Sitka introduced the Fanatic jacket last year and now they've slimmed it down to a vest specifically made for whitetail bowhunters. Features include a grunt tube pocket, rangefinder pocket, removable hood and super quiet tricot material. It also includes a diagonal zipper that won't interfere when you are at full draw. MSRP: $189
This is one of Nikon's new AR scopes. This scope is based off the Monarch line and is a match for the .308 Win. It comes with either a BDC 800 reticle or the Nikoplex reticle. Specs
Finish: Matte
Eye relief: 4-3.7
Tube Diameter: 1 inch
Weight: 19 ounces
Adjustment Value: 1 click equals 1/4 at 100 yards.
This is Nikon's first image stabilizing spotting scope. The company claims that it reduces vibration by 88 percent utilizing a battery-powered system. It's designed specifically for digiscoping (taking photos through a spotting scope). At 96.3 ounces and 17.7 inches, it's unlikely you'll be hauling this up the mountain but it is perfect for viewing wildlife from close to the truck.** Specs**
Finish: Black
Magnification: 20x-60X
Objective Diameter: 85mm
It's called a vest, but it's really more of a backpack. The vest has a spacey game bag and a waist belt fit with shell loops. It also has really thin shoulder straps that have no buckles, high on the shoulder or chest. This allows for an uninhibited shoulder mount. It's also compatible with a Camelback-type water pack.
This is Steyr's most powerful sniper rifle. It has a five-round magazine, adjustable cheek piece and buttplate, fixable bipod and a picatinny rail. Odds are that you'll never own a gun like this, but they are fun to look at.
The folks at Spyderco are rolling out plenty of new blades this year, but this one impressed me so much, I couldn't wait until next week for the Best Knives of SHOT gallery to share it. This is the Spyderco Junior by Dialex. Looking at it the first time, I couldn't imagine how it would be comfortable to use, but like many good knives, I understood the moment I picked it up. The deep choil or guard created by the large cutout in the handle , creating a block, effectively eliminating any possibility of the fingers sliding forward onto the edge, just as any guard should. However, this folder does that without adding the extra bulk of a traditional guard. Romanian Technical Manager Alexandru Diaconescu developed the concept when his son asked for his first pocketknife. Wanting his son to be safe, Diaconescu designed the handle for small hands, but it the G10 grip felp very comfortable in my big mitts, providing superb control over the razor sharp leaf-shaped blade. Blade length: 3.2"; overall length: 7.25"; weight: 2.9 oz.; blade thickness: .125"; blade steel: VG-10. MSRP: $219 --DM
With a Magpul AS stock and Moe Grip, this new AR from DPMS chambered in .223/5.56 already has a great start, but the best feature on this carbine is, oddly enough, in the forend. The TAC2 debuts the DPMS M111 modular handguard system, which allows a shooter to move the side and bottom rails to several positions along the length of the handguard. One can clamp on as many attachments as one could on a quad-rail hanguard, but without the need for rubber ladders to save your hands from being torn up on unused portions of rail. The rail segments can also be removed. Additionally, the front sight is position close to the muzzle allowing for an impressively long sight radius on a 16-inch barrel. This carbine would be equally suited for a multigun competition, or as your first line of defense in the zombie apocalypse (see below).
I've thought the Smith & Wesson Model 500 revolver was staggeringly powerful, intimidating, heavy, but never pretty, until I saw this display model sporting some truly gorgeous scrollwork around a classic wooden grip. I just had to share.
This gorgeous assortment of blades comes from Mueal, a Spanish company that makes hunting knives utilizing tough moly-vanadium stainless steel and handles of red stag angler, exotic stabilized hardwoods and pakawood. This little sampling shows they do classically styled hunting knives just as well as more tactical-looking blades. If you dig knives and don't know about Muela, consider yourself notified. Commence drooling. (It's OK, they're actually pretty affordable for custom knives, with most models ranging from $100 to $300).
From zombie killing tools to image stabilizing spotting scopes, there were some great products on the SHOT Show floor in Las Vegas.
