The 33rd edition of the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show hosted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation wrapped up Friday and there were plenty of storylines that emerged from the largest trade show for shooting sports professionals.


From the standpoint of Sports Executive Weekly’s team of editors and staff who spent the week working more than 700,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space within the walls of the cavernous Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, the general disposition of attendees and exhibitors was optimistic-but-tempered.

 

Indeed, it’s not realistic to expect the state of the firearms and hunting industry to be near the same level during the ’08 and ’09 shows when the market was in the midst of a historic consumer gun-craze that filtered down to all facets of the sportsman’s industry and into the broader consumer market. For fiscal 2011, most manufacturers – especially those from the gun/ammunition vein – have somewhat scaled back product launches as the market normalizes.


This was completely expected, however, as even last year’s show saw buyers exhibiting a little more selectivity as the market returned to normalcy. A representative from one major gun and ammunition maker said the company had approached 2011 with a “more innovation, less product” mindset, opting to focus on a few key launches to spark the interest of buyers.

 

This is vastly different from the prior two shows, the rep added, when buyers were snapping up “black” guns amidst fears of an Obama-led crackdown on AR-style weapons. That never happened, the rep said, and now consumers have reverted back to standard “recessionary” behavior – recycling high-priced equipment from year to year while ramping up their purchases of complementary accessories. The guns that are selling, he said, are those at the entry-level price points – especially centerfire rifles in the $300-$350 range. A rep at another major gun brand said long guns – rifles and shotguns – continue to be sluggish due in large part to high prices and the propensity of gun owners to recycle their hunting equipment from year to year when discretionary income gets tight.


A View From the SHOT Show Floor…

At crossbow manufacturer TenPoint, the company continues to ride the crossbow market surge as sweeping legislation across the country continues to lift restrictions on crossbow use. Numerous states have opened up options for hunters to use crossbows over the last two years, and Indiana, Wisconsin and New York are among those with legislation currently on the table.

 

A company representative said New York, which until recently restricted use of crossbows to seriously disabled hunters, would be an historic win for the crossbow industry if it were to allow widespread use of crossbow hunting. Still, the rep estimated the crossbow industry has doubled during the last year.


TenPoint continues to see the strongest consumer reaction from its entry-level items, which is an indicator that more hunters are making the transition from firearms and traditional bows to crossbows. TenPoint’s key launch for the show was the new Carbon Fusion line, a top-of-the-line crossbow that features a woven fiber carbon barrel to make the bow extremely light and quiet.


As always, buyer reaction depended much more upon the innovativeness of new products than the general state of the economy. This year, many brands focused on quality – not quantity – by sinking R&D budgets into developing a few key products instead of launching multiple lines or revamping existing products. Numerous exhibitors generated warranted buzz around the show with exciting new products that will undoubtedly have a measurable impact on the market upon their 2011 release.


For Firearms/Ammunition companies, there was notable buzz surrounding the Remington VersaMax shotgun and Winchester’s Blind Side steel shot products.


At Browning Firearms, a representative said the booth had been “swamped” throughout the show, but added that there had been a notable shift of buyers to purchase a more diverse range of product. “There has been much more interest this year in a wider range of product,” he said, adding that sales of the mid-level price points have been the strongest, as expected. “People are a little more cautious (than last year), but it’s still been strong – sales have been good,” he said.


The company’s X-Bolt Micro-Midas (MSRP $800), which is designed to accommodate smaller-framed shooters, was generating buzz from show goers along with new fully-rifled, fast-cycling A-Bolt slug guns (MSRP: $1,100-$1,239.) Browning also added six new models to its popular Maxus line of high-performance shotguns (MSRP: $1,200-$1,630), while showcasing a simplified .22 LR 100th anniversary edition of the classic 1911 (MSRP: $600) handgun, which is shipped with a special edition canvas and leather case.


There was a notable amount of excitement surrounding Remington’s much-anticipated extension of its recently-launched VersaMax (MSRP: $1,299-$1,599) shotgun line, which incorporates a gas-piston operating action that promises to cycle all loads smoothly while reducing a 12-gauge’s recoil to that of a 20 gauge. 


At Winchester, much of the focus was directed at the company’s launch of its new Blind Side steel shot line, which utilizes a cubed shot shape that the company says inflicts 250% more trauma to its target while occupying 15% less space – allowing more shot to be packed into each shell.


