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April 30th, 2014
 Alliant Techsystems (ATK or Alliant) is merging its aerospace/defense operations with Virginia-based Orbital Sciences. At the same time, ATK plans to spin off its sporting arms, ammo, and outdoor gear operations into a separate, stand-alone business. ATK sells sporting products under numerous brands including Alliant Powder, Blackhawk, Bushnell, CCI, Champion, Federal Premium, RCBS, Savage Arms, Speer, and Weaver Optics. The new Alliant sporting business will operate from Utah, while the merged Orbital-ATK aerospace business will be managed from Virginia.
According to the Washington Post: “The separation of ATK’s core segments gives it the opportunity to focus on its sporting goods sector, which has grown to a $2.2 billion business through several mergers and acquisitions over the past decade. The company manufactures commercial sporting equipment for hunters, shooters and law enforcement agencies.”
 The announced merger of Alliant and Orbital, and the spin-off of the sporting business, should benefit Alliant shareholders. Alliant shares rose 8% yesterday. Alliant shareholders will own 53.8% of the new Orbital-ATK aerospace company, and Alliant shareholders will retain full ownership of the new spin-off sporting enterprise. Alliant’s current CEO and president, Mark DeYoung, will take over as chairman and CEO of the new sporting business.
Will the new Alliant Sporting operation continue to grow? Analysts believe that it will. Management has shown interest in building the company via more sporting industry acquisitions. Analysts believe the Alliant sporting division is poised for continued expansion. While Alliant’s aerospace operations have suffered in recent years from cuts in defense spending, the sporting division has seen impressive revenue growth.
According to StarTribune.com: “The sporting unit’s rocket-like growth has captured the attention of Wall Street analysts. Barclays Capital analyst Carter Copeland recently boosted his forecast on Alliant, noting that “over time … the sporting group has made a more significant portion of the total company’s sales and earnings. … The last seven quarters the business has posted average organic growth on a year-over-year basis of 23 percent.”
For those in the shooting community, the spin-off of ATK’s sporting operations is probably a good thing. The new company can focus on guns, ammo, and outdoor accessories, rather than aerospace programs with long development cycles. Likewise the new company should be more responsive to consumers, as it can adjust production to current market demands, rather than fixed government defense contracts. ATK officials stated that “the company’s Sporting and Aerospace/Defense businesses operate in two fundamentally different markets with very different operating dynamics, compliance requirements, customer sets and growth opportunities. As standalone companies, they will be more focused businesses, with clear and distinct strategic visions and objectives, additional operational flexibility and the financial strength to make the most of their unique opportunities in their respective industries.”
Under the terms of the transaction agreement, ATK will distribute ownership of Sporting to ATK shareholders in a spin-off transaction, following which, ATK shareholders will own 100 percent of Sporting. The spin-off will be immediately followed by a merger of Orbital with a subsidiary of ATK, with Orbital surviving the merger and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of ATK. In connection with the merger, Orbital shareholders will receive 0.449 shares of ATK common stock for each share of Orbital common stock that they hold. Upon the closing of the merger, ATK shareholders will own approximately 53.8 percent of the combined company on a fully diluted basis and Orbital shareholders will own the remaining approximately 46.2 percent of the combined company on a fully diluted basis.
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September 6th, 2013
 It’s official — ATK is acquiring Bushnell — for a whopping $985 million. ATK (Alliant Techsystems) has executed a definitive agreement to acquire Bushnell Group Holdings, Inc., a leading maker of branded sports optics, outdoor accessories, and eyewear. In addition to rifle scopes, Bushnell makes rangefinders, binoculars, spotting scopes, GPS units, sunglasses, and more. Bushnell sells a myriad of other products for outdoorsmen through its brands Simmons, Tasco, Millet, Butler Creek, Bollé, Serengeti, Hoppe’s, Night Optics, Primos, Stoney Point, Hoppe’s, and Uncle Mike’s.
