Sporting Classics’ 16th annual Awards of Excellence once again salutes the “best of the best”—those companies and individuals whose products and services are having a significant and long-lasting impact on our sporting lives.
Nominees for the awards are submitted by our senior and contributing editors, then finalized by the Sporting Classics staff. The honorees were chosen for their achievements in defining what a great sporting product should be. Their engineering, craftsmanship, and innovations have set higher standards than ever before.
Company of the Year – Henry Repeating Arms
Since its founding in 1997, Henry Repeating Arms has stood for quality and reliability while providing award-winning customer service on a personalized level that sets the brand apart from the competition. Throughout its history, Henry Repeating Arms has had a steadfast and unwavering commitment to keeping its manufacturing operations in the United States and providing its customers with firearms that are “Made in America or not made at all,” all while backing its products with an unlimited lifetime guarantee.
“Over the past two decades, I’ve come to realize that it’s our customers that make Henry the brand it is today,” said Anthony Imperato, president and owner of Henry Repeating Arms. “Henry is a brand that represents many different things for customers from all walks of life. It’s their stories, their passion for Henry and shooting sports that continue to push us to be the best possible firearms manufacturer we can be.”
In a testament to the quality and popularity of Henry’s rifles and shotguns, the company announced that its Classic Lever Action .22, Model H001, rolled past serial number 1,000,000 earlier this year.
Rifle of the Year – Gunwerks Helios
The Helios is an ultralight configuration of the Gunwerks shooting system. With configurable options such as a carbon-fiber stock, titanium action, light-profile or carbon barrel, and lightweight optic, this setup is ready for any high-angle or mountain hunting conditions you can throw at it.
Gunwerks’ highly engineered, composite stocks are designed with unique geometry to manage recoil better than far larger and heavier options, making this the most long-range-capable ultralight rifle on the market. Combined into a shooting system, matched with ballistic turret, rangefinder, and ammo, the rifle is ready for 1,000 yards right out of the box. The rifle is available in a wide variety of calibers from .22 Creedmoor to .300 RUM.
Shotgun of the Year – Barrett Sovereign Rutherford
The Italian-manufactured Rutherford over-and-under is the newest model in the Barrett Sovereign line. The steel-body boxlock action is coin-finished with blued details and custom engraving. The receivers are scaled to their respective gauges, which include 12, 16, 20, and 28.
The stock is English-styled, straight-grained walnut with a smooth satin finish. Overall, the Rutherford is versatile enough for a beginner as much as the experienced hunter.
Ammunition – Aguila Ammunition
Since 1961, Aguila Ammunition has been dedicated to developing and producing self-defense, recreational, hunting, law enforcement, and military ammunition. As one of the largest rimfire manufacturers in the world, Aguila offers a wide array of ammo engineered for reliability and performance.
Aguila’s unique product offerings include the Minishell, .22 Super Colbri, and .22 Sniper Subsonic. Its lines of high-quality centerfire and rimfire cartridges, as well as its shotshells, provide innovative performance, giving shooters the Aguila advantage.
Hunting Product of the Year – Swift Cartridge Company
We’ve been impressed by the new Swift Cartridge Company since its inception for several reasons, not the least of which is the quality of its centerfire ammunition and the brand’s commitment to maintaining that quality. You might call this the Rolls Royce of hunting ammunition. Many companies manufacture hunting ammo, but few, if any, build it to the quality standards of Swift.
Swift Cartridges start with proven Swift bullets, including A-Frame, Scirocco, and the new Break-Away Solids. These are fitted to the highest-quality brass filled with the best powders ignited by the most consistent primers. All are shaped and loaded to concentric consistency and water-tight sealed to withstand the harshest conditions nature dishes out.
Swift Cartridges are the perfect match for your perfect rifles and perfect hunts, and they are offered in most popular big game cartridges, plus several effective but lesser known ones. There are even extensive lines specifically designed for hunting handguns and lever-action rifles. Where else do you find that? Swift.
Serious ammunition for serious hunters. – Ron Spomer
Fishing Destination of the Year – Port Eads
There are plenty of fishing destinations, such as the typical streamside lodge where good anglingis available only a short walk from your cabin. Many of these locations also offer you the chance to catch more than one species of fish, perhaps both brook and rainbow trout.
I have fished only one place in the world, however, that offers angling opportunities from practically A to Z that, to boot, are all within a short boat ride of one another.
