I tested an Anschütz 1761 in .22 LR last year and was so impressed that I simply had to test this new walnut thumbhole stocked version in the flat-shooting .17 HMR round. Anschütz 1761 The new 1761 action design has proven itself a worthy successor to the older Anschütz rimfires and continues to be a…

The Land Rover Defender was a mainstay of rural and military life for quite some time. After a four-year gap waiting for the updated version, I was more than keen to see if the all-new Defender 90 lived up to its legendary predecessor. We’re taking a look at the Land Rover Defender 90 P300 X-Dynamic…

The latest addition to the Z range is the Zoli Z One, a black-actioned Sporter with detachable trigger unit on a Boss-type action. The overall design of the gun conforms beautifully to my expectations of a Sporter; there are no quirky over-engineered design features nor unnecessary aesthetic features. What is unusual, though, is that it…

Designed for driven shooting, the jacket is rugged enough for walked-up sport too The Härkila Stornoway 2.0 HWS coat is primarily designed for driven shooting. However, as it is relatively lightweight, windproof, breathable and waterproof, I decided to test it beyond what it is designed for by taking it on a couple of walked-up days….

I have been a fan of pump actions all my life. There is something rugged about a pump, and that certainly applies to the Mossberg 500. The Mossberg 500 is an American favourite that has been in production for over 50 years – that’s more than 10 million shotguns and counting. It is a popular…

If there was an award for the best long-lived modern rifle action, other than the Mauser 98, it would certainly go to the Ruger M77. Bill Ruger imagined a sporting rifle without compromise yet featuring the accuracy and reliability you would expect from a hunting arm, and the M77 was born. Essentially a modified Mauser…

Occasionally, when you are browsing the used rifle racks something a little out of the ordinary shows up. This Mosin-Nagant M1891 is no exception. Of all the mass-produced bolt-action rifles ever made, this is one of the most numerous, with an estimated 37 million manufactured over the 80 years or so that it remained in…

With its 3in chamber, matt black finish and easy-to-use controls, there is no mistaking that the latest incarnation of the Benelli Black Eagle has been designed for the wildfowler. (More on the best kit for wildfowling here.) Innovations include a stylish new receiver, a technopolymer stock – incorporating an improved recoil system – along with…

Renowned for producing high-end sports cars for secret agents and wealthy connoisseurs, Aston Martin is the latest to add an SUV to its range with the all-new DBX. Gimmick or serious off-roader? I assumed the role of 003.5 to find out. Excited would be an understatement and, as the DBX was unloaded from the trailer,…

With harvest more or less wrapped up for the year on my patch, the annual exodus of rats is now under way as the rodents leave the barren fields in search of new feeding grounds. On one of my local farms, this sudden influx created a great opportunity to put the NiteVizor VP200 XTR night-vision…

I had been wanting to test a DT11 for some time now, particularly the DT11L – the Lux version. A trip to my favourite gun dealer (J. F. Neville of Alfreton) revealed a second-hand DT11L to be available, which they were happy for me to borrow for a few days. Looking at the DT11L The…