Thousands of companies introduced new and improved products at this January’s Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show. Here are a half dozen product standouts:
CZ 557 Rifle. CZ rifles are known around the world for high quality at a reasonable price. Calibers range from varmint to medium-size game, to a setting for the world’s most dangerous animals where a quick, accurate shot means life and death.
The CZ Single Set Trigger system is a unique feature that’s sure to be popular where accuracy is a premium. Serving as a dual function trigger, a hunter with a quick shooting opportunity can fire the rifle in the standard manner by pulling the trigger. However, when pin-point accuracy is needed and the shooter has that extra half second to aim precisely, pushing the trigger forward “sets” it for minimal pressure and full maintenance of form. Some shooters believe that a set trigger is more important to accuracy than a $1,000 scope. Check it out at a local gun shop or learn more at www.czusafirearms.com.
German Precision Optics. You probably haven’t heard of German Precision Optics, but you will. The company was formed by former top-end optics executives who decided, “We can do this without the middle-man.” Instead of going through a series of price escalating steps, they took their best engineering and produced the optics themselves.
For example, I looked at its $399 scope, which was clear and bright but came with five ballistic turrets in the most popular calibers. You can use the scope as it arrives in the package or add a turret and have a ballistic scope for long-range shooting. Best of all, these optics come with a lifetime guarantee. During the past two years, these optics have been 99.9% effective. Should you fall into that minuscule group that has a product fail, simply take it back to the dealer and they will swap it for a new one. Check out their scopes and binos at www.GPO-USA.com.
Outdoor Edge Knives. Knives with replaceable razor-sharp blades are becoming increasingly popular, and Outdoor Edge has taken sharpness to the next level with a fillet knife with a changeable razor blade. Ideal for cleaning fish or getting every last ounce of meat from your deer, these new knives come with a fillet and a gut hook insert.
When camping, look for the camping omni-tool that serves as a knife, fork, and spoon as well as can opener and bottle opener, all in a single unit that weighs just ounces. Outdoor Edge absolutely simplifies the hunting-knife selection process with the introduction of its new WildGuide combo set. The set is comprised of a caping knife, a gut-hook skinner, and a T-handle wood/bone saw, which all fit neatly into a custom nylon sheath. The WildGuide set is the perfect hunting combo to break down big game harvests. www.outdooredge.com
Koola Buck. Boning out game in the field is becoming increasingly popular because it allows hunters to travel well beyond their ability to drag an animal back to camp. Although not legal in all states, boning your animal in the field can boost venison quality if done properly.
Koola Buck offers two meat bag options that help meat cool and prevents bacteria from forming. Bags come in sizes for deer and elk, and its newest offering contains carrying straps to make the job easier.
Bacteria will begin forming immediately after your animal is down, so use the Koola Buck meat bags to keep insects, pine needles, and other refuge from the meat. The bags are breathable and kill bacteria on contact. www.koolabuck.com
Swarm Fusion 10X. Gamo’s 10X Technology takes another step forward with the new horizontal magazine alignment on the Swarm Fusion 10X. Gamo’s 10X Technology first appeared in the industry-changing Swarm Maxxim, the first breakbarrel air rifle featuring a 10-shot magazine that allows shooters to shoot 10 shots as fast as they can break the barrel. Still the most user-friendly system, Swarm 10X stands apart from all other breakbarrels.
The new Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X GEN2 comes in .177 and .22, and shoots at velocities at the very top level of breakbarrel abilities. The thumbhole stock featuring a prominent pistol grip guarantees a solid hand-hold for sure accuracy. It’s easy to load 10 pellets into the new horizontal magazine, and even though the gun comes with a scope, the barrel is fitted with an open, adjustable iron back sight and a fiber optic front blade. Retail price is $269.99, and the new Swarm Fusion is available through www.gamousa.com and other airgun outlets.
GutDaddy. I didn’t receive this cool new product in time to test it on a deer in the field, yet it doesn’t take rocket science to see how handy this device will be when it’s time to field-dress a deer. Normally, gutting a buck or doe is best done with help so that one person can control the legs and caucus angle while you eviscerate the deer. GutDaddy is like a field-side assistant that will control the animal’s body so that you can open the cavity more safely and remove the inedible organs.
GutDaddy comes in a small kit that can easily fit behind the seat of your truck or tuck away in deer camp until needed. It’s light, easily assembled and makes field-dressing a deer much safer, easier, and more sanitary. Because you will gain complete access to the body cavity, most hunters wear a single pair of latex gloves with no need for the arm-length protection with traditional field dressing. Check it out at www.gutdaddy.com.
Mossy Oak Overwatch Camo. You’ll have to look really hard to see a hunter wearing this new camo pattern from Mossy Oak and the NRA. The two outdoor giants teamed up for the first pattern of its kind that carries dual brand names. This is Mossy Oak’s first deviation from traditional sticks and leaves, yet the pattern blends like the coat of a whitetail deer (which doesn’t have sticks and leaves either). You will see the new Overwatch pattern on a host of spring turkey hunting products as well as deer items come fall. Check it out at www.mossyoak.com.
