Join Scott Watley on Sportsman of Colorado as he catches up with the team at LT Arms, who share their experiences and achievements over the past year, including a move to a new location and building a stellar staff team. Explore the importance of customer service in creating a welcoming shopping environment and delve into the ever-growing interest in reloading for precision shooting. Discover how reloading can enhance consistency and precision for competitive shooters and hunters alike.
SPEAKER 13 :
Welcome to Sportsman of Colorado, Colorado’s premier outdoor radio show heard every Saturday afternoon on KLZ 560 with insights on hunting, fishing, archery, guns, and ammo from Colorado’s top outfitters featuring the industry’s leading experts on how to enhance your experience in the great outdoors. Now, here’s your host, Scott Watley.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome to Sportsman of Colorado. Thank you so much for joining us today. Hey, Happy New Year to everyone. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving season, Christmas, New Year’s, and hope everyone just had a great, great holiday season and made it through safely. And I tell you, it was a great time for many. And just so many things going on now in 2026 getting kicked off here. We’ve got the Denver International Sportsman’s Expo. That is January the 8th through the 11th. And I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re just going to start it off from our friends here at LT Arms. We’re going to give away a pair of tickets, 303-477-5600. And these are compliments of LT Arms. And so it’ll be the first caller. Now, if you’re hearing the show on Sunday, they’re gone. If you’re hearing the show next Thursday, they’re gone. All right, so this is just for Saturday. And… Our show here on the 3rd. And a pair of tickets, good for any day, to the Denver ISC show. And, again, that’s January 8th through the 11th. And mentioning LT Arms, we are coming to you once again from the world headquarters here. 8130 Schaefer Parkway in Littleton. And got the normal crew here. We’ve got Kyle, the owner. How are you, sir? Doing great. Good to see you. We’ve got Evan. Happy New Year, Scott. And Brandon’s still out on work release. Yep. Happy New Year, Scott. So, Kyle, you look back. Man, you turn a page and we all look back. You know, man, what all last year held for us. Talk a few things that you’re most proud of here, you know, from the shop standpoint.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing from 2025 was that, you know, we moved shops. We grew all that. Just the biggest thing is the new location and the way we built it out and everything. We’re still getting compliments to this day of how we built it out and how great it is. Yeah. No, I mean, it’s absolutely cool. Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
And, you know, I got to compliment, and not because these guys are here, but just the staff that you’ve built. I mean, I’m telling you, you know. Some are lacking in other stores. And I think we’ve all been in gun shops and different things thinking, oh, that guy or gal was really good. Or, wow, man, they need some help here, you know. But I think what, you know, I get most of the time is just the friendliness. It’s just the knowledge, you know. And just, hey, you walk in the door, somebody says hello.
SPEAKER 03 :
I mean, it’s not that hard, but, you know, it’s a great thing, Brandon, right? Oh, yeah, definitely. We try to make it really welcoming when people come in. And, you know, we’re not experts in everything we do, but we try to have a pretty good knowledge base of what we do actually do and give people answers and, you know, have them leave in the store happy and feeling like they got their questions answered and they, you know, created a new relationship with hopefully their new favorite gun shop. Right.
SPEAKER 09 :
Is it, I mean, you’ve been here, what, six months? Yeah. Roughly? I’ll pay attention. But you probably still get people in the neighborhood that are three miles away that had no idea you were here, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Guys that live across the street from us on the other side of Chatfield. I went to the post office and I didn’t realize this was here. And then, yeah, then they’re in here once a week. And, yeah, it’s great.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right, right. Once again, it’s LT Arms. And as we just mentioned, we’re giving away one pair of tickets today. It’s all I got left for the Denver ISE show. So first caller to 303-477-5600. Again, this is for Saturday, January 3rd show only, the giveaway. And Charlie will get your information, and I’ll call you after the show, and we’ll get you the tickets. Did you have in mind, Kyle, when you first did this, just besides having a gun store, to have other things? And we’re going to get into some of those today with training and with reloading and a lot of other things. Or did those thoughts come later?
SPEAKER 11 :
So, I mean, yes to both. When I first started, I wanted to be a one-stop shop for everything hunting related. And, you know, being able to, you know, get them all the gear and, you know, firearm that they need for their hunt, being able to take care of all the stuff after their hunt, and just being a wealth of information for them. And so that’s kind of what started the whole journey there. And then adding the other stuff on kind of fit into what we were wanting to do. Just having classes for reloading that fit in because… you know, precision marksmen and hunting, most people are reloading their own ammo. So we wanted to start offering that class and some of the other, you know, accessories and stuff that we are carrying just were nice add ons.
SPEAKER 09 :
Sure. Sure. So Evan, you’re kind of the guru here for the reloading things. Um, What is the main difference? I mean, I shot factory ammo my whole life until I met you, okay? And so really when you really get into splitting hair, so to speak, and looking at the difference, what’s the end goal by reloading your own? Consistency.
SPEAKER 04 :
And precision. Factory ammo is great, better than it’s ever been right now. But if you can custom tune your brass and your load to your particular rifle, you can get better results than you can get from factory ammo. It really comes down to precision and consistency. Particularly in match shooting, you really want that consistency in what we call extreme spread or standard deviation, which are measurements on a chronograph of the speed your projectile is going.
