Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Airgun Shooter

How did you get started and why? Enfield Sports was started to cater for the trade and wholesale, but after feedback from the general public around the West Midlands we decided to open a retail outlet. The idea was to create a USA-style shooting superstore that is open seven days a week and a late night closing on a Thursday. What trends are you seeing in the airgun market? The trade sector is becoming more difficult due to all the negativity caused by the media. With the pound’s poor exchange rate, prices are becoming more expensive, so as a wholesaler we are doing our best to get the very best prices to offer the trade and our retail customers. Where do you see the market going? I’d like to see…

Rifles AIR ARMS S510 ULTIMATE SPORTER R WWW.AIR-ARMS.CO.UK It’s hard to improve on the original Ultimate Sporter when it comes to slick shooting and stock adjustment, but with the addition of a regulator, Air Arms has made a brilliant airgun even better. The original sidelever-driven multi-shot PCP was blisteringly accurate, but the Ultimate Sporter R takes it to another level. The ‘R’ may stand for ‘regulator’, but with an adjustable butt pad, cheekpiece and flawless metalwork, it could easily stand for ‘refinement’ too. BROCOCK COMPATTO SNIPER HR WWW.BROCOCK.CO.UK The Brocock Compatto Sniper HR is a compact PCP that delivers high-end performance at a competitive price – and that performance is assisted by the high-quality Huma regulator that sits inside. Shot-to-shot consistency has been enhanced, and shot count has also been…

A&M CUSTOM GUNSMITHS At 230mm long with a diameter of 37mm, the Marksman is the biggest silencer in the A&M Custom Gunsmiths range – and that makes it a great choice for larger rifles and higher velocities too if you’re shooting FAC air. If the Marksman is too much silencer for you, then take a look at the Twink. Although it’s smaller, it’s well-made and performs well too, and as with all the other products in the A&M moderator range, there’s a purposeful simplicity in its design. WWW.AMCUSTOMGUNSMITHS.COM HUGGETT ASTILLE Huggett Moderators has a reputation for style as well as substance, and aesthetically pleasing models such as the Belita have now been joined by arguably the most stylish of them all – the Astille. If its space age looks aren’t…

Late autumn and early winter really are the hunter’s months as far as I’m concerned. Not only is it a wonderful time of year to be out in the countryside, there is also some excellent sport to be had during this season of great opportunity. The potential for a red letter day at this time of year is down to several factors, and the main one is food. Wild animals, including most of the airgun quarry species, instinctively know that there are tough times ahead, so they will be making the most of their time by fattening up on the last of the autumn harvest and doing their best to cache away any surplus ready for winter. This means that pests such as grey squirrels will be spending a lot…

Over recent years, Brocock has earned a well-deserved reputation for making airguns that are tough and functional as well as accurate – guns that lend themselves brilliantly to the rigours of pest control. The new Concept Lite continues building on the British gunmaker’s reputation for practicality and brings even more adaptability to the mix. At just under a grand (the recommended retail price is £999) I would say that the Concept Lite sits at the higher end of the mid-market price bracket. It costs significantly more than your average pest-potting workhorse, but is still a lot less than a high-end supergun that you might be frightened to bash around on the farm or in the field. TAKING STOCK The Concept Lite most certainly is a tactical-looking gun, styled along similar…

I admit it. I’ve never been a fan of pointed pellets. This type of pellet was developed specifically for hunting, the idea being that the sharp point provides maximum penetration on small quarry. But I couldn’t see the point of them, if you’ll pardon the pun. Over the years, I’ve shot plenty of pointed pellets, but I always came to the same conclusion: while they may well have extra penetrative powers, they just weren’t very accurate, even at shorter distances. But the pointed pellets on test here, the aptly named QYS Pointed, have caused me to seriously rethink my ballistic bias against this type of projectile. Qiang Yuan Sports makes some excellent indoor match pellets and hybrid outdoor competition and hunting pellets, but the Pointed is the company’s only hunting-specific…

Devon-based Crackshot has put together an airgun package which is being raffled off for charity. One lucky person will end up with a totally unique air rifle package named and engraved ‘Crackshot 2020’, which is based on an Air Arms S400 with an adjustable stock that’s been paired with a Hawke Airmax 3-12x50 SF scope. For your chance to get your hands on the Crackshot 2020, the gun shop and range is selling tickets at £10 each. The draw will take place on Friday 7 February 2020, and all proceeds will be split between Devon Air Ambulance and Rowcroft Hospice. Special thanks go out to Air Arms, Hawke Sport Optics and Funky Dipz hydro-dipping for working together with Crackshot to create this fantastic package. To purchase tickets please visit the…

