Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Airgun Shooter

Boots are probably the most important item of clothing a shooter can own, and if strength, durability and comfort are what you’re looking for, then the Forces X ALP MTN GTX from Salomon should have you covered. These boots were designed for hunting in winter conditions in the mountains, making them tough enough for the most demanding shooter. The sole is stiff and supple in all the relevant places, and there’s a waterproof Gore-Tex membrane, making the boots suitable for temperatures as low as minus 12°C. Forces X boots are available in UK sizes 6.5 to 12.5. They have a recommended retail price of £217.95 and can be purchased from Edgar Brothers Online by visiting https://online.edgarbrothers.com…

The Air Rover is the latest addition to AirForceOne’s range of PCP airgun compressors and comes packed with features while remaining small enough to be carried to the club, the range or even to the field. It weighs 7.3kg, measures 305mm x 225mm x 150mm and can be powered from any 240v UK mains outlet using the UK-spec power cord that’s included. But the Air Rover can also operate from a 12v car battery using the jump leads that are also supplied, which could prove to be a lifesaver. It uses a Dri-Pak filtration system, housed in a brass filter tube, which should remove at least 95% of the moisture from the air, protecting your airgun from possible corrosion. The automatic shut-off allows you to set the compressor to the…

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation has welcomed the government’s decision not to license airguns in England and Wales, saying it would have been unworkable. The proposal had been mooted amid a Home Office firearms safety consultation dealing with airguns, miniature rifle ranges, large-calibre rifles and the components used to make live-fire ammunition. But while the idea of licensing is off the table for now, BASC is still gearing up to respond to ensure the future of sustainable shooting and firearms ownership. The consultation is asking for responses on the possession of airguns by people aged under 18, as well as on the secure storage and safe-keeping of airguns. At the moment, young people aged 14 to 17 can shoot an airgun without adult supervision on land where they…

LETTER OF THE MONTH AGE BEFORE BEAUTY I was reading with interest Phil Siddell’s ‘Lethal Patterns’ article and picked up some very useful tips, which I will put into practice after lockdown. In particular his advice on the behaviour of male and female rabbits, helping to identify a buck or doe depending upon their actions. It did make me think however I must have a maverick family on my permission. This is because, without fail, the youngsters get out of bed first, followed by the parents 10 minutes or so later. Perhaps their rationale is to send the kids out to check the coast is clear, if not we can always have a few more! Joking apart I’m sure I’m not the only reader who is benefiting from these tips,…

Roost shooting is a wonderful way to target woodpigeons during the colder months. It doesn’t require any of the cumbersome gear necessitated by decoying, yet can still yield some impressive bags if you get it right. Most people associate roost shooting with shotguns, and I often reach for the 12-bore when the wind is whipping through the woods and it’s simply too blustery to shoot accurately with an airgun. But in windless conditions the loud bang of a shotgun can spook incoming birds – this is the time when an airgun can really shine. Fitted with a decent moderator, modern airguns are almost silent so it’s possible to pick off pigeons with minimal disturbance. The lack of noise means that approaching birds are not discouraged as they home in on…

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If you are new to the wonderful world of airgun sports then you’ll want to get in as much practice as possible in order to become really proficient with your new purchase. But it’s important to realise that airguns, whether sub-12 foot pound rifles or lesser-powered pistols, are certainly not toys. Given the correct angle and a good tailwind, an air rifle pellet can travel 400 yards or so. And the air pistol, even at the more modest six foot pounds of maximum muzzle energy, can have a range of 350 yards. When I was younger and more prone to demonstrating my prowess (showing off), I used to sit tin cans out at longer plinking ranges and proceed to hit more cans than my rifle-equipped competitors (shades of Clint Eastwood…

Few companies have been making spring rifles longer than BSA. There may have been a change in ownership, but every time I open the box on a new BSA I am somehow reassured to know it is the product of nearly 120 years of airgun making know-how. There’s a simplistic beauty to the Supersport SE and the slim beech wood stock, especially around the forend, reminds me of the HW99, a rifle we unfortunately could not include in our round-up this time due to a lack of availability. Stylish chequering gives plenty of grip and the steep rake of the pistol grip complete with a thumb shelf adds to the rifle’s elegant lines. The butt is slightly biased towards right-handed shooters, although lefties will be able to shoulder the Supersport…

