SHOT Business -- August/September 2016

VOLUME 24, NUMBER 5 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

UNDERSTANDING LASERSIGHT TECHNOLOGY Pg. 40

GOING “WAY OUT THERE” INVOLVES A CADRE OF HIGHLY SPECIALIZED RIFLES AND ACCESSORIES PG. 28

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE GOOD STUFF

FIRING LINE

Bushnell’s new wireless trail cam is in a class by itself. Pg. 44

Bergara adds a woodstocked option to the B-14 line. Pg. 22

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See LiNQ in action at thelinqsystem.com

SHOT BUSINESS A U G . / S E P T. 2 0 1 6 VOLUME 24, ISSUE 5

WAY OUT THERE Long-range shooting is a big-ticket business. BY DAVID E. PETZAL

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NAKED JOY Ruger’s Precision Rifle is built specifically for long-range accuracy.

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BY WAYNE VAN ZWOLL

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE Not all long-range shooters are the same. It pays to know to whom you’re selling. BY RICHARD MANN

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FROM THE NSSF The 2016 NSSF Industry Summit, which attracted industry professionals from across the country, was a smashing success.

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YOU SHOULD KNOW The all-new NSSF Star-Rating Range program broadens its scope.

16

NSSF UPDATE NSSF adds to its Compliance and Security Consultant Teams; new NICS goes live.

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RETAILER TOOLBOX A plan to help you detect and deal with problem patrons.

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EDITOR’S NOTE Those who go long need specialized advice.

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NEWS BRIEFS Rapala launches new line of hunting knives; Buffalo Cartridge Company aims to make a big impression; and HSS debuts a new crossbow harness.

7

20

FYI Zanders upgrades its

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THE STEP BEYOND Crimson Trace takes retailer education to the next level. BY SLATON L. WHITE

40

distribution center to increase efficiency.

FIRING LINE Bergara’s B-14 Woodsman offers classic looks as well as high performance.

22

UNDERCOVER SHOPPER West Virginia retailers may be a bit shortsighted when it comes to

24

long-range riflescopes.

GOOD STUFF Bushnell’s new wireless trail cam is in a class by itself.

44 46 50

WHAT’S SELLING WHERE

NEW PRODUCTS Layout blinds from Hard Core; CMMG’s new .458 SOCOM.

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COVER PHOTO: TIM IRWIN

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

NSSF

Selling Long Range Shooters who go long need specialized gear and advice

L

ast October found me in a tent camp nestled among the rolling hills of Wyoming’s Powder River Basin.

The objective? Pronghorn antelope, the fastest mammal in North America. The critter also has unusually large eyes set far back on its head. The design gives the animal a very wide field of view, a useful defense mechanism in the open sagebrush flats that it favors.

This hunt was part of a continuing quest designed to keep me out of treestands. The rancher, on whose land I was hunting, agreed to serve as guide. The deal was this: We’d ride in his pickup until we found a likely buck and then get out and stalk to close the distance.

The first couple of stalks were busts, but later that morning we spotted a nice buck in a group that had just dipped into a draw. We got

out of the truck and walked over a couple of hills. We were still about 500 yards out when the rancher dropped to his knees. I followed suit.

“We’ll have to crawl on our bellies from here on out. Watch that cactus.”

We were about 400 yards out when he stopped again. “This is as close as we can get. He’s surrounded by does.”

We set up a tripod rest and waited. It was going to be a long shot.

“You need to make sure he’s standing completely still before you take the shot. Think you can do it?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Okay, wait until those does

move away from him.”

When the coast was clear, I took the shot. The buck fell.

Sometimes things actually do go according to plan. But at that distance, a lot can go wrong, too. As a whitetail hunter used to shots in the 150- to 200-yard range, breaking the 400-yard threshold was a major accomplishment. That experience was the genesis for the special section this month on longrange shooting, a trend with real legs. The three contributing editors chosen to write these articles— David E. Petzal, Richard Mann, and Wayne Van Zwoll—are experienced long-range shots, and their hardwon advice and perceptions are well worth heeding. The Undercover Shopper this month also is dedicated to long-range shooting—in this case, the frustrating search for a retailer who could deliver credible advice on appropriate riflescopes.

To me, the key takeway is that long-range shooting isn’t for everyone. Furthermore, the discipline is really split into two vastly different camps—those who hunt big game and those who shoot from a bench at a range. As a retailer, you need to know exactly who you are talking to before you start making product recommendations on suitable rifle platforms, ammo, and optics. The upside? Long-range shooting is a gear-intensive activity that can help fatten your wallet.

4 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Slaton L. White, Editor

SLATON L. WHITE, Editor James A. Walsh, Art Director Margaret M. Nussey, Managing Editor David E. Petzal, Shooting Editor Mike Toth, Special Projects Editor Judith Weber, Digital Content Producer Hilary Ribons, Editorial Assistant CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Larry Ahlman, Barbara Baird, Scott Bestul, Philip Bourjaily, Christopher Cogley, David Draper, Jock Elliott, William F. Kendy, Mark Kayser, David Maccar, Richard Mann, Peter B. Mathiesen, Brian McCombie, Tom Mohrhauser, Robert Sadowski, Robert F. Staeger, Peter Suciu, Wayne Van Zwoll

ADVERTISING: 212-779-5316 Gregory D. Gatto, Vice President, Publishing Director Brian Peterson, Western Sporting Goods Sales Katie Logan, Southern Sporting Goods Sales David Hawkey, Northeast Sporting Goods Sales Elizabeth Burnham Murphy, Chief Marketing Officer Ingrid Reslmaier, Marketing Design Director

BUSINESS OPERATIONS Tara Bisciello, Business Manager

CONSUMER MARKETING Robert M. Cohn, Consumer Marketing Director Barbara Brooker, Fulfillment Manager

MANUFACTURING Michelle Doster, Group Production Director Kelly Weekley, Senior Production Manager

BONNIER Chairman, Tomas Franzén Head of Business Area, Magazines, Lars Dahman Chief Executive Officer, Eric Zinczenko Chief Financial Officer, Joachim Jaginder Chief Operating Officer, David Ritchie Chief Marketing Officer, Elizabeth Burnham Murphy Chief Digital Revenue Officer, Sean Holzman Vice President, Integrated Sales, John Graney Vice President, Consumer Marketing, John Reese Vice President, Digital Operations, David Butler Vice President, Public Relations, Perri Dorset General Counsel, Jeremy Thompson

SHOT Business (ISSN 1081-8618) is published 7 times a year in January, February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/ November and December by Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695, and is the official publication of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Flintlock Ridge Office Center, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470 (203-426-1320). Volume 24, issue 5, Copyright © 2016 by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation, production and advertising offices are located at 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5695 (212-779-5000). Free to qualified subscribers; available to non-qualified subscribers for $25 per year. Single-copy issues are available for $5 each. Send check, payable to NSSF, to: SHOT Business, c/o NSSF, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470-2359. SHOT Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All correspondence should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Requests for media kits and advertising information should be directed to Katy Marinaro, Bonnier Corporation, 625 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 1270, Chicago, IL 60611.

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JOBS.NSSF.ORG Search for Jobs. Recruit Employees. Opportunity Awaits.

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NEWS BRIEFS NEWS

❚

PROMOTIONS

❚

AWARDS

❚

OUTREACH

Rapala’s new line of hunting knives consists of six models, all of which feature a leather sheath and the company’s iconic birch handle.

Rapala’s Sharp Choice Rapala unveils a new line of hunting knives

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hen it comes to knives, the sharpest choice for fishing is now the sharpest choice for hunting. Rapala, a trusted name in fishing since 1936 and the brand behind the world’s most popular fillet knives, is extending its passion and uncompromising standards from the fish camp to the field with the launch of a new line of knives designed specifically for hunters—The Rapala Classic Birch Collection.

Anglers have long relied on Rapala’s iconic, razor-sharp Fish ‘N Fillet knives to make quick work of any filleting chore. And, for years, intuitive hunters have also turned to these legendary blades to skin or field dress wild game or fowl. Now, with six specialty Rapala hunting knives to choose from, hunters can select the perfect style for any scenario, from knives with compact and maneuverable blades for tight detail work to large, heavy-duty blades for This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources.

skinning big game.

“Serious sporting enthusiasts demand quality when it comes to the tools of their trade—whether selecting a lure, bow, or blade,” says Tom Mackin, president of Rapala USA. “For nearly 90 years, legendary Finnish blade manufacturer Marttiini has produced Rapala knives, delivering a level of craftsmanship that can’t be beat.

With the introduction of the Classic Birch Collection, we’re proud to deliver hunters a selection of knives they can trust to stand up to the most demanding tasks the great outdoors has to offer.”

As with each of Rapala’s popular Fish ‘N Fillet knives, all Classic Birch Collection hunting knives are made at the legendary Marttiini factory in Finland and feature razor-sharp blades

constructed of German stainless steel and emblazoned with J. Marttiini’s signature. Each knife in the collection features the iconic Rapala birch handle, through-tang construction, and a brass ferule. All come with a genuine leather sheath with belt loop, along with a molded one-piece scabbard for safe storage. The six knives in the collection are the Rapala Classic Birch Collection Skinner Knife ($34.99), The Rapala Classic Birch Collection Clip Point Knife ($34.99), The Rapala Classic Birch Collection Drop Point Knife ($34.99), The Rapala Classic Birch Collection Gut Hook Knife ($39.99), the Rapala Classic Birch Collection Caping Knife ($34.99), and the Rapala Classic Birch Collection Bird Knife ($29.99). (rapala.com) AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 7

NEWS BRIEFS

Airguns are great entry-level training tools. They’re also fun and inexpensive to shoot.

On Target The First Choice For Wholesale Firearms, Ammunition & Reloading Supplies Supplying Retailers, Gun Clubs & Ranges Great Prices, The Best Selection Multiple Warehouses For On Time, Every Time Delivery Iowa • Nevada • North Carolina

800-264-2493

crowshootingsupply.com

Last issue, the Editor’s Note focused on an Undercover Shopper report on airguns. In it, I mentioned how dismally the retailers performed. That drew the response you see below (which has been edited for space). The author makes a number of keen observations about retailers, manufacturers, and the shooting-sports industry in general. SHOT Business believes his insights are something we all should consider.

—Slaton L. White Dear Editor: I always read with interest SHOT Business magazine and find it is unique in the areas it covers. I could complain that not enough is discussed about the trials and tribulations here in California, but I think your readers would just end up laughing at us even more. But, we were number two for gun sales in 2015, so something keeps happening here.

What I really want to discuss is airguns.

Your June/July issue started with the “Missed Opportunity” Editor’s Note about them and what is wrong with us— the retailers—for not selling thousands of them a month. Your Mr. Elliott was “dismayed” that the stores that were visited didn’t have large selections of high-quality airguns and didn’t have qualified sales staff waiting for each customer desiring that high-tech rifle or pistol.

I don’t have to think very hard to know why this is so. The firearms industry has spent decades creating a market for firearms, ranges, ammunition, and targets.

Look around you. Can you see the hundreds of advertisements for airguns, airgun ranges, and airgun targets? (I hope you notice the obvious sarcasm.)

I was at the 1984 Olympics at Prado Olympic Park and watched the hundreds of airgun competitors. By the way, can anyone name an Olympic airgun champi-

on? We have one that practices here, and we brag about him all the time. But, generally, the regular firearms shooters look at air pistols with great disdain.

You mention that retailers have to promote the products. Given that my customers don’t see advertisements for even entry-level airguns, why would I expect them to come into my store asking about airguns? I believe that my fellow retailers are waiting for the industry to make the commitment to develop the market. I can’t see retailers dragging the various manufacturers into the market at the retailers’ expense. The retailers don’t have deep enough pockets to do that.

