Thousands of new products will be on display at SHOT Show 2024, the major gun industry trade show held each January in Las Vegas. The official SHOT Show Product Planner offers a “sneak peak” at 255 new-for-2024 products for hunters and shooters. More will come in the weeks ahead. Here are eight interesting new products for gun owners and reloaders. Since these are all recently-released items, we haven’t been able to test them yet. Product profiles are based on descriptions provided by the manufacturers. We will run a separate feature on new pistols and rifles that will debut in 2024.
For the gun owner with multiple firearms, the Sportsman’s Range Box is the gun cleaning kit that has it all — and more. This universal gun cleaning kit provides all the necessary equipment for proper Breech-to-Muzzle® cleaning. It cleans all rifles, pistols, shotguns and inline muzzleloaders. This cleaning kit also features the B.O.N.E.® Tool which makes cleaning the bolt carrier assembly of MSR/AR style rifles a breeze, and Shooter’s Choice chemicals (0.5 oz and 4 oz bottle of FP-10 Lubricant Elite®, plus 10cc grease). Inside the Range Box are over 60 components including support brackets so the box can serve as a gun vise to hold your long guns while cleaning.
The Grippy Universal Cheekrest is a lightweight, adjustable cheekrest system that allows up to four levels of height adjustment from 0.35″ to 1.25″. The Grippy Universal Cheekrest comes with two stackable spacers which fit most scope setups but you can use up to four spacers to get the exact height you need. The product includes two plugs to cover up 2x screw heads on top of Grippy Cheekrest cap. If your stock is 1.45″ wide or less, this should fit your stock. This product is designed to fit many stock types: TITAN22 1022 Stock, Hogue 10-22 Overmolded Stock , Boyd’s Tacticool/Varmint Stocks, Bell & Carlson 10/22 Stock, Savage MkII OEM Stock, Savage B22 Stock, Tikka T3X OEM Stock, Manners CZ455 Stock, Winchester OEM Stocks, HS Precision Rimfire, Remington 870 / 1100 Sporter Stocks and many more.
The idea and SKILI Gear’s new Ghost and Phantom pack designs came from Navy SEAL operators with real world experiences. There was a need to efficiently carry a sniper rifle plus gear in a multi-purpose backpack. Developed through six years of collaboration and multiple design improvements, this system has grown from an effective “bare bones” sniper bag to a completely customizable pack. Hunters and outdoorsmen can used these customizable bags for hunting, fishing, or EDC. Whatever lifestyle you are pursuing, the Ghost or Phantom pack can adapt to your needs.
The Prime Vibe is an electric vibratory bowl primer tube filler. This patent-pending device handles both small and large primers. The system permits you to fill primer tubes faster and more reliably. A controller unit allows you to set the frequency and run time for perfect results with any primer brand. There is a set-and-forget feature with an adjustable auto-shutoff timer. The product includes Small and large primer conversions and tubes included, plus a quick-release Safety Shield. The Prime Vibe machine is compatible with other brand primer tubes. Price: $219.00
Magna Lens eyewear features a patented magnetic connection that secures your eye protection directly to your earmuffs. This eiminates discomfort associated with traditional gear which press eyewear frames against the head. The design also preserves the NRR of your earmuffs by 2 to 10 dB compared to users who wear eyewear under earmuff pads. The high-performance 2.9mm thick lenses provide exceptional optical performance and blast resistance. Magna Lens eyewear can be used with almost any brand of earmuffs. The patented magnetic design literally gives you THE most comfortable way to wear earmuffs with eye protection. This system should prove to be a game-changer for shooters with increase comfort. Price: $150.00
The Live Stream Pro Camera is a new trail cam with variable resolution and live streaming capability. Key camera features are:
•32MP/24MP/16MP/8MP/5MP Image Resolution
•1440P/1080P/720P/WVGA Video
•Fast video triggering<0.6s
•4G LTE High Speed; Live video monitoring/surveillance
•Live stream monitoring
•PIR Detection + Smart motion tracking
•H.264 compressor, greatly reduce the video size
•Cloud Platform with Free APP (Android & iOS)
•2.4″ Color LCD
•SD Card support 2GB-128GB
The GPS shotgun buttstock with patented recoil system was invented by Sai Chiang through years of being a competitive shotgun shooter, and most importantly, listening closely to what shooters want of their shotgun stocks. Through years of development, we created an innovative shotgun stock that can custom fit 99.9% of shooters requirements. Also, the custom hand molded grip design increases the comfort and ergonomic control during target acquisition and firing of the shotgun. This stock offers pneumatic recoil reduction technology, delivering softer and faster recoil reduction without compromising power or performance. The system boasts the world’s largest air chamber, effectively reducing recoil. Six available grip sizes ensure optimal comfort and fit.