Of course it’s a bit of a generalisation, but Turkish air rifles are some of the finest-looking around. However, it’s also true to say that some flatter to deceive, and are a bit of a disappointment when you pull the trigger. It’s also true to say that Hatsan’s Striker 1000X is not one of them. This is a fine looking sporter. The ambidextrous stock is made from beech and is beautifully proportioned. Generous patches of well-finished chequering either side of the forend, as well as the pistol grip, would flatter rifles costing much more, as would touches including the ventilated recoil pad that is set off with black and white spacers. At 1,115mm long and less than 3kg, the Striker 1000X is full size, but not at all bulky. The…

We may have been enduring the frustration of lockdown, but squirrels on one of my woodland permissions have been having a whale of a time. The trees, which are grown for their lumber value, cover several hundreds of acres in Oxfordshire. The battle with the grey pests is relentless. By stripping bark, they kill young trees and scar the wood, costing the owners many thousands of pounds each year. That’s bad enough, but their presence is devastating for the indigenous woodland creatures as well. Not only do grey squirrels predate on bird eggs and chicks, they also eat much of the natural food before it is ripe. Field mice and dormice, for example, rely on hazelnuts only to find them all gone when they emerge from hibernation. “THE SQUIRRELS ARE…

Airgun shooters wanting a new look for their cherished rifle or pistol have long been able to choose between hydro-dipping or a sprayed-on coating such as Cerakote, but US firm GunSkins has come up with a system of vinyl wraps that can be applied at home. The system uses sets of pre-cut vinyl templates, providing an affordable aftermarket finish for your guns and gear. There’s a huge range of designs from which to choose, including practical camo schemes as well as some purely aesthetic designs such as Marvel’s The Punisher. We’ve been sent a set to fit on an Umarex Glock 17 and we’ll report back on how we got on. In the meantime, visit www.gunskins.com for more details.…

Winter’s now here, and I can appreciate how for many shooters the thought of sitting in a damp hedgerow, trampling across waterlogged fields or through boggy woods may not be all that appealing, but nevertheless there’s some great shooting to be had at this time of year. There’s also an expression that says “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”. With this in mind, I needed to find some decent clothing that would let me carry on with my sport, and my search began with boots. There is nothing worse than having damp, cold feet, as in my opinion it ruins a day’s shooting. Having a look around from the low to high end of the price scale, I thought I would pitch my fork in the…

The Shooting Party are well known for selling some great kit, and their latest PCP offering certainly maintains that theme. The distinctively styled multi-shot Lee Enfield Sentry boasts some impressive features, making it a very appealing passport to recoil-free airgunning. This rifle certainly has its own look, with styling that bridges the gap between sporter and tactical, and measuring 103cm and with a 36cm length of pull, it’s an airgun for adult-sized shooters. With optics mounted, the point of balance falls roughly 10cm in front of the trigger, which feels about right once you have it shouldered, making the Sentry a nice gun to shoot from a variety of stances. It comes supplied with two magazines and a single-shot tray. The magazine holds nine shots in .177 calibre and eight…

Although they are part of the same family, the HPA Tactical couldn’t be more different from the Supersport SE. While the BSA is designed as a traditional sporting rifle, the Gamo delivers a more modern look. At 1,115mm long, the HPA Tactical is a full-length rifle. The ambidextrous black synthetic stock keeps weight down to 2.7kg and features a cheekpiece that is height-adjustable. There are patches of moulded stippling on the forend and pistol grip, and the soft rubber butt pad can be made more squidgy by removing rubber plugs. Ahead of the two-stage trigger is the resettable safety catch – push it forward to shoot. Although there is a set of open sights, dovetails are cut into the top of the action to accept a scope, although Gamo has…

In an age when PCP rifles are getting more sophisticated, not to mention expensive, nothing has really changed when it comes to springers; the fundamental mechanics work as well today as they did 100 years ago. And although they came later, gas-rams are built on a similar principle of an internal, manually charged powerplant. Whilst a decent springer or gas-ram can be as accurate as a PCP, the difference is that most people, even relative newcomers, can shoot a PCP accurately whereas break-barrels require technique and practice. And for many, that’s enough of a reason to own one. There are other reasons of course. Although there are budget PCPs, and some of them are excellent, you can buy a top of the range break-barrel for the same money. And, of…

