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Bushnell Releases New Match Pro ED 15x56mm Binocular

Thursday, January 26th, 2023

Purpose-Built with SHOT-CALL Reticle for Competition and Long-Range Shooters

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – January 25, 2023 – Bushnell®, an industry leader in performance optics, announces the new Match Pro ED 15x56mm Binocular, a high-quality optic designed for long-range precision shooters looking to combine features of a high magnification binocular and an MRAD based reticle. Designed with a proprietary, rotating SHOT-CALL reticle, the new binocular is perfect for helping shooters with spotting, ranging, target sizing and shot correction.

Designed for premium optical performance, the Match Pro ED boasts fully multi-coated ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) Prime objective lenses and BAK-4 Abbe-Koenig roof prisms with PC3 dielectric phase coatings to ensure 92% light transmission. The Match Pro ED binocular also features Bushnell’s EXO-Barrier for high resolution regardless of weather conditions.

The Match Pro ED’s offset SHOT-CALL reticle has a dedicated focus adjustment and can be rotated for leveling after IPD (interpupillary distance) adjustment. Users can secure their preferred IPD with the included BRIDGESET stabilizer, which ensures the binocular is set for quick use and provides IPD position stability while putting pressure on the binocular when mounted on a tripod in high wind.

With medium-high magnification range, the Match Pro ED 15x56mm Binocular balances enough power to effectively replace your spotting scope and affords both eye open spotting to minimize eyestrain.

Rugged magnesium housing protects the binocular’s internal mechanisms while IPX5 waterproof sealing shields the optic from serious storms. The Match Pro ED 15x56mm Binocular (MSRP $699.99) is backed by Bushnell’s 20-year Lifetime Ironclad Warranty. To learn more, visit Bushnell.com.

Posted in Optics, Press Release | 1 Comment »

SHOT Show 23 – Primary Arms AutoLive Battery Cap

Thursday, January 26th, 2023

For me the Primary Arms AutoLive Battery Cap is easily the best thing to come out of SHOT Show simply because of its simplicity and relevance. I’m kind of surprised no one has done this before.

The AutoLive Battery Cap fits between OEM battery caps and the battery case on Primary Arms SLX LVPOs and many other popular optics with similar cap and thread sizes, like the Vortex Strike Eagle, SIG TANGO6, and others, to provide smart battery management for optics that don’t have this feature. The AutoLive feature powers your optic up when you are using it yet allows it to lie dormant while not moving around, like in a safe.

It accepts a standard CR2032 battery and turns on the optic’s LED when it detects motion.

Posted in Advertiser, Optics, SHOT Show | 1 Comment »

SHOT Show 23 – Thales XTRAIM Weapon Sight

Thursday, January 26th, 2023

Almost every meeting I have at SHOT Show is behind closed doors. It’s rare that I am able to share something immediately, even rarer if it’s a product from a defense company. Defense firm Thales is offering us a sneak peek at an upcoming weapon sight.

In anticipation of a requirement for Special Operations Forces, Thales has developed a reflex sight which incorporates thermal imaging. The XTRAIM Weapon Sight can be used in direct view reflex sight mode or with a thermal overlay.
This isn’t some commercial off the shelf capability with low resolution. It features an uncooled sensor with 12 micron pitch and 640×480 resolution.

The reticle is a 1.6 MOA red dot and visible in direct view or thermal modes. Within the thermal mode, the operator can select full IR or contour outline mode as well as 1x or 2x digital zoom.

Additionally, the operator can integrate a clip-on night vision sight to further enhance situational awareness and target acquisition. It is also compatible with operator worn night vision goggles. The sight can also be used in conjunction with 3X magnifiers popular with red dot sights to increase range.

The XTRAIM Weapon Sight was designed at Thales’s center of excellence for dismounted soldier optronics in Saint-Héand in Eastern France. It has been evaluated by individual SOF personnel as well as small units during several touch points, both here and abroad, on a variety of individual and crew served weapons. Thales paid particular attention to human factors, integrating ergonomic and simple-to-use controls.

In thermal mode, the XTRAIM offers 500m target recognition with 250m PID of a man sized target. Those ranges are extended to 600m and 320m respectively when used in conjunction with a 3X magnifier.

The sight features a Picatinny rail for weapon attachment and is powered by 2 x CR123 batteries which provide over 500 hours of reticle use or or seven hours of thermal operation. The weight with battery is 18.6 oz.

Intended for defense customers, the XTRAIM Weapon Sight will be available beginning in May 2023.

Contact [email protected].

Tags: Thales
Posted in Optics, SHOT Show | 4 Comments »

SIG SAUER ROMEOM17 Red Dot Sight for the Modular Handgun System

Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

Currently under evaluation by the US Army under the Soldier Enhancement Program, the new ROMEOM17 red dot sight from SIG SAUER was designed specifically for use with the Modular Handgun System.

When SIG offered a version of P320 to the US Army for the MHS program they included a feature not included in the formal requirement, a means to mount a red dot optic to the slide via the Leupold Delta Point Pro footprint, which at the time was the industry standard.

