Annual Shot Show

      Hopefully these pictures will show you that the Annual Shot Show is nothing like a trip to see your local gunshow at the fairgrounds.   The Shot Show is a major event that requires a huge convention center, and it's usually held in Las Vegas or Orlando.   ALL of the major companies (and a lot of small ones) in the shooting industry attend to display their new products.   If you were to line up all of their displays end-to-end, it would go for almost 20 miles!

      Be prepared to do a lot of walking.   You can expect to see about a million fellow shooters there.   (Just imagine what a frightful sight this must be for liberals.)   You'll see gun dealers, distributors, gunsmiths, manufacturers, famous shooters, and a few TV celebrities.   It's so exciting that even my wife enjoys coming to see this event - and she doesn't give a hoot about shooting.

      These pictures were given to me by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) so that I might be able to convince you to visit the next Show.   They also figured that a little free advertising is usually a pretty good idea.   If you would like to get more information about the next Shot Show you can get more details at the NSSF Website.

      You'll be able to see quality shotguns that exceed $100,000.   You can talk to the dealers that sell these fine guns, and they'll explain what makes these custom guns so expensive.   If you're as impressed as I am with quality firearms, you might want to try and convince your wife why you need to get at least one of them.   Good luck.

      There were at least 6 or 8 companies that displayed pellet rifles and pistols.   Airguns are slowly gaining popularity in the U.S.   If you take a close look, you'll see why many of todays airguns are as expensive as firearms.   Several years ago, I got hooked on the German made Feinwerkbau Model 601 pellet rifle.   More recently I've tried shooting air pistols like the ones used in the Olympics.   My interest in top quality airguns began at previous Shot Shows.

      The Shot Show always has extravagant displays of fine scopes.   You'll see Leupold, NightForce, Nikon, Zeiss, Swarovski, Bushnell, Burris, Aimpoint, Weaver, Sightron, Tasco, Simmons, BSA and others.   There are night scopes and every optical gadget you can imagine.   You can see displays of "cut-away" scopes to understand why some brands are superior - and worth the extra expense.

      There are expensive gun collections that show the evolution of handguns in the United States.   I've seen several rare handguns that I've never seen in any gunshop.   If you have a beef with some manufacturer about one of their products . . . . believe me, when you show up at the Shot Show, you'll get their full attention.   I picked up a few business cards from the "upper management" at Ruger, and they assurred me that the problem with my Ruger Red Label will get resolved.   I've sent it to them twice before, and nothing was done to regulate the barrels.   After meeting the management "eyeball to eyeball", I have to believe that they're taking this matter much more seriously now.

      Remington always has so many new products that you'll never hear about them just by reading the gun magazines.   Some of the big manufacturers spent a fortune on huge displays that covered nearly a thousand square feet.   The average small booth at this show (with a single table) goes for over $2,000.   If you've got a good product to market, this is by far the best place to show it to the shooting industry.

      The Shot Show had videos everywhere showing exibition shooters throwing and busting 5 or 6 clay birds at a time.   There was also a video of quick draw shooters that fired so fast that you could only hear 2 or 3 shots (when it was really 6 shots).   When the event was shown in slow motion, you could clearly see that it really was 6 shots.   It's unbelievable to see how skilled some shooters are after firing 50,000 rounds a year.

      The admission to the Shot Show is $50 at the door.   However, keep in mind that it runs for 4 days.   If you pre-register, you can get tickets for $20.     When you attend your first Shot Show, you are in for a big surprise.

      After visiting all of the shooting related products, I always check out the hunting section.   You will see a whole world of hunting clothes, hunting guides, hunting blinds, tree stands, decoys, camping gear, survival equipment, motorized moving targets and a lot more.

      Every manufacturer of reloading equipment was there.   I visited RCBS, Redding, Hornady, Lyman, Forster, Dillon, MEC and a few others.   This is the place to see the latest reloading equipment and learn how to use it.   Most shooters that reload expect to see new and improved reloading tools at the Shot Show.

      Visit the next Shot Show!   You won't be disappointed.   I've visited numerous Annual Shot Shows, and I have seen (and purchased) items that I've never encountered anywhere else.   Sometimes you'll even find great new items that, due to limited profitability, are never seen again.