This year, Palmetto State Armory debuted the newly rechristened Jakl 2.0 from last year, to become the soon-to-be-released AXR. Unlike the Jakl, this rifle utilizes a proprietary lower and an adjustable short-stroke action. But like the Jakl, the body design is inspired by the abandoned Magpull MASADA assault rifle. One hopes this rifle will be less prone to reliability issues than the JAKL.
Hazzbro Elf BB Gun Challenge
I compete and pretty much fail at Nibbs and Hazzbro’s Elf on the Shelf BB-gun challenge target. I was shooting a 1980’s vintage Daisy Powerline 840 BB/pellet gun that I won in a contest sponsored by Nibb’s Walnut and Steel channel.
I only scored a mediocre 22 points out of a possible 75. My rifle suffered from some air leaks and random flyers which was frustrating.
EQUIPMENT LIST
Daisy Powerline 840 BB/pellet gun
Discovery Optics HD 2-12×24 with 6061 scope rings 10% discount code: Moondog
https://discoveryopt.com/collections/hd-optics-hunting-long-range-scopes-with-mpvo-multi-purpose-design/products/hd-2-12x24sfir-ffp-mil-diameter-30mm-short-optics-scope
Sunwayfoto HT4030CMI tripod 5% Off with code THOMASMOONDOGDE
https://sunwayfoto.com/products/sunwayfoto-ht4030cmi-inverted-leg-carbon-fiber-69-tall-load-66lb-30kg?ref=lhtgjsbr
DOWNLOAD YOUR TARGET
SHOT2026: Tract Ballistic Rangefinder Binocular
At SHOT Show, I sat down with Jon LeCorte who walked me through their new binocular. This optic stood out by blending premium Schott glass with advanced integrated rangefinding and a ballistic display designed to help shooters estimate holdovers.
Tract is a direct-to-consumer optics brand known for value-packed rifle scopes and binoculars
Key features include:
- Optical performance German Schott Glass with highly transmissive coatings and sharp resolution optimized for field use.
- Premium Construction built and assembled in Japan
- Built-in rangefinding and ballistic calculations — shooters and spotters can lock distance and solutions directly through the binocular, reducing the need to switch to a separate device.
- Mobile app integration, enabling upload and management of up to five ballistic profiles via a paired smartphone for quick referencing and adjustments.
Carmel by the Sea Walking Tour
I take you on a walking tour of Ocean Avenue. The main street of Carmel by the Sea, the famous California town known simply as “Carmel.”
Founded by Spanish missionaries in 1771, this seaside town, south of Monterey Bay, was the headquarters of the Spanish Mission system and the Carmelite Order in the New World. St. Fr. Juanipero Serra is buried at the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo.
Carmel became a trendy artist colony south of San Francisco in the early 1910’s. Notable residents include Ansel Adams, Betty White, Clint Eastwood, and Brad Pitt. Actor Clint Eastwood was the mayor of Carmel in the 1980’s. It is one of the most affluent and exclusive communities in California.
Art galleries, boutiques specializing in vacation-casual fashion, and cafés line the streets along Ocean Avenue. Off the main street are bistro’s and boujie restaurants. Carmel is a very walkable town for tourists.
SHOT2026 Tract Ballistic Binoculars
If you can afford it, this optic can improve anybody’s dope. I sit down with the co-founder of Tract Optics to talk about their Ballistic App-connected laser range-finding binoculars that could give any shooter accurate corrections for wind, distance, and air pressure.
Sign-up for early access to this optic
https://help.tractoptics.com/p/5GBO-A68/new-toric-binocular-coming-soon?ref=TOMDELMUNDO
TMI 260211 Uintah Precision
Today, we’re giving away an OSight C red dot. And we’re going to meet with Uintah Precision. Find out about my newest contests to win prizes. Go to my link https://aura.com/moondog to get a 14-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed.
This episode is sponsored by Matt Hat beef jerky. Use code: MOONDOG to get 15%
Order a free sample using my link https://matthatjerky.com/products/sample-pack?ref=moondog
THIS WEEK
Moondog2A
Moondog Reviews
Moondog Go
BRAND CONTEST CLUE
This brand produces the most popular bolt-action rifle in America, their model 700. In 2015 it was the largest rifle maker in the US and until its break-up was also one of the largest ammo makers.
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
Uintah Precision is a Utah-based firearms maker. They are not the first but perhaps the maker of the BEST made bolt-action ARs and uppers. https://uintahprecision.com/
CONTESTS
BRAND CONTEST CLUE
Founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington as E. Remington and Sons in Ilion, New York, it was one of the oldest gun makers in the United States and claimed to be the oldest factory in the country that still made its original product.
