Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i Airgun Shooter

POINTING THE WAY The Streamlight WayPoint Spotlight is a great tool for the nocturnal airgun hunter, as it can be used to scan wide areas. It’s useful at your car when prepping gear, or after the hunt when packing away and paunching rabbits with an integrated stand to illuminate your work area. The WayPoint is a pistol-grip spotlight operated by a trigger with three different lighting modes, including an emergency signal mode. It’s powered by 4 C-sized alkaline batteries, and comes with a 12V power cord. The batteries will give you an expected run time of 10 hours on full power (550 lumens), or 82 hours in low intensity mode (40 lumens). The WayPoint has an RRP of £84. For more details visit www.streamlight.com. RAM IN SOME DRY AIR PCPs…

I admit it: I’m not a morning person. This means most of my hunting is done in the evenings. I love walking the fields or lying up in the sunshine on a summer’s evening and watching the wildlife almost as much as I enjoy the actual hunting. Seeing buzzards soaring high on the thermals or stumbling on a deer fawn hunkered down can be magical. However, that all changes at this time of year when night falls so much sooner. I used to lamp, but I’m now a total convert to NV. Rabbits can soon wise-up and become lamp-shy, but I’ve not seen any animal react to the NV. In some ways it feels like cheating, but it also gives you time to get set up correctly for the most…

The study is part of a review that is being led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which said any new licensing system must be “robust, striking the right balance between the protection of wild birds and the activities people such as landowners and farmers need to carry out for specific purposes, such as protecting livestock or crops or for conservation purposes”. The review was announced earlier this year when Defra issued three new short-term licences, under which the collared dove can no longer be controlled. The survey is asking for specific information about how shooters believe they should be able to manage wild birds, and their views will be used to help develop the future licensing system. Organisations including BASC and the Countryside Alliance want shooters…

Almost 60 shooters have taken part in the highlight of the Northern Monkey HFT season – the Andrew Luckley Memorial Shoot, which is now in its third year. Named after said shooter, this is an event the group were asked to revitalise after the demise of the only HFT/FT club in the region some years before. THE LOWDOWN As well as having the usual HFT classes, a handicap system was in place to enable the normally lower-scoring classes to compete for the overall Memorial Shield as well. Shooters in the Recoiling, .22 and Junior classes received bonus points to be added to their final scores. One feature that NMHFT incorporate into the shoot is a sponsored lane number. Companies or individuals can sponsor a target, and their chosen logo or…

The ground I’m shooting over tonight is a mixed farm comprising several hundred acres of cattle grazing, cereal crops and pony paddocks. Rabbits are causing serious problems here, not just by munching through the grassland and cereal crops, but also through their burrowing; the field margins are littered with holes which pose a serious danger to livestock and could result in a broken leg. This extensive farm is one of my regular haunts, and I have driven the rabbit population down to an acceptable level over recent years. Numbers of these rapid-breeding rodents can quickly spiral though, so their control is a year-round job. The shortening days mean that it’s harder to fit in regular daylight sessions at this time of year, but I’m getting around that by venturing out…

The fells, hills and ancient woodlands of the Lake District have long been the source of romantic literature and poetry, and are still host to many a mythical and ghostly tale. In the autumn, the crisp sunshine reveals a riot of colour to stimulate the senses and feed the soul of the countryman in all of us. If you could put it in a bottle and sell it, you’d be a wealthy man. However, the woodlands of this glorious region hide an ongoing struggle and represent something of a battleground for an unwelcome invasion. The non-native grey squirrel arrived in Lakeland around the early 1990s, and now has a stronghold throughout the region. This is particularly worrying, as in addition to the known problems grey squirrels cause to our woodlands,…

I remember reading Mat Manning’s review of the Airgun Technology Vulcan 2 semi-bullpup rifle in issue 117 of our magazine, and wondering if this gun would be capable of producing target-standard accuracy. Mat certainly seemed impressed with the gun’s ability to drop individual pellets on top of one another at 30 metres. For those of us more used to traditional target rifles that in most cases morphed from German 10 Metre guns, the thought of using a different configuration often leads to negative thoughts, as the bullpup layout does appear alien to those of us used to long guns with a traditional layout. Just because a gun does not resemble what we would normally associate with either indoor or outdoor target shooting, it does not mean that its different stock…

