Western Hunting Expo 2025 Show Overview
I attended the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. TFB focuses more on guns and shooting than hunting, but this show is a chance to see some companies and products that were not at SHOT Show. It is also a consumer show, so unlike SHOT Show you can buy things, and I snagged some hard-to-find Swift A-Frame bullets while I was there!
Unknown Suppressors
New silencer manufacturer Unknown Suppressors debuted their new can at this show. The Whisper Pickle is a 3D-printed titanium suppressor specifically for the hunting market. There are more than a few titanium rifle suppressors, but this is a reflex design. It overlaps four inches of barrel, adding less length to the firearm than a standard muzzle-mount suppressor. The trade-off is that only barrels up to 3/4 of an inch will fit inside the reflex portion. This initial offering has a .30 caliber bore and is rated up to .300 RUM. The thread mount is 5/8x24, but a 1/2x28 adapter and a tool to extract that fitting from inside the suppressor is coming as well. Look for it coming in June with a price point of around $1,000.
Tract Optics
Tract Optics had a new scope model on display, a 2.5-15x44 model tailored to hunting. This brand is direct-to-consumer and does not display at events like SHOT Show. This scope has Japanese glass, a 30mm tube, and options for MRAD or MOA first or second focal plane reticles. Prices range from $924 for non-illuminated to $994 with an illuminated reticle. The elevation turret is a locking design, and the windage turret is capped. This scope will start shipping on April 1st.
Really Right Stuff
Carbon-fiber tripod manufacturer Really Right Stuff (RRS) had its wares on display at the show. These are very high-end pieces of kit. Though tripods are the bread-and-butter product from RRS they also had the MPR-CL-III set up as a demo. It mounts a Garmin chronograph and wind meter (here, a Kestrel) onto an Arca-style rail. The retail price for that piece of gear is $170.
RRS also had the Ascend 14 tripod set up with a pair of spotting binoculars. This tripod has an option for a center post for fine height adjustment, and weighs three pounds without the center post if light weight is the priority.
Beretta
Beretta is always at SHOT Show, but the BRX-1 Ranch did not make it in time. It was at the Western Hunting Expo though and I got to handle it. It is similar to the other members of the BRX-1 family, but sports a much shorter barrel. A small initial batch of Ranch models has already reached the US market, and more are on the way. Beretta offers 16-inch and 18-inch threaded barrels, both chambered in 308 Winchester. The MSRP is $1,669.
Sportsman’s Warehouse
Big-box retailer Sportsman’s Warehouse got into gunsmithing a few years ago, and they brought some interesting examples of their work to display. This is not a shop that only does barrel threading and Cerakote work. They had a rifle on display with iron sights fitted to a carbon fiber barrel, which is the first such setup I have ever seen.
Another very intriguing firearm is a M40 sniper throwback build. This is still a work in progress and the stock contour is not perfect yet, but it is getting very close. The actual Vietnam-era rifles utilized Redfield 3-9x scopes with a green anodized finish and ranging reticle. Hi-Lux Optics make an homage version of that scope, and Sportsman’s Warehouse had it fitted on this gun. The spec sheet showed an estimated price of $1,000 to $1,400, but it is not clear if that is the cost for an entire rifle or to have this work done to a donor rifle. Personally, I’ll be watching this project closely because there is a huge market for throwback rifles, particularly for people who cannot afford an original.
Athlon
Athlon Optics has a new entry in the compact radar chronograph market. The Rangecraft Velocity Pro Radar Chronograph is clearly targeting the market segment currently owned by the Garmin Xero C1 chronograph. It differs from the Garmin in several ways, like a larger screen and up and down arrow buttons on the side of the unit instead of the top. Another nice feature is that an erroneous shot can be deleted from the screen without leaving the main window. It includes a small tripod and a case. The initial batch of 4,000 units is already sold out, and more will be on the way in May or June. Expect an actual price at retailers around $350.
Maven
Maven Optics had the RS.6 1-10x28 scope on display. This first focal plane LPVO has options for MOA or MRAD reticles and a 34mm main tube. The windage turret is capped, and the elevation turret is a locking design. The reticle illumination includes both green and red settings with off positions between each brightness level. It retails for $1,600 with either reticle option.
Garmin
The latest addition to the Garmin tactix line made its debut at the Western Hunting Expo. The new tactix 8 is loaded with features like navigation, weather reports, workout data, and parachute jump master mode. It is also optionally available with Applied Ballistics. Garmin offers two sizes, the usual 51mm and the new reduced-size 47mm model. If your pursuits take you under the waves, this watch is rated for diving use at 40 meters.It even has a built in microphone and speaker so you can make calls from the watch once it is paired with a smartphone. Prices start at $1,299, and Garmin will start taking orders on February 21st.
Zeiss
Zeiss has a new update to the Conquest binocular line. The Conquest HD series is being replaced by the Conquest HDX line, which adds features like a magnesium chassis and locking diopter adjustment. The price point remains the same. The 15x56 model also comes with an optional reticle.
There was also a new tripod on display, but with only limited information available. The Pro Series Max Duty has very stout carbon fiber legs that deploy with gravity and lock with a quarter turn. Look for these tripods to hit the market in Q3.
Vortex Optics
Vortex is another company that has not been at SHOT Show for the last several years, but they were at the Western Hunting Expo with a full spread of their products. Most notably, the new Viper shotgun red dot was shown mounted on a gun. It uses a clever mounting interface to fit just about any common shotgun if it has mounting holes on top of the receiver. The reticle also has various options to match up to the patterning of the host gun.
The new FDE version of the Crossfire II red dot was also on display.
Montana Rifle Co.
Last but not least we have two new rifles from Montana Rifle Company. The Mashall is a new design that uses a Winchester 70-footprint action with a bottom metal for AICS magazines. Like the Winchester 70, it uses a controlled feed bolt. One of the prototype guns was on display after having fired 10,000 rounds. Both a 3- and 5-round magazine come with the rifle and each gun must shoot a 10-shot group under 1.5 inches (without any breaks to cool the barrel) before it leaves the factory. 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester models will ship in April and other calibers are coming in late summer. The MSRP for the Marshall rifle is $3,850.
The other new gun is the Tsavo (named for the man-eating Lions of Tsavo, made famous in Ghost and the Darkness). This safari-style big bore features a traditional design with some modern refinements. A muzzle brake comes standard along with a thread protector, and it is threaded 5/8x24 for suppressor use. The first chambering is .375 H&H, and a .458 Lott is coming soon as well as other classic African calibers. Williams Gun Sights supplies the front and rear sights.
Thanks for joining us for this coverage from the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo. We will finish this one out with a taxidermy dinosaur crocodile that dwarfs the nearby stuffed bear.
AKA @fromtheguncounter on Instagram. Gun nerd, reloader, attorney, and mediocre hunter.
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