So, in closing, the idea of airguns as entry-level shooting and training is spoton. The low cost of ammunition and reasonably priced airguns is perfect for that and as an alternative to draconian gun laws. But, I am not going to start buying inventory, train my staff, and allocate shelf space just because it is a “good” idea. The airgun manufacturers and the shooting industry in general have to step up just as they have done with firearms. I can see the 3-Gun competitions now....

Regards, Gregg L. Bouslog Owner/Manager On-Target Indoor Shooting Range, LLC

Buffalo Cartridge Sets Sights On Growth

A

merican trusted, American made.

That’s the mission at The Buffalo Cartridge Company, an ammunition manufacturer located in Findlay, Ohio. BCC offers a broad lineup of pistol and rifle ammunition for target, hunting, cowboy action, and self-defense. The company opened its doors less than three years ago, but it is already making its name known across the country.

The 26,000-square-foot facility boasts an in-house ballistics lab, a staff of more than 30 who clearly know their craft inside and out, and a full complement of top-grade machinery, including

state-of-the-art automated QC inspection. BCC is on pace to manufacture more than 20 million rounds of ammunition in 2016, but it has set the goal much higher.

“We have the capacity to produce 100 million rounds annually on a single shift, and we’re growing into that size as fast as cash flow will allow,” says Nate Larbus, BCC’s president. “We’re passionate about what we do, and we want to be a household name across the country.”

Strategic partnerships are helping BCC to reach that goal.

“Buffalo Cartridge provides some of the ammunition we use to help test and qualify our

firearms,” says Greg Thomas, Kimber’s production manager.

“The company manufactures

Designed for you, created for the outdoors.

high-quality product and is a pleasure to deal with.” (buffalocartridge.com)

Buffalo Cartridge is a relatively new, but fast-growing, ammo manufacturer.

NEWS BRIEFS

Kahr Arms and Sports South Offer Limited Edition Kahr Arms recently partnered with Sports South to offer an exclusive limited-edition double-action, semi-auto, micro-compact pistol in .380 ACP. The CT3833CG is available in an attractive Cerakote Gold finish and can only be purchased through Sports South for a limited time.

The CT3833CG features a 3-inch conventional rifled barrel, an overall length of 5.5 inches, a height of 4.4 inches, and weighs just 11.4 ounces.

The pistol has a black polymer frame and a stainless-steel slide.

The attractive gold features can be found on the slide, trigger, and the slide stop lever, giving it an opulent appearance.

In addition, the pistol features a lock breech, a modified Browning-type recoil lug, and a passive striker block, and it utilizes the “safe cam” action

found in all Kahr pistols. The result is a micro-compact pistol with very little recoil, ideal for quick follow-up shots. The pistol also has a drift-adjustable white bar-dot combat rear sight and a pinned-in polymer front sight. Capacity is 7+1. The high-temperature gold Cerakote coating is applied in a multi-step process. The result is a durable finish that holds up well under normal use. The CT3833CG ships with two 7-round magazines. SRP: $439. (internetguncatalog.com)

The Kahr Arms CT3833CG with a Cerakote Gold finish is a limited edition available only through Sports South.

CELEBRATING

A LEGEND

It has been 10 years since the legendary Taurus Judge® was born, and it’s still laying down the law. Capable of chambering both 45 Colt and 410 shotshell, this five-shot game changer is worth celebrating—and so are our fans. That’s why we’re giving you a chance to win a trip to Taurus headquarters in Miami, range time with champion shooter Jessie Duff and other amazing prizes.

Enter at Taurus-Judge.com/tour and join the celebration. #WhatLegendsAreMadeOf

Scan the QR code to learn more and enter.

TA U R U S U S A .C O M No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/31/16. Full rules at Taurus-Judge.com/tour.

Leather at a Higher Level Born in San Antonio, Mission Mercantile exists to carry uncompromising personal standards of quality and integrity into the future through 100 percent full-grain vegetable-tanned leather goods. The second part of Mission Mercantile’s mission statement is to deliver a high level of service to customers who value the unique virtues and features of these offerings.

“In that sense, you might say our story is simple,” says spokesperson Maria LeBrun.

“We felt there was something vital and authentic lost from the present world of leather goods. So we decided to restore and stand behind it ourselves, establishing Mission Mercantile as a house of leather for individuals motivated by more than the common superficial adornments of status.”

A shining example of the company’s philosophy is its leather gun scabbard.

“Anything that comes between you and your firearm needs to be trustworthy.” says LeBrun. “With a simple, adjustable strap closure, our full-grain vegetabletanned leather gun scabbard with a shearling interior is more of a dependable companion than a mere case.”

This update of a time-tested classic snugly encloses a shotgun or rifle (including most with attached scopes) in a protective lining. As handsome as it is functional, it satisfies the front-seat vehicle carry laws of many states, and its solid construction can withstand the worst Mother Nature can dish out. The scabbard is 41.5 inches long and weighs (empty) 3.7 pounds. SRP: $425. Orders of more than $250 ship free in the contiguous 48 states. (missionmercantile.com)

Correction In the June/July 2016 issue, the Zero Tolerance knife was incorrectly identified. The copy should have read: The 0095BW folder includes a S35VN blade and solid titanium handles.

Added niobium gives this powdered-metallurgy steel improved toughness without loss of wear resistance, and the ball-bearing opening system is fast and efficient. SRP: $275. (zt.kaiusaltd.com)

NEWS BRIEFS

HUNTER SAFETY SYSTEM’S CROSSBOW HARNESS

C

rossbow hunters who hunt out of treestands have found that the design of many safety harnesses interferes with cocking the bow.

That’s because the harness’ tether tends to fall in front of the hunter, where it can tangle with the crossbow and scope. To eliminate this problem, Hunter Safety System (HSS) has added a Tether Stow Strap to the new Crossbow Harness that will safely secure the tether when the bow is being cocked.

Another feature is the deep, zippered pocket specifically designed to accommodate the cocking rope.

HSS has also equipped the new Crossbow Harness with a Range Finder Rip Cord that keeps the rangefinder handy yet out of the

way and always attached so an accidental drop is never a concern.

Designed on the popular HSS Hybrid Flex chassis, the new HSS Crossbow Harness features the same

1.25-inch upper-body webbing, shock-absorbing tether, and waist buckle. The individual, padded hexagon shoulder straps on the HSS Crossbow Harness provide comfort and maximum flexibility, and the ample pockets—including a secure mesh pocket designed for a cell phone—make it easy to store all of the necessary crossbow and other hunting gear. Weighing only 2.5 pounds., the new HSS Crossbow Harness meets current industry standards recognized by the Treestand Manufacturers Association.

The harness also features a lineman’s climbing strap, an adjustable tree strap, a suspension-relief/ deer drag strap, and instructions. Available in Realtree Xtra. SRP: $129.99. (hssvest.com)

Gear Aid Launches Peel-and-Stick Patches Gear Aid, part of the McNett family of brands, is a leading designer of repair and maintenance products for outdoor gear. It recently launched Tenacious Tape Gear Patches in new shapes, sizes, and colors. It has also added reflective patches. Previously known as Tenacious Tape Tattoos, Tenacious Tape Gear Patches will repair holes, hide stains, and personalize jackets, outdoor gear, luggage, and water bottles.

Nylon fabric backed with Gear Aid’s ultra-aggressive Tenacious Tape adhesive, Gear Patches provide simple peel-and-stick repairs— no cutting, sewing, or ironing required. Tenacious Tape is the go-to outdoor repair tape because it’s washable and it stays put.

Unlike duct tape, it won’t peel or lift over time.

“People love these patches,” says marketing and public relations manager

12 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Cheriss Faiola. “We wanted to make repairs fun.” For either $5 or $10, people can patch a jacket, and express their passions on everyday items like a backpack or laptop. Themes include wildlife, camping, and hunting, among others.

SRP: ranges from $5 to $10. (mcnett.com/ gearpatches)

Badlands Breaks New Ground Along with the recent unveiling of the innovative Badlands Approach camouflage pattern, Badlands is now offering 26 new groundbreaking apparel pieces.

Featuring lightweight base layers to fully waterproof outer layers and everything in between, the new Badlands Approach apparel line was designed for hunters to find the perfect clothing system regardless of climate, location, or type of hunt. Features of the new line include Heatwave Ceramic Membrane Technology for extra warmth without bulk, Cooltouch Membrane Technology for additional cooling in warm to hot weather, Teflon Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finishes on outer layers, and Silvadur Antimicrobial Technology for scent control. In addition, high-wear areas are reinforced with SchoellerKeprotec Kevlar-infused fabric.

“For us, this was about taking everything we’ve learned about clothing over the last 10 years and putting that knowledge to work,” says marketing director Blake VanTussenbrook.

“The technology we’ve used, the materials and quality construction, and our unconditional warranty takes hunting apparel to a whole new level.” (vortexoutdoors.com)

RUGER NEW PRODUCTS FOR 2016 ®

Designed with the latest U.S. Military standards in mind, the Ruger American Pistol™ is built to perform in the harshest conditions.

A true American innovation, this new pistol is a revolutionary platform for Ruger.

AVAILABLE IN 9MM LUGER and .45 AUTO

SR1911 ® Lightweight Commander-Style in 9mm Luger 9MM LUGER

SR22 ® with 4.50'' Barrel

Ruger 22/45 Lite ® with OD Green Anodized Ventilated Barrel

22 LR

22 LR

LCR ® in .327 Federal Magnum 327 FED MAG

Redhawk ® in .45 Auto/.45 Colt 45 AUTO/45 COLT

Silent-SR ™ .22 LR Suppressor

22 Charger ™ and 22 Charger ™ Takedown with Polymer Stock

GP100 ® in .22 LR 22 LR

SR-556 ® Takedown 5.56 NATO/ 223 REM

SR22® NOT INCLUDED

22 LR

AR-556 ® State Compliant 5.56 NATO / 223 REM

10/22 Takedown ® with Target Barrel 22 LR SCOPE NOT INCLUDED

10/22 Takedown ® Lite

Ruger Precision Rifle ™

22 LR

308 WIN, 6.5 CREEDMOOR

Ruger American Rifle ® with Vortex ® Crossfire II ® Riflescope

Hawkeye ® FTW Hunter

30-06 SPRG, 300 WIN MAG, 375 RUGER, 308 WIN, 6.5 CREEDMOOR, 7MM REM MAG, 260 REM

243 WIN, 270 WIN, 30-06 SPRG, 308 WIN

Ruger American Rifle ® Magnum 7MM REM MAG, 300 WIN MAG

F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N, C A L L Y O U R R U G E R D I S T R I B U T O R T O D A Y. Join Ruger and help us raise $5,000,000 for the NRA.

RUGER .COM/2MILLION © 2016 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

060316

U P D AT E

FROM THE NSSF

Steel City Success NSSF Industry Summit is a big win in Pittsburgh

T

he 2016 NSSF Industry Summit—which attracted industry professionals from across the country to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 6–8—garnered high praise for the impactful information it delivered to attendees working to grow their businesses and increase participation in hunting and the shooting sports.

The attendance of nearly 250 industry leaders was second only to last year’s Summit in Savannah, Georgia. This attests to the

continuing value of these annual Industry Summits, which have led to the development of many successful programs and initiatives

The Summit’s roster of sessions and seminars, delivered by highly respected speakers, found important ways to connect industry segments to one another.

14 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

benefitting the future of firearms ownership, hunting, and target shooting.

The Summit provided valuable content for all seg-

ments of the industry— from manufacturers, retailers, and natural resource agencies to hunting and conservation groups—and

BY CHRIS DOLNACK, NSSF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

continued a theme begun last year on how best to engage with diverse audiences. NSSF research reveals that many ethnic groups, including the large U.S. Hispanic population, have an interest in learning about firearms ownership and the shooting sports.