Under the terms of the transaction, ATK will pay $985 million in cash, subject to customary post-closing adjustments. Bushnell’s projected sales for calendar 2013 are approximately $600 million. ATK will finance the acquisition through a combination of $900 million of secured financing, borrowings under its existing revolving credit facility, and cash on hand. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. ATK anticipates closing the transaction in the third or fourth quarter of its Fiscal Year 2014.
Mark DeYoung, ATK President and CEO states: “This [Bushnell] acquisition will broaden our existing capabilities in the commercial shooting sports and expand our portfolio of branded shooting sports products. In addition, this transaction will allow the company to effectively enter new sporting markets in golf, snow skiing and camping.”
Bushnell markets 19 outdoor brands in sports optics, outdoor accessories and performance eyewear, including the Bushnell brand and other notable brands such as Primos, Bollé, Hoppe’s, Uncle Mike’s, Butler Creek, and Serengeti. Founded in 1948, Bushnell is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas and employs approximately 1,100 workers worldwide.
Bushnell Will Become Part of ATK’s Sporting Group of Companies
ATK will integrate Bushnell into its Sporting Group within its existing accessories business. ATK Sporting Group’s ammunition brands include Federal Premium, CCI, Fusion, Speer, Estate Cartridge and Blazer. ATK’s accessories brands include Alliant Powder, RCBS, Weaver Optics, BLACKHAWK!, Champion, Outers, and Gunslick Pro. In June 2013, ATK acquired Savage Sports Corporation, adding centerfire and rimfire rifles, shotguns and shooting range systems used for hunting, competitive and recreational shooting to its product offering.
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August 19th, 2013
Bushnell Outdoor Products has launched a new optics family designed especially for AR-platform rifles. The new AR Optics product line from Bushnell includes six new riflescopes that range in configuration from a 1-4x24mm scope for close target acquisition to a 4.5-18x 40mm scope designed for extended range shooting. The AR Optics series scopes all feature fast-focus eyepieces, and large-diameter, target=style turrets. Side parallax control is included, except the for the lower-power 1-4X models.
One nice feature of Bushnell’s AR line of optics are caliber-specific reticle options. With three bullet-drop compensation (BDC) reticles available in the AR Optics line: DropZone-22, DropZone-223 and BTR-1, the scopes are designed for ease of use and quick target acquisition. The Bushnell AR scope offerings boast fully multi-coated optics in durable one-piece tubes. Bushnell claims that its AR-line scopes are waterproof and fogproof.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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August 6th, 2013
 ATK (Alliant Techsystems Inc.), already a giant conglomerate, may soon get even bigger. Reuters reports that ATK “is in advanced talks to buy Bushnell Outdoor Products Inc. in a deal that could value the gun accessory maker at around $1 billion[.]” In addition to scopes, Bushnell makes rangefinders, binoculars, GPS units. Bushnell sells a myriad of other products for outdoorsmen through its brands Butler Creek, Hoppe’s, Millett, Night Optics, Primos, Simmons, Stoney Point, Tasco and Uncle Mike’s.
According to Reuter’s sources, ATK is engaged in high-level negotiations with MidOcean Partners, a holding company that currently controls Bushnell. Reuters cautioned that “a deal has not yet been finalized and negotiations could still fall apart”.
If the Bushnell deal goes through, this will be the second major acquisition for ATK in the past few months. In May 2013, ATK paid $315 million for Caliber Company, the parent company of Savage Sports Corporation which runs Savage Arms and Stevens. Savage is being integrated into ATK’s Sporting Group business which includes Federal Premium, Alliant Powder, CCI, RCBS, Speer, Weaver Optics, Champion Targets, and other outdoor sports brands.
ATK is also a major defense contractor, producing ammunition, weapons systems, aerospace products and much more. Currently valued at $3.1 Billion, ATK has been a top performer on Wall Street recently. ATK shares have more than doubled in the past 12 months, outpacing most stocks, even in a rapidly rising overall market. ATK shares were trading at $97.53 today, compared to $47.24 one year ago.