Winchester also re-introduced its classic Model 94 lever-action rifle, which will now be available in two new models and is perfect for use as a deer hunter’s “brush gun.” (MSRP: $1,130-$1,300.) Mossberg introduced its youth model 510 Mini Camo (MSRP $422) shotgun, a smaller version of the popular Mossberg 500 line, while
Ruger highlighted three new rifles for 2011, including the 6.8 SPC (Special Purpose Chambering) edition of its popular SR-556 assault-style rifle. Sure to be popular with deer hunters, the SR556/6.8 is feature-heavy and priced accordingly. (MSRP: $1,995).


Glock came into SHOT Show 2011 with minimal product innovation, as the only notable development was a re-design of the Gen 4, which now features a smaller grip and an interchangeable backstrap system that allows the user to fit the gun to his or her hand.


Recently acquired Barnes Bullets, now part of the Freedom Group of companies, built onto its new VOR-TX Ammunition Precision cartridge, which boasts the performance of a hand-loaded cartridge in a factory-loaded round. For 2011, Barnes added Safari and Handgun rounds to the VOR-TX lineup.


Trail cameras continued to be a building trend on the show floor, and innovation has been rapid with this relatively new product category. As noted, much of the focus was on blackout LED lights as Primos unveiled its X Cam Blackout ($300) and SpyPoint highlighted its third SHOT Show with several camera models, including the Black Flash IR-Booster, which the company says has an invisible flash. Also of note, SpyPoint’s Tiny W wireless infrared camera ($299) includes an automatic wireless backup of picture files so camera-owners can have photographic evidence of camera thieves.


StealthCam exhibited several new products for the 2011 season, including the Jim Shockey Special edition Sniper HD digital recorder, which records high definition digital video in black & white or color footage.


Leupold took its first venture into the trail camera industry, launching a three-part line called the RCX Trail Camera System. The camera includes a USB jack that allows hunters to get real-time alignment of the camera’s view along with all of the images that have been captures.


Wildlife Innovations had perhaps the most intriguing trail camera system on display with the Fieldnet Technology line (MSRP $170-$200). Fieldnet’s WiFi technology is a local area remote technology that allows users to locally network and remotely access game cams from up to 300 ft. away via a mobile device so as to not disturb the environment around the camera.


For Knives/Tools, Victorinox (Swiss Army) launched its Tomo knives, which the company said is the first collection of knives designed exclusively for women. The Tomo collection, available this spring, is similar to the popular classic line but features a rectangular shape and sleek design.


Kershaw introduced new knives from custom makers RJ Martin and Matt Diskin along with several other eye-catching designs for its 2011 lineup.


Surefire was creating quite a buzz with its new releases. Highlights for the tactical-specialist were the 800 lumens UBR Invictus rechargeable flashlight and the new line of 123 Alithium-powered flashlights.

For the apparel and footwear specialists, there was notable innovation from the stalwarts – Columbia, Rocky, Wolverine, Scent-Lok, Filson, Walls, Mossy Oak – along with some intriguing up-and-comers that were generating buzz from interested show goers. There were a few head-turners that garnered reactions from show goers. Likewise, as noted by NSSF’s Shot Daily publication, many companies created more branded fabrics for 2011, paring down the amount of licensing activity at their Asian supply factories.


At Rocky Brands, the focus revolved around the company’s new Long Range X footwear line, which covers four markets (Western, Work, Duty, Outdoor) and incorporates a patented outsole system consisting of ten engineered components for peak performance. MSRPs for the Long Range X line range from $135 to $209.


Rocky also highlighted its BroadHead ArcherFit Jacket and Pants, which is constructed with compression fabric to conform to the hunter’s body, thus eliminating folds and loose fabric that could catch on a bowstring.
At Scent-Lok, the focus was on the new Headhunter outerwear series, which incorporates “the most advanced scent-control fabric combination ever developed by Scent-Lok” along with special detailed cuts that allow the garment to contour to the body.


There was also an increased emphasis from the growing women’s-specific market, with brands like SHE and Prois generating a notable amount of traffic as each showcased expanded product lines for Fall 2011.


For emerging brands, Longleaf Camo exhibited some intriguing product, including its new Longleaf Corn pattern, which is intended for waterfowl hunting and utilizes a scattered orientation of cut corn stalks and earth to blend in with a corn field environment.


At up-and-comer Dominus Gear, the company touted garments featuring SFT technology, a material constructed with thousands of mechanical apertures that actively respond to the body’s needs by promoting air circulation and water vapor expulsion.  SFT clothing has the feel of neoprene but is up to 40% lighter in weight.


Under Armour and Gore-Tex celebrated their new partnership with the introduction of UA’s first hunting footwear offering, a line set that includes five Gore-Tex enabled models: Speed Freek, Breech, Ridge Reaper, Caliber and Siberia. The boots range from $170 to $270 in MSRP and will hit the market in August.