It’s that time of the year when the leaves are falling and so too are temperatures. Stalking lush hedgerows looking for the tips of rabbits’ ears on balmy summer evenings are but distant memories. So it’s time to get out the night vision kit. Nothing beats shooting in the dead of night. The intimate darkness somehow makes me stealthier – at least I like to think so, as if some ancient instinct kicks in when night falls. For sure, rabbits and rats are bolder at night, and although they remain wary of predators, probably more so than in daylight, the cover of darkness works in our favour too. For a long time, we relied on lamping equipment, and indeed the technique still has its followers. However in recent years infrared…

What are they? Pellet containers such as the Match Box from H&N are intended to be used by indoor target shooters to transport and protect their projectiles en route to the range, then make them easy to pick up and load into their airgun when shooting is underway. What are the benefits? Fumbling around in a tin is never a good idea when you’re under pressure. Having your ammo neatly laid out before you means you’ll be able to focus on your shooting, and not have to worry about that pellet that just rolled off the bench. And while the box is meant to be used indoors, it can be useful outdoors too, as long as it’s kept upright. How do you use them? This particular item features two yellow…

You’re going hunting with your air rifle. Do you expect to be taking nice, stable shots off a bipod, or are you more likely to be taking supported shots off a fencepost or gate where a bipod might get in the way? What if you’re prepared for one type of shot, but your quarry has other ideas and you’re forced to take the other? Enter the Javelin Lite from Spartan Precision Equipment. “THE JAVELIN LITE SNAPS INTO PLACE IN A COUPLE OF SECONDS” I know plenty of airgun hunters, me included, who will attach a bipod to their PCP before heading into the field, after which it’ll stay put for the whole session, even if no shots actually end up being taken prone. Apart from the unnecessary bulk and weight…

Huggett Moderators is a company that has a well-deserved reputation for building products with plenty of style as well as substance, and aesthetically pleasing models such as the Snipe, Belita and Atom have now been joined by arguably the most stylish of them all – the Astille. Mimicking the roundly tapered part of a bullet called the ogive, the Astille’s radical lines capitalise on the natural noise suppression properties that are produced by its conical shape. The Astille is calibre-specific, and the company reckons it can even improve the accuracy of some rifles – that’s a claim we’ll be putting to the test very soon. The Astille’s modular format consists of a universal base with female thread, the main silencing chamber, an optional extension module that fits between the base…

Television presenter and marathon runner Lowri Morgan has taken silver after her first Target Sprint event. She said: “I’ve done many, many sports and activities in my career where my family haven’t been able to watch or support me, but I couldn’t keep them away from coming to Target Sprint!” Target Sprint Cymru and Llandovery College played host to the Super League and Open Welsh Championship races, where gold medals went to Arno Turner in the Junior Men category and Emily Shawyer in Junior Women. Erwin Webber and Kirstin Littlewood picked up golds in the Senior Men and Women categories. This year’s Welsh Confined Champions were Emily Shawyer and Harrison Pepper in the Junior categories, with Kirstin Littlewood and Paul O’Callaghan taking gold in the Seniors. British Shooting chairman John…

Neil Davis has emerged victorious after battling through four closely contested rounds at Reading Air Target Shooting (RATS) club and dropping only seven points from a possible 400. The RATS shoot was part of a series of club competitions that are being supported by BSA Guns, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and Airgun Shooter magazine. The Grazeley Green-based club held its competition between March and September, inviting members to submit four cards shot over a distance of 30 metres. Neil’s impressive 393 from 400 points narrowly pipped Airgun Shooter’s very own Richard Saunders (390) and Lee Sweetzer (389), winning him a BSA gun bag and a 12-month subscription to Airgun Shooter magazine. In addition, along with winners from other competitions up and down the country, he will…

Veteran airgunners prepare to be appalled, but I confess I can’t remember the make or model of my first air rifle. Or my second for that matter. I know, shocking stuff. And there’s worse to come. Gun number one was constantly at my side throughout my teens. It was a pretty ordinary, secondhand, break-barrel springer, but the two of us could devour a tin of .22 pellets in a single plinking binge. I have clear memories of the various nefarious acts we got up to together, including accidentally shooting my dog (he was fine and surprisingly forgiving). I can remember what the rifle looked like, how it smelt, how it felt in my hands and in the shoulder. I even have perfect recoil-recall. I must have known at the time,…

