The Hog Blog

The other day I posted up a short bit on Montana’s “test balloon” proposal to ban lead shot for upland and migratory birds on all state-owned wildlife management areas.  The idea went over with the MT hunting community, appropriately enough, like a lead balloon. 

Anthony Canales, who some of you may recognize from past lead ammo discussions, has been working with the NRA and others to present a solid, scientific challenge to the lead-ban proponents.  For some reason, every time he posts to this blog he gets blocked, but Canales does still send me the occasional email to let me know what’s going on.  Apparently, the NRA has been actively (pro-actively?) involved in the MT conversation as well.  I thought his latest email was worth sharing:

Dear Mr. Loughlin,

Regarding your posting on the Montana FWP’s proposal for a requirement to use “nontoxic” shot while hunting upland game on the state’s Wildlife Management Areas-

1) NRA has been running a hunter and shooter alert on the issue for the past 2 weeks, encouraging hunters and shooters to write in to the “Surveymonkey” website entry form. In the past week our state MC’s started adding their “nonresident-hunter’s 2 cents worth” to that website, plus to various state FWP officials and their FWP Commission. The link we were also sending to Governor Schweitzer was included, but it apparently got “turned off” during the campaign.

You can see the contact information at my blog posting at:

http://tinyurl.com/yf6e3ga
I personally have been a nonresident deer and upland game hunter in Montana for a number of years now, and many California activists I work with own property, or hunt, in Montana.

2) I have spoken personally with Ms. McKee of the Billings Gazette, and who I believe is also the author of the Missoula paper article. She said her source on the California origin of a lead shot ban was some gunshop sales person in Montana who attributed the ban to California, and that it was a total ban to boot.

I explained that it was a regional ban, and only applicable to centerfire and rimfire under the various regs noted under AB 821 and DFG regs. I explained to her about the failure of the birdshot ban proposal in California, and passed on some science information we used and introduced into the public record during the comment periods and F&G Commission hearings last summer.

3) While your comments on “hunters coming together and providing a united front” being the reason why AB 821 was not defeated, I believe that it lacks the context as to which position would predominate as towards a united approach.

Some folks were agreeable as to concessions to prohibit lead. Other folks were knowledgeable as to the true status of the proposed alternatives. These are issues that you and I have discussed forcefully in emails, and to a degree have apparently “agreed to disagree” on for now.

As long as there is evidence of scientific mis-statement at the best, and knowing scientific misconduct at the worst on this issue, I cannot but say to you that I strenuously must disagree with a lead ammunition ban by political concession.

Please be assured that the information we placed in the public record is not the entire record on potential scientific misconduct on this matter.

Just a note to folks who may not have been around for some of the exchanges between myself and Mr. Canales…  our primary point of contention was not over whether or not there should be a lead ban (we both oppose it), but over the approaches and strategies being pursued. 

Mr. Canales also takes a more optimistic point of view that, by continuing to apply pressure and scientific proof, the CA lead ban will be overturned.  While I certainly would love to see that happen, and I support the efforts to that end; I have very little hope that it will come to fruition. I believe that the time and effort is better spent moving forward, and stopping the ban from spreading… both in CA and out. 

Fortunately, as you can see in the email, those goals are not mutually exclusive.

Some great stuff seems to be coming out of the running ethics discussions, as well as the spin-offs (intentional or not) from the two posts by Thinking Hunter, Galen Geer, in which he first describes the ethics problem and considers holding a “symposium” for discussion, and then goes into some thoughts about an approach to the hunter’s ethics problem. 

Arthur has put up a couple of good posts on his Simply Outdoors site, including this one.  Chad Love, the Mallard of Discontent, takes a run at it in his surly post about the SHOT Show and the proliferation of high-tech gadgetry.  And finally (in my list, not necessarily in order of appearance or relevance), there’s Eric Nuse’s considered response on his Fair Chase Hunting blog.  (I know this is a lot of links, but if you’re interested in the topic or conversation, it’s worthwhile.  Honest.  Otherwise, Holly, the NorCal Cazadora has mentioned setting up a new blog to collect these threads in a single location… great idea for a way to utilize our spare time.)

It is the comments on Eric’s blog that spurred my return to the topic, particularly those from someone named Shaun.  Shaun’s posts hold tight to what I consider the traditional argument for hunting ethics… that without a certain ethical ideal, what we’re doing is not really “hunting”, but simply killing.  I can understand that perspective, and even agree with it to a point.  But it also smacks of that elitist attitude that fails to take into consideration that every individual has their own set of values, and their own motivations for hunting. 

Is the person who hunts a high fence with a rifle a lesser hunter than the man who hunts the far outback with nothing more than a bow? And if so, isn’t the man who hunts with a rifle a lesser hunter than the one who hunts with a bow… or the man who hunts with a compound bow a lesser hunter than the one who hunts with a traditional bow?

