SHOT Show University Reveals Tools for Success

Transcription

shooting hunting outdoor trade show 1979–2009
NSSF
NEW PRODUCT
REPORTS
SHOT Daily hits the floor to find
the latest products from the
show p. 70. Also, see what’s
new in optics p. 16, ammunition
p. 25, and outerwear p. 30.
NEWS
SHOT Business
Awards Presented
Five leaders are honored for their
dedication to the shooting-sports
industry. SEE PAGE 4
Bonnier,
Outdoor
ChAnnel
join
forces
Together, the
partnership will
reach an audience of more
than 57 million.
SEE PAGE 8
five minutes with…
DPMS President Randy Luth has
long advocated extending the AR
platform into hunting. SEE PAGE 12
Leatherman lights
a new path
The company’s new Serac flashlights feature three mini lights with
extraordinary output. SEE PAGE 65
FEATURES
new shooters,
new insights
The NSSF’s First Shots outreach
program is successfully creating
new shooters. SEE PAGE 34
the y factor
If your business reflects the values
of today’s millennials, you’ll earn
their loyalty. SEE PAGE 48
a surprising facelift
An unexpected transformation has
made a trusty warhorse a hot ticket
for shooters. SEE PAGE 52
fr i DAY, J a n ua ry 16, 200 9
The Daily News of the 2 00 9 Orlando S H OT Show Brought to You by the Bonnier Corporation and the N S S F
SHOT Show University
Reveals Tools for Success
N
early 200 SHOT Show
participants attended the
2009 SHOT Show
University on Wednesday. The
university featured a series of presentations by more than a dozen
experts in various aspects of successful firearms retailing. Subjects
ranged from budgeting and creative
merchandising tips from retailer,
author and motivational speaker
Tom Shay, to best firearms compliance practices presented by Wally
Nelson, a retired high-level executive with the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Marketing and customer-service
expert Ron Rosenberg kicked off the
presentations by discussing how to
create outrageously effective marketing materials. Richard Gardiner, a
Nearly 200 participants attended the 2009
SHOT Show University, where more than a
dozen experts made presentations.
highly regarded attorney who has
worked for and represented the
NRA, followed with a session on
Know Your Rights as a Licensee. His
presentation was a follow-up to the
article “Know Your Rights,” which
he authored for the August/
September 2008 issue of SHOT
Business.
Important data that offers a consumer profile of hunters and shooters was presented by professional
market researchers, including the
NSSF’s Frank Briganti, Southwick
Associates’ Rob Southwick and
SportsOneSource Group’s James
Hartford. Specialists Linda Talley
and Ann Baldwin addressed how to
best communicate with the media
and with customers.
Retailers Larry Ahlman and Miles
Hall spoke to attendees about the
benefits and challenges of adding a
gunsmith to a firearms retail store,
and Hall and Doug VanderWoude
addressed the advantages and pitfalls
of adding a shooting range.
From Field Winchester Ammo
Dealer of the Year
to Table
W
Over the past year, the folks at
Chef’s Choice—a manufacturer of
electric and manual knife sharpeners, food slicers and meat grinders—have seen an uptick in demand
for their food-preparation products.
Chef’s Choice President Sam
Weiner attributes this growing interest in home butchering to a pair of
marketplace factors. First, due to
cross-contamination concerns,
many neighborhood butchers will
no longer assist in the slicing up or
grinding of a hunter’s harvest.
Second, the sluggish economy has
no doubt spurred an increase in
home butchering as a way for hunters to save on food costs.
Whatever the reason, Weiner
believes that retailers should note
the growing interest in these items
by hunters and stock accordingly.
Booth #915. (800-342-3255;
edgecraft.com)
inchester Ammunition presented the 2008 Dealer of the
Year Award to Green Top Sporting
Goods, located in Glen Allen,
Virginia, Thursday morning at the
SHOT Show. The annual award
recognizes a dealer who sets a high
standard in sales and promotions.
For more than 60 years, Green
Top has provided those who love the
outdoors with a huge inventory of
top name products and expert advice
from people who love to hunt, fish
and experience the outdoors.
“We are honored to be named the
Dealer of the Year from Winchester
Ammunition,” said Pat Hopkins, vice
president of Green Top Sporting
Goods. “When Green Top began
carrying firearms- and ammunitionrelated products in the 1950s,
Winchester Ammunition was one of
the first companies to come onboard,
and it has truly been an honor to
carry such time-honored products.
We value the opportunity we have to
The Winchester Ammo Dealer of the Year
Award went to Green Top Sporting Goods.
work with the Winchester staff, with
their friendly customer service, their
ammunition experience and their
aggressiveness in putting out topquality products.”
Retailers who achieve this recognition maintain high standards for customer service and product knowledge, and promote the Winchester
brand through advertising, sales promotion and merchandising.
friday, January 16, 2009 ■ Shot Business Daily ■ 1
NEWS
SHOT Business Awards
Rob and Larry Barnett received the SHOT Business Retailer of the Year Award from SHOT
Business publisher Eric Zinczenko (far left) and Editor Slaton White (far right).
S
HOT Business magazine
honored five industry leaders at the Bonnier Outdoor
Group breakfast yesterday morning.
The honorees were: Retailer of the
Year, Larry’s Pistol & Pawn;
Distributor of the Year, Ellett
Brothers; Manufacturer’s
Representative of the Year, Mike
Martin; Range of the Year, the
Arlington-Fairfax Chapter of the
Izaak Walton League of America;
and Company of the Year, Smith &
Wesson.
“The SHOT Business Awards
have always celebrated leadership—in
the shooting-sports industry, and in
the communities in which our recipients reside,” said Slaton White, editor of SHOT Business. White noted
Field & Stream Honors
Best of the Best
Field & Stream presented its 11th annual Best of the Best awards at the SHOT
Show yesterday, honoring the best, most innovative gear the industry has to
offer. “Our team evaluated thousands of products, in the field and in the testing
lab, and what rose to the top is some truly exceptional gear,” said Field &
Stream Editor Anthony Licata. “With innovative designs and peerless quality,
these items deserve to be called the Best of the Best.”
Products honored this year include
the DiamondBlade Monarch I Folding Knife,
Chris Reeve Pacific, SOG Mini Vulcan,
Cabela’s Bell & Carson Gator, Leupold
Mojave 10x42 binocular, Leica Ultravid
10x42 HD binocular, Trijicon TR20
AccuPoint 3–9x40 riflescope, Bushnell Elite
6500 2.5–16x42 riflescope, Traditions
Pursuit II XLT, Smith & Wesson Elite Gold,
Caesar Guerini Summit Sporting, Browning
X-Bolt, BowTech The General, Yamaha
Grizzly 550 FI Auto 4x4 EPS, Yamaha Rhino
700 FI Auto, Coast LED Lenser H7R
Rechargeable Focusing Headlamp, Brunton
Solo 15 Power System, Spot Satellite
Messenger, Garmin Colorado 400t GPS,
Stealth Cam Prowler, Midland GXT850VP4
26-Mile Radio, Irish Setter Snow Claw XT Boot, Browning Transition Series
Apparel, Sitka 90% Series Pants and Jacket, Mystery Ranch NICE Frame with
Crew Cab Package, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, Expedite Yote Coyote Decoy,
Ruger 22 Charger, Hilleberg Allak and Ameristep Z Lounge Ladder Stand.
“All of us at Smith & Wesson are extremely proud that the Elite Gold was
chosen as the best hunting shotgun,” said S&W marketing manager Paul Pluff.
–Robert F. Staeger
4 ■ Shot Business Daily ■ friday, January 16, 2009
that the winners are all staunch
advocates for the shooting-sports
community. Industry support
includes organizations such as the
National Rifle Association, the
National Shooting Sports
Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and
the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Community support includes organizations such as the Boy Scouts of
America, 4-H, Big Brothers Big
Sisters and the American Cancer
Society. “It’s an honor to be named
the SHOT Business Retailer of the
Year,” said Larry Barnett, of Larry’s
Pistol & Pawn. “Of course, so much
credit for this belongs to my staff,
who are always striving to provide
the best service anyone could ask for
to our customers.”
Thomas Ciarula, manager of the
Arlington-Fairfax Chapter of the
Izaak Walton League of America, is
turning a keen eye toward the
future of Second Amendment
rights. “As an outdoor club range in
the Washington, D.C., area, you
can imagine that we’ve had our
share of trials,” said Ciarula. “We’re
gratified to receive the SHOT
Business Range of the Year award,
and we’ve taken extensive steps to
be sure we can safely operate in
the future.” —Robert F. Staeger
Wenger
RangerGrip
Following the success of the
EvoGrip Swiss Army Knives,
Wenger has applied the concept
elsewhere. The new RangerGrip
features a texturized, non-slip
rubber inlay that is embedded in
four areas of the knife handle to
improve the performance, efficiency and safety of the knife, while at
the same time offering an extremely
comfortable grip.
Each RangerGrip knife is
equipped with a 3.9-inch locking
blade, a double-cut wood saw,
wire stripper, key ring and other
tools. SRP: begins at
$60.95. Booth
#6460.
Weatherby’s New
Synthetic Autoloader
W
hen Weatherby introduced
its Turkish-made semi-auto
shotgun line, the basic idea was to
combine the stylish look of an
Italian autoloader with a unique
dual-valve system that would cycle a
wide range of loads easily and
dependably. Weatherby wanted to
deliver a lot of value, but cost was a
consideration as well, which is why
the line is priced right around $700.
If you’ve had an opportunity to
shoot one of these models—and I
have—you were struck by how nice
the wood looks and, more important,
how well the gun performs in the
field. For 2009, Weatherby extends
the line with the addition of the
SA-08 Synthetic, which features a
lightweight injection–molded stock.
“This is not just another Turkish
shotgun,” said marketing coordinator Aaron Smith at a Weatherby
seminar last month. “We opted for
machined, not cast, parts for
strength and rigidity, and we feel
our dual-gas valve system manages
recoil better.”
The dual-valve system allows you
to quickly change the valve to
adjust for different loads, species
and seasons. For example, the
Weatherby marketing coordinator Aaron
Smith displays the new Turkish-made SA-08
autoloader, available in 12- and 20-gauge.
12-gauge Light Loads valve cycles
everything from 7⁄8-ounce through
11⁄8-ounce loads. Put in the Heavy
Load valve and you’re good to go
with 1¼- to a magnum 3-inch,
2-ounce load. For the 20-gauge I
shot, the Light Load valve ranges
from ¾-ounce to 7⁄8-ounce loads,
and the Heavy Load valve handles
7
⁄8-ounce to 15⁄16-ounce loads.
Other features include matte
black metalwork, a drop-out trigger
system and an integral screw-in
multi-choke system. SRP: $669.
Booth #1446. —Slaton L. White
NEWS
NSSF
Slaton L. White, Editor
Margaret M. Nussey, Copy Chief
David E. Petzal, Shooting Editor
Maribel Martin, Senior Administrative Assistant
James A. Walsh, Art Director
C o n t r i b u t i n g e d i to r s
Larry Ahlman, Michael Bane, Scott Bestul, Philip
Bourjaily, Chris Christian, Christopher Cogley,
Jock Elliott, William F. Kendy, Mark Kayser, Peter B.
Mathiesen, Brian McCombie, Tom Mohrhauser, Robert
Sadowski, Robert F. Staeger, Marilyn Stone
Eric Zinczenko, Group Publisher
A DV ERTISING: 2 1 2 - 779 - 5 3 1 6
John Graney, National Advertising Director
Gregory D. Gatto, National Sporting Goods Director/
Eastern Sales Manager
Paula Iwanski — Northeast
Brian Peterson — West
Stephen Mitchell — Southeast
Classified: (800-445-2714) Parker Bohlen
Elizabeth A. Burnham,
Director of Marketing and Online Services
Ingrid Reslmaier, Marketing Design Director
B us i n e s s Op e rat ion s
Tara Bisciello, Business Manager
C ONSU M ER M AR K ETING
Robert A. Cohn, Consumer Marketing Director
Richard Miller, Circulation Business Manager
M an u factu r i ng
Stefanie LaBella, Production Manager
Laurel Kurnides, Group Production Director
Barbara Taffuri, Production Director
The Bonnier Corporation
Jonas Bonnier, Chairman
Terry Snow, Chief Executive Officer
Dan Altman, Chief Operating Officer
Randall Koubek, Chief Financial Officer
Bruce Miller, Vice President, Consumer Marketing
Lisa Earlywine, Vice President, Production
Howard Roth, Vice President, E-Media
Shawn Larson, Vice President, Enterprise Systems
Cathy Hertz, Vice President, Human Resources
Dean Turcol, Vice President, Corporate Communications
John Miller, Brand Director
Martin S. Walker, Publishing Consultant
Jeremy Thompson, Corporate Counsel
SHOT
Business
(ISSN
1081-8618)
is
published
January,
February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/
November and December by Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York,
NY 10016-5695, and is the official publication of the National Shooting Sports
Foundation, Flintlock Ridge Office Center, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT
06470 (203-426-1320). Volume 16, issue 5. Copyright © 2009 by the National
Shooting Sports Foundation. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation, production
and advertising offices are located at 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695
(212-779-5000). Free to qualified subscribers; available to non-qualified subscribers for $25 per year. Single-copy issues are available for $5 each. Send
check, payable to NSSF, to: SHOT Business, c/o NSSF, 11 Mile Hill Road,
Newtown, CT 06470-2359. SHOT Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All correspondence should be accompanied
by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Requests for media kits and advertising
information should be directed to McClain Robertson, Bonnier Corporation, 2
Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695. Periodicals postage paid at New York,
NY. REPRINTS: Wrights Reprints, 877-652-5295. POSTMASTER: Please send
address changes to SHOT Business, P.O. Box 1884, Lowell, MA 01853-9982.
Member: BPA
Printed in the USA.
For editorial inquiries, visit Diamond 3 & 4
in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
NEWS
Hunt…Fish…Feed
T
he Sportsman Channel (TSC) and Safari
Club International Foundation’s (SCIF)
Sportsmen Against Hunger hosted a
Hunt.Fish.Feed event at Orlando’s Lexington
Avenue Salvation Army facilities on Wednesday,
January 14. Local SCI hunters donated the venison, and TSC and SCIF volunteers helped prepare and serve the meals, cleaning up afterward in
two separate shifts.
“We were pleased to continue our partnership
with Safari Club International Foundation’s
Sportsmen Against Hunger for this event,” said
Todd Hansen, senior vice president of The
Sportsman Channel. “This is a great endeavor, to
bring awareness to the fight against hunger while
attending one of our industry’s largest events.”
Since Safari Club International started the
Sportsmen Against Hunger program, in 1989,
tens of millions of meals have been served by local
soup kitchens, food banks or other charitable
organizations. Donations continue to increase
each year.
In 2006, 251,018 pounds of wild-game meat
were donated to relief organizations; in 2007, the
figure jumped to 318,793 pounds. That translates
to more than 1.2 million meals.
“Safari Club International Foundation is committed to maximizing donations of game meats
and protein-processing equipment to help stem
the loss of vital nutrients during this time of economic hardship,” said Gene Rurka, SCIF humanitarian services chairman. “We are pleased to part-
Gene Rurka of Safari
Club International
Foundation displays
some of the venison
donated by hunters
to help feed the
needy.
ner with The Sportsman Channel to provide
those in need.”
Launched in 2007, The Sportsman Channel’s
Hunt.Fish.Feed initiative links outdoorsmen with
those in need. Over the past two years, the program has provided meals for the needy in Orlando
as well as those in New Orleans, Milwaukee and
Washington, D.C.
Outdoor Channel, Bonnier
Join Forces in Programming
Bonnier Outdoor Group publisher Eric Zinczenko said the
magazine publisher is “thrilled to align with” Outdoor Channel.
O
utdoor Channel has inked a multi-year
strategic partnership with Bonnier
Corporation, publishers of Outdoor Life, Field &
Stream and several marine titles. The partnership
brings together the two strongest media brands in
the outdoors industry, combining the unique
strengths of each for select programming, promotional and online endeavors. Through their
combined print, television, online and event
properties, the Outdoor Channel and Bonnier
will reach a multi-media audience of more than
57 million, allowing them to become the largest
hub for outdoors content in the country.
“Bonnier Corporation’s depth of knowledge and
experience is legendary in the outdoors publishing
world,” said Tom Hornish, COO at Outdoor
Channel. “Field & Stream has been a cornerstone
of the outdoors industry for over a century, and
we look forward to working closely together to
provide high-quality content on multiple platforms to millions of outdoors enthusiasts across
the country. Together, our reach in the outdoors
industry will be unmatched.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the two
companies will develop an original series for
2010. Field & Stream will receive brand integration within an Outdoor Channel original series,
and Field & Stream’s 2009 and 2010 Total
Outdoorsman Challenge franchise will air exclusively on the Outdoor Channel. In addition, both
companies will exchange Web content, making
Outdoor Channel video and Bonnier editorial
content available to more than 12 million unique
visitors annually.
“When the strongest media brands in the outdoors industry combine resources, it presents a
tremendous opportunity to both outdoors consumers and the industry we serve to enjoy more
valuable content and greater brand integration,”
said Eric Zinczenko, group publisher of Bonnier’s
Outdoor Group. “Outdoor Channel is the undisputed leader in outdoors programming, which
makes them the ideal partner for our brands as
we move ahead with our goal to provide the best
content, regardless of how it is delivered to our
dedicated audience of outdoors enthusiasts. We
are thrilled to align with them.”
NEWS
GunBroker Pursues
Industry Partnerships
Gunbroker.com contines to grow. Recently, the site passed a
milestone of 2.5 million unique visitors.
I
t’s as easy as point, click, shoot. The online
gun-auction site, GunBroker.com, has been
providing a way for dealers to sell firearms
and firearms parts and accessories regardless of
location for nearly a decade now. A buyer finds
the gun he likes online, point-and-clicks with his
cursor, and within days he can pick up his purchase from a local FFL holder.
The site recently passed a milestone of 2.5 million unique visitors. And now, the auction site is
taking another step in its growth, signing industry
veteran Bob Delfay to help guide a new industrypartnership initiative.
“Increasingly, friends in the industry have encouraged us to provide structured access to our large
audience of hunting-and-shooting-equipment buyers,” says GunBroker.com founder and CEO Steve
Urvan. “We think the time is right to pursue a limited number of partnerships, and we are very
pleased that Bob Delfay has agreed to work with us
in that effort. Bob is not only well-known and
respected in the industry, he also has a unique
understanding of the overall hunting and shooting
sports community, including sportsmen’s organizations, conservation groups and the media.”
Delfay, a past president of the National Shooting
Sports Foundation, launched the partnership at the
recent NSSF Shooting Sports Summit in Colorado
Springs. While advising GunBroker.com, Delfay
will continue to serve in his capacity as president of
the Hunting Heritage Trust.
“GunBroker.com is obviously at the cutting
edge of hunting and shooting sports marketing,
but they have also proven their commitment to
fostering the future of our hunting and shooting
sports heritage,” Delfay said. “I think it speaks
volumes about the vision and the integrity of this
company that they were providing the NRA, the
NSSF and the Hunting Heritage Trust with free
access to their online audience long before they
considered commercial partnerships.”
“To the greatest extent possible, when we structure a partnership on GunBroker.com, we want to
be sensitive to the needs of the manufacturer, the
consumer and the entire hunting and shooting
community,” says Urvan. “We could probably
just sell banner ads and be successful, but our aim
is to go beyond that.”
Announcements of additional industry partnerships, some of which have been in the planning
stages for several months, are likely in the near
future, says Urvan. Booth #2561. (720-223-0164;
gunbroker.com)
HAVA to
Make
SHOT Show
Appearance
F
or the first time since the organization’s inception, three years ago at a small meeting held
during the SHOT Show, Honored American
Veterans Afield (HAVA) will be fully represented
at a SHOT Show booth here in Orlando, where
HAVA representatives will be on hand to communicate the mission of the organization and enlist
support from the shooting-sports industry. HAVA
is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization formed by
companies in the shooting and outdoors industry
for the purpose of assisting disabled veterans with
their healing process through hunts, shooting
sports and other active outdoor-sports activities.
