2026 Industry Day at the Range: A Changing Scene
The early morning routine for SHOT Show’s Industry Day at the Range is simple: wake up at about 6 a.m., prepare for a day when the weather is generally bad, grab a quick bite to eat and a coffee and embark on the 45-minute bus ride to Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club.
For those unfamiliar with the event, Industry Day at the Range takes place the day before SHOT Show where media and buyers are offered the opportunity to test new firearms, optics and outdoor gear from more than 100 of the companies exhibiting at SHOT Show.
Over the years, attendees at the range day event have witnessed wintry weather mixes, sustained high-speed winds and also some sunny mornings. And while the weather is always up in the air, the continuous report of rifles, pistols and shotguns always is a constant reminder of conservation funding that comes with each trigger pull.
But upon arriving in Boulder City, Nevada, it was clear to me that this year’s event was a bit different. The numerous shooting bays were once again dominated by sporting arms companies or suppressor manufacturers.
And though there were a few companies that would be recognizable to the vast majority of NWTF members — GLOCK, Henry Repeating Arms, CZ-USA, National Shooting Sports Foundation and a handful of others — the percentage of those companies’ firearms sporting suppressors had greatly increased, or their offerings had shifted to catering to a crossover audience.
While it could be viewed as problematic for us who truly value our hunting heritage, it is surely a sign of changing times.
For some years now, the largest contributors to Pittman-Roberston dollars have been the recreational shooting community. Some reports show that non-hunters account for more than 70% of the funds garnered through the Pittman-Robertson Act, which are then funneled down to the state agencies for state-level conservation funding.
Does the dwindling of hunting companies at range day signal that the future of hunting is bleak? I wouldn’t say that at all. But, I do think it is time that we try to bridge the gap with recreational shooters and share with them the value of hunting and their contribution to our nation’s natural resources. And that is one of the reasons why we are here at SHOT Show.
Today we spent time shooting quite a few new sporting arms offerings and talking with reps from the companies. Several folks had their interests piqued when we talked about hunting, and even one rep working the event showed off his NWTF membership card to us.
Over the next few days, we hope that these conversations will continue while we work to bring you some reviews of hot new hunting gear and even some crossover products that have applications for both hunting and recreational shooting.