SPEAKER 19 :
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 04 :
Literally 30 feet of FPS can mean 7 inches at 1,000 yards. If that’s missing a target, you’re out of the match. So it’s really about consistency and precision.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, you know, that’s something we’ve never really broke down. We always talk about matches and, you know, shooting competitions. Break that down a little bit of what all is involved. most shooting type competitions for long distance.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, particularly for that, you don’t have anybody shooting factory ammo in there. Again, it comes down to figuring out what that particular barrel, that particular chamber likes and getting it down to where you know what you’re going to have happening on target every time you squeeze a trigger. That’s where you get your confidence in your competition right there.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. And it can be really good ammo, right? Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
It just shoots different in different barrels, right? Absolutely. The hunter barrels come off the line at any place, any day. Every one of them is going to have a different thumbprint. It’s like they have their own personality. You really got to kind of figure out what it likes. A little bit of experimentation. It doesn’t take a lot, but you figure out the bullet you want to use. You decide on the brass you’re going to use, a particular powder recipe you get, and you start tuning things up and checking things out with your chronograph and measuring things. It’s all about measurement. And you can really determine exactly what your barrel likes.
SPEAKER 09 :
How long were you kind enough to take the Seekin’s precision for mine and give me some good ammo for that? How much time do you need to allot yourself at a range when you’ve got the ammo now, now you’re just shooting? How long does that normally take to really do it right? Well, we had to go back and forth.
SPEAKER 04 :
I didn’t have a mobile loading setup at the bench. We could do it in a few hours sitting at the bench, but I had to go back and forth. So it was three range trips, probably six different load recipes before we got it where we wanted it. And then we went down to… to a tenth of a grain increments after that and got it really dialed in, and that’s why it does what it does now.
SPEAKER 07 :
And that’s crazy when you think a tenth of a grain.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, a lot of guys think a grain is an actual grain, a kernel of powder. It’s not. A grain is a 7,000th of a pound. It’s a tiny, tiny little amount.
SPEAKER 09 :
Man. All right, so, and I don’t know if you have dates right now, but these are going to be some classes that you’re offering. And so where do you kind of start? Are there… going to be different classes, different levels, or just, hey, everybody should come start at this one, and then we’ll all work our way up if you want to continue to different ones?
SPEAKER 04 :
We modified the format of the class a little bit. Originally, it was designed to where you would come in, you’d pay the fee for the class, we would talk about theory and things for an hour or so of the presentation, and then we’d sit at the bench and actually assemble ammunition. It’s not for everybody for that way because you’re investing at that point, but you’re not sure you want to do it. So we’ve restructured it for this year to where you can come in, and it’s more a seminar than a class. We’re going to sit there and go through the whole presentation and theory and discussion at no charge. If you decide it’s for you and you want to try something, then we can go into 101 and learn how to size cases and how to seat bullets and how to measure things and just how to assemble ammo. That’s cool. Yeah. Because you don’t know until you don’t know. Exactly, yeah. And if you don’t want to commit $150 to a class, then decide it’s not for you. So let’s just talk about it first, and if you decide you want to go to the next level, we’ll do that. Going past that, if customers want to develop a custom load for a rifle, we can offer that as well. We’ve been… doing that for custom rifles for customers. We did it for your rifle, for example, and we can do that with the customer as well with their dies, with their tools, with their rifle, and go out and prove it on the range.
SPEAKER 09 :
Wow. Once again, if you’re just joining us, we’re coming to you from LT Arms, 8130 Schaefer Parkway. We’ve got Kyle, the owner, with us. We’ve also got Evan and Brandon. If you haven’t been by the store, hey, make a trip over this week. Hey, kicking off a new year. Never a better time to buy a new firearm than this kicking off the first of the year. And the crew here at LT Arms will be glad to help you. So when they come to a class, do they need to go out and once they say we want to do it, do they need to go out and buy a few things and bring those things here? Or do you have things here to kind of show them get going and then what they need to go buy?
SPEAKER 04 :
We have everything here for that first level class. We’re going to do it on 223 and 308 for bottleneck cartridges. We can do street wall pistol cartridges if that’s what they choose to do. We have everything here to do it with. There is no outlay of cash other than the time for the instructor.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. And it’s LT Arms, and the phone number is? 720-727-0400. All right. Just call. Let them know you heard them here on Sportsman of Colorado, and we’d appreciate that as well. All right. Now, something fun here I want to mention real quick. If you like Texas Roadhouse, this is going to be a cool event. Fill us in, Brandon.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, next Wednesday we are going to be at Texas Roadhouse steaming cowboy hats and kind of doing a get everybody excited and ready for the National Western Stock Show that’s coming up. Yeah, if you’re in town, we’re going to be at the Ken Carroll Texas Roadhouse location, and we’ll be there pretty much all evening. You can come get a custom cowboy hat, and we’ll shape it for you and get all geared up for the stuff.
SPEAKER 09 :
So Wednesday, January 7th.
SPEAKER 03 :
The 7th, yeah. And which location? The Texas Roadhouse on Kipling and 470, basically.
SPEAKER 09 :
Kipling and 470. All right. And I’m telling you, they kind of have to do a hat for me, and it’s been really cool, and we’re going to be at the ISC. hey, I’m definitely going to sport mine there. Nice. It would be cool. You know all the names and shapes and stuff, too. So, I mean, can you look at a person now? You haven’t been doing it for 15 years, but, I mean, can you kind of look at a person now and say, man, that’s the shape they should wear?