Bushnell was founded in 1948. The company makes scopes, binoculars, GPS units, laser rangefinders, GameCams, eyewear, and other outdoor gear. Bushnell is the parent of many other outdoor product brands, including: Bollé, Butler Creek, Final Approach, Hoppe’s, Millett, Night Optics, Primos, Serengeti, Simmons, Stoney Point, Tasco, and Uncle Mike’s. Last year the Bushnell group of companies had $100 million in earnings before taxes, interest, and depreciation.
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July 20th, 2013
 Bushnell Outdoor Products has introduced a new compact, roof prism spotting scope. The new Bushnell Elite Tactical 8-40x60mm Lightweight Modular Spotting Scope (LMSS) features a rubber-armored housing, ED Glass, and an optional (extra cost) H32 ranging reticle. A Picatinny rail is supplied that fits to the bottom of the LMSS.
The Elite Tactical 8-40x 60mm LMSS features ED Prime glass, BAK-4 prisms and fully multi-coated optics. The LMSS is available in both a standard (clear view) model or with the Horus Vision H32 reticle, a highly-regarded ranging reticle. With a minimum 8X magnification, and a maximum of 40 power, the LMSS is extremely versatile.
Sheathed in rubber armor, the LMSS spotting scope is fog-proof and meets IPX7 waterproof standards. It also features the water-repellant RainGuard HD lens coating, a patented Bushnell technology that we have found works very well.
The spotting scope includes a detachable picatinny rail, giving users the ability to quickly and easily mount the spotter to a firearm or tripod system. The Elite Tactical 8-40x 60mm LMSS is available for an estimated retail price of $1699.99 or $2,199.99 with the Horus H32 reticle.
Bushnell Bulletproof 100% Money-Back Guarantee
Every product in the Elite Tactical series is covered by the Bushnell limited lifetime warranty. The entire product line is also backed with the new one-year, no-risk Bushnell Bulletproof Guarantee. The 100% money-back guarantee is valid up until one year from date of purchase.
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May 11th, 2013
 As a Father’s Day Promotion, Bushnell is offering rebates on Trophy XLT and H20 full-size binoculars and a GPS tracker for hikers/hunters. CLICK HERE to learn more about these “Deals for Dad” which are valid from today (May 11, 2013) through June 16, 2013.
Promo found by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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April 9th, 2013
Some times nice guys do finish first. Our buddy Vu Pham, co-founder of the NorCal Practical Precision Rifle Club (NCPPRC) took top honors in the NCPPRC monthly tactical long range match on the 1000 yard range at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center. Shooting his .260 Remington in a McMillan A5 stock, built by Spartan Rifles, topped with a Bushnell 4-30x50mm from CS Tactical, Vu beat a competitive field on a breezy day that saw the top 6 shooters separated by only 15 points. The Course of Fire had 27 of the 50 rounds shot from 800 to 1000 yards, where the fast-switching winds at 1000 yards were the deciding factor in the outcome. Vu tells us: “This LR Match win has eluded me for seven years now with these guys. I’ve been in the top five quite a few times, but never took home the win. Our matches are so close these days that it usually comes down to one or two bad trigger presses or ‘blown’ wind calls to separate the Top 10 shooters.”
NCPPRC long range tactical matches are held the first Sunday of each month, and are open to anyone 18 or older. No membership in any organization is required. Registration is at Range 12 of the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center from 07:30 to 08:30 in the morning. Cost is $25. To learn more about the match visit the NCPPRC Long Range Match webpage.
New Bushnell 4.5-30x50mm Tactical Scope
Vu Pham was running an all-new Bushnell front focal plane 4.5-30x50mm XRS scope with an amazing 6.7 times zoom range. This 34mm-tube scope features Bushnell’s G2 DMR Reticle. For a scope offering 30X magnification, is it compact at 14″ OAL (only 3/4″ longer than the HDMR). The elevation turret provides 10 mils per revolution with a zero stop. The scope sells for $2149.00 at CS Tactical.