The Summit kicked off with a welcome from NSSF President Steve Sanetti, followed by presenters Tara Jaye Frank on “Culture as a Pathway to Innovation” and Gerry Loredo on “Engaging the Multi-Cultural Target Shooting Audience.” Both stressed that hunting and target shooting appeal to nearly all groups, but that understanding any group’s particular and specific culture and needs will make introductions to the shooting sports much easier.

Retailer marketing was a key Summit focus, with retail guru and author Paco Underhill explaining “The Science of Shopping,” followed by a presentation on today’s valuable market research provided by NSSF Director of Industry Research and Analysis Jim Curcuruto and Rob

Southwick of the research firm Southwick Associates.

A high point of audience engagement was a panel on how to fight the culture war on hunting. The presentation was moderated by National Deer Alliance President Nick Pinizzotto and featured Georgia Director of Wildlife Resources Division Dan Forster, Vista Outdoor Director of Conservation and Public Policy Ryan Bronson, and Media Lodge CEO Jeff Siegel. Just as exciting was the seminar that followed—David Mead’s “Start With Why” concept, which works to develop leaders who inspire others, was a presentation that proved both inspirational and motivational.

Day two featured two headliner presentations, with the main room packed for a discussion on industry trends, insights, and concerns led by a panel of four industry leaders—James Debney of Smith & Wesson, Steve Hornady of Hornady Manufacturing, Chris Killoy of Sturm Ruger, and Bruce Pettet of Leupold. Two wellreceived sessions on the

important but challenging topic of working with media on firearms issues were given by journalist and author Frank Miniter and Cheryl Todd of Gun Freedom Radio. Breakout sessions that focused on marketing, NSSF’s #GUNVOTE campaign, and NSSF’s Firearms Industry Health Advantage were also praised.

The Summit wrapped up with a motivational keynote speech given by Pittsburgh Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle, who encouraged personal responsibility, continued self-improvement, and respect for others. “Be where your feet are,” urged Hurdle.

Summit attendees enjoyed an opening reception at riverfront PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the city also demonstrated its commitment to helping promote firearms safety. At a pre-Summit press conference, the Allegheny County Sheriff ’s Office and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police announced a partnership with NSSF’s Project ChildSafe program to provide free gun locks to residents and encourage secure storage of firearms when

not in use to help keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Our audience of attendees represented the full face of our industry—manufacturers, distributors, retailers, range owners, fish and wildlife agency heads, and, importantly, crucial nongovernmental partners like the National Rifle Association and the National Deer Alliance. The Summit’s roster of sessions and seminars, delivered by a spectacular lineup of wellregarded and highly respected speakers, found important ways to connect these segments one to another.

It’s not a stretch to say that this was the most successful Summit we’ve had.

NSSF would like to thank its 2016 Industry Summit sponsors: Georgia USA, Sportsmen’s Alliance, Boy Scouts of America, Celerant, Joseph Chiarello & Co., DT Gruelle, Magpul, Troy, and the National Conservation Leadership Institute.

The 2017 NSSF Industry Summit will be held June 5–7 in Austin, Texas.

Chris Dolnack Summit attendees enjoyed an opening reception at riverfront PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle (pictured opposite, bottom right) wrapped up the Summit with a motivational keynote speech.

NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 15

U P D AT E

B Y Z A C H S N O W, N S S F M A N A G E R , S H O O T I N G P R O G R A M S

YO U S H O U L D K N O W

The New Shooting Stars NSSF announces all-new Star-Rating Range Program

T

here are many ways to recognize the members of our industry that set the bar for excellence. One readers of this magazine will be most familiar with are the annual SHOT Business Awards (see our news section for this year’s nomination contest information). Another is to create a rating system that credits those businesses that go above and beyond expectations. Just as with the Michelin Stars awarded to best-in-class restaurants, now NSSF indoor range members can shoot for their own stars with our all-new Star-Rating Range Program.

We are very excited to put a program in place that not only highlights those ranges that have made significant strides in maintaining an outstanding facility to the public, provide excellent customer service, and work with their community to be seen as a positive business influence, but one that also serves as guidance for those ranges not at the top of their game but seeking out the avenues to get there. The new StarRating Range Program should

The all-new NSSF StarRating Range Program replaces the original Five- and Four-Star Range program that we discontinued in 2015. The new program allows for star ratings of any range. It begins with one star for NSSF non-member ranges utilizing the “Where to Shoot” range location listing on NSSF’s wheretoshoot.org, and two stars for NSSF member ranges that have not submitted an application for higher star rating. We did this to encour-

Just as with restaurant Michelin stars, range facilities attaining three-, four-, or five-star status will be subject to reevaluation. serve as a benchmark for excellence that the recreational shooting public can depend on and the firearms industry as a whole can look toward as an example of how we do business safely, reliably, and at the highest level of professionalism. The program criteria will also serve as a tool for those in the startup or developmental stages of establishing an indoor range and retail business.

age non-member ranges to become NSSF members, and for ranges that are members to work with the evaluation criteria we’ve created in the assessment package and improve their facilities.

Three, four, or five stars, based on the assessment’s point system, will be awarded to those NSSF member ranges that submit an application for evaluation and are able to dem-

16 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

onstrate they meet various levels of approved criteria. That criteria spans a wide variety of elements—from the expected, such as filtration systems, climate control, and overall facility cleanliness, to ranges that work to provide a top-level shooter experience, including promotional events, instruction, staff education, and work with area non-profits and youth organizations. But we didn’t want to just put the criteria in place, award stars to those making the grade, and leave it at that. Just as with restaurant Michelin stars, our range facilities attaining three-, four-, or five-star status will be subject to reevaluation. These reevaluations will occur every three years. That component of the program, coupled with a much more comprehensive and indepth set of criteria for making the grade, is intended to help our ranges provide a consistently high-quality experience for their customers.

NSSF’s new Star-Rating Range Program is currently available only for indoor shooting ranges and retail businesses open to the public. As we work our way through the first year of this new program and have the opportunity to assess firsthand those facilities that make the grade, we expect to develop similar programs that work

for outdoor ranges and private shooting clubs.

For more details on the StarRating Range Program, including the evaluation criteria, go to nssf.org/ranges/star-rated.

In order to submit an application, NSSF member ranges will first need to order the official application through the member’s only shopping cart. Once the self-evaluation and supporting documentation are complete, applicants should contact me, Zach Snow, at zsnow@ nssf.org, 203-426-1320 ext. 224, or mail their submission package to my attention at NSSF, 11 Mile Hill Rd., Newtown, CT 06470-2359.

Once a submission has been received, NSSF staff, along with members of their Range Advisory Council, will review the application and its supporting documentation to determine if the applicant qualifies for a star rating. As the final step to the evaluation process, a site visit will occur for those ranges that appear to have met the required point criteria for a three-, four-, or five-star rating, and those ranges ultimately ranked as one of these three top assessments will receive an awards plaque and other items for promotional use on their range and website. Not an NSSF range member? Visit nssf.org and click on the Membership heading at the top of the page.

U P D AT E

NSSF Adds Two New Members to Compliance And Security Consultant Teams

A

lways working to ensure its retail members have the expert help they need, NSSF has recently added two new names to its roster of retail consultants. Bob Berthold joined the Compliance Consultant Team, while John Bocker has been added to both that team and the growing list of experts making up the newer Security Consultant Team.

Bocker is the founder and CEO of JB Group, LLC, a Denver-based risk management and security consulting firm.

He brings with him a long and successful career in building strong teams committed to the organization’s overall risk management success, with a strong focus on evaluating empirical data, managing execution, and prioritizing team goals. His special-

ties include strategic planning, risk assessment, asset protection, operational and compliance auditing, profit improvement, and complex investigations.

Berthold joined the California Department of Justice in Sacramento in 1994, working as a Criminal Intelligence Specialist in the Violent Crimes Unit. In 2005, he was promoted to Field Representative/

Bob Berthold

Inspector with the California Department of Justice Firearms Unit. His duties includ-

ed inspecting firearms dealers for compliance and assisting the Department of Justice Firearm Enforcement section in investigating criminal activities relating to firearms.

He trained and educated California law enforcement agencies on firearms laws and illegal firearms, and was a trainer for new inspectors.

“John’s expertise in

New NICS Going Live

T

he FBI NICS Section has announced a New NICS go-live date of August 9, 2016. Future communications from NICS will include instructions on how to access the New NICS E-Check User Guide to allow FFLs to become familiar with the look of the NICS E-Check prior to deployment of the New NICS. The look of the NICS E-Check after deployment will change; however, the functionality will remain the same.

FBI Releases New NICS Spotlight In late May, the FBI released the following regarding the New NICS:

Third Party Software Vendor Some FFLs purchased software that automated all or part of the firearm background check process.

The NICS Section has not traditionally supported the development of such products; therefore, the NICS Section does not have a list of software vendors that developed a product. If you are using software that automated all or part of the background check process, it is crucial that you notify the NICS Section.

The NICS Section would like to make important information regarding the New NICS available for your software vendor. Notification should include the name of the software vendor and should be e-mailed to the NICS Business Relations Team at nicsliaison@ic.fbi.gov.

security issues and Bob’s long career in California will bring specialized value to our members,” said Patrick Shay, NSSF Director, Retail Development. “We’re pleased to have both of them join us.”

For more information on how your business can take advantage of NSSF’s Store Security Audit Program, visit nssf.org/retailers/ security.cfm.

NSSF ADDS NEW #GUNVOTE VIDEO NSSF has launched an informative #GUNVOTE video in response to repeated attempts by anti-gun politicians, celebrities, and the media elite to single out the AR-15 and label the semiautomatic civilian rifle a “weapon of war.” Help get the facts out. Watch the video at gunvote.org and be sure to share it with your staff, customers, family, and friends on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

© 2016 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SHOT Business®, SHOT Show® and all other trade names, trademarks and service marks of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation’s prior express written permission. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 17

U P D AT E

R E TA I L E R T O O L B O X

How to Manage Suspicious Customers Tips for detecting and dealing with patrons who might cause trouble

A

s a gun shop owner, you want to think that every customer entering your shop is excited to be purchasing a new firearm, ammunition, or accessories. In reality, though, you know this is not always the case.

There are times when an individual or group may enter your establishment with bad intentions in mind.

In the world of retailing, we refer to this activity as “external threats” or “external risks.” The risks come in the form of shoplifters, organized retail crime (ORC) syndicates, credit card fraud operators, or, even worse, people casing your establishment for future robbery or burglary.

Recent statistics show that burglaries continue to be on the rise. As an FFL and busi-

ness owner, you must focus on keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals and protecting your inventory and staff members. There are several things you can do daily to make that happen.

First, you want to look at your store’s environment.

Start with a well-trained staff of employees who must be aware at all times of the people entering the store. Since criminals try to avoid identification, they are more prone to enter during slower periods of the day and when staffing is minimal, such as

Typical customers display consistent behaviors and ask similar questions. When you don’t see that, trust your gut.

18 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

early morning, at lunchtime, and just before closing. Your staff should always look out for customers who enter the store alone but keep an eye on the parking area. Do they have an accomplice outside?

Were they hesitant to enter?

Did they enter quickly?

These are suspicious behaviors. Criminals working in pairs or groups will also often use cell phones, eye signals, and other non-verbal methods to communicate to one another while appearing to be shopping alone. How about if two or more individ-

uals unfamiliar to your staff enter the store together? Do they appear cordial, relaxed, and talkative, or are they tense, discreet, and nonconversational?

Your typical customers display consistent behaviors and have consistent conversations, even if they’re firsttime firearms purchasers.

When you don’t see or hear that consistency, trust your gut!

Those of us in the retail security business often say, “If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.” So how can

BY JOHN BOCKER, NSSF SECURITY & FFL COMPLIANCE TEAM MEMBER

you react proactively when something just doesn’t “feel” right? Your best approach should always be to follow these basic steps: GREET CUSTOMERS

Have a firm program in place that says every customer entering the store will be greeted. For larger stores where the front door may not be in immediate view, consider installing a door chime. This aids greatly in alerting the staff of new customers as they help other patrons, and it also alerts possible criminals that you are aware of their entry.