SPEAKER 03 :
You kind of help in that? Yeah, you kind of can because, you know, if someone has a rounder head, you can go off the shapes of that like a – If someone has a real narrow head, you know, a real wide brim isn’t going to really suit their head shape. But, you know, it comes down to what people want, though. If they want to go with, you know, a full-on, you know, George Strait Cattleman style like we made for you and, you know, go full-on, they can. Or we can do short brims. Kyle’s made a few, like, small rim fedora style, like, you know, bowler hats almost. So, yeah, we can go as crazy as you want to and put feathers on them and brand them and who’s shot –
SPEAKER 09 :
holes with them with pistols and burnt them with gunpowder and yeah we can go crazy with it you know the problem is though you look at a george trade hat you look at kevin costner and a hat from yellowstone whatever then you put that same hat on it just and we don’t look quite the same what do we miss it i was gonna say i don’t i don’t have the uh josh structure they have apparently But it is a lot of fun. And, again, just another added thing here at LTRs that they’ve got. And gunsmithing we hadn’t even touched on. And this may be your first time to catch a show, so some of this may be repetitive of past shows. But, Kyle, take a minute and just tell us how important that was to have, you know, a great gunsmith crew here for you.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I mean, one of the things that we’ve learned is there’s not much option out there when it comes to full-service gunsmith. Almost everyone can put together an AR. That’s a piece of cake. But actually, you know, having to fix repairs and, you know, we’ll… For a lot of your older firearms, parts are hard to find for them. And so we’re having to machine parts to fix some of these guns. And most people aren’t able to do that anymore. And so the shops are far and few in between. So that’s one of the great things that we offer here is we will get your firearm, if it’s from the 1800s to, you know… Fresh off the press, we’ll get it working for you in top shape and everything, just like it was new.
SPEAKER 09 :
I think it was you I mentioned a few weeks ago. When you walk in the store, no matter what department you’re working with, it seems like everybody enjoys doing what they do. There’s nothing more. I’m a sales guy, and I’ve trained salespeople for years and done sales for years. there’s no such bigger bummer than to have somebody looks like man i just disturbed their day by walking in their store you know we’ve all been there haven’t you oh yeah yeah you’re like dude sorry to bug you i just want to buy a gun but you don’t get that here and so and and it just seems like man it’s just instilled from you you know hey you run the shop a certain way and people are going to follow and you know have pride and work in here
SPEAKER 11 :
And the biggest thing is if you’re not sold on your own product, then what’s the point of trying to sell someone else on it? Your first goal should be to sell yourself on the product. Right. And I feel like everyone here, yes, some people have different preferences than others, but everyone is sold on a certain type of product. And so maybe that’s a Mosin-Nagant and maybe that’s an AR-15. Who knows? Right.
SPEAKER 09 :
uh everyone is sold on the second amendment and so that that’s what we try to focus on here right brandon what are you seeing as far as the the type of folk that walk in and by the type i mean this i mean are you seeing you know 30 or hunters and 30 or shooters i mean what what do you are you just getting a really good mix of people just hey they may not shoot anything they just like to collect guns you know but
SPEAKER 03 :
We get a really good mix. I’d say we have a good 70-80% hunters that come through here, though. We do a lot of barrel threadings for brakes and suppressors for hunting rifles. We introduced our brand, Shikari, of our own custom rifles, so we’ve been getting a lot of guys that are really interested in custom rifles. Same thing, like he was saying, you know, if you’re not sold on your own product, you’re not going to want to sell to anybody else.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
As soon as we started that, all the guys that work here, as soon as, you know, they will look at a rifle that comes through and we’re like, that’s really cool. But at the same time, all of us are like, I kind of want to build my own, you know, in-house Shikari brand precision rifle. Yeah. So it’s been really easy for everybody in the shop to get excited about that and kind of transfer that excitement on to the customers. We get some of the AR guys. We get a lot of referrals from other shops because of how unique we are and the services we offer. Yeah, a lot of hunting guys, a lot of guys that are into old revolvers and vintage guns because we do that. And, yeah, it’s a good mix of people. But, yeah, a lot of hunters, which is a nice, unique thing that we can offer. Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
Now, as of January 1, the $200 suppressor tax stamp went away, which is wonderful, but… My fear is there’s going to be like 9 million applications in by next Monday.
SPEAKER 11 :
Kyle, what do you think? Yeah, definitely. So, I mean, as far as that, actually, this morning one of our guys is, you know, trying to get a bunch of that taken care of and all that. midnight New Year’s Eve, the entire industry was trying to get on and put in as many applications as they could. And a bunch of the forums I follow and everything, some of the people were getting them back same day. So that’s, I mean… That was probably the very first one that was put in. But as of right now, it’s looking like, you know, the wait times aren’t going to be astronomical like they used to be. But, again, we’re, you know, still just a few days in. So it could change.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, suppressors have how many years, you say?
SPEAKER 04 :
evan suppressors really jumped on here i mean where everybody’s really getting into suppressors i’ve been in here with kyle for a couple of years now and it’s just non-stop yeah and i mean it’s never really been on my radar because i was really into that sort of thing but uh It was starting to pick up, but the last two years, it’s just been every single day.
SPEAKER 07 :
And once you do shoot with one, I mean, it’s so nice.
SPEAKER 11 :
And that’s the biggest thing is Hollywood made it seem like such an unobtainable thing.
SPEAKER 09 :
And it’s Hollywood. I tell people, hey, it isn’t Hollywood. I thought this is where you’re going, so I didn’t interrupt you. But I say it’s not Hollywood movie quiet, you know, where you walk in, pew, pew. You don’t like that, but it’s pleasant to shoot. But like you said, Hollywood.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, they made it a scary thing to where everyone thought it wasn’t obtainable. Well, in the last five years, there’s been such a marketing push and everything to get people to understand. suppressors are obtainable and you can legally own them and so the last five years it’s just blown up in the suppressor game when I first started suppressors really weren’t that big of a thing but now everyone’s starting to get them everyone’s realizing Hey, this is needed for hunting. And in every other part of the world, it’s required to hunt with.
