• What Does a Warrior Wear for the Maximum Warrior Challenge?

    Feb 7 • News, Videos • 6275

    Maxim magazine is running a really cool contest, called Maximum Warrior.  I can’t tell you how badly I wish I could participate.  I have no doubt I’d get creamed by the professionals they have competing, but just the chance to learn and develop this type of combat training would be amazing.  So what is Maximum Warrior?  Basically it’s a 10 week challenge with 10 different warriors.  They compete against each other in combat based trials, a different one each week.  These challenges test different parts of military training and expertise.

    Week one covered WADI Patrol.  The warriors are sent out in an ultra-light tactical vehicle with the mission to rescue a downed pilot.  The pilot is just a mannequin, but the scenario is very realistic.  These guys have to fight through flashbang grenades, past IEDs, smoke and they have to neutralize targets.  It’s really intense, and that’s just week ONE!  These challenges get more and more intense as the Maximum Warrior contestants move into more physical challenges that require all their strength, and increasingly all their cunning.  I don’t want to steal all the thunder of Maximum Warrior, so definitely head over to their site to watch the episodes for the first three weeks.  I honestly love that I work for OpticsPlanet, because I just spend the last 15-20 minutes enjoying every second of the Maximum Warrior Challenge!

    Head over to the Maximum Warrior site to see the great videos.  What I want to share with you directly are Maximum Warrior’s “What a Warrior Wears” videos.  These are really cool too.  They’re hosted by Karl Erickson, who hosts the show.  This guy knows his stuff.  We actually met him at SHOT Show.  Erickson is retired from the Army Special Forces, and he’s one serious dude.  I’m glad to have him be part of our Armed Forces.  In the video above he takes you through some of the gear real warriors wear.  He starts with the body armor and shows what soldiers place in the various pouches for maximum effectiveness.  It’s cool to see how he explains the rating for the ballistic plates in the body armor.  I knew those plates could take a couple hits, but they’re not going to hold up forever.  I guess they can take about 10 shots.  I can’t imagine being shot 10 times, but I’d be glad to have one capable of taking multiple shots.

    But it’s what he packs on that body armor that really interested me.  Erickson runs through magazine pouches (It’s no coincidence that Erickson is in front of a BLACKHAWK! banner, because they make a ton of great gear for real warriors, so when you need real tactical gear they’re the perfect brand to start with.) and what he puts in the rest of his pouches.  This isn’t basic gear.  Real soldiers don’t use pouches to carry candy bars (I’m not admitting I’ve used a pouch for this), they have explosive ordnance disposal gear and extra magazines.

    This gear isn’t just good for soldiers though.  I know hunters who swear by BLACKHAWK!, and if you take the no-nonsense approach that the military has you’re sure to be more successful.  You might want a game call rather than explosives ordnance disposal gear, but extra mags at your fingertips is always going to help (or shells for your shotgun, etc.).  Be sure to check out the video above and check out a couple teaser pics below to learn more about the competition and see what a Warrior Wears for the Maximum Warrior Challenge!

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    Swarovski Modular Spotting Scopes and Z6 Rifle Scopes from SHOT Show!

    Feb 1 • News • 9697

    Swarovski Modular Spotting Scopes

    We saw a lot of new scopes from Swarovski at SHOT Show this year, including some new additions to one of the most exciting lines of spotting scopes I’ve seen in years: the ATX/STX Modular Spotting Scopes.  I’ve written about them before here on the OpticsPlanet Facebook wall, and I’m really glad to see some new models will be coming out this year.  The basic premise of these spotters is that you have two separate parts, an objective lens and an eyepiece, and they attach to one another.  This gives you the opportunity, in the future, to buy other eyepieces or objective lenses for more versatility.  More models means more chances to customize the performance you want and need.  I’m a big fan of that.

    Swarovski Z6 Rifle Scopes

    But it wasn’t all spotting scopes from Swarovski at SHOT.  We also got to take a look at some new models in the Z6 line of rifle scopes.  I like Swarovski’s tagline for these scopes: “The Original.  Perfected.”  That’s not a bad way of talking about these great scopes.  First, they have great glass, which isn’t a surprise considering Swarovski’s expertise at working glass, but it’s still good to see they spend so much time on the glass quality.  The Z6 has a fairly slim design, and the ballistic turrets have been redesigned for improved functionality.  There are also illuminated reticles with automatic on/off switches to help preserve battery life.

