Randy Wakeman Outdoors Update, January 2018

Randy Wakeman Outdoors Update, January 2018

Thanks to everyone for their support in 2017. With the rapid decline and subsequent passing of my Mom, it was a far more complicated year than most. Mom's in a better place, though, and it was a life well-lived. After my parents celebrated their 63^rd wedding anniversary, I used to joke that it looked like things were going to work out between those two lovebirds. While there is grief, there is also a measure of relief at the same time. Many of you can relate to what I'm referring to.

2017 was a challenging year for much of the firearms industry. That's what happens when you forecast a healthy increase, but the reality is a double-digit decrease. At first glance, you might think that with 2.77 million background checks in December, things couldn't be much better. Under more normal circumstances, that would be the case. Yet, that is a 16% decline compared to December, 2016, which is what has caused much of the recent consternation.

It is hard not to be thoroughly disappointed with Savage Arms spectacularly incompetent handling of their 10ML-II muzzleloader. They have hung their customers out to dry, offering no service and not so much as replacement breechplugs. It is disgusting, as well as the recent half-hearted safety notice with ridiculously poor “new” loading recommendations at https://www.savagearms.com/safety-notice/safety-notice-muzzleloader . The old recommendation of hard-to-ignite 4227 was 46 grains of 4227 pushing a 250 grain XTP. Their “new” recommendation is bizarre: 58 grains of 4227, a nasty overload that should never, ever have been published. The “new” recommendations include the wrong sabot for a 300 grain Hornady XTP, the excessively long HPH12. Savage Arms has really stuffed it up here: it is an embarrassment. With all the bad press Savage has received like

http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/12/05/injured-hunter-takes-savage-arms-to-court-over-exploding-rifle.html you would think they would do a better job reassuring their customers. Savage Arms has let a lot of people down with their inept handling of the 10ML-II situation.

The 2018 Shot Show is coming right up. Some manufacturers are getting away from the annual release cycle, opting for “when ready” or mid-year releases. Already Remington, Ruger, Savage, and several others have released new models. Others, like Fabarm and Benelli, usually play it close to the vest until the SHOT Show event itself. The Shot Show is a well-run event and every year there are a few surprises. This year should be no different. What won't be a surprise is the continuing infusion of aesthetically vulgar, blocky blobs of plastic, with visible mold lines. Cosmetically deficient guns are more popular than ever, so it seems. Some of them work and work well, but it does take a lot of uncomfortable effort to be able to look at them, however.

Thanks to everyone who supports Randy Wakeman Outdoors. For those who would like to, you can just PayPal $20 to randymagic@aol.com . In addition, please let me know if you have any specific requests as far as written gun or product reviews or videos. Some like detailed articles, others prefer videos. The Randy Wakeman Outdoors YouTube views are now past 6.2 million views, so I plan on continuing both. For those that like to interact by using Facebook, you can find me at https://www.facebook.com/RandyHunts/ .

It looks to be a very busy, productive year. As far as what is forthcoming and when, that should be tidied up within a few weeks after the 2018 SHOT Show.

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