SPEAKER 08 :
Every other country, you see all these people hunt with suppressors, and it takes us a year to get one.
SPEAKER 04 :
I mean, the applications in the field, they’re fantastic. You’re not damaging your hearing out there. You’re not alerting game if you miss a shot or anything like that. Again, it’ll legally have a muffler on my truck. Right. I should legally have to have a suppressor on my rifle so I don’t damage my hair or anybody else around me.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, absolutely. Once again, if you’re just joining us, we’re at LT Arms, 8130 Schaefer Parkway. Caught the replay now, which is Sundays at 8 in the morning, Sundays 8 at night, the following Thursday at 9 a.m. We gave away a pair of tickets for the Denver ISE. Those are gone. All right. So we will see if any others come up, let you know during our Haystack show during the week. But I think we are out. But we do hope to see you there. Our booth is 427, I believe. And just right after the main entrance, just come down that main aisle there. And Sportsman of Colorado Radio will be there. Again, Kyle, for folks that haven’t heard the show before, you guys offer, you can order guns for people if they see something they like. You do consignments. You’ll do buys. You know, somebody has a collection. I’ll let you word that over how you would like.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, definitely. We offer consignment. We do estate sales and all that. We’ll help the widow or whoever is left in the family. We’ll help them get their best value for the firearm. We offer that service for a lot of people. Then we also, like you said, if someone has a very specific firearm that they want, we’re more than happy to source that for them. We do custom firearm builds. We’ll build them a custom firearm. We’ll refinish firearms, full gunsmith services. We’ll make it look however you want. If you want that Fortnite rifle, just exactly how you want it. And then, yeah, as far as classes and trainings, we offer a bunch of that service as well.
SPEAKER 09 :
And, you know, to me, it’s a lot better way to do it. And let’s be honest, most of the time it is the wife left with the guns, you know. And so they don’t know what they have. it’s a safe way to do it and not have to worry about you know people giving you right info or because selling even to friends and family i mean it’s better just to get that firearm and the other person’s name right well and also you know we we try to make it you know kind of a white glove concierge service for people where you know we’ll
SPEAKER 11 :
We’ll give them an estimate right off the bat if they really want one. But we’re going to go back. We’re going to do the research on the firearm. We’re going to figure out what it is. And we will give them the best value that we think it’s worth. What the rest of the industry is going for. Because, I mean, we can post any firearm online for $10,000. But is it really worth $10,000? That’s the big thing. So we’ll see what firearms are going for, you know, the Kelly Blue Book of the firearm industry and, you know, get people’s best value that way.
SPEAKER 09 :
And sometimes it can be a difference of, hey – Are they worth this? Yeah. But you know what? They’re not selling for that, right?
SPEAKER 04 :
Is that true, Evan? It’s worth what somebody will pay. It ultimately is. And, you know, we do really nice photography. We do good descriptions. We do good research if it’s a vintage firearm, that sort of thing. Again, it’s worth what somebody will pay, but it’s also there’s… You want to describe it properly to you, particularly if people know how to grade. They understand the grading system from the NRA and how the firearm is preserved over the years. If it’s been refinished, these things that affect value. We’re really good at assessing that and determining really a much better, more accurate price, if you will.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, absolutely. Last couple of minutes here, but, man, the challenges over the last few years owning a gun store hadn’t been fun, you know, and unfortunately. I don’t think they’re going to go away. I think we’re going to be seeing more and more here over the next few years. So how do you kind of get yourself mentally built up for that and saying, hey, we’re going to be here, man. We’re going to stay here. We’re going to fight. We’re going to sell guns. But how do you get yourself kind of just prepared for all that?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, definitely, and this year in particular is apparently going to be really fun for legislation and all that, so we’ll see what happens there. But this morning we were talking about regardless of what the economy is doing, what the industry is doing, all we can do is give the best service that we can, white glove service, all that, and we’ll stick around. I don’t see us going anywhere just because We are the best value for what we offer.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yep. And, hey, laws are laws. You know, a three-day wait. Nobody likes it, but, you know, you got to abide by the law. And a guy called me that day. They could do it if they wanted. Nobody’s going to know if I take that gun. I’m like, dude, the guy is not going to, you know, put his license up so you can get your .22 for Christmas, you know.
SPEAKER 11 :
But, yeah. I don’t care to spend 10 years in prison just so someone can have their gun a few days earlier.
SPEAKER 09 :
You’d be seeing Brandon all the time when he’s out. Yeah. Well, guys, thanks for everything. And, hey, 2025 was great. And certainly looking forward to continuing to work with you guys in 2026. And here’s what I love about what I get to do real quick and just reflecting a little on 2025 and just doing the show. You start out people with clients, right, don’t know anything about anybody, and then before you know it, you’re by here four days a week and just, you know, friendships develop. And that’s what’s so cool, you know, about doing what we do and having good quality people like you, having great quality stores that, man, I can tell anybody, hey, we stand behind them, we endorse them, whatever they tell you, you can count on. And that’s a good feeling from my standpoint, you know, because it’s a – It’s a weight on, you know, when I endorse somebody or say, hey, go see them. They’ll take care of you, you know. But I don’t have to worry about you guys. So, man, thanks.
