Happy New Year in May!
All the best that 2011 has to offer.

By NRA Staff

In the world of shooting and hunting, New Year's Eve doesn't happen on December 31—it happens on the first day of the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. This is when the folks who make all of the tools and products you use on the range and in the field unveil their latest creations. The SHOT Show isn't open to the public, but the 2011 Brownells/NRA National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors got an all-access inside pass to roam the convention center in search of their favorite guns, gear and goodies. Read on for their recommendations!

	Courtney Anthony USA Shooting On Your Mark One of the products I tested at the 2011 SHOT Show was the Ruger .22 Mark III Competition pistol. This model has an adjustable rear sight which I found to be quite accurate. The gun also had a thumb rest on the grip, which was comfortable and allowed for good control of the gun without making the shooter put a "death grip" on the pistol. Another feature was a safety switch on the grip under the rear sight which I like, especially for beginning shooters. The magazine release would be slightly awkward to find if the shooter was trying to hit it with her gripping hand, but if the shooter used the free hand it would work fine. I fired five strings of five shots from a benchrest using Wolf .22 LR ammunition, and the five groups averaged a diameter of approximately 1 inch. The Mark III Competition pistol would make a fine match gun for any young shooter interested in furthering his or her career in precision pistol shooting. www.ruger.com
Made For Walking While attending the 2011 SHOT Show, I came across Bates Uniform Footwear, a police and military footwear company. I tested a pair of their Delta-6 Gore-Tex Side Zip 6-inch hiking boots. These boots are designed so that once a person ties the laces as tight as they want them, they can simply unzip the side of the boot and slip out of them without untying the laces. I found this feature quite handy, especially when running short on time. The Gore-Tex on the boot shed water and snow well. The boots also have an adjustable dial under the inner liner that the wearer can change so that the boot gives more support to the inside or outside of their foot, or gives them more or less padding in the heel. The "cushion" setting was comfortable, but when I gave more support to the inner arch of my foot, I had slight discomfort for part of the day in my heels. Even though Bates provides footwear mostly to military and police personnel, the Delta-6 Gore-Tex Side Zip boot would work well for me, a student walking around a college campus, so it can work for anyone. www.batesfootwear.com
	Henry Jentz II Royal Rangers That Was ESEE The Izula-II is a very sturdy and well-thought-out fixed-blade knife made by ESEE Knives. The blade is 2.88 inches long and the knife has an overall length of 6.75 inches, making it an ideal carry knife for hunting, hiking or just having fun outdoors. The knife was designed to be used as a survival knife, and the full kit comes with a fire-starting rod, an emergency whistle, a molded plastic sheath, an ambidextrous carry clip, key rings, a plastic snap hook and paracord with a cord lock. All the components of the kit give you many ways to assemble the knife and carry it. You can also get the knife without the kit. The Izula-II is made with 1095 steel, meaning it will hold an edge very well. The knife is very sturdy, but even if it should break, ESEE knives are covered by a "no questions asked" guarantee, and will be replaced should they ever break, no matter how many times the knife is sold or traded. After having used the knife on a winter camp and for cutting rope while teaching ropecraft to younger Royal Rangers, I have found it very reliable. www.eseeknives.com
Eyes Front! Every shooter, young and old, needs to have quality eye and ear protection. When looking for eye protection, you should always make sure they have been tested and meet some standard of safety. Bobster has been making eyewear since 1996, but has just recently begun making glasses and goggles for the tactical/shooting market. All of these new safety products are ANSI (American National Standards Institute) approved and many meet MCEPS (Military Combat Eye Protection System) and other similar standards. One of these new products is the Alpha Goggles.   The Alpha Goggles come with a very nice carry case, two lenses (one smoked and one clear) and a microfiber pouch in which you can store your extra lens. There is a sleeve on the goggles to protect them when you aren't using them. At first, having not really been a fan of goggles, I didn't expect to like them very much, but after wearing them I found that I like them a lot. The goggles have a good amount of padding, which makes them comfortable to wear and keeps dust and dirt out. The interchangeable lenses I found were easy to change, and they, as should be expected, fit securely into place without any problems. Overall I was very pleased with the design and the quality of the goggles. After trying these goggles I would recommend to anyone looking for eye protection to go check out Bobster's products. www.bobster.com
