The New Tactical Optics of SHOT Show 2016
New Optics from Aimpoint, EOTech, and Vortex
There were several new tactical scopes on display at SHOT Show 2016, with three standout companies behind them.
Vortex’s US-made precision, red dot, and prismatic scopes
For precision shooters, Vortex was showing off their Razor HD AMG scopes. The Razor is a US-made first focal plane (FFP) scope that features apochromatic objective lenses, so the colors you see through the scope will remain true and the glass-etched reticle – available in MOA or MRAD versions- will remain in proportion to the target across the entire, substantial 6-24x zoom range. The constant reticle proportions and large, easy-to-use adjustment turrets will make this scope easy to use across a range of changing shooting conditions. All this comes with a price tag of around $3400.
Vortex also had a pair of tactical 1x scopes more suited for CQB, quick shots, and closer target shooting. Up first is the SPARC AR – an unmagnified AR-ready red dot. The new SPARC has a 2 MOA dot with 1 MOA adjustments and rear-facing digital brightness adjustments. It also includes an auto-off feature that shuts the unit down after 12 hours to save your battery – so no having a battle-ready rifle in your safe that is always-on and ready to grab and go. More good news: that battery is a standard AAA battery that is easy to find and easy on the wallet. That battery will net you anywhere between 300 and 5000 hours of run time, depending on which of the 10 brightness levels you choose. Continue reading
SHOT Show Range Day 2016
The NSSF’s Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) opens today and, as it is every year, the start of the show is preceded by SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range outside of Las Vegas in Boulder City.
With more than 170 exhibitors and over half a million rounds fired, Industry Day bills itself as the largest, most influential one-day event in the hunting and shooting industry. The event provides the opportunity for outdoor media and buyers to get hands on, live-fire experience with the newest firearms and products that will hit the market in the upcoming year. It is the perfect chance to see what is coming down the pipe and, as we have in past years, the GunLink team took advantage of that opportunity at the 2016 Range Day so that we can share the latest and greatest with you.
One of the new products at Range Day that is sure to create some buzz came from Kimber. Long known for their fine bolt-action rifles and 1911 pistols, the company is carving a path into new territory: the revolver market. Enter the Continue reading
SHOT Show is Just Around the Corner
Stay with the GunLink Team for Complete SHOT Show 2016 Coverage
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) SHOT Show 2016 is just two short weeks away, and the GunLink team will be there from the opening shots of the pre-show Industry Day at the Range until after the show ends to bring you complete coverage of the latest and greatest guns, gear, and more that is coming soon in the shooting, hunting, and outdoor fields.
Watch the GunLink Blog for detailed coverage of SHOT Show 2016 and participate by joining the discussion in the NSSF SHOT Show boards on the GunLink Forums. For more frequent up-to-the-minute updates throughout the show, be sure to follow GunLink on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The 38th annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show – SHOT Show – runs from Tuesday, January 19 through Friday, January 22 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. This is the largest show of its kind, drawing tens of thousands of attendees. The 2015 show drew approximately 64,000 attendees – second only to the 2014 show’s 67,000. The heart of the show that brings such a massive crowd? The 1,600 exhibitors who cover more than 13 acres of exhibit space to showcase their wares.
At Industry Day at the Range on January 18 in Boulder City, we will have the opportunity to visit with manufacturers and see the latest firearms in action with some live-fire trigger time – which is always a “blast”. Featuring over 170 manufacturers exhibiting, and over 500,000 rounds of ammunition shot, Industry Day is the premier shooting event in the industry, giving outdoor media and buyers the opportunity to shoot and test new products for the upcoming year. This year’s exhibiting companies include firearms, ATV and truck demos, knife throwing, archery and more.
For those of you lucky enough to be going to the SHOT Show to see it for yourself, there are a number of tools to make your visit easier. Plan meet-ups, talk about what you’ve seen, get pointers, and more in the SHOT Show thread on the GunLink forums. Find exhibitors, schedule meetings with vendors, take notes, and plan your show with SHOT Show mobile, available as an app for Android and iOS devices and as a mobile site for Windows and Blackberry devices. This will, no doubt, make it easier to navigate the 630,000 square feet and 12.5 miles of aisles on the show floor!
Of course, all of this great coverage of the best new products that shooters care about wouldn’t be possible without our valuable partners.
Brownells, and Pete Brownell in particular, has been among the earliest and biggest supporters of new media in the firearms industry – going so far as to host the New Media Meetup Lunch at previous SHOT Shows – in addition to offering an enormous selection of firearm parts and accessories. Brownells has been Serious About Firearms for over 75 years – since 1939!
If you are seeking information about the latest and greatest advancements in the firearms industry, then chances are that you are an ardent supporter of our Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms. What better way to make sure that those advancements continue by protecting that market and helping to ensure that we keep those rights strong than joining the National Rifle Association – one of the oldest and largest civil rights organizations in the United States.
