The year’s best firearms, ammunition and optics are here.
By NRA Staff

   America’s shooting, hunting and outdoor trade community has once again released an incredible array of new products this year, and our staff has scouted the field to find the most interesting. Wherever your interests lie—classically styled bolt-action rifles and shotguns, or high-performance optics and ammunition—you’ll find them here. Of course, we’ll evaluate many of them in greater depth in AH in coming months, but if you just can’t wait, you can see these and a lot more on display at the 2008 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits May 15-18 in Louisville, Ky.

ARMALITE’s tradition of innovation continues with an AR-10T chambered for the .338 Federal. The gun has a forged aluminum flattop receiver and all the accuracy-enhancing features of the AR-10T, including a two-stage National Match trigger, a 22-inch triple-lapped stainless steel match barrel and a free-floated aluminum fore-end. armalite.com

BERETTA, after nearly 500 years of arms manufacture, introduces its third generation over/under, the SV10 Perennia. Its most unique feature is the locking system situated between the stock and receiver. berettausa.com

BENELLI claims its Ultra Light 20 is the lightest 20-gauge autoloader on the market. Weighing just 5.2 pounds, it has a 24-inch barrel and is chambered for 3-inch mags. The company’s other introduction is the Legacy Sport, a strikingly handsome clays gun with an AA walnut stock and engraved titanium receiver insert in the scrolled alloy receiver. Both guns feature Benelli’s excellent Intertia Driven action. benelliusa.com

BROWNING’s bolt-action X-Bolt features a bolt unlock button that works with the top-tang safety for improved security while unloading; an adjustable, three-lever Feather Trigger set at 3 pounds, 12 ounces pull; the X-Lock scope-mounting system with four screws per base; and a detachable, polymer rotary magazine that feeds cartridges directly in line with the bolt. The fit and finish of the new Citori 625 over/under shotgun rivals guns costing more—action components are machined to exact tolerances and hand-fitted with the lampblack-and-file method. Its barrels have Vector Pro extended forcing cones 2 inches longer than any other gun on the market—offered in 12-gauge Field and Sporting models with 26- or 28-inch barrels. The Cynergy Classic Trap Unsingle Combo is ready for singles or doubles competition with an adjustable Unsingle Rib barrel and an over/under barrel set, all housed in an aluminum case. browning.com

CVA’s Accura 209 Magnum break-action muzzleloader is based on the Optima Pro platform but sports a redesigned frame with the breaching lever built into the trigger guard, an ambidexterous standard or thumbhole stock, and a blued or stainless 27-inch, fluted Bergara barrel. cva.com

CZ-USA’s Sporting Clays over/under shotgun features a satin-black engraved receiver and a neutral-cast Circassian walnut stock with an adjustable comb and ambidextrous palm swells on the pistol grip. cz-usa.com

CHARLES DALY, best known for its imported shotguns and handguns, has branched out with a four-model line of AR-15-style long guns: D-4LE, D4-S, D4LX carbines and the DR-15 Target Rifle. Marketed under Charles Daly Defense and made entirely in the United States, all the 5.56x45mm rifles have chrome-lined, chrome-moly barrels and can be had with or without rails and/or ready for NRA High Power competition. charlesdalydefense.com

CHARTER ARMS offers new .22LR and .22 Magnum Target Pathfinder series six-shot, 4-inch-barrel revolvers with adjustable sights. Built on the same frame as the popular 2-inch-barrel model, the Pathfinder sports full-sized rubber grips and weighs only 20 ounces. The pathfinder fits the need for those shooters looking for a lighter-caliber revolver that is comfortable and easy to shoot. charterfirearms.com

CIMARRON’s Texas Brush Popper is a Model 1873 replica with an 18.5-inch standard blue octagon-to-round barrel, full-length magazine and walnut straight or pistol-grip stock with a shotgun buttplate in .357 and .45 Colt.
cimarron-firearms.com

DIXIE GUN WORKS’ Gibbs Rifle copies the famous English target guns, and its Indian Trade Musket Kit evokes the early American fur trade. The double-barreled, external-hammer Howdah Hunter pistol copies guns carried for protection against tigers by British officers in colonial India with barrels available in combinations of .50 caliber/20 gauge. dixiegunworks.com

