Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i Sporting Rifle

Following the closure of show organisers Countryman Fairs last year, it was unclear what would happen to the group’s portfolio of five showcase events. CEO Ian Harford has already established Our Countryside Rocks at Weston Park, set to debut on 18-19 September 2021. Meanwhile, the Lowther Show was scrapped in 2019 as the organisers entered voluntary liquidation. It has now been announced that the Kelmarsh and Highclere shows will continue, with shows scheduled for 2021. The Kelmarsh show traditionally marks the start of the outdoor event season, and offers a range of rural pursuits and family entertainment. Set in the grounds of Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire, the show will launch on Easter Sunday and Monday (4-5 April 2021). The Highclere show is regarded as one of the finest showcases of country…

From below, it doesn’t seem to be hard to pass the cliff, but the moment I’m five metres above the rocky terrain below it, the project seems riskier. The surface is full of protrusions, and the stones in the middle of the narrow passage we must crawl through are loose. It is not life-threatening to fall from here, but neither harmless! Now I understand why my travelling companion, Jens Kjaer Knudsen, breathes a little heavier than he did before commencing. However, he does not have any problems in passing, and I follow without any issues, besides the fact that ‘operation rock passage’ costs me a hole in my trousers, as well as one in my polo shirt. When the local guide, Vicente, designated the area where the animals were going…

Hawke has evolved significantly over the last few years, and the brand that was so easily assumed to be for air gunners has really stepped up to present kit that meets functional and styling needs more commonly associated with expensive brands on centrefire rifles. The Sidewinder has always been a big seller, albeit to my mind with slightly clunky appearance. Yet the name has now evolved into an optical highlight of 2020, specifically the Sidewinder 30 range, seen here in 6-24x56 First Focal Plane format. Second focal plane variants are also available in varied magnification options to suit your needs, but first focal plane, with a reticle that grows as the image zooms up, is just the job for me. It was once seen as the older-fashioned factor in zoom…

Anyone who regularly undertakes fox-control duties, particularly on farms, will have at some point come across a very worthy adversary that no matter how hard you try, the said fox always gets lucky for one reason or another. However, I believe in the adage that you only have to get lucky once with a fox, whereas the fox has to get lucky every time. It just so happens that for almost three months on and off I’ve pitted my wits against a fox that has frequented a particular farm and managed to elude me or survive by the skin of its teeth on numerous occasions. I’d first seen it about during the early morning lambing sessions and sat out one cold morning, at first light, to try and catch it…

As most readers will be aware, I’m a fan of the Sightmark Wraith HD, which offers exceptional value for money and a range of features. So when Scott Country sent me the latest addition to the Sightmark stable, the Wraith 4K Max, I couldn’t wait to see what improvements had been made in this much-awaited night vision scope. This new model is far from just a better processor in the old housing. In fact, there’s nothing similar between the two at all, except the name! The first things that struck me when opening the box were the new modern shaping of the scope and the lack of buttons on it. There is a dial/push button on the top of the scope, which acts as a zoom when in shooting mode,…

PLUS… ■ On Test: Savage B22 MDT Precision rifle ■ On Test: Thermal imaging kit from InfiRay ■ The pros and cons of calling for quarry ■ News, views and latest talking points SUBSCRIBE NOW Never miss a copy of your favourite shooting monthly again – subscribe to Sporting Rifle and save money every month, as well as getting the mag delivered to your door. With a quarterly subscription starting at £12, it’s more affordable than ever to subscribe. Get signed up today and rest easy knowing you’ll never miss a single page again. Call 0344 848 2852 or visit www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk to subscribe SPORTING RIFLE ISSUE 187 On sale 15 October…

BASC has formally requested that the High Court reconsider its refusal to recognise the association as an interested party in the judicial review on the Welsh general licences. The decision was taken after receiving legal advice. As an interested party, BASC would have a greater involvement in the proceedings – a worthwhile cause for the UK’s largest shooting organisation. A successful application will allow BASC to follow the same path as achieved in the judicial review into the release of gamebirds near to designated sites. Steve Griffiths, BASC Wales director, said: “BASC was understandably disappointed with the original decision of the court. We strongly believe that the users of the Welsh general licences should be represented by their organisation within the proceedings, so it is only right that we make…

