December 2007
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Stuff Those Stockings,
Shooters!
The 2007 Christmas Gift Guide
Shooters!
The 2007 Christmas Gift Guide
John Connor
Look, we can’t blame you. We hate shopping malls, too, even when it’s not the week before Christmas and the crowds resemble herds of crazed wildebeest, ready to stampede and trample you when a tinny voice on a scratchy speaker proclaims, “Buy two ski sweaters and get one free in Young Women’s Fashions now!” Of all the ways you’ve envisioned going down, they never included disappearing beneath a churning river of sweater-shoppers and being stomped into the nap of some industrial carpeting. There’s a better way.
Relax. Put your feet up. Bust out a pencil and pad, and prepare to scribble notes. You might wanta knock the dust off that zero-balance credit card too, and get ready to commit a little monetary mayhem. There are gifts ranging from $9.95 up to moderate nosebleed level, but when the running total starts causing you coronary palpitations, just reflect on the fact you have enough friends and loved ones to lend credence to the phrase “give ’til it hurts.”
We’re not listing prices, because they’re guaranteed to change, up, down or sideways, nine times before Christmas Eve. Look for those “two-for-one,” or “half off the second” sales, and local seasonal specials. Buying the perfect gift for precisely the right “giftee” just gets sweeter when you can score one for yourself at a discount, right? Now let’s check out the goodies for gunners.
For anyone who uses optics, from novice to expert, AccuScope scope-sighting slide charts are like little flat field computers. Basically a sandwiched set of weather-worthy 4x9-1⁄4" cards with a slider in the center, they’ll tell you double-quick how many clicks you must adjust to bring your hits from how-far-off to dead-center, where you want ’em. Just select how many inches — down to fractions — you are off-center in one window, then check your sighting-in distance from 25 to 200 yards in another, and bingo — read out how many clicks it will take you to get zeroed.
One card works for scopes with 1/2- and 1/4-MOA adjustments, and another card handles the calculations for long-range precision 1/8-MOA scopes. The cards carry simple, complete instructions and even include a handy field ruler for measuring your offset. And hey, they’re flat, so even you can wrap ’em! I’ll be giving some of these myself.
AccuScope
P.O. Box 633, Ankeny, IA 50021
www.accuscopeusa.com
E1L and E2L
For years, users of SureFire’s blinding-bright tactical flashlights asked for the same battle-tested ruggedness and high-tech performance, but with longer “run time” for greater battery conservation, and more general-purpose, less blazing light. Last year, SureFire introduced their E1L and E2L Outdoorsman series lights for hunting, camping, backpacking and all-around outdoor use. They were an instant success, so of course, this year SureFire made them even better and more power-efficient.
Both the single-lithium battery E1L and the two-battery E2L feature virtually indestructible power-regulated LED’s and smooth, pre-focused beams, Mil-Spec Type III hard-anodized olive drab bodies, and tailcap-control switches with momentary and constant-on, plus a lock-out position for safe transport. The 2-ounce E1L is so light you can clip it to a cap brim, and it puts out 30 lumens for 10 hours. The 5-1/4", 3.5-ounce E2L delivers 45 lumens for an amazing 14 hours. Your only hard choice will be which one to give and which one to keep.
SureFire
18300 Mt. Baldy Circle
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(800) 828-8809,
www.surefire.com
There’s something seriously wrong with taking hard-hunted tasty game outta the freezer and then manglin’ it with cheap-o discount store kitchen cutters. Who even knew Spyderco made chef’s knives too? Not me, until two years ago, and since then, my multi-level serrated Yin and razor-sharp PlainEdge Yang have replaced a half-dozen lesser blades. I’m pleased enough with ’em to recommend them — and cough up the bucks to give ’em myself. Both have 6" blades of 5/64" thick high-carbon VG-10 steel. The Yin’s ebony wood handle and the Yang’s blonde Birch wood are double-riveted for strength, and tapered generously at the rear for a firm grip. Check out the Tri-Angle Sharpmaker set and score one for yourself.
Spyderco
P.O. Box 800, Golden CO 80402
(800) 525-7770,
www.spyderco.com
monster of a knife
Expandable, compressible, capacious and comfortable doesn’t even begin to describe the Falcon II backpack from Maxpedition Hard-Use Gear. Built to Maxpedition’s military-tough standards, this is a pack for all seasons and for many years of service. A really smart layering of compartments allows you to easily re-organize and shift loads lower and closer to your body as supplies are used, and cinch the silhouette down to avoid imbalance or snagging on obstacles. This 1,520-cubic-inch hauler accepts 100-ounce hydration systems, and offers MOLLE webbing and attachment points on the outside for extra gear.
Browse their Web site for more features, and equally durable accessory pouches for stuff like your GPS, cell phone and compass. If you’re looking for something a bit smaller, the Memsaab Helena’s favorite out-and-back pack is the 1,400-c.i. Pygmy Falcon II. Both are available in black, green, khaki and digital foliage camo. This is a gift even your pal “Gorilla George” would have a tough time destroying.