DPMS has introduced the Panther LR-338, chambered for the .338 Federal. Built on the popular LR-308 platform, the LR-338 sports a lightweight, extruded A3-style upper receiver, a carbon-fiber free-float tube, a fully fluted, 18-inch chrome-moly heavy barrel and slim-line compensator. Other features include a milled 6061-T6 aluminum lower receiver; two-stage trigger; integral trigger guard; aluminum magazine release button; turned-down gas block; sling swivel; lightweight, skeletonized, A2 buttstock with trap door assembly; and a Hogue rubber pistol grip with finger grooves. dpmsinc.com

ED BROWN PRODUCTS’ Varmint Rifle features the company’s proprietary controlled-feed action, a new McMillan stock with a high comb for use with large-objective scopes, pronounced checkering, palm swells for a secure hold and a smooth undersurface on the 2-inch-wide fore-end for sandbag stability. edbrown.com

FNH-USA’s Precision Shooting Rifles are built on a Model 70 controlled-round-feed action with a claw extractor and three-position safety; 20-, 22- and 24-inch barrels are offered in .308 or .300 WSM. The Patrol Bolt Rifle is now available as an Ultra Short Action with a receiver bedded to an aluminum block inside its overmolded rubber stock; chambered in .223 with a 20-inch, hammer-forged barrel with a recessed target crown. fnhusa.com

FRANCHI adds two variations to its I-12 semi-auto 12-gauge. The I-12 Sporting is a clays gun with an elongated forcing cone for softer recoil and improved patterns. The I-12 Upland Hunter was designed as an agile small-game gun—at 6.35 pounds, it’s the weight of some 20-gauges. The company’s side-by-side Highlander is now available in a 20-gauge with a color case-hardened receiver. franchiusa.com

GAMO’s Hunter Extreme .22 is a spring-piston, break-open air rifle with a rifled-steel bull barrel, two-stage trigger set at 3.74 pounds pull and a hardwood stock with checkered grip/fore-end and raised cheekpiece; accessories include 50 rounds of PBA ammo and a 39x50 illuminated-reticle riflescope. Gamo’s Whisper VH shoots .177-caliber match-grade pellets at 1000 fps. It’s equipped with a deluxe recoil pad and a base for mounting its specially designed varmint-hunter scope. A bracket holds a 3X-9X-40 scope, laser sight and flashlight for all light conditions, so you can see varmints day or night. Included finger-pressure cables let you control the laser and flashlight with push-button ease. gamousa.com

H&R 1871’s Ultra Hunter single-shot rifle comes in stainless steel and chambered for .45-70. The Handi-Rifle lineup now includes centerfires with chamberings in 7mm Rem. Mag., .300 Win. Mag. and .338 Win. Mag. Ultra Varmint single-shots are available with thumbhole stocks in .223, .22-250 and .243. The Pardner Trap Gun features a 30-inch barrel, raised ventilated rib with double bead sights, an electroless nickel-coated receiver, polished blue barrel, Monte Carlo-style walnut stock and an IM extended choke tube. Also in shotguns, the Thumbhole Ultra Hunter and Ultra-Lite Slug Hunter are available with Ultragon rifling. HR1871.com

HENRY REPEATING ARMS expands its lever-action line with two .30-30s: one with a blued steel receiver and a 20-inch, round barrel and another with a brass receiver and a 20-inch, octagonal barrel. Both come with walnut stocks and Marbles adjustable semi-buckhorn rear sights paired with brass bead front sights. henryrepeating.com

KIMBER’s Talkeetna follows on the heels of the Caprivi (now offered in .458 Lott) as an all-weather dangerous-game rifle with a single-leaf express rear sight and a barrel band swivel. The stainless-and-synthetic, Montana-style Talkeetna is chambered in .375 H&H Mag. and named for one of Alaska’s wildest spaces. The Sonora is a heavier version of the popular Model 8400 designed for long-range or beanfield-style hunting, with a heavy, fluted stainless barrel, brown laminate stock and beavertail fore-end; initial chamberings include .25-06, .30-06 and .300 Win. Mag. The short-action 84M now can be had in .257 Roberts. kimberamerica.com