Simplify your inventory and reduce costs with the Paradigm Universal Holster by G-Code. Designed using cutting-edge overlay technology, this versatile holster fits almost any weapon and is truly top of its class. The Paradigm holster is durable, ambidextrous, and can be worn in or outside the waistband. Priced at just $29.95 MSRP, it’s a smart, cost-effective choice for concealed or regular carry. The benefit for owners is being able to have a single holster that fits multiple handguns and can be worn in multiple ways.
Make Your Own Length-to-Lands Gauge to Check Bullet Position
Here’s a tip we feature every year or so, because it is something that costs nothing, yet can be very useful in the reloading process. With a simple, easy modification to a fired case, you can determine the length to lands in your rifle barrel. As long as you set the tension right, the measurements should be repeatable, and you’ve just saved yourself $43.93 — the combined cost of a Hornady C-1000 commercial OAL gauge ($37.99) and Modified Case ($5.94).
To achieve best accuracy with a rifle, you must control bullet seating depth very precisely, so all bullets end up in the same place relative to the entrance of the lands, every time. There may be multiple cartridge OALs which prove accurate. However, with each, you first need to determine a “zero” point — a reliable, and repeatable OAL where the bullet is “just touching” the lands.
There are tools, such as the Hornady (formerly Stoney Point) OAL Gauge, that will help you find a seating OAL just touching the lands. However, the tool requires that you use a special modified case for each cartridge you shoot. And, while we find that the Hornady OAL Gauge is repeatable, it does take some practice to get in right.
Make Your Own Length-to-Lands Gauge with a Dremel
Here’s an inexpensive alternative to the Hornady OAL tool — a slotted case. Forum member Andris Silins explais how to create a slotted case to measure length to the lands in your rifle:
“Here’s what I did to find length to lands for seating my bullets. I made four cuts into the neck of fire-formed brass. Then I pressed the bullet in lightly and chambered the entire gauge. As the cartridge chambers, the bullet slides back into the case to give you length to lands. It took less than five minutes to get it cut and working. A little light oil in the barrel just past the chamber helps ensure the bullet does not get stuck in the lands. It works great and is very accurate.
How to Adjust Tension — Length and Number of Neck Cuts
I made the cuts using a Dremel with a cut-off wheel. You can adjust tension two ways. First, you can make the cuts longer or shorter. Longer cuts = less tension. If you used only three cuts instead of four you would get more tension. The trick is to be gentle when you open and close the bolt. If you ram the bolt closed you may wedge the bullet into the lands. When you open the bolt it helps to keep a finger or two near by to guide the case out straight because the ejector wants to push it sideways.”
Rimfire .22 LR pistols are great training guns for both novice and seasoned shooters. The minimal recoil and reduced muzzle rise of .22 LR pistols makes them easy to handle, and fast to get back on target. This allows novices to build their basic pistol skills, and helps seasoned competitors upgrade their performance. Even experienced centerfire handgun shooters can improve their skills by cross-training with .22 LR pistols.
Today’s Saturday Showcase features 7 videos covering a large selection of rimfire pistols. Along with these video reviews, serious shoppers should read some articles on the web. Pew Pew Tactical has a good online article that’s definitely worth reading: 9 Best .22 LR Handguns. As the author notes: “Every gun owner should own at least one .22 LR firearm. The ammo is ubiquitous, and affordable at around 5 cents a round.” And BackFire TV has published another good article covering eight popular .22 LR handguns.
Taurus TX 22 Competition — Optics-Ready
The TaurusTX™ 22 Competition model is built on the same full-size polymer receiver as the Taurus TX 22 but has a newly engineered slide and barrel assembly designed to work with red dot optics. The Taurus TX 22 Competition features a “skeletonized” slide with a cutout between the ejection port to just behind the front sight. The mounting system allows the use of the following (but not limited to) sight models: Trijicon RMR, C-More STS 2, Vortex Venom, Doctor Noblex, Burris Fast Fire, Sightmark Mini, Holosun HS507C, Leupold Delta Point Pro.
