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Welcome to the Summer of Cicadas! Two “broods” of cicadas are emerging in the midwest and southeast US—an occurrence that last happened 221 years ago! Opening a window and sleeping to the gentle hum of a cicada seems nothing short of ideal, right? For those NOT in emergence zones, being inundated by the cicada (its news cycle and questionable “Only Cicadas” Facebook groups, too) here are the facts:

• These bulgy-eyed bugs are LOUD, up to 105 dB in groups of 1,000+ (IE THUNDER loud, not safe for the eardrums).

• They. Are. EVERYWHERE. Groups of 1,000+? That’s just the crew hanging under your trash can lid!

• Some are “sex-crazed zombies” due to a fungus that only targets these cicadas. This is real. Look it up.

• They pee in “jet streams” at a speed of up to 10 feet per second. 😖 

What a weird time to be alive, right? This is just one of the truly bizarre instances taking the US by storm (cue giant parachuting spiders showing up on the East Coast). A new shotgun to deter a cicada might be a hard press on your spouse, but if said shotgun (or optic, or rifle) is one of the INSIDER sales we’ve scoured out for you, maybe it’s worth a shot.

WEEKLY POLL:

Last week’s results:

👊 NEMO ARMS XO 6.5 CREEDMOOR SEMI-AUTOMATIC
6-min read
We tested the NEMO Arms 22” XO (of course we added the Silencer Central BUCK 30 suppressor), and we are here to tell you that few rifles make an impact like the XO.

📝 HAMMERLI FORCE B1 .22 LR / .22 WMR RIFLE REVIEW
4-min read
The B1 is a straight-pull, biathlon-style, .22 Long Rifle-chambered rifle with a few unique features that make it an attractive rimfire option. While it comes to us from across the pond, it has some familiar features.

🏹 SIG SAUER CROSS TRAX .308 WIN BOLT-ACTION RIFLE
6-min read
When the bolt-action Sig Sauer CROSS was introduced in 2020 many were surprised because the CROSS was not tactical. The CROSS TRAX is a blend of hunting and precision rifles.

🔎 EOTECH VUDU 3.5-18×50 SFP RIFLE SCOPE TEST
4-min read
The EOTECH VUDU 3.5-18×50 is a Second Focal Plane (SFP) optic ideal for the hunter who takes medium- to longer-range shots on game. The scope features EOTECH’s XC High-Density glass, a rugged 34mm aircraft-grade aluminum tube, and large, easy-to-use tactical turrets.

⭕ SIGHTMARK MAGNIFIER & RED DOT SIGHT
2-min read
Discover the two newest optics from Sightmark. Get on target like a boss with their XTM-3 Magnifier & Element MTS 1×30 Red Dot Sight.