JAN CONTEST DRAWING
This month, there are two contests you can enter and win a prize. Enter both.
CONTEST 1
CONTEST 2
YARD SALE
Fundraiser for St. Anne Middle School 8th grade class trip to Washington D.C.
https://moondogindustries.com/yardsale/
This week, you can get a Monstrum 2000 lumen weaponlight for half off.
SHOT2026 Vector Owlset HEIM ES X-NANO
At the Vector Optics booth at SHOT show, I got hands-on with an Owlset HEIM ES X-NANO mini thermal pistol sight. This claims to be the world’s smallest pistol-mountable thermal optic. Holosun has a similarly sized optic display but that actually comes in two parts, with a camera section mounted like a pistol light. This Owlset is a self-contained unit, with the lens in its front. It utilizes Vector Optics VOD footprint, which is a variant of the AimPoint ACRO. Vector Optics offers MOS, RMR, and Picatinny adapter plates.
The MSRP was tentatively targeted to be under $600, but with US tarrifs, that’s anybody’s guess at this point? But it’s already available in Asia and set to be released in Q1 here in the US.
SF Ocean Beach Gulls
A moment of zen along Ocean Beach, in San Francisco, CA. Seagulls rest along the sea wall overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Aquilifer HT 3-12×56
Aquilifer’s HT line of scopes are hunting focused optics with paired down, traditional features such as capped turrets for protection against the environment, SFP duplex reticles, and illumination. The HT 3-12 offers a large 56mm objective lens for brighter images in low light.
The website product specs list the click adjustments in MOA but the turret markings are in MIL? But since hunting rifles are set it and forget it type of optics, this is embarrassing for Aquilifer, but it isn’t really a problem. As long as the reticle can be zero’d and the scope holds zero, the discrepancy is moot.
The view through the scope was bright and color-accurate but it wasn’t as sharp as I expected. On the plus side, It has a generous eye relief. Its reticle is a bold European-style T duplex that is easy to see in dark or complex backgrounds, but I would have preferred they end in spear points instead of squared off. The illumination was not quite daylight but brighter than many hunting scopes.
SHOP
HT 3-12×56 Amazon https://amzn.to/3Kyd8Nm
DiscoveryOpt 6061 scope rings (10% Discount Code: Moondog) https://discoveryopt.com/collections/scope-rings-durable-and-precision-machined-mounting-solutions/products/6061-series-aluminum-scope-rings-medium-profile-30mm-34mm-35mm-scope-mount-for-picatinny-rail
RESOLUTION
Group -2 / Element 5
SPECS
HT
Magnification: 3-12x
Objective: 56mm
Eye Relief: 3.78″-3.93″
Exit Pupil: 18.66-4.66mm
FOV@100y: 31.4-7.9ft
Total Elev: ±30 MRAD
Total Wind: ±32 MRAD
Click Value: 1/10 MRAD
Tube Size: 30mm
Length: 340mm (13.4 in)
Weight: 640g (22.6 oz)
Illumination: 11 levels red
Battery: CR2032
TMI 260204: MattHat Jerky
Today we’re giving away the AccuVista LPVO. And we’re going to meet with Matt-Hat Jerky. Find out about my newest contests to win prizes. Go to my link https://aura.com/moondog to get a 14-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed.
This episode is sponsored by Matt Hat beef jerky. Use code: MOONDOG to get 15%
Order a free sample using my link https://matthatjerky.com/products/sample-pack?ref=moondog
THIS WEEK
Moondog2A
Moondog Reviews
Moondog Go
BRAND CONTEST CLUE
This brand is an American multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas. It is the largest meat company in America and owns
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
Matt Hat Jerky is my newest show sponsor. You get a discount when you use it and I get a small comission IF you order. That’s full disclosure.
At SHOT Show this year, the evening after Range Day, I attend a dinner organized by 2AMedia and co-sponsored by Matt Hat. Sitting next to me was young man, who turned out to be Matt Kuplak, the founder of Matt Hat Jerky.
CONTESTS
BRAND CONTEST CLUE
This meat company owns many better known meat brands such as Ballpark Franks, Jimmy Dean sausages, Sara Lee meats, and Hillshire Farms. This brand shares a name with one of the most famous heavyweight boxers of the late 20th Century, though he is not connected with this company.
JAN CONTEST DRAWING
This month, there are two contests you can enter and win a prize. Enter both.
CONTEST 1
CONTEST 2
YARD SALE
Fundraiser for St. Anne Middle School 8th grade class trip to Washington D.C.
https://moondogindustries.com/yardsale/
This week, you can get a Monstrum 2000 lumen weaponlight for half off.