Eight Popular .22 LR Pistols Reviewed
When initially shopping for a pistol, it’s wise to try a variety of guns from multiple manufacturers. You’ll want to try polymer vs. metal frame, iron sights vs. optics. And try to test-fire the pistols on the type of targets you’ll be using for competition and/or fun shooting. This helpful review video features eight (8) popular .22 LR pistols. In order of appearance these eight rimfire handguns are:
1. Browning Buck Mark Hunter (0:28)
2. Ruger SR22 (1:30)
3. Sig P322 (2:21)
4. Walther WMP (3:30)
5. Taurus TX22 Compact (4:36)
6. Smith & Wesson SW-22 Victory (5:48)
7. KelTec CP33 (6:56)
8. Ruger Mark IV (7:54)
Smith & Wesson Model 41 .22 LR Pistol Review
The S&W Model 41 is a classic American rimfire target pistol. Beautifully crafted, the Model 41 boasts a superb trigger, comfortable grip, and excellent accuracy. New or used, a Model 41 would be a fine addition to any firearms collection.
Browning Buck Mark Pistol Review
Among the most popular .22 LR pistols are the Browning Buck Mark series. Buck Marks are very accurate and very reliable. This rimfire pistol is available in a variety of models starting at under $350.00. Reliable, accurate, and well-crafted, a good Buck Mark will serve you for a lifetime. The tester for the Sootch00 Channel says the “Browning Buck Mark UDX 22 [is] one of the highest quality production .22 LR pistols on the market.” This in-depth, 19-minute Sootch00 Channel review has been viewed over 560,000 times.
SIG P322 Comp Review by 22Plinkster
If you are looking for a well-crafted, .22 LR pistol for action pistol competitions, the SIG Sauer P322 Comp is an option you should definitely consider. The new .22 LR rimfire P322 Comp offers excellent ergonomics and 20+1 capacity, making it good for cross-training and fun rimfire shooting. Note how fast 22Plinkster can hit multiple targets with this new brake-equipped pistol. He observed: “The trigger is really nice and you just want to run it fast”. No question this rimfire pistol would be fun to shoot on steel targets.
Though it may look like a striker-fired pistol, the SIG P322 is a hammer-fired, single-action-only design (the hammer is enclosed by the rear of the slide). The P322 is blow-back operated with a fixed (non-tilting) 4″ barrel. This helps contribute to excellent accuracy and reliability.
S&W Victory Vs. Ruger Mark IV Pistol Shoot-Off
In this video, popular YouTube host 22Plinkster tests two rimfire pistols — the Smith & Wesson Victory and Ruger Mark IV. He favored the grips on the Ruger while preferring the S&W’s trigger. He felt the Ruger’s iron sights were best for precision work, but he noted that the green dot fiber optic sights on the S&W Victory worked better for speed work.
FN 502 .22 LR Tactical Pistol Review
The FN 502 is a modern, hammer-fired design with an optics-ready slide. The barrel is threaded for a suppressor. In this video, popular YouTube gun reviewer Colion Noir tests a FN 502 with suppressor. He was impressed, stating: “This is the best tactical .22 LR handgun I’ve ever shot.”
Are you looking to get started in PRS and NRL practical precision rifle competition? Or perhaps you’d like to advance your skill set so you can place higher in big matches (and get your hands on those prize table items)? Of course there is no substitute for trigger time in the field, but there ARE some great print resources. These four books can help you select the right equipment, improve your shooting skills, make better wind calls, increase your fitness, and develop a more efficient between-match training program.
1. Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals
Frank Galli, $26.03 Paperback, $15.99 Kindle
Frank Galli (aka “LowLight”) is the founder/head honcho of SnipersHide.com, the most active tactical community on the internet. Galli is also a retired USMC scout-sniper. Practical Precision Rifle shooting is one of the hottest trends in competitive shooting today. PRS and NRL matches draw big turn-outs and boast impressive prize tables. Galli’s Precision Rifle Marksmanship (#ad) book covers the fundamentals of precision marksmanship with easy-to-understand methodology. The book uses the same instruction process that Galli uses in his live marksmanship classes.
As Sniper’s Hide guru Frank Galli explains, there is no voodoo when it comes to precision rifle marksmanship, but there are techniques that, when practiced, make the difference between good marksmanship and great marksmanship. Understanding the reasons that a bullet hits or doesn’t hit its intended target at ultra-long distances is a crucial element to learning. Galli’s explanations of how to understand and compensate for wind speed and direction are excellent — Galli offers great wind-reading advice.
Published in 2020, this 272-page well-illustrated book covers the latest equipment (scopes, LRFs, chassis systems, mags, bags, bipods, tripods) favored by tactical competitors in PRS/NRL type matches.