Why, exactly? Because they don’t live up to your standard? 

I don’t know why people can’t see the endless, downward spiral of this desire to define someone else’s experience based on their own values.  Once you start, it doesn’t end… it can’t end once it’s started: 

• A fence isn’t “hunting”. 
• A scoped, high-powered rifle isn’t “hunting”. 
• A compound bow isn’t “hunting”. 
• Any missile weapon isn’t “hunting”. 

It’s a rhetorical trap.  At some point, you have to recognize that there’s no such thing as “fair chase”… and short of running them down by foot and biting their heads off, every tool or weapon we use gives us “unfair advantage”.  That’s the point of inventing tools.

Shaun says hunting really is the “natural outdoor experience in pursuit of a game animal.” 

Help me out here.  What is “natural”?  What is “fair” when it comes to predators killing prey?  Is it somehow supposed to be based on the uncertainty of the kill… The level of effort required? 

I have known hunters to enter a high fence and leave again empty-handed. In one of the posts that started all of this, Galen Geer describes exactly such an experience.

I have a place I hunt where I am surrounded by over 200,000 acres of unfenced, wild lands.  Beyond that is more open land, eventually bounded on one side by the Pacific Ocean, on two sides by urban areas (Bakersfield and Los Angeles), and on the other side by the Mojave desert.  Yet on this place, I have a spot where I know that I can walk less than one mile two hours before sunset, wait an hour or so, and kill a wild hog.  It’s the closest thing to a sure thing that I’ve ever seen.  Even so, I’ll hit this spot at least a couple times per year, because I know that I can count on it.  When it comes down to it, I’m there to kill a hog.  If I simply want a walk in the woods, I can do that much cheaper and closer to home. 

Is that any different than hunting under a feeder where I know the animals will usually appear within five minutes of the whirring motor?  Why?  And if that’s not wrong, then why is it wrong to hunt in a fence with the same expectation of success?  Does hunting that spot lessen my experience or my enjoyment of that experience? 

A bigger question… If, for whatever reason, I can’t hunt according to the standard set by people like Shaun, should I simply forego hunting altogether?  I appreciate the fervor, but it simply doesn’t apply across the board.  Motivations vary.  Abilities vary.  Values vary. 

Hunt and live according to your personal ethic, but it’s a dangerous road to project your own values onto others… especially if your best rationale is some arbitrary concept of what the hunting experience should entail. 

That doesn’t mean, however, that we shouldn’t promote our own ideas of hunting ethics… nor that, should we choose to take the challenge, we don’t strive to elevate our own ethics. 

We should definitely throw our ideas on the table, dissect them, and see where it leads.  That’s why I got involved with this conversation, and why I am encouraging others to take it on as well.  The discussion is good and valuable, even if it’s primarily academic.  I’m just still not convinced that there’s a defined right or wrong answer to the questions.  Let’s keep it civil and keep it going.

From the While I Was Out files…  stuff that slipped through the cracks while I was here at the 2010 SHOT Show.

First of all, got this great photo in an email from my friend Matt, who some of you may recognize as De Hog Shootinest Gent’man.  I don’t think Matt ever stops hunting or killing hogs, but I think winter is his special time of year.  I’m a touch envious of his access to some prime hog hunting… and the fact that it’s close enough for him to roll out and hit it when the mood strikes. 

Nevertheless, he’s taken another really nice tusker as you can see here.  Congrats, Matt!  Keep at ‘em!

In other news, so to speak, Montana is the latest state to face new restrictions on lead ammunition.  I don’t know what I’d do without the Outdoor Pressroom, which is where I found the link to this article in the Missoula, MT Missoulian newspaper. 

You can read it yourself, but it looks like the MT Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has floated a proposal to ban lead shot for upland and migratory birds on all of the state’s 72 wildlife management areas.  So far, it looks like the Department is just checking the water.

There’s nothing to suggest lead shot poses any risk to those or any other upland game bird species, Aasheim [Ron Aasheim, a spokesman for the MT DFWP] said. Montana’s tentative ban was proposed only to be “consistent” with the federal ban and other lead shot bans on certain tribal lands.

“We’ve got restrictions on using lead shot for waterfowl, and do we take the next step on the wildlife management areas?” he said.

Aasheim also stressed that the ban was very tentative and proposed more like a “trial balloon” to see where Montanans stood on the issue. There are no “biological reasons” to ban lead shot on the areas, but people simply may not like it, Aasheim said and commissioners want to know about it.

The majority of hunters interviewed in the piece are pretty strongly opposed, of course.  That was no surprise.  The thing I didn’t like to read is that the folks in MT are seeing lead ammo bans into a “California thing.”  It is NOT a geographical issue… it’s a very real topic that will continue to come up all over the country.  CA hunters and shooters missed their best opportunity to block the ban here, because they didn’t come together and form a united front.  Hunters need to pay attention and learn from the mistakes made in CA, or they’ll be repeated every time.  But that’s enough preaching for now.