    Swarovski really knocked my socks off last year with their modular spotting scopes, and I can’t wait to get my hands on their new optics for 2013!

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    New CRKT Knives from SHOT Show – Knife Photo Gallery!

    Jan 31 • News • 15217

    Wow.  One of my favorite knife brands, and one of the favorites for many of us here in the GearExpert and OpticsPlanet offices, is CRKT.  What sets them apart is their unique knife designs.  Their knifes and accessories are half knife, half works of art.  It’s a really cool thing.  And they’re highly functional as well!  We saw a bunch of different models at SHOT Show, and we took a good number of pictures that I want to share with you.  These knives will be out a little later this year, but for now I’ll give a brief rundown of the new CRKT Knives from SHOT Show and post the image gallery at the bottom of this page!

    • CRKT Enticer – This knife is great for everyday carry.  It’s lightweight, compact and has a 3.24 inch blade, which is perfect for most uses.  Check out the awesome handle design.  Gorgeous!
    • CRKT Onion Survival Para-Saw – You always need a cord when you’re hunting or camping, but this cord has a handy cable saw woven into it!
    • CRKT Otanashi noh Ken – WOW! Look at that beautiful blade!  This knife really sets it apart with a big, strong handle that’ll give you a good grip, and it was designed by a martial arts master, so it’s definitely tactically sound!
    • CRKT Redemption – It’s always a good idea to have a quality fixed blade knife in survival situations that’s big and heavy enough to do some heavy-duty cutting.  The Redemption is a mean-looking knife that’s sure to be nice to you.
    • CRKT Swindle – The Swindles are my favorite knives from CRKT.  There’s a smooth handle version and a grooved handle version.  I prefer the grooved handle, but they’re both good looking knives with razor sharp blades.

    Which is your favorite new CRKT Knife from SHOT Show?

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  • The Barska Contour Rifle Scope from SHOT Show 2013!

    Jan 29 • News, Videos • 5505

    The Barska Contour Rifle Scope was a pretty nice looking new scope from SHOT Show.  It was specifically designed to work with .22 rifles.  I’m personally a huge fan of 22s.  Other than a few BB guns when I was little, the first gun I ever shot was a 22, and I’ve always had a place in my heart for them (especially with the price of ammo these days!).  The Contour is perfect for a day at the range.  The 3-9×42 Contour Riflescope (which is in stock as I write, by the way!), has three different bullet grain settings, locking turrets and a really nice overall build quality, which is really incredible considering the low price!  I think it’s best if you just take a look at this great new scope and considering slapping it on your favorite .22 rifle!  The Barska Contour Rifle Scope from SHOT Show amazed!

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  • MFT SHOT Show Gear – Hand Guards, Rail Mounts, Grips & More!

    Jan 29 • News, Videos • 8424

    I’ve been a big fan of MFT for a while.  The firearm accessories they make are always super high quality and have great features.  But my main reason for liking them is that their gear is no-nonsense.  As their name implies, it’s about the Mission FIRST and FOREMOST.  I like that.  I may not have a serious tactical mission, but when I’m at the range or out hunting I have goals, and I want gear that’s going to help me get to those goals.  Some of Mission First Tactical’s new gear from SHOT Show has me pretty excited about their upcoming product launches.

    We spoke with Jerry from MFT, and he showed off a new Drop-In Quick Release Hand Guard that’s absolutely gorgeous and attaches very easily (and of course very quickly).  The rail mount goes all the way back to the receiver and should really give you a nice bit of extra rail space when equipped.

    They also have a scorched dark Earth color for the MFT React Magwell Grip and a nice low-profile BMS Minimalist Stock.  I don’t want to keep telling you how great these all look since you can see them for yourself in the video above!  I wholeheartedly suggest watching our MFT SHOT Show Video and staying tuned to GearExpert for even more to come!

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