Ankeny, IA (September 24, 2025) – The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), has chosen the top three products in seven categories including Best New Rifle, Best New Handgun, Best New Shotgun, Best New Ammunition, Best New Optic, Best New Accessory, and Best New Suppressor. An independent panel of 18 industry judges, comprised of NASGW members and POMA members, selected the finalists in each category. In order to qualify, manufacturers needed to be a NASGW member in good standing and the product must have been publicly released after November 1st, 2024.
“Once again, it was another strong year for Caliber Awards submissions,” said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. “When the market gets tough, this industry innovates. There was a variety of really great new products and ideas to pick from this year, making the voting challenging to select just one product in each category.”
For the ninth consecutive year, the Caliber Awards offer a unique, unbiased approach to recognizing and honoring product innovation in the shooting sports industry. The voting panel is comprised of the people who buy and sell these products on a daily basis as well as the media members who test, review and report on these products in the field.
“Over the past eight years the Caliber Awards have become a staple in the shooting sports industry,” said POMA Executive Director, Rob Sexton. “POMA is proud to contribute our members’ knowledge and expertise in voting for this year’s Caliber Award. “
The panel narrowed down submissions in each category to three finalists. Judges were asked to consider the uniqueness, market need, value of the product, ingenuity, and presentation. The finalists for this year’s Caliber Awards are:
Best New Accessory
- American Outdoor Brands – Caldwell Lead Sled MAX
- Hornady – High Speed 3-in-1 Power Case Trimmer
- Radian Weapons – AFTERBURNER + RAMJET FOR Glock G43X
Best New Ammunition
- CCI Ammunition – UpperCut 22 WMR
- Hornady – Backcountry Defense
- Federal Ammunition – 7mm Backcountry Cartridge
Best New Handgun
- CZ USA – Shadow 2 Carry
- Ruger – RXM Pistol
- Smith & Wesson – M&P Shield X
Best New Optic
- Leupold – VX-6HD Gen 2
- SIG SAUER – ROMEO-RS
- Olight – Osight S
Best New Rifle
- Henry Repeating Arms – SPD HUSH Series
- Q – BoomBox
- Ruger – 10/22 Carbon Fiber
Best New Shotgun
- Axor Arms International – FS-PRO
- Mossberg – 990 Aftershock
- Retay Arms – ACE
Best New Suppressor
- Dead Air Silencers – Sandman X
- HUXWRX Safety Co. – FLOW 9k Ti
- SilencerCo – Scythe STM
Winners for the NASGW-POMA Caliber Awards will be announced on October 14th at the annual NASGW Appreciation Dinner to kick off the NASGW Expo in Grapevine, TX.
About NASGW
The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers is comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, independent sales reps, media, and service providers – both national and international – all of whom are primarily focused on shooting sports equipment and accessories. As a trade association representing the business interests of its members, NASGW’s mission is to bring shooting sports buyers and sellers together. For more information about the NASGW, visit the association’s website at www.nasgw.org.
About POMA
POMA continues to uphold its tradition of promoting excellence in communications at all levels. This includes connecting the companies and organizations whose focus is the outdoor industry with the content creators who can help tell their stories and promote their products.
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