Welcome to our fishing destination of the year: Port Eads Marina and Lodge. It’s situated at the southernmost point in Louisiana, quite literally the southern tip of the Mississippi River. Built on a concrete platform high above the water, the lodge is surrounded by miles of tall-grass marshes, and is situated less than a mile from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Here, anglers might choose one day to chase huge bull redfish on the fly or on light tackle. Then, on the next, day head to the Gulf for giant pelagic species such as world-class tuna, swordfish, and blue marlin. In addition to the pelagic fish, the Northern Gulf is home to some of the finest bottom fishing in the world due to all the structure created by the oilrigs. Species like snapper and grouper abound.
All of this is just a short hop from the lodge, where at dinner, you can offer a toast to a great day on the water and watch the sun set over one of the best fishing areas in the world. – Doug Painter
Hunting Lodge of the Year – The Webb Farm
Using a century-plus family farm, superbly conditioned surrogated and early release coveys, haute and hustle pointing and flushing dogs, and old-time, down-to-earth Southern hospitality second to none—abetted by “best” quality amenities, guides, and cuisine—Bill and Debbie Webb of Ellerbe, North Carolina, have over the last two decades built one of the best and most cordial near-wild quail hunting experiences in the country. All the while preserving a uniquely comfortable intimacy among its guests and attracting an eclectic, distinguished, and devout national following who make a return to this singular sporting oasis in the fabled North Carolina Sandhills a frequent and undeniable must. It’s an outstanding tribute to smaller-scale entrepreneurial enterprise in the sporting world that outperforms in presentation, performance, and client satisfaction the majority of the larger operations throughout the entire Eastern seaboard.
Different in all the right ways, The Webb Farm is richly deserving and proudly honored as Sporting Classics’ Hunting Lodge of the Year. – Mike Gaddis
Optics of the Year – Styrka S7 Riflescope
The Styrka brand is one of the many “new kids” on the optical block, but it’s one that impresses us for all the right reasons. The Minnesota company is building riflescopes like its S7 series to world-class standards with best-in-world service and guarantees. Not only will Styrka (Steer-ka) repair or replace your damaged or malfunctioning S7 scope, but they’ll give it an annual cleaning and tune up for you at no charge.
Styrka scopes are built to the highest standards with the highest-quality materials: 30mm main tube, fully multi-coated lenses, blackened lens edges, side parallax focus, long eye relief, 1/4-click adjustments, machined brass erector tube, fast-focus eyepiece, illuminated reticles, ballistic reticles, waterproof, and priced to be among the best buys in the business. – Ron Spomer
Sporting Apparel – Avedon & Colby Signature Field Shirt
Truly excellent products, the very best of the best, have a timelessness that defies all the rules of modern production. Stressing quality over quantity is an antiquated and naïve proposition in today’s world, and yet, somehow, true excellence endures, albeit in miniscule amounts aimed at the very discerning. Side-by-side shotguns, fine bolt-action rifles, the classic drop-point hunting knife—other tools may get the job done, but nothing will ever transcend the classics.
When it comes to the very best of the best safari clothing, nothing surpasses Avedon & Colby. Their signature field shirt, made of true, old-fashioned, 100 percent cotton long-staple bush poplin, has been designed specifically for the hunter who wants the best in function, durability, practicality, double-tough construction, comfort, and looks. Yes, looks—traditional, practical looks that have evolved from generations of testing in the field. Papa would have been thrilled to wear this shirt. – Jameson Parker
Shooting Sports – Blaser USA
Blaser USA, Inc. is the official importer for iconic German firearms brands Blaser, Mauser, and Sauer, in addition to English gunmaker John Rigby & Co. Leading the way through innovation, Blaser’s L&O Hunting Group has become the driving force in the international hunting rifle industry.
“Fifty years of expertise have sharpened our senses for intelligent advances in our product line,” says CEO Christian Socher. ”However, we never lose sight of our ethical commitment to hunting. Everyone who works at Blaser shares the same enthusiasm for hunting. But we all have different talents. It is this diversity of personalities and seamless blend of skills that empower the company’s continued success.”
Blaser USA’s diverse portfolio now features a number of new product lines, such as Infinity riflescopes and Primus binoculars, the latest Sauer 100 line, plus the new M18 bolt-action rifle from Mauser. Altogether, these innovative products demonstrate that Blaser USA, Inc. is not simply a one-dimensional importer, but a company that continually strives to be best in class.