2. Long Range Shooting Handbook
Ryan Cleckner, $22.46 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook (#ad) is the best-selling modern book on practical rifle skills. A former U.S. Army sniper instructor, Cleckner is knowledgeable, and his text is well-organized and chock full of good information. You can view Sample Chapters on Amazon.com.
Ryan Cleckner’s highly-regarded Long Range Shooting Handbook is designed as an intro to important fundamental concepts such as MOA vs. Mils, External Ballistics, and Environmental Effects. Included are personal tips and advice based on Cleckner’s years of experience as a sniper instructor and special operations sniper.
The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. This book will benefit any long-range shooter, not just PRS/NRL competitors.
3. IMPACT! — Training and Preparing for Precision Rifle Matches
Rodney Maze, $14.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Impact!, by PRS competitor Rodney Maze, is an entry/intermediate level guide to preparing yourself and your equipment to compete in precision rifle type matches. It will also benefit anyone looking to learn about practical-style long range and precision shooting. We recommend you check it out for yourself — there are 20 Pages of free sample content(#ad) on Amazon. Topics covered include:
— Rifle, optic, and equipment selection
— Setting up your rifle, bags, tripods for PRS/NRL matches
— Understanding ballistics and how to record and use ballistic data
— Techniques for using holdovers for multi-target stages
— Gun skills, rapid fire techniques, clearing malfunctions
— Shooting off of barricades, and specialty stages
— Effects of wind and how to improve your wind calls
— Tips for live fire and dry fire practice
— Preparing yourself and your equipment for a match
— Mental strategies and techniques
Impact! is illustrated with plenty of photographs. Topics are divided logically, and concepts are explained in clear language. Also included is an extensive glossary of terms used in precision shooting and a list of additional resources you can use to further pursue your precision shooting knowledge. This book also includes a handy Appendix with formatted pages for recording data about your rifle, scope, and ammunition. There is also a Wind table for recording your rifle “dope” and wind hold-offs. Lastly, Impact! has a useful table of unit conversions.
4. Practical Shooter’s Guide
Marcus Blanchard, $19.99 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training) (#ad). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
This 50 Cal Days of Christmas video features some fantastic slow-motion footage of a Barrett .50 Caliber M82. This bad boy pumps out some serious muzzle flash. Watch carefully at the 1:05 mark and you can see the .50-caliber projectile exit the muzzle brake and spin through the ball of smoke and flame. For best viewing, you may want to change your video settings to 720p or 1080p High Definition and view full-screen (using the video controls).
The video carries “overkill” to the max, as the shooter uses his big Barrett to blast Christmas ornaments and a snow-globe. To top things off, at the 2:50 mark, the shooter fires the .50 cal at a pyro-equipped gingerbread house. (The gingerbread shot is taken from a standing hold no less!) The results (at 3:22) are impressive — gingerbread house becomes flaming gingerbread pudding.
Large rifle primers have been extremely hard to find lately, both regular and magnum type. Well folks, now you’re in luck. Powder Valley has received a large shipment of RUAG large rifle primers. RUAG Ammotec GmbH is a top-tier company that produces primers and ammunition in Germany.
Needless to say, these RUAG #5341 LR primers are very good, reliable primers. These primers are priced at $112.99 per thousand, with a limit of two boxes (2000 primers total) per customer. Yes, that’s expensive, but if you can’t find Large Rifle Primers elsewhere this may be a vital source.
RUAG Ammotec GmBH is a subsidiary of RUAG Holding, a large Swiss company specializing in aerospace engineering and the defense industry. RUAG is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland and also has numerous production sites in Switzerland and Germany. RUAG Holding also owns and operates Norma Precision.
Need some interesting reading material for this upcoming Holiday weekend? Check out the FREE digital editions of Shooting Industry Magazine. Along with reports on new products, Shooting Industry features reports on important trends in the shooting sports world. Below we’ve included quick links to the four most recent Shooting Industry editions. These four monthly magazines can be read online for free. Also, as they are in PDF format you can easily print all or part of these monthly magazines.
If you want to review other, older monthly editions, CLICK HERE to access the Shooting Industry Digital Archives page with links for all 2022 and 2023 monthly issues.
2024 New Product Showcase in December 2023 Edition
The latest digital edition of Shooting Industry Magazine features the first segment of SI’s comprehensive New Product Showcase. This 14-page article, starting on Page 58, showcases dozens of recently-introduced rifles, handguns, optics, and shooting accessories. NOTE: Some of these products debuted in mid-year 2023 so, technically, they may not be “new for 2024″, but they are still relatively recent product releases. You can also see the NEW Product Showcase PART One on the main Shooting Industry website with a mobile-friendly format. CLICK HERE.
