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I did not get to the Shooting show as life and work conspired against me so what did I miss? What were the bargains, worthy mentions and notable people and products?

I didnt buy much but here are some shout outs for good customer service and relations:

Got fitted for a pair of CF Duo in ear protection by Custom Fit Guards. Very quick and easy to get the molds done, cant wait to see how they perform after the positive reviews I've seen.

Premier Guns from Doveridge shooting ground and Ladds guns from Crediton. Guys on both of these stands took the time to help me with getting the right clay gun for my 10 year old even though I wasn't in a position to purchase on the day. Both were really good with my son, checking fit, advising on calibre, etc, and good with me in terms of what and when to buy to avoid unnecessary spending.

A and A Gunsmiths. Had a great chat about cowboy action shooting and what kit to get when my ticket finally arrives. Also got an invitation to head over to their events at North Cotes Butts. Really friendly guys and one of the people I was with got a great deal on some .357 bullets.

Air Arms Air Gun Experience. All the people who gave their time to showcase their disciplines were great. Me and my son had a lot of fun trying out them out.

It was my first time at the show and I really enjoyed it. We arrived a bit late in the morning so we didnt get round as much as I would have liked. From what people have said about previous shows the size seems to be a bit bigger so the early finish time meant we were rushing around at the end.

I had a good look at the Aimpoint range and a very useful chat with their rep, most impressed with their 34mm tubed sight. Likewise with the Leica rep when I fell in love with their ER5 1-5x24 scope.
I also had a look at the new Mauser M18 which appears to be a reasonable rifle for the money, but only reasonable, nothing more nothing less. It can't say that it really impressed me.

The Chapuis Rols looked interesting. Definitely aimed as a direct alternative to the R8 Blaser. Probably too late entering the market to be a serious challenger as the R8 is now so well established but quite liked it being a bit of a Chapuis fan.

Some interesting quad sticks of German manufacture caught my eye and the stallholder was only too willing to demonstrate them. Those in the market for Viperflex would be well advised to consider these as alternatives. Lovely chap who was very enthusiastic about the product that he was selling but at nearly £300 I can't see me replacing my Seeland Decoy sticks with them anytime soon.

As usual I pressed my nose against the display cases of Rigby and Westley Richards drooling over their works of art. Rather than just send me packing as my pockets certainly don't run to purchasing any of their works of gunsmithing art the reps encouraged my daydreams as the true professionals that they are. In fact what struck me yesterday was just how very polite and helpful everyone I spoke to was. It made for a very pleasant day and quite a change from many of the miserable swindling old gits that you often encounter at game fairs and gun shows.

It's going to cost me £30,000 less trade in & BASC discount
Had a really good look at the 2018 Isuzu Huntsman & am struggling to find a reason not to buy one.
I've also come away with a stack of catalogues & information to read through on everything from scopes to double rifles.