Sporting Heritage Award – Dallas Safari Club
Dallas Safari Club is a mission-focused conservation organization funded by hunters from around the world. With an administrative staff of less than 15 and a volunteer army of 500, DSC hosts the Greatest Hunters’ Convention on the Planet, which in the past five years has channeled more than $5 million to projects, organizations, and programs in support of conservation, outdoor education, and hunter advocacy.
The DSC Foundation is a non-profit corporation that serves the mission of DSC to conserve wildlife and wilderness lands, to educate youth and the general public, and to promote and protect the rights and interests of hunters worldwide.
The first DSC Convention, held in 1981 as a one-day event, had 37 exhibitors. This year’s show at the Dallas Convention Center and the Omni Hotel had more than 900 exhibitors, 30,000-plus attendees, and its auctions raised $2 million. Membership in DSC is now at 6,000 and includes nine chapters around the U.S.
Sporting Art – John Banovich
Acclaimed internationally for his large, dramatic portrayals of iconic wildlife, John Banovich captures on canvas the essence of a creature and shares it with others in a way that inspires them to not only see the art but react to it. His paintings have been showcased on network television, magazine covers, museums, and in the homes of the world’s most discriminating connoisseurs. His quest to capture the ancient mystery in the eyes of wild beasts spans from Montana, where he was born and home to the Banovich Art Center to the farthest reaches of the globe, including Russia, Asia, and his beloved Africa.
The artist’s life-size paintings have drawn global attention to ivory poaching, and his deep knowledge of wildlife and unwavering commitment to conservation continue to raise awareness about imperiled species.
Currently, Banovich is working on a project that epitomize his synthesis of art and conservation. In early February, the Banovich Wildscapes Foundation presented the Award for Conservation Excellence. Conceptualized years ago by Banovich, the ACE is a non-profit award that honors and appreciates a legacy of conservation through recognition of men and women who share their passion to conserve the great outdoors and have made extraordinary contributions to the sustainability of nature and wildlife.
Banovich resides outside of Seattle, Washington, with his wife and two children.
Special Editor’s Award – Sig Sauer
At its world-class facilities in New Hampshire, Oregon, and Arkansas, Sig Sauer manufactures the finest firearms, ammunition, electro-optics, suppressors, and Advanced Sport Pellet airguns, while also offering the highest-quality firearms and tactical instruction and training at the renowned Sig Sauer Academy.
This broad capability earns SIG the unique reputation as The Complete Systems Provider. This total package and relentless focus on performance, innovation, and design sets Sig Sauer apart from other firearm manufacturers, as its diverse product line and complementary training programs are unmatched in the firearms industry.
When it is “Made by SIG,” it boasts the same exacting standards of quality, reliability, and performance that have made Sig Sauer the brand of choice for many of the most elite military, government, and law enforcement units across the globe. Regardless of whether a SIG product will be used by a soldier, law enforcement officer, or private citizen, it is made with the same rigorous and relentless quality to ensure that Sig Sauer will perform when it matters most.
Timeless Classic – John Rigby & Company’s Highland Stalker Rifle
London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. recently unveiled its highly anticipated Highland Stalker rifle, which is inspired by the smaller-caliber Rigby rifles used by iconic British adventurers such as Karamojo Bell and Jim Corbett. Rigby regards the Scottish Highlands as the birthplace of stalking, and the title befits the rifle.
Available in both men’s and ladies’ versions, the rifle took three years to develop with Rigby’s historic partner Mauser. The stunning rifle features Grade 5 wood as standard, traditional Rigby pattern iron sights, an ambidextrous stock, rounded grip shape, hand-finished checkering, and original-style engraving. Weighing 7½ pounds, the rifle’s magazine holds 4+1 for all calibers. Of course, numerous upgrades and embellishments are available to any specification. Available in .275 Rigby, .308, .30-06, 8×57, and 9.3×62.
Sporting Lifestyle – Double Guns of Nashville
Founded by Terry Hetrick and Barry Rich, two of America’s most experienced and accomplished shotgunners, Double Guns of Nashville caters to hunters and competition shooters alike.
Located in an exquisite shotgun and rifle emporium, Double Guns of Nashville provides personal shooting instruction for every level of shotgunning proficiency and features a handsome gun room designed by the legendary Julian & Sons that displays fine firearms from across the world. The staff also stands ready to assist in your selection of a “bespoke” shotgun, designed and crafted expressly to your individual specifications.
With uncompromising dedication to excellence and service, Double Guns of Nashville is redefining the art of offering superior-quality long guns to the discerning sportsman. – Mike Altizer