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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Coolest SHOT Show 2012 Product!
We're doing our full coverage of SHOT Show 2012 over on GearExpert.com, and the videos are really starting to roll out now. We saw a TON of awesome new products this year from our favorite brands like Trijicon, Bushnell, Burris and Mission First Tactical.In fact, we JUST posted a new video covering the cool new gear by Mission First Tactical. They have some great new gun grips, flashlight grips, quad rails and more. They really impressed us this year. Cool stuff.
But for me, the coolest thing about this year's SHOT Show was the emphasis on zombies. There was so much zombie gear that next year they should change the name to ZHOT Show.
Okay, probably not, but it was a really undead-focused show this year. Leupold had a cool zombie riflescope, there was some neat zombie ammo, and there was an AR15 with a chainsaw bayonet attached specifically for zombie slaying!
But there was an extra special zombie gun sight this year, and it comes to us from EOTech. Let's be clear: EOTech is awesome. Actually, REALLY awesome. They make some of the best red dot sights in the world, which is why we chose to make our OPMOD EOTech MPO-II and MPO-III with them.
This year EOTech brought out the XPS2-Z Zombie Stopper Holographic Weapon Sight. It's based on the EOTech XPS-2, which is one of the best red dot sights on the market today, but with a handful of modifications. The Zombie Stopper logo is etched into the side, and a biohazard symbol is on top, but what's really neat is the reticle. The reticle is shaped like a bio hazard symbol. It is totally sweet. You can actually see it in action in our SHOT Show Media Day Video. At about 1:28 into the video Steve holds up the sight so you can see the reticle.
If zombies are an issue, the Zombie Stopper by EOTech is the solution. And what a sweet solution it is.
I'll be talking a bit more about SHOT Show here on the TacticalStoreBlog in the near future, but our full coverage is over at GearExpert. Videos, pics and news are going up all the time, so head over there now for the latest!
Labels: eotech, Gearexpert, Shot Show
Posted by brian.coughlin at 10:39 AM Read Article 0 comments 
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Full SHOT Show Coverage at GearExpert.com!
The Superbowl is coming for football fans, but firearms, hunting and shooting enthusiasts have their Superbowl right now with SHOT Show!This annual expo is held in Las Vegas and finds all the top brands of firearm manufacturers, as well as those who develop anything related to shooting or hunting, coming out in force with their latest advancements to make a big splash.
Tactical-Store is part of OpticsPlanet Inc., and we've sent about 2 dozen members of our family out to SHOT Show this year to bring you all the latest from your favorite brands! You can read our coverage as it happens on our new blog GearExpert.com. Everyday we have LIVE updates from SHOT Show, and our team is conducting video interviews and getting hands on with products from EOTech, Streamlight, Trijicon and more!
I've already seen some of the new products on display, and they are truly outstanding. I wish I could be there in person, but I'm also happy to be receiving news and bringing it to all of you! Checkout GearExpert.com right now because we have exclusive video, pictures and info that you won't find anywhere else!
What are you waiting for? Get over there and read about SHOT Show now!
Labels: Gearexpert, Shot Show
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Victorinox Wows at CES with Solid State Drives!
Victorinox is always impressing me. Most of their products on Tactical Store are Tactical Knives with multiple tools and lots of great features, but Victorinox Knives are about more than just blades.They also have some amazing high tech tools to help you carry more than just multiple blades. Some of their products also have solid state jump drives to all you to bring all the digital data you need for a presentation or project in a small package. We have a handful of these multi-tools with flash drives, such as the Victorinox Swiss Army Presentation Master, which combines a laser pointer, scissors, ball point pen, blade, key ring, nail file and screwdriver with a flash drive. It's a fantastic way to keep a number of different tools close at hand while also carrying your valuable files.
But Victorinox hasn't stopped pushing their tech forward. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), they showcased their latest Swiss Army Knife, and this one really impressed. Fitting in the palm of your hand, the latest Victorinox Swiss Army Knife has a solid State Drive that can hold up to 1 Terabyte of information. That's a monstrous drive! The Presentation Master, in comparison, comes in 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB versions. Granted, they're far less expensive (the new 1 Terabyte drive will cost about $3000), but it's amazing to see how much data these new tiny drives can carry.
In addition to their capacity, Victorinox drives are tough as nails. Presenters at CES said they've run the drives through washing machines and dryers without destroying the info on the disk. They've even run them over with a car without ruining the drive! That's strength.
These new drives will come in two versions, one with multi-tools included, another without to allow you to take them on airplanes.
I don't know the exact date that these new flash drives will be released, although they should be available by August. We're always getting in New Victorinox products, so stop by Tactical Store often to see the coolest new tactical gear!