Maxpedition Hard-Use Gear
P.O. Box 5008, Palos Verdes, CA 90274,
(877) 629-5556,
www.maxpedition.com
Lots of us have long used Streamlight’s slender Stylus on our work benches, poked it into bores and chambers a thousand times, and wished for a field-tough weatherproof version with a protected LED lens, something you could clip in a game-vest pocket and forget about until you needed it.
Check out the new Stylus Pro and Micro Stream. They’re like your old Stylus on steroids. Both feature 1/2-watt 30,000-hour high flux LED’s, polycarbonate lenses, and Type II Mil-Spec anodized aircraft aluminum tubes. Internal polymer liners, O-ring seals and shock-suppressed switches make ’em waterproof and durable. We said “on steroids,” didn’t we? The 5.3" Pro runs on two AAA batteries, while its 3.5" little brother the Micro Stream takes just one. These are nice little gifts with big features, folks.
Streamlight Inc.
30 Eagleville Road, Eagleville,
Pa. 19403
(610) 631-0600,
www.streamlight.com
Accidental discharges — “ADs” — are as serious as heart attacks, but not nearly as predictable. About the only generalization you can make about ’em is most handgun ADs occur when the shooter is loading, unloading, or attempting to clear the weapon. The danger is particularly high with many popular pistols which require you to drop the hammer or release the striker on a presumably empty chamber.
If you were thinking about giving your best range-buddy a new range bag, consider poppin’ the extra bucks for some peace of mind, and get him one from Safe Direction Ballistic Containment Systems. Their Pro Shooting Bag is a roomy, well-made bag on its own merits, but the pull-down side panel feature can save a life, property, marriage and friendship. Safe Direction has built in an NIJ IIIA-rated bullet-stopper which will defeat almost any factory-loaded handgun round. All the shooter has to do is place the bag on a firm surface, make light muzzle contact with the Safe Direction logo, and proceed with a clearing drill. Folks, this gift could literally save a life. Please think about it.
Safe Direction, LLC
900 S. Kay Ave.
P.O. Box 1249, Addison, IL 60101
(630) 628-3178,
www.safedirection.com
The MTS-1000 Moving Target System from GAMO USA, makers of precision adult airguns, is more fun for the money than is legal in 12 states. OK, it doesn’t hurt it’s a great, serious hunter-training aid, too. Anywhere you have a stretch of 6’ of sorta-level ground, you can lay out the motorized, battery-driven track that forms a four-speed, bi-directional runway for two deer silhouettes. The speeds of traverse mimic a deer walking, feeding, running and hittin’ warp-speed!
A solid hit in the kill zone with a lead pellet knocks the deer down, but you’ve gotta be fast and accurate! The shooter’s distance from the track, and the velocity of your pellet determines scaled distance to a real deer, from 75 to 365 yards. For example, if you’re launching a .177 lead pellet at 1,000 fps, shooting at 25 yards simulates whackin’ a deer on the run at 200 yards. Scale, velocity and distance charts are included. The MTS provides limitless opportunity for improvement — and embarrassment. Cool, huh?
Gamo USA
3911 Southwest 47th Avenue,
Suite 914
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314
(954) 581-2144,
www.gamo.com
When it comes to innovation in optics, leave it to Leupold, and they’ve done it again. The latest member of their Yosemite family of “Green Ring Series” porro-prism binoculars is a featherweight 18.5 ounce, 4.5" long 8x30 model. The distinguishing fact about the Yosemite binoculars is they were designed from the ground up — or the lenses out, whatever — for maximum user-friendliness for the drastically differing interpupillary distances and noggin-sizes of small children to mutant Neanderthal grownups, and, with a generous 14mm eye rlief, they’re as easily used by people wearing glasses as those without. A large focus knob and diopter make for fast, certain focusing by large, small, cold or gloved hands, and a rubber armor coating provides protection and a sure grip, wet or dry. Of course they’re completely waterproof and feature typical (yawn) superb Leupold clarity. For this kind of compact quality, the price is gonna blow you away.
Leupold & Stevens
1440 Northwest Greenbriar Parkway
Beaverton, OR, 97006
(503) 646-9171,
www.leupold.com.
If it burns gunpowder, chances are excellent it can be cleaned thoroughly — and cleaned right, from breech to muzzle — by the top-of-the-line product in the Otis lineup: the Otis Elite. Designed to maintain all rifles and handguns from .17 to .50 caliber, shotguns from .410 to 10 gauge, and all in-line muzzleloaders, the Elite is suitable for full-time armorers, and perfect for any serious shooter on your gift list. Over 40 gun cleaning components, including six Memory-Flex rods, T-handle, obstruction removers, patches, Ultra Bore Saver and more are packed into a black nylon case which includes a lock and keys for additional security. The lining of the case is even treated to prevent rust, for Pete’s sake. If a gun cleaning kit can have “braggin’ rights,” this one’s got it.
