I met our guest today, Derrick Ratliff, at this year’s Leupold Relentless Rifleman, the NRL Hunter match I wrote about here; he was working the same brutal high-desert terrain I was, and it turns out talking to the guy who made the rifle you’re competing with is some of the best pre-match conversation you’ll have. Derrick founded Horizon Firearms, the Texas shop behind the .22 Creedmoor and a reputation for custom long-range rifles built to be handed down rather than traded in. Horizon is only one piece of what he runs, though. Derrick is also the brains behind Iota Outdoors, which builds precision rifle stocks and accessories, and serves as VP of Kaspar Outdoors, the holding company tying those brands together with names like Circle Y Saddles.
As you’ll learn today, Derrick grew up on a ranch, and between the horses, the cattle, and a saddle brand under the same roof, there’s a real cowboy pedigree sitting behind the rifle work he’s passionate about today. Today we’ll talk about everything from the .22 Creedmoor’s origin story, Derrick’s feelings on the match as a first-timer, and what it’s like running a saddle brand and a precision rifle brand under one company.
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TFB Behind the Gun #231: Derrick Ratliff of Horizon Firearms
On today’s episode of TFB’s Behind the Gun Podcast, we sit down with Derrick Ratliff, founder of Horizon Firearms and VP of Kaspar Outdoors — the same conversation that started on the range at this year’s Relentless Rifleman. Derrick’s name is tied to the .22 Creedmoor and a reputation for custom long-range rifles, but Horizon is just the entry point into a bigger operation that includes iota Outdoors and, through Kaspar, brands like Circle Y Saddles. We get into how the .22 Creedmoor came to be, what it’s like running a saddle company and a precision rifle company side by side, and Derrick’s read on Relentless Rifleman as a first-time competitor — plus what it’s actually like to talk shop with the guy who built the rifle you’re about to shoot a match with.
Learn more:
Horizon Firearms: https://horizonfirearms.com
iota Outdoors: https://iotaoutdoors.com
Kaspar Outdoors: https://www.kasparoutdoors.com
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