Presented by experienced journalist and Group Editor Mat Manning, The Airgun Show is the ultimate fortnightly show for all airgun aficionados. And we cover every part of the airgun world, ranging from pest control and shooting for the pot to HFT and high level Field Target. It's all real and in the field; our cameras follow expert airgun hunters as they set out with quarry, including rabbits, rats, squirrels, pigeons and corvids in their sights. And it's not just about hunting. The Airgun Show also features rifle reviews, product news, special-interest features and much, much more. Subscribe now at… www.theshootingshow.tv/airgun-show Follow us at @ShootingShowTV facebook.com/TheShootingShow youtube.com/TheShootingShow…

Modern night vision equipment has had a huge impact on after-dark pest control over recent years, enabling hunters to pick off unsuspecting critters from the cover of darkness. I have witnessed the difference technology can make when targeting skittish nocturnal quarry, and night vision optics have given a huge boost to my results when targeting rabbits and rats after nightfall. Some shooters have been reluctant to make the transition from traditional lamping methods, many of them put off by sophisticated gear that is bulky, expensive and complicated to use. Cue the Pard NV008P LRF; a neat little night vision unit that offers a solution to just about all of those concerns. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Retailing for £899.99, this infrared optic still isn’t exactly cheap, but it is remarkably affordable when compared…

Without meaning to sound too controversial, the standard diabolo of average weight is the perfect universal pellet, at least in my opinion, taking on any task the airgun shooter might care to ask of it. But there are plenty of pellet designs that run contrary to this belief in the pursuit of better ballistics, energy retention or knockdown power, and the RWS Power Bolt is very much in this camp. Power Bolts are available in .177, the subject of this test, and in .22 calibre in small tins of 150 and 100 respectively. The .177 pellet has an advertised weight of 14.2 grains, while the .22 is 23.2 grains, making them the heaviest pellets RWS makes in these calibres. At first glance the Power Bolt may resemble a bullet or…

For years, any discussion of airgun moderators would revolve around how they compared with the standard Weihrauch silencer, as this was among the very best available. But we now have a different benchmark following the release of the German gunmaker’s brand new XL and XL-K models, which offer distinctive looks as well as a reduction in noise. The XL is the longer model of the two, measuring 195mm, while the shorter XL-K variant is 132mm. They both have a matt black anti-glare finish and are threaded the standard ½” UNF (unified fine) to fit airguns of .177, .20 and .22 calibres. The matt black is one of the dullest finishes I’ve ever seen on a moderator, and will really help reduce glare in lamplight as well as daylight. The XL…

Webley’s Nemesis pistol is now being offered in rifle format, and the company says it’s designed to be comfortable, balanced and versatile as well as pleasing to the eye. The Nemesis X is available as a rifle only, or as a Combo Pack which comes with a Webley 3-9x40 scope, mounts and a QGS4 moderator – everything you need right out of the box. The Nemesis X features a tandem self-indexing magazine system which offers 2x7 shots in .177 calibre and 2x6 shots in .22. The gun also comes with a single-shot tray and has an ambidextrous grip, a rifled steel barrel and an interchangeable left- or right-handed bolt handle. The barrel is threaded 1/2” UNF, and there’s also a Picatinny accessory rail. The gun is powered by an 88g…

Golf, said Mark Twain, is a good walk spoiled. Similarly, I’ve heard that the best way to ruin a hunting trip is to take someone with you. Especially, I would imagine, someone like me. It’s been a while since the wildlife in my vicinity has felt the need to get its affairs in order. But there was a time when some airgun prey species, feral pigeons and corvids mostly, learned to give me a wide berth. As a teenager, my hunting skills didn’t develop much further than learning to quietly open my bedroom window when a magpie alighted in a nearby tree. And I could usually summon the patience to hide in the dusty gloom of our redundant Dutch barn to ambush the pigeons as they flew in to roost…