SPEAKER 11 :
We appreciate that. We try to give, you know, top-notch service to every single person that walks through the door. We don’t care what you’re wearing or what you look like. We’ll treat you the same as everyone else.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yep, absolutely. Well, Happy New Year to each of you and your families. And come on out to LT Arms, 8130 Schaefer Parkway. When you come out, let them know you heard them here on Sportsman of Colorado. Hey, if you’re interested in the reloading classes, come over here and sit down with Evan. And they’re going to be doing a lot of cool things here all throughout 2026. And don’t forget, next Wednesday, the Texas Roadhouse at…
SPEAKER 03 :
At basically 470 in Kipling. 470 in Kipling. And then we actually have one of the reloading classes we’re starting on January 9th, that Friday at 10 a.m. Oh, January 9th. Okay. So, yeah, we have a couple things going on next week. Okay. And if they want to get more information, they call. They can call 720-727-0400 or shoot us an email at sales at ltarms.com and get signed up for that class. All right, great.
SPEAKER 09 :
Guys, we appreciate it. You’re listening to Sportsman Colorado. We’ve got to take a quick break, and we’ll be back with more right after this.
SPEAKER 17 :
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SPEAKER 09 :
If you’ve already made your list of New Year’s resolutions, why not make one for your pet? At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, furry friend resolutions are called pausolutions, and their caring staff will help you check off every item. Whether your pet’s list includes an exam appointment, a diagnostic test, a dental cleaning, a medical treatment or surgery, a nail trim, a bath and brush, a boarding reservation, or behavior training, Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center can help with all of your pet’s needs. And if food or pet care products are on your pet’s list, you can shop in their lobby retail store or at their online store and have your items delivered directly to your home. Can’t do a weekday visit? Your pet can visit them on Saturday at no additional cost. At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, helping pets be healthy and happy companions is their number one goal. Why not get started on your pet’s New Year’s Paw Solutions list today? Just call 303-708-8050. That’s 303-708-8050. Or visit Lone Tree Vet online at LoneTreeVet.com. Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center. It’s the place where my pets go.
SPEAKER 10 :
If you’re in the market for a new rifle for the big game season, or a new shotgun for some doves or upland game birds, head on over to The Gun Room. Kevin Flesch here from Sportsman of Colorado, inviting you to visit Denver’s oldest gun dealer. And that’s The Gun Room at 1595 Carr Street in Lakewood. They offer buy, trade, consignment, transfers, and appraisals. And if you purchase a gun, we’ll cover your background check fee. It’s The Gun Room, 1595 Carr Street. Tell them Sportsman of Colorado sent you.
SPEAKER 09 :
Looking for top quality hunting, fishing, and camping gear without the high prices? Head to the Outdoorsman’s Attic, Colorado’s premier outdoor consignment store at 2650 West Hampton in Sheridan. You’ll find wall-to-wall gear for upland bird hunting, waterfowl, ice fishing, and big game adventures, all at prices up to 50% off retail. Whether you’re gearing up for your next hunt or cleaning out your closet, buy, sell, save at the Outdoorsman’s Attic, where every trip feels like opening day. Come see Colorado’s largest consignment store for hunting, fishing, and camping gear. It’s the Outdoorsman’s Attic, 2650 West Hampton in Sheridan, and tell them Scott sent you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hey, Dan, you know, our jobs are pretty different. I’m a baseball announcer. You’re an attorney and a talk show host. Yeah, but we do have something in common.
SPEAKER 06 :
Really? What’s that? Our favorite car dealer, Len Lyle Chevrolet. Yeah, definitely not your typical dealership. That’s so true, Jack. No high-pressure sales tactics. They respect your time. And when you have two jobs, that’s important.
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, I’d recommend Len Lyle Chevrolet to anyone. And with their low overhead, that means lower prices.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, we really do have something in common.
SPEAKER 05 :
Len Lyle Chevrolet, go east and pay the least. Chevy, find new roads.
SPEAKER 09 :
Here’s your Water Talk Minute with Paul the Waterman, brought to you by Water Pros.
SPEAKER 01 :
So one of the things that we’ve learned, and you can check this out factually information for yourself by going to the EPA.gov. The EPA has a laundry list of unregulated contaminants, and what that means, folks, is that your municipality does not have to test for these contaminants, and so they’re not reported in your annual water quality report. This is something that has to change. We have a false sense of security about the quality of our drinking water, from pharmaceuticals to the levels of PFAS and Gen X chemicals, which was recently removed from the EPA contamination list. And for example, there’s a contaminant on the unregulated list called 1,4-Dioxin. 1,4-Dioxin has been in our water supply since the early 1900s. Check out my podcast on Spotify, Paul the Waterman, or waterpros.net.
SPEAKER 12 :
Riding an e-bike will make you feel like a kid again. Just try it. Hi, I’m Randy Crancy, founder of e-bike of Colorado. E-bikes are a fun way to ride the trails. Pedal assist technology flattens the steepest hills. We have 14 major brands to choose from and our expert staff will find you the perfect bike. Come take a free test ride at e-bike of Colorado in downtown Louisville next to the historic grain elevator. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Learn more at ebikeofcolorado.com. Just try it.
SPEAKER 09 :
Need new glasses fast? With Stack Optical’s on-site lab, you’ll get your prescription glasses in just three to four days. No long wait times. Hey, this is Scott Whatley, and I’ve trusted my eye care to Allen Stack and Stack Optical for the last 15 years. Eye exams are only $69. And that should be a part of your physical checkups each year. For over 50 years, Denver has trusted this family-owned boutique eye care center for premium vision care, custom eyewear, and expert repairs. See the Stack Optical difference today. Call 303-321-1578. That’s 303-321-1578. And tell them Scott sent you. Stack Optical. Since 1968, at Stack Optical, you’ll see the difference.