The founding companies were Crimson Trace,
Hornady, Leupold, Smith & Wesson, Surefire and
Yamaha. Since that time, other companies—
including Remington, DPMS, Bushmaster,
Springfield Armory, Para Ordinance, LaserMax,
Cor-Bon Ammunition, Aimpoint, XS Sight
Systems, Benchmade, Bulldog Barrels, Cybergun
Airsoft and Taylor Cutlery—have joined its ranks.
New supporters will receive a commemorative
HAVA knife and be entered into a raffle for a
chance to win tactical rifles from DPMS,
New SHOT Show exhibitor Honored American Veterans Afield
seeks to help disabled veterans recover through participation
in such outdoor activities as hunting and shooting.
Bushmaster and Smith & Wesson. Each rifle will
be equipped with a Leupold Tactical Optic.
“HAVA is pleased to actively participate in the
2009 SHOT Show in order to communicate its
mission and accept support,” says HAVA chairman
Tom Taylor. “It has been overwhelming to see
how this industry wants to support our American
heros returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and other
areas, where they have been in harm’s way.” Booth
#20179. (honoredveterans.org)
5
Five
minutes
With...
Randy Luth, President, DPMS Arms
Shot Daily: What’s
changed for DPMS with the acquisition
by Remington?
randy luth: The year
has gone by unbelievably fast, and
that’s because of the political situation, with the election. So the transition year has been quite a roller
coaster—our sales from 2007 to
2008 have increased probably 35
percent. Any time a company has
growth like that, it creates problems
with hiring people, getting suppliers
up to speed and so forth.
From a corporate standpoint, the
acquisition has gone well. But
when you’re purchased by a larger
company, there are new back-office
procedures you have to get used to.
It would have been easier to do in a
regular year, with 5 percent growth
instead of 35 percent growth. I
don’t think I’ve worked this hard in
10 years, but it has been fun. I had
to cut back on some of my shooting
and hunting, but I did go on some
good trips in the fall.
SD: What are your biggest concerns
with the political climate in 2009?
rl: There’s a tremendous
amount of fear within the firearms
industry, which comes from the
track record that the members of
the new administration have. The
attorney general [nominee] is on the
record as being anti-gun, [Speaker
of the House] Pelosi is anti-gun, as
are all the other regular characters.
Of course, Obama is no fan of
guns either, especially AR-15–type
rifles. But the gun owners of
America have become educated to
these anti-gunners, to the point
where they are assuming that these
politicians will try to generate new
gun laws, whether it’s a gun show
loophole, a .50-caliber ban or
another assault weapons ban, and
they are reacting to this with their
checkbooks. In a month and a half,
we wrote as much business as we
did in all of 2007. And it’s not just
AR-15 rifles seeing this—it is semiauto pistols and ammo sales and
other segments of the industry. too.
SD: You’ve been on a mission for
years to expose traditional hunters to
ARs. How’s that going?
rl: It’s an area that needed to be
addressed and needed to be promoted. We took the position that the
hunting market was the next growth
trip advisor’s
top 20
ORLANDO restaurants
1. Le Coq Au Vin
Cuisine: French
Price range: $20–$30
4800 S. Orange Ave.
407-851-6980; lecoqauvin
restaurant.com
2. Victoria & Albert’s
Cuisine: American, French, Irish,
Contemporary, British
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
WDW 4401 Grand Floridian
407-939-3463; tinyurl.com/8fpyb
3. Texas de Brazil
Cuisine: Brazilian
5259 International Dr. Suite F-1
407-355-0355; texasdebrazil.com
4. Le Cellier Steakhouse
Cuisine: Steakhouse, Canadian
EPCOT Center, Walt Disney World
407-WDW-DINE; tinyurl.com/2otbne
5. Cafe Tu Tu Tango
Cuisine: Asian, Mediterranean,
Contemporary, International
8625 International Dr.
407-248-2222; cafetututango.com
1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd.
407-934-1362; donshula.com
6. Jiko—The Cooking Place
Cuisine: African
2901 Osceola Pkwy.
407-939-3463; tinyurl.com/avgkq
11. Seasons 52
Cuisine: American, Healthy
7700 W. Sand Lake Rd.
407-354-5212; seasons52.com
7. Roy’s
Cuisine: Seafood, Hawaiian
7760 W. Sand Lake Rd.
407-352-4844; roysrestaurant.com
12. Artist Point
Cuisine: American, Steakhouse,
Contemporary
901 Timberline Dr.
407-939-3463; tinyurl.com/5oadcf
8. Del Frisco’s Steakhouse
Cuisine: Barbecue, Seafood,
Steakhouse
729 Lee Rd.
407-645-4443; delfriscosorlando.com
9. Sweet Tomatoes
Cuisine: Italian, American
6877 S. Kirkman Rd.
407-363-1616; souplantation.com
10. Shula’s Steak House
Cuisine: Steakhouse
13. Red Bamboo
Cuisine: Asian, Thai
6803 S. Kirkman Rd.
407-226-3272; redbamboothai.com
14. Hemingways
Cuisine: American, Seafood
1 Grand Cypress Blvd.
407-239-1234; grandcypress.com/
dining/hemingways
Randy Luth has long advocated extending
the AR-15 platform into the hunting arena.
area for the AR-15, and we were a
leader there. It has gotten momentum, and other companies are coming out with hunting rifles. Not just
for prairie dogs, but big-game rifles,
too. That’s fun to see.
Not everyone is a perfect shot.
Sometimes the animal moves or
something else might go wrong,
and having a quick second shot
can make the difference between
finishing the animal off and having
it suffer. So there is certainly a
place for semi-auto ARs in
hunting. —John B. Snow
15. La Coquina
Cuisine: American, French,
International
1 Grand Cypress Blvd.
407-239-1234; grandcypress.com/
dining/la_coquina/
16. Village Inn
6275 Westwood Blvd.
407-352-1997; villageinn.com
17. Hanamizuki Japanese
Restaurant
Cuisine: Sushi, Japanese,
Seafood
8255 International Dr., Suite 136
407-363-7200; hanamizuki.us
18. Tabla Bar and Grill
Cuisine: Indian
5827 Caravan Court
407-248-9400; tablabarngrill.com
19. Boma—Flavors
of Africa
Cuisine: African
Price range: $20
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 Osceola Pkwy.; 407-939-3463
20. The Cheesecake
Factory
Cuisine: American, Dessert
1486 E. Buena Vista Dr.
407-828-8066; thecheesecake
factory.com
NEWS
Facilities and
shot Show
Services
EXHIBITS
The exhibits are located in the
West Building of the Orange
County Convention Center:
Halls A through E, Lobbies and
Meeting Rooms W 224 and
W 240. Shuttle Bus Pick-Up &
Drop-Off are located in the Hall B
Lobby, Level 1.
Product Locator
A new feature to SHOT Show, the
Product Locator can be found at
Booth #20, 181, next to Lobby C.
NEW PRODUCT CENTER
The New Product Center is located
in Level 1 of Lobby B of the
Orange County Convention Center.
SHIPPING SERVICES
Shipping services are available
through the Ship-A-Box Program,
located at Booth #20, 189, next to
Lobby C of the Orange County
Convention Center.
literature kiosk
Literature for the event can be
found just outside Room W 207
in the Orange County Convention
Center.
Overnight Storage
Information about overnight storage
can be found in Room W 204 and
room W 232.
first-aid station
A fully staffed first-aid station can
be found in Medical Room #3 in
the Hall C Lobby of the Orange
County Convention Center.
SHOT Show University
The SHOT Show University happenings are located in Rooms 304
and 307, as well as Room 308.
SALES OFFICE
The Sales Office is located in Room
W 207 B of the Orange County
Convention Center.
security
command post
Security needs, including reporting
missing items and gaining access to
the show floor for preapproved
meetings outside of show hours, can
be addressed at Security Command
Post in Room W 204 of the Orange
NSSF MEMBER
BUSINESS Office
NSSF members have exclusive
access to a business office, located in
Room W 206 C. It’s equipped with
copiers, fax machines, computers
and Internet access.
nssf program staff
meeting room
The meeting room for the NSSF
Program Staff is located in Room
W 222A of the Orange County
Convention Center.
nssf friends
meeting room
The NSSF Friends Meeting Room
can be found in Room W 207 C.
other important
nssf locations
NSSF Seminars are held in
Rooms 308 ABCD. For general
information about the NSSF, head
to the NSSF Booth, located at
Booth #2601.
PRESS ROOMs
All members of the press must register in the Press Registration Room
services to help you
make the most of
your SHOT Show
located in the lobby of Room W
320. The Press Office is located in
Room W 312. The Press
Conference Room is located in
Room W 313.
safety advisors
After the preopening inspection
and tagging of firearms on the
show floor, any additional firearms
to be displayed must be inspected
and tagged by this office, located in
Room W231 BC of the Orange
Safety advisors can also address
questions about a product’s
eligibility for display.
SHOW OFFICE
The National Shooting Sports
Foundation (NSSF) office is located
in Room W 206 AB. The Show
office is located in Room W 205 AB
of the Orange County Convention
Center.
show hours
Thursday: 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Accelerate Your Muzzleloading
For 2009, Traditional Performance Firearms will add its patentpending Accelerator breech plug to three break-action models,
including the Pursuit LT, Pursuit XLT and the top-of-the-line Vortek.
I
n an age in which everyone
wants things faster, easier and
with less thought involved,
who would have thought one of the
biggest advancements would come
in muzzleloading? Most blackpowder aficionados well remember their
first muzzleloader; it took hours to
clean after a day in the field. In the
end, you were tempted to jump into
the shower with it, because by the
time you swabbed the barrel you
were coated with a mean, sulfurous
gunk. And there was always the
nagging question of whether the
gun would actually fire when you
pulled the trigger.
With time came improvements.
Shooters progressed from the
sometimes-reliable flintlock to the
slightly more reliable percussioncap sidelock. The next big improvement was the modern in-line. After
that, Tony Knight showed us all
that the 209 primer ignition system
was the way to go.
Other improvements included
break-actions, which helped take
some of the drudgery out of cleaning, and accuracy-enhancing bullets
and powders. But given that the
modern muzzleloader hunter really
wants convenience and ease of use,
cleaning the gun has remained a big
issue. That is, until Traditions
Performance Firearms “accelerated”
the cleaning process with its new
Accelerator breech plug.
“This patent-pending and awardwinning breech plug has made the
lives of consumers much easier by
eliminating tools and time,” says
sales and marketing coordinator
Kevin Renwick. “It was one of those
things we kept trying to come up
with, and when our engineers
showed us the final version, we
looked at ourselves and said, ‘Why
did it take so long?’”
The Accelerator Breech Plug has
a knurled end for easy grip and
removal, and it improves upon previous internal breech plug designs,
thanks to an O-ring and a full set of
threads that prevent blowback.
“This feature has been so popular
that we are expanding our breakaction lineup to include it in all of
our most popular models,” says
Traditions president Tom Hall. For
2009, the Traditions Pursuit LT
Accelerator, Pursuit XLT
Accelerator and the Vortek will feature the new breech plug.
“Each model is designed to hit a
different price point and customer,
but they all have one common element—they are now the easiest of
all the break-actions to clean,” says
Renwick. Booth #349. (860-3884656; traditionsfirearms.com)
PRODUCTS Optics 2009
carson: The 8x26 Raven (right) is a new series of compact binos that feature the
open-bridge design. Scope Armor (below) is a protective neoprene scope cover that fits snugly
over most riflescopes, protecting the scope from wet environments as well as dirt, gravel and
other debris that can scratch the lenses.
BSA Optics
A Full Field
of View
As brands up the ante with features like mammoth-size objective lenses and
tricked-out reticles, shooters and hunters win T
By Robert Sadowski
he year’s glass makes it easy for you to target your customer’s needs. Just dial in their specific
hunting and shooting conditions and set their crosshairs on particular features. This will allow
you to provide them with a wide field of view, with the right optics at all price points. It will help make
your customers better hunters and shooters—and that will make everyone happy. Here are the latest
optics to have on your shelves.
Aimpoint
CompM4
Redesigned with input from the U.S. military, the CompM4 (SRP: $780) is
known in Army parlance as the M68 Close Combat Optic. More than
600,000 units are currently in use in the armed services. For 2009, the
CompM4 features a low-mounted battery compartment that
gives the sight a lower profile, and the switch and battery compartments have
been placed in a
more protected
position. The unit
still uses Super
ACET diode circuitry, which allows it to
run constantly for up
to eight years on a single AA battery. Booth #661.
(703-263-9795; aimpoint.com)
16 ■ Shot Business Daily ■ Friday, January 16, 2009
Alpen
The new Wings line of binoculars
features roof prisms and an openhinge body design. Available in 8x42
(SRP: $430) and 10x42 (SRP: $450)
configurations, they are lightweight
and have long eye relief and twist-up
soft-rubber eyecups. The affordable
Shasta Ridge binocular family has
been redesigned with full-size roof
prisms. Models include an 8x42
(SRP: $280), 10x42 (SRP: $300) and
two higher-power models, consisting
of an 8.5x50 (SRP: $320) and 10x50
(SRP: $340). A compact zoom spotting scope in 8x–24x50 (SRP: $150)
is small and waterproof and comes
with a rubber-armor coating. All
models come with a carrying case
and tripod. Booth #614. (909-9878370; alpenoutdoor.com)
With a fresh design, the Contender
scopes from BSA Optics feature
BSA’s push/pull reset-to-zero elevation and windage knobs. A windowlike turret, which moves an inner
drum, makes precision adjustments
easier. The design includes changes
to the fast-focus adjustment as well.
The zoom has an internal number
placement that can be seen through
a window cutout. The parallax knob
includes a new feature that prevents
accidental movements after it’s been
adjusted.
The BSA Catseye series of scopes
has been redesigned with a slanted
hood, which acts as a built-in sunshade. The metal twist-in dustcovers feature the unique Catseye logo
and an outer slant knob so it can be
bushnell: The Sport 600 (top)
laser range finder offers performance
and value. The Legend 1200 ARC laser
range finder (bottom) has a range of up to
1,200 yards.
burris: The SixX series of riflescopes, built with 30mm tubes,
is debuting two new models: the 2–12x40 (left) and the 2–12x50
(right). Both have a magnification factor of 6X, and deliver eye relief of
4 to 4.5 inches. Scope covers are standard, and users have an option
of two reticles. The XTR Xtreme Tactical line is expanding to three
models. The XTR 3–12x50 (middle) is available in a Coyote Brown
desert finish and has an illuminated reticle.
Kruger Optics
FiveStar
Kruger Optical’s FiveStar 3–15x52 riflescope (SRP: $400) is completely
American-made, and has more than 4 inches of eye relief. The large 52mm
objective helps hunters in low-light conditions. Booth #4684. (888-5267779; krugeroptical.com)
put on and taken off quickly. The
target turrets include the coin-style
logo as well, making them easy to
grip with gloves on. Instead of an
adjustable objective, the scopes now
use side parallax adjustment. Booth
#1422. (954-581-2144; bsaoptics.com)
Burris
The new SixX series of riflescopes is
debuting in two models, a 2–12x40
and 2–12x50 (SRP: $700 to $800).
As the name implies, the SixX
scopes features a magnification factor of 6X. It uses 30mm tubes and
has an eye relief of 4 to 4½ inches.
Reticle choices include either the
German 3P#4 or Burris Ballistic
Plex. Flip-up scope covers are
included. Additions to the TAC 30
tactical riflescopes include a 3–9x40
TAC 30 with an illuminated Ballistic
Plex reticle and 6.5–20x50 with a
Ballistic Mil-Dot reticle, (SRP: $299
to $700). Both sport a matte finish.
The XTR Xtreme Tactical line of
riflescopes is expanding with three
models. The 1.5–6x40 with a
Ballistic 7.62 illuminated reticle is
designed around the 7.62 caliber
round and features drop compensation optimized for the 7.62 and is
intended for fast target acquisition at
close- to medium-range shooting.
The 3–12x50 in a Coyote Brown
desert camo finish features an illuminated Ballistic Mil-Dot 12X reticle with MOA calibrated adjustment
gradations. The 6–24x50 with
konus: The KonusPro 2–8x28mm
(left) is a handgun scope. It features long eye
relief and multicoated lenses. The KonusPro
M30 3–12x56 (right) is designed for hunting
as well as benchrest shooting. The M30 line
features long eye relief, lockable tactical turrets and a 30mm tube.
¼ MOA elevation increments was
built for very long-range precision
shooting and is fitted with the
Ballistic Mil-Dot 14X reticle (SRP:
$500 to $1,000).
The AR-332 Prism Sight (SRP:
$335) for AR-15-style rifles offers
3X magnification for short- to
medium-range targeting. It features
the Ballistic/CQ reticle with
Ballistic Plex-style drop compensation and comes with integrated lens
covers and a Picatinny rail-mounting bracket. The AR-Tripler (SRP:
$220) also adds 3X magnification
when mounted with a dot sight.
Shooters can flip the AR-Tripler out
of the way when it is not needed.
The AR-Pivot Ring (SRP: $50) is
designed for use with the
AR-Tripler. The AR-P.E.P.R. (SRP:
$75) mount or Proper Eye Position
Ready in either 30mm or one-inch
tube models is designed for combat
riflescopes. It allows 2 inches of forward scope positioning, and the ring
tops feature Picatinny rails for
mounting additional accessories.
The updated FastFire II (SRP:
$225) is now waterproof, for
extreme weather conditions. It still
weighs only 1.5 ounce and can withstand magnum recoil on a wide
range of firearms from handguns
to slug guns to rifles. The FastFire
bases (SRP: $45) for lever-action
rifles is predrilled for mounting
on Marlin 336 and Winchester
angle-eject rifles. Booth #2739.
(970-356-1670; burris.com)
Bushnell
The Elite 6500 line of riflescopes
has expanded with a 1.25–8x32
model (SRP: $649.99). Designed for
brush-country hunters who favor
lever-actions, compact rifles, shotguns or muzzleloaders, it has 5
inches of eye relief and features the
Multi-X reticle. The Elite 6500
Tactical models in 2.5–16x50 (SRP:
$749.99) and 4.5–30x50 (SRP:
$949.99) now come with a matte
finish to reduce reflection and fingertip-adjustable turrets for windage
and elevation. They are available
with mil-dot reticles. All Elite 6500
models have a 6.5X zoom ratio.
helps shooters practice without the
cost of ammunition or time spent
on the range. The laser fits into any
.22- to .50-caliber pistol or rifle barrel at least 3 inches long and can be
used anywhere in both daylight and
darkness. As a shooter dry-fires
the gun, the sound of the hammer
hitting the firing pin activates the
laser and projects a red dot on the
target. Booth #1115. (928-6493201; laserlyte.com)
laserlyte: The
Laser Trainer,
which fits any .22- to
.50-caliber pistol or rifle barrel, helps
shooters practice without the cost of
ammunition or time spent at the range.
Legend Ultra HD binoculars have
been redesigned with premium glass
and lens coatings in two new roofprism models available in 8x42
(SRP: $279) and 10x42 (SRP: $299).
These value-priced Legend line
models offer optimal color performance and edge-to-edge sharpness
built on a lightweight magnesium
body. The 10x42 model weighs only
22.5 ounces.