One last thing, and this actually relates to the 2010 SHOT Show.  I was remiss in not reporting that Dave Petzal, of Field and Stream was the recipient of this year’s Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator Award.  I’ve often referenced Petzal’s blog, the Gun Nut, and I’ve always enjoyed his writing in the magazine as well.  It’s much-deserved recognition, and I offer my congratulations to Mr. Petzal. 

Well, my flight leaves in a little while.  I need to finish packing and get out of this crazy town.  Vegas is fun… for a little while, but it’s no place to be flying solo (particularly not given my age and relationship status).  I’m looking forward to being home.

Well, it’s done.  The 2010 SHOT Show is in the bag, and nothing left but to break down, pack up, and head for home… or, as is the case for many of the exhibitors and media folks, on to the next show.  Winter is show season in this industry. 

According to the NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation - the organization behind the SHOT Show), there were approximately 58,444 attendees at this year’s show.  That’s a shade short of the record set in 2008, but not too shabby,  Of those attendees, 1,804 were members of the media (like myself), there to get that first look at new products.  With 1,633 exhibitors on a show floor covering over 700,000 square feet of display space, there were plenty of products to look at.  So many, in fact, that just like every year, I found myself falling short of all of my objectives.  There simply wasn’t time to get to everything. 

So what was the big story of 2010? 

In my eyes, if I boiled this show down to one thing, it would be tactical (law enforcement and military) gear.  Yeah, not only “black rifles” which were overly abundant, but almost any and every product seemed to have a “tactical” version, from optics to flashlights… even sportswear, such as t-shirts and casual clothing.  There were even tactical vehicles, including a couple of SWAT vehicles and an armored SUV. 

With the exception of Browning, I honestly don’t think there’s a single, major, US gunmaker who hasn’t brought an entry into the AR platform over the past couple of years.  Even some of the custom gunmakers are building ARs, including Christensen Arms and Wild West Guns! 

Just for a couple of examples, Remington displayed their entire line of law enforcement and tactical weapons, but they have also expanded their line of civilian ARs, the Model R-15.  This one actually got my attention too, since they’ve chambered this rifle in the .450 Bushmaster.  This rifle pushes a 260 grain bullet down range with devastating force.  If they offered the ammo in lead-free, I think it might even tempt me to enter the ranks of AR owners. 

Speaking of entering the ranks, I saw several rifles designed for that entry-level audience.  Chambered in .22lr, Heckler & Koch, Sturm Ruger, and several other companies are building AR look-alikes.  Most of the promotional materials accompanying these rifles (at least for the civilian market) emphasize young shooters.  It’s a good approach too, I must admit, because youngsters probably are more likely to be interested in shooting if they get to use the coolest, military-styled rifles. 

From the overwhelming number of AR-styled rifles on the market today, it’s pretty clear to me that I’m going to need to get proficient in these weapons.  That was driven home this morning when a parts manufacturer was showing me an innovative new accessory for an AR-15 and I wasn’t really even clear on the basic operation of the bolt and action.  Time to go back to school? 

Tactical, and tactical-style design isn’t just being applied to rifles.  Shotguns are also showing a decidedly “black” look these days.  While tactical and riot shotguns aren’t really new, you know someone is going to come up with something to challenge our preconceptions.  Stoeger has done exactly that, with their Double Defense shotgun.  The Double Defense takes the classic “coach gun” (a short, double-barrel shotgun, so named because it was commonly used to defend stagecoaches… hence the term, “riding shotgun”) and turns it into a whole new animal. 

 To begin with, they’ve ported the 20″ barrels, which should help to dissipate the recoil of heavy, defense loads.  They also provide a Picatinny rail, to accomodate various optics, lasers, or light systems.  The gun is finished in a tough-looking matte-black, to further the image of a no-nonsense, home defense weapon.  Personally, I think this is reaching a bit, especially with all the excellent defense shotguns already on the market… but hey, who am I to say?  I have no doubt there will be a good market for this thing. 

On the topic of defensive shotguns, by the way, we can’t forget about ammo.  There are already a wide variety of special-purpose shotgun slugs and loads for law enforcement and the military.  Many of these are not available for civilian use.  But Winchester Ammunition has released the PDX1 12, Personal Protection Ammunition in 12 ga.  These rounds incorporate three pellets of 00 buckshot, nested on top of a one ounce slug.  The idea is that the buckshot spread out around the slug, offering a margin of error for rushed aim (as you might expect in a defensive situation).  I shot some of these things at the Media Range Day on Monday, and they’re pretty intense.  It looks like it packs one heck of a punch, and at 15 yards the spread was almost exactly the size of a human torso.  Bad news, bad guy! 