Otis Products, Inc.
Laura Street
P.O. Box 582, Lyons Falls,
NY 13368
(800) 684-7486,
www.otisgun.com
But now you say you don’t have a nice air rifle, and they’re too loud for your little suburban back yard … Check that bulbous red-ribboned muzzle in the photo. That’s the sound-dampening business end of GAMO’s new Whisper .177 air rifle, which reduces propulsion noise by up to 52 percent over conventional airguns. It’s an accurate target-popper and small-game-getter that comes complete with fiber optic front and rear sights — and a fully adjustable 3-9x40 scope! The Whisper launches PBA alloy pellets at 1,200 fps, and lead pellets at 1,000. We’re talkin’ “package deal” that’s a steal.
Gamo USA
3911 Southwest 47th Avenue,
Suite 914
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314
(954) 581-2144,
www.gamo.com
Here’s a knife like John Wayne in a tuxedo: big, strong, smooth and tough, with just a touch of elegance. Since 1990, renowned custom knifemaker Kit Carson has been building his classic M4 design folder, with over twenty variations produced, ranging from exotic collectables to working tacticals. Even at his handmade custom prices, people keep asking for it, though relatively few can afford it. Now, Columbia River Knife & Tool offers the M4 in a “production” version — at an imminently affordable price. Adding value to an already great knife, CRKT offers the M4 with their patented Outburst assisted opening as an option, plus AutoLAWKS, the automatically-engaged Lake And Walker Knife Safety, which lends the strength of a fixed-blade to this liner-locking design.
The 3.75" blade is hollow-ground premium AUS 8 steel, and the polished stainless bolsters are offset by textured black Zytel scales. Over 8" open and 4" closed, this is not a small knife, but a high-mounted pocket clip allows deep, discreet carry. This is a knife for a best pal on a special Christmas — like this one.
Columbia River Knife & Tool
9720 S.W. Hillman Court, Suite 805
Wilsonville, OR 97070
(800) 891-3100,
www.crkt.com
And finally, in the not-quite-just-for-fun category, “the gag gift really not a gag,” for the friend who has made you gag: Combat Bath field bath towels. These are for the buddy you look forward to spending a week in a deer camp with. The same guy who, by the end of that showerless week, you wish you could tie to the back bumper of your truck for the ride home. You know, the pal who starts the trip called “Sammy” and ends it known as “Stinky.” Yeah, him.
Combat Bath comes with three thick, 7.5" x 8" pads soaked in an unscented antibacterial, no-rinse cleaning solution. Listen — I’ve smelled so bad my rising aroma in still air could knock buzzards outta the sky like flak and, I tell you, these things work. OK, those buzzards may still avoid me, but after I take a Combat Bath they might survive. Packed in a resealable bag, they could save a friendship. Of course, giving them might ruin it, but Stinky’s got a healthy sense of humor, even if he smells like an overripe wheel of cheese, right? Get ’em from the US Cavalry Store.
US Cavalry
2855 Centennial Avenue
Radcliff, Kentucky 40160
(800) 777-7172,
www.uscav.com
Links
AccuScope
P.O. Box 633, Ankeny, IA 50021
www.accuscopeusa.com
P.O. Box 633, Ankeny, IA 50021
www.accuscopeusa.com
Columbia River Knife & Tool
9720 S.W. Hillman Court, Suite 805
Wilsonville, OR 97070
(800) 891-3100,
www.crkt.com
Gamo USA
3911 Southwest 47th Avenue,
Suite 914
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314
(954) 581-2144,
www.gamo.com
Leupold & Stevens
1440 Northwest Greenbriar Parkway
Beaverton, OR, 97006
(503) 646-9171,
www.leupold.com.
MTM Case-Gard
3370 Obco Court, Dayton,
Ohio, 45414
(937) 890-7461,
www.mtmcase-gard.com
Maxpedition Hard-Use Gear
P.O. Box 5008, Palos Verdes, CA 90274,
(877) 629-5556,
www.maxpedition.com
Otis Products, Inc.
Laura Street
P.O. Box 582, Lyons Falls,
NY 13368
(800) 684-7486,
www.otisgun.com
Laura Street
P.O. Box 582, Lyons Falls,
NY 13368
(800) 684-7486,
www.otisgun.com
Safe Direction, LLC
900 S. Kay Ave.
P.O. Box 1249, Addison, IL 60101
(630) 628-3178,
www.safedirection.com
Spyderco
P.O. Box 800, Golden CO 80402
(800) 525-7770,
www.spyderco.com
Streamlight Inc.
30 Eagleville Road, Eagleville,
Pa. 19403
(610) 631-0600,
www.streamlight.com
SureFire
18300 Mt. Baldy Circle
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(800) 828-8809,
www.surefire.com.
US Cavalry
2855 Centennial Avenue
Radcliff, Kentucky 40160
(800) 777-7172,
www.uscav.com
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