The Outdoor Writers Association of America convention has convened in Grand Rapids, Michigan (which kind of reminds me Roanoke, Va.).
About 300 communicators and corporate associates are in attendance. Not a bad turnout, all things considered, but probably down 50 to 70 slots.
Monday's schedule had Shooting Day in the Morning and Breakout Day in the afternoon. Shooting Day is what it sounds like; gun and accessory companies putting their stuff on line at a local gun club for press folks to try out.
Breakout Day is much the same with about 40 manufacturers and organizations displaying goods and promoting services.
One highlight of Shooting Day was watching my wife, Renee, pull the trigger on a custom revolver chambered in .45-70. Built by BFR and customized by Williams Gunsight and Outfitters, the big "hand cannon" kicked no more than .38 Special. The gun had a 10.5-inch ported barrel, which allowed the gas to escape (cutting down on recoil by a claimed 65 percent) but also making it LOUD.
I took the time to shoot an Eastman crossbow. They had a top-of-their line X-Force 800 Pro set up on an indoor range. The 800 Pro shot a bolt at 340 feet per second and was set at 165 pounds. It was easy and accurate, but seemed much louder than a compound bow. It's easy to see why some bow hunters object to crossbow use by non-disabled hunters. They're mush easier to use than a compound bow, which is much easier to use than a recurve or long bow. I look forward to playing with a crossbow more in the future.
One product line that had the miserly writers reaching for their wallets were some muff/head phones from Altus Brands. The Pro-Ears units had the electronic noise reduction that blocked loud noises like gun reports but allowed lower-decibel stuff like conversation to come through normally. There are a bunch of manufacturers making these things, but something about the Altus appealed to some on the range.
Tomorrow, a Breakout Day review.