One other item of note, for now, and then I’ve got to do some packing for the trip home tomorrow. 

Along with all the ARs, shotguns, knives, and other what-not, I was pretty amazed at the preponderance of .50 BMG, long-range rifles.  Once the domain of companies like Barrett, these things seem to be coming out of the woodwork… in one area of the show floor, I could have sworn that there was one on every other table!   

I’m not sure what the rise of the AR means to the industry, or the future of shooting.  I know there’s no doubt that the more hard-headed “traditionalists” are going to have to make room in their little worlds for these weapons.  It’s here and now, and griping about it from either an aesthetic or functional perspective simply isn’t going to change it.

I’m also pretty sure this is going to continue to drive a rift between gun-owners and the people who fear or do not understand guns or their owners.  It’ll be an ongoing battle, and I can only hope that efforts toward education continue as they have been.  Almost every popular hunting rifle is descended in some way from a combat rifle… whether lever action, bolt, semi-auto, or even rolling block.  The superficial appearance of a gun does NOT make it any more dangerous than the less malevolent-looking ones we’ve been using for decades.  We just need to focus on passing that message along.

I’ve got a lot more stuff to write about now that this show is wrapped up.  Over the coming months I’ll be reviewing some of the gear and gadgets I learned about in the past four days.  As always, my reviews will be honest and as critical as necessary to make the primary points… is this a piece of equipment you need, something that you might like to have, or a poorly designed or executed idea?

I can’t remember if it was my first or second visit to the SHOT Show when someone from a little, cable network called “The Outdoor Channel” handed me a couple of passes to a special event, honoring the top hunting and outdoors television programs.  The network was still pretty fresh in a new, but rapidly growing market, and I really didn’t know much about them.  It seemed like a great opportunity to see what these folks were all about, and to get a look inside the fledgeling Hook-and-Bullet television phenomenon.

That party was my introduction to the Golden Moose Awards.  I remember laughing in my Budweiser at the name of the award and at the idea of a “Golden Globes” for hunting and fishing TV.  I can’t remember how many awards, or categories there were at that event, but I did recognize the start of something that was going to be huge.  Since then, the industry, the network, and the Golden Moose Awards have grown exponentially… and it became one of the hot tickets at the annual SHOT Show. 

In addition to the rewards ceremony, the event offered top-name entertainers (usually Country music).  Two years ago, in Vegas, a surprise appearance by rocker/hunter Ted Nugent brought the program to a whole new level of popularity.  By last year, the event had become so large and so popular that the organizers began to limit attendees to people directly related to the shows and the network.  Unaffiliated writers like myself were no longer able to attend. 

Last night. however, I was able to swing a highly coveted pass to the 10th annual, Golden Moose Awards program here in Las Vegas.  Michael Waddell emceed the event at the Hard Rock Casino (and sponsored by Budweiser), announcing the categories and winners with classic, good-ol’ boy humor.  There were 20 categories, including five “Fan Favorite” selections (fans voted via a poll on the Outdoor Channel website).  The the Duck Commander team was a big winner in several categories.   The categories, nominees and winners are:

