Gear Reviews

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.

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.

Trijicon has a loyal following with its tactical/combat sights, and the new VCOG 1-6×24 is sure to be a popular addition to the lineup. VCOG stands for Variable Combat Optical Gunsight. It’s the result of demands from Trijicon users who wanted a variable power scope with bullet drop compensation for the .223, .308, and 300 BLK rounds. The bullet drop reticle is marked for each specific round. In other words, you must specify for which round you want the ballistics information when you buy your scope. The reticle is a first or front focal plane reticle. This means that the reticle changes size when you zoom so that it maintains the same proportion with the target. A front focal plane reticle provides better information for estimating distance to the target. Its weakness is that the reticle is thinner and possibly more difficult to pick up at the lowest power when transitioning to a target. Trijicon overcomes this by providing a battery-powered lighted reticle, therefore giving you the best of both worlds. MSRP will be $2,380 when the VCOG goes on sale in May. Check out the VCOG and ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight) in the accompanying video.

Crossbreed specializes in concealment, whether it’s on your person, in your car, or on a bicycle. The company is best known for its line of in-the-waistband holsters and for a modular system that utilizes the versatility of Velcro to attach holsters to duty belts, RAM mounts, flat surfaces, even handlebars. The newest product, however, is targeted to the special needs of women. The most common types of holsters simply don’t work well for women. However, just about every woman carries a pocketbook, which would be a good place to conceal a firearm. The problem is that if you drop a gun into a purse, it sinks to the bottom, making it difficult to draw quickly and consistently. Crossbreed has addressed that with yet another variation of their modular holster system. It consists of an L-shaped Velcro-lined panel to which the holster attaches. You can place your gun in whatever position you want for a quick, controlled presentation. Take look at it in action in the accompanying video.

The acronym FLIR stands for forward looking infrared. So does the company FLIR Systems, which until now has focused on thermal imaging systems for law enforcement and the military. Last Tuesday, however, the company announced its first thermal imaging system intended for the civilian market. If you’re not familiar with thermal imaging, it works by using temperature differences between various objects in the visual field to produce an image. The images that are produced are remarkable—you can see through haze, smoke, rain, even foliage, day or night. The big obstacle for us civies has been the astronomical prices. Fortunately, as in other electronic devices, prices are coming down.