TALK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS If you

don’t recognize a new customer, strike up a conversation. Make cordial but direct eye contact and welcome him to your store.

INQUIRE Use selling tech-

niques like asking if a customer new to your store is a local resident, if they work in the area, and why they stopped in. Most legitimate first-time customers will have something interesting and logical to share, while suspicious individuals may avoid revealing anything personal and respond to the question of why they stopped in with, “Just looking.” Some will reply with something that doesn’t relate or make sense at all—these individuals in particular should start your internal sensors firing.

ALERT THE TEAM An

alert code word or phrase can serve as a signal to all other employees that you might have a situation on your hands. That alert should initiate several actions, such as all staff members moving to the sales

floor to quickly assess the situation. One staff member should also stand ready to activate your panic/hold-up alarm or be ready to call 911.

If possible, someone else should check the parking area for anything unusual.

Not only will you be prepared to deal with a robbery if one starts to go down, but these reactive activities will also tell any would-be criminals that you are alert, which may dissuade them from their plans.

course, potentially aid law enforcement if a grab-andrun occurs. Trigger locks, if in use, can be left in place at your discretion, serving as another theft deterrent.

Finally, be sure to show one firearm at a time to prevent distractions and maintain inventory control. If you or your staff ever feel unsure about a particular customer, secure all firearms immediately and summon help from other staff members.

CONFIRM Beware of

THWART SHOPLIFTERS If some-

one is suspected of shoplifting or attempting to shoplift, approach the customer directly and provide uninterrupted, one-on-one contact. A shoplifter is most often simply waiting for the opportunity to conceal items and exit the store quickly. Eliminate that opportunity. Quickly and directly request to hold the merchandise at the counter until they’re ready to pay for it. This method has been effective for retailers across the country and works in most situations. Typically, the would-be shoplifter surrenders the merchandise he or she is trying to steal and will opt out of the criminal act given the opportunity.

If another patron alerts you to shoplifting, use caution in addressing it, as you did not personally observe it. Provide great service and avoid any accusations until you can confirm details.

straw-purchasing scenarios and act accordingly as per ATF guidelines. If you suspect possible fraudulent activity, ask for photo identification to confirm identity, especially with credit card transactions. As a shop owner, you are permitted to confirm authenticity of a cardholder’s name and expiration dates with a photo ID. When in doubt, you can also contact the issuing bank listed on the back of a credit card, though this process is best completed away from the customer.

Remember, NSSF has a wide variety of “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy” tools to help you guard against straw purchases, including training videos for your staff and the “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy” Retailer Kit, which includes a training DVD, brochure, posters, and other “Don’t Lie” accessories that help educate your customers as well as staff. Visit dontlie. org for more information.

HOLD ID Ask for an unexpired, state-issued photo ID and hold it until all firearms are safely secured. It is also recommended that you make this a written store policy that is prominently displayed for all customers to see. Holding an ID can, of

ACT QUICKLY There will be a time when your suspicion signals are so strong that you know something bad is likely to happen. Don’t delay in these situations. Use your code word and have a staff member call 911. Waiting to call the police can easily esca-

late a situation in your place of business and result in unnecessary injury or damages. To avoid confrontation with an irate customer and when personal safety is a concern, advise him or her that you have summoned the police and you’d like for them to exit the store.

ROLE PLAY There is no predictability in where or when a situation will turn ugly or a crime will be committed. Now is the time to begin to review store procedures with your staff and conduct actual training roleplay scenarios. “Practice makes perfect,” as the old saying goes, and such practice will add confidence to your staff ’s ability to manage suspicious customers.

Have questions about your store’s security and security procedures? NSSF is now offering a day-long security consultation program for its members.

Spearheaded by Bill Napier, a member of NSSF’s FFL Security Consultant Team and an expert on security issues affecting the firearms industry, and myself, the NSSF Store Security Audit Program will add yet another layer of safety and compliance knowledge to NSSF’s efforts in these areas, while also providing additional value to NSSF membership.

Learn more at nssf.org/ retailers/SecurityAudit.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 19

FYI

B Y R O B E R T F. S TA E G E R

Timing Is Everything Zanders’ new distribution center increases efficiency by shaving seconds

H

ere’s an outdated analogy for you: The catalog for Zanders Sporting Goods is as thick as a phone book. Considering the sheer volume of products the distributor carries—more than 30,000 SKUs, shipping out more than 1,500 packages and several light truckloads a day— the biggest surprise is that it’s not somehow larger.

The company officially started in Baldwin, Illinois. Glenn Zanders began his career peddling furs, but in 1962 he added guns to the mix. It helped build Zanders Sporting Goods first into a regional wholesale distributor, and then national. It remains a family business, with deep roots in the community.

“We’ve had a lot of dedicated employees, employees who have been with us from right out of high school, and they’re still working here,” says Glenn’s granddaughter, Stefanie Zanders, the company’s general manager. “Some of our customers have become family friends.”

The company has grown a great deal, and in 2009, it bought a new headquarters in Sparta, Illinois, a short drive down Route 154 from Baldwin. The original space had grown organically, spreading from a general storefront into warehouse sheds. “It was inefficient—we had merchandise scattered in so many different buildings,” says Zanders. The move to Sparta consolidated the company into one building, which it has now expanded, creating a state-of-the-art distribution center.

The consolidation made modernization

Zanders cut the ribbon on its new warehouse expansion recently. The increase in size allows for more efficient operations.

possible; warehousing and shipping have been given a major upgrade.

“We’ve got an automated taping system, bubble-on-demand, and air pillows,” says Zanders.

There is also a machine that shrink-wraps material in heavy plastic that can withstand the rigors of shipping. “It saves a bit of time and labor, especially for long guns.

We can ship three long guns that way, and we can cut down the time immensely.”

Shaving more seconds off of packaging is the company’s new CubiScan system. “Every product gets scanned into the CubiScan system, which gives you the

20 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

dimensional weight of the product,” says Zanders. “Then, whenever it gets to the shipping line, a screen comes up that says exactly how to place the products in the box, and even what box to choose.” Trialand-error costs time, and Zanders’ same-dayshipping policy requires efficiency.

Another massive time-saver is the warehouse’s carousel automated shelving system.

Products are scanned into the system and assigned a shelf. When an employee calls for a specific product, the carousel will rotate, bringing the shelf with that product on it to her.

“The system knows the products exactly,” says Zanders. “An operator can scan eight orders in and set eight tubs on the conveyor in front of her, and the computer will take the carousel to the closest item. Lights will show her what tub to pick from, and then when she turns around, it’ll show her which tub to place the item in.”

The more efficient warehousing will let Zanders stock more of manufacturers’ lines.

Consequently, retailers will enjoy a broader product offering— already a phone book, remember— speedier delivery, and great customer service, as prod-

ucts are swiftly pulled, shipped, and tracked with the help of the new systems in place.

It also allows Zanders to serve the industry in a couple of other ways.

One is drop-shipping: Zanders can warehouse and ship its goods for retailer customers that do an online business.

“If the customer buys from them, we’re billing our customer but we’re shipping it to their customer,” says Zanders. Basically, Zanders is housing the retailer’s warehouse.

Another service Zanders provides is third-party logistics (3PL) to small manufacturers. A lot of the innovative products in the industry are from small entrepreneurs with big ideas. But with success comes a catch. “They don’t have the warehousing expertise we do,” says Zanders.

This June, the warehouse expansion was finally completed.

Retailers were flown in from around the country for the ribbon cutting and treated to a tour of the new facility as well as a day of shooting clays at the nearby World Shooting Complex. And why not?

It’s only 10 minutes away. And in customer service, every minute counts.

FIRING LINE

BY BILL BUCKLEY

Affordable Alternative Bergara’s B-14 Woodsman offers classic looks and high performance at a very attractive price

U

nveiled at the 2016 SHOT Show, the Bergara Woodsman follows the company’s 2015 debut of its B-14 Performance Series rifles—the sleek-profiled, synthetic-stocked Hunter and the Timber, both of which featured a more traditional, oil-finished, Monte Carlo–style walnut stock.

The B-14’s appeal isn’t hard to understand: With a suggested retail price under $1,000, it offers many of the performanceenhancing features of Bergara’s acclaimed custom rifles that list for three times as much. With the Woodsman, sportsmen whose tastes gravitate toward even cleaner, more traditional lines than those of the Timber, and who still insist on superb accuracy, now can have their cake and eat it, too.

The Woodsman fills an important niche 22 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

on dealer shelves. For quite a few years now, quality walnut stocks in affordable bolt-action rifles have become all but extinct in the market.

While this is partly due to some consumers’ preference for the weather-resistant and lightweight characteristics of today’s injection-molded synthetic stocks, a lot is also attributable to the lack of availability of attractive walnut in the more “hunting-friendly” matte oil finish.

The author took this nice Montana whitetail with the new Bergara B-14 Woodsman bolt-action hunting rifle.

Given the wood stock, the Woodsman is slightly heavier than the synthetic-stocked Hunter, but a bit lighter than the Timber.

“With its slimmer profile, the Woodsman has a completely different appeal, doubling the B-14’s potential sales to those shooters who love the look and feel of oil-finished walnut,” says CEO Nate Treadaway.

The guts of the B-14 are Bergara’s Spanish-made 4140CrMo steel barrels, renowned for their accuracy, in part due to a multi-stage honing process that produces a mirror-smooth bore. As with the Timber, accuracy and stability are enhanced with two metal-infused epoxy pillars embedded in the walnut stock to facilitate the action screws.

The free-floating barrel and crispbreaking, creep-free trigger further ensure superb accuracy, something I discovered at the bench prior to hunting with the B-14 last fall. Four shots produced a halfMOA group with Hornady 165-grain SST ammo in .308.

When shooting the Woodsman in 6.5 Creedmoor during range day at SHOT last January, it was a thrill to be able to hit the 950-yard target five out of five shots.

This rifle is exceedingly accurate, and even the most discerning rifleman won’t feel the need to tinker with or replace its excellent trigger.

Bergara’s Performance action—featuring a two-lug bolt, coned bolt nose and breech, and sliding plate extractor—makes the Woodsman one of the smoothest-cycling rifles I’ve shot, a feature I appreciated more than I’d expected when a whitetail buck suddenly stepped out of the brush 180 yards away. The 25 mph wind pushed the bullet far forward of where I’d aimed, but a quick follow-up shot, thanks to an effortless cycling of rounds, anchored the buck in short order. When you’re forced to take a fast second shot, the last thing you need is to be distracted by a rough-feeding action.

The Woodsman retails for $950 and is available in .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270, .30/06, .300 Win. Mag., and 7mm Rem. Mag. Short-action rifles weigh 7.1 pounds with 22-inch barrels; long-action models come with 24-inch barrels and weigh 7.4 pounds. With most chamberings, both hinged floor-plates and detachable magazines are available. (bergarausa.com)

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UNDERCOVER SHOPPER

The Long Shot Shopping for a long-range riflescope in West Virginia shows that many retailers are a bit short-sighted

S

hooting and hunting at extended distance have become very popular. To do it properly, you need specific tools, such as a riflescope that provides trajectory correction.

This is performed either by a reticle or target-style windage and elevation adjustments. Other desirable features include a parallax adjustment, a wide magnification range, and, ideally, a resettable zero or at least a zero stop.

Online shopping undoubtedly offers the best selection and prices. But what if a guy needs some guidance to make sure the riflescope he

purchases will actually fill his needs and fit his rifle? I wanted to know if I could find that help at a sporting-goods store in my area.

STORE A

EAGER TO PLEASE ➤ As soon as I walked into the gun area of this big-box retailer, the clerk immedi-

ately asked if he could help. I explained I needed a long-range scope for a mule deer hunt. He walked to the counter and started to show me a conventional Leupold, but then he suggested we order something more suitable.

