|
|
January 4th, 2008
 From February 2-5, the Las Vegas Convention Center hosts the 30th Annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference (SHOT Show). The Shot Show is the largest and most comprehensive trade show for the shooting sports and hunting industries. It is the world’s premier exposition of combined firearms, ammunition, archery, cutlery, outdoor apparel, optics, camping and related products and services. The SHOT Show attracts buyers from all 50 states and more than 75 countries. The SHOT Show is owned and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. While the SHOT Show is not for the general public, if you have contacts with a manufacturer, it’s not that difficult to wrangle an invitation.
2008 Shot Show Schedule
Las Vegas Convention Center
Saturday, February 2, 2008 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Sunday, February 3, 2008 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Monday, February 4, 2008 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Make Those Reservations Now
If you plan to attend, but haven’t booked your transport or hotel yet, don’t delay. Many of the major hotels have already sold out. The NFL Super Bowl is on Feb. 3, and many fans will be in Las Vegas from the 2nd through the 4th. There are also many other major trade shows scheduled for the same weekend.
Tips for First-Time SHOT Show Attendees
SHOT Show is huge. To see it all, you will be on your feet for hours on end. Bring comfortable shoes, and it’s a good idea to have a small, portable, rolling cart to hold brochures and samples. Definitely bring a cell phone, as the displays are so numerous and crowds so thick that you can be 30 feet from a friend or associate and not see them. On the show floor, cameras are restricted to Press, but bring a small, digital camera anyway for use after hours.
EXHIBITOR LIST with BOOTH Assignments
Before you even hit the floor you need an action plan. Get the show brochure with sitemaps and immediately identify the key booths you want to visit (EXHIBITOR LIST). Hit those first and try to set up appointments in the morning. Schedules get pushed back late in the day. It’s a good idea to bring your own box lunch in a backpack or shoulder bag. Concession stand food is expensive and not very tasty.
CLICK HERE to download SHOT SHOW FLOOR PLANS
Share the post "30th Annual Shot Show Feb. 2-5"
January 4th, 2008
MidwayUSA currently has a 12″ black-finished Goldenrod warming unit on sale for just $15.99 through the end of January. That’s a good deal. We’ve seen these priced elsewhere for $22.00 up to $35.00. The GoldenRod is an important accessory for your gunsafe that will help prevent rust and corrosion. GoldenRods are marketed as “dehumidifiers”, but that is a bit of a misnomer. The GoldenRod doesn’t absorb moisture like a desiccant per se. It works by maintaining a constant temperature inside your safe that raises the dew point and alters the relative humidity so that water vapor doesn’t condense on your firearms.
So much for the science lesson. The important thing to know is that the GoldenRod will help keep the contents of your safe warm and rust-free. If you keep your guns in rust-inhibiting storage sacks such as Bore-Stores, and use desiccant packs along with the GoldenRod, you won’t have to worry about rust forming on your firearms while being stored. (This assumes of course, you wiped them down to remove fingerprints and salts before storage). All GoldenRod dehumidifiers come with a detachable plug for easier mounting. This UL-listed model (item 762730) protects up to 100 cubic feet. It features a 10′ power cord and should be mounted horizontally at the bottom of an enclosure.
Share the post "Goldenrod Warming Unit on Sale"
January 3rd, 2008
 We live in a digital, electronic era. The very story you’re reading right now consists of digital data packets transmitted electronically around the globe. Because of cost factors, 99+% of shooting matches in the USA still rely on old-fashioned manual scoring methods. However, target scoring can be done faster and more precisely with electronic scoring systems. Olympic and international CISM shooting competitions now employ electronic target systems. And electronic scoring is widely used in Europe already.
Below is a video showing an electronic scoring system developed by Norway’s Kongsberg Mikroelektronikk AS. Watch as a prone shooter puts five rounds on a 300m target. You can see the group form on the video screen at his shooting station. He’s a good shooter (with an accurate rifle). The first three shots are touching.
As you can see from the video, viewing shots on the monitor is easier than using a spotting scope and waiting for targets to be marked. The electronic target eliminates the need for a crew of target pullers in the pits. Click on the image to go to our VIDEO VAULT page. The electronic scoring video is the first item in the menu.
The Kongsberg system, like the electronic systems produced by Sius Ascor of Switzerland, do more than just display shot locations to the shooter. The target units automatically calculate scores, which are transmitted to a central computer. This can provide updated competitor rankings, and can even display the results to event spectators on large view screens.
CLICK HERE for a longer streaming Flash VIDEO showing how electronic target systems work.
Share the post "Electronic Target Systems — Seeing is Believing"
January 3rd, 2008
In its OpticsTalk.Forum, leading optics retailer SWFA.com provides advance info on new products for 2008.