Labels: flash drive, swiss army knife, victorinox
Friday, January 06, 2012
Response Post! The Iphone Can't withstand a .50 Caliber Shot!
I just wrote a few days ago about a guy who used his iPhone to get out of a jam. He'd gotten lost in the woods, so he called the sheriff, and when the helicopter circled overhead he used the flash on the camera to signal his location.Well, today I came across a video on YouTube of a guy putting his iPhone through some excessive abuse. This smartphone may have a great flashlight, a decent built-in GPS Device and tons of other cool features, but is it tough? Since tough is subjective, instead let's ask if it's tactically tough?
If you check out our tactical flashlights you'll find a number of options that can stand up to incredible punishment. Maybe not the .50 caliber bullets the iPhone is shot with, but many of these flashlights double as a last-line of defense weapon, so they can be banged around quite a bit and still work perfectly.
For example, check out the Surefire E2DL LED Defender Flashlight. This super strong flashlight is made of aerospace-grade aluminum and has a crenelated strike bezel that was designed to be used as a defensive weapon.
I think the iPhone is a fantastic tool for a number of purposes, but the idea that it could be substituted for a quality tactical flashlight is wrong. Check out the video below. I don't know how well the Surefire E2DL would stand up to a .50 bullet, but I bet it would do better than the iPhone.
Labels: flashlights, surefire, videos
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Iphone Flash Saves a Hiker, but a Quality Tactical Flashlight and GPS would 've been Better!
A hiker in Maryland on New Year's Eve almost had a bad end to the year, but was saved by his cell phone.Along with his trusted dog, a man was hiking through Gambrill State Park on Saturday when he got lost. As he was pretty far from civilization, the man took out his iPhone and tried to use the map app to find where he was going but had trouble getting an accurate reading. These GPS phones are great for finding your way along a number of city streets, but away from cell phone towers they become less and less reliable.
A good GPS device, such as the Bushnell BackTrack Personal Locator, would have been a far better option for finding his way home. I like it for hiking and hunting because you can mark a location, such as your car or home, and it will guide you back with an easy to read arrow. The GPS on an iPhone (which I have and love, BTW) is not the best bet for nature walks.
Once the man had crossed the same stream for the fourth time it became apparent that he was lost, so he called 911 and told the sheriff he was lost. As it's cold out, and it's serious business when someone gets lost in the woods, the sheriff sent out a search helicopter right away.
The man wasn't prepared with a good flashlight, so it might have proved difficult to find him in the failing light, but the flash from his iPhone gave the flight crew the chance to see him, and he and his dog were safely back home in no time.
This situation shows why you should have a quality flashlight with you where ever you go. Sure, this particular hiker was okay because of his phone, but if you're using the map function a lot and making calls you might run out of battery power before help arrives. Plus, though the flash is pretty bright (probably around 10 lumens), you can find far stronger flashlights with better battery power at Tactical Store!
For example, take a look at the Pelican 1850 L4 LED Mini System. Not only is there a compact and easy to carry flashlight with a 50 hour run time, but it also comes with a pocket knife and a compass! This is a fantastic kit for going out on a hike, and it's brand new to our store, so be sure to take a look!
Another great flashlight option comes from Olight. The Olight
Olight Intimidator" SR51 Intimidator is seriously powerful. It has a maximum output of 900 lumens! It's nearly 100 times as powerful as the flash on an iPhone, and I'd call that a fairly bright light. With 900 lumens of light you don't need to worry about it being bright enough for almost any purpose! And it weighs a mere 14.1 oz. That's pretty lightweight for so much power! The 10 hour battery life will last for all your lighting needs on a hunting trip!Don't go out into the woods unprepared. Make sure you have a top notch GPS and a super bright flashlight so that if any trouble occurs you can be sure you'll get where you're going safely and easily!
Labels: flashlights, olight, pelican
Friday, December 30, 2011
Military Flying Drone Boasts a 1.8 GigaPixel Camera!
I just read an article about a new Military Drone that has a crazy cool camera. The A160 Hummingbird robo-drone has a handful of new features that will set it apart, and most likely set it above the currently used Predator Drones.The first new feature is that, unlike the Predator, the Hummingbird doesn't fly like a plane, but is rather rotor based, so it is closer in operation to a helicopter. This will give soldiers greater control of the drone, and allow for more detailed viewing of certain parts of the terrain.
But that's not the part that caught my eye. The Hummingbird Drone has a suped up camera that will give far greater resolution. The 1.8-gigapixel camera (yeah, I said GIGApixel) will allow the drone to scan an area of 25 square miles from altitudes up to 20,000 feet. That's a little under 4 miles up!
