ICYMI: Industry News From
Dec. 12–16, 2022

Hornady Donations Surpass $1 Million To GRACE Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society

Hornady recently donated $75,237 to the GRACE Cancer Foundation in Grand Island, Neb., with a matching amount going to the American Cancer Society for a total donation of $150,474 split evenly between the two organizations.

Through this initiative, Hornady has now donated more than $1 million over the past several years through a joint contribution to the GRACE Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society.

“Each year, we are blown away by the generous donation given by Hornady,” said Sarah Koch, executive director of GRACE Cancer Foundation. “Through their generosity, we have been able to provide hope for over 200 patients this year, with over $209,000 in financial assistance. All of this would not be possible without their significant support and contribution.”

The donation was calculated using a portion of each box sold of Hornady Critical Defense Lite ammunition in 9mm and .38 Special. Critical Defense Lite features a pink bullet tip and pink ribbon packaging to help showcase the fight against cancer.

“The GRACE Cancer Foundation and American Cancer Society are two organizations we hold very dear to our hearts,” said Renae Waltemath, Hornady director of sales. “Both of these organizations positively impact the lives of cancer patients and their families each and every day; we are honored to support them.”

The GRACE Cancer Foundation assists cancer patients who live within 40 miles of Grand Island, Neb., or are being treated at the Grand Island or Hastings Cancer Centers. Help is available through several methods, such as gas cards, assistance with medical bills, household expenses and more.

The American Cancer Society’s mission is to free the world from cancer by funding and conducting research, sharing expert information, supporting patients and spreading the word about prevention.

For more info: hornady.com.

NSSF Releases New “Partner with a Payer” Videos

NSSF has added two new videos to its “Partner with a Payer” resource library highlighting the cooperative efforts of the firearm industry, state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to help sustain the nation’s natural resources.

Partner with a Payer is an initiative of USFWS. NSSF and industry companies participate in the program to strengthen ties between all excise tax-paying manufacturers — firearms and ammunition, archery equipment, marine and sportfishing equipment — and the state agencies that use these funds to conserve wildlife and habitat. These excise-tax dollars are placed in the federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Fund for annual distribution to the states.

The seventh video in the “Partner with a Payer” series features a tour of the Nosler Inc. Ammunition Facility and focuses on the Pacific Northwest Health Laboratories as an example of more than 35 research facilities across the country that monitor the health of all wildlife and develop responses to emerging diseases.

The eighth video in the series focuses on the Federal Premium Ammunition company, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Pittman-Robertson excise taxes that are applied to all sporting arms and ammunition in support of wildlife and habitat conservation.

Since 1937, when the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act was enacted (known as the Pittman-Robertson Act), the manufacturers of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment have paid more than $15.8 billion on their products for the benefit of wildlife conservation and restoration, hunter education and development of shooting ranges.

NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi said, “It is an incredible model of conservation funding that benefits all Americans, not just hunters and target shooters, and helps ensure sustainable wildlife and habitat for future generations. Our industry’s contributions to this program are something we’ve long been proud of, and we want the employees of companies and state agencies to be also, which is why we’re proud to be involved with the Partner with a Payer program.”

These latest videos and others in the series were produced by Shine United LLC / Kingdom Filmworks for NSSF through a Multistate Conservation Grant awarded by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For more info: nssf.org.

The IMPACT Experience Launches

IMPACT Experience, an event company catering to the shooting sports industry, has launched in partnership with FTW Ranch in Barksdale, Texas. IMPACT events are designed to be a stress-free experience for all levels of hunters preparing for their next adventure, or shooters simply wishing to sharpen their skills with guidance from some of the best instructors in the world.

The IMPACT Experience event is focused on making participants fully understand their rifle/optic, as well as how to make necessary in-field adjustments. Part of the IMPACT Experience is an offering of premier field-tested rifles and optics that are then “fit” to the participants who are guided through FTW’s SAAM Precision class by their instruction staff.

IMPACT Experience events are also keenly targeted to assisting companies within and outside of the hunting and shooting sports industry. Custom IMPACT “experiences” can be implemented to focus on new product launch events, staff training, team building, as well as valuable time with select key accounts and customers.

“Having spent over 30 years in the consumer goods industry, I realized a number of manufacturers did not recognize the value of a proper product launch strategy, impactful staff training or even creative ways of getting additional face time with key accounts and partners,” said Stephen Graham, owner and operator of IMPACT Experience.

FTW Ranch has 12,500 acres, consisting of 32 ranges and over 1,400 targets for instructors to create about any scenario for participants.

For more info: impact-experience.net.

STRYK Group USA, Angled Spade Technologies To Elevate Auto Mag's Business

STRYK Group USA and Angled Spade Technologies have been engaged by Auto Mag Ltd. Co. to take business to the “next level.” Auto Mag has joined the ranks of serious firearms contenders and exists to revitalize the American classic known as the .44 Auto Mag Pistol in a productive business environment.

The original design of Auto Mag’s .44 pistol dates back to 1968 and since then, gun aficionados have been patiently waiting to experience the thrill of owning and shooting this symbol of cinematic, firearm and literary history. In 2015, Auto Mag answered the call by obtaining exclusive rights to this iconic firearm, namesake and brand. Since then, Auto Mag has worked tirelessly, spending many years building upon its original design with many improvements along the way.

Under the terms of the agreements, Angled Spade Technologies will provide Auto Mag with the overall management of the company, engineering, new product development, supply chain management, demand sourcing to forecast, website management and systems integration and oversight of sales activities. STRYK Group will manage the sales program and implementation, market positioning and branding and day-to-day customer service support.

“For Auto Mag, this is an exciting time to revitalize and broaden the product offerings and release them to the market. As we’ve worked to ramp up production of the Auto Mag 180-D pistol, we’ve recognized that to truly do this project justice, we would need to involve world-class industry leaders from Angled Spade and STRYK Group to effectively meet the current market demands,” said Patrick Henry III of Auto Mag. “Like others in the industry, we’re well acquainted with the standout capabilities and results the teams at these two companies bring to the table.”

For more info: automag.com.

iAiming Enters North American Market

iAiming, a leader in smart thermal riflescopes and provider of First Shot – Auto Zero technology, announced it’s expanding into North America, with office headquarters based in Arlington, Texas.

The expansion will allow iAiming to better serve the needs of existing global clients with a presence in North America, as well as secure new clients and partnerships in the U.S. and Canada in an aggressive effort to become the worldwide leader in smart thermal riflescopes. Tom Weeks has been appointed VP of North American operations for Uniwin Smart Corporation, overseeing all aspects of the iAiming brand.

Initially, iAiming is introducing its three core products: iA-317, iA-617 and iA-612. All of the iAiming smart thermal riflescopes were designed and developed by Australian-based Uniwin Smart PTY LTD and feature a globally patented “First Shot – Auto Zero” feature throughout its entire product line. This feature is designed to provide an effective, automated sight-in process. iAiming’s artificial intelligence utilizes a single scroll knob to access the onboard menu system.

“We will use the new presence in the U.S. to better serve our existing global customers, whilst simultaneously securing new clients and partnerships and strengthening our foothold in the market for smart thermal scope technology,” Weeks said. “Our rapid growth in Australia, known for rigorous firearm regulations, has quickly enabled us to realize that the potential in North America with its 2A-friendly market is very promising.”

For more info: iaiming.com.