Vu liked the new Bushnell scope and, obviously, it performed well for him. Vu tells us: “I believe this optic just hit the market… and is still pretty new. After having a few days behind the Bushnell XRS 4.5-30, I believe this optic will be a very viable option for the tactical precision rifle game. One of my favorite features of this scope is the mil-based G2DMR reticle. It makes holding over (and holding for windage) fast and easy. I will be doing a full test and evaluation in the next week or two after I get more time behind the optic.” Mike Cecil with CS Tactical provided the scope for this T&E.” Mike notes: “This is not the 4-30 tactical that’s listed as an XRS in the Bushnell online catalog — that’s a 30mm in the 6500 series line. This 34mm-tube XRS is a whole new animal!”
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March 2nd, 2013
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Got a billion dollars burning a hole in your pocket? Bushnell Outdoor Products (Bushnell) is up for sale according to Reuters. Bushnell, which has annual revenues of $450 million, is going to be sold off by its current owners, MidOcean Partners (private equity firm). Reuters reports that Kansas-based Bushnell could be sold lock, stock and barrel in a billion-dollar deal. The potential buyer(s) have not been revealed.
Bushnell was founded in 1948. The company makes scopes, binoculars, GPS units, laser rangefinders, GameCams, eyewear, and other outdoor gear. Bushnell is the parent of many other outdoor product brands, including: Bollé, Butler Creek, Final Approach, Hoppe’s, Millett, Night Optics, Primos, Serengeti, Simmons, Stoney Point, Tasco, and Uncle Mike’s. Last year the Bushnell group of companies had $100 million in earnings before taxes, interest, and depreciation. |
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August 11th, 2012
Bushnell is now offering rebates on popular rifle scopes and spotting scope. Through this “Bushnell Bonanza” promo, you can save up to $75.00 on Elite, Legend Ultra HD, or Trophy XLT Riflescopes and Spotting Scopes. An Elite would be a choice for an affordable optic for your hunting or varminting rifle. Bushnell’s Elite series of scopes are pretty darn good for the price, and Bushnell offers a ‘Bullet-Proof’ money-back gaurantee — if you don’t like the scope, send it back, and Bushnell will refund 100% of the purchase price. Can’t argue with that.
To get your rebate, you must purchase a qualifying product before the end of October. Then you must complete a REBATE FORM and mail it (along with Sales Receipt, and Package Barcode tag) back to Bushnell before 11/15/2012.
Promo Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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January 6th, 2012
 Bushnell Outdoor Products has expanded its “Bulletproof Guarantee” to include several lines of binoculars, riflescopes and spotting scopes and its entire line of hunting laser rangefinders. This now provides a “no-risk”, one-year, money-back guarantee for these Bushnell products.
Originally introduced with the Legend Ultra HD binocular product line in 2011, Bushnell’s “Bulletproof Guarantee” provides that if customers were not completely satisfied with the product, the company would buy it back, no questions asked, for up to one year from the original date of purchase.
For 2012, Bushnell’s Bulletproof Guarantee now covers the Elite, Excursion EX, Legacy WP, Legend Ultra HD and Trophy XLT families of binoculars; Elite, Legend Ultra HD and Trophy XLT families of riflescopes and spotting scopes; and all hunting laser rangefinders.
Additional Limited Lifetime Warranty on Many Products
In addition to the “Bulletproof Guarantee”, the majority of Bushnell sports optics products are covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Bushnell guarantees those products to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the original owner. Exceptions to this Limited Lifetime Warranty, mostly electronic products and red-dot type optics, are listed on the Bushnell Warranty Page.
To learn more about Bushnell Outdoor Products and its complete line of sports optics and outdoor technology, visit www.Bushnell.com or call 1-800-423-3537.
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December 13th, 2011
Here’s a great December Deal from Webyshops.com. Right now, until supplies run out, Webyshops is offering Bushnell’s Elite 3200 5-15×40 AO Riflescope (item 325154T), for just $349.00 — that’s one hundred bucks cheaper than Webyshops’ regular low price. This is a very popular scope and Webyshops’ #2 top seller. It has excellent glass.