SPEAKER 15 :
Visit hometownherooutdoors.org.
SPEAKER 09 :
Sportsman of Colorado Radio is brought to you by the Colorado Wildlife Council. The Council works to educate the public on the importance of scientific wildlife management, conservation, and the benefits of wildlife-related recreational opportunities, specifically hunting and fishing. For the hunter and angler community, this educational mission is vital. It empowers us to become effective advocates for the wildlife and outdoor traditions we value. Their mission is to ensure that Colorado’s wildlife is preserved for future generations through public education. Learn more about their work and how it supports your role as an advocate at cowildlifecouncil.org. We thank the Colorado Wildlife Council for their support of Sportsman of Colorado Radio.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is AM560 KLZ, your home station.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome to Sportsman of Colorado. Thank you so much for being with us. Hey, our show is brought to you by the Mile High Hunting Fish Expo. March 20th through the 22nd, we’re going to be at the brand new National Western Center Expo Hall. More will be coming about that in months to come, but certainly wanted to mention that in our… First guest today is a great gentleman that we’ve had on here one other time before, a couple of times actually, Kevin Jones with Seekins Precision, and they are a great sponsor for us there at the Mile High Hunting Fish Expo, and I wanted to get Kevin back on here again. So Kevin, thanks for being with us. How are you, sir? I’m doing great. Hey, Scott, thanks for having me on again. You bet, you bet. Man, in the middle of hunting season, got to visit with you yesterday a little bit. You’ve already had some success, so, man, congrats.
SPEAKER 18 :
A little bit, yeah, thank you. Yeah, I appreciate it. Luckily, I work for a great company that lets us take a little time off and get our own opportunities on some animals that are running around in the woods.
SPEAKER 09 :
Absolutely. You know, I was talking with actually a lady yesterday at a gun shop I was at, and she’s going out for the very first time, and she was like, how does all this work and how do you do it? And I said, you know, and how long do you have to sit there? It’s so fun when you, you know, you’ve done something and then you, you, you hear somebody that’s brand new. And I said, look, you can make all the plans in the world and you should plan. You should have all that. But I said, I’m telling you, it rarely goes according to plan. You know? And I said, you’ll be sitting there.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
yeah a plan is only as good until you get punched in the face yeah yeah and i said you you may be sitting there for hours and hours and all of a sudden you’re looking to the left you turn your head the right and there he is you know you never and you’re just like man it just like appeared out of nowhere you know so i said it it’s a lot of fun so i said just get ready for it but um Hey, Seekin’s Precision and the Seekin’s Experience is what you guys call it now. Now I can call it that from the 7PRC that I’ve got. Like I said, we spoke yesterday. We were with our friends at LT Arms, and they helped me out a little bit with some loads for it. I will say the factory loads that you gave me were very, very good, by the way. So what you told me to shoot through it actually worked. But, you know, I just wanted to, I said, hey, I’ve never really had what I would call a precision rifle like this. I wanted to do everything we could. I put a Leopold scope, got the custom dial system, everything. And, man, it is amazing, you know, from trigger and all the different things. And I’m going to be very honest with you. When I first took it in over there, they have gunsmithing. I said, would you guys do anything? And I promise you this is what I said. I said, would you guys do anything to this rifle? And they go, nope, put a scope on it.
SPEAKER 1 :
You know?
SPEAKER 09 :
I mean, honestly. I mean, they said, man, there’s nothing to do. They said, that rifle is awesome. Yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
With the new features we added this year, we basically have thrown everything in the kitchen sink at what Seekin’s Precision believes a hunting rifle should look like, should come with, should have everything ready to go. I mean, we still get questions, you know, how do I attach this to it? I’m like, you just get that and you put it on. It’s super easy. I don’t have to drill into my stock? Nope. It’s like the bottom of the forend is already ready to go. It’s got M-lock slots. pick what you want to put on it and away you go. And, and so we’ve, you know, we’ve really tried to make it, you know, the best idea of what a bolt action rifle should be, should feel like, should shoot like. But the big one is just make it really easy for customers to put on what they need or what they feel they need onto the rifle and be ready to go out there and
SPEAKER 09 :
you know do it do whatever it is that they want to do with it sure and you know i was talking to those guys yesterday about it and i said you know i for for much of my life all i did was buy rifles off the shelf and you don’t know what you don’t know until you hold something like a sequence precision and you feel the trigger you feel the gun you just feel and man just what a vast difference
SPEAKER 18 :
Made in the USA goes a long way. I’ll tell you right now. You can feel it in every part of that rifle from the tip of the muzzle all the way to the back of the buttstock. You know, everything on that gun is made under one roof, too. So the fit and finish, the parts, the way they all come together, it’s all done under one roof. So we get to control every bit of that quality, everything down from, The little firing pin to the bolt head to the action itself, the barrels. I mean, we make it all. So it’s very much when you put a gun in your hand that’s one made in the USA and two under one roof. It goes a long way when you can tell.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, absolutely. Kevin Jones is with us once again at Seekins Precisions. Check out the website, SeekinsPrecision.com. And there are dealers here in the Denver area, and we’re working on some more as well. But who are a few folks here in our Denver, Colorado area with Seekins right now?
SPEAKER 18 :
I’d say probably your biggest guys that you’re going to want to talk to right now that’s got inventory probably on hand for you to go and put your hands on a rifle is going to be the Colorado Springs Shields.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 18 :
And then the, I believe it’s Grand Junction, Colorado. Is that right? I think there’s also a Shields there.
