Jim Matthews
12/12/01
With the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show just around the corner, the industry is getting ready to unveil all of its new products for the 2002 year. Much of that information is already starting to seep out of corporate headquarters, and there is some interesting news from Remington for this coming year.
###### ###### Remington has been the industry leader in retro. It has taken more old popular wildcat cartridges and brought them back than any company. It has brought the .22-250, .257 Roberts, .25-06, and .35 Whelan out as factory rounds. Continuing the retro trend this year, Remington is really sort of reintroducing the 16 gauge. It is doing this by bringing back the round in its original 16-gauge-framed Model 870 pump gun in four models -- the Wingmaster, the Express, Express Synthetic, and the youth version of the Express Synthetic. The Express model will all carry a suggested retail of just $332, which means they will all sell for a lot less on sale at major dealers.
###### ###### The neat part of the equation is that these new Model 870s are identical -- componet wise -- to the older 870 guns, which were dropped from the line in 1980. The barrels will fit the old guns, and the frame is the same, allowing for parts to be interchanged. Rem chokes will be available for the new guns in improve, modified and full.
###### ###### Remington, like most shotshell makers, has continued to make 16 gauge ammunition for the hundreds of thousands of older 16 gauges still being used in the field, and there is a wide range of ammo available, including steel and bismuth shot loads for waterfowl hunters from makers other than Remington.
###### ###### Also new from Remington this year, although you have to not read any of the shooting and hunting magazines to not have learned this already, is the addition of the .300 and 7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Mag cartridge chambered in the compact Model 7 big game rifle. These are both great rounds and they are put in a great gun.
###### ###### While I love the concept of the short magnum -- getting belted magnum performance out of a short, stout cartridge that will work through short-action guns -- I'm a little distressed that we once again have the major makers designing nearly identical rounds that don't interchange. There is practically no difference between the .300 Rem SA and the .300 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM). Ditto for both companies 7mm versions. Winchester has now announced a .270 WSM, and while it is doubtful that Remington will have a .270 version in their line or SA Ultra Mag, there are rumors that one and or both are looking at 25 and 26 caliber short magnums. There's no doubt that a .338-version won't be far behind. Maybe two?
###### ###### This harkens back to the bad-old-days when a guy had to choose between nearly identical cartridges based on the rifle maker. There was the .25 Remington and the .25-35 Winchester. You could buy a .30 Remington or a .30-30 Winchester. This might be a good deal for the maker, but it plain stinks for the consumer and the retailer. The makers need to get together and agree on design specs for the future short magnums and give them neutral names. Call the .338 version the .338 Keith, after Elmer. Call the 25 or 26 caliber version the .257 Pronghorn or .264 Bighorn, but use the same design specs so dealers don't have to stock two lines and consumers don't have to choose one caliber or other based on who makes the rifle they want and face the chance they won't be able to get ammunition in the future because it was the least popular of the two cartridges and gets dropped.
###### ###### The last big news from Remington for 2002 is the partnership they have formed with ENVIRON-Metal, the company that makes HEVI-SHOT. This is a tungsten-based alloy shot that is actually heavier than lead and has proven to pattern exceptionally well. Hunters can actually use one size smaller HEVI-SHOT than lead to deliver the same pellet energy. Remington will offer a whole line of waterfowl, turkey, and upland loads in 12 and 20 gauge in the new shot offering for next fall.
###### ###### While its taken a long time, non-toxic shotgun ammunition has finally reached the point where hunters can get high-speed steel that matches the performance of lead at about the same price point, and there are also products that surpass lead in performance. Now if we just could get some waterfowl into Southern California.
End of Matthews column
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Fubar, John B., Eric Meyer and I will be at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas Feb 2002. Lets us know if there is anything you want us to check out or get pics of. If you're going to the show, holler and we can all meet up for dinner Saturday night.
~Jesse
