Never neglect gun cleaning. A little effort will keep your guns safe, reliable and rust-free Do not put a gun in a gun slip into a gun safe. You want air movement Do not put a heater or a lightbulb in your gun safe. Your stock will over-dry, warm…
Guns
How to clean and care for a semi-auto shotgun
A lot of issues will be avoided simply by taking 10 minutes to clean your gun properly every time you’ve used it. In the long run it will pay dividends to do so and ultimately save you money should you want to trade it in or sell it on. I…
177 or .22, .25 or above… which should you pick and why?
I shoot pretty much everything from sub 12 air rifle up to fairly hefty centerfires. Trust me calibre isn’t everything. It’s all about picking the right tool for the job and for 12flbs shooting you need to think long and hard before straying away from .177. The problem is ‘boys…
Air rifle ballistics – what works, what doesn’t and why
The airgun industry, like any business has to reinvent itself on a regular basis. Styles come and go, upgrades are introduced and so called ‘game changing’ enhancements announce. Recently all it’s been about bullpups and tacticool design, next year it will be something else in the endless effort to keep…
Will coated cartridges make you a better Shot?
It is the latest trend in cartridge production for both clay and game shooting. Coated cartridges — or, to be more accurate, lead shotgun pellets that have been coated with copper or nickel — are today headlining the cartridge manufacturers’ billboards. Are coated cartridges new? Well, no; as far back…
How to oil and clean your shotgun
There are a number of accessible working parts on a shotgun that need lubrication.
Air rifles – does more power mean greater range?
When set up properly, legal-limit air rifles are extremely accurate tools, and that precision can more than compensate for their modest power when coupled with a sound knowledge of fieldcraft. Get in close and shoot with precision, and delivering a lethal strike to the small kill zones presented by typical…
Airgun laws and security requirements you need to know
Air rifles: New guidance to prevent under-18s accessing airguns could mean a £1,000 fine if you fail to secure your air rifle properly.
What’s the maximum distance you can hunt with a legal-limit air rifle?
How far is the maximum distance for hunting with a legal-limit air rifle? It is something I get asked all the time but it is a question that has no straight answer. Gun shops that sell air rifles as a sideline but have no real experience of using them in…
Garden airgunning
If you have a moderate sized garden then you probably have enough room to set up a shooting range for an air rifle. Long warm evenings mean you can enjoy a spot of airgunning after work and improve your markmanship along the way. It’s also a good time to introduce…
Have you got an old air rifle from the 80s and 90s tucked away? It could be worth more than you expect!
Quality air rifles from last decades of 20th century A strange phenomenon is now occurring in the auction houses and on the secondary market. One of the fastest increasing markets is in quality air rifles from the 1980s and 90s. A lot of it has to do with disposable incomes.…
What’s the best camo pattern for airgun hunting?
Q: I’m new to airgun hunting and plan to invest in a camouflage suit so I can get closer to my quarry. What’s the best pattern to go for? A: It’s difficult to recommend one camouflage pattern over another, but it makes sense to choose one that gives a close…
10 best shotguns for clay pigeon shooting
All the guns below are worthy of a mention and all for varying reasons, from the budget-busting ATA right up to the mighty wallet whomping Krieghoff. Blaser F16 £2550 Let’s start with the shotgun of the year 2016. Since its attention-getting flame throwing launch in early 2016 at the British…
20 best shotguns for under £1000
Lincoln Vogue Game 20-bore Country of origin: Italy Price: £925 new The elegance of this gun suggests that it should cost more than £1,000. The action is neatly blacked to match the barrels, and the inlaid gold-coloured game birds form a neat contrast with the trigger. Even the internal workings…
How to care for shotgun chokes
The screw-in choke tube is a very common option on most shotguns and it is important to maintain it properly.
Finding the one – your perfect gun
Buying and selling guns is part and parcel of the enjoyment of shooting. It’s all about finding “the one”. All I can say is count yourself lucky if the first gun you clap eyes on fits the bill perfectly and that, shunning all others, you stay faithful to it ever…
What’s my best gun for shooting clays and game?
Q: Having just taken up the pastime of clayshooting (the skeet discipline), and having more than a passing interest in gameshooting, I find I am bamboozled by the choice of shotguns that are available. I would prefer to buy a 12-bore side-by-side rather than an over-and-under shotgun, but are side-by-sides…
Three secondhand lightweight 12-bores
“I have turned 70 and, although I can still walk fair distances, the 8lb Sporter I use for all of my shooting has become rather too heavy. I am therefore looking for a lightweight 12-bore – either O/U or semi-auto. Recoil doesn’t bother me too much as nowadays as I…
A gunsmith’s guide to buying guns second-hand
What’s the best way to go about buying guns second-hand though? What do you look for and what are the potential pitfalls? To find out more I visited The Country Sports Shop in Devon to speak to the experts. I met shop manager Chris Lamb, himself a keen shooting man…