The Legend 1200 ARC laser
range finder (SRP: $349) has a
1,200-yard capability and incorporates Angle Range Compensation
(ARC) technology for both rifle and
bow, and now features VSI (variable
sight-in) capability in rifle mode so
shooters can select sight-in distances between 100 and 300 yards. The
BowHunter Chuck Adams Edition
(SRP: $249), with ARC Bow Mode
technology, calculates true horizontal distance for accurate shot placement. The Sport 600 laser range
finder (SRP: $199) offers performance and value with a range of 5
to 800 yards. Booth #2861. (800221-9035; bushnell.com)
Carson
The 8x26 Raven (SRP: $79) is a
new compact series of binoculars
with an open-bridge design. Scope
Armor (SRP: $20) is a neoprene
scope cover with an accommodating
construction that fits most riflescopes. BinoArmor (SRP: $20) is a
protective neoprene wrap for binoculars that eliminates the need for a
separate pouch and lens cover; it
can be used with existing neck
Leupold &
Stevens
straps. Booth #1401. (800-9678427; carson-optical.com)
Konus
The KonusPro 2x28 (SRP: $134.99)
and 2–8x28 (SRP: $189.99) are the
brand’s first handgun scopes. They
feature long eye relief, multicoated
optics, one-piece tube and a .30/30style reticle that is laser-etched onto
the lens. For hunters in areas that
do not allow magnification, the
KonusPro 1x32 (SRP: $99.99) features long eye relief and an
engraved reticle.
The KonusPro M30 series has
three new models: a 1–4x24 (SRP:
$364.99) suited for shotgun or
blackpowder hunting; a 3–12x56
(SRP: $624.99) for hunting or
benchrest shooting; and a 1.5–6x44
(SRP: $412.99) for dangerous game
or hunting in thick, heavy brush. All
models in the line feature a 30mm
tube, lockable tactical turrets and
long eye relief. Booth #281. (305262-5668; konususa.com)
LaserLyte
The Laser Trainer (SRP: $79.95)
Nightforce
NXS
The U.S.-made NXS series of riflescopes now includes a 2.5–10x32 compact model designed for lightweight hunting rifles. There are two styles, one
with fully enclosed hunting-style turrets (SRP: $1,306) and one with exposed
target-style turrets with ¼ MOA adjustments and ZeroStop technology,
which allows a quick return to zero (SRP: $1,486). Both are 12 inches long
and weigh 10 ounces. Eschewing the megasize objective trend, the 24mm
objective lens provides the same level of performance as massive objectives.
The NXS series was originally created for U.S. Special Forces for use with
night-vision devices. Booth #9381. (208-476-9814; nightforceoptics.com)
The Northfork line of Green Ring
binoculars, featuring a single slimhinge design, comes in 8.5x45 (SRP:
$714.99) and 10.5x45 (SRP:
$779.99). Available in black and
Mossy Oak Break-Up, Northforks
have more power and weigh less
than 8x42 and 10x42 models,
respectively. New to the Green
Ring Mojave binocular line is a
10x50 (SRP: $529.99), with an
open-hinge design that weighs in at
23 ounces.
Improvements in the Golden
Ring VX-3 series of riflescopes
include the Xtended Twilight lens
system, which is designed for lowlight conditions, and edge-blackened lenses to reduce diffusion and
glare. The VX-3 1.5–5x20 (SRP:
$534.99) is suited for dangerous
game. Large objectives on the
VX-3L series of scopes transmit
more light than a 40mm riflescope,
yet mount as low as a 36mm. The
VX-3L 3.5–10x50 (SRP: $874.99)
features Duplex or Boone and
Crockett reticles. The VX-3L illuminated 3.5–10x50 (SRP: $1,084.99)
and 4.5–14x50 (SRP: $1,184.99)
feature Boone and Crockett or
German No. 4 dot illuminated reticles and come in a matte finish. The
versatile VX-3 3.5–10x40 (SRP:
$624.99) will work for most hunting
situations. It comes with Duplex or
Boone and Crockett reticles and a
matte or gloss finish. Long-range
shooters will appreciate the VX-3
6.5–20x40 Long Range (SRP:
$949.99), designed with a 30mm
tube to increase windage and eleva-
Minox
APO HG
Expect sharp images and
natural color with the APO
HG binoculars in 8.5x43
(SRP: $1,799) and 10x43
(SRP: $1,849). They feature
the all-new Minotec multicoating on the glass, which
repels dirt, dust and water.
The body is made of lightweight magnesium, with a
protective rubber armor. The
whole package weighs just
over 23.3 ounces. Booth
#6143. (866-469-3080;
minox.com)
tion travel. Reticles include Fine
Duplex and Varmint Hunter’s, and
it’s available in a matte, gloss or silver finish. The VX-3 8.5–25x50
Long Range Target (SRP:
$1,209.99) was built for competition
or prairie dogs; it features Fine
Duplex, Target Dot and Varmint
Hunter reticles and comes in a
matte finish. Booth #3361. (800538-7653; leupold.com)
Nikon
The Archer’s Choice Laser
Rangefinder (SRP: $249.95) offers
fast, accurate ranging in a compact,
ergonomic design that is water- and
fogproof. Nikon’s ID Technology
nikon: The Archer’s Choice Laser
Rangefinder offers fast, accurate
ranging in a compact, ergonomic design that is both
waterproof and fogproof.
compensates for various incline or
decline shooting angles, which
allows bowhunters to range targets
from a tree stand or in steep terrain.
The unit runs on a single CR2 lithium battery and comes with a neoprene case in RealTree APG camo.
Booth #5261. (800-248-6846;
nikonsportoptics.com)
nitrex: The TR two series features
tough, no-frills, rugged scopes. Designed for big-game
hunting, models feature multicoated lenses, one-piece/1-inch tube construction and ¼ MOA windage/elevation adjustments.
Steiner
Nitrex Optics
The TR two series is the next generation of no-frills, tough and rugged riflescopes that began with the
TR one series. Models in the lowmagnification range include a
2–10x42 and 2–10x50; mid-rangepower models include a 3–10x50,
3–15x42 and 3–15x50; and there’s a
4–20x50 high-power model (SRP:
$339.99 to $589.99). Designed for
big-game hunting, all models fea-
pentax: The 8x36 and 10x36
waterproof DCF NV single-hinge binoculars
feature a fiberglass-reinforced polymer
construction, which helps deliver strength in
a lightweight package.
ture multicoated lenses, onepiece/1-inch tube construction, and
¼ MOA windage/elevation adjustments. Depending on the model,
reticle offerings include glass-etched
BDC, Fine-X with dot and TrexPlex
illuminated; finishes include matte
and silver. The TR one series
3–10x50 was designated Best Value
in Field & Stream’s 2008 Best of the
Best Awards. Booth #3139. (866223-9388; nitrexoptics.com)
Pentax
The DCF NV binoculars in 8x36
and 10x36 are waterproof and nitrogen-filled with a single-hinge design
constructed of fiberglass-reinforced
polymer for strength and light
weight. Booth #5061. (800-8770155; pentaximaging.com)
Simmons
The .44 Mag. riflescope line has
been relaunched with seven models
that feature a large, light-swallowing
44mm objective: a 3–10x44 (SRP:
$145.95), 4–12x44 (SRP: $149.95)
Safari Pro Series
The lightweight and compact Safari Pro Series pocket binoculars are
offered in three models: 8x22 (SRP: $119), 8x30 (SRP: $ 199) and
10x26 (SRP: $ 139). The binoculars weigh 8.5, 9.7 and 18 ounces,
respectively. Booth #8385. (800-257-7742; steiner-binoculars.com)
plane, which means the size of the
viewed reticle remains the same
across the entire magnification
range. Booth #6043. (800-468-3450;
schmidtbender.com)
Swarovski
The ATM/STM Magnesium
spotting scopes in 65mm (SRP:
$1,476.67 to $1,998.89) feature
magnesium construction, which
offers lower weight with maximum
stability. Both models are available
with straight and angled bodies,
and come with easy-to-handle
rubber armoring on its surface.
HD versions, with fluoritecontaining HD lenses for even
higher contrast, are also available
(SRP: $2,210 to $2,887.78). Booth
Zeiss
SWAROVSKI: The ATM/STM
Magnesium spotting scopes feature magnesium construction, which offers lower weight
and maximum stability.
with side focus, 4–14x44 (SRP:
$219.95) with Smart Reticle and
four 6–21x44 models that feature
either side focus and sun shade
(SRP: $197.95), side focus and target
turrets (SRP: $219.95), mil-dot reticle and target turrets (SRP: $219.95)
or side focus and mil-dot reticle
(SRP: $229.95). Booth #2861. (800285-0689; simmonsoptics.com)
Schmidt &
Bender
The Summit 2.5–10x40 (SRP:
$1,400) is the company’s response to
the popularity of 1-inch-tube scopes
in the American hunting market.
This is the brand’s first riflescope to
be built with a 1-inch tube, and it
features a 40mm objective lens and
almost 4 inches of eye relief. It also
has a reticle in the second focal
Victory
The Victory 8x26 T PRF (SRP: $795) monocular with digital laser range
finder is ideal for hunters. The unit features an LED display and the integrated Ballistic Information System, which determines how many inches
above or below the target the shooter needs to aim at a given distance.
At 11 ounces, the Victory is lightweight, and it provides
ranging from distances of 10 to
1,300 yards. Booth
#1960. (800-4413005; zeiss.com)
#2461. (800-426-3089; swarovski
optik.com)
Vortex
At 85mm, the objective lens of the
Razor HD 20–60x85 spotting scope
(SRP: $2,000) is the largest of any
Vortex spotter. It sports an angled
eyepiece and glass that offers crisp
resolution and color, and no fringing degradation at the lens edge.
New to the Viper family of binoculars are three models with 32mm
objective lenses, to complement the
larger 42mm and 50mm models.
Available in 6x32 (SRP: $549), 8x32
(SRP: $559) and 10x32 (SRP: $569),
they feature a single center hinge
and in-line, roof-prism tube construction. Booth #1689. (800-4260048; vortexoptics.com)
VORTEX: New additions to the Viper
family of binoculars are the 6x32, 8x32 and
10x32 roof prisms, all of which feature a
single center hinge.
Ammunition 2009
PRODUCTS
A m m o Ma n u fa c t u r e r s
Load Up for ’09
A deer-hunting AR cartridge and a big-bore lever-action load top the list, but
there’s much more as well By Chris Christian
FEDERAL:
The Vital-Shok
Trophy Bonded line,
which features a
polymer tip and
boattail base
design for improved
downrange performance, will expand
with 11 new loads
in popular hunting
calibers, including
.270, 7mm-08, .308
and .30/06. The allcopper Barnes
bullet will gain five
new loads. The
Vital-Shok line will
also see the addition of the fastexpanding 55-grain
Sierra BlitzKing
in .22/250.
E
very SHOT Show sees something in the way of new loads,
but this is definitely shaping up to be a really interesting
plated bullet for
corrosion-resistance and external
skiving for optimum expansion.
They then nickel-plated the case.
The load proved highly popular and
year. Among the most significant introductions is a brand-new
Fusion Ammo
Remington .30-caliber cartridge designed for the very popular AR
Fusion bonded core
platform, which moves the gun squarely into the reliable deer cartridge arena. Big-bore lever-action fans will find a new .338 load
from Marlin making an appearance, and a new .416 Ruger rifle load
promises to put a lot of power in a standard-length action.
effective. This year, Federal adds
the following loads: .270 Win. with
130-grain and 150-grain bullets,
.270 WSM (150-grain), 7mm-08
and .280 Win. (140-grain); .308
Win., .300 Win. Mag. and .300
WSM (all in 165-grain); the .300
RUM and .30/06 with a 180-grain
slug; and the .338 Federal with a
200-grain slug. The all-copper Barnes TripleShock X-Bullet has earned an excellent reputation for penetration and
expansion, and this year Federal
expands the Vital-Shok with a .223
Rem. (55-grain), .260 Rem. (120grain), .270 Wby. (130-grain), 6mm
Rem. (85-grain) and the venerable
.30/30 with a 150-grain bullet. Also
in the Vital-Shok line, the Barnes
TTSX will now be available in a
110-grain load for the 7mm Rem.
Mag.
Since its recent introduction, the
.338 Federal has not only become a
popular hunting round, but it has
found a home in the AR-platform
guns from several makers. For 2009,
Federal will introduce a 200-grain
soft-point load in the affordable
Power-Shok line. The V-Shok line
will see the addition of the explosively expanding 55-grain Sierra
BlitzKing bullet in .22/250 Rem.,
This popular-priced line of hunting ammunition sees the addition of four
new bonded-core rifle loads, and a big-game handgun load. In the rifle
line, the .223 Rem. will be available in a 62-grain softpoint; the .260
Rem. will get a 120-grain bullet; the 6.5x55mm will offer a 140-grain bullet; and the .45/70 Govt. gets a 300-grain slug. Handgunners will find a
260-grain HP is now available for the .460 S&W; the .500 S&W
Magnum will get a 275-grain load. Booth #3139. (800-322-2342;
fusionammo.com)
A new bonded-bullet technology from Winchester provides new loads for
handgunners and those opting for sabot slugs, while the lead-free all-copper
bullet market is joined by Hornady and Remington. The shotshell selection
expands, with quality loads for sub-gauges, varmint hunters and the nontoxic waterfowl market.
In terms of overall sales, however, the biggest news might be the reintroduction of Federal’s 125-grain .38 Spec. Nyclad hollowpoint. History shows
this to be one of the most effective and controllable loads ever made for the
.38 Special snubby. And given the number of those in circulation, it should
be an instant winner.
Federal Premium
Major bullet introductions in the centerfire-rifle arena, a host of new shotshell products and the return of an effective self-defense handgun load highlight Federal’s new products this year. Introduced in a limited number of
loads in 2008, and built on the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw design, the VitalShok Trophy Bonded Tip line expands significantly. Federal engineers added
a polymer tip and boattail base for improved downrange ballistics, a nickel-
friday, January 16, 2009 ■ Shot Business Daily ■ 25
PRODUCTS Ammunition 2009
Speer Bullets
gold dot
Speer will make its 115grain .327 Federal Magnum
Gold Dot bullet available as
a reloading component.
Booth #3139. (800-3222342; speer-bullets.com)
and it should become a favorite with
varmint hunters.
Target shooters who favor the M1
Garand and the M1A are well aware
that the softer primers in many
commercial loads are not a good bet
for these two rifle actions. For 2009,
Federal will introduce two loads,
which use staked-in primers, in the
American Eagle line, which are specifically designed for these rifles.
The .308 (7.62x51) will see a 168grain match bullet, while the .30/06
will be available in a 150-grain FMJ
load.
Two new additions grace the
Cape-Shok line of heavy-game
ammunition. The .370 Sako
Magnum will be available with a
286-grain Barnes solid, while the
.458 Lott will now be loaded with
the 500-grain Barnes TripleShock bullet.
With new offerings
for waterfowlers,
upland gunners,
varmint hunters
and target shooters, Federal made
sure shotgunners weren’t ignored.
Introduced in 12-gauge, Federal’s
Black Cloud FS Steel loads proved
wildly popular. This year, that combination of Flitecontrol wad and
Flitestopper steel shot will now be
available in 10- and 20-gauge. The
10-gauge offerings consist of a pair
of 3½-inch loads; one has 15/8 ounces of BB shot, the other has 15/8
ounces of No. 2 shoot, and both
clock in at 1,500 fps. The 20-gauge
offerings are in 3-inch chambering,
with 1 ounce of either No. 2 or No.
4 shot, at 1,350 fps. In addition, two
12-gauge offerings in 2¾ inch will
toss 1 ounce of No. 3 or No. 4 shot
at 1,500 fps and should be softer
shooting than the 3-inch loads.
The Eastward expansion of the
coyote has put a lot of them in
thicker terrain than Western hunters have experienced, and many
Eastern varmint hunters favor
smoothbores. The V-Shok
Heavyweight Coyote Load was
designed for them. The 3-inch
12-gauge load features 1½ ounces of
Heavyweight BB shot combined
with Federal’s Flitecontrol wad. It
should be highly effective.
Turkey hunters will find the
Mag-Shok Heavyweight loads are
now available in 10- and 20-gauge.
The 10-gauge offerings are
3½-inchers with 2 ounces of No. 6
or No. 7 shot; the 20-gauge loads
are 3-inch shells that toss 1½ ounces
of No. 6 or No. 7 shot.
Those who favor lead shot will
find Federal’s Mag-Shok Turkey
with the Flitecontrol wad now also
available in 10- and 20-gauge loads.
The 10-gauge loads are 3½-inchers
with 2 ounces of No. 4, No. 5 or
No. 6 hard lead shot, while the
20-gauge offerings are in 3-inch
shells with 15/16 ounces in the same
three shot sizes.
Upland gunners who favor the
16-gauge will find three new buffered copper-plated loads available in
the Wing-Shok Pheasants Forever
line. The 2¾-inch loads carry 11/8
ounces of No. 4, No. 5 or No. 6
shot at 1,425 fps. Clay target shooters looking for a hard-hitting
1-ounce paper shotshell load will
find it in the new Gold Medal
FITASC Paper Load, launching
1 ounce of 7.5 shot at 1,330 fps.
Lastly, Federal will reintroduce
the 125-grain .38 Special Nyclad
load. The soft lead bullet in a nylon
jacket was once one of the most
effective loads from a 2-inch snubby, and was highly regarded by
many law enforcement officers.
Booth #3139. (800-322-2342;
federalpremium.com)
Hornady
Hornady engineers have been busy
during the last few years, not only
with their own product lines, but
with new cartridges designed specifically for major firearms manufacturers. That doesn’t change this
year, with the introduction of two
new cartridges.
Designed for the Marlin Model
338MX lever-action rifle (and using
the Flex Tip bullet technology that
makes it perfectly safe to use in
tubular magazines), the .338 Marlin
Express is based loosely on the
short-action .376 Steyr cartridge.
The rim was abbreviated, and then
the case length was shortened and
necked down to .338. The resulting
cartridge launches a 200-grain FTX
bullet at 2,565 fps from a 24-inch
PRODUCTS Ammunition 2009
barrel. With a ballistic coefficient
of .430, it matches the ballistics of a
180-grain .30/06 slug out to 400
yards.
Based on the beltless .375 Ruger,
introduced in 2008, the new Ruger
.416 is designed to provide the
power and ballistics of the .416
Rigby in the standard-length action
and 20-inch barrel of the Ruger
Hawkeye, which Ruger will unveil
in .416 Ruger this year. Two loads
will initially be available, featuring a
new Hornady bullet series. The
400-grain Dangerous Game
Expanding (DGX) bullet is designed
to deliver very controlled expansion
and deep penetration. The 400grain Dangerous Game Solid
(DGS) is designed to not deform
under even the most extreme condi-
REMINGTON: The
Premier Copper Solid line is
a new non-toxic, all-copper
big-game bullet. The cartridge
features lead-free construction with
a boattail base, polymer tips and an
internal expansion chamber.
tions, assuring maximum penetration. Both new bullets feature a
copper-clad steel jacket with a high
antimony lead core and leave the
muzzle at 2,400 fps—producing
5,850 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. Booth #2023. (308-382-1390;
hornady.com)
Remington Arms
The big news from Remington this
year is the introduction of the .30
Remington AR cartridge. Using a
new case design, the .30 Rem. AR
puts a .30-caliber bullet into a cartridge with the same overall length
(2.26 inches) as the .223 Rem. to
allow it to function properly in a
standard AR-15 platform with only
a new upper unit required.
Although the cartridge has the
same OAL as the .223/5.56x45mm,
it is fatter. It will not fit a standard
5.56 magazine, but will work in
modified .450 Bushmaster magazines. Remington claims that this
moves the AR platform squarely
into the realm of deer hunters, and
the ballistics supplied by Remington
would seem to confirm that. The
.30 Rem. AR launches a 125-grain
.30-caliber slug at 2,800 fps from a
22-inch barrel. That is only 200 to
300 fps less than produced by the
125-grain .308 Win. load, and virtually duplicates the ballistics of the
once-popular .300 Savage. With
modern, high-tech bullets, that
results in deer-downing power to at
least 300 yards.
In 2009, Remington will introduce the new load in three configu-
rations (all producing 2,800 fps): the
125-grain AccuTip BT, the 125grain Core-Lokt PSP and a 123grain UMC FMJ load.
New as well is Remington’s entry
into the non-toxic all-copper biggame bullet arena with the Premier
Copper Solid line. The bullet line
features lead-free construction with
a boattail base, polymer tip and
internal expansion chamber.
