Shooting from the Hip

It’s OK to be the gun nut in the family. What’s not OK is letting your loved ones sit around and guess what type of gun accessory they should pick up as your just-right holiday prize. To avoid further seasonal shopping stress, forward along this post to your gift-buying committee.

Dirty Bird™ Multi-Color Splattering Targets Animal Pack
Targets can be a great (and cheap!) gift. And since it’s not really humane to provide a moving/living one, these “real beast” targets ($12.99) made of NRA animal shapes like chickens, boars and turkeys will certainly make a splash at the shooting range — literally. When a target is hit, the color associated with each animal shape will explode creating a ring around each bullet hole. Animal shapes not exciting enough? Try these zombie targets ($5) then.

Flashlight Filter
Cheery colored filters in red and green are the choice tools when deceiving animals who are unable to see colored lights. That way, when you’re out in the forest at night, you won’t scare away any easy targets by spilling white light all about. For Blackhawk’s Legacy X6 flashlight ($69.99), you can pick up a filter for about $10 in red, green or blue.

Bullet Pen
With a catchphrase “make words not war,” it’s easy to love this seemingly dangerous writing utensil. The brass pen ($5-$25), said to allow you the ability to even write upside down if need be, fits inside of a .375 H&H Magnum shell for easy storage.

Brownells Gift Certificate
Who doesn’t love gift certificates? And if those on the receiving end even try to tell you that your gift is thoughtless and lazy, simply rescind the certificate and buy something for yourself. If you go with a Brownells gift card though, it’s a safe bet that your gunnie will be able to find something from its selection of more than 30,000 items.

NRA Membership
Nothing says you care more than presenting a membership to one of the most well-known gun advocacy groups around, the National Rifle Association. With one year starting at $25, the membership offers an official membership ID card, a subscription to American Rifleman, American Hunter or America’s 1st Freedom and more. Or you can spring for a lifetime membership for $1,000.

Bullet Mints
If you’re unfamiliar with the idiom “bite the bullet,” it means to accept something difficult and try to live with it. However, something you won’t have to live with is bad breath. Why? Well, because someone turned that idiom into bullet-shaped mints. Stored in a tiny square tin, bullet mints ($2.50) make the freshest stocking stuffer around.

The History Channel: The Guns of Smith & Wesson DVD
Ideal for both gun enthusiasts and history buffs alike, this DVD ($19.99) tracks the journey of one of the most successful weapon manufacturers of all time by filing through period documents, exploring jaw-dropping gun collections and conversing with leading gun experts.

Cleaning Kit
If you can’t remember your gunnie’s exact weapon type (shame on you!) and don’t care to ask, then the Universal Field Cleaning Kit ($42.95) is for you. It can be used on a range of weapons including pistols, rifles and shotguns. And with everything except brushes, this condensed kit is ideal for traveling, especially when packing light.

Laser Grip
While not an inexpensive present (typical Crimson Trace lasers range anywhere from $200 to $500 depending on the brand), these grips will improve your aim exponentially. Since the light will appear on a target, it not only makes you more accurate, but you’ll spend less time setting up the shot.

Big Buck Hunter Arcade Game
Now if you have buckets of cash to blow, this Big Buck Arcade Game retails on Amazon for nearly half price — though that price is half of $9,000. But how much does being able to practice you reflex skills in the comfort of your own home cost? Well, it’s priceless, of course!

Need more ideas? Check out Squidoo’s Gun Nut list here. Or is your dream gift not included? Feel free to add it in the comments section!