2019 Awards of Excellence

Sporting Classics 17th annual Awards of Excellence salute 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 2019 awards were submitted by our senior and contributing editors, then finalized by the magazine 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.

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Company of the Year
HORNADY
Hornady.com

In the late 1960s, Hornady was a mid-sized, regional bullet-maker just 200 miles south of our farm. We loaded Hornady secant ogive spire point bullets in our .222 Remingtons, 6mm Remingtons and .30-06 Springfields. Racy stuff. Fast forward 50 years and Hornady in still in Grand Island, Nebraska, but it is now an international powerhouse designing and building bullets, ammunition and reloading tools that are changing the shooting world.

Since 2002, Hornady has created a dozen new cartridges, from 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire and 6.5 Creedmoor through the
.416 Ruger Compact Magnum. Hornady is driving long-range shooting with high B.C. bullets, breathing new life into lever actions with Flex-Tip bullets and reviving dangerous game big bores by loading 17 heavy rounds like .404 Jeffery, .450 Rigby and .500 Nitro Express. Sporting Classics salutes Hornady, an innovator and driving force in the hunting and shooting world.   — Ron Spomer

 

Special Editors’ Award
CAESAR GUERINI
Gueriniusa.com

When an entrepreneurial venture forges a still-smoking niche into a daunting and established sporting market—in this case the intensely competitive and discriminating arena of fine shotguns—when in the space of 16 operating years it creates a brand so iconically recognizable worldwide for artistry, quality, performance and value it stands singular, when in its culture customer service is supreme, product excellence is habitual, and the aspiration becomes ever more extraordinary, it deserves highest honors. For 2019, Sporting Classics proudly confers upon the Italian gun-making firm of Caesar Guerini its prestigious Special Editors’ Award.

Debuting in 2002 around the relentless initiative of sportsman and competitive shooter Wes Lang to showcase to American interests the selective over/under offerings of gun-builders Antonio and Giorgio Guerini, Caesar Guerini has never looked aside customer desire. Fashioning and expanding an exquisitely distinctive line of game and target guns of irresistible appeal.

From the best of affordable CNC gun design to the custom-built and hand-adorned majesty of the higher grades . . . from the Woodlander to the Forum, from the guns of Invictus to Ellipse, to the unique beauty of the Limited Editions like the Essex Gold . . .
if you own a Guerini, you’ve chosen one of the world’s best.    — Mike Gaddis

 

Ammunition
FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY
FederalPremium.com

From the very first color-coded shotshells in 1960 to Olympic-winning .22 rimfire ammo in the 1990s to the new .224 Valkyrie centerfire in 2018, Federal Premium has a rich history of innovation and quality. In the mid-20th century, when most ammunition manufacturers were loading only their proprietary bullets, Federal had the foresight and temerity to offer hunters a Nosler Partition bullet in many popular calibers. Other premium bullets followed, giving hunters what they wanted instead of what Federal wanted them to want.

Federal built the first commercial steel shotshells in the mid-1970s, Black Cloud waterfowl shells in 2007, Trophy Bonded Tip big game bullets in 2008, and resurrected many dangerous game big bore cartridges like .470 NE.

Here in 2019, Federal offers shooters and hunters more choices in more calibers and gauges than any other major ammunition manufacturer, which is why we present Federal Premium our Ammunition Award of Excellence. — Ron Spomer

 

 

Rifles
STEYR ARMS
SteyrArms.com

Because of its cutting edge, some would say futuristic, AUG A1 bullpup military assault rifles, Steyr might strike American hunters as something new out of Austria. No chance. Steyr has been making cutting-edge rifles ever since its first breechloader in 1864. Veteran hunters from the 20th century still speak in hushed tones of the butter-smooth action of the Steyr Mannlicher with its Schoenauer spool magazine.

Today, Steyr serves traditional hunters with walnut-and-blued as well as synthetic-stocked CL bolt-actions. Cutting edge hunters/shooters gravitate to the Scout, a short, handy bolt-action with built-in bipod, spare magazine well, integral Picatinny rails and multiple sling swivel attachment points. Rimfire shooters rejoice in the reintroduction of the famous Zephyr, a full-size, professional quality bolt-action in .17 HMR, .22LR and .22 WMR.

And then there is the full line of Merkel double rifles and single shots—more than enough to earn Steyr our Rifle Company of the Year award.  — Ron Spomer

 

Handguns
KIMBER
KimberAmerica.com

Kimber builds the world’s finest 1911 pistols right here in America—something that makes sense, as few things are as American as a 1911 .45 ACP. Virtually every critical component of every pistol is made inside the Kimber factory. The finest raw materials come through the front gate and Kimber does the rest, the only way to ensure that every part meets unequaled standards.

