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Sunday, February 19, 2006
SHOT Show Continues to Get Bigger and Better
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The annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show set records in its 28th year, posting new highs in exhibit space and attendance. The 2006 SHOT Show — held Feb. 9 through Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center — attracted more than 1,846 exhibiting companies, surpassing last year's 1,725. Preliminary figures indicate that the show attracted 23,740 buyers, 1,387 members of the press and 14,082 exhibiting personnel for a total attendance of 39,209. The show is the world's largest showcase of firearms, hunting and outdoor products. It provides a forum like no other for the industry to show off its newest products that will adorn the shelves of gun and sporting goods shops this year. A capacity crowd of more than 1,800 attended the show's annual State of the Industry Gala. The night included an upbeat message from National Shooting Sports Director, Doug Painter, video highlights of NSSF's efforts over the past year, a concert from Grammy-winning country artist Lee Ann Womack and the presentation of two special awards. A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to renowned outdoor communicator Grits Gresham, recognizing his extraordinary achievements made in support of America's hunting heritage and firearm freedoms. A new and annually presented award will bear Gresham's name permanently. NSSF and the recently formed Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) will begin presenting the POMA/NSSF Grits Gresham Communicator of the Year Award in 2007. NSSF also presented an award to the National Rifle Association (NRA), recognizing its persistence in helping Congress to pass the historic Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which was signed into law last year by President Bush. The new law protects law-abiding firearms manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits. Notable new products Austin & Halleck muzzleloader At this year's SHOT Show, Austin & Halleck introduced the first muzzleloading lever-action rifle, the new 694 American Classic. Available in .45- or .50-caliber models, this black-powder brush gun, with your choice of Boyd's curly maple or walnut stocks with a satin finish, has the comfortable feel of your dad's old deer gun, and comes at 131/2-inch length of pull with a one-inch recoil pad. Austin & Halleck craftsman who make in-line rifles, shotguns, percussion and flintlock muzzleloaders known for their reliable accuracy and fancy curly maple stocks, have been working on the company's innovative new lever-action muzzleloader worthy of the A&H brand. A&H's 694 American Classic features a combination of yesteryear's trusted quality with reliable modern-day technology, like the Krieger 22-inch straight-tapered barrel with 1-in-24 twist and the Black Ice Teflon finish, guarantees all-weather performance. |
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At 6.7 pounds and 39.5 inches overall, the A&H 694 American Classic feels comfortable and is superbly balanced. Its new A&H Brush Country trigger is smooth and crisp at a factory set 3.5 pounds. For a dealer closest to you, visit www.austinhalleck.com or call them toll free (1-877-543-3256). Lowrance Ifinder Hunt C This handheld mapping GPS lets you follow game in brilliant color with 16-channel GPS precision. The MapCreate USA Topo Accessories Pack offers unlimited custom mapmaking on a PC. The unit's high-detail 240-by-160-pixel resolution, the 256-color, 2.62-inch TFT display and advanced white-LED-screen backlighting make it easy to read in bright sunlight. This camo-clad handheld GPS has an electronic compass and barometric altimeter with weather predictions and exclusive hunting-specific icons for marking tree stands, game signs, ATVs and vehicles. For more information call 1-800-324-1356 or visit www.lowrance.com Leatherman multitool Twenty year ago, Tim Leatherman created his first multitool. Since then, the company that bears his name has developed more than 20 popular models. For 2006, Leatherman will expand the product line with the introduction of the new Vista hunting pruner multitool. The Vista has a pruner, of course, as well as a saw, awl, choke-tube wrench, flat and Phillips screwdrivers and three other tools. The nonslip handles provide a comfortable, solid grip even for glove wearers, and a rugged nylon and leather-trimmed sheath snaps closed for quiet access (no Velcro). A metal belt clip and built-in belt loop make the Vista easy to carry. For more information call 1-800-847-8665 or visit www.leatherman.com Zeiss Victory Diarange scope OK. So you have saved about $4,400 for hunting equipment and you had your mind set on a small ATV and a high-tech scope. However, if you wish to purchase the new Zeiss laser range-finder scope, you'll only have enough money to squeak by — sans sales tax. Ask any guide: Most hunters are lousy judges of distance. That's one reason sales of laser range finders are so strong. But often hunters simply don't have the time to put down their binoculars, pick up a range finder and then acquire the target in their riflescope. Zeiss seeks to make things a whole lot simpler through its new Victory Diarange M 3-12x56 T Laser Range-Finding Riflescope. The range finder takes only half a second to establish distance and the eye never leaves the ocular lens. It's accurate out to 999 yards and has been designed for simple, fast and accurate operation, even in low-light situations. The scope uses a rail-mounting system and offers four different illuminated reticles. This scope will be available for shipment in August. SRP: $4,350. Visit www.zeiss.com/sports. |
