There has been some interesting news in the shooting/hunting industry since the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s annual Shot Show in January.
A major manufacturer of U.S military equipment is under attack for biblical verses etched on its optics; a well-known gun manufacturer has closed its doors; a well-known outdoor TV personality and one of the most popular shotgunners in the world was forced to cancel all of his 2010 exhibitions, due to health issues; an 1885 Winchester rifle that was sold in a benefit auction for $175,000; the introduction of a new and very competitively priced rangefinder; the highest ranked gunsmithing site on the Web announcing the launching of a mobile version of its Web site; and news on what www.HuntGeek.com can do to make your hunt more successful.
TRIJICON SCOPES
In January, an investigation by ABC News revealed that one of our military’s largest suppliers of shooting optics was etching coded references to New Testament passages on its Advanced Combat Optical Gunfights (ACOG), a contract that amounts to $660 million and 800,000 units. The ACOG has become an accepted standard, and there is one on each of the U.S. Marine Corps combat rifle. Trijicon has been including Bible verses on the ACOG since before the military chose the company.
The attack was initiated by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which called the Secretary of Defense, asking him to remove all Trijicon Optics from combat immediately because they were inflammatory to Muslims.
According to a Shooting Wire report, there was to be an evaluation of its contracts for AGOGs, but apparently an agreement was recently reached, and Trijicon will stop putting these references on the military optics. In addition, Trijicon will provide kits to remove the references from optics currently deployed in the field, but the company won’t stop inscribing consumer products with the biblical references.
CHARLES DALY GUNS
Since 1885, the Charles Daly name has been on guns imported to the United States. But recently, president Michael Kassnar of K.B.I., the current importer of Daly guns, announced that the company is going out of business. He did not expand on why, but added that this difficult decision was due to a multitude of events over the past five years.
In addition, Kassnar said that K.B.I. is negotiating with several companies that will perform after-sale service of Charles Daly firearms. Charles Daly owners should check www.charlesdalyforum.com, where further details will be posted.
TOM KNAPP ILL
Early this year, Tom Knapp, the world-class Benelli USA shotgun exhibition shooter and regular on the Benelli American Birdhunter TV show, was diagnosed with a serious lung disease which forced him to cancel all of his 2010 exhibitions. Knapp holds a world record for launching nine clay birds in the air at once and shooting and hitting all of them in two seconds before they reached the ground.
Steven McKelvain, vice president of marketing/communications, said that Benelli has no intention of severing ties with Knapp and intends to give him the time needed to recuperate fully from his illness so he can continue his legacy as the greatest exhibition shooter of our time.
A $175,000 RIFLE
A Winchester Model 1885, engraved by Baron Engraving, featuring Wild Sheep Foundation and USA Shooting logos, all in 24-karat gold, was auctioned at the Wild Sheep Foundation annual meeting in Colorado to benefit the American rifle, pistol and shotgun shooters for the 2012 Olympics.
It sold for $60,000, the first time. The winner donated it back to the auction, and the second winner also re-donated it as did the third winner and there was a fourth auction. But it wasn’t over yet. After the fifth auction, and the total amount was a record-breaking $175,000.
SIMMONS RANGEFINDER
A rangefinder is something every hunter should take afield with them, and Simmons optics, a part of Bushnell Outdoor Products, recently introduced its first laser, the LRF400. Featuring a range of five to 800 yards with the push of a button, the LRF400 will range a target with accuracy of plus/minus one yard. Other important features include 4x magnifications with an in-view liquid crystal display. It operates on a nine-volt battery. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $100-130. www.simmonsoptics.com
GEEKS AND HUNTING
This is not a contradiction of terms. The app-happy wizards at www.HuntGeek.com have turned cell phones into more than just a safe thing to have in the woods and on the water in case of an emergency.
App is a short term for an application program for performing a well-defined task. For more information on apps, have your kids show you; they’re experts. Here are some of the ideas that these camouflage lab coat geeks have available right now and others that are on the drawing board.
The newest is their App Shooting Hours, which will calculate to the minute when you can legally shoot, and it notifies you through the vibration mode of your phone. On the drawing board is a new GPS-oriented app that will mark trails, rublines and scrapes to take the guesswork out of chasing whitetails by exploiting GPS technology, not to mention get you out of the woods. And they have 13 more in the works.
If you have a hunting/fishing app idea, the Geeks would like to hear it. Smart ideas can become crafted apps, and strategic partnerships are born. E-mail them at [email protected], or call (309) 716-0434.
Categories: -Sports-