He pulled a Vortex Viper 6.5–10x50 with a mil-dot reticle up on the screen.

Then, after admitting he didn’t know much about long-range optics, he proved that with his lack of understanding of reticle focal plane and how it impacts reticle subtension at different magnifications.

He did point out the Vortex warranty and suggested it’s as good as Leupold’s but costs less. He then wrote down the information on the scope along with the price, telling me that if I ordered from him, there would be no shipping charges for home delivery.

STORE B

IS ANYONE HOME? stood gawking at the counter for seven minutes waiting to be helped. Finally an older gentleman ambling by asked, “You need something?” I told him I wanted a long-range scope and he said he would have to get his “scope guy.” A minute later, a young man emerged.

When he asked what kind of rifle I had, I thought I’d found my guy. When I told him I wanted to shoot out to

24 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

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UNDERCOVER SHOPPER

How’d They Do? Customer Service

Product Knowledge

Product Availability

Limited, but the clerk presented the best option of any store I visited.

The store did not have a suitable long-range scope in stock, but the clerk offered to get me one within three days.

Had to wait for seven minutes to be helped or spoken to even though there were no other customers.

The clerk did not understand the features needed to hit at long range.

Though not wide ranging, there were several long-range-style riflescopes in stock.

I was greeted upon entry, but it was seven minutes before I was helped. The counterman’s gun handling made me nervous.

The clerk seemed perplexed by my request and offered a ballistic reticle as the only solution.

There were five riflescopes in the store; none were suited for extended range.

I stood at the STORE counter for 10 minutes and was never addressed.

no stars Since no employees wanted to talk to me, I can’t tell whether they knew anything about long-range scopes.

A wide selection of lowto mid-priced long-range riflescopes was in stock.

STORE

A

The clerk greeted me immediately and was eager to help.

STORE

B

STORE

C

D

SCORING SYSTEM: Outstanding:

500 yards, he proved otherwise by saying, “I don’t think I have anything that goes out that far.” Unable to hide my perplexed look, I just stood there. Eventually he pulled out a Vortex Crossfire 4–16x50. And when he confirmed the adjustable objective had the number 500 just before the infinity symbol, he said, “Yep, this one will.”

After fiddling with the scope for several minutes, he finally let me look at it.

He then said a Leupold would be better, but no one around sold them. In the end, he told me the problem with the Vortex would be finding 30mm rings.

26 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Very Good:

STORE C

ALL YOU NEED ➤ A woman at the cash register greeted me on entry.

Still, I stood in the cramped showroom full of modern sporting rifles and handguns for about seven minutes before help was offered.

During that time, a clerk behind the counter drew a Glock from his holster, unloaded it on the counter, and proceeded to wave it around while talking to a customer.

When I was finally acknowledged, I explained what I wanted and was led to a shelf where the same clerk pilfered through some

Average:

boxes and blister packs looking for a riflescope. I counted five of them.

He said, “Let me check in the back.” When he emerged he was holding a piece of paper with information about a Nikon Monarch 3 4–16x42 riflescope on it.

He said it had a BDC reticle—like that should satisfy me. When I asked about other options, he said, “The BDC is all you need.”

STORE D,

DON’T LOOK NOW… ➤

This locally owned store is the best-stocked gun and shooting retail location in the area. It had a wide

Winner: STORE

A

Though the clerk was not very knowledgeable about longrange optics, he was pleasant and professional, and was eager to help. He also offered the best solution of any store visited.

Dick’s Sporting Goods 5475 Robert C Byrd Dr. #6 Mt Hope, WV 25880 304-252-3425 dickssporting goods.com

Fair:

Poor:

selection of riflescopes, several of which were perfectly configured to meet my needs. I stood at the optics counter, fondling the lessexpensive scopes in reach while looking longingly at the nicer ones under glass.

The store wasn’t crowded and there were four employees behind the counter arguing about .44 Magnums and the .30/06.

During the 10 minutes I stood there, trying my best to act like I had a wad of money burning a hole in my pocket, I noticed two clerks staring at me. When I made eye contact, they turned away. -

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LONG-RANGE SHOOTING IS A BIG-TICKET BUSINESS. BUT BEFORE YOU CAN CASH IN, YOU NEED TO KNOW PRECISELY WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS NEED

BY DAVID E. PETZAL

Rifles built specifically for long-range use can easily cost as much as $3,000 to $5,000. But there are more economical options that you can offer.

PAGE

29

PAGE

30

The he highe highest-grossing film of 2014, the highest- grossing ar film of all time war time, and Clint Eastwood’s highestossing film were one and the same—American Sniper. grossing s the story s It’s of SEAL marksman Chris Kyle, who killed pe more people while aiming through crosshairs than any arme forces. other member of our armed Yet there was a time not long ago when one did not use the word “sniper” and “American” in the same sentence. Sniping was somehow less than honorable. It was something The Other Side did.

But that, along with a hell of a lot else in shooting, has changed—and with a vengeance.

In the past decade or so, we’ve seen a blurring of the lines between military/police shooting and hunting. The modern sporting rifle has been widely accepted for civilian use. And the hunter who is admired is not he who relies on stealth, but he who is master of wind and

trajectory.

So, long range is in, and it’s another world in which ordinary rifles, scopes, and ammo do not hack it. What does hack it is expensive—in many cases, very expensive—gear. But in order to sell that, you have to acquire a new wealth of knowledge. Back before I had become familiar with NightForce scopes, which are leaders in the world of long distance, the only dealer I knew who carried them explained to me that they had a feature that enabled a shooter to return to zero simply by pushing on the elevation knob. This is not how it works, and wallowing in such

Scopes built for long-range shooting are complicated pieces of equipment.

You need to know exactly how they work.

ignorance is the quickest way that I know of to lose customers. You, or someone else in your store, have to walk the walk and talk the talk.

For a century, the maximum range at which hunters were supposed to shoot was 300 yards. If you wanted to try beyond that, you bought yourself a fearsome rifle with tons of muzzle blast, recoil, weight, and velocity, and then relied on sheer speed to overcome distance. Now, with the development of range-compensating scopes and reticles, laser rangefinders, and superbly accurate sporting rifles, you can hit reliably way beyond 300 yards with a rifle that will not require you to know an orthopedic surgeon.

Back then, target shooters who wanted to shoot at long distance were pretty much restricted to NRA-sanctioned matches requiring a military rifle, lots of equipment, and the ability to shoot from bonecracking positions designed for 19-year-old Marine recruits.

That, too, has changed. The NRA now sanctions what are known as Any-Any matches, where you can use damn near any rifle and sight you want, do all your shooting from prone, and fire at targets from 200 to 600 yards—or farther, if the range allows. There is also F-Class, where you shoot prone over a pedestal rest, and F-TR, which is F-Tactical Rifle, where you’re limited to .223 and .308.

F and F-TR competitors shoot side by side, and the ranges are 300, 500, and 600 yards. (There

OPPOSITE: RICHARD MANN; OPENER AND THIS PAGE: TIM IRWIN

Bipods come in various flavors (and price ranges) as well. Match the bipod to the intended use.

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When chambered for a flat shooter like the .30 Nosler, the lightweight Nosler M48 is a great long-range hunting rifle.

are no 400-yard distances.)

An F-Class rifle is usually less powerful than a hunting rifle, but it is more accurate and more consistent by several orders of magnitude. In F-Class shooting, the X-ring is only 3 inches in diameter, and even at small local shoots, there is no shortage of marksmen who can put 20 rounds in it at 600 yards in 20 minutes, and do so three times in an afternoon. It requires not only great skill, but a rifle that will shoot four 5-shot ½-MOA groups in a row.

Most F-Class and F-TR rifles are custom-built and cost in the neighborhood of $3,000 to $4,000. There are those, and then there are the various Savage competition guns, which cost about a third as much.

Savage pretty much has a lock on this corner of the market; its reputation is that of rifles that will do the job if you can do yours. Savage will probably soon be joined by Ruger, courtesy of its brand-new Ruger Precision Rifle, a chassis-stocked work of genius in five versions that costs less than $2,000.

Scopes must be different, too.

One of the most basic functions of a scope is to make consistent and accurate adjustments for windage and elevation. The average big-game scope is adjusted only occasionally, but competition scopes are constantly cranked up, down, and sideways.

Most scopes will not adjust with anywhere near the accuracy or consistency that is required to shoot well at long distance. The ones that will are built to an entirely different standard and are priced accordingly, which means $2,500 to $5,000.

And then there’s ammo. If you want to shoot at long range, you pretty much have to roll your own. Handloading is the only way you can get the accuracy required and keep the costs from becoming ruinous.

Even if you’re a hunter rather than a competition shooter, you learn very quickly that the only way you acquire skill is by relentless practice. If you have a rifle in a military caliber, you might get lucky and find a brand of match ammo that you can buy in bulk and that shoots well in your rifle. Black Hills makes some very good stuff, and M118 7.62 sniper ammo, which is made by Federal, will shoot very well and can be bought in 100-round and 500round lots. But handloading is still the cheapest way to go.

Accessories. Again, it’s a different world. Do you want to shoot in F-Class? You’ll discover in short order that an ordinary pedestal rest, which will do just fine at the range for a couple of days a year, will draw looks of pity and contempt. The pedestal rest of choice is a 30-pound, rock-solid, infinitely adjustable thing of beauty made by Sinclair, with a price tag of $600.

If you’d like to shoot in F-TR, which is Tactical Rifle, you must use a bipod. If you shoot with a standard gun-store bipod, which you bought for $30 or $60, you’ll discover that it’s not nearly as good as the ones Sinclair makes and sells for $200-plus.

This is just the basic equipment, but they’re items that the average customer has never heard of—or if he has heard, it’s the wrong information. Or he’s appalled at the price because no one has explained why some of these items cost so much. That’s where you, the retailer, come in.

Your job is to know and to be able to explain.

Let’s take a simple case: There is no end of rangecompensating reticles available.

They all work—mostly. One claims to have survived 250,000 trial adjustments in its development, but I’ve seen one of these scopes so wrecked in the course of a prairie-dog hunt that it could not be gotten on target.

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1) The Mossberg MVP LR is a tactical long-range take on Mossberg’s MVP platform; 2) the Proof Research Lightweight Mountain Hunter is incredibly light and incredibly accurate; 3) the Weatherby Mark V TacMark Elite is a top-of-the-line long-distance rifle.

Another, which relies on a battery-powered laser and calculates holdover for you, will do fine unless the temperature gets down to 10 degrees or below, which is the point at which its batteries drop dead.

If you want to sell successfully—have people happy with what they’ve bought—you have to remember that many of those customers will not work to achieve proficiency; many, if they bother to read directions, will not understand them because most directions are incomprehensible; and many, in the heat of battle (whether it be hunting or competition), will have what they do know go right out their head the moment the shooting starts.

So it falls on you to figure out what is simplest and easiest to

master, as well as that which is least likely to fail under stress— and then push it.

It’s invaluable to be aware of ranges that offer shooting at more than 200 yards. In some parts of the country, finding one can be a real problem, but in others they’re relatively common.

When I started working at long distance, I had to drive six hours each way to the range. There was simply no other choice.

You also need to know who can help. In April and October, the Scarborough (Maine) Fish and Game Club holds multiclass programs for beginners who want to try their hand at distance. It starts in the classroom and ends at the 600-yard line. Down the road in Exeter, New Hampshire, is a range run

by SIG SAUER that goes out to

1,000 yards and offers professional instruction. Your job is to know about these programs.

With whatever you sell, you have to make this clear: No one who is good at long-range shooting got that way without work, usually years of it. Your customer is going to meet people who shoot so much better than he does that he will want to throw his rifle in the dumpster in despair. Remind him that no matter how much he spends, he is not going to shoot like a High Master without putting in the hours and the ammo and the effort. He is going to have to be patient and keep trying, and by and by it will come.

