SHOT Show Report - Day Two:
I'm excited about today. We recently became a Sig Sauer dealer and I had my 1st opportunity to meet with them and see all the products. More later on down the page on this
1st meeting today was with my friend Paul over at Kowa. In 2018 we sold more of their little TSN-553 & TSN-554 spotting scopes than all other compact spotters combined. I was excited to see Paul and find out what was happening. It is Kowa's 125th year in business an they will be offering new product the 2nd half of the year. I'll have detail's in the Spring. I arranged for some great demo products so give a call next week and we can hook you up.
Remembering the floor plan from last year I made my next appointment with Stefano over at Konus as their booth is fairly close to Kowa and as I get older I try to think ahead when making appointments so I am not running all over the show. Let's face it, I'm not as young as I once was
Anyway.... A few years ago we signed up with Konus when we realized that they offer an exceptional value in quality optics. No, these are not top of the line optics, however, in the sub $400.00 arena of Spotting Scopes and Riflescopes they are the go to. They've got great riflescope offerings below $150/$200. that have good glass, etched reticles and a vast selection to choose from. Before you turn your nose up to lower priced optics you should check some of their glass out. It took us years to pick an entry level brand because I'm a glass snob and Konus is priced way below what you'd expect once you check out their products.
They have a very cool new scope that has 10 built in reticles that you change/choose electronically.
"A worldwide exclusivity of Konus and the result of a decade long project of electronic engineering, this one-of-a-kind model is taking advantage of a patented LCD technology that will let you browse through 10 interchangeable reticles for long range shooting, intermediate use, tactical and hunting. This is therefore the most technologically advanced and the most versatile scope in the market, a true quantum leap that is finally bringing the optical industry into the 21st Century."
- 10 INTERCHANGEABLE RETICLES
- 4X-16X ZOOM POWER
- ONE PIECE 30MM ALUMINUM TUBE
- LOCKING TACTICAL TURRETS
- 1/10 MIL ADJUSTMENTS
- WATERPROOF, FOGPROOF, SHOCKPROOF
- FULLY MULTI-COATED OPTICS
TECHNICAL DETAILS:
Magnification x Ø objective: 4-16x44
Reticle: 10 Interchangeable reticles
Field of view at 100MT/YDS: 6.8m/22.6ft at 1x • 2.89m/9.5ft at 16x
Weigh: 663gr - 23.39oz
Length: 333mm - 13.1"
Eye Relief mm: 85mm/3.3" at 4x - 78mm/3" at 16x
Exit pupil mm: 11mm at 4x - 2.7mm at 16x
Click value mm@100 mt/in@100yds : 1/10 MIL (10mm)
Adjusting range 100mt/yds: 1.6m / 63.7"
Mounting Length mm/inches: 160mm / 6.29"
We also picked up a couple of great deals for you. Their KonusPro 1.5-5x32mm Rifle Scope Aim-Pro Reticle 1" Tube 1/4 MOA Matte Finish #7230 for only $49.99. This will be on our site in the next day or 2.
& KonusPro-M30 1.5x-6x44mm - Engraved 30 30 with Dual Illuminated Center Dot #7285 reduced from $234.99 to only $129.99
Right down the aisle is my next appointment with ScopeCoat. Nothing fancy. Neoprene covers for your riflescope while it's mounted. A great idea to keep your investment protected for under $30.00. They make these covers for a ton of products, however, we concentrate on riflescope covers.
OK, upstairs to my meeting with my buddies at Leica. Lot's of great discussions today.
Let's start with what could be the hit of SHOT Show, their new Leica CRF-2800.com Laser Rangefinder. This is the first dedicated compact laser rangefinder capable of precise distance measurements up to 2,800 yards/2,600 meters and benefits from easy smartphone programming via Bluetooth and the new Leica Hunting App. This means Leica ABC® Ballistics can be customized directly through a smartphone as well as a Kestrel Elite weather meter.
