A: Some problems can be complex to diagnose but others are simple and can be rectified at home. Barrel fouling or damage to the muzzle of the rifle can cause these problems, but sometimes a dried piece of dirt pressing against the barrel, changing the barrel harmonics on ring, or dirt in the bedding of the action will cause…
Rifles
How to maintain your air rifle for rabbit shooting
I looked at my air rifle and scope. Unfortunately, my scope has been removed and re-fitted to my rifle a few times lately. After the last fitting I had noticed a deterioration in my rabbit shooting. It was time to give it a proper examination. Watching some video footage of…
What will I lose in velocity if I reduce my barrel length?
To what extent does barrel length affect the velocity of your full-bore rifle? In the name of science and with some trepidation, we take up the hacksaw...
Five of the best rifle scopes
Bruce Potts rounds up the five best rifle scopes on the market at the moment ranging from a budget friendly £549.99 to a more high end price at £2,740. Kahles Helia 5 2.4-12x56mm Kahles, established in 1898, is the oldest scope manufacturer in the world. Its new range carries the…
Ammo options for .22 centrefire
Those of us who like rifles and rifle shooting often develop an interest in calibres and cartridges that are a bit out of the ordinary. It also gives us something else to talk about. However, it is a huge subject, so for today’s purposes we’ll just look at .22 centrefires…
Rifle safety
Safety On ranges, carry your rifle barrel up – if a round is fired towards the ground, there is a danger of ricochet. Always check after firing that your chamber is clear, and remove the bolt once you have finished firing your rounds. Many ranges insist on breech flags to show…
Re-barrelling an old rifle
Q: I have an old Sako Forester rifle that I really like in .308 Winchester, but the barrel is now past its best. I was thinking of having it re-barrelled to the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge when I vary my firearms certificate. Is it a good round? A: The 6.5 Creedmoor…
Five rifle scopes for under £600
Every month there seems to be a new addition to the long line of optics available to the rifle shooter. Be it vermin, foxes, or deer, every aspect, style, model and technological gizmo for rifle scopes has made its way into gunshops to entice shooters. I love scopes — well, anything optical really, but…
How to clean your rifle
A rifle is a precision instrument and such things really do need to be kept clean if you expect them to work properly. But – and it’s a big BUT – I have seen as many rifles damaged by over- cleaning as ruined by lack of it. As always, there is a…
What sort of deer stalking rifle should I buy?
Our expert at Sporting Gun advises: A: Well, your budget is decent. That’s good news because a suitable rifle with quality optics is usually about £1,500 for each piece of kit to ensure you get a sound combination. So with this budget you’ve got some money left over to spend…
Ten of the best .17HMR moderators
Silence is golden where pest control is concerned, so after testing full-bore and .22 rimfire moderators Bruce Potts turns his attention to the increasingly popular .17HMR calibre
The Jackal Woodsman air rifle
Bruce Potts reflects on the Jackal Woodsman, an accurate and powerful air rifle from one of the most innovative gunmakers in Britain
Second-hand Webley Patriot
All you need to know about a secondhand Webley Patriot, including how this high-powered air rifle with impressive pellet strike shaped shooting
The gun you shouldn’t have sold
Most of us, I’m sure, will have experienced that sinking feeling at some time or other — the one when we realise that we should never have sold that gun. A rifle or shotgun is rarely just a tool — it becomes a treasured possession. But, for whatever reason, be it monetary necessity or the lure of a…
Three top secondhand Sporters
Here’s Mike’s selection of secondhand Sporters that offer great value for money. Baikal O/U Located 600 miles east of Moscow, Izhevsk’s main factory produces pistols and rifles, several variations on the AK assault rifle theme, air guns – and the Baikal shotgun. The Baikal dates to the Cold War, and was once humorously said to be…
Rifle Skills: Tighter shot groupings
If you’ve been following the series and trying the techniques we’ve described, you should by now have some shots in your targets. We’ve gone through setting up your rifle for success, zeroing and finding the right ammunition, and the various ways in which you can improve your shooting skills. So…
Getting in the correct position for rifle shooting
In this piece we’ll be looking at the various positions you can shoot from. Remember you should not immediately expect 1in groups at 100m from these positions; ascertain what you can and can’t expect from each of them, and then you can decide when each is acceptable for live quarry.…
Our Happy Winners
Congratulations to the lucky winners of our competitions from Shooting Times, Sporting Gun, Shooting Gazette and Shooting UK. Next time it could be you!
Rifle skills: Get in position
In this rifle skills video we’ll be looking at the various positions you can shoot from. Remember you should not immediately expect 1in groups at 100m from these positions; ascertain what you can and can’t expect from each of them, and then you can decide when each is acceptable for…
Rabbit shooting with classic rifles
An early morning start, with a light breeze, is an idyllic start to any day’s stalk. But on this occasion it was not an eligible roebuck that I had in mind; it was a humble rabbit. I love rabbit shooting. It was the way I learned to shoot on my uncle’s…