WEIGHT AND SEE! May I put forward my opinion on Neil Ballantyne’s ‘Weighty Matters’ in issue 127? I can see Neil’s dilemma over weighed pellets not being used, but I must say that I honestly agree with the editor’s decision to take his pellets straight from the tin for his pellet tests, as it is ultimately more representative of most shooters. In my opinion, I use my rifle for hunting and at times for target shooting, I see no real advantage over a pellet that has been weighed and one I have picked straight out of the tin, and I have done a few tests in the past at the range. When real problems begin, it’s mainly through a damaged head or skirt, and sometimes different lead can have an…

PNEUMATIC BALLISTICS If you want some extra ammo capacity for your multi-shot rifle then Pneumatic Ballistics could well have the solution you’re looking for. Among its many innovative products – it even makes its own PCP – you’ll find a range of aftermarket 10- and 20-shot double magazines designed for several different air rifles as well as a few exotic ones, like the now out-of-production Logun S-16. WWW.PNEUMATICBALLISTICS.COM ROWAN ENGINEERING ADJUSTABLE FOREND AND PALM SHELF Rowan produces a vast range of aftermarket parts to enhance both the function and form of numerous airguns, and one of Rowan’s most adaptable components is a forend mechanism and palm shelf for FT and other types of target rifle. It’s fully adjustable in height and angle to give optimum support. The locking tension can…

I hate to miss a shot. It bothers me far more than it should. There is a saying “a miss by an inch is a miss by a mile”. Over my years as a hunter, I have imbibed this as a core shooting philosophy, and so perhaps this is where my uncompromising attitude comes from. However, as a youngster terrorising tin cans with a cheap springer, I would often remark on a flyer, on how close it had been. As I out-grew Tin Can Alley and ventured out into the field on early hunting forays, I carried with me that sense that a near miss was somehow almost as good as a hit. That is until I got tired of seeing quarry scamper away unscathed and evermore wary. Gradually I…

STRUGGLING with a scope? Having hassles with your hunting? Well, don’t despair because you’ve arrived at the right place to discover remedies for your airgun anxieties! Whether you’re looking for a quick fix to a nagging problem or simply want advice on your next piece of gear, email us at airgunshooter@futurenet.com or write to us at the address below: one of our experts will soon get you on the right track! Airgun Shooter, Future Publishing, Units 1 & 2, Sugarbrook Court, Aston Road, Bromsgrove B60 3EX LOW ON AIR Q I’ve been a springer shooter all my life, but have finally caved in and bought a PCP. However, I’m a bit concerned about knowing if I’m running out of air. How can I tell when I’m starting to get low?…

Break down the types of shooting that can be done with an air rifle and you’ll end up with three main categories – target shooting, hunting and plinking – with a massive choice of rifles for each. But the lines between them are often blurred, with a good example of this being the Weihrauch HW98. This scope-only break-barrel springer is primarily geared towards target shooting, as it has an adjustable stock and heavy barrel, but as we’ll see here, the 98 can easily double up as a hunter and precision plinker too. STOCK There’s no doubt that gun fit is one of the most important elements to consider when buying a rifle. After all, if you can’t point the gun exactly where you want, you won’t have a great deal…

FOR SALE: MK 1 left-hand Weihrauch HW80 stock. Nice. Will fit any 80. £80. Walther .177 Varmint ambi thumbhole stock. Scope. Mint. £200. Gamo Swarm 10-shot with two mags and 3-9x50 scope and bag. Mint. £200. Tyrone Seagal (Shrewsbury). Tel: 017 4361 4551 FOR SALE: Diana 27 vintage 1934. Anschutz LU 250, needs breech seal. Comes with diopter sight. 1967. Good steelwork and stock. Original 50B. Rebuilt 1953. Open to offers or exchange for match pistol, eg Feinwerkbau 90. Manufacturing dates shown. FOR SALE: BSA 240 Magnum .177 calibre. Fitted case. Mint. £175. Derek Perkins (Nottingham). Tel: 011 5989 3639 FOR SALE: Air Arms S410 Carbine .177 with Forest Green stock. £600. Zbroia Kozak bullpup .177. £500. Both guns are in excellent condition. Buy both for £1,000 and I will…

For some airgun shooters, a custom stock is a must-have item, helping enhance the fit of a rifle and increasing both their accuracy potential and enjoyment of the gun. But there are plenty of other shooters who choose to swap a stock simply because they want to personalise it and make it more aesthetically pleasing to their eye. Both are perfectly valid reasons for seeking out a new handle for your favourite airgun, and one company that makes these custom items is Form Rifle Stocks. Form produces a range of laminate wood stocks that are created by mixing high-tech CAD and CNC technology with old-school hand sanding to ensure a perfect finish. One of the stocks produced by the Devon-based firm is the Cromwell, which features a naturally high sweeping…

