The good folks at Kelbly’s have announced a great October sales promotion. If you buy a March scope — any March scope in stock — you’ll earn a $300.00 credit that can be used to purchase any other products Kelbly’s sells. That includes rings, reloading gear, bullets, and many more items you’ll find at www.Kelbly.com.
Jim Kelbly explains how this works:
“For the month of October only, buy a March Scope in stock and get $300.00 of credit towards Kelbly’s products and the Kelbly’s store. Kelbly’s now carries a number of reloading products and bullets. The credit can be used same day as scope purchase to get scope rings or anything else we sell. This sale is for any March Scope in stock. With over 150 scopes in stock there is a great selection of scopes. If you would like to see a inventory of scopes just email us and we will send [that] to you. If you have any questions just email or call. NOTE: Scopes will only be sold to U.S. citizens and shipped to U.S. addresses.”
For more information, email jim[at]kelbly.com or call (330) 683-4674 and ask about the October Promo.
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.
Ever wish you could see the image from your riflescope on a large bright screen, and record your shooting experience when shooting targets or hunting? Well, here’s a new product that offers that functionality. The iScope is a handy adapter that connects a smartphone to your rifle scope — virtually any scope. You can see your target and cross-hairs easily without squinting and with your head in a comfortable position. Importantly, the image from the scope can be seen easily from a few feet away, allowing an instructor to provide guidance during the shooting process.
Jeff Foxworthy iScope Promo Video
(Install, App Launch, and Zoom at 1:10)
To use the iScope, you need a $0.99 App that allows you to zoom the image with a slider on your smartphone. This app also operates the Record on/off function, so you can record video clips. These can later be uploaded to YouTube and social media sites. Show the world your great bughole group, or your successful game hunt.
Practical Advantage of Digital Viewing We think this product (or something like it) will be very valuable during training. The large view-screen allows instructors to “see what the shooter sees”, so the trainer can provide immediate feedback to the trainee. In addition, while practicing at long range, a shooter can record the position of wind-flags, or record mirage for later analysis. During a match, the iScope could be used by match directors to record shot placement, with a “shooter’s eye view”.
The iScope also offers obvious benefits for shooters with physical disabilities. Head positioning is critical with rifle optics — you must align your eye very precisely with a small circle of light (exit pupil) only a few millimeters in diameter. With a large viewscreen, a wheelchair-bound shooter can position himself comfortably and view the magnified scope image.
iScope Benefits
Shooting sessions can be recorded and reviewed later.
Digital Zoom allows greater magnification with low-power optics.
Shooters with eye problems can see target and cross-hairs more easily.
iScope helps Shooters with physical disabilities.
The iScope retails for about $110.00 ($99.00 on Amazon). All iScopes come prepackaged to fit the iPhone 4/4S or iPhone 5 at this time. However, you can purchase other backplates to fit popular Android OS smartphones from Motorola and Samsung. The iScope is versatile — it fits nearly all rifle scopes and there is an adapter for spotting scopes also.
With the advent of its new-for-2013 scope models, Nightforce is discontinuing some of its popular NXS scopes. Now you can save hundreds on the Nightforce 3.5-15x56mm NXS and 12-42x56mm NXS.
Since its introduction, the big 12-42 NXS has always been one of the most popular and successful long-range and target scopes, and now you can save big bucks. Eurooptic.com has dropped the price on the 12-42x56mm NXS (various reticles) from $1981 to $1700 — that’s a $281.00 savings*. Both .125-MOA-click and .250-MOA-click turret models are on sale. Likewise Eurooptic.com has just slashed the price on the 3.5-15x56mm NXS from $1862 to $1599 — a $263.00 savings. NOTE: These big discounts apply to in-stock inventory on discontinued models only. When the supply is gone, it’s gone.
To order, visit Eurooptic.com or call (570) 220-3159 and ask for Jason. Available inventory and reticle choices are shown on the website.
*C330 Model with NR-R2 reticle is $1750; C331 Model with NP-R1 reticle is $1800.
If you want a March scope, now’s a good time to buy. Jim Kelbly of Kelbly’s Inc. has announced that, during the month of April, “March Scopes are being reduced by 10% for any March Scope in inventory.”
Jim adds: “We have a number of March scopes in inventory and many of the most popular models are [in-stock now]. So give us a call here at Kelbly’s at 330-683-4674 if you would like to purchase a March Scope or check inventory.”
Remember — if you snooze, you lose. The folks at Kelbly’s expect the in-stock inventory of the most popular March scopes to sell out fast. NOTE: This 10% savings offer is limited to March scopes currently in-stock at Kelbly’s. Backordered items or units to be delivered in the future are not discounted.
