepting applications for Shooting Range Improvement Grants. Approximately $400,000 in funding is available. Application deadline is Feb. 1, 2026.

Azimuth Technology announced a major delivery milestone: over 2.5 million AR-15/AR-10 Bolt Carrier Groups of various calibers and over 1 million high-quality precision pistol barrels produced for major OEM and aftermarket brands across the firearms industry.

RetailBI has released the November 2025 RetailBI Firearm Sales Index, the firearm industry’s most accurate benchmark of retail performance and indicator of consumer purchasing behavior of new firearms, reporting -22.2% for November, with a year-to-date decline of -11.9%.

Henry Holsters announces a new partnership with Alliance Sporting Group, a respected manufacturer’s representative agency serving the outdoor, sporting goods, and law enforcement markets.

This fall, ERGO joined thousands of walkers nationwide for the annual Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®. Team ERGO walked in loving memory of ERGO founder Stephen Hines and his wife Barbara, both of whom battled dementia in their later years.

Time is running out for collectors to secure some of the finest Colt firearms to reach the market in years as the Colt Premier Event on GunBroker.com enters its final days. Bidding closes Sunday evening, marking the last opportunity to own museum-grade Colt handguns with exceptional provenance from a single private collector.

Kinetic Development Group announced that the company is closing out the fourth quarter with exceptional momentum across distribution, dealer channels, and direct-to-consumer sales. Driven by expanding demand for its SCAR platform upgrades, M-LOK offerings, and growing mount ecosystem, KDG enters 2026 with its strongest operational position in years.

GrabAGun Digital Holdings Inc. announced the appointment of Beth Cross as Chief Revenue Officer, effective immediately. Ms. Cross brings more than two decades of proven expertise in the firearms, outdoor, and e-commerce industries to her new role, where she will be responsible for driving revenue growth, optimizing sales operations, and expanding strategic partnerships.

Henry Holsters announces a new partnership with Alliance Sporting Group, a respected manufacturer’s representative agency serving the outdoor, sporting goods, and law enforcement markets.

Davidson’s, a leader in firearms distribution, is currently seeking dynamic individuals to serve as Assistant Buyers in our Merchandising Department in Greensboro, NC and Prescott, AZ.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is seeking a Digital Editor to help deliver engaging, high-quality storytelling across our digital platforms, social media channels and email campaigns. This role collaborates closely with RMEF departments and volunteers, freelance writers, federal and state agencies, and industry partners.

Hodgdon Powder Company, The Gunpowder People, announced a new career opportunity for an OEM Sales Specialist based at the company’s Miles City, Montana office.

ZeroTech Optics announces the newest evolution of its proven Vengeance 3-12x40 SFP riflescope platform, introducing expanded reticle options designed to give hunters and shooters faster target acquisition, more intuitive holds, and confident performance from first light to last.

Viridian Weapon Technologies announces the launch of the VENTA Green Dot. With its crisp 2 MOA green dot, fully multi-coated 1x22mm lens, and sealed IPX7 waterproof housing, the VENTA provides rapid target acquisition and consistent clarity in any environment.

ZeroTech announced two new reticles for its popular Vengeance 4–16x40 SFP riflescope family: the clean, intuitive PHR 4 and the low-light-ready PHR 4 Illuminated. Both options deliver fast acquisition with refined holdovers on a lightweight 1-inch platform.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) announces the promotion of John Leach as the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) National Director. Leach previously served as the SASP's Programs Manager for three years, working closely to assist the previous National Director with high-level duties, making him the perfect candidate for promotion into this role.

The USA Clay Target League announces that its 2025 Annual Impact Report is now available. This yearly report presents the impact of the League on students, schools, conservation, and the greater outdoor community.

Gun Owners of America (GOA) is proud to announce that the organization and several of its leading voices have been nominated across three major categories for the 2025 Gundie Awards.

SLG2, Inc. announces the appointment of Matt Rice as director of business development. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications, Rice brings a deep understanding of the outdoor industry and will play a pivotal role in enhancing services for current partners while cultivating new strategic relationships.

The Second Amendment Foundation announced that Q, a firearms, silencer and accessories manufacturer, has joined as the latest corporate partner at the Gold level. Along with the new commitment through the corporate partner program, Q will also provide firearms for the organization’s monthly sweepstakes to raise additional funds for SAF’s ongoing work across the nation.

Tippmann Arms announces the release of two new integrally suppressed firearms: the ELITE ISS Rifle and the ELITE Bug Out ISS Pistol. This launch marks Tippmann Arms’ official entry into the suppressor-equipped firearm market, timed strategically ahead of sweeping changes to federal law.

WATCHTOWER’s new APACHE COMMANDER double-stack 1911 is precision-machined with a robust stainless-steel frame, slide, and barrel. It features tactical-profile grips, a flared double-stack magwell, a user-adjustable trigger duty-tuned to 4.5-5.5 lbs., and ambidextrous safety controls for enhanced versatility.

ScentLok duffels have been perennial favorites since their inception, hunters and general outdoor enthusiasts. And now, ScentLok ups the ante with the new Traverse Duffel Series: 80L, 130L, and 130L Roller.

Iron Valley® Supply announces a new exclusive. The H&K CC9 Micro Compact is the smallest pistol HK has ever made. This Iron Valley Supply exclusive comes with a unique OD green optics-ready slide that you won’t find anywhere else, and is packed with one 10-rd and 1 12-rd magazine.

Iron Valley® Supply is bringing you an incredible special make up. The Smith & Wesson Equalizer Bundle, in partnership with Shark Coast Tactical, is getting the Iron Valley treatment! Available now with an exclusive OD green polymer frame, the Smith & Wesson Equalizer is everything you need in a CCW.