SPEAKER 09 :
And then Loveland probably too.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yep. So those would be, I’m not sure geographically where they’re located for you guys.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right, right, right.
SPEAKER 18 :
Gotcha. But we are always looking for new dealers because we know that our product is… is in high demand and customers want to feel and touch and buy them. So, you know, your gentleman that I talked to at LT Arms, hopefully we’ll start putting some rifles on his shelf there and see what we can do for him.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, absolutely. All right, let’s kind of walk through, for those that missed you last time, let’s kind of walk through the Seekins lineup a little bit.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, absolutely. So our flagship rifle, number one selling gun for us, is going to be the Seekins PH3. That’s the Pro Hunter 3. This is the third iteration of this rifle that we’ve had since we came out with bolt guns probably around 2016, 2017. So it’s had a few iterations. It’s had some upgrades. It’s had some new stuff that we’ve added to it this year. And it’s just an all-around well-built rifle. It’s going to come in all the popular calibers right now, all the precision, high-quality factory ammunition stuff that you can get. And we offer it in multiple different calibers in shorts and in long actions. Those are all available on our website. You can take a peek at that. It’s going to be just a good all-around rifle. The next one up on our lineup is going to be our Element M3. So that is for a guy that likes that traditional rifle feel as far as that stock and the look of the gun, but is looking to save a little bit more weight. So you’re going to get about a pound and a quarter on average of weight savings between a PH3 and an Element M3. So this is the guy that wants to do some more backpacking or get a little bit more out in the field or He’s going to be carrying the gun all day and ounces count for him, but wants a traditional stock. The next one up the lineup is our Element Hunter. So this is basically the same barrel in action that’s inside of the LM M3, but dropped into a folding lightweight chassis. This is the guy that is looking for the ultimate weight savings and the ultimate packability. So this thing… will fold down into a pack or into a scabbard for a horse or into a side-by-side or into a truck or whatever it is that you’re doing. It makes carrying that gun all day really enjoyable. You’re going to appreciate every ounce that you’re going to get to save and the packability of the gun, how small it can get if need be. And then as we continue moving up, we have our SLAM, which is the Element Hunter but comes out of our custom shop. So this gets an upgraded trigger. It gets a true carbon fiber chassis. And it gets built by our best guys. So these things get accuracy tested. They do not leave unless they shoot half-inch, if not better, with factory ammunition. And you get to pick and choose some options like that. So there’s some options available for folks that want to go and get the nines from Seekin’s Precision. The next gun in the lineup is going to be our Hit Pro M3. This is our heavy chassis rifle. This thing comes in around 11 1⁄2 to 12 pounds empty. So maybe not the one you want to carry hunting, but, hey, man, if that’s what you’re into, go for it. This is a precision rifle meant to reach out and touch things at distance, whether it comes from a tactical side or you just like shooting at distance. A lot of guys like to select it for a good host for coyote or predator hunting because you can mount thermals, you can mount other sorts of devices on it, and it’s a good host for that. And then our gas gun lineup is really popular, too. So we do our SP-10, which is our, I’d say, award-winning, I guess, and it’s done some SOCOM contracts in the past as well. It’s been fielded by special operations units. For the last four or five years, it’s an amazing, high-precision AR-10 platform rifle. And then we have our NX-15 lineup that comes in just your traditional barrel lengths and some quality on just well-built AR platform rifles as well.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. That SP-10, what’s kind of your weight of that empty?
SPEAKER 18 :
They come in around 10.5 pounds, I think, right in there. It’s not going to be the lightest AR-10 on the market. It is really built for precision. It’s for when shots count and missing isn’t an option. You really want to trust on that guy.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, and I tell you, you know, it’s crazy when you just look at the last few years of where rifles have come. And, you know, I mean, man, me growing up and, of course, my dad. I mean, I shot a .300 Weatherby Mag my whole life, you know, pretty much. And now I’m switching over to yours. And I tell you, just to hold that thing and have that less weight, for me, at my age now, you know, in different things. Oh, yeah, absolutely. It’s like I’m holding a feather after holding that thing, you know.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, well, even with young guys that could hold the 300 Wetherby all day, we want to be quicker, faster on our feet. We want to go after something quicker and get up to the top of the hill or whatever it may be. And by every ounce counts. So depending on what you’re doing or… you know, what you’re looking for, there’s probably a Seekins rifle that’s going to fit your needs and it’s going to perform to your exact standards, if not better.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. A lot of competition in this field. So, I mean, and you’ve kind of already pretty much named a lot of things that you feel make you guys different. But let’s kind of walk through some things that you just tell people. Hey, as you’re shopping for rifles, notice what on a Seekins Precision?