New optics of interest to our readers include the 4.5-30×50 Elite 6500 scope from Bushnell, and a 6-24 power Zeiss Diavari with a massive 72mm front objective and new Fluoride Ion Glass. With a suggested retail price of $899.00, the new Elite 6500 features a 30mm main tube and an industry-leading 6.67 zoom range (from 4.5 power to 30 power). Two reticles are listed, a Mil-Dot and “Fine Multi-X”. Chris Farris of SWFA says the 4.5-30s are not shipping yet, but they should be available soon, and “SWFA will be the first to get them”.
Bushnell Elite 6500
The big 72mm Zeiss has been around for a couple years, but for 2008 it has been updated with Fluoride Ion (FL) lenses with new lens coatings, and RapidZ ranging reticles. The RapidZ reticles employ horizontal hash marks calibrated for popular calibers to allow ranging and hold-over functions. The 6-24x72mm costs a small fortune — vendors are selling it for $3,400. CLICK HERE for more info on Zeiss RapidZ reticles.
Share the post "SWFA Showcases New Optics for 2008"
January 3rd, 2008
Following up on our recent story on the Sale of Marlin Firearms to Remington Arms, here are more details of the deal. Remington Arms will purchase all of Marlin’s stock for $41,700,000 according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The deal is expected to conclude by the end of January. Both Remington and Marlin will now be under the umbrella of Cerberus Capital Managment, which acquired Remington Arms in April of 2007. This deal combines two of the most storied American arms-makers. Remington was founded nearly two centuries ago, in 1816. John M. Marlin, who worked for Colt during the Civil war, started his own business in 1870, initially making derringers and revolvers.
Share the post "Marlin Sells for $41.7 Million"
January 2nd, 2008
 So what does a “worn-out” barrel really look like? Tom Myers answered that question when he removed a 6.5-284 barrel and cut it down the middle to reveal throat wear. As you can see, there is a gap of about 5mm before the lands begin and you can see how the lands have thinned at the ends. (Note: even in a new barrel, there would be a section of freebore, so not all the 5mm gap represents wear.) There is actually just about 2mm of lands worn away. Tom notes: “Since I started out, I’ve chased the lands, moving out the seating depth .086″ (2.18 mm). I always seat to touch. My final touch dimension was 2.440″ with a Stoney Point .26 cal collet.”
Except for the 2mm of wear, the rifling otherwise looks decent, suggesting that setting back and rechambering this barrel could extend its useful life. Tom reports: “This was something I just thought I’d share if anyone was interested. I recently had to re-barrel my favorite prone rifle after its scores at 1,000 started to slip. I only ever shot Sierra 142gr MatchKings with VV N165 out of this barrel. It is a Hart and of course is button-rifled. I documented every round through the gun and got 2,300 over 4 years. Since I have the facilities, I used wire EDM (Electro Discharge Machining) to section the shot-out barrel in half. It was in amazingly good shape upon close inspection.”
Tom could have had this barrel set back, but he observed, “Lately I have had to increase powder charge to maintain 2,950 fps muzzle velocity. So to set it back would have only increased that problem. [And] I had a brand new 30″ Krieger all ready to screw on. I figured it was unlikely I’d get another full season on the old barrel, so I took it off.”
Share the post "Barrel Throat Erosion — Reality Revealed"
January 2nd, 2008
Are you a long-gun expert, a wiz at Excel spreadsheets, who likes to travel? Here’s an employment opening that could be a “dream job” for a knowledgeable shooter with an MBA or marketing background. Remington Arms is now hiring for the position of Brand Manager of Premium and Custom Firearms. The Brand Manager is tasked with growing sales of Remington’s line of Custom/Premium firearms and associated brands (e.g. Parker Gun). The Brand Manager works closely with Remington’s Sales Division, as well as Manufacturing (Custom Shop), Planning, Research & Development, Customer Service, and Marketing Communications.
Remington lists the general job qualifications as follows: Bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years product marketing/brand management experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. MBA preferred. Familiarity with premium shooting sports products also preferred. Must be able to understand financial reporting and prepare and explain financial analysis. Must have extensive knowledge of firearms market and have solid understanding of technical concepts as they relate to product design. Must be able to attend and provide presentations at trade shows. Available to travel 40-50% domestic travel and international travel as needed. Proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software and SAP experience preferred.
Interested candidates should send their resume to jobs@remington.com.
Who knows — this could be your chance to significantly influence the future of the firearms industry. Want to see Remington release a line of premium target or varmint rifles? Well, as Brand Manager, you might well be able to steer Remington in that direction.