The Bushnell Elite 3200 5-15×40 AO Riflescope is a quality hunting and target scope. It’s also great for rimfire guns because the front adjustable objective can focus all the way down to 10 yards. The Elite 3200 5-15×40 features Target Turrets with 1/4-MOA clicks, Mildot reticle, 1″-diameter maintube, and it ships with a sunshade. Stated elevation range is 50 MOA (so you may need an angled base for 1000-yard shooting). The scope is NOT a Front Focal Plane, so the ranging capabilities of the Mildot Reticle are limited to one magnification.
Here’s a review from a recent purchaser: “Great scope for the money. This is my 6th Bushnell Elite Scope, and the glass is as clear as more expensive scopes. The impressive thing about this scope is that the parallax can be adjusted down to 10 yards…between that and the target turrets, it was an easy decision to buy it for my CZ 452 American.” — Sam H., Pennsylvania
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September 17th, 2011
 Bushnell recently released its new Fusion 1600 ARC range-finding binoculars. With a “low street price” under $799.00, Bushnell’s 1600 ARC binoculars are less than one third the price of Leica Geovids (10×42, $2399.00) or Zeiss Victory RF Binoculars (10×45, $2,799.00).
That huge price advantage makes the Fusion very tempting — but can Bushnell’s 1600 ARC binos perform as advertised?
Forum Member Reviews Fusion 1600 ARC
Forum Member Stan (aka BigBamBoom) acquired the Fusion 1600 ARC RF binoculars and has posted a video review. Stan was favorably impressed with the quality of the glass and the exterior ruggedness of the unit. He was able to range very large objects (water-tower, trees) beyond 1200 yards. He also praised the speed of the unit, saying it ranged faster than his Leica CRF 1200. Consider however, that the very small CRF1200 is harder to aim precisely, simply because it is so small and light and held in a vertical orientation. Most people can aim the larger, heavier LRFs with more steadiness using a normal two-handed horizontal grip. In the real world, if you can hold the LRF more steady, you can get a true range on a small object more quickly.
Don’t Expect to Range a WhiteTail at 1600 yards
We also caution that, in our Laser rangefinder comparison tests, we learned that there is BIG difference between ranging a water tower, and ranging a deer-sized animal. We found that some units that could range a water tower at 1300+ yards could NOT reliably range an actual deer (stuffed by taxidermist) at 700 yards. Note that Bushnell lists three different effective ranging distances for the Fusion 1600, and Bushnell claims only 500-yard effectiveness on deer-sized objects. This is fairly consistent with our LRF comparison tests:
Bushnell Fusion 1600 ARC Ranging Ability (Factory Specs)
- Reflective Ranging Performance: 1600 yards
- Tree Ranging Performance: 1000 yards
- Deer Ranging Performance: 500 yards
It can be fun to range buildings at a mile, but for the hunter, that may not have much practical utility. You want to be able to range deer-sized game at all practical distances. For the tactical shooter, you need a narrowly focused beam (with minimal beam divergence) that can range a gong or metallic silhouette reliably at 1000 yards. If an LRF can’t do that, it may not be all that useful, even if it the sales price is attractive.
Fusion 1600 ARC Features
The 10×42 roof prism binoculars feature built-in battery life indicator, twist-up eye pieces, and multi-coated optics with RainGuard. The Fusion 1600 is fully waterproof and submersible, meeting IPX7 “waterproof” specification. As Stan observed, the Fusion 1600 has good glass, and the red readouts are easy to see. Bushnell employs Vivid Display Technology™ (with four display brightness settings) to enhance display readability in all lighting conditions.
The built-in laser rangefinder features ARC (Angle Range Compensating) technology, which calculates the angle to the target (-90 to +90 degrees). ARC also and gives the hold-over range for the rifle shooter, and true horizontal distance for bow hunters. We like the fact that you can choose between Inches and MOA for holdover. There is a brush mode for measuring distances in heavy cover and a bullseye mode for ranging in open areas. The brush mode can filter out false returns from closer objects. This IS a useful feature that actually does work.
The Fusion 1600 ARC laser rangefinder binoculars come with battery, neck-strap, and carrying case. MSRP is $899.00. It pays to shop around as we’ve seen advertised prices from $789.00 to $899.00. For more info, visit www.bushnell.com or call 800-423-3537 for consumer inquiries.
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