NWTF Guns
of the Year

A gun nut's look at 2011's
exclusive guns

Each year, the local NWTF Hunting Heritage Banquet is a highly anticipated event in the lives of turkey hunters across North America. A highlight of these banquets is the chance to bid on one of the NWTF's Guns of the Year, high-quality firearms individualized to become heirlooms and collectors guns.

This year, there is a Gun of the Year for almost any shooting interest, from clay target shooting to home defense. Look for one or more at your banquet.

NWTF Rifle of the Year

The Winchester Model 70 is legendary for its accuracy and smooth handling on the range and in the field. I have counted on a Model 70 on countless hunts and have never been disappointed. The Winchester Model 70 Featherweight has an upgraded walnut stock. The NWTF logo and gold artwork are engraved on the floorplate, the craftsmanship of Baron Technology, one of the premier gun engravers in the United States.

The rifle is chambered in .308 Win., a top North America big-game caliber. The stock features a satin finish with elegant cut checkering and a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad to help soak up recoil. It has the pre-'64 style controlled-round feeding, a three-position safety and a jeweled bolt body with knurled bolt handle for better grip. The trigger is the famous Winchester M.O.A. Trigger System with zero take-up, creep and overtravel.

The Model 70 Featherweight weighs just 6.8 pounds, has a 22-inch barrel and blue finish. From Alabama white-tailed deer to Alaska caribou, this rifle gets the job done.

NWTF JAKES Gun of the Year

The Mossberg 510 Mini Pump is truly a youth or small-frame shooter shotgun. It features a 10½-inch length of pull, 34¾-inch overall length, with an 18½-inch barrel. This 20-gauge weighs just 5 pounds.

The JAKES logo is handsomely imprinted on the stock, and the gun has a blue finish. It features a top-tang safety, dual-bead sights and a recoil pad on the stock. It has a 4-shot capacity and comes with Accu-set choke tubes. It's an ideal first turkey gun that will be the beginning of a lifelong collection.

NWTF Shotgun of the Year

Speak of fine over-and-under shotguns and the name Fausti Stefano Arms usually comes up. This well-known Italian gunmaker is famous for over and under shotguns and fine engraving. This year, the NWTF selected the Fausti Albion LX as its Shotgun of the Year. This beautiful 12-gauge over and under features the NWTF logo engraved on the sides and bottom of the silver receiver with fancy engraving surrounding the logos.

The oil-polished walnut stock is outfitted with a rubber recoil pad and is finely checkered. The blued barrels are 28-inches long and have a ventilated rib. The 3-inch chambers are equipped with automatic ejectors. The Albion has a single, selective gold trigger and comes with five interchangeable choke tubes. The length of pull is 14½ inches, and the gun weighs 7½ pounds. This good-looking gun will be right at home on the sporting clays range or in a pheasant field.

NWTF Pistol of the Year

I have carried a Kimber pistol for years. It is accurate, dependable and comfortable to shoot and carry. When you look at the Kimber 1911 Custom II, a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, the first thing you notice are the custom wood grips. The panels are engraved with the NWTF logo and a turkey feather, and each of the pistols is sequentially numbered.

The many custom features of the Kimber Custom II include a steel match-grade, 5-inch barrel with stainless steel match-grade bushing; front and rear serrations on the steel slide; a heavy-duty steel frame built to take whatever you throw at it; fixed, low profile sights; an aluminum, match-grade trigger factory set at 4.0 to 5.0 pounds of pull; and a seven-round magazine. The blued beauty weighs 38 ounces empty.

I think the NWTF did a good job of selecting the 2011 lineup, and the lucky members who take any of these firearms home will be proud of their purchase and for doing their part to support wildlife conservation. — J. Wayne Fears

NWTF Guns of the Year