Remington claims 98 percent
weight retention, with expansion up
to 2X and a high ballistic coeffiecient. The Premier Copper Solid
will be available in .243 Win. (95grain), .270 Win. (130-grain), 7mm
Rem. Mag. (140-grain) and in
.30/06 Sprg., .300 Win. Mag. and
.308 Win. with a 150-grain bullet.
Varmint hunters looking for zero
weight retention and minimal ricochet potential will want to try
Remington’s new Premier
Disintegrator Varmint loads.
Available in 45-grain weights in
.223 Rem. (3,550 fps) and .22/250
Rem. (4,000 fps), the bullet uses a
jacketed iron core designed for
explosive expansion.
New in the Express Core-Lokt
line is a 150-grain load for the .308
Marlin Express and a 250-grain load
for the .450 Bushmaster. On the
rimfire front, Remington has
changed the bullet design on their
subsonic .22LR Cbee .22 load to
provide greater expansion and accuracy at 740 fps.
Slug-gun hunters will now find
available only in 12-gauge, the
2¾-inch HV load delivers 13/8 ounces of shot (Nos. 4, 5 and 6) at 1,450
fps. The 3-inch HM load launches
15/8 ounces of No. 4 or No. 5 shot at
1,350 fps. Booth #3939. (800-2439700; remington.com)
Weatherby
REMINGTON:
Slug-gun hunters will now find
the Premier AccuTip Bonded Sabot
Slug in 20-gauge. Designed for use in fully
rifled barrels only, the 260-grain .45-caliber
slug is available in 2¾- and 3-inch versions.
Remington’s Premier AccuTip
Bonded Sabot Slug available in
20-gauge. Intended only for fully
rifled barrels, the .45-caliber 20-gauge
AccuTip slug weighs 260 grains and
is encased in a .625-inch sabot. The
2¾-inch version hits 1,850 fps; the
3-inch version clocks 1,900 fps.
Upland wing-shooters looking for
a long-range high-power load will
find it in the new Premier Nitro
Pheasant Magnum and HV loads.
Using magnum-grade 4 percent antimony shot with copper plating, and
Weatherby adds again to the
Weatherby Magnum line this
year with the Barnes TTSX
bullet. The TTSX features
Barnes all-copper construction
and adds a polymer tip for
improved ballistics. Multiple rings
cut into the body improve rifling
grip and accuracy while reducing
pressure. The result is a lightweight
bullet for the caliber that produces
exceptionally high velocities. This
year it will be available in .257 Wby.
(80-grain bullet at 3,870 fps); .270
Wby. (110-grain/3,540 fps), 7mm
Wby. (120-grain/3,430fps); .300
Wby. (130-grain/3,650 fps); and
.30/378 Wby. (130-grain/3,740 fps).
Booth #1446. (805-227-2600;
weatherby.com)
Winchester
Ammunition
Bonded bullets are currently a hot
topic among shooters, and
Winchester introduces several new
designs this year. In the personalprotection arena, the new Supreme
Elite Bonded PDX1 handgun bullets
are engineered to maximize terminal
performance. The bonding process
WINCHESTER: Supreme Elite
Dual Bond technology will now be available
for handgun hunters and shotgunners who
use sabot slugs.
welds lead and jacket together to
control expansion and provide maximum weight retention. Winchester
states that, upon impact, the 6-segment notched hollowpoint expands
to 1.5 times caliber diameter under a
wide range of impact velocities. The
new handgun line will be available in
nickel-plated cases in .38 Spec. +P
(130-grain bullet), 9mm Luger (124grain +P; 147-grain, standard pressure), 165- and 180-grain loads in
.40 S&W and a 230-grain .45 ACP.
The new Supreme Elite Dual
Bond technology will be available for
handgunners and shotgunners using
sabot slugs. According to Winchester,
the design is a “bullet within a bullet.” A proprietary bonding process
welds lead and an inner jacket to
improve weight retention and penetration; a heavy outer jacket is bond-
ed to the inner jacket to protect it
during penetration. A massive hollowpoint cavity assures quick expansion. In handguns, the load will be
available in .454 Casull (260-grain),
.460 S&W Magnum (260-grain) and
in a 375-grain slug for the .500
S&W Magnum. Shotgunners will
find the same slugs encased in sabots.
The 375-grain version will be
offered in 12-gauge in 2¾- and
3-inch shells, while 20-gauge shooters will have the 260-grain slug in
both chamber lengths.
The new Super X Power-Max
Bonded bullet was designed to give
whitetail hunters bonded bullet performance at an affordable price.
Lead and jacket are bonded and
incorporate a protected hollowpoint
for an increased ballistic coefficient
and rapid expansion. Booth #3636.
(618-258-3242; winchester.com)
WINCHESTER: The Supreme Elite
Bonded PDX1 handgun line has been
designed to maximize terminal performance.
The bonding process welds lead and jacket
to control expansion and provide maximum
weight retention.
Available in .38 Special
+P, .9mm Luger, .40
S&W and .45 ACP.
PRODUCTS Outerwear 2009
Getting Lighter
All The Time
Outerwear continues to shed weight and gain functionality
A
s the 2009 retail season moves forward,
Irish Setter
high-tech fabrics and designs continue to
bayport jacket
migrate from the mountaineering segment to the
This classic Bayport jacket uses a waxed-cotton exterior
with high-grade down filling for insulation. It has two
front cargo pockets, nylon recessed storm cuffs
and a large YKK zipper that can be operated
with one hand. Inside, a soft lining uses an
elastic band to keep out drafts. SRP:
$199.99. Booth #7387. (888-7388370; irishsetterboots.com)
hunting arena. A few shoe companies have made
even greater commitments to the outdoor casual
wear segment, and tactical clothing is increasing
its market share. Products are lighter and remove
moisture more effectively than ever. Here is a
short list of what’s new in outerwear for this fall.
BlackHawk
Part of the Warrior Wear line, the Integrated
Tourniquet System (I.T.S.) pants provide lifesaving aid
in the field and on the streets. The pants contain four
integrated tourniquets, offering proximal (femoral
artery) and distal (tibial artery) protection on both right
and left legs. Sewn into the fabric, the tourniquets are
B Y P e t e r B . M at h i e s e n
positioned for immediate access under existing
gear, and can be operated by the wearer, a buddy
or a medic.
The six-pocket pants use a strong, tight weave
of cotton canvas coated with a wrinkle- and
stain-proof treatment, and are offered in black or
khaki. SRP: $89.99. Booth #8561. (800-694-5263;
blackhawk.com)
Browning
Browning’s Highland vest marries a breathable, quiet,
11-ounce exterior to a 200-gram “no-itch” fleece lining.
This wool vest has two handwarmer pockets, a fulllength zipper and a zip-through collar.
The garment also uses a wind-barrier laminate to
reduce chill. Browning has added a moisture-removing
treatment to the tricot lining to help displace perspiration. Machine-washable, the vest comes in Browning’s All
Terrain camouflage pattern. SRP: $64.
The Maxus waterfowl jacket is waterproof, breathable
and windproof. It has been designed to improve comfort
by placing different Gore-Tex fabrics in specific locations
to maximize mobility and protection from the elements.
The result? More insulation in the shoulders, where it’s
needed, and less insulation in the lower torso, where it’s
not. Features include adjustable bottom drawcords with
Velcro fasteners, laminated watertight cuffs, a call pocket
(with zipper) on the left chest, two upper handwarmer
pockets, detachable hood and an articulated elbow and
Freedom Sleeve design for more freedom of movement. SRP: $370. Booth #4335. (800-333-3288;
browning.com)
Columbia
With more than two decades of field-testing,
the short-wader-cut Widgeon Parka is the
most advanced duck-hunting three-in-one
garment Columbia has built to date. At the
jacket’s core is an ultra-warm 650-fill
reversible (black or Delta Marsh camo)
goose-down liner. It can be used alone
for upland or deer hunting, keeping
BLACKHAWK: Part of the Warrior
Wear line, the Integrated Tourniquet System
(I.T.S.) pants contain four intergated tourniquets positioned near the femoral and
tibial arteries in each leg. The tourniquets,
sewn into the fabric, can be operated by
the wearer, a buddy or a medic.
the wearer warm on the coldest days.
The liner has a waterproof zippered
license compartment.
The exterior shell boasts doubleseam-sealed construction, with an
additional rubberized coating for
guaranteed dry performance in a
downpour.
Also onboard: a removable hood,
classic Columbia quick-loader tubes,
plenty of waterproof zippers and
large front-loading shell pockets.
The collar includes beard guards
with a soft fleece fabric and foldable
earflaps. To keep you cool when you
build up a sweat, the underarms
zip for ventilation. SRP: $550.
browning: The breathable Maxus
waterfowl jacket is waterproof and windproof,
and features Gore-Tex Comfort Mapping
technology.
PRODUCTS Outerwear 2009
browning:
The Highland vest combines a
breathable wind-chill barrier
and quiet exterior to a 200gram “no-itch” fleece
lining. In addition, the
wool vest has two handwarmer pockets, a
full-length zipper and a
zip-through collar.
Booth #6781. (503-985-4000;
columbia.com)
Rocky
The versatile Tri-Season base layer
can be used by both deer and turkey
hunters. The soft exterior uses
SilentHunter micro-suede fabric to
ensure complete silence in the
woods, all the while quickly wicking
away moisture from the wearer’s
skin. The entire Tri-Season line
carries Rocky’s ScentIQ Atomic
technology, which eliminates odorcausing bacteria. No special deter-
gents, sprays or other care is
needed. SRP: $39. Booth #6861.
(877-795-2410; rockyboots.com)
Sitka
The Sitka Stormfront jacket
features the new Gore-Tex
Performance Shell fabric. The
three-layer construction offers a
rugged and extremely breathable
ROCKY: The versatile Tri-Season base
layer can be used by deer and turkey hunters. It features a soft micro-suede exterior
and scent-elimination technology.
shell for extended rain conditions.
Inside, the jacket uses a proprietary
Gore-Seam Tape technology to
ensure all seams are 100 percent
waterproof.
Extensive field-testing has demonstrated that the Stormfront is one
of Sitka’s most weatherproof garments. The adjustable hood will
keep you dry without interfering
with your field of vision. Rainproof
zippers and two front chest pockets
reinforced with Melco tape and
generous pit-zips allow you to regulate your body heat to stay cool.
Other details include articulated
elbows for fit and freedom of movement. Even the side pockets allow
access to your under layers through
special inside zippers. Booth #7287.
(707-253-1122; sitkagear.com)
Wolverine
Finn jacket
Quilted for warmth, and ideal
for use as a liner in severecold climates, the Finn Jacket
is a perfect multipurpose jacket. Made with a nylon exterior,
this diamond-quilted jacket is
wind-resistant and waterrepellent, and features a frontzipper closure and an exterior
wind-flap snap closure. The
gusseted back armholes provide a range and ease of
movement. Insulated with
Primaloft Sport fiberfill, the
Finn features reinforced
shoulders, a ribbed collar and
cuffs and front patch pockets.
SRP: $99. Booth #5861.
(800-545-2425; wolverine
bootsandshoes.com)
FEATURE
New Shooters,
New Insights
The NSSF’s First Shots range outreach program is successful at transforming
non-shooters into new shooters By M a r i ly n S t o n e
The NSSF’s First Shots program brings newcomers to participating ranges and provides
them with the equipment and training they
need to learn to shoot—and keep shooting.
Phil Murray, of clay target manufacturer White Flyer, is enthusiastic
about the program. “Some people
have never had the opportunity to
see or even hear of skeet or trap,”
he says. “If they do it once, they’ll
want to do it again.”
Targeted Survey
W
hat do an 82-year-old grandmother and an eight-year-old
boy have in common? Both were members of a family
that participated in a First Shots program at Heartland Shooting
Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. First Shots, an NSSF customerrecruitment program, makes it easy for non-shooters to become
shooters. Introductory seminars provide all the equipment newcomers need. They emphasize safety, reduce intimidation and highlight
the fun of shooting. And the seminars are only three hours long, so
they’ll fit easily into people’s busy schedules.
The NSSF provides ready-made print and media ads and a 100 percent
match on co-op dollars up to $3,000. The extra money gives retailers and
ranges the resources to reach beyond traditional media outlets, if they choose
to do so. Others prefer to intensify coverage in proven outlets.
“Support from the NSSF was more than we could ask for,” says Bill
Starkey, superintendent of Heartland Shooting Park. “They helped us with
advertising costs, organization, provided firearms and helped us pick up all of
the loose ends. Their support enabled us to concentrate on the marketing
end. We maxed out the first two events at thirty-six each, and had twelve in
the third class.”
Making Newcomers Welcome
Historically, First Shots programs have focused on one shooting discipline—
handgun, rifle or shotgun—but Heartland Shooting Park was one of the first
ranges to combine all three. “The three-gun format really worked well,” says
Starkey. “It gave everyone a well-rounded experience in shooting sports,
which is what we wanted—to give them just a little taste of the excitement
and fun they can have with shooting.”
NSSF’s First Shots offers a strategy to reach urban-dwellers who have had
no exposure to the shooting sports. This is where the industry will find the
next generation of shooters, and it’s vital that they are successfully recruited
to our ranks.
Jeff Pedro at Sim Trainer, a range
and training center in Dayton, Ohio,
agrees. “First Shots is our most
productive form of promotion,” he
says. “It automatically promotes
diversity in the customer base,
because it’s geared to males and
females of all ages.”
Analysis of women’s responses to
First Shots handgun seminars
reveals the program delivers the
training they want at just the right
pace. Ninety percent of female participants say they plan to continue
shooting after the program.
Peter Boruchowski, manager of
Smith & Wesson’s Shooting Sports
Center, says despite years of offering First Shots, the range has not
reached participant saturation and is
still filling seminars. Surveys show
that 30 percent of new customers
return to the range where they had
their first experience.
Other ranges reap the benefits as
well. Approximately a quarter of
First Shots participants have shot at
other ranges five times. Customers
demonstrate the greatest loyalty to
the range that held the First Shots
program, however. They return to
that range an average of almost
seven times. More than 13 percent
purchase memberships at the range,
whereas just under 5 percent of
First Shots participants purchase
memberships at another range.
New shooters don’t want to stay
novices. The opportunity for more
training is a great motivation to
continue. Retailers can take advantage of NSSF’s First Shots by partnering with local ranges and clubs,
to boost their name recognition
with new shooters. Product donations, special promotions and discounts will help get new shooters in
the door the first time.
An added benefit of reaching out
to new shooters is the insight gained
from follow-up surveys. For
instance, weekends are the most
popular days of the week to shoot,
but between 30 and 40 percent
would shoot Tuesday through
Friday. Surprisingly, more than 30
percent of First Shots handgunners
would like to shoot from 8 a.m. to
noon; an equal percentage preferred
noon to 4 p.m.
New shooters want to share their
passion with friends and family.
More than 53 percent of participants surveyed have introduced
another person to shooting. Having
someone to shoot with was listed as
a motivation to continue in the
sport, also. First Shots participants
also are indicating that we need
more ranges, morning hours, more
training classes, social and competitive opportunities, and perhaps a
“frequent shooter” card for special
pricing on rentals and service. How to get involved
Every Segment of the Industry Can Participate
NSSF’s First Shots’ design offers an avenue for all industry segments to
benefit, including ranges, retailers and manufacturers. Contact Cyndi
Dalena at 203-426-1320 or cdalena@nssf.org.
Manufacturers
First Shots sponsorship means you can start building a relationship with
new customers with their first experience. Opportunities are limited only by
your imagination. For instance, Meggitt Defense Systems Caswell offers
new shooters a wallet card to diagnose their shots, Hi-Viz provides a book
of shooting tips and White Flyer donates clay targets for shotgun events.
Smith & Wesson held the inaugural First Shots at their shooting center in
October 2006 with all equipment provided. The company also provides
loaner handguns and shotguns for host ranges.
Ranges
First Shots provides a partnership opportunity between manufacturers and
ranges. Cyndi Dalena calls ranges the “grassroots delivery system of product” that helps manufacturers get their products into new stores.
FEATURE
R e t a i l E d u c a t i o n S e m i n a rs
make a difference
NSSF expert seminars help firearms retailers build stronger and more
profitable businesses
H
By Christopher Cogley
ow do you stay ahead of the competition? How do you
grow your profits without over-extending your operation?
The answer to these questions, and so many others, can be summed
up in three words: better business practices. That’s easy to say, but
infinitely more complicated to implement. The National Shooting
Sports Foundation, however, is making the prospect a little easier by
offering seminars at SHOT Show, and across the country throughout
the year, that are designed to help firearms retailers be more successful in a continually changing industry.
“We’re the trade organization for the industry,” says Tom Larson, the
NSSF’s director of retail partnerships. “We want these businesses to succeed,
and these seminars are one way we’re helping them do that.”
For more than 30 years, the SHOT Show has been the place where retailers
come to find the latest products they need to be successful. It’s also become
the place where they come to get the information that’s just as critical to
their continued success as the new
products on display in the show’s
booths.
The NSSF seminars run from
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the second
and third day of the SHOT Show—
Friday, January 16 and Saturday,
January 17—in Rooms 308C and
308D in the Orange County
Convention Center. They are free
of charge and cover a wide range of
issues. The lineup of 2009 seminars
includes topics specific to firearms
retailers, such as how to pass an
ATF inspection and identifying
straw purchases.
“A review of the ten most frequent ATF inspection violations—
instead of simply going over the
forms and how to fill them out—
will demonstrate where the mistakes
are made, so that retailers can avoid
them,” Larson says. “Information
like this is invaluable.”
In addition to the regularly sched-
uled seminars, the NSSF is also hosting two special seminars—including
the one that is always the most popular of the show. This year, the ATF/
FBI-NICS Issues and Answers seminar is on Friday afternoon from 1:00
to 4:30 in Room 308A-B.
“This is the seminar that gets
heavily attended every year,” says
Randy Clark, managing director of
program development for the
NSSF. “This seminar is just jampacked with information.”
The seminar features a panel of
experts from ATF and FBI who will
present the latest changes in the
laws and regulations that affect your
business, and will also answer questions about those laws.
The seminars also cover traditional practices like how to close a
sale and how to develop repeat
retail customers. In addition, on
Saturday morning, from 8:30 to
11:30 a.m. in Room 103A, Glock,
the Tax & Trade Bureau and the
NSSF will present a seminar covering another industry hot topic for
2009. The seminar will outline the
changes in Firearms & Ammunition
Excise Tax law for 2008-2009 and
allow attendees to ask questions
about FAET and how it will impact
their business.
One of the major changes in the
lineup of seminars at the 2009
SHOT Show is the expanded presence of seminars for the law
enforcement community.
“We really expanded the presence
of law enforcement seminars,
because that segment of the SHOT
show has really grown,” Clark says.
The three law enforcement seminars scheduled for the show will
cover law enforcement/tactical
optics, laser sighting devices, and
flashlights and accessories. The
seminars are designed to cover not
just new products, but also the techniques that will help keep law
enforcement officers safer on the
streets. They also help to meet the
needs of the law enforcement segment at the show, which has grown
significantly over the past few years.
“I don’t see an end to the growth
of this segment, and by us offering
more seminars for them, it creates a
pathway for more members of the
law enforcement community to be
able to come and take advantage of
everything the show has to offer
them,” Clark says. “It’s exciting to
see the growth of this segment, but
we’ll still always have a strong
retailer focus.”
That commitment to the retailer
extends past SHOT Show and continues throughout the year with
ongoing Retailer Education
Seminars. Hosted in cities across
the country, these one-day seminars
are put on in conjunction with ATF
and open to anyone with a FFL.
There is no charge for the seminars
but the information they provide is
priceless, especially when you consider the cost to a retailer who loses
his FFL.
“It’s a training seminar that we
put on for retailers so they can be
compliant,” Larson says. “The
quickest way to lose your license is
by not being compliant, and these
seminars are designed to help them
avoid that.”
