Court nixes rifle target maker's defamation suit against NBC

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NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court says a rifle target maker missed its mark when it said in a lawsuit that NBC mischaracterized its exploding targets as bombs.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday, saying an NBC "Today" show segment's description of the product as a "bomb" was substantially true. The ruling rejects a 2015 lawsuit Tannerite Sports LLC brought against NBCUniversal News Group.

In the lawsuit, Tannerite said the March 2015 report mischaracterized its targets as bombs on a shelf. The court said NBC made clear the target's ingredients must be mixed and shot before they explode. The court also criticized Tannerite's claims that NBC associated its product with terrorists.

A spokesman did not immediately return a message left Tuesday at the company's Pleasant Hill, Oregon, headquarters.