	Bailey Conner National High School Rodeo Association Fire Storm! I recently got the opportunity to try a FoxPro Firestorm Game Call. It is a great call for hunting coyote, fox and bobcat. I have gotten to use it several times and with a little more practice using it, I should become very proficient. The FoxPro Firestorm stores and plays up to 200 sounds, comes with a remote control and can be reprogrammed from your computer. It's very easy to use and can be adjusted to your own surroundings according to the type of game you are planning to hunt. I really like this product and recommend it to anyone who enjoys being outdoors and hunting. www.gofoxpro.com
Eyes Have It I recently received a pair of RERanger Shooting Glasses. Each set comes with three different colored lenses and one frame. I use the Ranger XLW frames with the cable ear. I really like this frame because they do not fall off and you can customize the frame to fit. I also shoot with the medium yellow, vermilion, and my new favorite, ColorMag. It brightens clay targets without changing the color of the background. Their NexPC polycarbonate lenses are scratch- and impact-resistant and can withstand a 12-gauge shotgun blast from 10 meters. www.randolphusa.com
	Tyler Ebert Boy Scouts of America Magazine Dream Almost every marksman has experienced the trouble of loading a gun's magazine. In addition to the pain in your fingers, incorrect loading can damage your gun. The Uplula universal gun loader is the ultimate solution. Created by Maglula Ltd., the Uplula's sleek 2.3-ounce polymer design takes the hassle out of loading a magazine. The device is ergonomic and works with virtually any handgun magazine from 9mm to .45 ACPs, regardless of length. I am thoroughly satisfied with this product and with only a few weeks of working with it, I would fully recommend it to all avid marksmen out there. www.maglula.com
Bye-Bye, Bloodsuckers Every hunter, camper and fisherman out there has had contact with our age-old enemy in the outdoors…mosquitoes. There are all sorts of sticky, smelly and hazardous products out there, but I have finally found a product that serves its purpose as the ultimate insect shield. Thermacell's handheld mosquito repellent has taken the market by storm. The small device weighs virtually nothing, using just a little energy for killer results. The device repels 98 percent of skeeters in a 225 sq. ft. area. The device is safe with no large open fire and its slight smell of chrysanthemum doesn't deter the other wildlife. www.thermacell.com
	Thomas Cunningham Venturing Warrior! At the 2011 SHOT Show, I had a chance to hold, and ask in-depth questions about, many different rifles. Savage's Weather Warrior 308 Winchester really interested me. The AccuStock and detachable box magazine were two specifications that I thought would be very useful for bigger game hunting, in which I am interested. The 9½-inch twisted barrel is something new to me that seems pretty sweet. Of all the specifications, however, the AccuTrigger caught my interest as the most unique. This new, easily adjustable trigger pull design is so sleek, I'm anxious to try out the real deal. I can't wait to get this rifle in my hands! www.savagearms.com
Varmint's Worst Nightmare The Marauder PCP Air Rifle is no ordinary air rifle. It is nothing short of a varmint's worst nightmare. Its weight is heavier than most of its kind, but the tranquility and accuracy of the Marauder surpass its competitors. Operating on either compressed air or CO2, the speed and ease with which this rifle can be charged and used is rather efficient. The auto-indexing clip helps for more rapid shooting. With up to 10 shots per clip and silent accuracy, the .22 Caliber rifle is outstanding. Overall, this rifle is easy for people of all ages to use for either hunting or target shooting. www.crosman.com
	Garrett Walters NRA At the Vanguard The Weatherby Series 2 is a new model Vanguard for 2011 that boasts many new features not seen on previous models. Though I have not yet been able to put my hands on this new rifle, as it is so new to the industry, I am looking forward to seeing the new features such as the new stock with exclusive Griptonite inserts and the match-quality two-stage trigger, along with many other impressive traits. A field test will dictate whether the rifle lives up to the hype, but if it is comparable to any of their other products, it will be impressive! www.weatherby.com
Scope This Out The Swarovski Z6 riflescope was a fascinating product that I had the chance to handle during my time at the Shot Show. I was impressed with the clear, crisp picture, and although I have not had the chance to field-test this scope, I am looking forward to seeing how well it compares to others on the market. Features such as the plex reticle and optional ballistic turret were a couple of characteristics I feel will set this scope apart from the competitors. Field-testing this product will determine if my hypothesis is correct. www.swarovskioptik.com
Editor's Note Of course, your fearless editors were also trolling the show floors in search of the neatest new gear we could lay our hands on. What products did the exhibitors have to pry back from our unwilling fingers? Read on to see!