Judging by the response, retailers
Better
business
practices
help retailers
to be more
efficient.
across the nation are appreciative of
the seminars and the information
they provide.
“The seminars had been highly
attended last year, and we’re looking
at expanding them for 2009,” Clark
says. “What we’re finding is that the
retailers are looking for the kind of
information presented in these seminars, and we’re responding to meet
their needs.”
The seminars cover topics such as
how to avoid illegal firearms sales
and prevent smash-and-grab robberies, but the main focus of the
seminars is to present the information that retailers need to pass ATF
inspections.
“One of the biggest stresses that
most retailers have right now is an
inspection,” Clark says. “We’re here
to give them the information they
need to be prepared for it.”
The first scheduled Retailer
Education Seminar of 2009 is on
February 4 in Detroit. For a complete list of seminars, visit the
National Association of Firearms
Retailers website at nafr.org.
Whether it’s at SHOT or in your
hometown, taking advantage of
these seminars can go a long way
toward helping your business
succeed.
“If you can carve out the time to
go to the seminars, you won’t regret
it,” says Jeff Poet of Jay’s Sporting
Goods in Clare, Michigan. “I hit as
many as I can, and they have always
been well worth my time.”
FEATURE
putting young hunters
in the field
By eliminating barriers that keep young hunters from enjoying the sport,
NSSF helps bring new participants into the fold L
BY brian mcCombie
ast August, New York became the latest state to approve
Families Afield legislation, when Governor David A. Paterson
signed a bill creating a special “junior hunter” mentoring program.
That law allows 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt big game with a firearm while accompanied and supervised by an experienced adult
“mentor” hunter—yet another example of Families Afield bringing
more people into the hunting fraternity by dropping existing barriers
to hunting participation.
“At NSSF, one of the key strategic points that we’ve always had is to try to
identify those issues which may be roadblocks to participation in hunting and
target shooting,” says Doug Painter. Now NSSF’s Senior Advisor and Trade
Liaison, Painter headed the NSSF at the time Families Afield was launched,
in 2004. “What’s keeping folks from getting out there? With hunting, there
was a lot of concern about the high initial age limits on first-time hunters.”
So NSSF partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation and the
U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance to promote Families Afield legislation at the state
level. So far, 27 states have passed some type of Families Afield initiative,
allowing 131,000 young people to try out hunting.
Consider New York State. In the past, a young person there could not
hunt big game, essentially deer, in the state until the age of 16. “My gosh,”
says NSSF President Steve Sanetti, “by the time they’re sixteen, most kids
have gone on to do other things!”
The basic
idea is to let
the parents,
not the state,
decide when
a child is
ready to
hunt.
Try Before You Buy
New York had a particularly high barrier for prospective deer hunters.
Before they could even put on a stitch of blaze orange, they had to sign up
for, pay for, and then take a hunter education course.
Families Afield legislation overcomes those sorts of roadblocks through a
mentored hunting license, which allows a youngster (though technically it
can be a first-time hunter of any age) to hunt with a licensed, experienced
hunter, usually for one hunting season. If he or she likes the experience and
wants to hunt again, the young person then takes hunter education.
“We’re great, great supporters of hunter education,” Sanetti stresses. “But
what you were essentially saying was, before you can even try hunting, you
had to make the full hunter ed commitment.”
“This is almost like a try-before-you-buy program,” adds Randy Clark,
NSSF’s Managing Director for Program Development. “Families Afield
offers them the chance to get outdoors with Dad and experience the hunt.
Hopefully, we’ve got them hooked on hunting at that point. That’s the whole
premise behind it.”
One potential hurdle to Families Afield bills going forward was the erroneous perception that youngsters hunting before taking hunter education
would be a danger to themselves and others. But the research shows a very
different picture.
Statistics from the Youth Hunting Report, which was written by Silvertip
Productions, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and Southwick Associates Inc.,
found that youth hunters are the safest hunters in the woods when accompanied by an adult. Of the states that have no minimum-age restrictions, the
incident rates are .0483 per 1,000 hunters. The remaining states where the
government sets minimum hunting age requirements have an incident rate
nearly 10 percent higher, at .0534 incidents per 1,000 hunters. Those findings were peer-reviewed for statistical validity by the Triad Research Group.
Melissa A. Schilling, NSSF Manager for Recruitment & Retention,
believes the parents best know their
children and their capabilities. “We
want the parents to decide when
their child is ready to hunt,” she
says. “They’re probably already taking their child out, so they know
what he or she is capable of.”
That safe record has been borne
out, as Families Afield has increased
hunting opportunities. A sampling
of these new opportunities include:
state by State
kentucky: Created a one-year
non-renewable exemption from
hunter education classes for novices
hunting under the supervision of a
qualified mentor. Also raised from
10 to 12 the age at which a youth
must take a hunter education class
prior to hunting.
michigan: Lowered the minimum
hunting age for small game from 12
to 10, and for big game from 14 to
12. Also created an apprenticehunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers
age 10 and older hunting before
completion of a hunter education
course.
pennsylvania: Created a mentoring license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers
hunting at any age for deer, turkey
and groundhogs before completion
of a hunter education course.
utah: Eliminated the age minimum for small-game hunting.
In 2007, Families Afield legislation in Florida created a supervised
hunting program that permits a
newcomer to hunt with a mentor
for one year before completion of a
hunter education course. “Florida’s
a great example,” says Sanetti.
“They’ve had declining hunter
numbers for years, yet they sold
seven thousand mentor licenses the
first year—the first uptick they’ve
had in a long time. That’s the key.
You find the bottleneck, open it up
and you can have some good
results.”
More states will see Families
Afield legislation introduced in
upcoming years. In those states that
have already passed bills, Painter
says, it may be helpful to review
exactly how the new hunts are being
promoted.
“I think that ‘Phase Two,’ if you
will, is working with those states to
make sure that they’re doing a good
job promoting and publicizing the
availability of the mentor license,”
says Painter. “Ohio did a hell of a
good job promoting their mentor
license, and sold thirty-one thousand the first year. That’s what
you’ve got to do. With any great
new product, you have to let people
know about it.”
The Lapsed
Hunter
A side benefit to Families Afield
legislation is helping to reactivate
the lapsed hunter—someone who
used to hunt but, usually due to
family and work obligations, has let
his hunting fall by the wayside.
“In a number of situations, the
parent was a lapsed hunter,” Clark
explains. “Now, with Families
Afield, John Jr. is thirteen or fourteen, and he’s interested in trying
out this hunting thing. So, you have
the lapsed hunting parent getting
back out in the field with the
youngster, and it’s just a great family
experience.”
For more information on Families
Afield, contact Melissa A. Schilling
(203-426-1320; mschilling@nssf.
org) or go to familesafield.org.
FEATURE
na f r f i g h t s
for you
State organizations work for retailers locally
F
or years, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and its specialized division, the National Association of Firearms Retailers
(NAFR), have been standing up for the rights of firearms retailers
across the country by promoting the shooting sports and fighting
against anti-gun legislation on a national level. Sometimes, however,
the most potentially damaging issues don’t come from Capitol Hill or
the White House, but from the halls of the state legislature.
“We realize that there are some key states that tend to influence the rest of
the country when it comes to the legislation they pass,” says Tom Larson,
director of retail partnerships for the NSSF. “It’s important for the businesses in these critical states to join together to protect the industry.”
As a way to assist these businesses in banding together to identify and
combat these issues, the NAFR is working to help establish and support a
growing number of state firearms retailer associations in critical areas of the
country—areas like Maryland.
“For years, we have been the poster-child for anti-gun legislation,” says
Carl Roy, the corporate president of Maryland Small Arms range in Upper
Marlboro and president of the recently formed Maryland Association of
Firearms Retailers (MDAFR). “Groups come here to get their bills passed,
and if they do, then they take the bills to the bigger states like California and
New York and say, ‘Look, it must be good because it passed in Maryland.’”
It’s a dangerous precedent for everyone in the shooting industry.
Fortunately, however, precedents are two-way streets. If that same anti-gun
legislation is proposed in Maryland and enough legislators listen to the
MDAFR to defeat the proposal, it will be much harder for that same bill to
be passed in other states because it’s already been defeated once.
In order for that to happen, however, reason and resources have to come
from not one voice, but many. Which
is where the state retailers associations
come in.
“An individual is never going to be
able to fight the state in court, but a
group can,” says Roy. “Until recently,
we haven’t had a group standing up
and telling lawmakers how impractical
some of the legislation is. Then when it passes, we’re stuck with it regardless
of how it impacts our business.”
Which is why it’s critical for firearms retailers to join their state organizations as well as the NSSF, Larson says. Not only does increased membership
allow these local organizations to function, but it also makes them more
effective.
“When they go into the state legislature to speak out against a bill that
would impact the industry, they carry a lot more weight when they represent
the entire industry of the state, not just a few businesses,” Larson says.
“Strength comes in numbers, and these state organizations need strength if
they’re going to protect the industry—and their investment.”
Larson says that at the state level, firearms retailers are facing an increase
in the amount of anti-gun legislation being proposed, more stringent regulations and a larger number of frivolous lawsuits against the firearms industry.
Threats to local business don’t just come from the courts and legislative
branches of the state governments, however, but also from the changing
landscape of the industry. Factors such as increased regulatory compliance
audits, tougher profit margins and
more negative publicity for lawabiding gun owners are taking an
increased toll on businesses and
becoming more prevalent.
state by state
In addition to Maryland, states
where these issues have become
increasingly common include
California, Connecticut, Illinois,
Michigan, New Jersey, New York
and Pennsylvania. Each of these
states, however, now has an association of firearms retailers established
that is working to protect local businesses. It likely won’t be long before
additional states join their ranks.
“Right now we’re really focusing
our efforts on the battleground
states,” Larson says. “But we don’t
want to discourage any state from
forming an organization.”
Defeating adverse legislation isn’t
the only purpose of these local
organizations. They are also a critical resource to promote the industry
on a statewide level and reach
people that are often inaccessible to
a national organization.
“A large part of our focus is to
develop a better relationship with
the state legislators and show them
that dealers are businesspeople,”
Roy says. “If we can show them how
legislation can affect us as business-
people and the community we live
in, it could make a difference when
it comes time to the next vote.”
One way that state organizations
are strengthening relationships
with local lawmakers is by proving
that the shooting industry is just as
concerned with the criminal misuse
of firearms as every other person in
the country. This fact is demonstrated in no uncertain terms when
a state firearms organization
doesn’t just support, but proposes
laws that mandate harsher punishment for criminals. Just as it helps
to protect against adverse legislation, the strength in numbers that a
group provides is also more likely
to get proposed legislation passed
that will improve business and the
overall image of the shooting
industry.
Regardless of whether they use it
to speak up or speak out, Roy says
that the formation of the MDAFR
has given many business owners a
voice they didn’t feel like they had
before.
“Nothing’s more frustrating than
feeling like you don’t have a voice in
an issue that affects your livelihood,” says Roy.
If you’re interested in forming an
association in your state, feel free to
call Larson at 203-426-1320 for
details and support. FEATURE
t h e Wa s h i n g t o n
connection
Big Wins
NSSF’s Government Relations Team:
On Top and Fighting
T
hey call this “the information age,” so it
might seem reasonable to assume that the
decisions made at the highest levels of government—decisions that affect lives and determine
the future of American industries—are made based
on facts instead of half-truths and outright lies.
Unfortunately, as the people in the shooting and
hunting industry have seen, if there’s one thing
that seems to be more readily available than information in today’s world, it’s misinformation. All
too often it’s this misinformation that determines
the direction that decisions take.
Once spread, misinformation becomes a highly communicable disease that can quickly and effectively
destroy truth, logic and fact. The only way to combat
this disease is to have a strong, trusting relationship with
the legislators and lawmakers who are the targets of the
misinformation. It is those kinds of relationships that the
government relations team at the National Shooting
Sports Foundation has been working to build and maintain for years, an effort that paid large dividends in 2008.
One of the biggest and most publicized victories that
the NSSF was part of came on June 26, when the
United States Supreme Court ruled that the Second
Amendment to the Constitution guarantees an individual’s right to bear arms.
“The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a major
victory for all Americans,” says NSSF President Steve
Sanetti. “The Heller decision reaffirms the wisdom of
our founding fathers in creating the Bill of Rights to
protect and preserve individual rights, the cornerstone
of our democracy. Furthermore, this decision solidifies
as historical fact the commonsense understanding that
governments have powers, not rights—rights are
reserved exclusively for individuals.”
The NSSF government relations
team was very active in supporting
the Heller case and wrote an extensive Friend of the Court brief on
behalf of Mr. Heller. This brief was
repeatedly sourced during the questioning process and in the delivered
opinion. It was a historical victory for
the NSSF and the entire industry.
When it comes to victories, however, the smaller wins can often be
just as important as the larger, more
obvious, ones. Although it didn’t get
a great deal of attention outside of
the industry, NSSF made significant
progress this year in its effort to
stop microstamping and bullet serialization proposals. Both of these
issues propose mandatory use of
unproven and impractical technology that would unduly burden firearms and ammunition manufacturers and significantly increase the
costs to consumers without providing any of the benefits that proponents promise. Armed with detailed
research and independent studies,
NSSF was able to use facts to combat the spread of misinformation
that legislators in several states were
receiving.
“We were able to stop microstamping in fourteen states and
knock down bullet serialization proposals in eighteen states,” says Jake
McGuigan, director of government
relations for NSSF. “These are big
wins for us, and this effort is going
to continue to be a priority for us in
the coming year.”
On the international scene, Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF
senior vice president and general counsel, who heads up
the government relations team, has been appointed to a
federal committee that advises the State Department on
arms export control issues, including firearms and ammunition products, to help ensure impediment to legitimate
exports are reduced while U.S. foreign policy and national
security interests are protected.
priorities for 2009
Another of the team’s priorities for 2009 will be the fight
to get legislation passed that will allow firearms and
ammunition manufacturers to pay firearms and ammunition excise tax on a quarterly basis, the same payment
schedule used for every other industry that supports conservation through excise tax. (Currently, firearm and
ammo makers must pay their taxes biweekly, causing an
undue financial burden and higher administration costs.)
NSSF worked with congressmen to introduce bills in
both the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 6310) and
the U.S. Senate (S. 3331) and will continue to push until
these bills are passed.
The team is also working to head off the flood of misinformation surrounding the proposals to ban traditional
ammunition. Environmental extremists and anti-hunting
groups are continuing to make unsubstantiated claims that
It’s important
to help stem
the tide of
misinformation that is
spread about
the shooting
sports.
consuming game harvested with traditional ammunition
poses a human health risk. Without any scientific proof
of a species population impact—the standard by which
wildlife is managed—these groups also claim wildlife is
being harmed by feeding on carrion left in the field from
game taken using traditional ammunition. Despite the
lack of definitive scientific evidence, California recently
banned the use of lead ammunition for hunting in the
condor range, where most of the big-game hunting in the
state takes place. The NSSF will continue educating
lawmakers, regulators and the media about the facts, so
that wildlife management and conservation decisions
are based on sound science, and not on emotion or in
response to political pressure from environmental
extremists and anti-hunting zealots.
The government relations team is also working to
increase knowledge of the firearms industry through the
continually expanding Don’t Lie for the Other Guy program. This program was started by NSSF in 2000 as a
cooperative effort with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives to educate firearms retailers on
how to identify and stop illegal straw purchases. The
program has had continued success in that mission, but
recently, the program evolved into something more.
“This year it took on a life of its own,” Keane says.
“The focus of the program used to be assisting ATF in
educating firearms retailers to be better able to detect
and deter illegal straw purchases. Having largely accomplished this aspect of the campaign, we are now focused
more on getting the Don’t Lie message out to the general public: ‘Buy a gun for someone who can’t, and you’ll
buy yourself ten years in jail.’”
major media campaign
To that end the NSSF and ATF have launched a major
media campaign to spread the message of Don’t Lie for
the Other Guy. “We’re inundating cities with signage
and advertisements that educate the public of the penalties associated with trying to buy a firearm for someone
who can’t legally possess one,” Keane says.
Speaking to the ancillary benefits of the campaign,
Keane adds, “It gives the entire industry very positive
exposure by demonstrating to the public just how seriously we take the issue of straw purchasing.”
That effort not only goes a long way toward improving public perception of the industry, but also strengthening relationships with the legislators who make the
laws and the agencies that enforce them. It also has the
potential to become the vaccine that could one day cure
the debilitating disease of misinformation. FEATURE
By providing
grants to state
agencies, the
Hunting Heritage
Partnership helps
these oftenunderfunded
agencies recruit
the next generation,
as well as retain
current hunters.
H H P h e l p s g ua r a n t e e
our future
The Hunting Heritage Partnership is designed to
Partnership (HHP), providing grants to state wildlife agencies to
hunter participation remained
stagnant.
“If we’re not growing, we’re
losing ground,” says Gary Moody,
chief of wildlife at DCNR. “And
that’s not something we want to say
for very long.”
So DCNR hit on the idea of
bringing in new hunters via youth
dove hunts. The first pilot hunts
were held in 2000, and the program
went statewide in 2001. By the third
year, though, it was apparent that
additional funding was needed to
maintain the momentum of the
youth hunts. So DCNR applied for,
and received, $26,000 in HHP
funds.
create and expand hunter recruitment and retention programs.
win/win
help state agencies I
B y B r i a n M c C o mb i e
t’s no secret that the future of hunting depends on greater
hunter access, increased hunting opportunities for current hunt-
ers and the continued recruitment of the next generation. Yet, with
tight budgets, state game agencies can have trouble developing and
promoting programs to keep hunting strong. That’s why the
National Shooting Sports Foundation created the Hunting Heritage
“Certainly, the ability of any state to provide good hunting opportunities is
critical to our future,” says Doug Painter, who was at the helm of NSSF at
the time HHP was created, and serves today as NSSF’s senior advisor and
trade liaison. “The data shows that eighty-five percent of the people who
hunt in this country, hunt in their state only.”
But when it comes to hunting opportunities, available game species and a
host of other factors, no two states are the same. “That’s why the program is
state specific,” Painter explains. “It allows a particular agency to say, ‘Here is
the need, here’s what we’d like to do—if we had the money!’”
Through the HHP grant process, states can request that money, and then
use the funds to develop a wide range of hunting initiatives at the grassroots
level. Whether it’s to increase hunter access, bring in new hunters, expand
opportunities for current hunters or to get the word out about these options,
HHP is there to assist.
“Typically, they are one-time grants, where a state will send in a proposal
for an idea or a particular program they want to kick off,” says Randy Clark,
NSSF’s managing director for program development. “However, we do see
proposals for ongoing efforts, too.”
“For example,” Clark explains, “maybe one state has a program they’ve run
for awhile, and it’s very successful. Now, they’ve found another avenue for it
or element or layer to add. They could actually come to us again and say,
‘Look, this program was so successful, we now have a platform, and we’d like
to build on it, with another grant from you.’”
HPP success stories are many and varied. For example, Alabama’s
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) became concerned over a very obvious trend: though Alabama’s population was surging,
At 2003 youth dove hunt events,
more than 1,770 youths participated, 500 of them first-time hunters;
1,700 adults attended, as well. The
average age of the young hunters
was 11 years old.
“Some kids are our future hunters; for others, it is a passing thing,”
Moody says. “Either way, we win. If
we give kids a great hunting experience, it will be harder for them to
believe later in life that hunting or
firearms are bad. Of course, we win
with their parents as well.”
“It’s a program that really took
off,” says Melissa A. Schilling,
NSSF Manager for Recruitment &
Retention. She notes that with the
help of the HHP grant, the youth
hunts grew in popularity, attracting
partners who today donate funding,
volunteers and other resources.
“Many states have used Alabama’s
dove hunt as a model to form their
own youth hunts,” Schilling adds.
Idaho provides another great
example of HHP at work. There,
hunters were unable to access large
swaths of public land, as doing so
would have required trespassing on
private property. “Those acres were
basically landlocked, if you will,”
Clark says.
