The firearms industry equivalent of the Oscars or the Grammys is undisputedly the Golden Bullseye Awards which is put on by the National Firearms Association (NRA) every year. The Golden Bullseye Awards picks their top choices every year for various categories including everything from pistols, rifles, and other firearms, all the way out to some more ancillary firearms gear like optics and hearing protection. The 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards has just celebrated its 20th anniversary and have selected its award-winning products based on a combination of factors including innovation, utility, reliability, outstanding performance, and value to the consumer. So today we’ll check out what their top picks were and what the NRA had to say about each of them.
More from the NRA and the Golden Bullseye Awards @ TFB:
- NRA Shooting Illustrated Magazine Honors Four Savage MSRs with “2018 Rifle of the Year” Golden Bullseye Award
- Another Victory for the POF Revolution: 2018 Golden Bullseye Award for Rifle of the Year
- Grief Ransomware Holds NRA Files Hostage After Alleged Cyberattack
Photo Credit: Trijicon
A Synopsys of the 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards: Guns Optics and Gear
Accessory of the year | Axil Ghost Stryke Extreme
A Synopsys of the 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards: Guns Optics and Gear
I was surprised to learn that one of my favorite range items made the list this year and it isn’t even a firearm. The NRA selected Axil’s Ghost Stryke Extreme digital hearing protection earplugs. They selected this model of hearing protection for its “Bluetooth connectivity capabilities, non-interference with a cheek weld, extended hearing range capabilities, and superior sound quality.” I use Axil Ghost Stryke Extreme earbuds for most shooting applications that happen outdoors and I do find that they are quite useful. They normally MSRP for around $199.99 so they are quite pricey if you’re used using regular in-ear “foamies”.
Optic of the Year | Trijicon RMRcc
A Synopsys of the 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards: Guns Optics and Gear
This is another item that I still personally use on my daily carry gun but this time I am less surprised that it has made the list. The NRA picked the RMRcc based on the following criteria: “Legendary reliability, Ease of use, long battery life, fits a multitude of pistols.” I personally like the RMRcc because it just makes sense for today’s micro-compact pistols and for the fact that it gives people with diminishing eyesight a better option for aiming pistols over iron sights. RMRcc optics generally retail for around $699.00.
Handgun of the Year | Kimber R7 Mako
Photo: Nick C TFB | A Synopsys of the 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards: Guns Optics and Gear
I’ve never actually handled one of these before but from what I’ve heard about them so far, Kimber’s first venture into the non-1911 market has been a huge success. The NRA picked the R7 Mako as the 2022 Golden Bullseye award winner for Handgun Of The Year for its availability with a pre-installed crimson trace optic, flat-faced trigger, one-inch width, and beveled edges for enhanced comfort. TFB Writer Nick C reviewed the Kimber R7 Mako in the fall of 2021 and he liked it for its concealed-carry focused design which makes use of a closed top slide that helps prevent foreign objects like lint from getting inside of the gun, and as a secondary bonus, also protects the micro red dot lens from carbon fouling. The Kimber R7 Mako retails for an MSRP of $599 without the optic or $799 with the optic installed.
Rifle of the Year | Rock River Arms RBG-1S
Photo Credit: Rock River Arms | A Synopsys of the 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards: Guns Optics and Gear
I’ll let American Rifleman Field Editor Bryce M. Towsley explain this one: “… for a serious long-range aficionado who does not want to spend six or seven grand on a full-blown custom rifle, the RBG-1S is an excellent alternative.” The NRA selected the RBG-1S rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor for its KRG Whiskey-3 chassis, its 20-MOA canted optics rail, threaded barrel, and the inclusion of an adjustable Trigger Tech trigger. These precision rifles retail for an MSRP of $4,235.00
Shotgun of the Year | EAA Churchill Optics Tactical
Photo Credit: EAA/Akkar | A Synopsys of the 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards: Guns Optics and Gear
EAA/Akkar released the Churchill Optics Tactical 220 about midway through 2021 and it is basically a semi-auto version of the pump-action EAA 620 which was released around the same time. The NRA liked this shotgun for its enlarged loading gate, breached choke, fiber-optic front sight, and pre-installed red-dot sight. EAA imports these shotguns from the Turkish firearms company Akkar and if you’re interested in picking one up, they are $427 for the pump-action and $561 for the semi-auto 220. TFBTV Executive Producer James Reeves has been doing a lot of Turkish Shotgun torture test videos so feel free to head on over to the TFTV YouTube page to check out those videos if you’re interested.
Ammunition Product of the Year | Federal Force X2 Buckshot
Photo Credit: Federal Ammunition | A Synopsys of the 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards: Guns Optics and Gear
This unique take on buckshot changes the game up a bit over normal solid lead buckshot and instead uses split pellets that are supposed to break into more pieces as they begin to penetrate with the intention of creating more wound cavities. The NRA selected this ammunition as the Golden Bullseye winner for the Ammunition category based on its high-antimony-content lead core, split pellet design, its 12% lighter weight over traditional buckshot, and its use of copper-plated shot. This ammunition is currently available for $27.99 for a box of 10 shells.
Do You Agree with These Picks?
Some of the picks on this list seem completely justified to me but others are somewhat questionable in my opinion. But I’d rather hear what you guys have to say about the selections for the 2022 Golden Bullseye Awards. Do you use any of the products that won awards this year? If you don’t agree with the choices, which product would you have picked instead? Let us know down in the comments!