Keeping it Fun! – Introducing the next generation to shooting.

Target practice at the range.

  Recently I finished a trade show inHarrisburg,PAand had some time to visit with nearby family.  This included a beautiful morning spent at the range with three generations of the family.  The youngest was my 11 year old niece.

  Bella has been going to the range with her dad off and on for the past four years.  She started out with a Cricket .22 single shot.  Last year I won another Ruger 10/22 at a match and changed out the stock with a Boyd laminate with the some snazzy purple coloring for her.  Bella was now upgraded to the ten shot magazine!  This girl is now putting 1 inch groups at 100 yards from the bench!  Her dad offered to take her for an evening at the sprint car races if she put the first shot in the bullseye….darned if she didn’t just edge it too!   Races it is! Next to safety, the point is to keep it fun for them!

Look at that concentration!

    After convincing me of her prowess with the 10/22, we brought out her little 32 revolver.  We went over safe loading and muzzle management from bench to shooting line.  You could tell this was not her first time at the range, but it still gave opportunities for giving little lessons on range terminology such as not “sweeping” any part of your body, muzzle down range, “going hot” etc.  I was impressed with her concentration.

A little intimidating, but willing to give it a “shot”!

  We brought out the 20 GA Remington 870, www.remington.com, youth model for her next.    This is still a bit intimidating for her.  We made sure she had the light loads for the least recoil possible and set her up with dad to assist.  With some Shoot ‘n See targets she shot twice and peppered it!  Now the big grin was on.  Along with this I’ve been sending her the occasional DoAll, www.doalloutdoors.com,  self-healing fun targets to shoot at.   She loves it and I will continue to encourage her whenever I have the opportunity. 

  Check out HIVIZ Sights for the shotgun, rifle and handgun fiber optic sights available!  www.hivizsights.com

Sharing family time and enjoying a sport together is time cherished.

Colorado Olympic Twin Biatheletes Shoot Sportsman’s Team Challenge

Lanny and Tracy Barnes Compete at NRA Whittington Center

May 11th – 13th I attended the Sportsman’s Team Challenge Regional Match in Raton, NM.  HIVIZ has been a local sponsor for the match for the past seven years.  The event consists of three shotgun events: Flurry, Flush and Mixed Bag events, and three pistol/rifle events.  

I was pleased to see the Lanny and Tracy at the event!  It is very impressive to witness the ladies shooting the rifle event.  The silhouette targets range from 40 – 90 yards and your team has about 2 mins. or less to shoot before time is called!  Apparently not so difficult for biatheletes….some of the rest of us it’s a different story. 

An enjoyable event and beautiful setting at the NRA Whittington Center.

HIVIZ is fortunate to be able contribute, in whatever small way, back to the shooting sport.  It’s our passion and we hope to even see more of you next time!

In the company of great competitors, fun sport and excellent match! !

HIVIZ Sights for the New Smith & Wesson Shield

HIVIZ Sights available for the new M&P Shield

 The NRA Show last month in St. Louis, MO proved to be extremely busy once again!  Many of our trade shows are strictly for Dealers or Distributors, but at NRA we have the opportunity to meet a huge cross section of our customer base.  At HIVIZ we work closely with many of the gun manufacturers.  This past year we had been working with Smith & Wesson on front and rear sights for their new M&P Shield that was released during the show.  Front fiber optic sights are available in either green or our new fire red color #SW2007-G or #SW2007-R.  Rear sights for the Shield will be in production later in June #SW2112-G or SW2112-R.The Shield is a slim, scaled down version of the poplar full size M&P pistols.  Available in 9mm and 40. S&W calibers.  I had the opportunity to test fire the 9mm the following week.  Comfortable grip, smooth action ….and with the set of HIVIZ sights on there it makes finding that target that much quicker!

It’s Turkey Time with Marty Fischer!

Turkey season is underway and long time HIVIZ Pro Staffer, Marty Fischer is hard at it again! 

Besides Marty shooting a bird last Monday in South Carolina with seven beards, one of the highest scoring birds ever taken in the state, he is busy on the road again for his next appearance and competition!

The next few weeks Marty and Todd Cast, hosts of TNT Outdoor Explosion TV are preparing as one of the Celebrity Teams at the upcoming World Turkey Hunting Championships in Clay County, Texas where they will be competing for the title of Turkey Fest World Champion.  They will have two and a half days to hunt. 

The 3rd Annual Old West Invitational Turkey Shoot is next on Marty’s list for May 10-12 in Hulett, WY.  As a celebrity hunter for the weekend of turkey hunting, Marty will be helping to raise funds for research, education and habitat projects that benefit the state’s game and nongame species as well as improve Hulett’s community center.

You can check out the TNT Outdoor Explosion TV website at www.tntoutdooradventures.com.

 

NRA Show April 13-15th in St. Louis, MO

The NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits will be gearing up in a few short weeks!  This year the event is held in St. Louis, MO with over 340,000 square feet and over 500 displays all the major gun manufacturers and accessories, outfitters’ section and the gun collectors’ area.

HIVIZ is again honored to be able to exhibit with the NRA this year.  We’ve expanded the booth a bit to include appearances daily by Chad Belding, host of The Fowl Life TV and Dead Dog Walkin’ shows.  Along side Chad, HIVZ will be hosting The Women’s Outdoor Media Association (WOMA).  Please stop by our booth #3505 to visit with us!  Chad does an outstanding job sharing his passion of the outdoors with the public….and don’t forget to visit and find out more about the dynamic group of women comprising the WOMA!

