I come to you this month tired, worn out, and only slightly brain dead. I have just returned from Las Vegas and the SHOT Show you see, and it seems to affect even much younger participants than me the same way, it is overwhelming, exhausting, wonderful and terrible all at the same time.
SHOT Show is the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Las Vegas and all of its glory aside, SHOT is the granddaddy outdoor and gun show of the year. It is the World’s Fair, Greatest Show on Earth, and the nirvana of all gun related trade shows. SHOT this year had 14 miles of aisles to walk (14 miles!) and while I don’t think I saw half of what was there, it seemed I walked all of it, twice, every day. The SHOT website claims there are over 2,000 booths spread over 800,000 square feet, and by the end of the day when they rang the bell for the show to close, I was toast. Then, if you are lucky, you may be invited to one of the companies after hours event! All of these are good and I went to several, but the pace my friends is grueling.
So that is the thing about SHOT. It is in Las Vegas, much of the populace thinks Vegas is THE place to be. But yours truly, your humble shotgun scribe, maybe doesn’t think it is the center of the universe. I like going to SHOT, seeing all of my industry friends and making new ones, seeing all of the new guns and other products and learning about them so that I can bring them to you. After a few days in Vegas though, I am ready to get on a plane and get the heck out of there. Every year when I return I am always asked “What did you see out there? Anything good? Anything you can’t live without?” Well, yes and no. Yes, I saw several new shotguns and other firearms that seem good and really interesting, and I would like to try them out. Again, the immensity of SHOT and the miles you travel to see everything is daunting. So do you really see all that is there? No, I fear you don’t see half of what is available. But I can tell you some of what I DID see and remember the space doesn’t allow for much of it. Stay tuned, I’m sure you will be hearing more of the wonderfulness I saw at SHOT Show.
Federal, Remington, and HEVI-SHOT Bismuth shotshells. Those of you in the shotshell world may have noticed that bismuth is back. As a non-toxic choice in pellets, bismuth may not be quite on the same level as lead, but it certainly outperforms steel. Now with Federal, Remington, and HEVI-SHOT all coming from the same house, this is a logical move as HEVI-SHOT has been producing bismuth shot for a long time. From the folks at Federal, “Never compromise performance. Hit upland birds and waterfowl harder with a payload of 9.6 g/cc density bismuth shot. Sourced from our partners at HEVI-Shot, the industry leader in pellet technology, HEVI-Bismuth is 22 percent denser than steel, delivering more energy downrange. Launched by the FLITECONTROL FLEX wad, bismuth pellets pattern and connect with better lethality, and their metallic properties make them safe in both modern and classic shotguns.” If you can’t use lead, I think bismuth is a killer, and I think you will like some of these options from Federal, Remington, and HEVI-SHOT. www.federalpremium.com
Benelli Montefeltro shotgun. The backbone of Benelli’s upland and clay target shotgun line, the Montefeltro has for years, been a favorite of discerning shotgun aficionados. This year, Benelli’s sleek, classically styled shotgun is available in eight different configurations to ensure all shooters, regardless of size, body type, or experience level, can dominate in the field and on the clay range.
Benelli didn’t really reinvent the inertia powered shotgun they have been famous for, but they did significantly change their Montefeltro and M2 line of shotguns. New for 2023, the Montefeltro and M2 shotguns are now upgraded with Benelli’s newest Inertia-Driven System bolt for outstanding performance and exceptional reliability. A redesigned bolt handle improves bolt manipulation, even when wearing gloves. This gun’s improved ergonomics complement the handsome walnut stock, pairing perfectly with the deep gloss-blue finish on the sleek receiver and barrel. In truth the older Montefeltro’s (and the M2’s) were sometimes a pain to load. The new 2-piece shell latch makes loading the shotgun a faster and easier task. The Montefeltro is offered in 12- and 20-gauge chambers with vent-ribbed barrel lengths of 24-, 26-, and 28-inches, as well as 12- (26-inch barrel) and 20-gauge (24-inch barrel) Compact models. All Montefeltro models come with a Micro Cell Recoil Pad to reduce felt recoil, a shim kit for drop and cast adjustment, and IC, M, and F Crio chokes. I have not fired the new Montefeltro or M2 yet, stay tuned. (www.benelliusa.com)
BONE-DRI Rust Prevention Gun Cases. I am hard on guns, I admit it. Guns are meant to be used and I use them. I also hate to clean guns; OK I am lazy about that sometimes. None of this works well if you spend a wet day in the field. If you haven’t returned home with a wet shotgun that needs dried out before cleaning, you haven’t hunted very much. BONE-DRI Rust Prevention Gun cases make the claim that you put a damp gun in the case and the case dries it out, inside and out. From BONE-DRI, “BONE-DRI Rust Prevention Gun Cases are the only gun case brand in the world that can eliminate moisture from the entire firearm inside and out by extracting hidden moisture from inside a firearm in order to prevent rust. Bone-DRI gun cases are engineered with Absorbits Moisture Removal Technology.” Thisgun case is going to revolutionize the gun case world. MSRP $99.00 (www.bone-dri.com)
CZ-USA 712 G3. The CZ 712 semi auto shotgun has been around for several years and has earned the reputation of a proven performer. I collected a 712 Target Model several years ago and was impressed with it as a soft shooter. Gun companies will often make small changes on next generation offerings but in truth CZ-USA rebuilt the 712 from the ground up for the G3 model. The major change for this shotgun is the gas system was extensively modified. The new 712 G3 draws a greater amount of gas when the shell is fired, resulting in the gun being capable of firing lighter loads. The new 712 gas system also incorporates the use of two pistons, one for heavy loads like waterfowl and turkey shells, and another for light game and target loads. Oversize controls on the receiver, shims for adjusting the stock to fit the shooter, and a softer butt pad are also new for this shotgun. Another feature on this gun is the barrel is over bored, (.735) and is furnished with a set of 5 long Active-Choke system chokes. The CZ 712 G3’s receiver and barrel wear a durable matte black finish that minimizes glare and can be paired with either black synthetic, camo, or walnut stocks. The 712 G3 weighs approximately 6 ½ to 7 ¼ pounds, depending on stock material and barrel length. This is a lot of shotgun for the MSRP of $579.00 www.cz-usa.com
Larry Case www.gunsandcornbread.com