KNIGHT RIFLES’ Shadow is an entry-level, .50-caliber, break-open muzzleloader. It’s made in America and comes standard with a renowned Green Mountain barrel, yet retails for just $250. The KP1, a firearm that can be converted from muzzleloader to rifle in seconds, is now available in six calibers: .223, .243, .270, .308, .30-06 and .300 Win. Mag. knightrifles.com

LEGACY SPORTS adds the Howa Compact Varmint and Ranchland Compact bolt-action varmint guns. Also new are the Puma Scout and Puma XP lever-actions, the Howa 2-n-1 Youth rifle and Escort Youth Pump shotgun. legacysports.com

MARLIN’s big news this year is the company’s reentry into the centerfire, bolt-action rifle market. The XL7 will first be offered in a standard-length action, chambered for .25-06, .270 and .30-06. Marlin’s proprietary Pro-Fire trigger system and Soft-Tech recoil pad complement many proven manufacturing techniques in an affordable package. Pillar bedding, fluted bolts and steel sling swivel studs are standard, while steel is polished blue; synthetic stocks are available in black or Realtree All Purpose Green HD. Marlin’s popular rimfire line now has the thumbhole-stocked 917VT and 917VST. Each features a 1:9-inch-twist, 22-inch heavy barrel with microgroove rifling chambered in .17 HMR. The 917VT is blued with a brown laminate stock; the 917VST is stainless and electroless nickel with a gray-and-black laminate stock. marlinfirearms.com

MICROTECH SMALL ARMS RESEARCH is a new firearm company whose first product, the MSAR STG 556, is a clone of the storied Steyr AUG—arguably the most recognizable and successful military-style bullpup rifle ever developed. The new gun features forward bolt assist, last-shot bolt-open design and a variety of barrel lengths, stock colors and optics-mounting configurations. msarinc.com

MITCHELL’S MAUSERS celebrates the first 100 years of the P 08 Luger with a commemorative run limited to 100 pistols. These 100 Presentation Lugers are original manufacture guns made in Germany. Some date back to the Great War, while others were made during the time between the two World Wars, during the Treaty of Versailles. The guns come in an American walnut presentation case illustrated with a portrait of Georg Luger and lined with French-fitted red velvet. mauser.org

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OPTICS '08

BSA Stealth Tactical riflescopes carry one of the most unique windage/elevation turrets on the market. The patented, all-weather Pull/Push system makes zeroing a cinch, and precise 1/4-MOA adjustments are easy to make even while wearing gloves; all are water-, fog- and shockproof. Stealth Tactical Illuminated Sights come in 1X and 3X, and with 5 MOA red-dot reticles, multi-coated lenses, half-click windage/elevation adjustments and Weaver-style rail mounts. The 3X unit also features a detachable laser and flashlight. bsaoptics.com

BURRIS’ LaserScope with Ballistic Plex or Tactical Ballistic Mil-Dot Reticle is a riflescope with a rangefinder designed for precision rifle shooters. Its Fullfield TAC30 riflescopes are tactical 30mm riflescopes available in three popular variable ranges, including the versatile 3.5X-10X-50mm with an illuminated Ballistic Plex reticle. Its new XTR-14 1X-4X riflescope features the innovative XTR Ballistic 5.56 reticle. Its ShotCam mounts on a barrel to capture video of a shot. And its SpeedBead System is a quick-acquisition red-dot sight for shotgunners and pistol shooters. burrisoptics.com

BUSHNELL Excursion EX binoculars feature a lightweight, double-bridge design, PC-3 phase coating, a wider field of view and a lockable focus knob; available in 8- and 10x36, and 8- and 10x42. Excursion Folded Light Path spotting scopes reduce size without sacrificing performance—15X-45X-60mm and 20X-60X-80mm models are only about a foot long and weigh about 40 ounces. Bushnell’s Videoscope is a compact video camera with a 1.5-inch color display that mounts atop a riflescope so users can digitally record 30 minutes of activity. The Scout 1000 with Angle Range Compensation (ARC) is a laser rangefinder that provides true horizontal distance when shooting at steep angles. Range objects out to 1,000 yards, then watch the built-in inclinometer provide the true horizontal distance and range to the target (good for riflemen and archers). bushnell.com

