Trip to gun range provides new insights

MOSES LAKE - My wife, Garnet, and I begin planning to attend the four-day-long SHOT Show six month before arriving in Las Vegas. We make airline and hotel reservations and we prefer to fly on Alaska and stay at the Stratosphere.

Over the months leading up to the show we begin contacting various outdoor gear manufacturers. These people are anxious to show and explain their new products to members of the press. They also want to sell their products to large buyers and retailers, which is equally or even more important.

It is possible to walk up to a booth, which might be the size of a triple-wide mobile home or larger, and have the people working the booth be available to discuss the products. However, a better and smarter way to learn about new products is to schedule appointments.

This allows the manufacture's representatives to take their time explaining the finer points of a product and not be in a hurry. So we schedule appointments with Wenger, Hi Mountain Seasonings, Woolrich, Camp Chef and many others.

Some manufactures use a public relations firm to assist in reaching members of the press, during the SHOT Show and during the rest of the year. An example is Howard Communications who represents Birchwood Casey, Bushnell, Browning, Butler Creek, Danner, Hunter's Specialties, LaCrosse, Hoppe's, Mossy Oak, Winchester Repeating Arms and others.

Kevin Howard, President of the firm, uses a couple of ways to inform outdoor writers about the products he represents. One is the lure of lunch. He will send out an invitation by e-mail to all of the writers on his list a several months before the show begins.

"Save the date: Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, January 20, 2010 to attend the Annual Bushnell Outdoor Products 10 a.m. press conference at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV...details to follow," arrived in my e-mail on Sept. 30.

On Dec. 2 this arrived, "You are invited to the Annual Bushnell Outdoor Products Press Conference on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010 at 10 a.m. at the?Venetian?Lido Room Number 3004 at the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV."

Of course we attended and the room was full of members of the media, such as book authors, magazine and newspaper writers, photographers and television producers and hosts. We were served lunch and while we were eating, the introduction of new products began.

Jordan Vermillion, product director of sports optics discussed binoculars, Jeff Redding riflescopes, Darin Stephens trail cameras and another representative talked about the new BoreSnake, the Viper, by Hoppe's. Plus other products were introduced.

Indeed the products each had a new feature, which was an improvement. Binoculars and scopes might have a new coating providing better vision in the early morning and evenings.

The BoreSnake has been used for hunters for several years now, but the BoreSnake Viper provides 50 percent more scouring power and has a built in bore guide.

Another avenue used by Kevin Howard is a shoot at a local Las Vegas gun range. It is conducted the day before the beginning of the show, so as not to interfere. We show up at Mirage Hotel and Casino at 7:30 a.m. and board busses. During the 30-minute ride to the range, promotional videos are shown about the new products.

Upon arrival, we enter a large tent, again the size of triple-wide mobile home and receive a safety briefing, earplugs and shooting glasses. Then we are turned loose on the range.

Imagine 30 shooting stations, each with a different Browning, Winchester and a few other firearms. Next to the firearm is a case of ammunition. Attendees move from station to station at will, shooting as much or as little as they want. Yes it is a fun time and some of the men and women attending have a kid-in-a-candy-store look in their eyes.

This is a business venture also, as the new rifles, shotguns, pistols and ammunition are examined and tested and evaluated.

I walked past a 12-gauge shotgun with boxes of slug ammunition sitting to the right. The shotgun was sitting in a Caldwell Lead Sled. This piece of equipment is mainly used to reduce recoil of hard kicking rifles.

It has a front rest and a rear rest, but the butt of the gun is entirely inside a metal rest. Two 25-pound sacks of lead pellets sit in the sled area between the front and rear rest. The entire Lead Sled is connected.

"Why the Lead Sled at this range," I Asked.

"In years past, writers might fire one or two rounds, but they didn't care for the recoil," the representative said. "We bought several of these, so the writers will feel like shooting more ammunition for a better evaluation."

I have never tried the sled and have experienced the recoil of a shotgun slug, which isn't pleasant. This piece of equipment did indeed reduce the recoil allowing me to shoot 15 times at various targets without ending up with a sore shoulder.

At 11:30 lunch was served and there was much visiting with half a day completed.

Next week: Parties are part of the SHOT Show networking.