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Syren pro-staffer Kate Ahnstrom runs through tips for shotgun maintenance 101. This is a great how-to for newbies and a refresher for seasoned shotgunners. Take care of your shotgun and hopefully, it will perform well for you when you need it. ~BB Read More

Syren pro-staffer Kate Ahnstrom runs through the how’s and why’s of hosting a Syren Demo Day.

“Do NOT go out and buy a shotgun.” When I tell my students this, their mouths usually gape open a bit in total disbelief. The fact stands, 99% of the people that want a new shotgun, have no idea what they want to purchase. Unlike most of your Amazon purchases, there is no return policy on guns – or even ammo, for that matter. You own whatever you purchase until you can either convince your buddy that she wants it more than you do, or sell it through an online site or your local sporting goods store. None of those options will ever recoup the price you paid, because it is technically now a used a gun.

This is why I absolutely love hosting a Syren Demo Day. Twice a year, spring and fall, for a few hours at my home course, I will bring in Syren with a selection of inventory and some great swag so students, clients, even the general public may try before they buy. There is zero commitment to purchase, only encouragement to take advantage of the chance to shoot so many very fine shotguns in one event. Read More

Last fall, Syren pro-staffer Kate Ahnstrom, who is featured at The WON as a “Syren Savvy” columnist, invited us (photographer and me) over to a tournament – a national competition known as the Browning Tournament of Champions – for hunting dogs, hosted by the National Upland Classic Series (NUCS), sanctioned by the National Kennel Club. Read More

I had a conversation with a new and exciting artificial intelligence program called ChatGPT (short for Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) about upland hunting and shotgun sports. I wanted to see if I could stump it, find out how accurate it really was and see if its programming had any bias on these subjects. The results of my conversations were, well, quite shocking! Read More

The past year was tough. Both of my parents died within a few days of each in the summer of 2021. It fell upon me to write their obituaries. As a result, it became evident to me about the importance of living (as my little sister says) “between the dash.” You know, it’s the dash you see in obituaries located between a birthday and a death date – all the things that people accomplish and become during that space, their lives here on earth. As part of living between the dash, I decided that there is one skill I want to improve in the near future: sporting clays shooting. Fortunately, for me, I can do this feat in relative proximity to my home here in the Ozarks of Missouri, and even more fortunate, I purchased a wonderful shotgun – the Syren Julia Sporting. Read More

‘Tis the season for fabulous get-togethers, overindulgences in food and drink, and that age-old desperation of shopping for those we love. That perfect gift always seems to elude us. What’s worse, when asked by our beloved, “What would you like this year?”, our response is meager at best with, “Oh, I don’t know.” Yes, you do. You totally know what you want – it’s a shiny new Syren shotgun to call your own and to take to hunts, clay fields, and beyond. When it comes to deciding on what shotgun to add to the gun safe, there are a few poignant questions that should be answered to ensure that you purchase the shotgun that is right for you and for your needs. Read More

The hunt season doors have burst open across the country and in some locations, snow already is falling! This is the best time of year. Here in Virginia, the mountains are phasing their lush green canopies into a majestic landscape of golds, reds and oranges. The chilly, frosty mornings are a welcome respite from the searing heat of August and we are all leaping at any opportunity to get out in the upland hunt field. But are you ready? Read More

Shotgun instructor Kate Ahnstrom stresses the need to dress for success while in the field, which includes making sure your bird vest fits and that you can work with it while mounting a gun. She also offers great options for finding the perfect bird vest. Read More

Full chokes, skeet chokes, duck loads, target loads, slugs. This is a field that is extremely diverse and quite often difficult to navigate. A quick Google search will yield a plethora of information, but will also inundate a new shooter and often perplex even the most experienced one. I want to preface this entire article with my humble opinion – less is seriously more. I rarely stray from set up and enjoy great success over multiple disciplines and applications. Let’s take a look at what is a choke and what it means to “choke” your gun. Read More

It’s the American way: Bigger, better, faster, now. Actually, it’s the way most of the world thinks especially when it comes to shotshells. Just a short jaunt through the ammo aisle at your local sporting goods store is enough to make your shoulder hurt just at the sight of some of those shell boxes. Will those superfast, hot and heavy loads give you more X’s on your scorecard or more birds in your bag? Meh, maybe… but some time with a professional instructor and a little practice at the clay course will take your shooting much further than 1350fps. Read More

The easiest way to complete a job successfully is to be sure you use the right tool. There are literally thousands of different tools out there in the world, but you certainly don’t want to try and hammer in a nail with a pair of pliers. Although, in an act of desperation, I have at times done exactly this instead of just taking a moment to find the actual hammer. It can be done but it ain’t pretty or even particularly functional. The exact same thing can be said about guns and whether you need more than one shotgun. Read More