Soldiers on the ground will be able to download images and video in real time. This should give them far greater situational awareness and allow them to make more informed choices on the battlefield.
To put that 1.8-gigapixel camera in perspective, the latest smartphones might have a camera around 8 megapixels. And people swoon over the quality of the photos they take. Most consider the resolution from many smartphones today to be on par with professional grade cameras. A gigapixel gives a thousand times more detail than a megapixel, so the Hummingbird Drone should do a pretty good job.
At about 4 miles up it will be able to distinguish people, cars and more, and the operators can see what's around a corner before they poke their head out.
The technology here goes beyond just getting a good picture though, and the soldiers can also can be set to watch up to 65 designated areas, including following cars or people regardless of where they go!
Well, I should mention that any drone has limitations. As The Simpsons once joked, "Satellite Imagery has shown us the trillion dollar bill isn't on the roof."
Reading about the Hummingbird Drone got me thinking about the various camera options we have at Tactical-Store. For long distance viewing and photography many people like to use a digital camera binocular. These are a great option when you want to cut down on the amount of gear you carry with you when hunting or birding, but we have a new option from Nikon that you might have even greater success with.
The Nikon EDG VR FieldScope 88mm Spotting Scope is, first and foremost, a fantastic spotting scope. The 85mm objective lens will gather a ton of light for a really bright and clear image, and since the EDG FieldScope comes from Nikon, you can trust in the quality of the lenses and the construction of the body.
But what makes the Nikon EDG FieldScope really special is the VR (Vibration Reduction) system. It's tough to use a spotting scope on the go, as even slight shaking from your hands will blur the image, and even when mounted on a tripod the wind or other environmental disturbances there can be a bit of shaking. The VR System reduces the effects of this and gives you a really clear image. That's a huge deal when you're running around and need to take a quick look!
Another thing that's great about this Nikon FieldScope is that it is perfect for digiscoping. For those who don't know, digiscoping is when you attached a digital camera to the eyepiece of your spotting scope or telescope to take a photo. As Nikon is world-renowned for their Cameras, it makes sense that they would make a number of great camera-ready optics like the EDG FieldScope.
You probably won't be able to get the same resolution as from the Hummingbird Drone, but you'll get a great picture if you use the Nikon EDG VR FieldScope the next time you're out hunting, birding or just enjoying the great outdoors!
Labels: camera, digiscoping, military technology, nikon, spotting scope
Friday, December 23, 2011
Ammo or Gold: Which Protects Your Future Better?
And no, I don't mean robbing banks.
There are a number of people, including current GOP Presidential Candidate Ron Paul, who believe that investing in gold is a good way to keep yourself ahead of inflation. He may or may not be right, but there's another possibility: ammo. The graphic below comes from Ammo.net, and it's a pretty cool way of seeing that investing in ammo may be as good an idea as gold.
I don't want to just reiterate everything from the graphic, but it shows that ammo has risen in value fairly steadily over the years. More and more people are applying for gun licenses, and the need for ammo will likely never go away.
Please note that I'm not suggesting you stop with traditional investments, but having a little extra ammo might just do you good. And if you need a way to haul your ammo on your next hunt, check out our gun accessories, we have some great ammo cheek pads and shell carriers!
Via: Ammo.net
Labels: ammo
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Celebrate National Flashlight Day with a DISCOUNT on the Coast MT7 LED Lenser!
As it's National Flashlight Day, we're running a special deal on one of our best flashlights! The Coast MT7 LED Lenser is a favorite around the Tactical-Store offices because of its versatile uses, tough body, and super bright LED light. To make it even more attractive, the MT7 Lenser uses 4 AAA batteries, which most of us have around the house!For National Flashlight Day we're offering a 15% off coupon for the Coast MT7 Lenser. The coupon code is 9a647be, and it's only good for today on our parent site OpticsPlanet, so be sure to use it right away.
I realize that seeing is believing, so take a look at the OpticsPlanet video below. Alex and Alessandro will take you though the various modes and features of the Coast MT7 Flashlight.
Labels: coast, flashlights
Friday, December 16, 2011
Hunt a T-Rex with a .700 Cal Gun and Leupold Optics!
I just came across this video on Youtube showing a custom made gun with .700 caliber bullets. They call it a dinosaur hunter, so the next time you have a T-Rex come after your dog you can take it down with this sucker. I'm posting the video at the bottom, and it's definitely worth a watch, but make sure you have headphones on, because the sound from this gun is extraordinary.Watching the massive gun video got me thinking about what type of rifle scope you'd want on your dinosaur hunting gun.
