Barrett Fieldcraft Sporter rifle

Field test

The Barrett Fieldcraft  came with a Macc Tecc sound moderator and huge OptiMate scope — sorry, but this rifle deserves to be shot as nature intended. A small lightweight Leupold EFR 3-9x33mm scope fitted the bill, keeping the Barrett rifle super light.

The roe rut was ending but with cattle on open fields that the roe like for chasing does, and the woodlands too heavily clad in foliage to see, let alone shoot, I had to confine my stalking to the short standing bean fields. The roe love this crop as it is the same height as they are, so they are well camouflaged — just the ears protrude to listen for a clumsy stalker approaching. It is also cool as the wide spacings of the crop allow wind to circulate in the evening and at first light, so by stalking — well, kneeling — along the tractor tracks you can approach a roe and then wait until it steps into clear view. This plough, however, was strewn with flints and boy was it painful making my way slowly along the tractor tracks to an odd-antlered buck that had popped his head up from his bed at 5am.

The trouble was he was 200 yards away and I had a long, slow “kneel” into position. At 85 yards he was wary and, though tucked up at the crop edge, was soon looking right at me. I had to set the sticks low, and then inch my way up until the Leupold cross-hairs bracketed the buck’s lower neck and a Hornady SST concluded the painful stalk.