America’s best shooters keep choosing Kimber. Legendary LAPD SWAT tested five major 1911 brands and chose Kimber. United States Marines assigned to Special Operations Command chose Kimber. The U.S.A. Shooting Rapid Fire Pistol Team trains for Olympic competition with a Kimber. Most recently, LAPD SIS transitioned to Kimber. They all chose Kimber for the same reason: quality, dependability and accuracy. So should you.

 

Sporting Art
OUT OF AFRICA – IN MONTANA GALLERY
FWDart.com

Located in Bozeman, Out of Africa – In Montana Gallery was started by Skip Tubbs in 1980. After graduating from the University of Montana with a degree in zoology, Skip relocated to the Bozeman area to become partners in the Artist Union Gallery. His custom-framing business soon separated and became Framework Designs, which evolved into the sporting and fine wildlife art gallery that it is today.

A part-time biologist, falconer and avid sportsman, Skip believes that his passions are responsible for his choices of the truly talented group of artists who show their knowledge and passion for the subject matter they create.

Skip’s gallery offerings regularly include paintings by Bob Kuhn, John Banovich, Simon Combes, John Seerey-Lester, Julie Jeppsen, Paco Young, Brian Jarvi, Guy Combes, Adam Smith and other renowned wildlife and western artists.

 

Sporting Properties
LANDLEADER
LandLeader.com

America the Beautiful is much more than a patriotic song. It’s every hillside, mountain, valley, trickling creek and roaring river. It’s mile-long meadows
of cows and horses grazing under bluebird skies. We are so fortunate as Americans to live in such a beautiful country, and it’s our duty to protect these natural wonders. Whether you own land or aspire to, you are likely part of a community that lives and breathes the great outdoors—hunting, fishing, farming, conservation, environmental stewardship—all of the things that make land so meaningful. Land gives us grit and it gives us memories, along with a legacy to pass on to future generations.

Land ownership is a spirited endeavor, and one to be proud of. And that’s why everyone in the LandLeader community far and wide embodies that spirit. I have the distinct honor and privilege of working alongside real estate professionals who are beyond passionate about farm, ranch, plantation and recreational lands. Hearing the landowners’ stories that are full of history, hard work and character is truly a fulfilling experience.

The LandLeader family is indeed special. Each member has a true love and knowledge of the great outdoors and all that it offers. No matter your pursuit, no matter your goals, we are here to help you find your perfect property. We encourage you to reach out to our members and share your passion for the land.    — Pat Doyle

 

Shotguns
BERETTA
Beretta.com

As the oldest firearms manufacturer in the world, Beretta knows a thing or two about shotguns. Beretta recently launched its newest premium shotgun, the SL3. By blending traditional gun-making techniques with modern technological innovation, Beretta created an aesthetically beautiful shotgun that can withstand intensive use in the field.

But it’s not just premium shotguns that benefit from Beretta’s commitment to innovation. The A400 Xtreme Plus is the newest semiautomatic offering designed to stand up to the toughest waterfowling conditions and destined to be the go-to gun for hardcore waterfowlers who follow the birds wherever they go.

 

Fishing
ADIPOSE BOATWORKS
AdiposeBoatworks.com

From the rush of Montana big river country, the flow and swirl of the Missouri, the Big Hole and Blackfoot, came a better idea for a drift boat. Shared passionately by fly-fishermen Mike Ward and Tracy Allen after more than 35 years of big-water guiding experience, it became Adipose Boatworks in 2009.

Born to produce the perfect trout boat, Adipose sought better, then best. In 2010, the company advanced the Adipose “Flow,” a no-frills, performance-intense fly-fishing craft that has become in the estimate of many the most ingeniously designed, crafted and fishable vessel on the water. Arguably by shape a skiff, it has all the stability and attributes of a full-sized drift boat.

Fashioned angler and rower foremost, the “Flow” is roomy—15-foot, 4-inch centerline, 58-inch footprint, 74-inch beam—with extra wall heights that provide a greater degree of safety and comfort, plus storage and gear accommodations that are creatively ample. A skiff, if you will, but with a big boat feel, a dream to handle on the most demanding rivers.

Nine years post-genesis, Adipose also offers the “Runoff,” a slightly larger “Flow”-inspired boat with refinements such as a draped-out bow and tapered bow-to-oarlock dimensions, ultra-stable and nimble to oar and fish.