So Idaho’s Department of Game
and Fish used an HHP grant to
remedy the situation. “Collectively,
what they did was to work with the
landowners and provide easements
so people could use the private land
to access the public property,” Clark
says. “That was a huge success,
because that opened up nearly
700,000 acres.”
The grants can also fund hightech outreach. That’s how the
Pennsylvania Game Commission
(PGC) used an HHP grant, after a
survey discovered that Pennsylvania
hunters felt their biggest roadblock
was not knowing where they could
hunt. This, in a state with over four
million acres of public lands!
GPS factor
“The problem was, people didn’t
know where those locations were,”
says NSSF President Steve Sanetti.
“They aren’t huge tracts of public
land. They’re many, many hundreds
of different areas around the state.
“So, they used our HHP grant to
GPS every public hunting area in
the state,” Sanetti continues. “The
information was placed on a PGC
website, where hunters can locate
public lands and print off directions
and maps. What a success that has
been! It also goes to heart of what
we’re trying to do on another level.
Once Pennsylvania did that, other
states took notice. Now, we have at
least five other states that have
GPSed all their hunting units.”
Bringing lapsed hunters back into
the fold was the aim of another successful grant proposal, this one submitted by Tennessee’s Wildlife
Resources Agency. The agency then
created a targeted marketing plan,
one that got these former hunters
once again buying hunting licenses.
“With that success, many states
have gone on to start very similar
lapsed-hunter marketing programs,”
says Schilling, including Florida,
Nevada and South Carolina.
“Of course, every state is unique,”
Schilling adds. “What works to
attract lapsed hunters in Tennessee
isn’t necessarily going to work in
South Carolina.” Last year, HHP
received 31 grant proposals, and
Schilling expects even more for
2009. The deadline for submitting
grant proposals is early spring.
NSSF notifies grant recipients within two months following the deadline date. Priority consideration is
given to projects completed by
March 1 of the year following signing of the official grant documentation. For more information, contact
Melissa Schilling at 203-426-1320
or mschilling@nssf.org.
FEATURE
courting the
Youth Factor
Younger shooters can be incredibly loyal customers, once you learn how to
connect with them I
f you look around your store and see nothing
but graybeards, you’ve got a problem. Who
will you be selling to, once this group rides off
into the sunset?
The good news is there’s a generation coming along that
is interested in shooting and hunting. And they appear, as a
group, to be incredibly brand-loyal—once you’ve earned
that loyalty. The bad news is that they’re incredibly mediaand marketing-savvy, and can’t be reached by most of the
tried-and-true mass-marketing methods employed by manufacturers and retailers for the past 50 years.
The members of this generation, which goes by three
names—Generation Y, Echo Boomers and the
Millennials—are a digital breed. They grew up with cell
phones, iPods and the Internet. They have short attention spans. But they’re reputed to be 70 million strong
and by some estimates spend in the neighborhood of
$172 billion per year.
That purchasing power represents a huge opportunity
for you—if you can figure out how to reach these target
By M a r i ly n s t o n e
Whether called Generation Y, Millennials or Echo Boomers, young
shooters represent a sizable market for shooting-sports retailers. The
challenge is reaching them with the proper message.
customers. As an industry, we’re just coming to terms
with them, but one thing is clear: The old methods
don’t work. To engage Generation Y, you really will
have to think outside the box. SHOT Business talked to
a group of industry leaders who are doing just that.
What they’ve learned could help steer you into this
uncharted but lucrative territory.
Show, Not Tell
“Talk is cheap” may be an old saying, but Millennials
live by it. They don’t want to stand at a counter and
have a salesman go on and on about the virtues of a
product. They have a low boredom threshold and quickly will tune out a talking head.
A better approach is to go video.
When LaserMax’s marketing coordinator, Cory Walton,
revamped the company’s website to make it more inviting
to Millennials, visitors to the site increased by 33 percent.
He understood that Millennials are exceedingly intolerant
of slow-loading or difficult-to-navigate sites, so he simplified the site.
He knows Millennials like bells
and whistles, and one of the big
attractions was the addition of a
video from a dash-mounted camera
in a police car. The video showed
the laser sight in action during
traffic stops, giving viewers the
opportunity to see how the product
performed in the field.
In tracking the performance of
the video, Walton discovered that
many of the site’s new visitors came
from AR-15 websites. “These are
sites that tend to be younger
demographics,” says Walton, which
is precisely the customers the
company was looking for.
Drake Clark, director of marketing at Magpul Industries, a 10-yearold manufacturer that develops
products for law enforcement and
military tactical shooting, has witnessed the power of the videohosting site YouTube. A video of one
of their products posted on YouTube
by a third party has been viewed
more than three million times. This
type of Internet exposure has drawn
people to the company’s website and
boosted name recognition. Now
Magpul relies almost exclusively on
online advertising.
Some business owners fear losing
control of their marketing campaigns with viral marketing such as
this, but to Clark, it’s all about the
numbers. “I’ve seen a ton of negative press on the video, but if you
want to be successful at marketing
on the Internet, you have to let go
of control,” says Clark. “The video
appeals to the majority of people I
want to appeal to, so it works.”
Clark says a retailer has sold “a
ton” of Magpul’s Pmag polymer
magazines for M-16s and AR-15s
by running a video throughout the
day showing a polymer-and-plastic
magazine standing up to a spinning
pickup truck tire on pavement.
Clark shot the video in the company’s parking lot in a few minutes
for a fraction of the cost of a video
shot by a professional production
company.
No question, some of these videos
look amateurish. But to the
Millennials, that’s part of their
appeal. The amateur look passes for
authenticity, a key word with this
generation.
The Virtual
Campfire
Online communities in which hunters, shooters and law enforcement
FEATURE
An important lesson here is that
the product performed as advertised. The buzz helped drive customers to retail outlets, but once in
the field, users discovered Black
Cloud performed as advertised. The
Millennials are supremely unforgiving if a product does not measure
up to expectations, and they know
how to use the Internet to voice
their disapproval.
Walk the Talk
Research has shown that, as a generation, Millennials are looking for
meaning and understanding in their lives. If your business reflects the
values they support, you’ll earn their loyalty.
cent of members told a friend about WeatherbyNation
within the first three months. Although Gautschi admits
it is difficult to track customer recruitment, he believes
members seem to be moving from brand loyalty to
brand advocacy, a key element in any online campaign.
WeatherbyNation members’ perks include live online
discussions with industry leaders. For instance, Tim
Lesser, a marketing communications specialist at
Leupold & Stevens, responded to questions and
comments from WeatherbyNation members. Leupold’s
Pat Munday said it was a valuable opportunity for
Leupold to provide feedback to customers on the use of
the company’s products and to be associated with another great brand.
personnel connect to share experiences, ask questions
and give advice can be a big factor in successfully reaching new customers. Even in the digital age, people want
to connect with each other.
Magpul’s Clark says conversations on law enforcement
forums have been boosting the name recognition of the
company and interest in its products.
Swanson Russell Associates, the public-relations firm
for Weatherby, recognized the popularity of online communities such as 24hourCampfire.com and Hunting.net.
The firm saw a potential for an online community connected by the Weatherby brand when it launched
WeatherbyNation.com. Spike Camp, the online forum,
is a cornerstone of the site, which offers photo sharing
as well as conversations.
Eric Gautschi, account executive at Swanson Russell,
says the company looked at various online services to see
how they could be adapted to enhance the online experience for WeatherbyNation.com members. For instance,
Swanson Russell looked at Flickr for photo sharing,
Facebook and Myspace for social networking and Yahoo
groups and various message boards for how to manage
online communities.
Within a year of launching, WeatherbyNation.com
has grown to more than 20,000 members, and word-ofmouth is accelerating the growth. Gautschi says 70 per-
A Step Further
ATK went a step further in 2007 when it created a
mystique for a single product, Black Cloud ammunition,
for waterfowlers. Tim Brandt, ATK’s ammunition
communication specialist, says Black Cloud’s uniqueness
was a big part of the product’s success. At the same time,
he noted that the ammo delivered what it promised to
the hunter.
ATK launched the buzz, or online word-of-mouth
marketing, even before the product hit the stores. On a
separate website (dropduckslikerain.com) the manufacturer posted videos, including humorous duck-hunting
and dog-training videos and demonstrations showing
why Black Cloud works. ATK also teamed up with
Phil Robertson, aka the Duck Commander, and his
group of waterfowlers, who shoot Black Cloud.
Robertson clearly resonated with the younger audience
that ATK had targeted.
Tom Dennison, owner of Ft. Thompson Sporting
Goods in North Little Rock, Arkansas, confirms that the
buzz strategy worked. His customers were asking about
Black Cloud months before it was available. Dennison,
who calls ATK a leader in promotion and packaging,
says the vinyl packaging appealed to his upscale customers. He believes Black Cloud has boosted sales for
ATK—this in an area where a Winchester plant is only
25 miles away.
The Sportsman’s Channel (TSC)
has successfully drawn in a younger
audience; 49 percent of its viewers
are under 35 years of age, and
roughly 35 percent are under 25.
Although TSC doesn’t aim all of its
content toward the younger generation, edgier, non-traditional programs in which hunters pursue
alligators or flying carp appeal to
youthful viewers. As a result, 14
percent of TSC shows are produced
by an under-35 demographic and
reflect that style of edgier species,
faster graphics packages and sexier,
hard-rock background music.
In courting the Y Generation,
TSC has learned another aspect of
this generation’s culture. TSC’s general sales manager, Graig Hales,
says that research shows Millennials
are looking for meaning and understanding in their lives. If your business reflects the values they support,
they’ll reward you with loyalty.
But tread carefully. Michelle
Schuermann, TSC director of communications, notes, “If you support
one charity or foundation because
it’s trendy this year, but it doesn’t
resonate with the core values of
your company, Millennials will see
it as marketing hype and cut you off
in a heartbeat.”
Courting this generation takes
some work and will no doubt
require some rethinking about how
you do business. But keep in mind
that they are incredibly loyal customers once you make the connection. You also need keep in mind
how this shopper uses the Internet.
Typically the Millennial will use the
Internet to learn about a product
before he even walks into the store.
The good news here is that he’s
basically pre-selected to buy. The
bad news is that if your counterman
doesn’t have the required product
knowledge, he won’t be able to
bluff. The Millennial will call him
on it and will leave. So, doing business with the Y Generation requires
that you and your staff stay on your
toes with ever-changing product
developments.
And if you believe all this is
simply too much bother? Well,
what happens in 10 years or so
when your current customer base
has passed on? In that case, you
truly will be up the proverbial
creek…without a paddle.
FEATURE
One of the biggest developments in the AR
market has been Remington’s entry into the
field with the R-15, sourced from
Bushmaster, and the R-25, from DPMS.
Remington also developed a new .30-caliber
big-game round for the R-15.
the surprising
facelift
A trusty warhorse has undergone an unexpected transformation to become the
hot ticket for recreational shooters
I
t’s the last thing a terrorist wants
to see, and the last that many do:
the muzzle end of an M16 rifle wielded by a member of the U.S. military.
They’ve had plenty of time to get used
to the idea, as the M16 has been the
standard U.S. military battle rifle
for more than 40 years.
Designed by Eugene Stoner, the
M16 (originally called the AR-15) was
based upon his earlier AR-10 design,
which used the .308/7.62x51 NATO
cartridge. When the military decided it
wanted a .22-caliber cartridge for the
new rifle, Sierra Bullet Company and
Remington Arms redesigned the .222
Remington Magnum into the .223
Remington (5.56x45mm). The smaller
cartridge resulted in a lighter rifle and
gave troops the ability to carry more
ammunition.
The first to face the AR-15 were
the Vietcong in 1962, when 1,000 of
the rifles were sent to South Vietnam
for field-testing. Positive reports
prompted the U.S. Air Force to officially adopt it as the M16 in 1964. That
same year, the U.S. Army began issuing
it to Vietnam-bound troops.
Smith & Wesson has also entered the lucrative
AR market. Four ARs (three with 16-inch barrels
and one 20-incher) are now offered in the Military
& Police series.
By Chris Christian
From 1965 to 1967, though, reports that the M16 was
unreliable abounded. In fact, the rifles were indeed jamming badly in combat, but it wasn’t the fault of the
design. The original .223 cartridge used Dupont IMR
powder. The Army instead used the same ball powder as
the 7.62. The ball powder produced heavy fouling that
jammed the action, and altered the pressure curve,
resulting in a higher rate of fire and excessive wear. To
make matters worse, the rifle was billed as “low maintenance,” so the Army had decided to cut costs by providing few, if any, cleaning kits.
That period wasn’t a good time to be carrying an M16
in harm’s way, but within a couple of years the problems
were corrected—the powder was changed, the barrel,
chamber and bolt were lined with chrome, and the
proper cleaning kits were issued. By 1970 (when I first
encountered the M16 in Vietnam),
the rifles functioned flawlessly with
routine maintenance.
Refinements continued over the
years. These included a heavier barrel with a faster twist rate, a compact version (the CAR-15), a rear
sight adjustable for both windage
and elevation (the original model
adjusted windage at the rear sight
and elevation with the front) and
other changes to furniture. The
model M16A2 is the result of these
changes.
In 1994, the M16A4 version came
into service. This model replaced
the raised carry handle/rear sight
with a Picatinny rail that could
accept optical sights. If iron sights
were required, a detachable carry
handle/sight fit the rail. Compact
models (M4 and M4A1 carbines)
were supplied to troops whose
duties precluded them from carrying a full-size rifle.
From its checkered beginning, the
M16 rifle has emerged as one of the
premier military rifles in the world.
It has been used (or is being used)
The Twisted Truth About Bullets
Sometimes a customer who purchases an AR-15 .223 rifle will experience poor accuracy. The
accuracy of the .223 cartridge is sensitive to the relationship between the barrel twist rate and
the bullet weight. The most popular (and inexpensive) hunting and plinking loads toss bullets in
the 40- to 60-grain range, and most traditional sporting rifles use the preferred 1-in-12 twist (as
did the original M16 rifle when it was fed the original M193 load).
In the late 1970s the military adopted the SS109 NATO cartridge, a longer and heavier bullet.
A 1-in-12 twist (one complete bullet revolution per 12 inches of barrel travel) was not fast
enough to stabilize it, so the military went to a 1-in-7 twist. The faster twist produced poor accuracy with lighter projectiles, so some makers opted for a 1-in-9 twist on the theory that it would
handle both light and heavy bullets. Others stuck with a 1-in-7 or went to a 1-in-8. These twist
rates tend to overspin lighter .22-caliber bullets. According to the accuracy
experts at Berger Bullets, the 1-in-7 twist
is at its best with bullets in the 80- to
90-grain weight, while the 1-in-8 twist is
best with 75 to 80 grains. A 1-in-9 is
best from 64 to 75 grains, though some
60-grain slugs will work.
Shooters buy quality rifles, but too often
feed them junk ammo. Try moving an
unhappy customer up to a heavier bullet.
Better yet, at the initial sale, guide him to
the twist rate that will work best for the
bullet he wants to shoot.
Ramping Up the Power Level
The military, by and large, seems satisfied with the 5.56x45 (.223 Rem.).
Heavier bullet designs have also pleased High Power Rifle competitors,
and few varmint hunters would argue with the basic .223 round. For other
shooters, however, the .22-caliber bullet lacks a certain heft. But the flexibility of the AR-15 design allows it to handle a wide variety of cartridges,
and over the years custom smiths have chambered it for loads ranging
from the .17 Rem. to the .50 AE.
Custom gunsmiths can still do that, but
shooters can push their power level with
over-the-counter models. Developed for
military consideration, the 6.8 SPC is a
.30 Rem. case necked down to take a
.277-caliber (.270) bullet. Remington loads
it with a 115-grain slug, while Hornady
opts for a 110-grain bullet. Velocities run
about 2,500 fps, with muzzle energy in the
1,500-foot-pound range. That is squarely in the .243 Win. class, making it a
legitimate 250-yard deer load with expanding bullets.
Big-bullet fans will like the .458 SOCOM. This is a .50 AE case necked
down to take a .45-caliber bullet. Cor-Bon offers three loads: a 600-grain
JSP (950 fps/1,200 ft.-lbs.), a 450-grain RN (1,500 fps/2,249 ft.-lbs.) and a
300-grain JHP (1,900 fps/2,405 ft.-lbs.). The two heavier loads offer tremendous penetration, while the latter should handle any game animal in North
America (with the possible exception of the big bears) out to 150 yards.
The .450 Bushmaster, developed and offered by Hornady, is a straightwalled rimless case launching a 250-grain .45-caliber bullet at 2,200 fps.
Lastly, the .308/7.62 round is still available in the AR-10 design, which is
nothing more than a slightly larger version of the AR-15.
by the militaries of over 15 countries. More than 8 million M16s
have been produced. That ranks
second only to the ubiquitous
AK-47, but any shooter who has
used both will tell you that when
the range exceeds 100 yards, you
want the M16.
None of this has been lost on
American shooters, who have a long
history of adopting our military
arms for a variety of civilian purposes. The 1911 Govt. model pistol is
an excellent example: it has become
the most customized handgun in the
world. Similarly, Eugene Stoner’s
AR-15 has become the most customized rifle in the world for both
civilian-legal semi-auto and selective-fire military models. One reason for that is the inherent flexibility of Stoner’s design.
The use of a separate “upper
receiver” (housing barrel, bolt, forearm and sight mounts) allows a wide
variety of configurations, and even
calibers. Barrels have been made as
long as 26 inches, and as short as 7
(ranging from slender to full-fluted,
free-floating bull target barrels), and
in calibers ranging from the .17
Remington to the .50 AE.
Separate “lowers” offer many
options in trigger units, triggerguard configuration, buttstocks and
more. Picatinny rails allow scopes,
red-dot sights, weapon lights and
lasers sights to be installed quickly
in any combination. There’s a lot of
versatility, and shooters are making
the most of it.
Among the LE community, the
hot ticket is a 16-inch-barrel patrol
rifle with telescoping buttstock, reddot and/or laser sight, and weapon
light. The same setup appeals to
civilian self-defense shooters.
High Power Rifle competitors
favor the A4 upper with a 24-inch
match barrel/trigger combo and full
stock. The introduction of heavy
match bullets (up to 90 grains with
a .517 ballistic coefficient) makes
this a winner at the 600-yard mark.
For those shooting NRA Service
Rifle matches, the standard A2
match configuration with target
iron sights is popular.
Varmint hunters also favor the
accurized versions for prairie dog
and rock chuck work, though those
pursuing coyotes find shorter-barrel
match versions handier. This isn’t a
new development. Fifteen years ago,
when I was a control agent, the hot
setup among my contemporaries
was a standard A2 gun with a scope.
And now, big-game hunters are also
catered to, with calibers suitable for
deer and larger game, like the new
Remington AR 30.
It’s a whole new ballgame.
FEATURE
The Co-Op
Advantage
A buying group helps you get more for your money E
By Scott Be stul
very savvy retailer wants to buy merchandise at the lowest
price possible; that’s Business 101. But what if you could not
only wrangle a great deal on upfront purchase prices, but also save
money on shipping and other charges retailers commonly absorb…
plus earn a dividend at the end of the year?
lot of confusion about what,
exactly, a buying group is,” he says.
“But it’s really pretty simple.
Retailers like me pay a membership
fee to join. In addition to gaining
price break advantages [Hall
mentioned six to seven points per
item], we become shareholders in
the company. And any profits left
over at the end of the year are
returned to the members as dividends according to the number of
shares they hold. Any time I can
collect money like that—I call it
‘CIF,’ or ‘Cash in Fist’—I’m a
happy man.”
discount prices
Worldwide accomplishes Merkel’s
goal by negotiating discount prices
with manufacturers for co-op members. But, as noted before, the perks
don’t end there.
“We not only push purchase
prices, but other considerations,
like payment terms timing and
delivery schedules. In addition, we
host two shows each year in Reno,
Nevada, where our clients can meet
with vendors to view new products
and place orders,” says Merkel.