British airgun shooters have won three gold medals, set a world record and secured two places at the 2020 Paralympic Games following their strong performances at the World Shooting Para Sport Championships in Sydney. Issy Bailey secured a quota place at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics with a score of 551-10x in Women’s 10M Air Pistol SH1, while Lorraine Lambert won the other quota place in 3 Position Rifle. Both athletes have previously featured in this magazine. And the Team gold went to last month’s In The Crosshairs interviewee, Tim Jeffery, along with James Bevis and Ryan Cockbill, who featured in issue 108. But the standout performance of the Sydney championships came from double world champion Matt Skelhon, who took gold in the 50M SH1 with a world record score of…

BIG-BORE AIRGUNS Our goal as hunters is to make sure that our quarry do not suffer. This translates to dispatching prey with, ideally, a single shot. There is a growing move within our discipline to more powerful and higher calibre airguns. In the US where everything is big, large-bore airguns are all the rage: .177 has virtually disappeared, and .30, .45 and .50 calibre guns are becoming more common. Some states do not allow airgun hunting. Kentucky does not allow hunting with anything greater than .25 calibre. Missouri allows airgun deer hunting as long as it is done with .40 calibre or higher. Arizona allows hunting of large game species too; whitetail and mule deer, pronghorn, javelina, bear and mountain lion can now be taken with PCP air rifles of…

FIREBIRD TARGETS Firebird Targets leave you in no doubt that you hit the mark, as these 40mm discs let off a fearsome flash when hit. Each pack includes a circular holder to be screwed or nailed into a suitable backstop. The target discs then simply snap in place. BISLEY-UK.COM FIRECAP TARGETS This 30mm target features a hinged cover that’s held in place by a strong magnet. This hides a cavity into which a ring of caps is placed. A solid strike to the cover sets off the caps, delivering an impressive bang and flash. FIRECAPTARGETS.CO.UK REFLEX TARGETS DUAL 2 PARTY POPPER Screw the Dual 2 to a post, then load a couple of party poppers into the holes at the top and secure the pull strings to the top of…

The damage caused by pest birds to agricultural crops can have a huge impact on food production and farmers’ livelihoods. A few dozen birds can quickly munch their way through a lot of seed, and flocks can soon spiral into the hundreds when passing pigeons and corvids home in on an easy feeding opportunity. Farmers do their best to keep ravenous birds at bay by using scarecrows, flags and bangers, but these methods have limited effect, as was proven when key general licences were revoked earlier this year. Birds soon learn to ignore these scaring techniques, and even when they are effective they only push the problem on to another place. More often than not, shooting is the best method. I’m helping a farmer with crop protection today. The field…

The manufacture of precharged pneumatic target-specific rifles is now widespread, with many models being manufactured in other areas of Europe and the United States. Let us not forget, however, our own British manufacturers such as Air Arms who have also played a large part in helping to develop mega-accurate rifles that provide us, the buying public, with such a vast choice for the shooter wishing to purchase a genuine ‘target’ rifle. The target rifle will usually, if purchased from Europe, be set up to deliver sufficient energy to cope with the reduced power levels required by 10 Metre target shooters. Some manufacturers, such as Steyr Sport, do offer their target rifles with power levels just below our own legal limit, with these guns being used by shooters globally to compete…

Those of us who have been shooting a long time often take for granted that we are holding our crosshairs nice and level when we take a shot. What I mean by ‘level’ is that our sights are level at ninety degrees to the horizontal plane for the vertical line in our scope image, which should also be at a perfect right angle to our gun’s action. This is often easier said than done to achieve. I have lost count of the number of shooters whose scopes I have looked through to discover that their crosshairs are far from a perfect ninety degrees, usually with a slight incline to the vertical post of the reticle depending upon whether they are left- or right-handed. So why is this such an important…

Huggett moderators have a reputation for being solidly built and near-silent in use, as well as being aesthetically bold and beautiful. The company has taken that reputation to dizzying new heights with its latest model, the uniquely shaped Astille. Previous models such as the Belita and Snipe feature an anodised coating along with a number of exhaust ports in either a swirl or vertical pattern. The Astille offers these features too, but the first thing most shooters will notice is its shape, closely resembling a boat-tail bullet. According to Huggett, the Astille’s radical lines aren’t just there for show, because the company believes the conical shape of the unit and its internal geometry offer natural noise suppression properties, making this moderator its most efficient to date. Huggett also reckons it…

I was blessed to grow up in rural Yorkshire at a time when every boy in our village, bar one poor soul, had an air rifle of one kind or another. My first was a Diana Model 16. Its unrifled barrel liked only Lane’s Hollow Slugs, which on bad days flew with a strange corkscrew motion. Diana, the company and the name, have travelled far since then. Diana’s first PCP rifle, the P1000, appeared seven or eight years back, and was described by some as resembling an over/under shotgun. I picture it as more akin to a superposed double rifle. The two-piece stock and the overall configuration bring to mind a Battue style break-open centrefire rifle, of the type used for European driven hunt shooting, having a simple elegance unspoilt…