•  Best Overall Production | Winner: Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures
  Nominees: Benelli Presents Duck Commander, Hunt Masters, Bone Collector, Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures, The Crush with Lee & Tiffany, The Best of the West, Bow Madness , Leupold’s Big Game Profiles, On Your Own Adventures , Whitetail Freaks
• Best Big Game | Winner: Bone Collector
  Nominees: Hunt Masters, Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures, The Crush with Lee & Tiffany , On Your Own Adventures, Realtree Roadtrips, Limbsaver’s Addicted to the Outdoors, In Pursuit with Greg Miller, Ultimate Hunting, Bone Collector, Biologic & Drury’s Wildlife Obsession
• Best Fishing | Winner: Bill Dance Saltwater
  Nominees: Penn’s Big Water Adventures, Classic Patterns, The Crush with Lee & Tiffany, The Jackie Bushman Show, Bill Dance Saltwater
• Best Bird Hunting | Winner: Benelli Presents Duck Commander
  Nominees: Benelli Presents Duck Commander, Outdoors 10 Best, Pheasants Forever, Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild, Benelli’s American Bird Hunter
• Best Turkey | Winner: Realtree Road Trips
  Nominees: Bone Collector, On Your Own Adventures, Realtree Road Trips, Muzzy’s Bad to the Bone, The Choice
• Best Conservation | Winner: Beyond the Hunt
  Nominees: Pheasants Forever, Beyond the Hunt, Knight & Hale’s Ultimate Hunting, Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures, Leupold Big Game Profiles
• Best Educational / Instructional | Winner: Bass Pro Shops Next Generation
  Nominees: Bass Pro Shops Next Generation, The Best of the West, Gold Fever, On Your Own Adventures, In Pursuit with Greg Miller
• Best Videography | Winner: Benelli Presents Duck Commander
  Nominees: Benelli Presents Duck Commander, Bone Collector, Limbsaver’s Addicted to the Outdoors, The Crush with Lee & Tiffany, The Stihl Dogs N Logs World Championship, Hunt Masters, Destination Polaris, Tracks Across Africa
• Best Sound Design | Winner: Hunt Masters
  Nominees: The Best of the West, Whitetail Freaks, Hunt Masters, Benelli’s American Safari, The Crush with Lee & Tiffany
• Best Graphics | Winner: (Tied for 1st) Hunt Masters & Bass Pro Shops Next Generation
  Nominees: Bone Collector, Hunt Masters, She’s Beyond the Lodge, Bass Pro Shops Next Generation, Full Frame
• Best Commercial | Winner: Benelli – “Vinci”
  Nominees: Benelli – “Vinci,” The Best of the West – “Gunwerks LR-1000,” Duck Commander – “Carry-Lite Decoys,” Knight & Hale – “Pack Rack Tease,” Remington
• Best Blooper / Outtake | Winner: Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures
  Nominees: Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures, Inside Outdoors TV, Limbsaver’s Addicted to the Outdoors, The Jackie Bushman Show, Realtree Roadtrips
• Fan Favorite Best Overall | Winner: Benelli Presents Duck Commander
• Fan Favorite Best New Series | Winner: (Tied for 1st) Benelli Presents Duck Commander & Bone Collector
• Fan Favorite Best Hunting | Winner: Benelli Presents Duck Commander
• Fan Favorite Best Fishing | Winner: Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Fishing
• Fan Favorite Best Host | Winner: Lee and Tiffany Lakosky for The Crush
• Golden Moose Honorary Award – Outdoor Adventure | Winner: Savage Wild
• Golden Moose Honorary Award – Off Road | Winner: Destination Polaris
• Golden Moose Honorary Award – Shooting Sports | Winner: Impossible Shots

Ted Nugent headlined the entertainment, and at risk of selling it short, all I can say is that there aren’t many entertainers who generate energy like Nugent.  You’d never guess the man is almost 62 years old, as he belted out his trademark gonzo jams with a drive and passion that would exhaust most 20 year old rockers.  The setlist was largely derived from his classics, including hits like Wango Tango, Stranglehold, and Great White Buffalo. 

It was easy to see why this program has become such a high-demand event every year. 

As far as yesterday’s show, I didn’t get to a lot of booths.  T. Michael Riddle was at the show all day, and I spent a good bit of time with him and his team as he provided interviews to various members of the press and media.  Riddle is taking his operation to a larger audience, and by all accounts he’ll be getting some great exposure.   Look for big things coming to Native Hunt soon. 

Last night ran a little long, so I’m late heading out for this final day of the Show.  There are still several topics I’ll be exploring, so hang tight and I’ll be back with more gear reviews and industry news this evening.

I know it’s late folks, and I apologize.  I was simply brain dead by the time I got back to my room this evening.  It took a little dinner, a tasty beverage or two, and a little roulette (I lost…duh) to get my head back in the game.  So here I am…

Despite the fact that the crowds seem to have grown even more packed today, it was a fairly productive day at the 2010 SHOT Show.  In addition to getting some insight into a handful of great products, I also made some good contacts that might lead to a couple of new writing opportunities for me.  It was also quite gratifying to find that several of the folks I talked to were familiar with The Hog Blog. 

As I was sitting in the Press Room this morning, meeting some new folks and listening to conversations, Kevin Howard of Howard Communications popped by and asked if I was attending the Bushnell Press Conference.  I guess I missed the release, and didn’t have it on my calendar… but I quickly remedied that.  Among other things I was interested in learning about, I wanted to see more about the DOA Scope. 

At the conference, I certainly got what I was looking for, but then I got a bonus.  Bushnell has completely redesigned and re-introduced their range-finding binocular.  They are producing the unit initially in a 10×42mm configuration, and I have to say, I think they got it right this time! 

Several years ago, I bought one of the early versions of the rangefinding binocular… sold then as a Yardage Pro.  The unit was quite clunky and heavy.  The glass wasn’t terribly bad, but the way the binocular was designed really made it a little difficult to use.  Instead of a hinged body, like a normal binocular, the Yardage Pro was actually built in a single body.   Adjustments for eye width were made by moving the actual eye cups.  While they worked OK for me, several other people couldn’t work with them at all. 

The new version, sold as the Fusion, is a true binocular, with two tubes attached on a hinge so they are completely adjustable.  They’ve also shaved a few ounces off, so the unit weighs in now at about 31 ounces.  This isn’t exactly featherweight, but it’s still a savings considering that it combines two useful tools into a single package. 