With Manchester on lockdown, The Shooting and Countryman Show have made the decision to cancel their 2020 event, which was set to take place from 19-20 September. The show was relocated to EventCity in Manchester earlier this year, following a disagreement with Liverpool City Council. All exhibitors and visitors will be refunded. The organisers – who also run the Great British Shooting Show at the NEC – say the aim of the September show is to present products for sale that manufacturers launch at the February show. The new show will see manufacturers and retailers exhibiting, plus a 30-lane indoor airgun range, 24 practical pistol ranges and demonstration areas. New dates are already set for 18-19 September 2021. Go to www.shootingshow.co.uk for more information.…

BASC has provided expert guidance to over 200 individual Covid-19 shoots ahead of the game season. The free visits help gamekeepers and shoot managers form their own individual risk assessments and provide advice on how to operate in line with coronavirus guidance. The visits cover the entire UK, with each country tailoring the advice to the latest available guidance relevant to that area. Dan Reynolds, BASC director of England, commented: “We are delighted that the shoot visits are proving such a success. The take-up levels and feedback have been exceptional… the guidance given will allow shoots to operate safely and show that the shooting community is playing its part in helping to tackle this global pandemic.” Bookings are still being taken for site visits, and BASC’s regional staff are ensuring…

The Barbary sheep, also known as Aoudad – or in Spanish, Arrui – originates in the mountains around the northern border of the Saharan Desert from Egypt in the east to Mauritania in the west. Initially, five males and four females were delivered from the Casablanca Zoo in 1970. They were later joined by eight males and 12 females from the Frankfurt Zoo. The species was also introduced to La Palma, which is the northwestern of the Canary Islands. Today, the species exists in several provinces on the Southeastern Mediterranean coast. Since the reintroduction of trophy hunting on Barbary sheep, Pedro Alejandre estimates that the number of legally shot trophies is between 300 and 400 per year for Spain as a whole. The number includes animals taken on both free…

I have never been reticent in writing about the sheer excitement of stag stalking. A week at the stags provides – indeed, guarantees – memories that will last a lifetime. If the stag stalker returns to the same ground each autumn then his recollections will be coloured and enhanced. The extent of the ground and the vagaries of wind and weather will cause variations in the experience that will prevent familiarity breeding contempt. These thoughts were on my mind last October as my young stalker, my follower friend and myself set out in the morning, past an old burial ground. Briefly, thoughts of mortality flitted through my mind. Although an evocative and peaceful graveyard, I felt no desire to rush into its embrace. Rather the contrary, I thought, as I…

My introduction to shooting came at an early age: rabbiting with my dad, keeping football pitches clear of damage from quite a healthy population of bunnies. I remember the enjoyment and even privileged feeling of joining the hunting foray. It has fuelled my own passion for hunting, and the memory is still very clear despite some 44 years passing. Skip forward to my first solo hunting foray: armed with a BSA Meteor topped with the simplest 4x20 scope with integral mounts. Crude, but fairly accurate to 20 yards or so, the name of the game was getting within range of securing a clean headshot. After honing my skills, patience and perseverance started to yield its rewards, with the first brace of bunnies causing plenty of surprise to both my dad…

Regular readers will know that we’ve pretty much cleared our ground of foxes, and our neighbouring farms keep on top of theirs too (some with a little help from us), so although we still go out regularly, it’s rare that we see a fox. However, I’ve encountered a couple of this year’s youngsters. They were born and raised just over the boundary, in an old scrap yard where they can breed undisturbed. There’s nearly always a litter under all the old metal in the yard. No one would dare put a terrier in there, and you certainly couldn’t dig them out. I think these two were pushed in our direction when the neighbour harvested the fields around the site. He’d cut all the oilseed rape, and I’d been watching over…