For readers with marketing skills, here are two “Dream Job” opportunities in the gun industry. If you’ve ever wanted to be a video producer, the Hornady job opening should be exciting….
Hornady Creative Manager (Marketing Dept.)
First, the Hornady Marketing Department is looking to hire a Creative Manager. This position will be responsible for ad creation, copywriting, website design, as well as filming, producing, and editing company videos. This employee will manage creative projects including print advertising and web design projects. Importantly, the Creative Manager will develop and produce video projects from start to finish. This person must be capable of working well with production companies, ad agencies, and vendors. The Creative Manager will also be involved in new packaging design. CLICK HERE for full job description. Qualified applicants should contact the Hornady HR Department via email: hr [at] hornady.com .
Zeiss Marketing Manager (Hunting) Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, LLC needs a Marketing Manager for its hunting products, including riflescopes, binoculars, and laser rangefinders. This position, “Marketing Manager, Hunting”, reports to the Director of Marketing. Job duties include business development, public relations, and management of advertising campaigns. Zeiss states it is offering “a competitive salary & excellent benefits”. If you are interested and meet the qualifications listed below, email your resume (with salary requirements) to: zeissjobs [at] zeiss.com .
Marketing Manager (Hunting) for Zeiss Sports Optics, LLC
The Marketing Manager, Hunting serves as a leader in the management of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics’ growing product portfolio for premium hunting optics and is responsible for tasks that relate to brand and business development, product and company advertising, promotional activities and public relations. Key responsibilities include planning and executing marketing strategies, and providing support to achieve stated objectives regarding revenue, profitability and market share. Candidates should be skilled in all aspects of marketing including: project development, strategic planning, budgeting, research, advertising creation and management, public/media relations and copywriting. [This is an] exciting position available for a marketing professional with exceptional management, interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with technical staff, senior management and external partners.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business Administration required; MBA preferred.
5 years experience in marketing, communications or a brand management role.
Superior written and verbal communications skills.
Effective immediately, Leupold & Stevens, Inc. (“Leupold”) has appointed Jim Clark as Chairman of Leupold’s Board of Directors. In addition, Dr. Don R. Kania and Dennis Spindler were appointed as new Board Members. Jim Clark was appointed board chair following the retirement of Don Gobel, who served on Leupold’s board for 16 years, the last four as chairman. During Gobel’s tenure, Leupold’s gross sales more than doubled.
A sales and marketing expert, Jim Clark has 20+ years of executive experience for small and large corporations with a strong outdoor recreation focus. For many years he served as CEO of Yakima products. Clark has been involved in numerous outdoor organizations, and he has served on Leupold’s Board of Directors since 2007.
Dr. Kania has been appointed to the Leupold & Stevens board to fill the position vacated by Clark’s appointment. Dr. Kania is the president and chief executive officer of FEI Company, an Oregon-based manufacturer of electron and ion beam microscopes, and instruments used in nano-scale applications in many industries.
Dennis Spindler comes to Leupold after retiring from Big Rock Sports, where he was the senior vice president of purchasing and merchandising. Spindler provided key merchandising and purchasing leadership in his time at Big Rock, and during his tenure company sales more than doubled. He is widely known throughout the sports optics and fishing industries.
OpticsPlanet.com has a vast selection of riflescopes, spotting scopes, binoculars, red dot sights, and rangefinders. But OpticsPlanet sells much more than just optics. You’ll also find compasses, knives, flashlights, sunglasses, even hunting boots and outdoor clothing. And now you can get $35.00 off with any order of $300.00 or more. What’s more, OpticsPlanet provides FREE UPS Ground shipping to the contiguous 48 states on most orders over $29.95. To save on your OpticsPlanet.com order, use Coupon Code 69B8A7F during online check-out. (Some restrictions apply).
Steiner Binoculars Offer Good Value While you’re shopping Optics Planet, check out the Steiner Military Marine 8×30 Binoculars ($249.00) and 7×50 Marine Binoculars ($324.99). This Editor has used these binoculars on hunts and hikes, and they offer excellent performance for the price. Steiner binoculars, with their wide porro-prism design, may seem old-fashioned, but don’t let that put you off. At SHOT Show an executive of a competing optics maker told us: “The porro-prism offers great field of view and depth of field at 7-8X power. You can produce a better optic at a lower price with this porro-prism design. However, we don’t use the porro-prism in our binoculars because we think consumers prefer the narrow styling of roof prism [straight lens body] designs.”
