Beretta shotguns can often come at a price that is not for the faint-hearted. The premium EELL version of the DT11, for example, is a superb piece of engineering with…
Charles Smith-Jones
Anschutz 1415/16
To many, the name of Anschutz is synonymous with a range of top-quality rifles, air rifles and air pistols used by competition shooters. The manufacturer’s products continue to be the…
The common snipe – or, as the Finnish call it, the ‘sky ram’
Facts about the common snipe Distribution: Most worldwide populations are highly migratory, breeding in Iceland and across much of Europe, Russia and northern Asia. Overwinters in Africa and southern Asia.UK…
Wiehrauch HW66 rimfire rifle
Any airgunner will recognise the name of Wiehrauch, a German company with a deserved reputation for producing a wide range of well-made and accurate air rifles and pistols. Catering for…
The Nikko 5000 series
The Nikko Firearms Company is a subsidiary of the Kodensha Company, once a major manufacturer within the Japanese firearms industry. It operated out of the Tochigi prefecture about a hundred…
Choosing the right stalking rifle
Perhaps you have already done a bit of stalking, possibly as a guest using the estate rifle, and now you have been truly bitten by the deer bug. It’s time…
How to hunt down a stalking permission
Some poor souls seem to labour in vain to locate even the smallest and least productive area where they might indulge their passion for deer stalking. Others, more fortunate, appear…
How to make biltong
One of the few advantages of the lockdown has been that many outstanding projects have finally been completed. One of these was to build a permanent drying box to make…
The parts of a shotgun cartridge explained
The different parts of a shotgun cartridge explained
Taking a look at a used Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter
Should you buy a second-hand Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter? The gun was hailed as a major move away from the traditional Steyr Mannlicher market when it first appeared in the…
Keeping your guns secure and safe – some police advice
When you’re the owner of a gun you need to be vigilant about firearms security. Which means being safe out in the field, when you’re transporting the gun and when…
The Breda Xanthos – cheap but holds its own against more expensive rivals
The Breda Xanthos is not expensive but bears comparison with its more pricey competitors
Drey poking: In pole position for squirrel control
Head to the trees for a spot of drey poking
Sako M591
Sako was formally established during the 1930s and in 1983 it merged with Tikkakoski, another Finnish manufacturer, owners of the Tikka brand. Things changed again rather more quickly when it…
Hatsan Escort Pump
Every time I pick up a pump-action shotgun I still feel a slight vibration as my ancestors turn in their graves. Traditionalists, they would all have been horrified to see…
Thinking of buying a second-hand Tikka T3 Lite?
When the Tikka T3 Lite first appeared it took the market by storm. Finnish gunmaking company Sako had intended to produce a budget-priced rifle that shot well straight out of…
The Beretta S686 Special
Beretta is one of the best-known firearms manufacturers. While it is possible to pay a very large amount of money for a hand-finished Beretta shotgun, the company also produces a…
Savage Arms Model 110
By the early 1950s it was becoming clear that Savage Arms, once one of the largest firearms manufacturers in the world, was in trouble. An over-reliance of underlever rifles as…
Browning Gold Hunter
The Gold model was introduced to the Browning catalogue in 1995 and was offered in a variety of configurations for the clay target and field markets. The target models tended…
Why a Baikal should no longer be the butt of jokes
Back in the mid-1970s a group of us regularly used to get together to try for a rabbit or pigeon on a Saturday morning before going on to our pocket-money…