The pièce-de-résistance might be a Custom Shop hull-wrap finish in “brown trout.”     — Mike Gaddis

 

Shooting Sports
ALAMO SPORTING ARMS
AlamoSportingArms.com

With their 54 combined years in the firearms industry, Mike and Pam Young have garnered a stellar reputation in the world of fine shotguns and rifles. The couple first lived in Pennsylvania where Mike worked as a gunsmith at Krieghoff International. He ultimately honed his gunmaking skills while training at Krieghoff GmbH in Germany. Pam became smitten with the gun industry when she and Mike moved to Florida to work at a gun shop.

In August 2008, Mike and Pam purchased Alamo Sporting Arms in Boerne, Texas. Through hard work, determination and a reputation for honesty, they transformed a small gun shop into one of the largest Krieghoff and Blaser dealers in the nation. 

Several months ago, the couple opened a new showroom and launched their new website. On their 24-acre property, the Youngs recently established a 100-yard rifle range where, upon request, they can sight in a customer’s rifle prior to shipment. In the coming months, they will install clay target machines, enabling clients to shoot a demo or their new gun (after Mike makes any stock-fitting adjustments). 

Alamo Sporting Arms is open by appointment only, and Pam and Mike personally answer all phone calls and emails.

“We want to provide each customer with a truly personal experience,” says Pam. “We want to get to know our customers and become friends with each and every one of them. ”

 

Optics
TRACT OPTICS
Tract.com

After pushing Nikon Sporting Optics to the forefront of the hunting and shooting world, Jon Allen and Jon LaCorte broke free to start a new company focused on providing hunters with quality optics they wanted and needed. Get rid of the corporate overhead and the focus on investors. Put the focus on high-quality optics and value pricing.

The result is a strong line of binoculars and riflescopes with the best ingredients and features at price levels that don’t make you gasp and grab your heart. SCHOTT High Transmission glass, dielectric coatings, ED lenses, precision locking turrets with multi-rotation zero stops, first focal plane reticle options, side focus parallax adjustment, illuminated reticles, waterproof and Argon gas purged and backed by a lifetime warranty against not just materials, but workmanship. No time limit, no registration necessary and applies to any owner, original or not.

You have to love products and a company attitude like this, so Sporting Classics happily presents Tract its Optics Company of the Year award.   — Ron Spomer

 

Timeless Classic
FAUSTI
Fausti.com

Only three years after the end of World War II, a young Stefano Fausti, who had learned the gunmaking trade while working with his uncle
and grandfather, decided to strike out on his own; primarily to build shotguns under the family name. His first shotgun was an exposed hammer side-by-side, which quickly found favor among double-gun aficionados. Underscoring the company’s commitment to great sporting traditions, a version of this hammer gun is still in the Fausti catalog today, 70 years later.

That doesn’t mean the company has been standing still over the decades. Far from it. Under the leadership of Stefano’s daughters, Elena, Giovanna and Barbara, Fausti has successfully managed to combine state-of-the-art manufacturing with the kind of craftsmanship and fine hand-work that separate high-grade guns from the rest of the field. The Fausti sisters may have grown up “learning to love the smell of steel,” but they also grew up with a love of their nation’s incomparable contributions to the world of art.

As much as they incorporate modern efficiencies, Fausti guns also bear homage to the Italian Renaissance, a combination of utility and neo-classical art that, together, may well form the perfect definition of a timeless classic. — Doug Painter

 

Hunting Lodge
BRANDED ROCK CANYON
BrandedRockCanyon.com

There are hunting lodges and there are hunting lodges, but there is only one Branded Rock Canyon lodge. Sure, there’s a solid structure with plush rooms, a grand dining hall with two natural stone fireplaces, Western art and taxidermy, spas and saunas and weight rooms and cuisine to impress the most discriminating palate. There are trout lakes, bird fields, mule deer, elk and cougars. But many lodges provide those things.

Only Branded Rock Canyon includes shooting venues from flat and miles long to damn near straight up and down. Canyon walls and cliffs. Sagebrush and grasslands. Hardwoods and conifers. Steel game silhouettes can be engaged from angles you won’t find anywhere else this side of the Tian Shan mountains of Asia.

Branded Rock’s shooting instructors cater to groups and individuals and cover it all—from extreme range precision to all-round field shooting under high-stress conditions. Branded Rock Canyon accommodates and fits all shooters of all ages and sizes in all disciplines in style and comfort.     — Ron Spomer

 

Gundogs
BLUE CYPRESS KENNELS
BlueCypressKennels.com

Breeding and training hunting dogs of consistently impeccable quality isn’t for the feint of heart.