CABELA’s new Alaskan Guide XT riflescopes are made to withstand the elements; features include duplex reticles, 1/4-MOA adjustments, matte finishes and sizes from 1.5X-5X-32 to 6.5X-20X-49. At just 24.6 ounces, Cabela’s new Outfitter Series binocular weighs up to a half pound less than comparably sized units. cabelas.com

KONUSPro M-30 riflescopes are built for long-range hunting, military and law enforcement use and benchrest shooting. The three beefy, 30mm scopes include 4.5X-16X-40, 6.5X-25X-44 and 8.5X-32X-52 units, and Konus’ illuminated Blue Reticle, readily seen against other colors and softer on the eyes than many others, preserving a shooter’s low-light vision. konususa.com

LEICA Ultravid HD binoculars with 50-, 42- and 32mm objective diameters have fluoride (FL) glass for more color fidelity and contrast. Leica binoculars and spotting scopes with HD lenses now also come with AquaDura, a hydrophobic coating that ensures clear visibility even in poor weather conditions. Leica says HD models increase light transmission by 3 percent. leica-camera.us

LEUPOLD expands its VX-7 line of riflescopes with the VX-7L Long Range series in 3.5X-14X-56mm and 4.5X-18X-56mm; available in XT Duplex, Boone and Crockett Big Game and Varmint Hunter reticles with the company’s crecent-shaped Light Optimization Profile. Many VX-L scopes are also now available with illuminated reticles. The Acadia is billed as a roof-prism binocular at a mid-range price. New Mojave binoculars are available in 8x42mm or 10x42mm and weigh just 23 ounces. leupold.com

NIKON’s spare-no-cost EDG binocular reaches the pinnacle of the optics market with extra-low-dispersion glass. In 32- and 42mm objective sizes, EDG binoculars are protected by a magnesium body. The RifleHunter 550 laser rangefinder is lightweight, waterproof, accurate to 550 yards and incorporates Tru-Target technology that automatically compensates for shooting up- or downhill. The water- and fogproof 2.5X-8X-28mm Encore handgun scope features extra-long eye relief and Nikon’s BDC reticle. nikonsportoptics.com

NITREX OPTICS, from the makers of Federal Premium Ammunition, is an entirely new brand. The initial introduction will include four riflescopes and four binoculars in popular magnifications, fully multi-coated, waterproof and fogproof. nitrexoptics.com

PENTAX adds two compact, waterproof DCF SW roof-prism binoculars in 8- and 10x25. A 9x28 DCF LV high-end roof-prism model features an impact-resistant design with an advanced optical system ensuring a bright, clear field of view. pentaxsportoptics.com

SIGHTRON added five SIII riflescopes to its line this year including a 6X-24X-50 with mil-dot, 6X-24X-50 with dot reticle, 8X-32X-56 with dot reticle, 3.5X-10X-56 with illuminated German 4A reticle and a 3.5X-10X-44 with mil-dot. (The illuminated-reticle version is a first for Sightron.) All SIII scopes have side-focus parallax adjustment and oversized target knobs with 1/4-MOA adjustments that can be reset to zero. sightron.com

SIMMONS’ Master Series riflescopes with“true one-piece scope tube” construction include a black-matte mil-dot reticle version of the AETEC 4.5X-14X. Calibrated at 14X, the etched-glass reticle provides multiple aiming points helpful during long-distance range estimation. The scope features side-focus parallax adjustments and a large eyebox for quick target acquisition. simmonsoptics.com

STEINER’s compact 10x42 R Tactical roof-prism binocular includes a new Mil Reticle Targeting System allowing faster communication between spotters and shooters. The reticle’s mil gradations combine standard 5- and 10-mil increments that reduce down to single and split mils. A 10- and 12x42 Predator C5 binocular features new mirror and lens coating technology delivering higher light transmission and color contrast than previously available in the C5 series. steiner-binoculars.com

SWAROVSKI’s Ballistic Reticle System (BR reticle) makes holdover a cinch with 10 etched impact points and ballistic decals included for 40 calibers; available on 1-inch AV 3X-10X-42, 4X-12X-50 and 6X-18X-50, and 30mm Z6 1.7X-10X-42 and 2X-12X-50 scopes. The Ballistic Turret on AV 4X-12X-50 and 6X-18X-50 scopes allows personalization by setting a zero, then adding three more downrange distances. swarovskioptik.com

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