PRESS RELEASE
Ankeny, IA (October 12, 2022) –The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), have chosen the top three products in six categories including Best New Rifle, Best New Handgun, Best New Shotgun, Best New Ammunition, Best New Optic, and Best New Accessory. An independent panel of 18 industry judges, comprised of NASGW members and POMA members, selected the finalists in each category. In order to qualify, manufacturers needed to be a NASGW member in good standing and the product must have been publicly released after November 1st, 2021.
"Each year I get excited to see all the new products submitted for the Caliber Awards," said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. "There were so many innovative products to choose from and we have another lineup of outstanding finalists. It truly is an honor just to be a finalist for the Caliber Awards."
The Caliber Awards offer a unique, unbiased approach to recognizing and honoring new innovative products. The voting panel is comprised of the people who buy and sell these products on a daily basis as well as the media members who review and report on these products in the field.
"The process for choosing the Caliber Award finalists and winners is truly unique," said POMA Executive Director Thomas MacAulay. "The finalists have been narrowed down by professionals who are very familiar with the latest and greatest in this industry. So it really is the best of the best."
This year's submissions were the most on record with over 160 submissions, narrowed down by the panel to three finalists in each category. Judges were asked to consider the uniqueness, market need, value of the product, ingenuity, and presentation. The finalists for this year’s Caliber Awards are:
Best New Accessory
- American Outdoor Brands - Caldwell Claymore Target Thrower
- Shield Arms - Z9 Magazine
- ZeroBlindSpot - 0BS-1
Best New Optic
- Holosun Technologies - EPS Carry
- Leupold & Stevens - Patrol 6HD Riflescope
- Sig Sauer - ROMEO Zero Elite
Best New Ammunition
- Hornady - Outfitter®
- Weatherby - 338 WBY RPM
- Winchester - 6.8 Western Copper Impact
Best New Handgun
- Colt - Colt 3" Python
- SIG SAUER - P365-XMACRO
- Walther - Walther WMP
Best New Rifle
- Christensen Arms - Ridgeline FFT
- SIG SAUER - MCX-SPEAR LT
- Trailblazer Firearms - Pivot™ Ultracompact Folding Rifle
Best New Shotgun
- Beretta - A400 Xcel Sporting Semi-Auto Shotgun
- Mossberg - 940 Pro Turkey Optic-Ready Autoloading Shotguns
- TriStar Arms - LR 94
Winners for the NASGW-POMA Caliber Awards will be announced on October 25th at the annual NASGW Appreciation dinner to kickoff the NASGW Expo in Kansas City, MO.
About NASGW
The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers is comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, independent sales reps, media and service providers - both national and international - all of whom are primarily focused on shooting sports equipment and accessories. As a trade association representing the business interests of its members, NASGW’s mission is to bring shooting sports buyers and sellers together. For more information about the NASGW, visit the association’s website at www.nasgw.org.
About POMA
POMA continues to uphold its tradition of promoting excellence in communications at all levels. This includes connecting the companies and organizations whose focus is the outdoor industry with the content creators who can help tell their stories and promote their products.
For More Information Please Contact:
Gregg Alexander
National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers
galexander@nasgw.org