Innholdsfortegnelse for Jan/Feb 2021 i On Target Africa

Kings, princes and dukes – it was time for Impact Xtreme Shooting’s King of 1 and 2 Mile event in South Africa. The Send IT team (Charl Gous, Danie du Preez, DJ van Zyl, Hendrie Brink and Pieter Eksteen) hit the road from Cape Town to attend the match – a mere 1 250 km up-country. Unfortunately, Michael Hitchcock could not tag along. Boeta, you would have loved the trip! “When in doubt, go straight – and then I missed.”- Hendrie Brink “Danie, imagine shooting 15 shots at the wrong target?”- Pieter Eksteen “It’s a Toyota Venture that went to private school.”- Danie du Preez on the Mercedes G-Wagon The destination was Clarens, a small town in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains, nicknamed the ‘Jewel of the Eastern Free…

So much has been said about rangefinders and binoculars that one should tread lightly to not just repeat readily available reviews. We received a Delta-T 9x45 HD Rangefinder Binoculars to put through its paces and give our opinion on this entrant into the local market. Firstly, one should consider the WHY and then the WHAT. Why should one consider a rangefinder binoculars? ■ It maximises your equipment layout and minimises movement and noise ■ It is way faster than scanning with a bino and then ranging with a LRF ■ It reduces the risk of losing a smaller handheld LRF ■ They are generally faster to range ■ Have more features ■ Can use a bigger battery (longer range time) ■ Convenient observation equipment ■ The magnification range is considerably…

I started my first proper ELR rifle build during 2019 after being bitten by the ELR bug. After discussions with many gunsmiths, rifle enthusiasts and competitive long-range shooters, and reading up on several forums and magazines, I finally decided on a custom 375 CheyTac build. My next hurdle was: What would I do for a jacket for this rifle? I have only ever known hunting style stocks. Back to the drawing board. I was still undecided up until late February 2020, when I noticed a social media post by Gun Warrior and saw their new Gen 6 chassis for the first time. I contacted Warren, who was immediately up for the challenge. Fast forward a few months and I had my chassis. My initial impression was that it was truly…

Needless to say, like all other sports in the world, practical shooting had a tough time in 2020, with more than half of shooting events cancelled due to Covid-19. But sports shooters are resilient and energetic, and we made the most of the available time to host leagues and national events in Limpopo Province. The Limpopo Province Practical Shooting Association (LPPSA) hosted a successful handgun match in March just before the hard lockdown. There were no less than six league matches, including the Limpopo Storm handgun match and Limpopo Closed Championship in November. We had our 2020 AGM and prize-giving recently as well, during which provincial colours were awarded to no less than eight shooters. Trophies were also awarded to the various division and class winners. The league match on…

Anyone interested in precision rifle competitions will have witnessed the rapid growth in this exciting sport round the world. They will also have noted, with some concern, the absence of a true world championship for precision rifle shooting. Not for much longer. What originated with the Precision Rifle Series and National Rifle League in the United States during early 2010 has now spread to more than 12 countries. Despite this rapid growth, the sport remains firmly anchored by its US origin. Every year American shooters work hard to obtain an invite to the season finales in the US, while more recently a handful of foreigners have negotiated for places in these America-centric competitions. The International Precision Rifle Federation (IPRF) was formed to facilitate the growth of precision rifle sports round…

The three conditions in which a handgun can be carried were explained by Jeff Cooper as follows: ■ Condition One: Loaded magazine inserted, round in the chamber, hammer cocked and safety on. Now rarely seen as a carry option, pistols like the 1911 and Browning High Power were regularly carried in this condition during the 20th century. Some experienced users still carry their handguns in this fashion. ■ Condition Two: Magazine inserted or cylinder loaded, round in chamber and hammer down. Double-action pistols and revolvers are carried in this condition. ■ Condition Three: Empty chamber and loaded magazine. As Cooper stated: “Condition Three was a safe way to carry pistols when they were first introduced. However, safety is a matter of practical gun-handling procedures and presence of mind.” Cooper preferred…