Visionaries start by clearly defining ideal conformation, characteristics and attributes. Thoroughly understanding past and present genetics is critical for they provide a solid foundation for the future. Each of those elements requires access to outstanding Fountainhead dogs with championship pedigrees.

Blue Cypress Kennels’ British Labradors exceed that lofty standard. All of their retrievers born, raised and trained in the U. S. are from champion sires and dams that were born and campaigned in the UK. Breeding is based on half-a-century of proven animal husbandry, which results in athletic dogs with stylish manners.

Whether used in the uplands or in the marshes, dogs from Blue Cypress Kennels are honest, biddable and stunningly good-looking. The boutique kennel has successfully campaigned the only American-born, raised and trained British Labrador in the UK. Blue Cypress Kennels raises the standard for British Labrador retrievers in America.    — Tom Keer

 

Fishing Destination
HOOKFIRE’S TRIPLE CROWN LODGE
HookFire.com

Will and Lauren Cowan own an outfitting company called Hookfire, and their flagship property is Triple Crown Lodge located on the Famous Collon Cura River in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The Collon Cura is well known to international fishermen as it supports some of the finest brown and rainbow trout fishing to be found on our planet. The Lodge is located on the 170,000-acre estancia Quemquemtreu and also accesses a small river of the same name where the fishing is every bit as good.

Each May, the Cowans host the Triple Crown challenge for a limited number of guests. At that time, the trout fishing overlaps the hunting season for their abundant free-range red stags and California quail. The “Challenge” is to take all three on the same day, much in the manner of Scotland’s famous “McNab.”

All of this grand adventure occurs along the foothills of the incomparable Andes Mountains, with Lanin, the beautiful snow-capped volcano, standing in striking relief. This is a true “Bucket List” destination.    — Bob Matthews

 

Sporting Apparel
SCHNEE’S
Schnees.com

Schnee’s has been serving the needs of serious outdoors enthusiasts since 1946. The company’s mission is to provide best-of-breed footwear, apparel and outdoor products to discriminating buyers worldwide.

From its headquarters in Bozeman, Montana, Schnee’s has worked for more than 70 years to establish itself as a trusted resource for providing its loyal buyers with the highest quality products and 100 Percent Customer Satisfaction.

Schnee’s is widely known for its line of pac boots, including its popular Hunter II, one of the most iconic late-season mountain hunting boots on the market. Schnee’s owns and operates its boot manufacturing factory in Bozeman, and all of its boots are fully rebuildable. The company also carries a wide variety of handcrafted knives in addition to its own line of distinctive sporting apparel that includes coats and vests and shirts and caps.

 

Sporting Heritage Award
SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL
SCI.com

Safari Club International protects the freedom to hunt and promotes wildlife conservation worldwide. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., SCI is comprised of 50,000 members and has 160 chapters around the globe. SCI has lobbyists in Washington, D.C. and represents the interests of hunters before government entities and treaty groups in Europe, Africa and other countries, as well as before state and provincial governments.

SCI’s sister organization, SCI Foundation, has spent more than $70 million on various conservation, wildlife, education and humanitarian services since 2000. More than 100 wildlife conservation projects in more than 30 countries have been funded by the SCI Foundation.

While promoting the ethic of Hunter Pride, SCI engages the mainstream and social media aggressively whenever hunting is attacked, helping the majority of Americans who are neither for nor against hunting understand the critical role hunting plays for both humans and wildlife on Planet Earth.

 

Sporting Lifestyle
GARMIN
Garmin.com

The ascendancy of a company to extraordinary and universal recognition resonates about its axis of creativity, and nowhere in the outdoor lifestyle industry has perpetual innovation flourished more dynamically than at Garmin.

Started in 1989 in Lenexa, Kansas by Gary Burrell and Min Kao, with GPS then and since the core technology, Garmin has repositioned itself repeatedly at the forefront of its niche, advancing broad and elite tiers of interactive electronics supporting and enhancing the outdoor experience. Including technological “firsts” in a host of venues vital to sportsmen and women, among these: marine, aviation and automotive navigation, off-trail way-finding, sporting dog tracking and training, fish-finding, health and fitness, action-based photography, range-finding and emergency location. Handhelds and “wearable” bluetooth compatibles place much of this technology palm and wrist level.

Sportsmen trust and depend on Garmin for horizon products, remaining wisely vigilant for the next breakthrough announcement, like the exciting new Garmin Instinct smartwatch or the Panoptix Live-Scope Sonar System.    — Mike Gaddis