2007 Shot Show

[Rustystud]

Just got home from the 2007 Shot Show in Orlando. My age is catching up with me. With 18 miles of carpeted isle space it was especially rough on my back and feet. The general consensus has been the attendence was down 25-40 percent. They always say the Orlando show has lighter attendence than the Las Vegas Show. It will be interesting to hear the actual numbers. I had the pleasure of seeing many known faces and many new faces.

The new TC bolt action may have cought my attention more than any other new gun.

It seems that everyone is now in the portable shooting bench business.

The congressional political scene seemed to be the biggest concern.

Most manufactures saw a increase in sales in 2006.

The increase cost of copper, lead, steel and petro products has many worried about the up coming price increases.

2007 may be a very pivitol year for some business in the shooting industry. Many are hanging on just by a thread. The trend for the large gun makers to diversify continues. There are ever more products bearing gun makers names that are not guns.

The drop per capita number of gun manufactures at the shot Show continues to decline. The number of accessories makers increases.

It is very evident that the asian manufactures are the driving force behind most of the Shot Show non gun manufactured metal products. The plastic products also seem to be moving off shore.

This is the first time I can say I enjoyed visiting old friends and meeting new folks at the Shot Show, more than seeing the new products.

Rustystud

a/k/a Nathaniel G. Lambeth, Sr.

 

[Forum Boss]

RustyStud,

What's your take on the Portable benches. Right now we're most impressed by "the Big Shooter" in terms of quality, rigidity, and performance for the price, but I know there are some other very good units out there.

I also think some of the folding tables you'll find at Costco/Walmart with the polyethylene tops, would probably suffice in a pinch. No rotating seat, but they fold completely flat and are relatively lightweight. Here's a 30"x20" that costs just $30.00:

Link: http://www.competitiveedgeproducts.com/detail.aspx?ID=25

 

[Rustystud]

Paul:

RCBS has a new unit that was pretty impressive. It really is not a table. There were many very simular to Coyote Jakes.

There were table types with folding legs and types one can rotate on and shoot in any direction.

There were several built into shooting towers and some that would fit into the back of a pick-up truck.

There were portable and not so portable types. Steel was the universal material and it is relatively heavy. Some had incorporated aluminum and others carbon fiber.

Universally as the weight went down the price went up.

Nat