In the Air AirForce Airguns' new TalonP air pistol is designed to deliver more than 50 foot-pounds of energy with a .25-cal. pellet. The single-shot, 3,000-psi pistol has a 12-inch barrel, an adjustable, two-stage trigger and mounting points for open or optical sights. www.airforceairguns.com
Veni, Vidi, Vinci Benelli unveils the Super Vinci, a 3½-inch chambered version of the Vinci that also boasts improved aesthetics. Further expanding the line are the Vinci Cordoba and Vinci SuperSport, featuring lightweight tungsten bolt insets enabling them to cycle 7⁄8-ounce loads. www.benelliusa.com
The Golden Touch Browning's "Micro Midas" line of youth-size fire-arms will include Citori and Silver Hunter shotguns and X-Bolt and BL-22 rifles. (For a full review of the new Browning Micro Midas Citori, please turn to page 10 in the May issue!) www.browning.com
CVA's 411 CVA continues its reputation for delivering solid, reasonably priced muzzleloaders with its Accura V2 break-open rifle. It comes with a thumbhole DuraCoat stock. Also among CVA's new offerings is the Apex switch-barrel gun, which comes in 14 chamberings, including a muzzleloader. www.cva.com
Going Rogue Crosman offers the Benjamin Rogue—a .357-cal., electro pre-charged pneumatic (ePCP) airgun that fires between four and 20 shots consistently between air refills; program the electro-pneumatic intelligent control (EPiC) console to release only the amount of air you need. The Rogue features a two-stage adjustable electronic trigger; an auto-indexing, six-shot magazine; dovetailed optics rail; adjustable stock; and a fore-end accessory rail. Three pellets are available: a 90-grain hollowpoint, 175-grain round-nose, and a 145-grain Benjamin eXTREME bullet featuring Nosler Ballistic Tip technology. www.crosman.com
Go Varminting! Gamo has a new single-cocking, spring-piston air rifle—offered in either .177 or .22—called the Varmint Hunter, which has a checkered all-weather synthetic stock with ambidextrous cheekpiece, an 18-inch-long match-grade fluted barrel with a polymer jacket and an inner steel rifled liner. The Varmint Hunter offers a claimed muzzle velocity of 1,400 feet per second (fps) with Gamo's PBA pellet for the .177, and 1,000 fps for the .22. Both come complete with a 4X32mm air gun scope, laser and light already installed as part of the package. www.gamooutdoors.com
Wizard Magic—In a Pistol! Rossi unveils the single-shot Wizard pistol, which utilizes interchangeable 12-inch barrels. Currently, barrels are available in .22-250 Rem. and .243 Win., with additional chamberings coming soon. How cool is that? www.rossiusa.com
Get Savage Savage's new Model 25 Walking Varminter weighs in at less than 7 pounds; like other models in the Model 25 lineup, it features a trimmed-down, reduced-diameter action. Also of interest to varminters and target shooters is Savage's new Model 12 Long Range Precision, which is both a high-end target rifle and a varmint gun. It features a full-profile, fluted heavy barrel, detachable box magazine, blued finish, an HS Precision fiberglass stock and the AccuTrigger. www.savagearms.com
XT is X-Tra Good Thompson/Center Arms announces its new Encore Pro Hunter XT muzzleloader, which features an interchangeable barrel system and Weather Shield finish. www.tcarms.com