We asked Ruan Ellis to give us a few words to best describe his experience at King of 2 Mile South Africa 2020 ELR competition. Preparing for the event wasn’t easy at all. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic nobody knew what was going to happen and even if the event would ever take place. I was aching to participate because I unfortunately could not compete in KO2M 2019. But the moment the event was finalised and a certainty to happen, I went all guns blazing! We arrived at the most beautiful venue in the Clarens mountains at Andes Guest Lodge, said hello to all our fellow shooters and got our shooters’ briefing. We then went up to the 100 m range for final zeroing and velocity checks. Qualifier The day…

On 14 November, en route from the shooting range, and a week before the King of 1 Mile and King of 2 Mile South Africa 2020, I started thinking that I would like to become more involved. Being good friends with Brendan Fike from Impact Xtreme Shooting, who hosted the events, I decided to give him a call. I asked him about this year’s sponsors, and that I might be interested in putting something up for the prize table. I am just another competitor and don’t have my own brand to grow and promote. I am, however, a brand ambassador for Legionnaire - Fratres in Armis, Pretoria. Seeing how this company I represent cares for the South African shooting community has always made me immensely proud. So to speak, they…

Living in one of the most violent democracies on earth, it pays to be aware of your surroundings and have the sense to avoid conflict or, in a worst-case scenario, deal with a problem quickly and efficiently. It is more and more apparent that it is up to the community, specifically capable individuals in the community, to ensure the safety of the young, old and helpless. And while basic skills and knowledge have been addressed in previous issues, we now look at more advanced training aimed at developing capabilities beyond that of the ordinary armed citizen. One of the first mass shootings in America was in August 1966 when Charles Whitman barricaded himself inside a bell tower in Austin, Texas and started picking off random people with a Remington Model…

The Effecto PCP air rifle is manufactured in the HUGLU factory in Turkey, along with OVIS bolt-action rifles, Veyron tactical semi-automatic shotguns and Renova sport/hunting semi-automatic shotguns. Effecto is a HUGLU brand that has proven its quality in 60 countries, due to its experience of more than 100 years in weapons manufacturing. I tested the Effecto PX-5 air rifle in .22 inch (5.5 mm) calibre fitted with a Delta Optical Titanium 4.5 30 x 50 telescope, UTG TL-BP980 bipod, air rifle filling station and a locally manufactured air rifle silencer, in addition to 2 x 10 shot magazines and 2 x 250 GAMO pellets. I tested the rifle at 25 m, 50 m and 75 m from a bench, and found that the 15.43 gr GAMO Pro Hunter was very…

The X-DOCK retains the ergonomics and performance of its predecessor, while being adapted to the CROSSCALL tablet and smartphones. It goes the extra mile to offer even more features with now Quick Charge compatibility and an additional USB port. For the user, whether at home or at work, it offers great comfort of use and convenience thanks to the X-LINK magnetic system for instant charging and data transfer once connected to a computer. Designed for everyday or Sunday bikers, the X-RIDE is the accessory that motorbike enthusiasts have been waiting for. This new mount allows the user to attach his smartphone to the handlebars or the rearview mirror of his favourite motorbike and use it as a GPS or camera, all without worrying about recharging the battery. The Glove Touch…

As a gunsmith, I build quite a lot of rifles on a daily basis. As some of you may already know, I have also designed a rifle specifically for LR/ELR/ULR shooting that has been featured in On Target Africa magazine. Now, upon request of our readers, I provide in-depth information about rifles in general, as well as my thoughts regarding the Ascalon. The calibre First things first. What do we need for consecutive hits at extreme distances? Well, in an ideal situation, and from a ballistics point of view, “We need a heavy as possible bullet to be shaped as efficient as possible to fly as fast as possible”. However, the first and latter tend to bite each other and thus complicate things a little. When a bullet is heavy…

TyreLife Solutions, the exclusive distributors of Cooper tyres in Southern Africa, have been associated with Impact Xtreme Shooting since their first event in 2018. Cooper tyres became a headline sponsor of the event which has grown and now has global recognition. Cooper has supported Impact Xtreme Shooting since inception because of the similarities they recognise in their event and brand, it is all about the outdoors, precision and adventure. “This is a great association between these brands as Cooper tyres are targeted at tough and built for the bold and extreme” said Georg Schramm, CEO of TyreLife Solutions. Cooper is a premium tyre brand that offers the largest range of high-quality off-road tyres. The brand represents a lifestyle culture that specialises in offering tough products that cater to the same…