So here is part two of my Quest for Slugs. Sounds like a film, but not a good one! So did I actually find one that works? Was this a total waste of time? How much did I need to clean my gun? But before getting into all that, I had to gather some slugs to test and that meant waiting. After lots and lots of time spent waiting for as many slugs as I could muster, supplies eventually arrived from abroad and it was finally time to put them to the test. But were there any more? Now – and this was very, very lucky – I had to buy some .22 LR bullets, and just my luck my local shop had none in stock. I needed them ASAP,…

For those of us who have been around guns for a long time, safety is something we take for granted most of the time. What I mean by this is that for those of us possessing experience, we automatically and without thinking are always aware of whereabouts our barrels are pointing, making sure that the gun is always positioned in a safe direction. This ‘barrel awareness’ is learned until it becomes second nature and we subconsciously point the gun in a safe direction at all times. In addition, we also learn that we double-check to make sure that a gun is unloaded when stored, and that any magazine system is also away from the gun. Personally, following a physical check that any of my guns are ready for safe storage,…

With days getting shorter, work and other commitments mean that daylight shooting sessions are harder to fit in and are over all too soon. An investment in night vision equipment means that when the sun goes down, the fun doesn’t have to stop. Digital day/night scopes offer the best of both worlds. Not so long ago they were a significant compromise compared with a good quality glass scope. Today, while you’ll still notice the difference, the gap is increasingly small, and at airgun ranges in particular, digital products like those on test here are more than capable during daylight. Although they can be used on small calibre rimfire rifles as well, camera and screen products are perfect for PCP air rifles thanks to the lack of recoil and the heads-up…

There seems to be no end to the insatiable hunger for bullpup airguns, and now Weihrauch has stirred up the feeding frenzy with a stubby  version of its super-successful HW100. The release of any new offering from the prestigious German gunmaker can be relied upon to make a few ripples, but the reaction to this one has caused more of a tsunami than a splash. Weihrauch doesn’t like to do things in a hurry, and its airguns tend to be all the better for it. The firm was late to arrive at the PCP party, but still managed to steal the show when it eventually rocked up, and has been even slower to jump on the bullpup bandwagon. Once again though, it seems like Weihrauch has been sitting back and…

The Bisley Magnum is an airgun stalwart that’s been around for what seems like forever. When talking to a few fellow airgun shooters over the test period, it became apparent that most of them had shot the Bisley Magnum at some point, and all of them had heard of it. One of my favourite hunting rifles, which I foolishly sold more than a decade ago, took more than its fair share of rabbits with this pellet. So what made it so good – and can it still cut it? This pellet is made for Bisley by H&N, and is available in both .177, as seen here, and .22, with the smaller calibre being offered in three different head sizes – these being 4.50mm, 4.51mm and 4.52mm. It’s described as being…

Mention ‘CO2’, and most people will think of pistols. Mention ‘rifle’ and many shooters will conjure up an image of a PCP or a springer. But Umarex gives us a gentle reminder that there is another option – the CO2 rifle – with its latest example, the 850 M2 Empire Kit. This particular bolt-action multi-shot is driven by an 88 gram CO2 canister, and this powerplant offers many of the benefits of a PCP – low recoil, low noise and a decent shot count – with a readily available power supply that doesn’t require the use of a pump or a trip to the dive shop to refill. Just add one of these gas canisters and the M2 is ready to go out of the box, as the comprehensive Empire…

Traction, stability and comfort are the Holy Trinity of desirable features for any outdoor boot, and they’re put further to the test when you throw in slippery, uneven or muddy ground. But according to outdoor bootmaker Ariat, tough terrain will be no match for the Conquest Explore 8” boots – and having carried out some initial testing first-hand, we’re inclined to agree. These boots have rugged waterproof full-grain leather uppers in addition to a shock-absorbing EVA midsole and a Duratread outsole, all protected by a high rubber rand. They’re breathable, thanks to their Gore-Tex membrane construction, and feature Thinsulate insulation to keep the feet warm, but without overheating. Being a high boot, they also excel at keeping mud and crud where it belongs – under your boots, not inside them.…

If you’re interested in any form of target shooting from airguns to .50 calibre long-range precision shooting, then The Target Shooting Show is for you. The show will promote, support and showcase all UK target shooting sports including Field Target, Hunter Field Target, Gallery, Small Bore Rifle, CSR, F Class, Benchrest, Long Range Precision, Target Pistol, Practical and Black Powder. Five live fire ranges will be in operation, including Air Rifle, Bell Target, Action Air and .22 LR. Naturally there is a huge crossover between hunters and target shooters in terms of some of the guns, equipment and accessories that we use. More than 70 distributors and retailers have signed up so far, bringing with them a huge amount of guns, optics, clothing and accessories, so there will be plenty…