Last year, the Army decided to take advantage of that feature and called upon industry to provide samples of red dot sights for use with the M17 and M18 pistols variants of MHS. Evaluating these optics under SEP, the Army plans to issue National Stock Numbers to candidate optics it deems acceptable for use with MHS. Rather than issue a formal requirement for this enabler, it will be up to the individual units to determine which of the authorized optics they want to outfit their pistols with. This also allows the Army to revisit the subject more regularly than they would if they commenced a formal program.

I sat down with John Nichols, Product Manager for Pistol Optics, during the recent SIG Range Day in Las Vegas and he went over some of the background of the ROMEOM17.

SIG Electro Optics took a look at the pistol and realized that while they could use the existing DPP footprint to mount a sight, they could also mount it from the underside of the slide and patented the idea.

This offers a couple of advantages. First, there’s no bulky mounting plate so the sight remains as low as possible. Second, it integrates the standard height rear sight. Finally, it allows use of the standard front sight so there’s no need to replace the front sight with a suppressor height model. The armorer can reuse the pistol’s tritium rear and front sights which means less work for the armorer and lower first for the unit.

It is held in place with one bolt tightened to 40 inch pounds and there are two points which keep it aligned during mounting.

In addition to the mounting patent, SIG also has a patent for a shield to prevent the front lens of the optic from gas released during the firing cycle from the loaded chamber indicator port.

The sight is Argon gas purged and completely sealed. The base on the other hand has drainage holes.

It is adjustable for elevation and windage. Mimicking a full-sized telescopic optic, the internal Flexure System has fewer moving parts than other adjustments.

The reticle is selectable 32 MOA Circle or 2 MOA dot and offers 15 brightness settings. It also incorporates Magnetech technology to help maintain battery life. The sight features toolless battery removal and replacement for the CR2032 which is a standard battery in the stock system.

In order to give shooters a tactile cue under stress, they included slight protrusions indicating the button increases or decreases the intensity of the LED.

During manufacture, the sight is anodized in Black and then receives elite level Cerakote in Coyote. This means that the interior of the shroud is completely Black for easier sighting.

While the ROMEOM17 is initially only for military customers, it’s simply because of the compatibility with standard P320 slides. A commercial version is in the works.

The ROMEOM17 is assembled in Oregon.

Posted in Advertiser, Army, Optics | No Comments »

SHOT Show 23 – Digital Reflex Sight Thermal & Night Vision from Holosun

Monday, January 23rd, 2023

Holosun was all the talk last week with their new DRS (Digital Reflex Sight) line consisting of Night Vision (designated NV) which offers Image Intensification (I2) for low light conditions and Thermal (designated TH) with thermal sensing.

In both cases, the sensors are integrated with Holosun’s LED MRS (Multi-Reticle System) with two digital reticle options.

DRS-NV offers a 1024×768 resolution digital night vision sensor with up to 60fps, 8x digital zoom, digital image and video recording with on-board storage, and is powered by an 18350 rechargeable battery. An on-board USB-C connector enables charging and downloading of recorded images and video.

DRS-TH features a 1024×768 resolution display at 50fps, 8x digital zoom, digital image and video recording with on-board storage, and is powered by an 18350 rechargeable battery. DRS-TH models feature five thermal image modes, including White Hot, Black Hot, Highlight, Outline, and Fusion modes. DRS-TH is also available in a DRS-TH Pro version that increases the thermal sensor resolution by 33%.

The big question is, when will they introduce a fused version of the sight, integrating both I2 and Thermal vision into a single red dot sight?

Coming Q4 2023.

www.holosun.com

Posted in Optics, SHOT Show | 7 Comments »

SHOT Show 23 – TNVC x Safran Optics 1 Thermal Augmentation Device

Thursday, January 19th, 2023

Available in November 2023 from TNVC, the new Safran Optics 1 Thermal Augmentation Device is a lighter, less expensive alternative to the fully featured ECOTI.

The TAD attaches to I2 NVDs without modification and offers White Hot, Black Hot, and Outline modes via just a few simple buttons. It features a 39 deg field of view with a range of around 450m for a man sized object in the clear. Expect about 350m of the object is obscured. Battery life is about 3.5 hrs from a single CR123A.

Posted in Advertiser, Optics, SHOT Show | 6 Comments »

SHOT Show 23 – Guardian MOA Plate from Radian Weapons

Tuesday, January 17th, 2023

Coming Q2 this year, the Guardian MOS plate from Radian Weapons is 85% of the weight of the OEM plate.

It integrates a rear sight into the front of the plate and has a design that twice the thread engagement of the OEM Glock plate.

Currently only built to accommodate the RMR, plates for other RDS are coming.

www.radianweapons.com

Posted in Optics, Press Release | 3 Comments »

Whiskey24 – Replacement DBAL-D2 Illuminator Cover Tether

Sunday, January 15th, 2023

Need a replacement tether for your DBAL-D2 illuminator cover?

Available in black, coyote brown, ranger green, wolf grey, M81 wooldand, Multicam, Multicam Alpine, Multicam Arid, and Multicam Tropic. Made in the USA. Laser cut from Berry compliant Brookwood B-52 laminate.

$12.00 at wtfidea.com

Steiner Optics does not endorse this product. All DBAL D2 trademarks, brands, etc are property of Steiner Optics.

Posted in Advertiser, Optics | No Comments »