Share the post "'Dream Job' Available with Remington"
January 1st, 2008
First, we’d like to wish all our readers a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year. We hope that, in 2008, you’ll have time to enjoy your precision rifles, and spend more time at the range, hopefully with good friends that share your “addiction to accuracy”.
As the site grows in popularity, we hope to expand the features and the content offerings on the site in 2008. You’ll see more videos, more in-depth interviews with top shooters, and more comprehensive product tests. We’re already gathering products for a chronograph “shoot-out” that should “bust” a few myths and provide rock-solid info for shooters. We plan to comparison-test front rests, and review many of the great new scopes coming out in 2008, including new offerings from March, Schmidt & Bender, and Sightron. And we’ve got new Cartridge Guides in the works.
But to do all that, we need your support.
As your Editor, Moderator, Photo Guru, Videographer, and Site Programmer, I’m maxing out on the number of hours available in each week. I work seven days a week on the site, weekends and holidays included. For the site to continue to expand its content, we need to bring in paid helpers. Right now, Quantcast.com estimates the site reaches nearly 35,000 shooters every month. If the majority of those users could provide a small donation every year, we could deliver MORE stories, MORE tests, MORE Gun of the Week features, and provide more of the photos and videos everyone enjoys. (Yes commercial sponsors help greatly, but their contributions alone won’t do the job.)
In the past month a couple dozen guys have generously donated to the site. I want to again thank all those who have contributed. One staunch supporter of the site donated $750.00 yesterday. (Thanks Joe… you’re the man!) But that still leaves tens of thousands of users who use the site regularly without contributing one penny.
 Here’s my proposal. First, if you have used our FREE Classifieds to successfully sell your rifles or shooting gear, consider sending in a dollar or two from your sale proceeds. Second, for those who use the site regularly, consider donating One Dollar a Month. That’s less than the price of a cup of coffee and much less than many websites now charge for their “premium content areas”. Consider this — what do you pay for a movie ticket these days? Probably $7-8 dollars for 90 minutes of escapism. For a buck a month you can help this site provide a YEAR’s worth of info, tests, and shooting news that you won’t find anywhere else.
Making a donation to the site is simple and easy. Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the Donation Link. You don’t need a Paypal account. Any sum is welcome–donations need not be large. If 20% of our readers gave even $5.00 a year that would enable us to hire a regular staffer to do research, create videos, and do field tests.
If you don’t like to deal with Paypal, you can send a check. Make the check payable to our 1000-yard editor Jason Baney and mail it to:
Jason Baney
P.O. Box 308
Douglassville, PA 19518
Share the post "Happy New Year and Message to Our Readers"
January 1st, 2008
Dave Kiff of Pacific, Tool & Gauge (PT&G) has been making complete replacement bolts for Remington 700 actions for quite some time, but many of our readers may not be aware of this PT&G product. Why would one need a replacement bolt? First, this allows you to have different bolt-face sizes for the same action. For example, with two bolts you could shoot both a .308 Win and a 300 WSM from the same action. Second, the PT&G bolts are precision machined to the internal dimensions of your action. If you are having your Rem 700 action blue-printed (accurized) by a gunsmith, a new bolt from PT&G completes the job perfectly, and will give you a more precise-fitting bolt with less internal slop.
As Vince Bottomley explains, it may actually be more cost-effective to purchase a new bolt, rather than have your existing bolt milled and machined in the blue-printing process: “Accurizing a Rem 700 action is not a simple or cheap process. A lot of the work will be to the bolt itself — truing the lugs, skimming the bolt-face, fitting a Sako style extractor, new bolt-knob and maybe a new firing-pin. Even then, unless you have the bolt sleeved, it will rattle like the old clunker it probably is! Don’t waste your money! Go for one of the replacement bolts from Pacfic Tool & Gauge. PT&G offers a new bolt complete with new bolt-handle, firing pin, spring etc and the bolts come in different diameters so that you can get one to exactly fit your Remington action. This of course requires some accurate measuring, so it’s best to get your gunsmith to order the bolt. They are [a great] value and will cost a lot less than up-grading your existing bolt.”
Rem 700 replacement bolts start at about $125.00 for the bolt body only (complete bolts are also offered). PT&G bolts are available with either a standard Remington extractor or a Sako-style extractor, with .223, PPC, .308, or magnum bolt faces. The tolerances rival that of the bolts found in custom actions. You can order direct from PT&G in Oregon, (541) 826-5808, or you can purchase through vendors such as MidwayUSA.com, (bodies only, search for “PTG Bolt Body”). If you want a custom spec bolt, it’s probably best to have your gunsmith deal directly with Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool.
Share the post "Rem 700 Replacement Bolts from PT&G"
|