At first I considered a red dot sight, since you'd want quick target acquisition, but those are for closer range shots, and I think I'd notice a Tyrannosaurus Rex before it was right in front of me.
As I'm a big fan of Leupold, I looked through some of their newest scopes, and the Leupold Patrol VX-R 3-9X40 Illuminated Riflescope caught my eye. It has a number of great features that should make it perfect for hunting dinosaurs.
First, it's tough. Like all Leupold Optics, you can count on the scope to stand up to the rigors of hunting, with recoil and moisture all taken into account from the design stage, so there's no need to worry about it falling apart when you attach it to a big gun.
Next, the reticle on the Leupold Patrol VX-R is fantastic. It's illuminated, and the proprietary motion sensor technology illuminates the reticle whenever the scope is moved, so you don't need to worry about turning it on. So when that T-Rex comes charging out of the forest you just need to get it in your sights!
The reticle on the Patrol VX-R uses Leupold's FireDot system, so the center dot is a bright red, while the rest of the reticle isn't illuminated. This will help draw your eye to the center, speeding target acquisition time.
Since you're going to want to have as much space as possible between you and the dinosaur when you take your shot, the 30mm tube is a smart feature, as it allows for a great deal of windage and elevation adjustment.
The lenses give you a ton of light transmission, which is important, as you never know when that killer dino is going to jump out at you, and you'll want to be able to take a shot at any time of the day, not just in perfect conditions.
If I found myself thrown back in time, or if they perfect cloning and bring dinosaurs back, I'd want to make sure I had a .700 caliber rifle with a Leupold Patrol VX-R Rifle Scope attached. I'd be the most legendary dinosaur hunter in the world.
Labels: leupold, riflescopes
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
New Battle Tech Aims at Keeping Soldiers Alive!
We talk quite a lot about various products and new technology that comes to our store that helps soldiers, police officers and hunters be more effective in the field. We have rifle scopes that help you hit targets at farther distances, night vision devices that help you see in any situation and GPS devices that let you see just where you are. These are all great battlefield tools and enhance the effectiveness of a soldier, but I don't write very often about saving lives, and that's what I'd like to do today. There are a great number of ways to help save lives in war. I know that General Patton (I have to paraphrase, this is a kid-friendly site) said, "No soldier ever won a war by dieing on the battlefield. He won the war by making the enemy die on the battlefield." So, based on this logic, one way to keep safe is to make sure you don't have any enemies.
But sometimes you or one of your buddies gets hurt, and you have to make sure you're capable of handling the situation. A good first aid kit that is properly stocked is an absolute necessity. You need gauze, tape, medication and more to clean up some of the more minor injuries, or to give the injured man extra time for a medic to show up. A quality knife is also a must have tool for medics, and I like the SOG Knives, as they're really tough and reliable, while also being portable. Weight is really important, so having a lightweight option is also important.
One of my favorite safety products is the QuikClot 1st Response TraumaPak, which stops bleeding fast and can be a real life sa
ver when you have an open wound. Any cut or scrape could turn serious if not properly cared for, as infection is all to common on the battlefield.
ver when you have an open wound. Any cut or scrape could turn serious if not properly cared for, as infection is all to common on the battlefield.Just looking at the war in Iraq you can see thousands of injuries that worsened because of infection. With bullets flying overhead there just isn't time to properly sanitize everything before performing surgery.
But there's a new development that may help field medics do a better job fighting bacteria, and it's similar to a tool every soldier carries with them: a flashlight. A dermatology researcher at Harvard Medical School is developing an antibacterial light that could kill deadly bacteria, which is currently the number one killer in Iraq and Afghanistan.
UV light is already used in households to kill bacteria, and it is extremely effective at doing so. The problem the Harvard Researcher is trying to solve is how to use UV light without harming the patient, as UV light can burn skin and even cause cancer. Currently, his hope is to use a particular wave of UV light, known as UV-C light, to kill the bacteria, and hopefully not hurt the person. UV-C Light is the shortest wavelength of the ultraviolet spectrum.
With a small, handheld UV-C light a soldier or field medic could quickly and easily treat life-threatening infections. While this may not cure the infection completely, it will lessen their impact and danger, giving the injured soldier extra time to get to a full military hospital for more specialized care.
While this new flashlight is not yet in production, it may only be another 2 to 3 years before it is in the human testing phase, and successful tests could push this into production right away.
I may love our QuikClot products, but a UV flashlight that saves soldiers from having limbs amputated might just replace my favorite first aid tool. Pretty cool.
Labels: first aid, medical equipment