Short Range Zero Article in December 2023 Edition
On page 48 of the December Shooting Industry magazine, an interesting article explains how to zero firearms at 25 yards in a manner which provides an effective 100-yard zero. This procedure allows you to zero a match or hunting rifle indoors in the off-season when an outdoor range is not available (or covered with snow). CLICK HERE to read article (scroll down to page 48). CLICK HERE for Mobile-Friendly version.
What anti-corrosion products really fight rust effectively? You’ll hear many opinions, but what do actual field tests reveal? One rifle shooter, who posts on YouTube as BlueonGoldZ, wanted to separate myth (and marketing claims) from reality, so he completed his own long-term rust test using metal samples. First he used ordinary tap water spray, and then he did a second, longer-duration test with a salt-spray solution. Nine different products were tested: Break Free CLP, Corrosion-X, Frog Lube, M-Pro 7, Outers, Pro-Shot Zero Friction, Rem Oil, Slip 2000, and Tetra Gun Triple Action CLP.
BlueonGoldZ initially examined each product for its “beading” properties with a normal tap water spray. But the main test involved many multiple weeks of exposure after a “dense” salt-water spray. (No rust formed after two weeks tap water exposure, so the test was accelerated with salt-water exposure).
The clear winners in the test, as shown by the screen shot above, were Corrosion-X (Best), and Frog-Lube (Second Best). The photo shows the test samples two weeks after being sprayed with salt water. The results are pretty dramatic — you can see with your own eyes what happened. We think this is a very useful bit of real-world research.
Results from Similar Long-Term Salt Exposure Test
Unfortunately, BlueonGoldZ’s test did NOT include Eezox, which we have found to be extremely effective (on a par with Corrosion-X). In another long-term test of corrosion preventatives, the two best rust fighters were Eezox and Corrosion-X in that order. Since that test was completed, Corrosion-X, already an excellent product, has been enhanced. CLICK HERE for Long-Term Salt Exposure Test Report.
Want to upgrade your reloading equipment with significantly discounted presses and tools? Or maybe you need a last-minute Xmas gift for a shooting buddy. We found some cool bargains on equipment and accessories plus a great .22 LR ammo deal. Typically there are 14-30% savings on these gift selections, but some are discounted much more. That will help your holiday dollars stretch farther this year.
10 GREAT HOLIDAY Season Bargains for Shooters and Reloaders
CLICK each photo to access product sale page.
BONUS — More Gift Ideas for Gun Aficionados
If you want more suggestions for affordable gifts for your shooting buddies or family members who enjoy hunting and target shooting, here is a video that can provide some inspiration for the holidays:
Forum member Erik Cortina has produced a series of YouTube videos about reloading hardware and precision hand-loading. Here we feature Erik’s video review of the Forster Co-Ax® reloading press. The red-framed Co-Ax is unique in both design and operation. It boasts dual guide rods and a central handle. You don’t screw in dies — you slide the die lock ring into a slot. This allows dies to float during operation.
Erik does a good job of demonstrating the Co-Ax’s unique features. At 1:00 he shows how to slide the dies into the press. It’s slick and easy. At the two-minute mark, Erik shows how sliding jaws clasp the case rim (rather than a conventional shell-holder). The jaws close as the ram is raised, then open as it is lowered. This makes it easy to place and remove your cases.
At the 5:20 mark, Erik shows how spent primers run straight down into a capture cup. This smart system helps keep your press and bench area clean of primer debris and residues.
While many Co-Ax users prime their cases by hand, the Co-Ax can prime cases very reliably. The priming station is on top of the press. Erik demonstrates the priming operation starting at 4:20.
Smart Accessories for the Co-Ax from Inline Fabrications
Forum member Kevin Thomas also owns a Co-Ax press, which he has hot-rodded with accessories from Inline Fabrication. Kevin tells us: “Check out the add-ons available from Inline Fabrication for the Co-Ax. I recently picked up a riser mount and a set of linkages for mine and love the results. The linkages are curved. When you replace the original straight links with these, the work area opens up substantially and the the press becomes much easier to feed.” CLICK HERE for Co-Ax Accessories.
Inline Fabrications Forster Co-Ax Accessories
Forster Co-Ax Curved Side Linkage (For Better Access)