“It’s a vital experience for our
retailers, who get to meet with company reps, view new products and
decide who they’re going to work
with for the year,” Merkel continues. “Finally, we have a seventythousand-square-foot distribution
center where we warehouse certain
special deal items that we have to
purchase in bulk.”
Merkel says that there are other
advantages of being a buy-group
member. “We allow the small
retailer to have a relationship with a
larger company he might not have
without us,” he notes.
One more tool
But will joining a buying group
affect your relationship with a
distributor?
“We actually encourage our
members to deal with distributors,”
Merkel says. “They’re often able to
fill niches that we can’t, and vice
versa. Look, I was in retail for fifteen years, so I know what the
small-shop owner goes through.
This business is too labor-intensive
to do all by yourself. Sharp retailers
understand that joining a buygroup is just one more valuable tool
in their belt.”
Buy Smart
Buying groups help give small, independent dealers the benefit of buying in large numbers. That
reduces the cost of acquiring inventory, which helps improve cash flow and profitability. Buying
groups also help with payment terms and delivery schedules.
If all this sounds too good to be true, you’re likely not a member of a buying
group. Buying groups are based on the traditional model long used with great
success by farmers. They would form cooperatives to purchase seed and other
supplies in bulk, thereby saving money. The same principle worked in reverse
at harvest time: Cooperative members would offer their commodities as one,
holding out for a more attractive price. Though cooperatives are commonly
called “buying groups” today, the principle is the same; they allow small, independent businesses the universally recognized benefit of strength in numbers.
cash in fist
Such advantages are not lost on Miles Hall, owner of Oklahoma City’s
H&H Gun Range and a member of the Worldwide buying group. “There’s a
Myron Merkel, hunting merchandise coordinator for the Worldwide
buying group, smiles at Hall’s
enthusiasm. “Well, I guess we’re
doing our job then,” he says. “Our
mission statement says that we exist
for the growth and support of the
independent retailer. We are a true
co-op: member-owned. I represent
two hundred forty members representing five hundred different storefronts, and I like to think of each
member as my boss. My job is to
make each of these guys as competitive as possible.”
Year-end dividend checks
sound great, but they come
at a price. “I spent five thousand dollars to purchase our
initial share in Worldwide,”
says H&H owner Miles Hall.
“My advice is only join a buygroup if you’re well established and your annual sales
approach a million dollars.”
Buy-groups include NBS
(nationsbestsports.com),
Sports Inc. (sportsinc.com)
and Worldwide (wdi-wdi.com).
FEATURE
signs of succe ss or
distress?
Is your gun shop on the road to success, or headed
to oblivion?
I
b y
jim carmichel
can walk into a new gun shop and in less than five minutes
know if it’s bound for success or doomed to failure. This is a
mighty pompous statement, I know, but I’ve been hanging around
places that sell guns most of my misspent life. I have seen dozens of
them flourish and dozens more go down the drain. There are certain
indicators that predict a shop’s future; if you know what to look for,
they’re as easy to read as elk tracks in a foot of snow.
Of course, these observations
don’t apply to what I call the “bullet-proof” gun sellers. This category
includes mass merchandisers such as
Wal-Mart that happen to sell lots of
guns and ammo and related stuff
but could still thrive very nicely if
they didn’t. Add to this group smallscale merchants such as pawn shops
and specialty retailers that happen
to stock and sell guns as an adjunct
to their main business or service.
Often these are one- or two-man
operations, and every community
seems to have a couple of them.
More power to them; they are often
the only local outlets for firearms
and accessories.
The types of gun shops we’re discussing here are those in which the
owner goes into business for the
sole purpose of making a profit
from the sale of guns, ammo,
reloading equipment, hunting clothing and all the other stuff that hunters and shooters are liable to buy.
It’s a great business to be in, with
the most fascinating products in the
world to sell and the best customers
on earth to buy them. So why do so
many retailers go broke?
Recipes for
Failure
Longtime Shooting Editor of Outdoor Life Jim Carmichel has spent a lot of time in gun stores of
all stripes. Consequently, his observations are worth their weight in gold. One key point to bear
in mind—always remember it is supposed to be a business, not a hobby.
One of the main reasons so many
shops fail is because the owner(s)
went into the gun business for the
wrong reason(s). One of the best, or
worst (depending on your viewpoint), examples of this I ever saw
was several years back when a couple of well-to-do business types
opened a midsize shop in an excellent commercial district. Given the
shop’s location and the owners’ ability to invest heavily in fixtures and
inventory, the shop had every reason to succeed. But it didn’t.
One of the partners was an international hunter who saw his partownership as a means of writing off
his hunts as a business expense. The
other partner’s motive was simply
wanting a workplace for a son who
could be charitably described as an
underachiever with no previous
business experience and no particular interest in guns. You can guess
what happened.
Another, more common example
of getting into gun retailing for the
wrong reason is simply liking guns
too much. Ironic though it seems,
there are many such examples.
What usually happens is that a
shooting hobbyist likes guns so
much he craves to expand his
beloved hobby into a full-time business. In the worst examples—and
we’ve all seen this—the gun-loving
hobbyist envisions his very own gun
store as a forum for his firearms
expertise. Perched behind a counter,
he can now share his opinions on
guns and shooting with all who venture his way.
a gun shop, not
a pulpit
There are at least two problems
with this, and both are nonstop
tickets to failure. First, such gun
gurus tend to antagonize as many
customers as they serve—driving
away some for keeps. Second, these
hobbyist-owners almost invariably
stock only the guns, scopes and
accessories they personally like. If,
for example, the hobbyist favors
brand A and a customer wants
brand B, he’s compelled to lecture
the customer on what a dope he is
for wanting such equipment.
Insulted customers aren’t the least
inclined to return, and it isn’t long
before the owner is wondering why
his business keeps dropping off.
To be sure, friendly advice is
helpful and usually appreciated, but
a savvy shop owner or salesperson
never condemns the choice of a customer who already knows what he
wants and has made up his mind.
Variety is the spice of life, it’s said,
and the same certainly holds true
for a long life in the business of selling guns and accessories. One shop
I immediately spotted as a loser
when I walked in had the rack nearly filled with a single make and
model of shotgun! It was a popular
brand and model, but the store
offered no variety at all. No doubt
the factory representative who sold
all those guns to an innocent new
shop owner figured he had done a
good day’s work and picked up a
nice commission. Such victories are
shortsighted; a few months later the
store closed and the rep lost that
customer forever.
This scenario makes me wonder
how many factory reps concentrate
only on making a big hit and how
many take the time to help owners—
especially those new to the gun
trade—with suggestions that might
assist (or even salvage) their business.
Another time I went into a gun
shop that was having a going-outof-business sale. After snooping
around for a while (yes, all the bad
signs were there), I picked out a few
items I wanted to buy. The owner
FEATURE
was on the phone discussing something that didn’t sound at all urgent
and at the counter were three or
four other customers with goods—
and cash—in hand. After about 20
minutes I gave up and left emptyhanded. Can anyone wonder why he
was going out of business?
The Right Signs
I could go on with more of my negative adventures in gun shops, with
even more bizarre examples of
things that portend doom, but what
about the signals that tell me a shop
owner knows what he is about, and
knows what he is there for? One
thing I look for first is an owner or
salesperson who seems glad to see
you and appears ready to help. This,
of course, is true in any business,
but in gun shops being too helpful
and friendly may pose a unique
problem. Customers at, say, a chain
store would never think of involving
the salespeople in windy conversations. But customers at gun shops
are likely to engage anyone who will
listen in a long-winded narrative of
their entire hunting history. Usually
this is focused on the shop owner or
salesperson, who has the dilemma of
wanting to appear interested but at
the same time sees other customers
who also desire his attention.
One of the cleverest ways I’ve
seen to avoid this problem was
thought up by legendary gunsmith
Roy Knight of Connersville,
Indiana. Gunsmiths are a favorite
target for gun folk who somehow
tips for success
The successful firearms retailer understands that the health of his business rests on three key factors: customer service, product knowledge and
product availability.
1
2
3
Be more than a gun enthusiast in love with the idea of owning a gun
shop. Don’t ignore the hard realities of the trade.
Get the money! When customers come to the counter, cash in hand,
you better have a clerk capable of taking care of business.
Variety is the spice of life. Stock enough different products or you’ll
soon run out of customers—which will leave you looking at “help
wanted” ads.
4
ire smart. An insufferable know-it-all behind the counter is a recipe
H
for failure. Remember, the customer is king—always. Treat him right and
he’ll be back.
5
Having the right product on hand, whether it’s a new, sought-after item
or a used model, is essential.
seem to be of the notion that a
smith’s main purpose in life is to
answer endless questions. Such customers seem to have little understanding that time away from the
lathe or bench is money lost (which
is why shops with on-site smiths are
wise to keep them out of customers’
sight and hearing). Like many
smiths, Knight has a small retail
sideline. He solved the chitchat
problem by opening a separate
room in his shop. In it are easy
chairs and tables with gun catalogs
and outdoor magazines scattered
about, giving the room a comfortable, homey atmosphere. The club-
like setting has made it a gathering
place for local gun folk who come
to entertain one another, leaving
gunsmith Knight alone so he can
work undisturbed. Naturally, when
they need shooting supplies you can
guess who they buy from.
The successful shop owner heads
off the dreaded “We don’t have it
but can order one for you” syndrome by stocking the widest possible variety of merchandise. Think of
a special-ordered gun like a mailorder bride. Gun buyers want to fall
in love with a gun, and, like courting a pretty girl, the romance is
born of seeing and touching.
Of course, some oddball items
(loading dies for, say, the 8mm
Lebel) usually have to be specialordered. The customer expects it—
along with the long wait that is
unfortunately common in the firearms business.
In addition to having a good variety of guns and available accessories,
the way they are presented is vitally
important. Few shops, if any, do it
better than Mahoney’s, located in
Johnson City, Tennessee. Its gun
racks and display cases are well lit
and positioned so the customer gets
a good look at what they contain.
The racks holding new guns are
close behind the counters; if a customer shows even the slightest
interest in an item, a salesman is
quick to put it in his hands.
A partially empty gun rack is not
a sign of success. The smart shop
owner always has something in
every space. And he never underestimates the customer draw of used
guns. Mahoney’s and other successful shops try to keep a good selection of used guns in stock and
encourage trade-ins. The shop also
keeps its long guns where they can
be easily handled and inspected.
The “treasure hunting” appeal is
irresistible to gun buyers. In addition to helping ensure a constant
customer flow, used guns can provide a better profit margin than new
guns. When trade-ins run low, some
dealers scout out the gun shows in
order to have a good stock of used
guns on hand.
Federal premium’s
radical new idea
The Flitecontrol wad creates tight patterns for
improved performance F
BY p h i l i p b o u r j a i l y
ederal Premium’s Flitecontrol wad represents a genuinely
new idea in shotshell design. Unlike traditional shotcups,
Flitecontrol wads are unslit. Instead of opening immediately upon
exiting the muzzle, they actually contain the shot charge up to 20
feet downrange before releasing the pellets. The result is a tight pattern out of almost any choke and excellent long-range performance.
Although it’s technologically sophisticated, the Flitecontrol concept is easy
for consumers to grasp and for Federal to market. Both the 2009 catalog and
the federalpremium.com website make frequent mention of the Flitecontrol
wad, and new videos and commercials feature high-speed photography showing the wad in action. The website dropduckslikerain.com promotes Black
Cloud and the
Flitecontrol wad, as
do a funny series of
viral videos. The folks
at Federal not only
understand how to
make innovative
ammunition, they
know how to market it
to today’s all-imporFor 2009, Federal Premium has expanded its new Flitecontrol
tant and very mediawad to include 10- and 20-gauge turkey loads as well as
savvy younger hunters. 12-gauge predator ammo.
Originally designed
very dense tungsten Heavyweight
for law enforcement applications,
pellets.
Flitecontrol has proven successful
I had a chance to shoot early samwith turkey loads, buckshot and
ples of both the predator loads and
steel (in Federal’s Black Cloud line,
the 20-gauge turkey loads. Both
which debuted last year). For 2009,
performed extremely well, especially
the company has expanded
the turkey loads, which I will defiFlitecontrol offerings to include 10nitely be hunting with this spring.
and 20-gauge turkey loads as well as
12-gauge predator ammo that make
Booth #3139. (800-322-2342; federalpremium.com) use of the Flitecontrol wad and the
FEATURE
Hunting for
Fit and Function
Woolrich and Rocky outfit women
shooters
N
B y R o b e r t F. S t a e g e r
othing fits. The hunter goes from rack to
rack of outdoor wear, looking for some
comfortable pants, a vest that fits right, or a scentfree shirt that doesn’t bunch up in odd places.
Until recently, she’d come up empty.
Lately, however, there’s been an increased awareness
of a growing number of women going afield and participating in the shooting sports. Which has, in turn,
spurred the need for women’s outdoor clothing that’s
every bit as rugged and performance-oriented as what
men wear.
Let’s face it: The days of buying Men’s Small are over.
Two venerable brands, Woolrich and Rocky, are joining the women’s market this year. Woolrich Elite Series
Tactical has entered with its first tactical pant designed
specifically for women. “Most manufacturers think that
all they need to do is simply shrink the men’s version
and that will suffice,” says Ron Bernstine, sales manager
for Woolrich. “Based on more than a century of designing and producing women’s apparel, we’ve taken great
care to create a pant that is both functional and designed
for a woman’s unique fit.”
The pant, available in khaki, is made of fade-resistant,
lightweight cotton ripstop fabric. It features 10 strategically placed multi-use pockets, built with critical seams,
double-needle-stitched and bar-tacked at stress points
for durability.
“We’ve incorporated our most popular tactical pant
features into a much-needed version for women,” says
Bernstine. “Working with female operatives, we
designed this pant to fit their physique. The result is a
pant that will provide comfort and style to female operatives without sacrificing durability and function.” Booth
#8981. (800-996-2299; woolrich.com)
Meanwhile, Rocky’s new women’s apparel line,
Women’s SilentHunter, is geared more toward hunters.
The line, an updated version of
Rocky’s popular SilentHunter
line for men, features a slim,
figure-flattering fit, smaller
collar lines and shorter hems
and inseams.
“We wanted to make sure we
got it right,” says Rocky apparel
vice president, John Maser.
“Our fit experts performed
hundreds of measurements and
fittings on women of all sizes,
from fit models to our employees and their family members.”
Woolrich’s Women’s Elite Series
Tactical Pant features 10 strategically
placed multi-use pockets and is
constructed to be every bit as durable
as the manufacturer’s Elite Series
Tactical apparel for men.
Rocky Brands has introduced a new women’s apparel line, Women’s
SilentHunter. It adapts the company’s popular SilentHunter clothing to
better fit female hunters without losing any of the comfort and stealth
features of the original line.
“We recognized that there was a clear need in the
women’s market for hunting clothes that are also flattering,” says Amber Van Wy, Rocky Brands’ public-relations manager. “Couple that with the fact that women
make up nearly ten percent of all hunters, and are the
fastest-growing hunting demographic, and our decision
to enter the market was a no-brainer.”
Women’s SilentHunter boasts a variety of sport-ready
features: Rocky’s soft, micro-suede SilentHunter material provides superior comfort and extreme stealth for
stalking game. The line features Scent IQ Atomic scent
control and a moisture-wicking lining that keeps the
wearer dry.
Women’s SilentHunter clothing is available in sizes
from small to extra-large, and features Mossy Oak Break
Up camouflage. Styles include a long-sleeve mock turtleneck, a quarter-zip long-sleeve shirt, a Thinsulate
insulated fleece vest and cargo pants. Additionally, a
windproof jacket and pants are available.
“Just because women have moved into what has traditionally been a men’s sport,” says Maser, “doesn’t mean
they have to dress in men’s clothes.” Booth #6861. (886762-5972; rockybrands.com)
Female POV
Garment lines aren’t the only
thing that’s coming to grips
with the expanding women’s
outdoors market. Boot manufacturers and firearms makers are also casting an eye
toward these customers. And
2008 saw the birth of an
online news service devoted
to sporting news for women.
Published by outdoor writer and certified NRA instructor Barbara Baird, the online
news service (available in
Feedburner e-mail updates
and at womensoutdoornews
.com) delivers the latest
news about women in the
outdoors, events, gear, times
and other information.
“Women’s Outdoor News
will keep women informed
about all aspects of the outdoor sports,” says Baird,
“and retailers and manufacturers about the growing
women’s market.”
FEATURE
Z e i s s na m e s t e r ry W i e l a n d
Writer of the year
The unexpected arrival of a Book-of-the Month Club edition by
Robert Ruark sent this writer on a lifelong quest of adventure
C
arl Zeiss Sports Optics has named Terry Wieland as the winner of the 2008 Carl
Zeiss Outdoor Writer of the Year Award. The award was presented Thursday evening
at Zeiss’ annual SHOT Show writers party. In addition to receiving a plaque recognizing his
contributions to the shooting sports and the continued promotion of this nation’s hunting
heritage, Wieland also received one of Carl Zeiss’ new Victory Varipoint 1.1-4x24 T* riflescopes with reticle #60, the first illuminated reticle for daytime and twilight hunting ever to
combine the distinct advantages of both the first and second image planes.
“Terry is an exceptionally talented writer who
fully draws his readers into the hunt and yet just
as easily and effectively communicates the technical aspects of firearms, optics and ballistics in his
books and articles,” said Erik Schumacher, president of Carl Zeiss Optical Inc. “He also helps his
readers understand and appreciate the history of
firearms and the traditions of hunting, and we are
pleased to present the 2008 Carl Zeiss Outdoor
Writer of the Year Award to such a gifted and
dedicated professional.”
Wieland was born in St. Catherine, Ontario,
and in his youth moved to Peterborough, Ontario,
where, when he was 17, a mistaken delivery
changed his life. The arrival of an unexpected
book club selection—Robert Ruark’s The Honey
Badger—awakened his adventurous spirit and led
to his lifelong devotion to journalism, literature
and hunting.
A voracious reader, Wieland was naturally
drawn toward a writing career and rose quickly
from newspaper copywriter to journalist. In 1971,
he took his first trip to Africa, working as a freelance correspondent for the CBC covering the
civil war in Sudan. The following year, he
returned to the continent to report on the chaos
Terry Wieland took his first trip to Africa in 1971 as a news
reporter, but by 1986 he had changed the course of his career
and was writing full-time about the outdoors. He has now hunted in five African countries and throughout North America.
in Uganda. In 1976, he again reported from Africa
on the rioting in South Africa and the Rhodesia
bush war, and afterward, worked as a political and
corporate speechwriter in addition to serving for
years in Canada’s Primary Reserves. All the while,
his love for hunting and the science of shooting
grew, and he began his outdoor writing career in
1986. Wieland was the Rifle Editor of Sporting
Classics for five years, and in 1991 his writing
caught the eye of the late David Foster, who
awarded the title of Shooting Editor of Gray’s
Sporting Journal to Wieland in 1993. Wieland’s
writing can also be found in Safari Times, Petersen’s
RifleShooter, Guns & Ammo, African Sporting
Gazette, Gun Digest and American Rifleman, among
other publications.
Wieland has also written numerous books, most
notably on fine guns and hunting, including
Spanish Best: The Fine Shotguns of Spain (1995 &
2001), Spiral-Horn Dreams (1996), The Magic of
Big Game (1999), A View from a Tall Hill: Robert
Ruark in Africa (2000), Dangerous-Game Rifles
(2006) and Vintage British Shotguns (2008). He frequently hunts in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya,
Tanzania and Zimbabwe and throughout the
United States and Canada.
Established in 2003, the Carl Zeiss Outdoor
Writer of the Year Award is in its sixth year. The
previous winners are: Wayne van Zwoll (2003),
David Fortier (2004), David Petzal (2005), Ron
Spomer (2006) and John Barsness (2007). Carl
Zeiss also honored Bill McRae with a Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2003.
