Live the Lifestyle? Read the Magazine.
🇺🇸 Good evening. If you watched the SOTU on Monday, you got the full American soap opera: applause lines, camera pans, side-eye reactions, and enough hot takes and one-liners to fuel the internet for a week. But for a few minutes, the noise stopped. When Medal of Honor recipients, Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover and Ret. Navy Capt. Royce Williams were recognized, time seemed to stop in honor of their moment. Unless you were on the left side of the room… We rarely wade into politics here at H&B, but if you failed to stand (and I’ll admit it, I even got watery-eyed) for these brave men, especially a 100-year-old Korean War veteran who was shooting down commie bastards before you were even born, please refer to my comment about “commie bastards” and I’ll leave it at that…
Stepping off my soapbox now.
Standards still matter. Confidence still matters. Earning it still matters. And while tonight’s INSIDER email isn’t asking you to land a Chinook on a rooftop or shoot down a bunch of Soviets, it does follow the same rule: if it hasn’t proven itself, it doesn’t earn the recognition.
- John J. Radzwilla, Editor-in-Chief
For the skimmers:
➤ The MP5SD, Revisited + VIDEO
➤ Federal Target Loads That Make Sense
➤ Ruger’s Harrier Gets Run + VIDEO
➤ Best Guns, Ammo and Optics Deals Worth Clicking
➤ Behind the Velvet Rope at Western Hunt Expo
👉🏼 Read it. Forward it. Then trade the algorithm for something that lasts.
👇🏼 Let’s get into it.
HK MP5SD REVIEW + VIDEO
Icons Don’t Need Hype.
The HK MP5SD isn’t new. It isn’t trendy. And it doesn’t care about either. Legends fall into two camps: those that earned their reputation under real pressure, and those that live off nostalgia. The MP5SD belongs firmly in the first category. Inside of H&K’s famous Gray Room, we revisited Heckler & Koch’s integrally suppressed classic to separate myth from measurable performance — what still holds up, what still surprises, and why it continues to command respect decades later.
FEDERAL TARGET LOADS
Because Trigger Time Beats Talk.
Training isn’t glamorous. It’s repetitive. And it’s where confidence is built. Federal’s target loads aren’t chasing headlines. They’re built for consistency, affordability, and volume — the things that actually matter if you shoot more than you post. If preparation matters more to you than opinion, start here.
RUGER HARRIER REVIEW + VIDEO
Proven > Promised.
Plenty of rifles look good in a catalog. Fewer hold up when the round count climbs and the conditions stop cooperating. We didn’t care how the Ruger Harrier photographed. We wanted to know how it ran. So we put it through real use. If you believe equipment should earn its keep, not just its price tag, this breakdown is worth your time.
ONE LAST LOOK
Load Up On the Deals.
Not every “sale” is a deal - unless you’re Peg Bundy. And not every discount is worth your time. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to move, this is your final pass before some of these windows close. We filtered the noise so you don’t have to.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Western Hunt Expo, After Hours.
Trade shows are loud. The real conversations aren’t. From the show floor at Western Hunt Expo to the Hook & Barrel x SilencerCo. VIP party, where partnerships got built and the future of the industry quietly took shape, we are allowing you a peek behind the curtain. The outdoor lifestyle isn’t a niche. It’s culture and connection. And yes, a little bit of velvet rope.
🗓️ UP NEXT: Next Tuesday moves beyond the range. Lifestyle hits, sharp conversations, and more from the Steve Harvey issue that’s redefining the room.
💪🏼 H&B Flex: Anyone can click. Not everyone commits. Upgrade to print 👇🏼
Load Up on H&B Gear
Some corners of the industry lean into spectacle. We lean into standards: Clean rifles. Early mornings. Safety first. Always. If that resonates, put it on your head.
👇🏼 For more from all our INSIDER brands, click below.