The glass on the Fusion is also on the higher end of Bushnell’s product line… comparable to the Elite line of binoculars.  I didn’t get a chance to use them outdoors, but flashing around the big meeting room, the clarity and definition were pretty impressive.  I’m hoping I’ll be able to get my hands on a set of these for review later this year (no press samples are currently available). 

The Fusion is designed to provide accurate range readings from 10 to 1600 yards.  Now I know 1600 yards is a LONG ways for any laser rangefinder, but I know it’s possible.  This is something I’d have to experience in person before I could say if it’s just hype or if it’s real… but that’s really irrelevant.  At ranges over 500-1000 yards, a rangefinder isn’t going to mean that much to an average hunter.  We’re not likely to shoot that far anyway.

Bushnell has also incorporated their “ARC” (Angle Range Compensating) technology, so they will figure out the actual range for shots at any angle from +90 degrees to -90 (straight up/straight down).  You can set the unit for bow or rifle hunting.  In rifle mode, they’ve taken it even one step further.  The unit calculates for bullet drop, and you can set it to compensate based on your rifle’s zero (for 100, 200, or 300 yard zero). 

These guys have even changed the display from the LED to what they call “Vivid Display”.  LED readouts tended to block the shooter’s view.  The Vivid Display actually projects the range information into the field of view so it doesn’t really obscure the target.  You can set the brightness of the display so it’s nice and sharp from bright daylight to low light conditions.  It looked really clear and sharp in the trial unit, although there’s a lot of info in that display.  It’s something I’d have to work with a little bit to get completely used to.

The Bushnell Fusion will retail in the range of $899.  This is less than half the price of the nearest competition… the Leica GeoVid (which I currently own and like a lot)… and less than one third the MSRP of the Zeiss rangefinding binocular. 

Like I said, I really hope I can get one of these guys to try out in the field.  I think it’s going to be a great addition to the market, at a price that’s a little more realistic for “real” hunters. 

I’m also hoping to get a chance to put one of the DOA scopes on my .270, and put it through the paces as well.  Like I mentioned Monday, I’ve become something of a convert to the ballistic compensating scopes, and I’d love the opportunity to put it to work on a big ol’ boar hog. 

From Bushnell to Leupold… with many stops in between. Read the rest of this entry »

Let me start this off with a short, relatively pointless rant. 

For the first time, the Las Vegas SHOT Show is not at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  Instead, they’re running it at the Sands Convention Center.  No biggie, right?  The Sands knows how to put on a big show.  They can handle this. 

But lord have mercy, this is nuts!  The layout is insane.  It took me a half hour just to find the pressroom, and even longer to find the first vendor I wanted to speak to.  The exhibit halls are scattered around on three floors, with some set off in side rooms that I don’t think I’d ever have found if  hadn’t been so lost in the first place.  In short, it really sucks.  It could probably be improved with better signage, and some better communication of the logic behind the layout and placement.  Hopefully they’ll get it together, because it looks like we’re here again next year, and possibly afterward.

OK… that’s out of my system for now.  The upside?  The place was PACKED!  Any concerns I may have had about turnout after the range day were put aside as it was literally shoulder to shoulder just to get down the main hall. 

So what did I learn today?  What new things did I see, or hear about?  I’ll beg off with an excuse… I spent so much time and energy just trying to find my way around, I wasn’t able to implement a plan of attack.  Instead, I ended up pretty much wandering aimlessly, just looking at stuff.   

I did get a couple of pretty cool ideas.  For one, there are some innovative ideas in gun safes.  Since my own safe sort of runs over, I’ve been thinking about how to replace it.  I didn’t go to the show to focus on gun safes, but after seeing what some folks are doing out there, I was pretty impressed. 

The first thing I saw was a new safe from Pendleton Safes.  Inside, instead of the standard rows of racks, Pendleton installs a “lazy susan” rotating rack.  If you have a bunch of guns, you simply spin it to the one you want and go!  My safe is a cluttered mess right now, and to access some of my guns I have to pull several others out of the way. 

There’s another potential solution to my own problem, that may not require the purchase of a whole new safe.  Gun Storage Solutions makes a really innovative set of rods that attach to the roof of your safe with velcro (provided in the kit).  You put the rod down the muzzle of each gun, then stack them neatly in the safe.  This utilizes all of the open space, instead of just lining the guns up along the back and sides.  I’d seen this on TV commercials a time or two, but seeing it in person really sold me on the idea. 

I also noticed several new compact gun safes.  I currently own a GunVault, which holds two handguns in a safe, secure place.  I really like that these safes allow you to store guns (or valuables) in convenient places, without taking up all the space of a bigger safe. 

Most of the compact safes I looked at today were fairly similar.  Some are biometric, while others use the old-fashioned numeric code.  I think I’ll look more into these this week. 

I’m pretty whupped right about now, and haven’t even eaten dinner.  I hope this holds everyone for the evening… I’ll try to have a more focused approach tomorrow, and possibly more updates from the pressroom during the day.

