Why the 2025 NRA Annual Meeting Matters for Hunters
The 2025 NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta might look like a tactical playground to some, but it's much bigger for us. It's a rallying point, a gut check, and a chance to step forward, or step aside, as the Second Amendment community charts its course under a new Trump administration.

If you hunt, this event matters. And if you care about public lands, future generations, and the right to pursue wild game with the tools we've relied on for decades, this is your show, too.

We Fund Conservation, and the NRA Has Our Back
Let's not overcomplicate it: hunters pay the bill for conservation. Since 1937, through the Pittman-Robertson Act, we've funneled more than $15 billion into wildlife restoration, habitat protection, and public land access. That money comes from taxes on guns, ammo, and archery equipment, the same gear politicians are constantly trying to restrict.

So when you hear talk about magazine bans or ammo restrictions, know this: that's not just a shot at gun rights. It's a shot at the very system that funds conservation.

The NRA shows up in the halls of Congress, in statehouses, and in courtrooms to remind lawmakers of that fact. The 2025 meeting will set the tone for pushing back against threats to the gear and funding streams that keep wild places wild.

Hunting Rights Are Gun Rights
Let's cut through the noise. When someone says, "We're not coming for your hunting rifles," it usually means they've already drawn the map to get there. Lead ammo bans, magazine limits on bolt guns, or zoning hunters off public lands all start under the banner of "reasonable restrictions."

We've seen it before, and we'll see it again. What starts with an AR often ends with a slug gun or a turkey load - and even a bow.

The NRA fights on all fronts, and the conversations in Atlanta will shape the next moves. 

If You Care About Mentorship, You Belong Here
Hunting doesn't survive unless we pass it on. Period. The NRA knows this and continues to invest in programs like:

• Hunter education and safety instruction
• Youth shooting scholarships
• Women On Target hunting clinics

They're working to pull new folks in, train them, and mentor them. And, they always have. Again, when I started a nonprofit in 2013 to help educate youth about archery, hunting, and conservation the first to show up was the NRA. Events like this aren't just trade shows but incubators for the next generation of ethical, prepared, and passionate hunters. If we don't show up to shape the culture, someone else will.

It's Time We Showed Up. Together.
Politics can feel like a circus. Hunters get that. We're not trying to be partisan but to protect what matters. And sometimes, that means shaking a hand, attending a panel, or walking an expo hall to remind people that the hunting community isn't just alive; it's thriving.

Now that Trump is back in the White House, there is an opportunity, regulatory relief and federal-level support. But opportunity only matters if you take it.

The 2025 NRA Annual Meeting is more than a gun show. It's more than a political rally. It's a chance for hunters to reclaim a visible, vocal place in the Second Amendment movement.

So walk the floor, talk to the people writing the laws, and show your face. Because if you don't, don't be surprised when someone else defines what hunting looks like tomorrow.

We've got a lot to lose and even more to protect.

Jay Pinsky
Editor — The Hunting Wire
www.huntingwire.com

By Shane Jahn

Larry Weishuhn has taken a variety of animals with lever-action rifles throughout his life.

Larry Weishuhn really needs no introduction to The Hunting Wire. He is an icon on the outdoor industry and is truly one of the most genuine men one could ever hope to meet. Wildlife biologist, writer, television personality, blog host, public speaker, Larry is one of the busiest people I know! Currently he co-hosts “A Sportsman’s Life” on Carbon TV, and he also hosts his podcast, “DSC Campfires with Larry Weishuhn.” The author of several books, his latest literary endeavors include Deer Addictions and two additional books which he co-authored with fellow outdoorsman, Luke Clayton, titled, Campfire Talk and Poor Man’s Grizzly.

Why are you a lever-action rifle fan?
My fascination with lever actions started when I was a youngster growing up in the Zimmerscheidt Community of Southern Texas, just north of Texas’ Colorado River, above the Gulf Coast Plains. My dad and uncles primarily hunted with Winchester Model 94s and a couple had Savage Model 99s as did most everyone in our community. From tyke on I wanted a real deer rifle, a lever action Model 94, not only like my family hunted with, but also because I grew up in the 1950’s and early 1960’s when cowboy movies showed shooting lever action rifles. I knew those rifles to be accurate out to just beyond 100-yards, were fast on any second or more shot, and were handy and easy to carry and quick to point. Those factors and others, because of the classic lines of the older lever action rifle I have long been enamored and fascinated by lever action rifle. Today I love them for the same reason…accurate with Hornady ammo, quick and easy handling, good looking, some nostalgia, and the sign of someone who is a really good outdoorsman and hunter, rather than simply a “shooter”!