FEATURE
Ralph Cianciarulo
(left) and outdoor
writer Larry
Weishuhn (above)
are among the
speakers who will
be conducting seminars for dealers at
the Nikon booth.
Nikon Gets
Specific
Nikon unveils scopes for beasts large and small
ful new glass that will help every hunter achieve that goal.
Hard-charging game requires
hard-hitting rifles, and Nikon’s 4
full inches of eye relief will keep all
the pain at the muzzle. And the
low-power range keeps hunters on
the right spot on target in fast situations or slow easy shots.
Available with the proven, fastacquisition German No. 4 reticle,
the African series is built around
what works when you’re hunting
Africa or beyond. An illuminated
Set to debut in late spring, Nikon’s all-new Coyote Special riflescopes are
built specifically for the unique needs of predator hunters. Nikon’s new
Predator Hunter BDC reticle builds upon Nikon’s original BDC concept by
utilizing ballistic circles, but the spacing of those circles is designed around
the needs of predator hunters. Instead of a typical crosshair, the Predator
Hunter BDC features a center circle that subtends a coyote’s vital area at
100 yards, for quick sighting and target acquisition.
“More and more predator hunters are demanding gear built for the sport
they enjoy most,” said Jon LaCorte, Nikon’s senior product marketing manager. “It only makes sense for us to combine our BDC technology in a riflescope built just for the predator hunter.”
Generous eye relief and a durable 1-inch tube and ¼ MOA adjustment
mean fast target acquisition. In open country, the 4.5–14x40 gives hunters
the power range necessary to make the longer shots; in thick cover, hunters
will enjoy the speed and field-of-view the 3–9x40 offers. The new Coyote
Special riflescopes are available in two camo options: Realtree Max 1 and
Mossy Oak Brush.
Come August, Nikon sets its sights on the Dark Continent with a riflescope series more than ready for the hunt—the new Monarch African.
Three new riflescope models make up the new Monarch African series—a
standard 1-inch tube 1–4x20mm, a 30mm tube 1.1–4x24mm and an illuminated reticle 1.1–4x24mm with 30mm tube. Each scope in the series features
Nikon’s fully multicoated optics to provide crystal-clear viewing and a power
range designed to handle fast, close shots that come with dangerous game.
“In a dangerous-game situation the hunt can turn from lazy to deadly in
less than a second,” says LaCorte. “And that’s when you will really appreciate
every feature we built into our African Series of riflescopes.”
Two new Nikon riflescopes are
making their debut at SHOT. The
Coyote Special riflescope (top)
incorporates a Predator Hunter BDC
reticle; the Monarch African series of scopes
are designed to facilitate fast, close shots
when every second counts.
W
B y R o b e r t F. S t a e g e r
herever you hunt, and whatever you hunt, there’s one
thing every beast has in common: You want to see it
before it sees you. For SHOT Show, Nikon is unveiling some power-
No. 4 is also available for late-night
predators. The line’s ½ MOA
adjustment means a fast, sure sightin, and its large field of view gets
you on target fast in a place where a
well-placed shot can mean the difference between life or death.
The new riflescope lines are an
example of an increase in specificity
of hunting and shooting products.
“We’ve found that hunters and
shooters are getting more and more
demanding with what they want,”
says C.J. Davis, Nikon’s director of
public relations. “It’s not good
enough to make a scope that will fit
a muzzleloader or a rifle. Hunters
want a scope built specifically for
their muzzleloader and it should
have a reticle designed for that purpose as well.”
Nikon has previously reached out
to those specific-purpose customers
with products like the Omega
Muzzleloader scope, the
SlugHunter slug-gun scope and the
Archer’s Choice range finder. “With
the introduction of the Coyote
Special riflescopes and the Monarch
African Series, you can expect that
trend to continue for Nikon into
2009 and beyond,” says Davis.
In addition to unveiling these new
scopes (as well as displaying the new
Monarch X binocular), Nikon will be
hosting seminars for dealers to help
them move Nikon product; the times
are 10 a.m, noon, 2 and 4 p.m. today
through Saturday. Speakers include
Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo, Lee and
Tiffany Lakosky, Larry Weishuhn,
Bill Winke and Tom Miranda. Booth
#5261. (631-547-4200; nikon
sportoptics.com)
NEWS
EOTAC Makes the Grade
I
t’s been said that all roads lead to
Rome. What about SHOT?
The road that led Fernando
Coelho, president of EOTAC, a
tactical-clothing manufacturer, to
the 2009 SHOT Show took several
twists and turns. Before EOTAC,
Coelho founded Triton Cartridge, a
manufacturer of high-performance
self-defense ammunition, and
worked at a nuclear-power generating station outside New York City,
where he served as an armed security
officer and a member of the tactical
response team. More recently,
Coelho was president of Backyard
Outfitter and headed up its clothing
design team.
So it should come as no surprise
that his latest company taps into
decades of real-world military, law
enforcement and private-sector
experience to produce high-quality
tactical and discreet-carry garments.
“EOTAC offers both traditional
and next-generation tactical clothing, and we specialize in innovative
designs without sacrificing utility or
comfort,” he says. “Our clothing is
designed and tested by operators for
operators.”
EOTAC separates its Operator
Grade line into two groups:
Operator Grade Discreet and
Operator Grade Tactical.
“The Discreet line is designed to
Fernando Coelho, president of tactical clothing manufacturer EOTAC, says the intent of the
company’s concealed-carry clothing is to look more like traditional casual wear.
be tactically functional while providing the operator with a look that does
not draw attention,” Coelho says.
“The pants have the same waist configuration—belt loop placement,
hand-pocket size and location—as the
tactical pants, but without the visible
cargo pockets and knee reinforcement. The shirts, which use colors
and styling that don’t scream ‘gun!,’
are perfect for everyday use while still
being concealed-carry friendly. This
is a truly functional line, improved
with modern fabrics for operators
that are tired of ‘being made.’”
Similarly, the Discreet vest features four snag-free pockets and side
bellows with Velcro flaps. A two-way
zipper secures the vest, while a
quick-release tab allows fast access to
gear carried under the vest. In addition, the clean interior design minimizes the chance of snagging the
vest on a holstered gun.
“The vest is long enough for concealed carry,” Coelho says, “and it’s
rigid enough that when you sweep it,
it won’t roll up on your hand. Also,
everything on the vest is ambidextrous, so it can be used by right- or
left-handed operators.” Available in
sizes S-3XL, in khaki, black, navy
and sage. SRP: $69.99.
The Tactical line is likewise
designed with total functionality.
“Every aspect of the Operator Grade
Tactical line is purpose-built for any
and all tactical scenarios,” he says.
“Take our Operator Grade
Tactical pant, for instance. These
aren’t just cargo pants with extra
pockets. The overall design and features are derived from the demands
from the field, while our cut delivers
unmatched comfort and fit.”
The pants feature seams that are
double-needle stitched and bartacked at stress points, and the gusseted crotch allows for a greater
range of mobility. The Action Waist
has side elastic panels for freedom of
movement, and easily accommodates
an inside-the-waistband holster.
Reinforced belt loops accommodate
belts up to 1¾ inches wide. Ten
pockets are strategically placed in
order to maximize functionality. A
double layer of fabric over the knees
offers added durability, and an inside
opening accommodates knee pads
(not included). The pants also have
10 strategically placed pockets.
Available in khaki, black, navy and
OD green. SRP: starts at $59.99.
Booth #8581. (803-744-9930;
eotac.com) —Slaton L. White
Yamaha
Supports DU
Y
amaha Outdoors has reached a significant milestone in supporting hunting and
wetland conservation through its long
association with Ducks Unlimited (DU). As an
official licensee of DU since 2004, Yamaha has
contributed more than $1 million in support of
DU’s wetland conservation efforts.
“Yamaha is more involved in the outdoors
industry than any other ATV manufacturer, and
that’s because of our commitment to the people
who use our products,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s
ATV/SxS group marketing manager. “We’re
proud of our long-standing relationships with
important organizations like DU and the NSSF.
This $1 million mark with DU is symbolic of
Yamaha’s commitment to outdoorsmen, habitat
preservation and to keeping lands safe and open
for hunting and recreation.”
“Our partnership with Yamaha is truly a model
program, and one of the most integrated partnerships that DU has,” said DU’s Jim Alexander.
ATV manufacturer Yamaha knows the long-term value of
supporting conservation efforts—particularly waterfowl habitat.
ATK Wins Award
ATK, whose business groups include the nation’s
largest ammunition manufacturer, has been chosen
as the recipient of the 2009 Cabela Lifetime
Business Achievement Award. Mark DeYoung, president of ATK Armament Systems, received the
award, which was presented by Tommy Millner,
president of American Heritage Arms, and Randy
Moeller, marketing manager for Cabela’s Inc.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance created the
award in 2006 to honor the Cabela family’s dedication to protecting outdoor sports, including
hunting, fishing and trapping. “This is our way of
honoring the Cabela family and other leaders in
the outdoor-business community for their efforts
to defend our rights,” said Bud Pidgeon, U.S.
Sportsmen’s Alliance president.
NEWS
Safariland Expands
and Goes Global
A
lthough many manufacturers throughout the
globe are downsizing to meet the needs of a
changing economy, Safariland, a member of the
BAE Systems Products Group, announced
Wednesday evening that it is going in a different
direction. It has combined more than 20 different
products groups into a single streamlined organization: Safariland, LLC.
“We understand that to efficiently service the
working law enforcement and military communities, our company must provide a completely different product for the officer on the beat in
Detroit, compared to a marine in Fallujah,” said
Scott O’Brien, Safariland’s president.
Prior to this announcement of the acquisition at
this year’s SHOT Show, the brands were manufactured by independent businesses and marketed
separately to the consumer. Products include
American Body Armor, Second Chance, Protech,
Defense Technology, Bianchi, Monadnock and
Hatch. With the unification of these law enforcement brands under the Safariland banner, the
company says that, as a single source, it will be
better positioned to deliver on its customerfocused objective of offering more innovative
products and solutions.
“We are committed to fostering a one-company
culture to our distributors, dealers and end-use
consumers,” added O’Brien.
The most evident change in Safariland’s organization will be seen in how the company goes to
market. The new Safariland will promote its products to specific end-user customers, including
Patrol, Duty, Tactical, Corrections, Security,
Safariland president Scott O’Brien is combining more than
20 product groups into a single streamlined organization.
Forensics and Shooting Sports.
“We have repositioned ourselves as a solutions
provider, focusing first on the needs of our customers,” said Rich Shafer, Safariland’s vice president of marketing. “Our segment approach allows
us to offer mission-specific solutions that tie
together our body armor, duty gear, less lethal and
other products in order to meet our customers’
specific needs.”
Although O’Brien would not reveal the company’s expected gross dollar sales for 2009, he did
say that the new acquisitions will comfortably
position the company as the largest supplier of
law enforcement and military accessories in the
industry. Booth #8943. —Peter B. Mathiesen
Ranges Recognized for
First Shots Efforts
Two commercial shooting ranges have received recognition for embracing the National Shooting Sports
Foundation’s effective First Shots program, which introduces new shooters to firearms through both classroom instruction and supervised live-firing.
Cyndi Dalena, NSSF’s manager of First Shots, presented plaques to Sim Trainer Academy of Moraine,
Ohio, and Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center, in Springfield, Massachusetts, for reaching out regularly to their communities to ensure that people interested in learning about handguns, firearms training and
the shooting sports would have plenty of opportunities.
“Sim Trainer Academy took First Shots to a new level through monthly seminars that included rifle seminars as well,” Dalena said. “More than 200 local residents who might not otherwise have had access came
out to give shooting a try.”
In recognizing the contribution of the Smith & Wesson
Shooting Sports Center, which was the first facility to hold a
First Shots seminar, Dalena praised facility manager Peter
Boruchowski, instructor Jay Bathgate, and other staff members for offering monthly shooting opportunities to area residents, along with continued access to the range facility.
Dalena, on behalf of the NSSF, made the presentation at
the evening reception following SHOT Show University on
Wednesday.
Developed by the NSSF and hosted by independent
shooting facilities, First Shots provides participants with a
comprehensive introduction to shooting by qualified range
operators and instructors that includes firearms safety,
local ownership requirements, shooting fundamentals, and hands-on instruction. Ranges offer the programs
free of charge, complete with loaner equipment, eye and ear protection, ammunition and other materials.
Ranges interested in learning more about First Shots should visit firstshots.org, or stop by the NSSF
booth (#2601) to discuss the program with Dalena and Sarah Morton, the NSSF’s shooting development
coordinator.
Keeping Pace
with Consumers
Retailers trying to keep pace with consumers in this
trying economy need to keep two factors in mind,
according to new research compiled by the NSSF
and presented yesterday at a press conference at the
SHOT Show. First, fears of increased gun control
legislation from the Obama administration pushed
firearm sales to a record level of $3.9 billion in
2008. Second, fears of a recession and job losses
have shifted the type of firearms being purchased.
The Hunter/Shooter Survey conducted by
Southwick & Associates for the NSSF found 80
percent of respondents believe it will become more
difficult to purchase firearms during the Obama
administration. This widespread belief sent a
record number of buyers to retailers. NICS background checks were up 15 percent in October, 42
percent in November and 25 percent in December.
In all, 2008 saw 12.7 million background checks.
Ordinarily, this would be good news for firearms retailers, but the news was tempered by a
change in buying patterns. Last year, consumers
abandoned brand loyalty in favor of products that
they perceived as offering more value. That
doesn’t mean they were looking for the most inexpensive products; instead, they wanted affordable
quality. On average, consumers spent $428 for a
handgun, $544 for a shotgun and $517 for a rifle.
Although large specialty stores garnered just about
60 percent of those sales, the local independent
retailer is still ringing up 42 percent of sales.
So, retailers should keep in mind that while the
economy remains in the doldrums, consumers are
insisting they get the most bang for their buck.
You can’t count on memories of granddady’s gun
to sway the choice. For a copy of the research,
contact Frank Briganti, director of industry
research and analysis at NSSF, at 203-426-1320 or
fbriganti@nssf.org. —Marilyn Stone
Renowned military and SWAT artist Dick
Kramer will sign prints that were commissioned for the Woolrich Elite Series Tactical
clothing. Kramer will be at the booth for the
next three days from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and
from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Booth #8981.
Nikon will be hosting seminars (10 a.m, noon,
2 p.m. and 4 p.m. today through Saturday) to
help dealers move Nikon product. Speakers
include Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo, Lee and
Tiffany Lakosky, Larry Weishun, Bill Winke and
Tom Miranda. Booth #5261.
The Boone & Crockett Club, Congressional
Sportsmen’s Foundation and the NSSF will cosponsor a press conference today at 1 p.m. in
room 313 on the White House Conference on
Wildlife Conservation.
Ultimate Fighting Championship Light
Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans will
sign photos today from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the
Gerber Booth. Booth #4060.
Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka will present a screening of Napa’s North to Alaska at
2 p.m. at Versus, Booth #3869. The screening
will be followed by a prize drawing and a
meet-and-greet photo session.
NEWS
NEW product
Reports
The Leupold Yosemite 8x30 binoculars in Mossy Oak Break-Up Blaze should stand out well
enough in the woods to keep hunters from losing them. The binos feature multicoated lenses
and generous eye relief, and come with a lifetime warranty.
Leupold
Every hunter on the SHOT Show
floor has set a pair of binoculars on
the ground, only to find themselves
in a panic until they’re recovered.
With Leopold’s Yosemite 8x30mm,
a generous armor coating of hunter
orange in Mossy Oak’s Break-Up
Blaze ensures a quick retrieval of
any wayward binos.
With 8X of power at 50mm to
70mm, they give generous eye relief
for comfortable extended viewing
and fast acquisition of game, even
for the inexperienced user. The
lenses are multi-coated for durability, brightness, clarity, contrast, color
fidelity and are covered by a limited
lifetime warranty. Booth #3361.
(503-646-9171; leupold.com)
Thunderbolt
Customs Inc.
The patented Big Mouth Little Sure
Shot gun rests are designed to stabilize shots by giving the shooter solid
support. The rests are just 61/4 inches
long and weigh only 4 ounces and
can be carried in a shirt pocket until
needed. The Big Mouth earned its
name because of the open hook-like
device that is big enough to wrap
around just about any odd-shaped
items ranging from 3/8 to 13/8 inch.
The rest attaches to a fencepost or
tree with a simple twist of the knob,
and adjusts to any height in seconds.
SRP: $19.95. Booth #2485. (740917-9135; thunderboltcustoms.com)
Browning
The Gold Series of gun safes sees
five new models for 2009. The Gold
series features a heavy 10-gauge
steel body, the OmniBarrier Lock
Protection System, interior light
package and mirror and a drill-resistant protector plate. In addition, the
safes offer five layers of fire-resistant insulation in the body (four in
the door) for a fire rating of 1,200
degrees F. for 100 minutes. SRP:
$5,499. Also new this year is the
Gold Series G65F. The “Widebody”
is Browning’s biggest safe to date.
SRP: $4,039. Booth #4335. (801876-2711; browning.com)
Highgear
In the old days, a watch told
time. No more. These days a
watch is a often multi-function tool designed to deliver a
wealth of information to the
adventurous outdoorsmen.
Highgear’s newest offering,
the Axio Max is a combination wristwatch altimeter
and compass. Available in
three outdoor-friendly colors
(graphite/brown, green/black, and
solid black), as well as a stainlesssteel ion-plating titanium version,
the lightweight Axio Max is built on
a user-friendly module that features
triple-sensor technology, including a
Swiss air-pressure sensor, altimeter
and compass. It is equipped with a
100-hour chronograph, a multitude
of alarms for use in monitoring
hydration, altitude and rest, a mineral-glass lens with a high-gloss finish that is water-resistant up to 50
meters, a replaceable battery hatch
and a breathable, flexible and
adjustable band. Available March
2009. SRP: $150 to $250. Booth
#4391. (828-681-0335; highgear.com)
Rocky Brands
The soft, SilentHunter micro-suede
fabric allows for complete silence in
the woods while accelerating moisture away from skin, keeping the
wearer warm and dry. Tri-Season
apparel takes its styling cue from
extreme sports, providing versatility
and extensive range-of-motion
while remaining comfortable and
durable. The Tri-Season line carries
The Big Mouth Little Sure Shot gun rest weighs only 4 ounces and is small enough to carry in a
shirt pocket. It attaches to a fencepost, walking stick or tree in seconds.
Rocky Brand Tri-Season pant features
ScentIQ Atomic technology, which eliminates
odor-causing bacteria.
Rocky’s ScentIQ Atomic technology, which eliminates odor-causing
bacteria and keeps hunters concealed while in the woods. Best of
all, this feature comes with the benefit of no special detergent, sprays,
or other care required.
The gear can be worn alone or as
layers depending on the weather. It
doesn’t need any special laundering
to protect the ScentIQ technology,
and it has numerous styling features
that were made with the hunter-onthe-move in mind.
A full line of shirts, jackets, pants,
headwear and gloves are available
ranging in price from $9.99 to
$89.99. Featured camo patterns
include Mossy Oak Treestand,
Brush and Break-Up. Booth #6861.
(740-753-7240; rockybrands.com)
Bushnell Outdoor
Products
While conventional flashlights produce circular patterns of light that
are uneven and irregular, the new
HD Torch projects a perfectly square
and uniform beam of light. This feature aids users searching for lost
objects because they’ll see a more
precise light pattern. The HD Torch
can easily light up an entire wall
without moving from side to side.
The LED light is constructed of
aircraft-grade aluminum. Run time
is 1.5 hours and is powered by two
3-volt lithium batteries. There are
two operating modes: high and safety-strobe for emergency use. For
convenience, the HD Torch
includes the “Find Me” feature, a
glowing “B” rear button that also
serves as a battery life indicator.
The flashlight comes with two batteries and a lanyard. SRP: $79.99.
Booth #2861. (800-423-3537;
bushnell.com)

SHOT Show University Reveals Tools for Success

Transcription

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