But was it the weather or the economy?

If there was a question ringing in my head at the media shoots today, it wasn’t about the number of AR-styled hunting rifles, or the relative dearth of proprietary cartridges and calibers.  It was about the perceived lack of exhibitors. 

Now, granted, the weather was fairly abysmal today.  A chilly rain greeted us as we rolled out to begin the shooting, and at a couple of points it became a relative downpour (relative to the fact that we were in the Nevada desert).  Weather reports had been echoing the threat of serious rain for several days in the area.  When the rain lifted, a biting wind kicked up… at one point so strong that I had to hold my Stetson on with one hand while I was shooting.  It wasn’t a good day to set up and manage a shooting booth.

I participated in two shoot events today.  The first, organized by Howard Communications, the firm representing Browning/Winchester firearms, Bushnell Optics, and several others.  This event is generally fairly contained, and really, with the exception of the shotgun range (which wasn’t covered), things seemed pretty much normal.  The rifle line was about as well represented as usual.  However, new offerings generally seemed a little shy, besides a slight expansion of Browning’s X-bolt offerings and some new ammo from Winchester.

So what about ammo?  I’ll offer more on this in a later, more focused post, but for now suffice it to say that the biggest news for me was the release of a new lead-free bullet in the .22 centerfires… the Ballistic Silvertip LF.  It’s an extremely devastating, fragmenting round.  Of course, on the firing line it’s pretty tough to get a good idea of accuracy (you can’t check your targets… there are no target check periods), but I was rocking bowling pins at 200 yards. 

The other news, or non-news if you prefer, is that Winchester may have finally resolved the issues with their .22lr, lead-free bullets.  I had the chance to shoot a few of them in the fairly new, T-bolt rifle.  We were shooting at spinners at 25 yards, and they seemed pretty consistent. I’m still hoping to get some of these to try out before the year is out.  No word from Winchester on a .17hmr yet. 

Back to the shoots…

The second shoot is organized by Bass Pro Shops.  Typically, this shoot features the majority of gun and ammo makers who aren’t represented at the Howard Communications shoot.  Ordinarily, I’ll see booths for Ruger, Savage, Sako, and many others, along with muzzleloaders.  Beretta is usually there with a large selection of shotguns.  But this time, things really seemed slimmed down.  There were a few tactical weapons booths from companies like Steyr, Sig-Sauer, and the like, but when it came to “traditional” hunting rifles and shotguns, there simply wasn’t much to see.  Where was everybody?

I raised the question a couple of times to some of the exhibitors, but I didn’t really get any solid answers.  Many thought it was due to the cold, rainy weather.  But I wonder how much impact the fallen economy had to do with it. 

I didn’t spend too much time pondering, though… it was more of a background thought while I had a blast (literally) with the exhibitors who were there.

The highlight of the show was actually something I must have missed last year (how I missed it, I have no idea).  I popped in to check out the Federal Ammo booth, hoping to hear more about their lead-free loads.  For the record, they’re currently sticking with Barnes for bullets, and their non-toxic shot offerings seem to be headlined by the Black Cloud and Prairie Cloud shotshells.  They also offer a “softer-than-lead”,  high-density, non-tox shotload, which should be great for waterfowlers who, like me, shoot older scatterguns.  But that wasn’t it…

The thing that really tripped my trigger was the discovery of the CCI, TNT Green ammo for the .17hmr!  That’s right folks… maybe some of you already knew about this, but it was a revelation to me!  Finally, I can use my .17 in the Condor Zone again!  Not only that, but I shot this ammo at 100 yards, with a pretty good wind blowing, and was still able to spin the reactive targets with every shot.   

In addition to the .17hmr, they also have a lead-free .22lr!  This one comes with a caveat…  they call it a “short range” load, and that’s for a reason.  The super-light (21 gr) bullets tend to lose accuracy rapidly as they pass the 50 yard mark.  CCI labels these as “plinking and target” loads, but at close range they seem like they’d be OK for small stuff, like ground squirrels, rats, or starlings.  I hope to find out fairly soon, since they gave me a box of each to try out. 

The only drawback to this new ammo, as I learned from one of the marketing team, is that it’s practically impossible to make enough of these rounds to keep up with demand.  As I mentioned, the .17hmr has been on the market since last year, but I have yet to see it on any shelves.  If you can find it, grab it up.  Otherwise, you may have to put it on backorder and be patient. 

I’ll be delving deeper into the lead-free ammo options later this week. 

One other thing got my attention today.  I’ve been hearing a lot about these “range-compensating” scopes… you know, the ones with multiple reticules that are supposed to represent different distances.  In theory, once you’ve zeroed in, you can just find your target at a known range, and then put the appropriate reticule on it and make the shot.  I’ll be honest and say that I’ve never put much stock in this technology.  I figured it as another gimmick, but I think I got my comeuppance today. 

