Writer L.P. Brezny with Hastings new 3-1/2-inch 20 gauge slug load and the custom rifle built to handle it.

I ran into my buddy L.P. Brezny on the show floor the first day and he took me over to the Hastings booth to show me a new shotgun load he was enthused about. It is a 3-1/2-inch 20 gauge shotshell loaded for bear. The purpose is to provide rifle-like accuracy and knockdown power in a load legal for hunting in shotgun only states. The .615 diameter lead slug weighs 410 grains and has a muzzle velocity of 2,000 feet per second. A custom rifle built my Canadian gunsmith Martin Hagen was also on display. This rifle is absolutely gorgeous but may be a bit pricy for your average deer hunter. Not to worry. Negotiations are underway with H&R to build a budget priced rifle to handle the shell.

Bushnell ONIX400 GPS.

Bushnell is getting heavy into electronics for the outdoorsman. This year a new GPS was unveiled that one-ups every other portable GPS on the market.

The ONIX400 has a built in XM satellite receiver that not only allows you to boogie down to your favorite music in the field but, more importantly, provides up to the minute weather forecasts.

Other features include waterproofing, an extra large 3-1/2-inch full-color LCD, and the ability to download satellite photos of your favorite hunting areas direct from Bushnell’s web site. Satellite images can be purchased for one dollar each or for a year’s membership of $79.00 you can download as many images as you wish. Four free downloads are included with the purchase of the unit. The ONIX400 will sell for about 500 dollars.

Crimson Trace Defender laser grips.

Crimson Trace rep Travis Noteboom assures me the new Defender laser grips will look better than the prototypes shown at SHOT Show. The Defender series will be bare bones polymer laser grips and will not have a master on/off switch. A lot of shooters are coming to realize the usefulness of laser sighting in certain self-defense situations but have put off buying laser grips due to the rather hefty price tag. The Defender series offers the same quality of laser components in a no-frills grip and will list for $209.00. I speculate street price will be closer to $180.00.

Kimber SuperAmerica

The Kimber booth is always a good place to find some classy firearms and this year was no exception. The SuperAmerica 1911 may be a bit fancy for some tastes and too pricy for some pocketbooks but I will go along with the add copy that states it is “the finest pistol ever offered by Kimber”.

Kimber Marketing Manager Celia Crane with Safari Grade .375 H&H Magnum.

Flat surfaces are high-polish blue with English scroll engraving and gold border. The grips are genuine Mammoth ivory. The SuperAmerica will be a limited edition firearm built entirely by the Kimber Custom Shop.

This year Kimber introduced a new Safari Grade bolt gun in .375 H&H Magnum chambering.

Other calibers will follow. It features express sights, a barrel band sling mount, and premium wood. Kimber also introduced new tactical models of their bolt-action design.

It seems the company is determined to offer a bolt gun for every purpose and are well along in achieving that goal.

There were lots of interesting new products at the ATK booth but space only allows me to cover a couple of them here.

The RCBS R.A.S.S. shooting bench should be just the ticket for prairie dog shooters. It is not a bench in the conventional sense but rather is a highly mobile shooting rest.

RCBS R.A.S.S. Bench

The seat is adjustable for height and distance from rest and the rifle cradle and seat swing 360 degrees to quickly cover any prairie dog town.

The rest is easy adjustable for elevation via a conveniently located lever. Press the lever to move the rifle up and down and when the lever is released the vertical position is locked.

A separate latch locks the horizontal movement of the rest. Both horizontal and vertical movement can be fine tuned using adjustment knobs.

The R.A.S.S. is solidly constructed and folds up to fit in a provided backpack you can stow in the trunk of a car. Suggested retail is $399.95.