The XL7 is a nice rifle, and has a new short-action brother, the XS7. Together with the Mossberg 4x4 and 100ATR rifles discussed later in this article, it may be perfectly poised to grab the market share that Savage seems to be leaving behind... meaning, the folks without deep pockets who look for good performance at affordable prices. I feel the Marlin XL7 delivers this.
I also fired a Remington M700 XHR ("Extreme Hunting Rifle") in 30-06. It's a funky-looking thing, with a couple angled flats machined into the barrel, but it shot well.
On the first morning of the SHOT Show, the first thing I did when I got to the Show floor was head for the Randolph Engineering booth, to enter a drawing to win a three-lens set of their well-respected high-quality shooting glasses - and to meet legendary Olympic Shotgunner Kim Rhode, who has long used Randolph glasses for her shooting. Kim turned out to be a great down-to-earth gal, I got an autograph and enjoyed a few minutes chatting with her, and was the first to enter the drawing.
I just found out a little while ago that I won the drawing, so I'll soon get the chance to shoot with the same high-quality gear Kim uses, and let my readers know how I like 'em.
My next stop of note was at the Mossberg display, to get a closer look at their 4x4 and 100ATR bolt-action centerfire rifles. I had fired one of these rifles before the 2007 SHOT Show, but there wasn't much to see at that time. I decided a closer look was in order - and I'm glad I did.
First up is Mossberg's bolt-action centerfire rifles, the 4x4 and 100ATR models. Both have essentially the same action, with a Savage-style barrel locknut and the new Lightning LBA trigger, which works much like the Savage AccuTrigger. The 4x4 is pretty much a dressed-up version of the 100ATR, with a vented forearm (presumably for barrel cooling?) and removable box magazine.
Mossberg had just unveiled a tactical version of their bolt-action rifles, called Night Train. Sporting big muzzle brakes, bipods, Barska 6x-24x scopes, and neoprene comb-raising kits for the buttstock, these guns certainly aren't your conventional hunting rifle, but they should be pretty accurate, and if you want an impressive-looking shooter, these guns might be for you. Currently offered in 308 Win... and a rimfire model was also on display.
Mossberg also has a new lever-action rifle, the Model 464. Currently chambered for 22 LR and 30-30 Win, it greatly resembles the discontinued-but-legendary Winchester Model 94. This should help assuage any anxiety felt by devotees of the venerable 94 upon its discontinuation. The 464 is offered in both straight- and pistol-grip configurations, which I'm happy to see, as I prefer a pistol-grip stock on my lever guns.
Not long after that, I dropped by the Leatherman area. I dropped off my Juice multi-tool for warranty repair, and talked with Juli Warner about Leatherman's ever-growing lineup of knives and lights. Hey y'all - Leatherman makes knives and flashlights!
For hunters, an interesting scent-control appliance called the HR-100 is available from Ozonics. This matte black metal box (8 3/4" x 4 7/8" x 3 3/8") produces ozone, "a naturally occurring cleansing agent found in the earth's atmosphere." Properly placed above a hunter, it creates a curtain of ozone downwind, which effectively negates all of the hunter's scent as it drifts into this curtain. I saw photos of many nice trophy bucks that were taken "downwind, on purpose," according to the folks I spoke with.
At the Winchester Ammo display, their main bragging point was the new Dual Bond hunting bullet. Currently offered for big-bore handguns and as shotgun slugs, this interesting development has a "bullet-within-a-bullet" design, and claims "two times the expansion." It certainly looks impressive.
For the modern muzzleloader, IMR Powder has introduced a new pellet propellant, called White Hots. These things look a lot like Pyrodex pellets, but they're white! And IMR promises a host of benefits, including high power, improved consistency, clean burning, easy cleanup without strong smells, and the easy loading that naturally goes along with pelletized powder.
I also took a look at Millennium Tree Stands while I was there. A press release for their M1 climber had caught my eye, so I looked them up. I liked almost everything about the M1 climber, including the safe adjustment feature while climbing, except that the adjustment is a little noisy. It seems like a well-thought-out stand, designed to pack easily - which is something many stand makers fail to consider.
Speaking of tree stands, I also spoke with the inventor of the Tree Talon, which is a device designed to allow a hunter to pick up dropped items without leaving his or her stand. It looks pretty useful, and it's built to hold up to 35 lbs, so it should work for hauling up your pack or bow, as well as small items like gloves or hats. I'll be reviewing this item here on the site.
Birchwood-Casey has a new gun care product to add to their extensive line. Called Perma-Fin, it's a tough paint-on metal finish that doesn't require baking to cure. Available in black satin, and sold alone or in a kit that includes an air brush and other accessories, this new finish sounds promising, and I hope to be trying it before long so I can let you know how well it works.
Safety Harbor Firearms is a company that's based not too far from where I grew up, and they showed an interesting product at the 2009 SHOT Show. It's a 50 BMG bolt-action conversion system that fits onto any AR15/M16 lower receiver - and there's no FFL required, since the AR lower is the serial-numbered ATF-controlled item. Works with a side-mounted 3- or (optional) 5-round box mag. Named the SHTF 50, it's priced well below other 50 BMG bolt-actions. (Continued)