Weishuhn owns and uses a variety of different lever-action rifles.

What is your favorite lever action and why? Frankly I have several favorite, those include my Dad and father-in-law’s Winchester Model 94, one stamped .30-30 Win the other .30 Govt, both dating back to the 1940s and earlier; the .300 Savage Model 99 Savage with which I shot my first mule deer in western Texas back in 1970; an ancient Winchester Model 1895 in .30Govt06 (one I think my dad sold back in the late 1940’s, which I finally tracked down three years ago), and my modern favorites Rossi R92 in .45 Colt and .44 Mag, as well as my Rossi R95 in .30-30 Winchester. I have used all of these on deer as well as hogs. From an older perspective, I really like the Winchester Model 1895, which was built in the very early 1900’s and from a modern perspective, my R92 in .44 Mag. Those two are currently my favorites and that status could change again in the near future!

As to why? I love the nostalgia of the Model 1895, as well as how it looks and how it shoots. With Hornady American Whitetail, using the factory open-sights I can put all my shots within a 4-inch circle at 100-yards, and several of those in an even tighter group. Long a fan of Teddy Roosevelt, I know the Model 1895 was on of his favorite rifles.

I really like the R92 in .44 Mag! For one reason I often hunt with a Taurus Raging Hunter in .44 Mag and carry both when in the deer woods and brush. I shoot the same 240-grain Hornaday XTP ammo in both and can shoot very tight groups with both lever-action rifle and handgun at 100-yards, which is essentially my personal maximum range with both. I dearly like the way the rifle handles, quickly points, is truly classy looking with really nice “real wood”.

Weishuhn used a Rossi lever gun on this buck.

Do you ever feel handicapped as a hunter with your lever action rifle” Why and Why not?
I do not feel handicapped with my lever action rifles because of those mentioned I know their capabilities in terms of accuracy at various distances, and my capabilities with them. I know their limitations and mine with them! I hunt with lever action rifles in those situations where I have no intention of taking shots beyond about 125-yards. If I hunt elsewhere, where shots might be much longer, I’ll use an appropriate rifle other than my lever actions. And to me…hunting means getting as close as possible before taking the shot…otherwise it’s simply shooting rather than hunting.

How has the lever action impacted the hunting community?
I personally am thrilled to see so many shooters and hunters show interest in lever action rifles. It gives me hope as an old-time hunter with nearly 70 years of hunting experience including hunting around the world to see the current interest and resurgence in lever action rifle interest. Hunting with a lever action denotes and parlay as sense of honor of showing others the lever action rifle hunter/shooter has abilities beyond simply relying on today’s available technology. Seeing some one show up in a hunting camp with a lever action to me speaks very highly of that individual in terms of his true hunting abilities and woodsmanship.

Does the lever gun have any unique traits which makes it the gun of choice for you as a hunter
Frankly I hunt with several rifles and handguns. Some of my rifles are single-shot and some are bolt action, as well as lever guns. I also hunt with handguns, mostly revolvers and occasionally single shots. I think in terms of lever actions because I like the challenge of getting close before pulling the trigger. I like the idea of somewhat “returning to those thrilling days of yesteryear”, when guns were made of blued steel and stock were made of wood, before the days of of fancy plywood and plastic stocks. Things of true and classic beauty. To me seeing someone who hunts with a blued steel and walnut lever action parlays an air of classic times and “class” in the one who hunts with a lever action…

Why do you think lever actions have surged in popularity over the past few years?
I think there had been somewhat of a resurgence in wanting a true hunting experience, although there today are many “shooters at game” rather than true hunters, those who choose to hunt with lever actions are looked upon like the “fly fishermen” of the hunting world. Those value the hunting experience rather than simply pulling the trigger. I think more and more are indeed looking for that true hunting experience and yearn for the days experienced by the fathers and grandfathers.