The Leica Rangemaster CRF 2800.COM offers hunters and long-range shooters three ballistic outputs in addition to the measured distance. Depending on the ballistic data required, when using Leica’s ballistic program, the CRF2800.COM provides either hold over value in inches, centimeters or comeups in MOA or MILs to 1,000 yards, or equivalent horizontal range (EHR) to 1,200 yards/1,100 meters. When connected with the Kestrel 5700 Elite with Applied Ballistics, the CRF2800.COM will display both elevation and windage corrections as far as the range finder can read. Data is shown on the integrated LED display, which automatically adjusts to ambient lighting conditions. The scan mode measures environmental conditions and target distance every 0.3 seconds. Between 10 and 200 yards, the CRF2800.COM displays distance to the tenth of a yard, an especially useful feature for archers. Thanks to its compact size and weight, it can easily be carried in a shirt pocket.
The menu of the CRF has been extended to include a Bluetooth menu (BT) with new settings:
• APP (Connection to a smartphone)
• LAT (Latitude, Connection to a Kestrel Elite Wind meter)
• OFF (Bluetooth off)
Combining the best ranging capability, Applied Ballistics through a Kestrel wind meter, ease of use, Bluetooth technology and compact design, no other compact range finding solution comes close.
Also, so happy with our continued discussions about customer service. Leica has really stepped up in this area, as I am sure you'll agree. They made a commitment last year and damn if they didn't come through. Great job.
Last minute call got me a meeting with my friend Javier at PRG Defense. He used to be with Flir and reached out to me and said we needed to get together so I can check out PRG's offerings so upstairs I go. Glad I did. They have some amazing Thermal Optics. A few that stuck out:
PVS-14 Monocular Night Vision Device
Automatic brightness control protects the operator from bright lights in the field of view.
• Optional autogating adjusts the brightness of the image tube to achieve the highest quality image resolution under varying light conditions.
• Compact, rugged, and waterproof.
• Hand-held or helmet-mounted for hands free usage.
• Manual gain control.
• Ergonomic, simple, easy to operate controls
Python TS25-384S
High-performance thermal imaging monocular
Advanced Shutterless technology
Durable and lightweight design
Easy and intuitive operation
Manually adjustable eyepiece and objective lens
Wide variety of color palettes
Multiple reticle patterns
Digital zoom: 1x, 2x, 4x
Wireless remote control
Waterproof
Integrated MIL-STD-1913 rails for accessories
External Wi-Fi module
Optional video recording
Powered by two standard CR123A batteries
External power supply via micro USB
Off to Schmidt & Bender This was an interesting meeting. I had lot's to discuss as 2018 saw our best year ever with them, which in turn was my most frustrating year ever. Delayed deliveries, communication brakedowns but on the flip side of the coin some fantastic opportunities that we made available to you. We had a good discussion on product, customer service and such. I am sure this year will be a great year with them. I saw their new EXOS 3-21x50 "The 3-21x50 Exos is equipped with a second focal plane reticle suitable for daylight and convinces at short distances for the ephemeral shot as well as for the precise long-range hunting shot. The patented "Minimum Deviation System" ensures that any possible deviation from the point of impact is minimal. This makes the new Exos an ideal companion and a real all-rounder for all hunting situations", and their new Grid Reticle. There's a reason S&B is S&B. Nice additions to their always growing line.
Next up was Leupold. 2018 was not a strong year for us and Leupold. No reason in particular as personally I feel that the Leupold VX-Freedom line of riflescopes is a great replacement of the VX-1 and VX-2 lines at a VERY affordable price. As I wrote in my Off to SHOT report Leupold announced LOTS of great new product for 2019......