Zaffiri Precision announced an extension of its Black Friday/Holiday Blowout Sale through Dec. 15, 2025. The extended event features unprecedented closeout pricing, up to 70 percent off, on product lines that are being permanently discontinued.

Target Sports USA is celebrating the holiday season with its annual 12 @ 12 Days of Holiday Deals event. Unwrap twelve days of limited-time deals at noon each day. Beginning this December 8th, customers can expect a new surprise every day, each available only while supplies last.

MyOutdoorTV announced the launch of its “Cast Iron Cowboy Cooking Sweepstakes” in celebration of the Cast Iron Cowboy series now available to stream at MyOutdoorTV.com. In partnership with celebrated cowboy cook Kent Rollins, the “Cast Iron Cowboy Cooking Sweepstakes” offers one lucky winner an exclusive prize pack filled with authentic, trail-tested cooking essentials.

The Armory Life™ announces the release of the Winter 2025 issue of The Armory Life print magazine, featuring a cover story interview with Julie Golob. Golob is a world champion shooter with more than 170 championship titles and top scores in international, national and regional marksmanship competitions across seven different shooting disciplines.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation announces the reopening of the renovated shooting range at Optima Wildlife Management Area, east of Guymon in Oklahoma’s Panhandle.

It is man versus animal versus Mother Nature on Sportsman Channel's "Coldest Hunts," beginning at 4 p.m. ET on December 6. This programming block features a collection of captivating shows featuring Sportsman Channel’s favorite hosts braving the world’s harshest winter conditions.
 

FEATURE

The following suppressor review was first published on our sister site, Shooting News Weekly. To subscribe to a free weekly newsletter of top stories that appeared on Shooting News Weekly, click here.

Mack Brothers has a solid reputation for high-end bolt-action receivers, and they also make a line of fairly affordable suppressors. But how do the suppressors stack up against the competition?

When a customer asked about using one one for a nice custom rifle build he was putting together, I didn’t have any feedback for him. My personal experience with Mack Bros’ cans was nil and some internet and video searches netted me next to nothing. So we reached out to Mack Bros to fix that.

We borrowed a few Mack Brothers suppressors to put through their paces, and first up for review here is the Zenith. There’s a shorty Zenith-K and a longer Zenith-L, but this is the original Zenith. It’s a 100% titanium, fully-welded suppressor that weighs in at a scant ~9 ounces. It’s designed for cartridges .30 caliber magnum-sized and smaller (think 300 Win Mag on down).

With its super-light weight and short length of only about 6 inches, the Zenith is ideal for hunting and PRS style use. It was right at home for me on 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, and 300 BLK hunting rifles.

In keeping with the hunting/PRS sort of use, the Zenith comes with two front caps included. One, seen installed in most of the photos here, has an integrated muzzle brake to cut down on recoil. The other is a flush cap. Apparently the flush cap is slightly quieter and is obviously a bit shorter (OAL is 5.8″ or 6.25″ depending on which cap you use), but the brake cap will lighten up recoil more to help keep you on target.

Each of the front caps has a Torx-style tool pattern in the bore to assist with removal if necessary.

At its base, the Zenith is threaded in the industry standard HUB size (1-3/8×24) and it comes with a 5/8×24 fixed mount with wrench flats.

On this ridiculous little 9-inch 300 Blackout SBR, the Zenith sounded pretty darn good with 220 grain subsonic ammo. Compared to other titanium cans, it has a noticeably deep and solid tone. Basically, it sounds like a heavy steel suppressor rather than like how most thinner, lighter titanium ones sound.

I’ve shot quieter suppressors on short 300 BLK setups like this one, but I’m fairly sure all of them were larger and heavier. I haven’t shot anything with a nicer, deeper tone. For its size and weight, the Zenith is a very solid performer.

Over on a 6.5 PRC, the Zenith’s performance was even more impressive. Blast and concussion were eliminated entirely, recoil was cut significantly, and sound volume was brought down to . . . well, it sounded basically identical to a couple other, more expensive suppressors that I’ve had on this rifle over the last year.

The suppressor that’s sitting on the table in the photo above is a directly competitive model — all titanium and extremely similar in length and weight — from a big brand and is considered very premium. It’s a top performer, to be sure. I was very impressed when the Zenith went toe-to-toe with it, and I really don’t think I could pass the “Pepsi Challenge” comparison between the two. And the Zenith’s MSRP is a whopping $324 less.

Most suppressor baffle designs seem to favor either high velocity, high pressure ammo or subsonic ammo and they’ll excel in performance at one end of that spectrum more than the other. I think the Zenith’s performance with subs is on-par, but with a particularly nice tone, and on supersonic ammo it easily punches above its size and weight class.

Don’t miss the video review to see the Mack Bros Zenith for yourself. Overall the Zenith proved itself to be an extremely high quality suppressor with absolutely fantastic machining, welding, and finish. It’s incredibly lightweight and compact, and it sounds awesome with great sound suppression and a solid, deep tone.

Specifications: Mack Brothers Zenith Suppressor

Caliber: .30 cal rated up to 300 Win Mag
Mount Type: HUB threaded, comes with 5/8×24 fixed mount installed

Product Dimensions with Flush Cap:
Material: 100% Titanium
Weight: 9 oz.
Length: 5.8 in.

Product Dimensions with Muzzle Brake Cap:
Material: 100% Titanium
Weight: 9.5 oz.
Length: 6.25 in.

MSRP: $850

– Jeremy S., Shooting News Weekly
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