Having gently reminded Warren in the early hours of 19 November while he was en route that the KO1M SA and KO2M SA match briefing was at 07:00, in he walked, in true Warrior spirit, on the dot, after his road trip from Pretoria, Gauteng to Farm Welgelegen at Andes Guest House. When Impact Xtreme Shooting announced it was hosting the King of 1 Mile (KO1M) and King of 2 Mile (KO2M) events under the South African Practical Precision Rifle Federation (SAPPRF) umbrella, I was stoked. Being more precision-rifle orientated, I thought to myself, why not give it a go? I had a Savage 112 .338 Lapua Magnum in the safe. Seeing as Gun Warrior makes chassis, muzzle brakes and silencers and other rifle shooting equipment, I figured I needed…

As with many of the innovations that have come out of the Gun Warrior shop, this whole project started with a (what at the time seemed an innocent) conversation. We already knew about Dewald Hattingh’s love for long-range shooting, but he then broke the news about his plans for a dedicated ELR gun and his search for the perfect chassis. Our Initial thoughts were that a G6 (Generation 6) should suffice, but the moment Dewald shared specifics, it was evident that some out-of-the-box thinking was required. Winds of change started blowing at Gun Warrior. Warren Britnell had a serious look at what was needed to fully support a rifle of that scale and weight. We like the overall look, feel and performance of the G6, but realised that wholesale changes…

All competitors arriving at the range were required to wear masks, sign a register, sanitise their hands, have their temperature taken and observe social distancing. Regulations were strictly enforced as Port Elizabeth was experiencing a second wave and had been declared a Covid-19 hotspot. No spectators were therefore permitted entry onto the range, and all ranges were closed to fellow club members for the duration of the match. A total of 54 competitors entered the match, with 44 competitors competing on the day. The match entry fee included the cost of a spit braai, held directly after the match and including the match and yearend prize-giving. Club championships and floating trophies were awarded to those competitors who had won their respective division for the year. A few PERPC members received…

As soon as it became clear that we would be able to go ahead, Dirk Sauber made quick work of the organisation so that the range building could start. Thanks to some of our club members lending a hand, the range was soon built and ready for action. Saturday 24 October everyone was at Heja Game Lodge bright and early, since temperatures were forecast to be above 35°C. Shooters were greeted by a range designed to be both friendly for beginners and challenging for more experienced competitors. Casual Class participants had targets that were generous and with less shots per stage. Spotters were also allowed to call their misses, hopefully helping them to learn from their mistakes. Wind not a friend As soon as the various squads moved off to…

This is according to the director of one of the country’s fastest growing battery distributors, Greg Pritchard from GSS Group, who adds that intermittent load shedding and other environmental factors can quickly damage batteries that are not specifically designed and manufactured for these important applications. He says that on average an 8 amp hour battery should last approximately five years even with moderate load shedding. However, a flood of inferior quality, cheap batteries sold by retailers and traders, may only last for a couple of months or one deep discharge cycle. Even batteries sold at some security outlets have reduced lifecycles due to manufacturers saving on expensive materials. Heavyweight battery “One of the easiest ways to gauge the quality of a lead acid battery is its weight. Lead is one…

Purdey recently launched their new limited edition lightweight range of Nettle Cotton Canvas luxury bags. The bags are designed for the discerning customer, ideal for a weekend away, short haul trips or shopping about town. The collection delivers a practical and functional lightweight range of luggage. They form part of Purdey’s new commercial price architecture and are available now. The new collection is made up of five pieces and features the iconic webbing inspired by one of our hundred-year old gun sleeves and the Purdey featherburst logo on the clasps was originally drawn by James Purdey himself back in 1826. The set continues Purdey’s passion for heritage, craftsmanship and most importantly sustainability. They are in keeping with James Purdey’s original inception for the company to be established as a purveyor…