The Big Dog Steel Holster Rebrand: 5 Things You Must Know About The Carnivore And RangeKinetX
The "Big Dog Steel Holster" you are searching for is still a top-tier piece of competition gear, but the brand landscape has fundamentally shifted in 2025. The popular holster line, including the highly-regarded Carnivore Competition Holster, has transitioned to a new, dedicated brand: RangeKinetX. This move allows Big Dog Steel to sharpen its focus on its core business—American-milled AR500 steel targets—while RangeKinetX caters specifically to the needs of competitive and tactical shooters with Kydex holsters and accessories. This is the most crucial, up-to-date information for anyone looking to purchase or review their gear.
The company, founded by precision rifle enthusiast Ryan Brandt, has made this strategic separation to ensure both product lines receive the specialized attention they deserve. For consumers, this means the quality and innovative design that Big Dog Steel became known for in the holster world is now concentrated under the RangeKinetX name, providing a clearer brand identity for high-performance shooting accessories.
Founder's Profile: Ryan Brandt, The Man Behind Big Dog Steel & RangeKinetX
The driving force behind both Big Dog Steel and the rebranded RangeKinetX holster line is founder Ryan Brandt. His professional background and personal passion are deeply rooted in the shooting sports, providing a foundation of real-world experience for the products he develops.
- Full Name: Ryan Brandt
- Role: Founder and Owner of Big Dog Steel and RangeKinetX.
- Primary Business Location: Saint Marys, Ohio, USA.
- Professional Background: Brandt has been heavily involved in precision rifle shooting since well before the inception of Big Dog Steel.
- Company Focus (Big Dog Steel): Manufacturing durable, American-made AR500 steel targets.
- Company Focus (RangeKinetX): Designing and manufacturing high-performance holsters and gear for competitive and duty use.
- Vision: To create durable designs and innovative products that meet the rigorous demands of serious shooters, from the target range to the competition circuit.
Brandt's experience as a shooter directly informs the design of his products. The transition of the holster line to RangeKinetX is a strategic move to better serve the distinct markets for steel targets and shooting gear, ensuring a specialized approach to product development and customer support for each category. This separation highlights a commitment to continuous improvement and market clarity for both the steel targets and the Kydex holsters.
The Carnivore Holster: Why It Became a Competition Favorite
The Carnivore Competition Holster is the flagship product that initially put Big Dog Steel (now RangeKinetX) on the map for competitive shooters. It is not a "steel holster" in the literal sense, but a high-performance, machined holster system that rivals established names like Safariland and Ghost in the USPSA and IDPA circuits. It is a prime example of how the company's focus on competitive demands translates into a unique product.
Key Features and Competition Advantages
The Carnivore's popularity stems from a few key technical advantages that address common pain points for competition shooters:
- Frictionless Draw: The holster is painstakingly designed for the smoothest possible draw, a critical factor for shaving milliseconds off a stage time. Its machined design ensures minimal contact points.
- Positive Active Retention: It features a highly positive and super-reliable active retention mechanism. This allows the pistol to be completely locked in place, which is essential for stages involving running, jumping, or navigating obstacles (often referred to as "hot dog in a hallway" scenarios).
- Optics and Accessory Clearance: The design provides ample room for large red dot optics and popular accessories like gas pedals (thumb rests) and extended controls, accommodating the modern competitive pistol setup.
- Kydex Construction: While the company is "Big Dog Steel," the holster itself is crafted from high-quality, durable Kydex (often two layers of .080" thick material for added rigidity), a standard in performance holsters.
- The Tech Disc System: Users often praise the included hanger system, sometimes referred to as the "tech disc," which is considered by many to be a superior, more stable, and more adjustable alternative to traditional mounting systems like the Safariland QLS (Quick Locking System).
The Carnivore Holster is available for a wide range of popular competition pistols, including models from CZ, Canik (like the Rival-S), and Glock, ensuring its relevance across multiple divisions and shooting disciplines.
The RangeKinetX Rebrand: What Shooters Need to Know in 2025
The most current and important update is the formalization of the holster line under the new brand, RangeKinetX. This is not a termination of the product, but a strategic evolution to better serve the market. If you are searching for a Big Dog Steel holster today, you are looking for a RangeKinetX product.
The Strategic Split
The separation streamlines the business into two distinct, high-authority entities:
- Big Dog Steel (BDS): The primary focus remains on AR500 steel targets. These are known for their American-milled, high-quality steel (3/8-inch and 1/2-inch thickness) and innovative features like twist-lock holes for easy setup and reactive designs for engaging training. Products include the Bobcat Target, Head Hunter Reactive Target, and various Precision Rifle Targets.
- RangeKinetX (RKX): This brand is now the dedicated home for all Kydex holsters and shooting accessories. This includes the flagship Carnivore Competition Holster, as well as the specialized AR-15 Magazine Holster, AR-10 Magazine Holster, AICS/AW Magazine Holster for precision rifle shooters, and utility items like the Insta360 Go 3 Camera Holster and Liquid Hand Chalk Holster.
This rebranding is a positive development for customers. It ensures that the engineering and customer service for the high-precision competition gear is handled by a brand solely dedicated to that niche. The quality, design, and founder (Ryan Brandt) remain the same; only the name has changed for the holster line.
Topical Entities and LSI Keywords for Authority
To provide a comprehensive view of the products and the market, here is a list of relevant entities and LSI keywords that relate to the Big Dog Steel / RangeKinetX ecosystem:
- Competition Disciplines: USPSA, IDPA, 3-Gun, Precision Rifle Series (PRS).
- Materials: AR500 Steel, Kydex (.080" thick), American-Milled Steel.
- Holster Components: Active Retention, Friction Retention, Tech Disc, Holster Hanger, Gas Pedals, Red Dot Optics, QLS (Safariland Quick Locking System).
- Related Gear: Magazine Holsters (AR-15, AR-10, AICS/AW), BDS Bulletproof Hitch Vise Adapter, Reloading Products.
- Firearm Compatibility: Canik Rival-S, CZ SP-01, Glock, Kimber 2k11.
- Company Operations: Made in the USA, Durable Designs, Free Shipping (on most products).
By understanding the connection between Big Dog Steel's AR500 targets and RangeKinetX's Carnivore Holster, competitive shooters can confidently navigate the new brand structure to find the premium gear they need for their next match.
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