If he has any sense, he will thank you for your honesty. And he will come back to your store again.

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itting at distance on a range is a very different animal from doing the same in the field while hunting. On the range, a 12-pound rifle is not a burden; if you’re chasing a bull elk at 6,000 feet, it is. Hunters want reach, not field artillery. To fill this niche, a proliferation of super magnums, such as the 6.5-300 Weatherby and .30 Nosler, are being chambered in rifles like the 8-pound Weatherby Arroyo and the even-lighter Nosler M48. These rifles can be carried all day. Proof Research’s less-than-6-pound

Lightweight Mountain Hunter, which uses a carbon-fiberwrapped barrel, is a high-end lightweight tack driver. At the other end of the price spectrum is Mossberg’s Night Train Patriot; it retails for less than $800 and comes with a riflescope and bipod.

Hobbyist long-range shooters and competitors only carry their rifles from the truck to the firing line. They like the

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added weight for the additional stability it can provide, and they have no interest or need to make a snap shot at a coyote. They want precision projectile launchers, purposebuilt for static shooting. They want rifles like Weatherby’s Mark V TacMark Elite. This is a five-grand 12-pound boomer chambered for beast cartridges like the .338 Lapua and the .338-378 Weatherby. It offers

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buttstock adjustment, and with a suitable optic it can weigh as much as 15 pounds.

Weatherby’s 10-pound Vanguard Laminate H-BAR offers the same adjustability but costs $3,500 less. It’s also chambered for tamer cartridges. Another option in this category is Bergara’s BCR 30 Heavy Tactical Chassis rifle. It, too, is chambered for smaller cartridges and offers adjust-

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1) Bergara BCR28 Competition Chassis Rifle; 2) Mossberg Light Chassis Rifle; 3) Weatherby Arroyo; and 4) Weatherby Vanguard H-BAR. Prices for this group range from just under $2,000 to more than $5,000.

BY RICHARD MANN

PAGE ability like that seen in the Ruger Precision Rifle.

F i t Fa c t o r Sporting shotgun shooters preach the importance of fit.

How a rifle fits a shooter is just as important for long-range success. This is because shotto-shot variations in the launch platform—the way the rifle recoils and interacts with the shooter—alter point of impact. Little errors at the muzzle are magnified as time of flight extends. Because of this, length of pull and comb height become critical.

This is why the Ruger Precision Rifle, Bergara

RICHARD MANN

Serious competitors demand serious equipment.

Competition Chassis Rifle, and the more affordable Mossberg Light Chassis Rifle have the attention of many long-range shooters. All three have highly adaptable buttstocks that allow for a custom fit that permits the launch pad to be tuned. The importance of fit also applies to more traditional sporting rifles intended for long-range hunting. Mossberg’s MVP LR Tactical with its adjustable comb is an example of how manufacturers are addressing this issue.

B i g M i s ta k e The mistake most new long-

range shooters make is the assumption that they need high velocity and magnum force to go the distance. Truth is, flight time is what matters.

The faster the bullet gets to the target, the less time gravity and wind have to affect it. It’s an aerodynamic thing, and it means even moderately powered cartridges, such as the 6.5 Creedmoor, can hang with hotrod rounds if the right bullet is used. Because you don’t want to overburden a customer with a hard-kicking rifle, you need to be able to effectively communicate that the bullet’s ability to retain velocity is what really matters.

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36 THE ACCURACY OF RUGER’S PRECISION RIFLE WILL BRING A SMILE TO ANY SHOOTER’S FACE

BY WAYNE VAN ZWOLL

Events like Utah’s Vortex Extreme Challenge are becoming popular. They are a perfect venue for the RPR.

“It’s 18 inches tall,” said Doug Prichard of the speck floundering in the mirage, now at high tide in my 20X Burris XTR. “Figure a minute of drift, add a half.” A former Navy SEAL, Prichard calls wind expertly. Before conditions could change again, I pressed the trigger. The speck shivered.

Three seconds later a faint thwop floated back.

Distilled, the purpose of any rifle is to send a bullet to a distant mark. Misses don’t count. Rifles that help you hit become favor-

ites. The newest centerfire from Sturm, Ruger & Co. was designed to hit. A bolt-action built around the company’s wildly popular American, the Ruger Precision Rifle has elements of that entrylevel sporter, but its profile is distinctive, with an MSR-style buttstock and handguard—even a hanging grip. It certainly doesn’t look like a hunting rifle.

“You’ll get to wring it out for three days,” said Mark Gurney.

“We’ve had stunning results at the factory. Averages for five 5-shot

groups come in under an inch.”

That got my attention. It’s one thing to put three bullets, or five, into a nickel-sized knot. Few rifles stand the test of multiple five-shot groups.

Hitting little targets has bumped my pulse since my parents relented and loaned me $5.95 for an airgun. I learned about trajectory by watching BBs arc from that asthmatic Daisy. Their metallic slap on cans, bottle caps, and then nails in barn boards thrilled me.

I got my first centerfire rifle

WAYNE VAN ZWOLL

naked joy of hitting targets set farther than you can see well The he nak nake without optic optics has prompted a run on new rifles and scopes, and a new cr crop of cartridges. The latest rifle built for accuracy at distance ance is the R Ruger Precision Rifle, which vaulted from idea to steel quickly. I first dropped prone behind it at the FTW Ranch, a rural quickly Texas xas pr property with hills that twist and throttle wind to blow buls wide of dis lets distant gongs.

about the time American troops were landing in French Indochina. A sniper’s stage, Vietnam influenced the form of rifles for long shooting. In 1966, the Marines contracted for a stiffbarreled Remington 700, ordering 800 in 7.62 NATO (.308), 550 with Redfield 3–9X scopes. This Model 40 USMC rifle wasn’t a scoped infantry arm. Unlike its predecessors, it had more in common with the varmint and target rifles of civilian marksmen. It proved deadly. Twenty years later, Remington rolled out an updated M40: the M700 Sniper Weapons System with a Kevlar-reinforced, bipod-equipped stock. It weighed almost 14 pounds with a 10X Leupold M3A optic.

The new Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor is a bit lighter: 10½ pounds without a scope. The XTR II on my sample added considerable heft, but it delivered the sharp images and parallax correction useful in long-range trials. It also featured an elevation dial marked to match the arc of my factory loads. Over three courses of fire, with targets as far as 800 yards, the RPR treated me very well. The rifle banged out clean tallies on all, topping scores fired by other marksmen. (I erred by a click to overshoot a 630-yard gong on my last record shot the last day, a humbling finish!)

WAYNE VAN ZWOLL

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he brainchild of young Ruger engineer Jonathan Mather, the RPR owes much to the American rifle series, which has prospered since its 2011 debut on FTW’s 12,000 acres of Texas Hill Country.

Owner Tim Fallon has made this complex of steel-target ranges an ideal testing ground. FTW shooting schools help riflemen improve their long-range skills and get faster in up-close dangerous-game scenarios. The American’s fulldiameter bolt has three lugs in a low 70-degree lift. But the triplelug design makes primary extraction (and bolt lift) harder because cam angles are steeper than they

are in twin-lug rifles.

“We attacked that problem with dual cocking cams,” Gurney told me. Indeed, cycling the American is easy. Cartridges feed smoothly from a four-shot spool magazine.

A bolt-face extractor and plunger ejector are sunrise-reliable.

The new RPR parts company with the American in several ways, but most clearly in stock design. The American’s molded polymer is of a traditional profile, mated to the tubular receiver with what Ruger calls “Power” bedding. (Actually, it was “PWR,” for Dwight Potter, Scott Warburton, and Bruce Rozum, the engineers who came up with it.) Power bedding comprises two steel V-blocks embedded in the stock. The guard screws pull angled mortises in the receiver’s belly into these blocks.

Starting from scratch, Jon Mather abandoned the American’s stock, to give the RPR its vertical grip and a “lower” composed of halves machined from 7975-T6 aluminum. The receiver and onepiece bolt are of machined, prehardened 4140 chrome-moly steel.

A Picatinny rail, secured by 8-40 screws, has 20 minutes of gain, sloping up at the rear so you can click to targets far away without hitting stops or tilting the scope’s erector tube steeply. A reversible selector-style safety replaces the American’s tang safety.

Like an MSR, the new Precision Rifle features a tube-centered buttstock that brings recoil straight back. Hinged at the wrist, it folds to the left and can be locked there.

Fold-and-lock latches and lengthof-pull and comb-height adjustment cams require no tools. A pliable rubber buttpad pampers your clavicle and doesn’t slip. Ruger installed a toe rail to accommodate a folding monopod.

Up front, the lightweight tubular alloy handguard is rail-friendly and easy to hold with your palm.

The barrel floats inside. I used a Harris bipod but also installed a Brownell’s Latigo sling on a QD swivel stud underneath. The RPR has push-style QD swivel recepta-

Available Chamberings The RPR’s introductory chambering is 6.5 Creedmoor, an efficient short-action round I adore for its light recoil and flat arc. I’ve used it on animals as big as elk and eland, though it’s more at home on deer-size game.

Designed by Dave Emery and company in Hornady’s shop, it was inspired by 600- and 1,000-yard target ranges. The shoulder is set back on the .308 parent case to yield a neck long enough for leggy boattails that hold up well at distance. My RPR routinely sent 140grain A-Max bullets into ¾-minute groups.

One-holers at 100 yards were common.

To broaden the rifle’s appeal, Ruger will be adding the .243 and .308.

Clearly “AR” in handguard, magazine, grip, and buttstock, the RPR has a slick three-lug bolt action.

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Selling Tips PAGE

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“Have you seen this?”

That‘s a start. Pick up the rifle. Demonstrate its unique features, from the folding, easily adjustable stock to the magazine well that accepts side- and rearlatching boxes. Remove the bolt and pop the trigger wrench free. “You won’t lose this. And you adjust trigger weight through the mag well!”

Note the RPR has many of the best features of Ruger’s SR-762 (MSR) rifle and the superaccurate American. “You can scope it with anything, on this rail.”

Challenge the customer to match the RPR’s accuracy: .8-MOA average for five 5-shot groups. Then, incredulously: “You don’t have a 6.5 Creedmoor?” Pause.

Smile. “Well, this rifle makes the most of it!”

Light recoil, flat flight, bullets that pull the rug from under deer-size game. Finally, the price.

Say, “I can’t believe Ruger can sell this rifle for so little.”

Given the features, an SRP of just under $1,400 is a great bargain.

cles for a side-mounted sling.

Of 4140 chrome-moly steel, the mid-weight, 24-inch, hammerforged barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor has 5R-style rifling, and 1:8 twist.

It mikes .75 at the muzzle, which is threaded 5∕8-24 (protector supplied). Mather insisted on minimum bore, groove, and chamber specs to enhance accuracy. A gunsmith can rebarrel the RPR with AR tools, though you’ll want to think very hard before abandoning the factory tube.

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his rifle is a cornucopia of clever ideas and whydidn’t-I-think-of-that? refinements. Beyond the finger-adjustable stock, Ruger installed a hanging grip with more slant and a quarter-inch more reach than most. (More than half of all riflemen find a standard MSR grip falls too close to the trigger.) The RPR grip fits both smaller palms typically found on women as well as my pork-chop paw.

Want more reach? I’ve used the aftermarket AccuGrip to replace other MSR grips. A serrated base block lets you adjust the AccuGrip fore and aft.

The RPR’s oversize bolt knob is threaded and easily replaced, but in my view, you’d be nuts to do so.

Ruger made this one just right; it helps you cycle from the shoulder.

Perhaps because Mather, too, has misplaced Allen wrenches, he housed the trigger wrench in the bolt shroud. You can adjust trigger weight from 5 to 2¼ pounds without disassembly, through the magazine well. That sturdy, beveled well is also easy to grasp or hook on an improvised rest. It accepts a variety of boxes: M110, SR 25, DPMS, Magpul, and AICS. Dual latches secure side and rear lips.