You can visit the NRA website at www.nra.org for a complete schedule of events. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

On the Road again!

Start the New Year off with a trip to one of the many trade show venues happening coast to coast.  Chris Quam, our Director of Sales, will be on the road the next two months touring the HiViz line to distributors, buyers and dealers.

Ellett Brothers Show kicks off the trade show season in Columbia, SC on January 5th-8th .  Look for HiViz in the Murski- Breeding Rep Group.

Then pick your coast- east or west?  Big Rock Sports offers two overlapping shows Big Rock West held in Las Vegas January 10-13th ( Booth 441) or Big Rock East in Raleigh, NC January 12-15th.

The month closes with the mega of all Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference, a.k.a.  SHOT Show at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV January 17th-20th. You’ll  find us on the bottom level, same place as before, Booth 3052. Put us in your GPS so you can stop in  ”to see what you’ve been missing”  as you view our new products and  the entire HiViz shotgun and handgun line.  Meet the staff and maybe catch one of our Pro Staff members at the booth.  Chad Belding, host of  Fowl Life will be at the booth Wednesday and Thursday from 11-12 to sign autographs.   It’s too good to miss!

If Shot Show is too much to take in, you can see us at Nation’s Best Sports (NBS) Show in Fort Worth, TX at booth #1110 on February 3rd-6th.

The NWTF Show will be held in Nashville, TN again this year. This show is a “consumer” show, where you can shop our booth. Here’s your chance to ”talk turkey” with our Tech guy, Trevor Young. Mark your calendars for February 9th to 12th. It’s a full weekend to “gobble” up lots of deals. There’s a good chance you’ll get to meet HiViz Pro Staff Allen Treadwell and Marty Fischer at our booth.

Chris will head for Phoenix, AZ for the Sports Inc. buyers show on Feb.15th -18th. You can find her at booth #724. 

Then a bit of a rest before the HiViz team heads to Germany for IWA in March.

We look forward to meeting you!  See you soon!

HiViz Director of Sales, Christine Quam, with Paul Pluff and Tony Miele from Smith & Wesson

Revamped for the New Year!

Out with the old, in with the new!  HiViz is launching a  new and improved website. It is our hope that you’ll be a frequent visitor to communicate with us, check in to see our specials, view our expanding “how-to” videos and become an accessible resource for you.

But never forget… you can always call in and speak with a human being!  Which ever method of communication you prefer,  we promise to continue to respond to your feedbacks, direct you to the source or dealer in your area, or find a solution if possible.  Like we have said since day one, …”our ultimate goal is to make you, our valued and loyal customers, even better marksmen. And let’s face it, when you hit what you’re aiming at and experiencing success, you’re going to have fun and enjoy it more!” We hope you enjoy the ease of locating the sights to fit your shooting needs.

Here’s to a New Year!  Happy Shooting!

Cold Winter Nights

Something about snowy days, a warm fire and reloading shells…makes me nostalgic. A quiet time to reminisce about the past years outings.  As the rhythmic muscle memory of steps… primer, power, crimping refills the boxes … my memory floats in and out like mini You Tube clips.  Some highlights of the year…  A family drive up through the Divide on an US Forest “road” and watching a huge brown bear turn over rocks above tree line on the ridge across f rom us.  My 12-year-old son bugging to a bull elk and having him call back. Shooting Sporting Clays in the rain, snow and smitten bits of sunshine with two Olympic biathlete– no use keeping score shooting with them! The thrill of racing to stages, emptying mags, reloading as I run, during my very first USPSA shooting with Kay Miculek as my teacher at the Babes with Bullets Camp. Shot Show overwhelm and exhaustion.  Teaching my prima donna nine-year old daughter how to read signs and tracks while scouting pre-elk season. And the very best… snowshoeing into the back country to spend Christmas at the Never Summer Yurts. Stringing popcorn and cranberries, rolling pine cones in peanut butter and birdseed we decorated the tree outside; so cold we could walk outside in our woolen sock feet and not get them wet; with  the stars a blaze in the clarity that at 12,000 feet elevation can make you  believe you can touch them; and but to what  wonder we see?  A blinking red light moving slowly across the shadow of mountain tops. “Look! It’s Santa!” exclaims my daughter. And in deed it was. The miraculous joys of the season hummed in my heart and soul… May it hum in yours, where ever you are, however you celebrate… “Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night”!

All I want for Christmas…

“Black Friday” is the traditional kick off of the Christmas buying season. USA Today reported a unusual spike in sales of… handguns.. among the top-selling items on November 25th.  According to the FBI 129,166 background checks of prospective buyers were processed on Black Friday, setting a single day record!

 Larry Keane, VP of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, reports ” Many gun dealers that enroll firearm novices in safety and training course report that their courses are often full, or wait listed, another indication of growth in the number of new gun owners”.   The increase in retail sales of handgun over the past year is an indication of the subtle shift of  acceptance of gun ownership for personal and home protection.

After spending three days shooting with the girls at Babes with Bullets Camp, I would really like to have Santa leave me my very own SW M&P 9mm – can I have the special pink grips too, please Santa? P.S. I prefer red HiViz sights on the rear and green HiViz on the front. Thanks Santa! Love, Betsy