Serious birders and those who want the best for hunting and other field activities gravitate toward Swarovski. The combination of field flattening lenses, quality glass, effective lens coatings and ergonomic design provide superior performance. The SLC Series 15×56 binoculars, for example, deliver exceptional light-gathering abilities in low-light situations like the at dusk and dawn. The performance comes at the cost of higher weight, of course. The SLC 15×56 binocs weigh 42.3 ounces. If size and weight is a concern though, Swarovski produces one of the best sets of compact binoculars you could find. The new CL pocket 8×25 binoculars fold up small at just 12.2 ounces and provide superior viewing in a pocket binocular. MSRP is $888.

Hi-Point Firearms is the first manufacturer to offer a lockable steel box in a new gun package. You can get the package with any of their 9mm, .380 ACP, .40 caliber and .45 caliber pistols. The lockbox has a simple key access, can be readily mounted wherever it’s needed, like a bedside table, inside a truck and so forth, and comes with a braided steel cable for additional security. The stand-alone price is $250. It’s great for the first-time gun buyer who doesn’t have a safe.

American Rifle Company has been building and selling some great scope mounts, but the intent has always been to build guns. The company was at SHOT Show with the prototypes for these guns, most notably the M2 precision rifle. This is a multi-caliber platform that will handle everything from .308 Winchester to .338 Lapua Magnum. While their other rifle, the M5 Mausenfield, was built on a Remington 700 footprint, the M2 has a custom footprint. American Rifle paired this custom footprint with a Springfield ejector and a Mauser type extractor. It basically cherry picked the best features of the guns out there and then invented what the designers couldn’t find, like the toroidal bolt head. The bolt head has semi circular bolt lugs. The bearing surface of the lugs engages a spherical bearing surface in the receiver, creating very strong lock up, which means that the bolt is insensitive to its alignment in the receiver. This is just one feature that contributes to the gun’s overall accuracy.

Organized in 1894 in Utica, NY, Savage Arms is one of our favorite gun makers. Not only does it make great guns, but the company sells them at excellent prices, ensuring that you’re getting real value. In keeping with its philosophy of delivering value, Savage introduced a new version of its popular Axis rifle this year. As you may know, the Axis is America’s best-selling bolt action rifle. In a gun test we did last year with a number of bolt action rifles, we were able to get one minute of angle accuracy with it. That’s all rounds into one inch at 100 yards. The new gun, dubbed the Axis II Xp, is an upgraded version of the original Axis. For an extra $89 you get the famous AccuTrigger that’s not available on the original Axis, plus an upgraded scope. The new scope is a Weaver Kaspa 3-9×40, professionally mounted and bore sighted. The scope alone is valued at $100 more than the scope on the original Axis. Add in the AccuTrigger, and you can see what I mean about Savage delivering value. The Axis II also comes in a youth model, and, for the ladies, is available in the Muddy Girl camo pattern that we’ve been seeing all over the show.

Thanks to the Army’s Individual Carbine Program, LWRC International has developed updated versions of its legacy rifles. The new IC PSD replaces the A2 PSD, and the IC A2 replaces the M6 A2. Both iterations are fully ambidextrous and incorporate a number of engineering changes to make the guns more durable and more reliable. The sexiest member of the series is the ICPDW with a 7 3/4” barrel chambered for 5.56. The big changes to this model are the retractable stock and new buffer system, which make for a more compact package—perfect for carrying under your trench coat for those low-profile, highly classified missions. LWRC International ARs are equipped with hammer forged barrels, and nickel alloy coatings on the bolt carrier, hammers and triggers for hard, greaseless, permanently lubricious surfaces.

You can always count on Nikon for high-performing optics at reasonable prices. This year, the company introduced three new products. The first is a rifle scope for the .22 LR AR, the P-22, 2-7 power with a 32 mm objective lens. It’s specifically designed for the ballistic trajectory of the .22 LR cartridge so that you can place your shots with confidence. Whether it’s shooting prairie dogs or targets, the P-22 will help you reach out to 100 yards and beyond. It’s available with either a bullet drop compensation reticle, which gives you hold points for various distances, or a turret that allows you to dial in your distance. The price is a low $179.95. For scoping out your hunting range, Nikon has improved its best-selling Monarch 5 binoculars. The use of ED glass, a low dispersion glass, reduces chromatic aberration or color fringing. This provides a clearer, crisper image with better contrast. The binoculars are also lighter now for better all-day carrying comfort. MSRP starts at $329.95. Finally, Nikon introduced the Aculon ultra compact rangefinder. Weighing just 4.4 ounces without batteries, the Aculon provides quick readings from 6-550 yards. MSRP is $169.95.

Laserlyte, based inCottonwood, Arizona, specializes in laser sights and laser based training aids. The company has created targets that record your hits from a Laserlyte training gun or a laser “bullet” that chambers in your gun and acts as a snap cap as you practice. You can even plink using their plinking can. Most of you will probably agree that shooting is fun. In fact, shooting cans is so much fun that you don’t even realize that you’re actually improving your skill set at the same time. Laserlyte has captured the fun of plinking with the Laser Plinking Cans, which flip over as you hit the target on the can. They have a range of 50 yards, so you can use them outside, in the living room or in your office–anywhere, in fact, because the system is nearly silent and uses no live ammunition. So if you’d like to practice on the cheap and still have fun, check out the Laserlyte Plinking cans.

When looking for precisely made ammunition with consistent performance, many people turn to Black Hills. In fact, Black Hills supplies all of the 5.56 match ammo to the US Military’s Service Rifle Teams and counts a host of gun manufacturers among its customers. The company’s mantra is precision made ammunition at a reasonable price. No other ammunition manufacturer makes as many calibers as Black Hills. That’s why we were so eager to see what was new for 2014. Black Hills has teamed with Sierra Bullet Company to make two new rounds. They both feature Sierra Match King tipped bullets for increased bullet coefficient. That means better aerodynamics for a flatter trajectory and more retained energy downrange. The 5.56 round uses a 77 grain tipped bullet, where the .308 uses a 175 grain tipped bullet. We also asked about ammunition supplies for the coming year. Watch the accompanying video to see what they had to say.

When you think of Hornady, the first thing that comes to mind is cutting-edge ammunition and reloading supplies. What you don’t think of is gun safes. However, Hornady’s newest product happens to be just that, although not any run-of-the-mill gun safe. Hornady has developed a single firearm safe for a dresser drawer, table, truck or wherever you want to secure your gun but get to it in a hurry. There are a lot of similar safes out there with one big distinction: You don’t have to touch this safe to open it. Using RFID, or radio frequency identification technology, Hornady has brought to market a safe that opens instantly as you’re reaching for your gun. Rapid Safe, as they call it, uses three forms of RFID devices to open the safe.