LIVE! From Las Vegas...

[Rocky Raab]

And so it ends for another year.

I actually left the show Sunday afternoon. I had gotten to all 50 companies on my writing assignment list, plus another dozen or so that interested me. That's out of more than 1900 booths!

I lugged about 40 pounds of press kits, brochures and assorted swag away from those 60 booths. Darn good thing I didn't visit more!

My list was primarily reloading suppliers and varmint/predators stuff in general. I'll be contributing to a long article in the July Varmint Hunter Magazine, so can't leak too much before then.

But the reloading industry is booming. Costs of everything are up, which mirrors the skyrocketing of raw material prices. Reloading supplies are up less than factory ammo, and should remain that way, so that's reassuring. The backlog of primers is shrinking as companies catch up with military contracts, too.

One of the bigger surprises was the re-introduction of the moribund 5mm Remington Rimfire Magnum by Aguila. The "re-energized" round will carry Eley priming, a new powder specially designed for the cartridge, and a lighter 30-gr hollowpoint. Muzzle speed is 2300 fps, which is almost exactly between the 22 WMR and the 17 HMR. Downrange numbers better BOTH of them, with an effective killing range of 125 yards at least. T/C has already announced both pistol and carbine barrels for it - more companies may follow. Cost is suggested retail of $20 for 50. Sure beats the $100 of collector ammo for those with Rem 591/592 rifles!