If you're reloading ammunition and you don't own a chronograph, you're flying blind. Load data from a manual gives you a starting point, but your rifle, your barrel length, your lot of powder, and your ambient temperature all affect what actually comes out of the muzzle. A chronograph tells you what's really happening — not...
Category: Gear & Guides
Buyer’s guides, gear reviews, and equipment recommendations
CCW Training Essentials: 7 Skills Every Carrier Needs
Quality CCW training is the single most important investment a concealed carrier can make. Getting your concealed carry permit is not the finish line. It is the starting line. Quality concealed carry training goes far beyond fulfilling a permit requirement — it builds the skills that matter when seconds count. Affiliate Disclosure: Powder & Lead...
How to Buy Firearms Online: Complete 2026 Guide
Learning how to buy firearms online safely and legally is easier than most people think. By Powder & Lead Staff | Updated March 2026 Affiliate Disclosure: Powder & Lead is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep...
Best .22 LR Rifles in 2026: Top 10 Picks Reviewed
The best 22 LR rifles combine rock-bottom ammunition costs, virtually zero recoil, and surprising accuracy — which is exactly why the .22 Long Rifle has been the world's most popular rimfire cartridge since 1887. Rounds cost a fraction of centerfire (roughly $0.05 to $0.08 per round for quality loads), and rifles chambered in it range...
Best Gun Cleaning Kits in 2026: Top 7 Picks Reviewed
Choosing the right gun cleaning kit matters more than most shooters realize. A quality kit with the right components keeps your firearms running reliably, preserves accuracy, and prevents the kind of corrosion and fouling buildup that leads to expensive problems. We've tested and researched the top universal cleaning kits on the market in 2026 to...
Long Range Shooting for Beginners: Complete 2026 Guide
Long range shooting for beginners can feel overwhelming, but it is the discipline that humbles you fastest and rewards patience most generously. At 100 yards, a mediocre shooter with a mediocre rifle can hit a steel plate every time. At 500 yards, the variables multiply: wind speed and direction at multiple points along the bullet's...
Best Concealed Carry Holsters in 2026: Top 14 Reviewed
The holster is the most underestimated piece of gear in concealed carry. People will spend $600 on a pistol, $300 on a red dot, $200 on a weapon light, and then stuff the whole package into a $25 nylon sack from the gun show because "it fits." That's backwards. A bad holster doesn't just make...
Best Gun Safes in 2026: Top 15 Picks for Home Security
Owning firearms comes with an obligation to store them responsibly — and the best gun safes make that obligation easy to meet. Whether you're preventing unauthorized access by children, deterring theft, protecting your collection from fire, or meeting insurance requirements, the right safe is a non-negotiable part of firearms ownership. Affiliate Disclosure: Powder & Lead...
Best AR-15 Upgrades in 2026: 7 Mods That Work
The AR-15 is the most modular firearm platform in existence, and finding the best AR-15 upgrades can transform a good rifle into a great one. That's a blessing and a curse. The aftermarket is so vast -- thousands of parts from hundreds of manufacturers -- that new AR owners can spend more time (and money)...
Best AR-15 Slings in 2026: Top 8 Options Reviewed
A sling is to a rifle what a holster is to a pistol. It's retention. It's how you carry the weapon when you need your hands. It's a shooting support in certain positions. And for the vast majority of rifle owners, it's an afterthought -- if they own one at all. A quality sling is...