SHOT Show’s 2026 Range Day

This year, NWTF staff noticed significantly fewer hunting-centric products at the event, but — with the countless shots ringing from all directions— the contribution to wildlife conservation via the Pittman-Robertson Act was on full display.  

Despite no new turkey guns or shotshells at range day, NWTF staff enjoyed testing out products from a variety of household firearm companies, as well as some lesser-known brands making some innovative products.  

Franklin Armory unveiled its Total Round Control bolt action system at the range. The patent-pending system is designed to control each round through the entire feeding, chambering, firing, extraction and ejection cycle. This system seeks to allow hunters and long-range shooters the best of push feed and controlled-round feed. 

Caldwell showcased its ClayCopter lineup, a new take on aerial shotgun targets designed to better mimic real bird flight. Using a spinning prop-style target, ClayCopter throws unpredictable, lifelike patterns that challenge shooters and sharpen instincts for the field. The lightweight, eco-friendly targets can fly up to 100 yards, making them a strong offseason training tool for upland and wingshooters alike. 

Caldwell’s ClayCopter lineup includes three launcher options to fit different practice styles: 

• ClayCopter Rip-Launcher: A battery-free, handheld launcher with an auto-retracting pull cord. It throws single or paired targets up to 80 yards, weighs about 2.5 pounds and packs easily for quick range sessions. 

• ClayCopter Launcher: Another lightweight handheld option that launches targets up to 100 yards with variable speed control. A built-in rechargeable battery delivers more than 300 launches per charge and includes a battery level indicator. 

• ClayCopter Surface-to-Air: A freestanding, hands-free launcher weighing under 10 pounds. It connects through the Caldwell mobile app from up to 100 yards away, allowing users to control up to 10 throwers at once, set preset pairs or flurries and even use voice launch. The included lithium-ion battery provides up to 300 launches per charge. 

For NWTF members looking to stay sharp between seasons, the ClayCopter system offers a fun, portable way to replicate real-world wing shooting scenarios and keep skills honed until opening day. 

GLOCK Gen6: A Familiar Platform Refined 

GLOCK previewed the upcoming GLOCK Gen6, set to officially launch this week, and it brings meaningful refinements to the GLOCK lineup, introducing ergonomic and performance upgrades. 

The pistol features a new flat-faced trigger design for a more consistent feel and improved trigger control, along with the Gen6 optic-ready system, giving shooters greater flexibility to run modern pistol optics straight from the factory. 

We shot the new GLOCK 17 and GLOCK 19 Gen6, and both represent a thoughtful evolution of a classic platform, combining familiar performance with modern updates. 

One of the most noticeable updates is the newly developed RTF6 texture, which expands grip coverage across more of the pistol, including new areas such as the thumb rest. Additionally, deeper slide serrations from previous models are not only appealing visually but also practical.  

Carbon Research USA: Lightweight Innovation with Serious Performance 

At the range, we put Carbon Research USA’s suppressor lineup to the test and quickly saw why their carbon fiber technology is turning heads. Built with an integrated blend of carbon fiber, titanium and Kevlar, these suppressors deliver an impressive balance of ultra-lightweight performance and hard-use durability. 

One standout takeaway was thermal performance. The carbon fiber construction significantly reduced heat retention, helping reduce heat-related optic distortion and allowed for safer handling. Even after sustained firing, the suppressor remained noticeably cooler than traditional designs.

HK's new compact CC9 is built to the same durability and reliability standards as the company’s full-size pistols, with extensive testing that included hundreds of thousands of rounds before production. The firearm is optics-ready and features high-visibility sights for fast target acquisition. Altogether, it’s a small pistol that was accurate, reliable and fun to shoot. 

NWTF staff connected with the Shoot Like A Girl team to experience their mobile range trailer, a hands-on platform designed to introduce women to archery and shooting sports in a safe, welcoming and confidence-building environment. 

Why should NWTF members care? Because initiatives like this directly support the future of hunting and conservation. Much like NWTF’s commitment to recruitment, retention and reactivation, Shoot Like A Girl helps break down barriers to entry, creating new hunters, shooters and conservationists who will carry our traditions forward. By empowering women to step onto the range and into the outdoors with confidence, programs like this strengthen our shared mission, expand our conservation community and ensure continued support for wildlife and habitat for generations to come. 

We shot a variety of Henry Repeating Arms models, many of which were either completely new or upgraded classics.   

A Henry representative noted the new and upgraded products they have on the horizon: “In 2026 we are doing essentially a product line evolution, so we’ll have 65 new SKUs we will announce here at SHOT, some of those are brand new, some of those are features that people wanted for a very long time, and we are proud to bring them to the market.”  

Henry’s Special Products Division CRUSR was a standout gun. It is a lightweight lever-action rifle built for rugged outdoor use and chambered in .45-70 Gov’t with a 4-round capacity. It couples a classic Henry lever action with modern features like a carbon-wrapped stainless steel barrel.  

Another standout gun from Henry’s Special Products Division was the PREDATOR, a .223 Remington/5.56 NATO lever-action rifle built for predator and varmint hunters. The Henry representative told us that, when field testing it, they were able to shoot some serious distance with it.