The facts as told by the National Shooting Sports Foundation: “The SHOT Show is the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show and Conference for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting accessories industry.

“In addition, the show offers a uniquely diverse law enforcement and armed forces section for agency and department purchasing agents.

“The largest trade show of its kind in the world and the fifth largest trade show in Las Vegas, the SHOT Show features more than 1,600 exhibitors filling booth space covering 630,000 net square feet. The show attracts more than 62,000 industry professionals from all 50 states and 100 countries.

“The SHOT Show is a trade-only event. Attendance is restricted to the shooting, hunting and outdoor trade and commercial buyers and sellers of military, law enforcement and tactical products and services, plus qualified press only. The show is not open to the public.”

Kids in a candy store provides an accurate statement for how Garnet and I acted during our first few SHOT Shows. We actually tried to visit each booth one year, an impossible task, for sure. It is said to walk straight down each aisle will put 14 miles on your shoes, but who walks straight down the aisles?

These days we plan our five days at SHOT in a more rational, sensible and wise manner.

We arrive on a Sunday and head to the shooting range on Monday. The official SHOT Show runs Tuesday through Friday. The Boulder City Shooting Range is a 30-minute bus ride from Las Vegas.

This is a huge range with bays for pistols, rifles and a special area for shotguns. Lines form at some bays, depending upon what firearm is being featured. There, at each shooting station, is a rifle or pistol and a few cases of ammo. Attendees are invited to shoot as much as desired. Yep, kids in a candy store.

Catching my eye at one shotgun station was a mechanical clay pigeon thrower which was throwing birds in all directions and at a fast pace. The machine was being loaded as I approached. This gave me a chance to talk with the people demonstrating the Crazy Quail.

This machine holds 1632 clays and can throws up to 160 per minute, in an “infinite number or presentations.” This means the clays are flying in all directions at seemingly the same time.

“Want to shoot some clays?” the man said.

Yep, a kid in a candy store.

He then began loading a 12 gauge with 2 ¾ inch shells. He opened a regular box holding 25 shells and, when finished, all 25 were in the shotgun or in a series of special tubes attached to the barrel. As one tube was emptied, the tubes would rotate and keep feeding the shotgun.

“Just keep shooting until you run out of ammo,” he said.

Yep, a kid in a candy store.

The machine began to throw birds and the shooting commenced. There were three or four other shooters, but this fact simply made the shooting more intense. All too soon, a couple of minutes perhaps, and the shotgun was empty.

This system is called the XRAIL System, by Roth Concept Innovations. This is a device for entertainment shooting. Perhaps a shooting club will purchase one or more and the members will have fun shooting clays.

SHOT Show floor

On Tuesday through Friday, we head to the main body of the show. It is at the Sands Expo Center, which is attached to The Venetian and The Palazzo hotels. The main floor is a series of booths filled with knives, pistols, rifles, backpacks, boots, rifle powder, bullets, game cameras, ground blinds, binoculars, motorized vehicles, body armor, holsters, pistol concealing purses, all kinds of apparel, tree stands, two-way radios, first aid kits, flashlights, air guns, rifle scopes, firearm cleaning supplies, knife sharpening items, map supplies, game calls, hand warmers, ammunition, firearm safes, rangefinders and so much more.

There are so many objects in each aisle it burdens the mind. Pistols and rifles and backpacks and ammunition…well you get the idea. These items become subjects and ideas for future articles and radio shows.

The inspiration for writing these stories and producing the radio shows is the education of the readers and listeners. Informing others about what’s new and what will help others enjoy the outdoor experience is my ultimate goal.

Also at SHOT was the availability of some manufacturer originals. The late Chuck Buck was one, with his wife, Lori, taking his place this year. Another was Tim Leatherman.

This icon of outdoor tools was scheduled to be at the Leatherman Booth for an appearance to sign tools. There he was, standing behind the counter, with a line several yards long, putting names to various Leatherman tools.

The SHOT Show continues to provide many chances for Garnet and me to present reviews of the new products to our readers.