IWA & OutdoorClassics opens its doors today for the 35th time. It is the undisputed world-leading exhibition for hunting and sporting guns, outdoor articles and accessories. After twelve per cent more visitors last year, NürnbergMesse expects another record attendance of some 30,000 visitors from more than 100 nations at this IWA. 1,046 exhibitors from 51 countries will show their products from 14-17 March. IWA & OutdoorClassics stood for innovative power, professional competence and internationality long before the record year of 2007.

New Products

FX Airguns

FX Airguns of Sweeden had several intersting new guns on display. Two new precharged guns were shown: the FX Royale 400 and Royale Whisper both offering 12 or 16 (in .177) shot magazines. The whisper features a 180cc air cylinder and a shrouded barrel with intgeral silencer and the 400 features a 400 cc bottle and the barrel is therded for a ½" UNF silencer. Also on show was an as yet unnamed Single Stroke Penumatic side lever rifle prototype (shown top in the picture).

Beretta Launch new range of Stoger Air Rifles

Italin gun makers Beretta launched a new range of spring powered air rifles under the Stoger brand name. The three models are:

X5. THE REAL AIRGUN FOR YOUTH AND BEGINNER
Break barrel airgun with easy cocking grip, rifled precision barrel, fully adjustable rearsight, fiber optics, two stage trigger, automatic ambidextrous safety, ambidextrous woodstock, buttplate, and deep grooved receiver ensures a solid scope mount fixing. COMBO: without sights, comes with 4x32 scope and two ring mount with integrated stop pin

X10. THE ADULT SPORTS RIFLE
Break barrel airgun with easy cocking grip, rifled precision barrel, fully adjustable rearsight, fiber optics, adjustable two stage trigger, automatic ambidextrous safety, ambidextrous straight wood or synthetic stocks, buttplate and deep grooved receiver ensures a solid scope mount fixing. COMBO: without sights, comes with 4x32 scope and two ring mount with integrated stop pin.

X20. THE PREMIUM FOR REAL GUN FEELING
Break barrel airgun with easy cocking grip, rifled precision barrel, fully adjustable rearsight, fiber optics, adjustable two stage trigger, automatic ambidextrous safety, ambidextrous hunting styled wood, synthetic black or synthetic Camo stocks with double cheeckpiece checkering on pistol grip and front stock, buttplate and deep grooved receiver ensures a solid scope mount fixing. COMBO: without sights, comes with 3-9x40AO scope and one block mount with integrated stop pin.

SHOT Show smashed all-time records in its 30th year, posting new highs in attendance, exhibition space exhibiting companies and media turnout. With a total registered attendance of 58,769, the show shattered last years attendance record of 42,216. Its 715,000 square feet of exhibit space, was nearly 60,000 more than last year, with 1970 exhibiting companies. The following new products were launched at the 30th SHOT Show in Las Vegas

New Products

Crossman Benjamin Discovery

Crossman announced the new Benjamin Discovery Dual Fuel™. This revolutionary new rifle can be run on either CO2 OR compressed air! The rifle is fully charged at only 140 bar and can be filled from either a pump or dive cylinder. A converter can then be fitted to allow the rifle to use CO2. In CO2 mode the gun is then filled from a standard paintball tank. In the UK the rifle will be fitted with a ½" UNF thread to allow a standard sound moderator to be fitted, the rifle also features a built in pressure gauge. Power will be set just within the UK legal limit and the rifle will be available in both .177 and .22.

Youngmans Sporting Guns are delighted to announce that we were the first UK retailer to order this fine rifle. We are now taking orders for the first batch of guns, expected to be available in June 2008. The Rifle is planned to retail at around £200. To be the first to own one of these rifles phone our order line on 01493 859814.

Gunpower

Gunpower exhibited a new 10 meter match rifle. The gun will produce around 6 foot pounds of energy and is fitted with diopter sights and a standard fore end accessory rail enabling a hand stop to be fitted for prone and kneeling practice.

BSA Ultra Bull Barrel Synthetic

BSA's latest version of the Ultra will feature a new Bull Barrel with integral sound moderator and a new Synthetic stock. The gun will be available in both single and multishot versions.

BSA Stealth Tactical Scope Range

Also on show from BSA was a new range of Stealth Tactical scopes. The range covers scopes from 4×32 up to 10-40×50. They feature oversize locking target turrets and the new Multi-purpose TWIST CAP™. This innovative new lens cap system means you will never again loose the caps on your scope. The iris clicks closed and fully open, the iris can also be set to any intermediate size to reduce glare or increase the depth of focus of the scope.

Bushnell Videoscope

Sharing tales of the hunt is a favorite pastime among sportsmen, and the new VideoScope from Bushnell provides an accurate and vivid recreation of any hunt. This compact, lightweight video camera with a 1.5” color display for preview and playback is designed to mount on top of a riflescope so users can digitally record the images and activity they see through the riflescope. The VideoScope will record up to 30 minutes of VGA quality digital video with its 1GB internal memory and rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

The VideoScope is the perfect accessory for deer and turkey hunters. The rugged, waterproof camera is designed to withstand the recoil of .375 H&H rifles and 12 gauge shotguns. It can be quickly attached or removed from the riflescope. Weighing under 8 ounces, and less than 7 inches long, it will not affect the balance of the firearm. The 5x lens brings the action up close and the 5-way button pad provides easy operation.

The VideoScope comes with a USB cable for transferring videos to a PC or Mac, and no special software is required for downloading-it works just like a flash drive. It also includes AC and DC adaptors for recharging the battery, and 1" mounting rings for convenient attachment to most riflescopes.

Bushnell Elite 6500 Riflescope

The Elite 6500 series are the world’s most versatile riflescopes, featuring a 6.5× magnification range (1:6.5 ratio from low to high power), the widest in the industry. These scopes are ideal for hunters who want a scope they can use in the brush as well as the wide-open prairie, from Georgia pine forests to the high peaks of the Rockies.

Push/pull turrets with resettable zero make sighting-in easier than ever. The extended range of windage and elevation travel (60 inches on the 2.5-16× models), with .25 moa quick adjust clicks, make this scope a must have for the hunter who shoots a broad range of game and distances. All models have a one-piece, 30mm tube to deliver plenty of light for those perfect shots right before legal shooting ends, and up to four inches of eye relief and a finer Multi-X reticle (Mil Dot versions of each model are also available) to accommodate any shooter.

There are three new Elite 6500 riflescopes — 2.5-16×42mm, 2.5-16×50mm and 4.5-30×50mm — and they each have side parallax adjustment. The 2.5× models can be adjusted from 10 yards to infinity and the 4.5× models adjusts from 25 yards to infinity.

The new 6500 models are the flagship scopes of Bushnell’s Elite line, with the highest resolution and widest field of view, as well as fully multi-coated optics with RainGuard®, ensuring a consistently sharp, clear view even in the worst conditions. All Elite series riflescopes are covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty

New Falcon Rifle

Falcon showed a new series of rifles on the Beeman stand. As yet we have no further details of these guns.