This is the third generation Blaser, and it is as unlike conventional turnbolt rifles as a Blackberry is unlike a landline rotary-dial phone. It’s a true modular rifle that you can have built to your specs. I got to shoot one briefly in January, and the thing is simply astounding. Nor is it cheap. I will be getting one to try at length and will let you know how it does. Blaser-usa.com/r8/
This is a less costly version of the Nosler Model 48, which is the very cutting edge of modern rifle-building, and also $3,000. By using a Bell & Carlson stock instead of the 48’s handmade Kevlar stock, and a less expensive barrel, Nosler is able to get the price well below $2,000 and still guarantee sub-moa accuracy. Nosler.com
Savage ventures further into the exotic with this new rifle, which is built expressly for shooting Way Out There. The LRH you see on the website has a fluted barrel and muzzle brake; however, the guns Savage had at SHOT had round barrels and no muzzle brakes because this configuration shot better. In addition to all the usual long-range cartridges, this rifle is chambered for the dynamic and trendy 6.5/284 Norma. Hot stuff! It’s about $930. Savagearms.com.
Schmidt & Bender is a small company that makes nothing but riflescopes, and until now has made nothing but German-style scopes. The Summit is its first 100 percent American-style scope. It’s a 2.5X-10X with a 1-inch tube. It is neither bulky nor heavy. I used one, and can tell you that S&Bs very likely have the best optics of any scope on the market. The Summit is the top of the heap, and is priced accordingly. Schmidtbender.com
Here is a jewel among riflescopes. It’s a full size 3X-10X (it comes in other power ranges) with all the weight and bulk boiled out of it. I tried one and can tell you that it is optically sumptuous, and that the adjustments are notably accurate even for a scope of this quality. Plain friggin’ wonderful. Not cheap, either. Swarovskioptik.usa.
Minox has been in the binocular biz only a comparatively short time, but they are very, very serious about it. Their new APO HG glasses are the top of their line. They are light and compact for full-size binoculars, and Minox pointed out to me that while they are not cheap, they are comparable to L***a and Z***s and cost a hell of a lot less money. Their optical opulence is blindingly wonderful. Minox.com
This is not a new scope, but the price is sure new–$399 during 2010. You hear me? A brand new Zeiss scope way down in the lower tier of the medium-price bracket? Get your lazy ass out of the house and buy half a dozen. Zeiss.com.
This little scope has a colossal field of view, a huge exit pupil, lots of eye relief, and a German No. 4 reticle that gets you on target very fast. It’s a highly useful scope for any kind of close-range hunting, African or not. (I have a Monarch on my .416 Remington, which has already broken a scope of a different brand. The Monarch sits there serenely, untroubled by the shoulder-busting recoil.) The real world price is around $280. Nikonhunting.com