First of all, I had the chance to shoot the new Bushnell DOA scope.  The deal was, you were supposed to shoot at three targets, from 100, 200, and 300 yards.  If you could hit all three, you put your card in a box for a drawing to win one of these scopes.  What the heck, right?  I know I can shoot 100 and 200 yards, and feel fairly confident on targets at 300… even with my regular scopes. 

I sat down at the bench and made one, two, three good shots… and then tried my luck on a swinging bowling pin at 400 yards.  The 15-20 knot wind carried my shot a few inches to the right, but the elevation was perfect.  All I had to do was select the corresponding line in the scope, and align the crosshairs.  It was amazingly simple! 

My next opportunity was with the Nikon BDC on the new Ithaca M-37 slug guns (I really like these slug guns too… although they’re a little heavy).  Once I found out that the scopes were zeroed at 50 yards instead of 100, I was able to actually shoot bullseye accuracy with a 12 ga slug!  Again, all I had to do was align the proper crosshair. 

But the real deal-closer was with Zeiss’s new scope (I’ll have to get more info on this scope later).  Once I adjusted for the solid 25 knot crosswind (the reticule is marked in 10mph increments), I was able to centerpunch a steel target at 900 yards on my second shot with this rifle.   And this wasn’t using some crazy-hot, mega-magnum round…  I was shooting nothing more phenomenal than the old .308 Winchester.  And yeah, this scope was mounted on a kick-ass Blaser rifle, which accounts for the accuracy… but it was the perfect performance of the scope that blew my mind. 

Just goes to show that sometimes I really need to set aside my pre-conceived notions about some of the gadgets on today’s hunting and shooting market.  I’ll try to keep that in mind as I roll out to the first full day of the actual Show tomorrow morning.  The halls should be full of gadgets, geegaws, and gimmicks.

Until then…

Well, here we are!  It’s 0545 in lovely Las Vegas, and I’m gearing up for the first event of the 2010 SHOT (Shooting Hunting, and Outdoor Trades) Show. 

That’s right… 0545!  It’s not all fun and games in Las Vegas, and from some of the folks I was watching last night, it’s gonna be even less fun for them this morning.  But the bus leaves for the Media Day at the Range at 0730, and if you miss it… well, it’s a long drive!  And I think most of us who participate in this part of the Show generally agree… this is one of the highlights of the week.

I’ll be posting updates as I can… at the very least, I’ll try to get something on line every night.  There are computers available in the Media Room as well, so I’ll also do occasional “live on the scene” posts. 

In the meantime, I need to go find some coffee, get my camera and hearing protection organized, and get this show on the road!

I dunno how this is going to work, especially since I haven’t even bounced the idea off of anyone involved… but here goes.  Galen, over at The Thinking Hunter has truly lived up to the spirit of his site and started some conversations that have several hunters thinking.  The topic revolves around two things… first, the question of whether we should re-evaluate the concept and definition of “Free Chase”, and then what that definition might look like.  He’s got some great points, and he’s also elicited some pretty good replies from participants, including Holly (NorCal Cazadora),  Arthur (Simply Outdoors), and T. Michael Riddle (Native Hunts).   Because the topic is so complex, and not really suited to short replies (such as you’d get in the Comments section), I thought it better to devote a post on the blog to it.  Maybe other bloggers can respond the same way, and maybe form this into a sort of roundtable discussion? 

In order for this to work properly, and to maintain context, I’ll provide a link to the originating blog post.  You should read it first, or you won’t necessarily see where I’m coming from.  If we continue this discussion as a roundtable, each blogger who responds can do the same thing… starting the post off with a link to the previous posts.  So here goes:

Galen’s last post discusses a likely evolution of the hunting ethic, and how ethics seem to be applied on a “conditional basis” in modern sport hunting.  Read his post first.

I’ve tried pretty hard to come up with a comprehensive and coherent response to this line of discussion, but it’s not easy to do in this medium.  This is the kind of thing that’s best done across a table, maybe with a crackling fire and a glass of whiskey close at hand… not tapped out on a keyboard on a forum designed for short attention-spans and instant gratification.  Sitting here, surrounded by the demands of work, family, and a beautiful day outside, it’s tough to string together an unbroken train of ideas.  I’ll have a go at it, but no promises that it’ll make my point… or even make sense.  At the very least, I expect there’ll be some logical gaps. 

Galen, I think you’ve presented some pretty intriguing (and insightful) ideas, even if I think they get a little romantic.  That doesn’t mean I completely disagree with the idea that the hunt, at least on an individual level, often holds much deeper meaning than the simple collection of meat or skins.  That much is beyond debate.  But what does that symbolism and the subsequent idea of a hunting “ethic” really have to do with modern sport hunting?   Read the rest of this entry »