SPEAKER 18 :
The biggest thing that we have that people, like, are drawn to us is is obviously the quality of our product is number one right we we build a rifle made in the usa under one roof and we are not going to sacrifice our quality and so when someone puts our rifle in their hands they can immediately tell that right um but what we find that has drawn most of our customers to us is the buddy that already has one is the friend that already has one and that they are now actually our biggest salespeople. Like, our customers are our best sales team. We like to joke around here that we have, you know, sales guys that are, you know, our jobs are to sell, right? But really the rifles sell themselves, so all we’re here to do is manage expectations. And so we get thrown around a lot here under the roof and say, what do you guys even do? Our rifles sell themselves. And that’s really 100% true. The product sells itself. You know, most customers that have heard about us have heard it from a friend and have typically been drawn or pushed towards us. So our competitors that may be in the same field as us, that maybe build a very high-quality rifle that’s comparable to us, whether it’s a price point or a construction standpoint, you know, these things are on the same page. We feel that our customer satisfaction, our customer service, and our warranty, our lifetime warranty, No questions asked warranty brings new customers in and keeps our old ones buying more rifles every year from us. So we feel that, you know, you have to have the trifecta. You have to have a good quality product. You have to have good service to back it up and making sure you keep that customer relation. That way it can just constantly be a good brand image, right? You want to make sure people are drawn to your brand and your product. And we feel that we’ve built a very good reputation over years. You know, this doesn’t happen overnight. You know, Seekins started in 2004. So, you know, 2024 was our 20th anniversary, and we’re coming up on 22 years in 2026. So for us, that’s a big deal. You know, it was built by Glenn in the garage in Lewiston, building scope rings, and then just grew the company from there. And we are very proud, hardworking Americans that get to work. under the same roof, and we get to build guns for the American working man.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yep, absolutely. If you’re just joining us once again, Kevin Jones is with us at Seekins Precision, seekinsprecision.com. And, hey, if you go to your local gun store and they don’t have Seekins there, tell them they need to check them out because I’m telling you, this is a quality rifle. As I mentioned, I got a 7 PRC, and I tell you, it is a dream to shoot, and I’m actually hoping— As you are hearing this in all transparency, pre-recording this, I’m after a mule deer right now when they’re hearing this, Kevin, with my new Seekin’s Precision. So hopefully I’ll have a good story with that.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, from what I heard from LT, it’s on you, Scott.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I’m telling you. Well, yeah, I mean, needless to say, with your rifle and just the load they built, hey, yeah, it is going to be on me for sure. You mentioned you’re scopering different things like that. So what are a few other accessory-type things that people may be interested in with you?
SPEAKER 18 :
The big one’s going to be definitely our scope rings. Obviously, we’d love for you to be into a Seekins rifle, but if you’re not, we totally understand. If you want to make bad decisions in life, that’s on you. But our scope rings are really going to be second to none. We focus on building matched scope rings. So when you get a set of scope rings from Seekins and you look on the bottom of them, there’s actually a serial number. That serial number isn’t for us. That’s for you as the customer to know that you received a matched set a male and a female, and a brother and sister set of scope rings that are perfect for whatever scope you end up putting into it. So that’s going to be the gold standard as far as we’re concerned for lightweight, high-quality Aiden USA scope rings that are going to hold onto your scope nice and tight, and they’re not going to weigh you down like all steel rings would do. And that’s kind of how Glenn ended up making them. We do a flurry of AR parts as well, so if you’re looking to build your own You know, those are definitely, you know, we make hand guards, we make our own uppers, we make our own lowers, we make our own safety selector switches, we make our own bolt catches as well. So if you’re just looking for little bits and pieces like that, that can all be found on our website. We do make ARCA rails for attaching a rifle to a bipod or a tripod, whatever your system setup is. So, you know, if you’re looking for a small short rail, we have what’s called our new Hunter ARCA rail. And that is basically an ARCA rail that’s been rotated 90 degrees. So instead of clamping from the left and the right of the ARCA rail, you’re actually clamping on the front and the back. And what that does is it gives your rifle the ability to be attached to a tripod, but a very, very light, very, very low-profile ARCA rail that’s not going to eat into your hand all day long as you’re carrying it before you put it on a tripod. So it makes it for a very comfortable hunter’s ARCA rail.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. And, you know, and this may sound weird because you would think most people involved with making guns would be hunters, but that’s not necessarily always true with companies. But, I mean, I think one thing that’s huge for you guys is the in-the-field experience, so to speak. So you know what feels good in the hand and what doesn’t, right?
SPEAKER 18 :
Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I mean, we are our biggest, you know, our own customer, right? You know, we want to make sure that the rifles that, I mean, I don’t want to carry any other rifle in the field other than our rifle. And the reason for that is because we built a rifle based off of what we would want in the field. You know, we’re out there using it. We are in the canyons, and I say canyons, not hills, of Hell’s Canyon. You know, where I hunt, you know, I could be making a shot at 50 yards. I could be making a shot at 750 yards. You just don’t know. Like we talked about, you know, you get a new hunter, they’ll say, well, what do I prepare for? Well, I hate to say it, but everything, you know. And so you kind of have, you know, we have this, you know, really good, idea because we’re out in the field and we know what we’re looking for is probably what every other guy is looking for, or at least close to it. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER 09 :
Once again, folks, it’s SeekinsPrecision.com. Check them out. And as I mentioned at the beginning of the show, today’s show is brought to you by the Mile High Hunting Fish Expo 2026 Edition. And we are going to be at the National Western Center Expo Hall. And more coming up, of course, in the months to come. But you definitely want to come and check out SeekinsPrecision.com. And once again, if you’re in the market for a rifle, highly recommend. Just go check them out. And as Kevin mentioned, Shields is probably at this point going to have your best selection right there and hopefully some stock as well. But just a great, great firearm. And, Kevin, man, we appreciate it. And I’ll be in touch soon and hopefully show you a nice mule deer pick with my Seekins Precision 7 PRC, my friend.
SPEAKER 18 :
I better see some photos, Scott.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right, man. Hey, we appreciate it. Of course. Thank you. You betcha. So we want to thank all of our guests today. Mostly, thank you for being with us on Sportsman of Colorado. Hope you have a great rest of your weekend. And leave it right here on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 16 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