How did you get started and why? Just Air Guns was a natural progression from our main business. Just BB Guns is now over 10 years old, and many of our customers who were airsoft plinkers wanted to follow the more powerful and considerably more accurate airgun approach to shooting. What trends are you seeing in the airgun market? More tactical-looking guns with magazines and less demand for single load and shoot rifles and pistols. Dual calibre pistols are also very big right now, with replicas from Glock and Colt. Also rifle sets from most of the big brands that save the customer cash. Where does your own passion come from? From a very early age I was gun mad. My father had a very old and very small wood…

Voting is now underway for the second Great British Shooting Awards, and you can vote for the winners across a wide range of categories spanning every corner of the shooting industry. The aim of the awards is to give recognition to the products, organisations and people that make our industry tick. As well as rewarding the industry’s best airguns, optics, rifles, shotguns, clothing and innovative technology, dedicated categories showcase the achievements of the people who’ve really had a positive effect on the industry, whether in the fields of retail, gamekeeping or conservation. Now in their second year, the awards have grown to include several new categories, including one specifically for optics with a price tag under £1,000 – something airgun shooters will be more than familiar with. The familiar Airgun…

Many shooters will tell you that they never clean the barrels of their airguns – and that goes for a lot of rimfire shooters too. As a lead projectile is fired down the bore, be it a pellet, slug or bullet, it will deposit a thin layer of lead over the lands and grooves of the rifling. This will help level out and smooth the contact surfaces, filling any microscopic fissures and minimising friction. But while all this is a good thing, that layer of lead will continue to build with each shot that’s taken, and when it gets too thick, accuracy will eventually suffer. When you notice your rifle isn’t shooting quite as well as expected, cleaning the bore and re-leading the barrel is all that’s usually needed to…

A reader recently contacted our editor Mike requesting that I try to compare classic airguns with today’s all-singing and dancing target rifles. In addition, the reader also suggested that it would be a good experiment to see how regular target shooters would progress using equipment that they did not use on a regular basis. This would be fine for an informal shoot, but serious target shooters would not be happy using a gun and scope combination with which they were not totally familiar. A classic target rifle for outdoor airgun competition, and one which won many trophies in its time, was the famous Sportsmatch GC2. Revered in many target shooters’ memories, it was one of the first regulated hand-built guns that allowed shooters with the necessary talent to reach formerly…

I’m a reasonably experienced airgun hunter, which is another way of saying that I am getting on a bit, but every now and then a challenge comes along that requires a little extra thought. I live for those days. One of my permissions is a small stable block run by a charity that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes abandoned horses and ponies. Rats are never far away from the horse stalls, but what they really liked was the chicken run across the yard. A small stream behind the run acts like a roadway for the vermin who enjoy nothing more than to dine out on the chicken feed of an evening. I have shot hundreds using night vision equipment, picking my way through a maze of chicken wire and electric fence…

It’s no secret that competition shooters will perform at their best when their gun has been properly set up for their chosen activity – and for someone who shoots different types of target discipline, that can often mean having more than one rifle. The BSA Silver Star is a target rifle that can certainly be configured to shoot one specific way, but it can easily be adjusted to tackle a totally different type of competition as well. In order to achieve this, it’s been made available in two formats, six foot pounds and 12 foot pounds, both offering different sighting options and both versions costing £699. The rifle on test here is the six foot pound model, which comes with diopter sights, while the 12 foot pound variant is intended…

The Feinwerkbau 300s is often considered the pinnacle in spring match rifles. The anti-recoil sledge system had already been proven on the FWB 150, the predecessor of the 300s, and it was retained for what was to become one of the most successful spring target rifles in history. Feinwerkbau was set up in 1949 by two former Mauser employees, Karl Westinger and Ernst Altenburger, but due to the post-war sanctions they applied their skills to other precision engineering until 1958, when they started work on their first recoilless target rifle, the 150. The 300s was launched to critical acclaim in 1969 and was advertised as being guaranteed for one million shots. The fact that the 300s remained in production until 1996 is testament to that original design. The 300s is…