Mention the word “laser” and many people, certainly those of my vintage, will think of fighting Martians with ray guns, knocking out enemy star destroyers or trying to eviscerate a certain agent known as 007. But lasers are very much a part of our present, not just our future, and they can be a valuable tool for the airgun shooter. A laser usually produces a narrow beam that doesn’t spread out much as it travels away from the source, forming a pencil-like beam that appears as a small spot when shone against a surface, even at distances of 100 yards or so. Unlike a pellet, slug or bullet, a laser isn’t noticeably affected by gravity, and it’s this property that shooters can exploit, using a laser as a simple rangefinding…

I am very fortunate in having two permissions within a three-mile radius of my home. The first is a private garden of some 10 acres, and the second a much larger estate garden sitting in a couple of hundred acres of open fields, spinneys and mature woodland. In the first property, I have one feeder sited in a boundary plantation of young trees and mature conifers, well away from the views of visitors to this beautiful show garden. In the second permission I have three feeders strategically placed to draw the squirrels away from the gardens surrounding the main house. When topping up the feeders, I will cover both venues in one outing. A typical visit to my smaller site will start with a tail-wagging greeting from the owners’ dog,…

It seems as if it was a lifetime ago that we did not have our lives influenced and affected by the devastating scourge that is Covid-19. As we are aware, this has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties here in the UK, but also devastation within the world of business and vast reductions in our personal freedoms and the ability of us to do what we want, when we want to do it. In addition to causing us so many problems on the personal, work and educational fronts, the virus has for many of us curtailed the ability of keen sportspeople to engage in their favoured hobbies. In our case, airgun shooting. This has meant that for several months our indoor range shooting facilities have been closed, meaning that…

I’m lucky enough to have several permissions on which I take my pest controlling responsibilities seriously, even if they are provided for free. As a result, whenever I can I’ve invested in the best kit I can afford. Getting ready for a night’s rabbit shooting recently, it occurred to me how times have changed. As a kid, I’d jump on my bike with a pocket full of pellets and my HW80 in its bag. Now, as I loaded up my gear including my PCP rifle, ATN X-Sight and thermal spotter, I couldn’t help tot up how much that kit cost. That evening I shot three rabbits. I had a great time, but it occurred to me that I used to shoot just as many, if not more with my HW80…

At less than £140, including a scope and mounts, it would be easy to dismiss the Umarex Syrix as a budget tin can basher, but there’s enough quality and performance to include close-quarter pest control in the rifle’s CV. At 1,160mm long and 3.6kg unscoped, the Syrix is a full-sized rifle that juniors could struggle to use, especially as breaking the barrel to cock the gas-ram action takes a fair bit of effort. Once returned though, the barrel locks up with a solid ‘thunk’. The black ambidextrous synthetic stock is well finished and will withstand plenty of rough treatment, as will the matt finish on the metalwork. The butt is finished with a recoil pad, and the comb, whilst not particularly high, gives good alignment to the 4x32 scope. If…

Walther’s P. 38 was designed in 1938 as a replacement for the P08 Luger, and due to the gun’s reliable and robust design, production ended up going on for far longer than the end of the war. Luckily for airgun shooters, Umarex has come up with the Walther P38, a similarly reliable and robust BB-firing blowback replica that’s still very much in production. The P. 38 was made for the German armed forces during the war years, but production continued after the Second World War, first for the French, then for West German and South African military and police forces, who used the P38 and its later P1 and P4 variants. Umarex’s P38 is a well-balanced and good-looking pistol, and just like the 9x19mm Parabellum-firing original is of metal construction.…

The Feinwerkbau 300s was a ubiquitous force in 10 Metre match shooting for many years and Anschutz produced the LG380 in answer to the medal monopoly of the 300s. Taking the spring-powered, recoilless platform and improving it was a tall task, but Anschutz raised the bar with this elegantly built rifle, and true to form used ingenious design elements. The trigger has a factory set let-off of 3.5oz, but it can be adjusted from 2oz to 12.5oz (50g-350g). The stock screws sit on Belleville washers that are torqued to the weight of the rifle for correct tension and thereby counteract the effect of stock settling and variations in temperature or humidity. Instead of a sledge, as on the 300s, the LG380 is more like an artillery gun, with the outer…