172955 VX-6HD 2-12x42 (30mm) CDS-ZL2 FireDot Tri-MOA Sitka
173209 VX-6HD 3-18x44 (30mm) CDS-ZL2 FireDot Tri-MOA Sitka
171701 VX-5HD 4-20x52 (34mm) CDS-ZL2 Side Focus Duplex
171700 VX-5HD 4-20x52 (34mm) T-ZL3 Side Focus TMOA
172754 VX-5HD 7-35x56 (34mm) T-ZL3 Side Focus TMOA
173221 VX-5HD 7-35x56 (34mm) T-ZL3 Side Focus Impact-14 MOA
174954 Freedom - RDS 1x34 (34mm) Red Dot 1.0 MOA Dot w/Mount
176533 Freedom - RDS 1x34 (34mm) Red Dot BDC 1.0 MOA Dot w/Mount
177156 DeltaPoint Pro Reflex Sight 2.5 MOA Dot with AR Mount
176284 Service Rifle FX-4.5HD 4.5x24 (30mm) CDS-ZL2 Leupold Fine Duplex Competition Scope
176445 Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 (35mm) M1C3 FFP PR-1MOA
176446 Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 (35mm) M1C3 FFP Illum. PR-1MOA
176447 Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 (35mm) M1C3 FFP Impact 60
176811 Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 (35mm) M5C3 FFP Illum. Tremor 3
176448 Mark 5HD 5-25x56 (35mm) M1C3 FFP PR-1MOA
176449 Mark 5HD 5-25x56 (35mm) M1C3 FFP Illum. PR-1MOA
176450 Mark 5HD 5-25x56 (35mm) M1C3 FFP Impact 60
174545 Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP H59
174546 Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP CCH
174548 Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M1C3 FFP Impact 60 MOA
176124 Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP Illum. TMR
176594 Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP TMR
177332 Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP Tremor 3
177333 Mark 5HD 7-35x56 (35mm) M5C3 FFP Illum. Tremor 3
177187 LTO Tracker 2 Thermal Viewer
177188 LTO Tracker 2 HD Thermal Viewer
176969 BX-2 Alpine 8x42mm Roof Shadow Gray Binocular
176971 BX-2 Alpine 10x42mm Roof Shadow Gray Binocular
176973 BX-2 Alpine 10x52mm Roof Shadow Gray Binocular
176975 BX-2 Alpine 12x52mm Roof Shadow Gray Binocular
176288 BX-T 10x42mm Tactical Black Tactical Binocular
176289 BX-T 10x42mm Tactical Black Mil-L Tactical Binocular
176769 RX-950 Laser Rangefinder Black
172384 RBX-3000 TBR/W Laser Rangefinding Binocular 10x42 Gray OLED Selectable
I think that the Freedom - RDS 1x34 (34mm) Red Dot 1.0 MOA Dot w/Mount will be a great seller. It comes with the mount, Firedot display with 8 brightness levels, auto shut off and motion sensor turn on. Built extremely well too. Nice addition.
Now comes the meeting I've been looking forward to, Sig Sauer. I certainly was not disappointed. They explained the BDX System (Ballistic Data Xchange) and it's intergration. Great technology. In a nutshell, their rangefinders will communicate with their riflescopes. They even package Rangefinders and their Riflescopes to offer a lower price. Nice. The riflescopes are quality and priced below what you'd expect.
We also brought in more 4-24x50 Tango6 scopes for only $1,399.99, reduced from $2,299.99 and Whiskey3 3-9X40MM 1" SFP Triplex Illuminated - 0.25 MOA Adj scopes for only $199.99, reduced from $299.99
I ended my day with a visit to my friend Mike Jensen at GPO. In their 4th year, this company can no longer be considered a start up. Mike's brought some great binoculars and riflescopes at an affordable price with high quality. He did not make the foolish mistakes some other "new" companies do, trying to be everything to everyone and have way too many offerings. In all GPO has about a dozen different Binocular offerings, less than 10 Hunting scopes and less than 10 Tactical scopes. All these are very well designed and offer top quality at a reasonable price.
I arranged with them to allow us to offer 20% off, through February, on:
All Passion ED 8x32 and 10x32 Binoculars in your choice of Deep Green, Desert Sand or Dark Earth Brown
Passion 3X 4-12x42 - Plex Riflescope
&
R380 6-18x50 MOA Riflescope
Way too many meetings today. I enjoyed the milkshake so much yesterday that I went that route again today. 2 parts Coffee Bean 1 part Vanilla. So refreshing.
More tomorrow
Thank you for your continued support.
If there is anything else we can assist you with please let me know.
Doug
Camera Land
720 Old Bethpage Rd
Old Bethpage NY 11804
516-217-1000
Please visit our website @ www.cameralandny.com