If styling were not a controlling factor, you’d see more porro-prism binoculars. Experts says that porro-prism binoculars will produce a brighter image than roof-prism binoculars of the same magnification, objective size, and optical quality, because the roof-prism design employs silvered surfaces that reduce light transmission by 12% to 15%. Roof-prisms designs also require tighter alignment tolerances for their optical elements (collimation). This adds to their expense since the design requires the use of fixed elements that need to be set at a high degree of collimation at the factory.
Discount Code Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
As a last-minute “surprise”, MidwayUSA has added a selection of Leupold VX-I and VX-II riflescopes to its list of Black Friday Bargain items. You can now save from $50.00 to $100.00 off the normal price of these popular, lifetime-guaranteed hunting scopes. Here are some of the Leupold scopes on sale today through 11/28/2011:
Leupold VX-I Rifle Scope 3-9x50mm LR Duplex
Was $319.99, now $249.99 – Save $70.00
Leupold VX-I Rifle Scope 3-9x40mm Duplex
Was $229.99, now $179.99 – Save $50.00
Leupold VX-II Ultralight Scope 3-9x33mm LR Dplx
Was $379.99, now $279.99 – Save $100.00
Leupold VX-II Rifle Scope 6-18x40mm Adj. Obj. LRV Duplex
Was $529.99, now $449.99 – Save $80.00
Didn’t get ALL the gear you wanted for Christmas? WebyShops.com, an online optics vendor, is sponsoring a special sweepstakes with over $1000.00 in prizes. Entry into the contest is FREE — no purchase is necessary. The Grand Prize Winner will be awarded a $1000.00 shopping spree from Webyshops.com. Additionally, one in ten entrants will win one of these four prizes:
How to Enter Contest
It’s simple to enter the contest. No purchase is required, but you will be asked for your name and email address. (If you prefer NOT to provide an email, just stop here — that’s a contest entry requirement.)
Click the “LIKE” button at the top center of the page.
After the new page loads, Click ENTER at the bottom of the picture.
Complete the entry fields (name, email, hobby preference) and click ENTER.
The contest ends January 30th. The Grand Prize winner will be notified by email and his/her name will be posted on Webyshops’ Facebook Page on January 31, 2011. Additionally, one out of every 10 entrants will win a free gift. For more info, visit WebyShops.com, or call (800) 851-9321.
The good folks at Kelbly’s have announced a great October sales promotion. If you buy a March scope — any March scope in stock — you’ll earn a $300.00 credit that can be used to purchase any other products Kelbly’s sells. That includes rings, reloading gear, bullets, and many more items you’ll find at www.Kelbly.com.
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.
Ever wish you could see the image from your riflescope on a large bright screen, and record your shooting experience when shooting targets or hunting? Well, here’s a new product that offers that functionality. The 
We think this product (or something like it) will be very valuable during training. The large view-screen allows instructors to “see what the shooter sees”, so the trainer can provide immediate feedback to the trainee. In addition, while practicing at long range, a shooter can record the position of wind-flags, or record mirage for later analysis. During a match, the iScope could be used by match directors to record shot placement, with a “shooter’s eye view”.
Since its introduction, the big 12-42 NXS has always been one of the most popular and successful long-range and target scopes, and now you can save big bucks. 
If you want a March scope, now’s a good time to buy. Jim Kelbly of 
Hornady Creative Manager (Marketing Dept.)
Zeiss Marketing Manager (Hunting)
Effective immediately, Leupold & Stevens, Inc. (“Leupold”) has appointed Jim Clark as Chairman of Leupold’s Board of Directors. In addition, Dr. Don R. Kania and Dennis Spindler were appointed as new Board Members. Jim Clark was appointed board chair following the retirement of Don Gobel, who served on Leupold’s board for 16 years, the last four as chairman. During Gobel’s tenure, Leupold’s gross sales more than doubled.
While you’re shopping Optics Planet, check out the Steiner Military Marine 8×30 Binoculars ($249.00) and 7×50 Marine Binoculars ($324.99). This Editor has used these binoculars on hunts and hikes, and they offer excellent performance for the price. Steiner binoculars, with their wide porro-prism design, may seem old-fashioned, but don’t let that put you off. At SHOT Show an executive of a competing optics maker told us: “The porro-prism offers great field of view and depth of field at 7-8X power. You can produce a better optic at a lower price with this porro-prism design. However, we don’t use the porro-prism in our binoculars because we think consumers prefer the narrow styling of roof prism [straight lens body] designs.”
As a last-minute “surprise”, MidwayUSA has added a selection of 
Didn’t get ALL the gear you wanted for Christmas? 