If exceptional accuracy is the defining feature of a precision rifle, the RPR is only one in a field that includes models of many forms. But accuracy is a fickle mistress, and not entirely under-

stood. It should follow tight tolerances: a snug chamber behind uniform rifling, and an action trued so the bolt aligns with the bore. Glassing and/or pillar bedding can stabilize the rifle. Stiff barrels and actions presumably enhance accuracy. Still, because rifles can show streaks of independence, I’ve drilled tiny knots with inexpensive bolt guns turned out like cookies and selling for little more than lawnmowers in January. Not all accurate rifles are, by design, precision rifles.

While the type is yet young, the precision rifle might be pegged as a mid-weight boltaction with adjustments uncommon on sporting rifles (movable combs and buttplates), plus provisions for accessories that help you hit at distance (toe and front rails and an MSR-style grip).

Alloy tubes are replacing traditional forestocks.

Barrels commonly wear threads for suppressors. Some of these features have carried over from so-called “tactical” rifles. Others owe their genesis to target rifles. Both evolved to deliver hits without regard to the lithe form, modest weight, and pleasing cosmetics of popular hunting rifles. At this stage, rifles with the “precision” label lean heavily to modular design. Top-end modulars—like the AXMC from Accuracy International, the McMillan Alias, and Kimber’s new Advanced Tactical SRC—can plunge you quickly into poverty. Shooters out to save rubles by using their own Remington 700 action can tap Robar, which “accurizes” and fits a stainless barrel to produce its half-minute SR21.

“We designed the RPR from scratch,” Mather says. “It’s not a copy. We wanted a modular, midweight rifle that would sell at a modest price.” He’s quick to credit his Ruger team. “I had a lot of help and owe a great deal to suggestions from shop supervisors and experts in tooling.”

Clockwise from top left: finger-friendly levers speed stock adjustments; the stock is hinged at the wrist (release button at center); the provided toe rail for an adjustable folding monopod is a huge help in steadying the rifle while prone; bolt removal is easy after swinging the stock to the left.

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WAYNE VAN ZWOLL

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n its face, selling this new Ruger might seem a challenge. It’s not for hardened traditionalists. It can’t pace the self-loaders of Black Ops wannabes and 3-Gun competitors. It’s heavy for hunts afoot. But if you spend a week with the RPR, you’ll work hard to tear yourself from it. My three days in Texas left me itching for the next Vortex Extreme Challenge, a hike-and-shoot match I fired last summer.

The Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf range sprawls across the hills and valleys north of Tremonton, Utah. The event is scored mainly on shooting, but also on speed. If a congested station imposes a wait, that delay is deducted from finish time so as not to penalize affected teams. Each pair of competitors has eight minutes at a station, though the number of shots varies. One rifleman calls

wind, spots, and coaches as the other fires. Then they swap functions. Except for a couple of targets designated for other positions, shooters fire over a bipod.

The first station, with gongs from 200 to 1,200 yards, tested our zeroes and teamwork. Once we’d signaled “start,” we had to load, aim, fire, find new steel, spin the elevation dial, load, reassess conditions, aim, and fire again. The four silhouettes allowed us a minute each. We finished in time, but I missed easy shots. We picked up and marched off across a coulee to Station 2. The target was barely visible in sage shadow at 1,000 yards under a glaring sun.

And so it went. At the final station, three tiny targets bobbed in soupy mirage. We each had a choice: Fire three shots at the 500-yard target for a point per hit, three at 780 for three points. If you feel lucky, go for the gong at

one mile. Six points.

Confident of my 700-yard zero, I chose 780 and bellied down. The gong quivered; the thud floated back. I repeated for a trio of hits and bonus points. My partner pounded the 720-yard mark twice, plus the bonus. We’d hiked 7 miles and finished in the upper quartile.

In the RPR, I knew I’d found the perfect rifle for the Vortex Extreme Challenge. It’s designed for prone shooting, and heavy enough to steady easily, but it’s not ponderous. It has a good trigger, a quick bolt, and a slanted rail. Stock adjustments help fit it to field conditions, a requisite for consistent accuracy.

The best part of the rifle may be its price. Few rifle enthusiasts cruising gun racks will spring for a $4,000 long-range rifle, no matter how accurate. But at $1,399, this new Ruger is easy to bring home to Momma.

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C R I M S O N T R A C E TA K E S L A S E R - S I G H T R E TA I L E D U C AT I O N T O T H E N E X T L E V E L B Y S L AT O N L . W H I T E

A new sales-training program instituted by Crimson Trace—The Crimson Trace Classroom—aims to help retailers understand the technology behind laser-sighting systems. The program is an especially important sales tool for CTC’s new LinQ system, shown here.

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I

t’s certainly no secret that Crimson Trace sees its mission as one of enhancing a person’s ability to protect family, home, and country. That phrase has been part of the company’s marketing plan for years. But marketing director Kent Thomas likes to go one step beyond by saying, “Our goal is to make laser-sighting systems standard equipment. Just as no hunting rifle sold today is complete without a scope, no personal protection handgun is fully equipped without a laser.”

He notes that between 2007 and 2013, 42.9 million firearms were added to the U.S. market. Of that number, he says, surveys show that 87 percent of those purchases were for home defense, 76 percent for self-defense. “This emphasis on personal safety is driving strong growth in firearms ownership. It’s the white-hot core of the market,” he says. “Laser sights increase accuracy and confidence. And Crimson Trace has grown along with the market.”

“Furthermore, we know that consumers are increasingly looking to customize their firearms by adding enhancing attachments. The firearms accessories and equipment industry is a huge market, something around $5.6 billion. We know that consumers spend almost as much on firearms accessories as they do on the firearm itself. For example, men typically spent $547 on accessories after they spent $554 on the firearm itself. Women spent $457 on accessories, $469 on the firearm.”

That’s a lucrative market for CTC, as it commands more than 50 percent of the laser-sight market. “We’re more than twice the size of our nearest competitor,” Thomas says. “As the leading brand in the category, we can provide significant price points and margins for retailers under a well-recognized brand halo.”

To further drive home the message to retailers about the importance of the accessories market, Thomas notes that

The left target was shot with a revolver equipped with iron sights. The right target was shot with the same gun, but the shooter used a CTC laser sight.

the average margin on a firearm is less than 10 percent, but the margin for accessories is far higher. “In fact, the margins on Crimson Trace products are three times higher than that for most firearms. The ability to upsell with our products can put a lot of money in a retailer’s pocket.”

Market domination gives CTC another advantage as well. “Right now more than a dozen original equipment manufacturers work with CTC to offer co-branded products,” he says. The approach helps cement CTC’s reputation as the go-to company for laser sights. It also means that when one of these manufacturers comes out with a new product, there is a corresponding CTC accessory right there with it.

DRIVING SUCCESS » Innovation is also a big driver of the company’s success. “We pride ourselves on our patent portfolio, and it continues to rapidly grow,” Thomas says. “Nobody offers as much innovation in this market category.”

At the 2016 SHOT Show, Crimson Trace rolled out another innovation—the LinQ system, a laser/light unit and pistol grip designed expressly for the MSR platform.

According to Thomas, CTC worked on the design for 10 years. Essentially, it’s a closed wireless system that uses a 2.4 GHz signal, similar to what is found in common wireless mobile electronics today, to seamlessly link the controls in the grip to the module on the rail. In the process, a unique, encrypted bond (pairing) is established between the grip and module.

The unique “code” is stored in the memory in both units, Thomas says. Once paired, neither unit will be able to effectively communicate with any other LinQ systems.

At the same time, the system, unlike Bluetooth technology, will not be visible to other wireless devices, which eliminates the potential for interference.

“In this way, the pistol grip and laser/light module synch up with each other so the operator can control the laser and light from the pistol grip,” he says. “There are

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no cables or touch pads, and the operator doesn’t need to use his support hand to control the laser or light. The LinQ system is activated by Crimson Trace’s proprietary Instinctive Activation, another innovation that no other manufacturer offers—period.”

Given the technological innovation of this accessory, some customers might assume that it will be difficult to install. Not so, says Thomas.

The grip installs like any other aftermarket AR-15/M4 grip. “We include the single mounting bolt,” he says.

“The module installs onto a rail by tightening one hex bolt. The hex key is also included. The whole thing takes only minutes, and all of the required tools are included.”

THE BIG ISSUE

Laser-sighting systems help increase accuracy as well as confidence. These systems can also provide instant feedback to the user during practice.

» The big issue with laser sights, Thomas concedes, is retailer education. “We know that if the retailer doesn’t understand the technology, he won’t be able to explain it.

And if he can’t explain it, he won‘t be able to sell it.”

To try to remedy that, CTC has undertaken a series of retailer education seminars under the trademarked name Crimson Trace Classroom. I recently attended a training seminar conducted by CTC regional sales manager Matt Frank at Williams Gun Sight Company in Davison, Michigan. The course is broken into two segments: classroom instruction with a printed guide on how laser sights operate (including references to specific Crimson Trace models) and range time, in which the store’s staff runs though a course of fire designed to drive home the points made in the presentation.

“We want to dispel any myths about laser sights,” Frank told me. “We want to break it down to its barest form: what a laser sight is, what it does, and how it applies to your personal-defense system. Basically, all a laser does is project the front sight onto the target. By doing that, you’re on one focal plane and you’re better able to focus on the threat. That’s where your attention needs to be.

“By definition, defense shooting is unconventional shooting,” he added. “It’s something that is very hard to replicate during practice. But this is exactly where a laser sight shines, so we’ve created some drills that show how effective a laser sight is in these situations.”

Frank starts with the basics—how to turn the CTC laser sight on and off. Next up is dry-fire trigger control.

He does that because a laser sight delivers instant feedback to the shooter: Is he on target or off target? Is he flinching? That done, the range goes hot.

CTC supplies special targets, each of which shows a pair of silhouettes. The left is for iron sights; the right is for laser sights. The participants first fire five rounds using iron sights. The second five-round set uses the laser sights.

“We start with what most shooters know, then break it down and go to a non-dominant hand drill (both supported and unsupported),” he says. “Then we impair their vision through the use of special shooting glasses with fogged lenses.”

The impaired vision drill helps emphasize the fact that in a defensive shooting situation, you may be dealing with a variety of challenging environmental factors.

“Maybe you can’t find your glasses, maybe you have allergies,” Frank said. “But even if you can’t see clearly, in a threat situation, you still need to be able to defend yourself. This drill shows a shooter how a laser sight helps you do just that.”

That done, Frank lowers the lights and has the shooters fire from a modified retention position, which simulates a situation in which you are unable to bring up the gun to a traditional line of sight.

“These drills take people out of their comfort zone, but they show participants the value of laser sights in defensive shooting situations,” he says.

Live fire over, the shooters recover their targets for a closer look.

“This is the ‘aha moment,’” Frank says. “They can clearly see the benefits of a laser-sighting system. More important, they can explain it in simple terms to a customer. Many of our shooters keep that target behind the counter and use it as a reference tool.”

After going through the course of fire myself, I can see the value of the program. I also experienced a key insight about personal-defense situations that Frank touched on when he described how a laser sight works.

“Defusing a situation without actually having to pull the trigger is a real positive,” he says. That’s because the threat may disengage when the laser paints the target.

And, as Frank says, “Disengagement is what it’s all about.”

43

GOOD STUFF

BY JOE KELLER

Stay Connected Bushnell’s new wireless trail cam is in a class by itself

B

ushnell’s latest trail cam is the Trophy Cam HD Aggressor Wireless. It’s a fine 14-megapixel camera that will take high-quality images and transmit them to your smartphone. It’s so easy to set up, it’s in a class by itself.

