The glitz and glamour of SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas had left its mark on Brad Johnson, NIOA General Manager for Sporting, and yours truly, Matt Williamson, NIOA Group Marketing Manager. Amidst the bustling halls and energy, we continued to build on and develop valuable connections with over 40 major international suppliers, strengthening the partnerships that drive NIOA forward. Brands like Savage Arms, Ruger, Remington, Bushnell, Lapua, Federal, Leupold, CCI, Lyman, Allen, Marlin, and Springfield Armory showcased their latest offerings for the Australian firearms, ammo, optics and accessories market.

One of the biggest announcements at SHOT Show this year was the 100% purchase and NIOA Group acquisition of legendary US manufacturer, Barrett Firearms. Barrett are the ‘legends in long range’ and it was kind of a big deal for a humble Aussie company such as NIOA to make such an investment. So, even though there was much excitement in the NIOA camp with Barrett now on board, Brad and I were really looking forward to what was happening after SHOT Show.

As some of you may know, NIOA TV has been reaching the Australian sporting and outdoor market online for over a decade. Because of this, Savage Arms had graciously invited us to join them in Westfield, Massachusetts after SHOT Show, where we would have the chance to tour and film their factory, speak with the staff at Savage and build our very own rifles. We would then fly to the other side of the USA to Beaverton, Oregon where we would get the opportunity to tour the Leupold & Stevens riflescope factory. It was there we would choose and fit our scopes and be taken to the exclusive Leupold Academy range. Brad and I would then pit our rifle and scope builds against each other, to see who could shoot out the furthest and win ultimate bragging rights.