Welcome to the shooting equivalent of the no-look pass. This interesting little device is the new Corner Engagement Unit (CEU), which was developed by Aimpoint for military and law enforcement use. When placed behind a holographic sight, the angled eyepiece of the CEU allows the shooter to look downrange and put their rifle’s sights on target without exposing the whole of their upper body.

Because of the system’s unlimited eye relief you can back your head away from the sight as far a you like and still control the rifle’s point of impact.

How well does it work? After a 30-second rundown of how to use the sight I was able to pop metal targets 75 yards downrange with every shot. So if a piker like me can use it successfully you know that cops, military and other trained professionals are going to eat it up.

Another cool element of the system is the mount. With the flick of a lever it tips to the side to get the angled eyepiece out of the way. It also allows a shooter to quickly remove the CEU from the mount all together and, for example, pass it to another person to mount on their rifle. The CEU can also be used as a handheld unit to perform an even more stealthy peek around a corner.

What I like most about this product is that it will clearly save lives and reduce the number of injuries to the men and women serving us overseas. I hope they can get it into the field in quantity soon.

— John Snow

When I began deer hunting some 35 years ago, the tree stand as we know it today didn’t really exist. At least, not in my neck of the woods. The tree stands of my era were jerry-rigged wooden affairs quickly nailed into the cross limbs of a trees. The steps were crude wooden hunks imprecisely nailed (often with a single nail in the center of the step). As these steps weathered, the nail would work lose, often turning the step into a swivel, which sent the hunter down the trunk in a hurry.

Most of the time, though, I hunted on the ground. Stump sitting, we called it. You’d find a likely place in the woods and plant your butt on a stump or against a tree trunk and wait…and wait…and wait.

As a young hunter just coming to grips with scent and wind, I often heard deer moving away from me, and I all-too-often saw the characteristic white flag of a whitetail in hasty retreat.

Later, as I gained experience and started hunting in other parts of the country I encountered ladder and tripod stands, which had the distinct advantage of keeping my scent above a deer as well as offering a better view. Over the years, stand height increased. I went from 12 to 20 feet, and one hunter I know built an extension ladder to his stand so he can sit 30 feet above the forest floor.
Lately, I’ve noticed some new products designed to put us back on the ground. These range from chairs with camo flaps, to full-fledged camo blinds that resemble outfitter tents. I’ve even seen some with scent-control fabric.

The product shown here, from Fargason Outdoor Technologies (scentite.com), is The Tent Chair Blind Condo, a two-hunter blind that sets up quickly by unfolding the built-in full-size folding chair and pulling the water-resistant camo outer shell over you and your partner. Inside, hunters will find armrests and cup holders as well as a pair of storage pockets for calls, scents and snacks. Large side windows help waiting hunters track approaching game. $179.

What do you think? Would you prefer to stay up in the trees or come back to earth?

—Slaton White

Whether you're toting a pair of binoculars that costs $150 or a pair that costs thousands, you need to get them focussed properly to get the most out of them. Follow these four easy steps for clear viewing every time.

To focus field binoculars.

1. Place a hand over the diopter lens and focus the non-diopter lens first.

2. Then place a hand over the non-diopter lens and focus the dioper-adjusted lens.

3. Double-check your focus using the normal adjustment wheel and check your focus by viewing something distinct, like wire on a phone pole or fenceline.

4. Check your focus on objects that are 50, 75 and 100 yards away to be sure.

-Todd Smith

On the opening morning of the 2008 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Ruger announced the introduction of a new pistol--the Ruger LCP (Lightweight Compact Pistol), a .380 autoloader. Following quickly on the heels of the successful introduction of the Ruger SR9 9mm pistol, the LCP is the latest addition to the Ruger Hard-R line of products.

“The development and introduction of the Ruger LCP is in direct response to customer demand,” said Ruger president Stephen L. Sanetti. “We have not been part of this market, but the growing number of states authorizing the licensed carry of pistols for personal protection by law-abiding citizens, and continued demand by law enforcement for quality back-up guns, cannot be ignored.” 

The 9.4-ounce LCP has a capacity of 6 + 1 rounds. With a height of only 3.6 inches and a width of .82 inches, the LCP is definitely worth considering as a reliable back-up or concealed carry pistol. Given it’s small size, Ruger also believes it will appeal to women looking for a lightweight easily concealable personal defense option.

Each LCP comes with a soft case, instruction manual, external locking device and one magazine. For more information, visit the specially designed microsite at ruger.com/LCP.

—Slaton White

In an interview on ESPN yesterday, Bobby Knight reflected on his recent retirement announcement. He said that shortly after he made his announcement he heard from an old friend who said, “it’s about time.” Knight responded by saying that he was happy to be retiring because now he’d have time to do some hunting and fishing. Nice to hear our sports mentioned so prominently.

Interestingly, very little being said by any of the major presidential contenders on hunting or the Second Amendment…yet!

-Todd Smith

In the rhetorical blizzard that clouds most gun issues, a recent proposal has been snowed in by both proponents and opponents. It’s the proposal by nearly half the U.S. Senate that would allow gun owners to travel through national parks and wildlife refuges with an unconcealed gun.

That idea is contained in a letter that 47 Senators sent to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne earlier this month asking the federal agency to lift Reagan-era restrictions that prevent citizens from carrying readily accessible firearms into national parks and lands managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The proposal would treat these properties like their adjacent public lands, where it’s not illegal to drive with a cased rifle on the back seat. As someone who regularly drives through Glacier and Yellowstone national parks and worries about breaking the law because my shotgun is literally riding shotgun, I like this proposal. It doesn’t punish those of us who may forget about the current law, and it recognizes the nuances of geography and property boundaries.

In Montana, for instance, U.S. Highway 191 enters Yellowstone National Park for about eight miles, running just inside the northwestern corner of the park. I have plenty of friends who drive this stretch of highway to a favorite elk area near Hebgen Lake – unloaded elk rifles beside them – and fret that they’re breaking federal law. The Senators’ proposal would eliminate this anxiety.