There is a simpler way to keep your schedule balanced and enjoy shedding some of the stress in our lives. It’s “leaditation.” Yes, you guessed it. Get out to the course and get that gun barrel moving. But with such hectic lives full of commitments, how is it remotely possible to find the time to enjoy pulling the trigger? Read More

You love shooting your shotgun, especially if it’s a fabulous Syren. You even set aside time every couple of weeks to go to your local clay course. You break clays, you miss clays, and you have a lot of fun, especially when the weather is gorgeous, and friends are going around the course with you. But your shooting isn’t improving. As a matter of fact, some days, you would swear it looked like you had never seen a clay target in your life, which begs the question, “Are You Building Skills or Pulling the Trigger?” Read More

If you’re looking for the right shotgun instructor, it’s important to ask the right questions. I visited Syren’s stellar Facebook group and asked these two questions: “If you’re a student, what types of questions have you asked or wished you had asked in the past?” and “If you’re an instructor, what do you think students should find out about their future instructors?” As usual, the answers amazed me and what these women had to say will benefit you in how to choose the right shotgun instructor. It might save you some money, too! Read More

Syren pro-staffer Emi Smith (pronounced Amy) had just arrived home to Montana, fresh off an Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) competition in Tucson, Arizona, and we caught up with her to chat about what she’s doing these days and also, about 4-H Shooting. Emi is passionate about two things, it appears: improving her own scores and helping others to learn how to shoot. Read More

We wondered. Where have Syren shotguns been in the wide world of shooting and hunting? So, we asked women in the Syren Owners Group on Facebook to tell us about their experiences. We heard from Tiffany Dawn right away, who traveled to South Africa with her Tempio Sporting last June for her first Safari. Read More

I met duck hunters Janice Gaudern and Judy Hall while in Arkansas last year, at Bust A Duck Guide Service in Gregory, Arkansas. The two women and Judy’s trusty companion, Gunnar, traveled to Arkansas from their home in Tampa, Forida. The first thing I noticed about the women is that they each carried a Syren XLR5 Waterfowler. Read More

If you hunt for upland birds, you know. Having a gun that fits enhances your ability to bag more birds. We checked with several Syren pro-staff and ambassadors to see why. Read More

Going from zero-to-one is sometimes the most daunting task when you want to start a new hobby – especially if you don’t know where to begin, or how to get the information you need. Some of us get lucky, and we know a friend or family member who already is involved with a sport that we can rely on to point us in the right direction or connect us to a local team or organization. For others, it’s not so easy. In order to help, we’ve shared experiences in hopes of setting a course for the next generation of shotgun sports champions. Plus, find out what happened during our recent trips to the 2021 SCTP Nationals and AIM/ATA Grand American Championships.
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Whenever I need sage advice from real-deal shooters, I tap into the wealth of knowledge available at the Syren Owners Group on Facebook. For this topic, “How to Keep Your Cool While Shooting in the Heat,” I asked Syren owners to give us some tips for shooting on a blazing hot range or field somewhere.

Here’s what they told me.

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On May 10, 2020, on the Syren Owners Group on Facebook, there was a post made from a helpful gun dealer attempting to tackle a question that he gets asked often: When purchasing a shotgun for competitive shooting, should you get a semi-auto or an over-and-under (O/U)? We believe his response was worth reposting, as many shooters often ask this question, and the insights expressed may just help with your purchasing decision.
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We’re delighted to focus this post on Syren’s “Owners Group” on Facebook, set up especially for people who own Syren shotguns, with this purpose: “Post your photos, tell us your Syren stories and share your experiences and discussions with other Syren owners right here.”

I own a Syren Elos shotgun, and it’s been hunting in pheasant fields of Kansas and Nebraska, and out on skeet and trap ranges here in Missouri. It has not disappointed. I love the balance, and the overall design of this gun. It’s also beautiful.

I joined the Facebook group shortly after it launched, and again, no disappointments there. It’s a respectful place where people gather and do what outdoor lovers do – share their stories, ask questions about shotgunning and sometimes, rarely, ask how to correct a problem.
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Whereas it’s always been important to support charities, coming off the pandemic lockdown, it’s more crucial that society figures out ways to fund worthy organizations. We talked to Syren ProStaff member Ashley Butcher about how to host a charity shooting event. Hopefully, her advice will kickstart others to load up and head out to the shooting range to raise some cash for good causes.
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