Northwood Components offers a full line of aftermarket triggers that can turn an ordinary KelTec pistol into a sweet shooting little carry gun. The machined aluminum triggers virtually eliminate finger pinch and provide a lighter perceived trigger pull although the actual trigger pull weight and safety of the firearm are not effected. Pops’s trigger upgrade has been featured on the GunLink Blog and in our P11 Improvement Project.
Concealed carry and open carry practitioners from all over the United States, and gun owners in general, will find the Gun Laws by State guide invaluable. The guide, written by a prominent gun law author and nationally recognized gun law attorney, covers reciprocity, constitutional & federal law, use of force, civil & criminal liability, preemption, and more in its 360 pages, which include over 1,000 updates for 2016.
Not a CCW permit holder yet? If the time requirements of the class are holding you back, The Carry Academy has the solution: take your CCW class online in under an hour for less than $50 to satisfy the training requirements needed in order to obtain your concealed carry permit in over 20 states. The majority of these states allow you to carry a concealed weapon by obtaining a Virginia nonresident permit. The course also satisfies training requirements for resident permits in Iowa, Oregon and Virginia.
If your 2016 New Years resolutions include being more prepared for natural or man-made disasters, you can hope for the best but prepare for the worst with shelf-stable food from Wise Food Storage. Great tasting meals with the ease of just-add-water, the peace of mind of 25-year shelf life, and the pride of being Made in the USA.
NSSF Signs Three-Year Deal with ConvExx for SHOT Show
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is pleased to announce that it has renewed its agreement with trade show management company ConvExx to continue its partnership with NSSF’s SHOT Show through 2018 and beyond.
Based in Las Vegas, ConvExx is privately held and has produced more than 200 shows and events. ConvExx will also be working more closely with NSSF on its Exhibitor Academy, Industry Summit, Sponsor Summit, Import/Export Conference, retailer compliance seminars and other events as part of this extended agreement.
“With the tremendous level of success and positive feedback we received from the past two shows, we believe that a long-term partnership with ConvExx is a good fit for our show, for our members and for our industry,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “ConvExx brings a customer-centric focus, collaborative culture and a track record of innovation that help make the customer experience memorable. ConvExx also understands the nuances and sensitivities of an industry such as ours.” Continue reading
2015 Ladies Choice Awards Recipients Honored at SHOT Show
Taking a break from the noise and excitement of Range Day and the miles of aisles on the SHOT Show exhibit floor, the GunLink team had a chance to attend the presentation of the Shooting for Women Alliance’s (SWFA) 2015 Ladies Choice Awards. The well-attended event filled quickly and, while our Women’s Shooting editor got there early for a seat, I ended up in the standing-room-only portion – which worked out well for shooting photos and congratulating the award recipients as they exited.
Awards were presented by SFWA founder, Susan Carrichner Rexrode – who, in in 1992, was held hostage at knife-point in her own home for 5 ½ hours and then stalked for two years. Following her ordeal, Susan became a more active participant in her self defense and began training others to help prevent something similar from happening to them – out of that was born the SFWA.
In front of a standing room only crowd with a multitude of onlookers sneaking a peek through the entryway, fifteen awesome industry leaders accepted 2015 Ladies Choice Awards for Guns and Gear for the Modern Woman presented by Shooting for Women Alliance, a non-profit 501(c)3 nationally-renowned organization based in Knoxville, Tennessee. “10,000+ women weighed in with all products being used during actual personal defense related training classes, and the crème de’ la crème rose to the top,” explained Rexrode.
Criteria to be considered as a Ladies Choice Award recipient include: a women-friendly company that designs products that actually work well for women, are easy for them to use, perform as they expect, and understands that it is NOT about pink (although customization options are appreciated). All products are tested Continue reading
SilencerCo Handed Best Booth Award at SHOT 2015
SilencerCo, the industry leader in silencers and accessories, was awarded Best Booth at SHOT Show 2015 by prominent firearms marketing agency Primer Strategy. SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade) Show is the firearms industry’s largest annual tradeshow, bringing nearly 70,000 people to Las Vegas each January.
The accolade was given to recognize SilencerCo’s enclosed art gallery-style installation, which used 10 striking gallery wrapped portraits and more than 20 silenced firearms to kick off a yearlong protest theme – #FightTheNoise. The attention to detail employed the use of pasted playbills and posters affixed to an exposed brick façade – all to illustrate the gritty, street-worn feel made iconic by many of the most successful social movements of the past century.
“While walking the SHOW Show floor we noticed a sea of repetition and lack of evolution from year to year – the same booths, same looks and same ideas,” said Katie Perrine, president of Primer Strategy. “Then we saw SilencerCo’s design and had to stop for a closer look. It really embodied what Primer sees as the new direction of the firearms industry – strong, creative, unconventional designs without fear of breaking traditions.” Continue reading