Recent wireless trail cams have nearly driven me away from the category. Over the past few years, I’ve spent hours typing user names and passwords into cams using the tiny arrow buttons, talked to a halfdozen customer reps who often know less about the cams than I do, and nursed headaches trying to simply get my cam to talk with my phone. Despite that, I recently tried out cams introduced at the 2016 SHOT Show. I was curious to see if any companies had done the groundwork needed to please consumers rather than frustrate them.

I believe Bushnell has done it. Engineers may have designed the inside of this cam and the network system that gets the photos to our phones, but it’s apparent that normal folks tested them to make sure they are user-friendly. Essentially, what makes this system different is the setup. Add batteries and an SD card to the cam. Visit wireless trophycam.com and tap in your cam’s serial number. Take a test photo. That’s it! I had my cam sending images within 15 minutes of opening the package.

This experience contrasts starkly with the many systems that demand you purchase a data plan through a specific cell carrier, like Verizon or AT&T, at a store or the carrier’s website. When the trial period is up, you can choose a payment plan and then put in your credit card info. Options include plans from $9.99 a month up to $59.99 a month (not including high-resolution image downloads). Right now, AT&T is the only carrier option

Bushnell’s new trail cam takes great photos, but the foolproof wireless setup is what makes it worth a look.

Bushnell offers.

When you choose a data plan, you can get 1,500 thumbnails for $9.99, 15,000 for $59.99 a month. But you won’t be able to see any of them in highresolution. You’ll need to pay extra for the bigger photos. To get 10 high-resolution downloads, you pay $7.99, or about 80 cents apiece. For 25, you pay $16.99.

44 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

The low-resolution images are about 50k jpegs, which are fine for most purposes. You can count points, note identifying marks on game, and see a good amount of detail. But if you really want to magnify one section of the photo, especially if you are aging deer, the high-resolution charges might add up.

Bushnell does not allow video to be transmitted wire-

lessly due to the large size of the files—a 10-second video at 640 resolution is about 1.5 MB. You’ll have to visit the cam to retrieve them.

One area that Bushnell needs to improve is the actual cam interface. You can change many settings—mode, image resolution, motion sensitivity, as well as a dozen other options—from an app or website. But, if you choose to change them by typing on the tiny buttons and the vague instructions on the small cam screen, you’ll be discouraged. Sometimes, when clicking the cam to set up mode, it asked me to change my method of receiving images—cell or e-mail—and then started to search for a GPS connection, which takes a few minutes.

Other times, it brought me right to a test-image screen. I hit “menu” and got to the camera options.

For the most part, you won’t need to use those small buttons anyway because you can do almost anything remotely from your account page at wirelesstrophycam. com or on the app.

Ah, the app. Another pleasure was downloading and using the Trophy Cam app, which I downloaded for free from the App Store. Once it was on my phone, I typed in my user name and password and up popped my photos, setup options, and account info. Nice and easy, just the way I like it.

Once it’s set up, you’ll feel a thrill when you get a notification alerting you that another photo is on the way. SRP: $199.99. (bushnell.com)

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W H AT ’ S S E L L I N G W H E R E

West Goose Sport ID Blue Shop, St. Maries Despite a sagging economy due to a lagging logging industry, this panhandle gun store has experienced an improved year by focusing on price-point firearms. Bolt-action rifles are ramping up with elk season approaching. Savage Model 111s are in the lead, followed by a few Tikka T3s. In the modern sporting rifle category, sales have been steady, with a mix of Smith Sports, Stag Arms, and CMMGs. Another good seller has been Vortex scopes. “We have really moved a lot of the Vortex line, and the MAP pricing has helped us stay profitable,” said co-owner Craig Wicks.

Handguns are receiving plenty of attention. Demand for Ruger LCRs, LCPs, and Kel-Tec PF9s has been strong.

Anacortes Gun WA Shop, Anacortes

Located 30 miles south of the Canadian border, this Washington firearms store specializes in police contract, military personnel supply, and home defense.

In addition to a large showroom, this retailer has a large web presence, where it lists more than 12,000 firearms.

Holding the top spots at the handgun counter are SIG 226s and Smith Shields. This retailer reports strong sales of MSRs on a daily basis. Best sellers include Smith Sports and Ruger 556s, but SIG MCXs, LWRCs, and FNHs are also doing well.

Anacortes continues to expand its inventory of tactical optics. “We started as an online optic retailer.

Without question, our strong partnerships with scope companies like

Trijicon help to continue to expand our market share and increase firearm sales,” said owner Herb York.

MT Shedhorn Sports, Ennis This retailer, located near the entrance to Yellowstone Park, has been in business for 32 years. It keeps a staff of 12 busy stocking more than 500 guns. Handguns continue to rule late-summer sales.

Ruger LC9s and LCPs and Smith J Frame revolvers keep the register hot. Glock 43s are also in high demand. Sales of MSRs are trending up to one to two a day.

“We have seen a new trend with backcountry hunters who are trading in their heavy big-bore Smith 500s and 460s and going to Glock 10mms. We almost never sell a .44 Magnum,” said buyer/manager Colter Fosdick.

Midwest Guns, MI Gary’s Muskegon

This 1,500-square-foot gun shop keeps more than 500 firearms in stock and continues to report improved sales figures despite local fluctuations in unemployment. Handgun sales are brisk. Glock 19s, 42s, and 43s are all moving well. Smaller handguns such as Ruger LCRs and LCPs are also seeing good turns.

Large-caliber lever-action rifles are particularly hot this summer, with high turns from Rossi Model 92s in .44 Mag. MSRs are in a steady climb, turning better than 15 units a week. “We are keeping prices competitive to keep traffic moving. This year we’re seeing a large surge with the new 9mm carbines,” said owner Gary Foster.

Just Right Carbines, Rugers, and Berettas are the leading brands in the MSR category. Foster noted

46 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

that carrying Lucid brand walnut stocks for MSRs has made a strong impact in accessory turns.

Gun Shop, IA Daryl’s State Center Keeping about 300 new and used guns in stock, this small shop, 20 miles northeast of Des Moines, is located near the center of the state. Handguns are the priority this summer, with Ruger SR40s, LCRs, and LC9s all doing extremely well.

Other fast movers include Glock 43s and 42s. Several Bersa Thunder .380s are also crossing the counter.

Sales of MSRs have recently picked up steam. “We see a growing demand that should go well leading into the election. And, if Clinton wins, it will grow even more,” said owner Dana Schoppe.

The Hi-Point AR-1522 is attracting

the most attention, and Ruger 556s and Bushmasters are also crossing the counter.

Target MO Masters, Columbia

In business for more than 21 years, this shop has a 25-yard 10-lane range. Handgun sales are strong, and demand for anything that fits in a pocket is high. Glock 43s and SIG 238s are moving briskly.

Sales of MSRs have improved, led by Smith Sports and Head Down Firearms.

Accessories are a big part of the profit mix. “We have a large selection of holsters and concealedcarry accessories. Because we carry something for everyone, the turns we pull from these lines are simply amazing,” said operations manager Barry MacKenzie.

B Y P E T E R B . M AT H I E S E N

East M&M Sports NY Den, Jamestown

In operation since 1957, this general hunting and fishing store is just across from the Pennsylvania border. It keeps 400 guns in stock, with just two fulltime employees.

Handguns sales are steady, with Glock 42s in high demand.

Meanwhile, Springfield XDMs and XDSs are especially hot in .45 and .40 calibers. Interest in revolvers, like the Taurus Ultralite, is steadily increasing.

“Most of our women and elderly customers don’t have the hand strength to operate a pistol slide, making the smaller revolvers popular at our shop,” said owner Bruce Piatz.

Bolt-action guns are picking up steam. Savage Axis and Remington 770s in .308 hold the lion’s share of

preseason sales.

Van Raymond ME Outfitters, Brewer

Located across from the city of Bangor, this 4,500-squarefoot store keeps its inventory of 600 firearms on the second floor.

Handgun sales are steady. Best sellers include Shields, Kimber Micros, Ruger 1911s, and Glock 42s.

As for MSRs, this retailer is turning five to six a week. M&P Sport IIs are at the top of the list, followed closely by Ruger 556s and Windhams. In the bolt-action category, Browning X-Bolts and Ruger Americans, primarily in .270 and .308, are just starting to turn for fall hunting season.

With a few Benelli Super Novas on the move, this retailer holds higher expectations for October sales. “We tend to be a last-minute

shotgun store,” said manager Rick Lozier.

Vermont Field VT Sports, Middlebury

South of Lake Champlain, this general hunting and fishing shop keeps four fulland three part-time employees busy while inventorying more than 900 firearms. “Ruger wheel guns are just flying off the shelves in our store. These price-point guns are hot, but so are the big-bores,” said owner Richard Phillips.

Other hot handguns include Smith M&P 40s, Browning Buck Marks, and Springfield XDRs. MSR sales are on a steady uptick, and the store has strong inventories of DPMSs, Smith Sports, and Bushmasters. Ammo stocks are flush across the board, with the exception of .22 Mag.

South Gainesville FL Target Range, Gainesville

This retail store caters to home defense and competition/tactical clientele, and its outdoor gun range can handle more than 80 shooters.

Handgun sales have been excellent. Glock 43s and 19s top the list.

Other fast movers include the Ruger 22/45 Lite and the STI 2011.

ArmaLite and SIG MCXs top the MSR list. By catering to a competitive shooter, this retailer has been able to focus on higher-price-point MSRs. “Our range shooters are all about performance and measuring what they do with their rifles. For us, it just doesn’t pay to compete at the basement level of the MSR market,” said shop manager Charley Thomas.

Thomas also mentioned that suppressor sales from SilencerCo

have tripled in the past months.

Heber Springs AR Gun & Pawn, Heber Springs

Located in north-central Arkansas, just a mile from Greers Ferry Lake, this small, three-employee store keeps more than 350 guns on hand. This summer, handguns have been hot; anything concealable is leading the charge. ”Our demand for pocket concealed-carry just continues to increase,” said owner Ben Harper.

Top sellers include Ruger LC9s, Glock 43s, and Shields. Dove season is pushing a few shotgun sales, notably Benelli Super Novas and Stoeger 3500s.

MSRs are clearly garnering more attention than they were two months ago. “We have gone from one turn a week to one a day. I expect that by September, it will be

double that,” said Harper. Pricepoint rifles rule at this retailer, with turns coming from Smith Sport and American Tactical.

Norman’s Gun SC Exchange, Effingham

Located in the northeast end of the state, this familyrun shop inventories an average of 2,000 firearms. Late summer is the start of bolt-action gun season for this retailer. Remington 700 BDL and ADL scope combos along with Savage Model 12 VTs in .223 are doing well.

Benelli Super Black Eagles are also moving. Handgun sales have remained vibrant. Glock 42s and Smith Shields and 638s are the best sellers, along with plenty of Ruger LCRs. Ruger and Smith MSRs are making steady turns at about one a day.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS ❚ 47

NEW PRODUCTS

Firearms Business Insurance Wholesalers & Distributors Retail Sales Manufacturers & Importers Ammunition & Bullet Manufacturers Indoor & Outdoor Ranges Gunsmiths Firearms Instructors

(Continued from page 50)

messy job, Hard Core has also placed a full zipper on the foot bag to make cleaning easy once the hunt is over.

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Hard Core Brands Known for innovation, Hard Core now offers a pair of new blinds that boast patented features. The patent elements of the Man Cave and Deluxe Man Cave give waterfowl hunters a layout blind with no-pin construction, making setup and take-down fast and easy. Both state-of-the-art blinds completely conceal a hunter while providing good visibility through a flexible mesh viewer. In addition, the lightweight, heavy-duty aluminum frame houses an internal adjustable back/head support that provides hours of comfort in the field. And the DriBed waterproof bottom keeps the user dry in up to 6 inches of water. Since hunting waterfowl can be a (Continued on page 48)

50 â?š SHOT BUSINESS â?š AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

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