Do you expect the surge to continue?
I truly think the lever action surge will continue. I only hope manufacturers continue to build lever actions that look like lever actions of yore or close to it, rather than some tricked out modern piece… Would love to see the Savage Model 99 reprised. That model really gained popularity during the Pancho Villa days and that time period.

I think at least some people are starting to realize how much fun it is to shoot lever actions and how fast they can be shot… The other thing is too with Hornady doing their LEVERevolution ammo they increase the range and the effectiveness of lever action rifles…and too, I think there are new to shooting and hunting who look at the lever actions as “being cool” … I think that will last long into the future!

What are your fondest memories of hunting with your favorite lever action rifle?
My memories are built around two guns, my first mule deer taking with a Model 99 Savage. From a time I looked at hunting magazines and listened to the tales of friends of my dad who hunted mule deer in Colorado, I wanted to hunt and take a mule deer. I was 23 years old and had just graduated from Texas A&M before that opportunity arose. My only rifle at the time was bolt action Savage Model 340 .30-30 Win. I talked my younger brother and Dad into letting me take their Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage because it was “so much more powerful” than my .30-30.

Taking that first mule deer high on ridge overlooking Persimmon Gap north of Kent on the Yearwood Ranch will forever be with me. Truly a special hunt then and ever since.

Fast forward to years later, on staff with Shooting Times. I got a Marlin Guide gun from Tony Aeschelmann, who then was Marlin’s PR/Media guy, this after hunting with Tony and Jim Bequette on Anteosta Island and in northern Missouri… That rifle was the most accurate rifle I owned for many years. I would same hole 300-grain Hornady at 100-yards if I did my part. On hunts where we were asked to make certain our rifles were sighted in, using that rifle, rather than shoot at the target I would pick out a rock 3-6 feet to the left of the target, then on the second shot do the same to the right of the target, while the guide shook his head in disgust at my shooting. Then I would simply loosen the scope adjustment caps, rather than take them off to make adjustments, acting like I really knew I was doing the right thing. Then reload with 3 rounds, and from a not great rest, shoot those three shots as quickly as I could at the real target and shoot so the .45 hole became a .50 hole… About that time the guide finally figured out I was messing with him. That’s the rifle with me wearing all red and the bear. I out of kindness “sold” that rifle to Jim Bequette when he begged me for one of my rifles, because of my years of serving on staff with Shooting Times… My two favorite lever actions…

If you could only have one lever action, which one would it be and why?
Tough decision! If I could only have one, discounting my dad’s and Father-in-law’s Model 94s because of the vast sentimental value…it would come down to my Savage Model 99 .300 Savage and Winchester 1895 .30Govt06. Both have the potential of being 200-yards guns, both big enough caliber/rounds to hunt elk, bears, even moose and a lot of other things… It would be a very tough decision because of the sentimental value of the .300 Savage, but if I had to pair it down to only one… I would go with my ancient Model 1895 Winchester in .30Govt06 because of the ammo availability, numerous options, accuracy even with open sights. With the metal recoil plate, she “kicks a bit”. But I can put three to five rounds, various Hornady ammo, within a 3 to 5-inch circle at 100-yards. Plus, I like the look and feel of that old rifle…

Outside of hunting, what other roles should people consider a lever action for? Are there any that are underrated?
Lever action rifles of blued steel and real wood stocks, have a natural beauty about them, one that speaks of history and future. They too look good hanging on office walls and over fireplace mantels. They speak of an era, of proud people, hard-working people who worked for a living, and often depended upon their firearm to keep their family fed and safe. They are built to last and not jam, thus can be counted on even when things are going other than expected. They are real, reliable, functionable, and classy!

Anything else?
I think I covered most of my “personal bases” when it comes to lever guns. As mentioned, I do own numerous guns including single-shots, bolt action, and revolvers. My guns are “tools” but I’m also someone who appreciated good looking tools which I can pass down with pride to those that follow, just like my dad and father-in-law did with their lever action rifles.

We should never forget we were once primarily a nation of lever gun owners ...