I am writing this in September and already there are distinct signs that the year is on the wane. Horse chestnuts are littering the hill out of the village where a truly venerable tree has provided gleaming conkers for the lads in the village to whack each other’s knuckles with, although this somewhat painful pastime is, like so many of the old ways, gradually disappearing. The conkers on the road and Michaelmas daisies in the gardens are a sure sign that autumn is almost here. For many, particularly after the year we have just had, shortening days and cold nights are the last straw. However, for me, this has always been a time of year I look forward to. This is purely and simply because of my fox control set…

YUKON SIGHTLINE New from Yukon is the Sightline, a series of digital NV scopes available with either 4x or 6x magnification, with a four-factor digital zoom on top. The devices will manage up to 400-450m detection range dependent on the model, as well as a 5.5 degree field of view on the Sightline N450 and a 4.1 degree field of view on the N470. Other features include six electronic reticles, including three FFP reticles, high-calibre shock resistance, long eye relief and three zero profiles. You get four hours of runtime on one charge of the DNV battery pack – and all for under £900. N450 RRP £789.95 N470 RRP £889.95 Thomas Jacks 01789 264100 thomasjacks.co.uk NITESITE WOLF In the middle of NiteSite’s range of three standard units (the Viper and…

Studied and enjoyed in equally extensive measure, Ernest Hemingway’s written works are enduring classics, many considered masterpieces of American literature. But he is one of the few authors whose personal story is even more enthralling than those he committed to paper. Winner of both the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes, military hero, world-class sports fisherman, big game hunter, boxer, bullfighting aficionado and war correspondent, his life took in more adventures and endeavours than most of us could ever wish for. Concentrating on Hemingway the hunter, he learned to handle a gun at a young age. At a summer home on Walloon Lake, near Petoskey, Michigan, he learned from his father to hunt, fish and camp from the age of just four. His early experiences in nature instilled a passion for outdoor…

A former Mayor of York has been suspended by this party for ‘offensive’ comments he made following the death of Jack Charlton. An internal investigation by the York Green Party has ruled that Dave Taylor should be suspended from the party for six months for failing to uphold ethical principles. The day after the World Cup winning footballer and renowned fieldsportman died aged 85, Mr Taylor posed on Facebook: “Jack ‘Bloodsports’ Charlton has died. Sick of the adulation of this animal abuser. Being good at kicking a leather football around does not absolve him.” Following a public outcry in which his comments were labelled an “absolute disgrace”, he issued an apology. The committee ruled that he has brought the party into disrepute. In the last issue of Sporting Rifle, editor…

In some parts of the world, hunting is a year-round activity. Here in Ireland, our deer-hunting season is six months of the year, and starts on 1 September. For me, this means a six-month break from hunting. Of course, there is still opportunity for fox control, some rabbit shooting and also activities likes pigeon decoying with the shotgun. There was a time when nights spent fox shooting were high on the agenda, but not for me in more recent years. I do, on occasion and at the request of farmers, conduct some summer culling under special licence, but to be honest I like the break from hunting. It keeps me hungry for the season, and allows me time to develop my skills on the range. One reason I think that…

By this time of year, I would normally have been to at least two or three game fairs, but of course this isn’t normal. All the fairs and shows have been cancelled, so we’re having to manage without. From what I gather, people are still buying gear, whether that’s optics or thermal or new rifles – but of course they can’t do the usual thing of going to a game fair to see and handle all the goodies in one place. They’re having to buy something of a pig in a poke, relying on friends’ recommendations, or reviews in magazines or online. As I writer, I miss the chance to chat to people from all over the country, hearing what’s going on in different places, catching up on the latest…

If it was a stepping stone, the next step would be a very cold swim, or if you possessed incredibly long legs, the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands. Stewart Island (Rakiura) at the southern extremity of New Zealand is one of her last great wilderness icons – a primordial landscape that is alluring and testing. Popular with tourists, trampers and adventurers, it is also a magnet for Kiwi hunters, attracting over 2,000 annually. The chief draw is whitetail deer, of which there are good numbers, although trophy potential is weak compared to American whitetail, due largely to poor genetics and the harsh environment. The only other herd is in Wanaka, main South Island, but it suffers huge pressure and is in need of better management. While considered an introduced pest by the…

WICKED LIGHTS A51IR This is truly an all-in-one torch, able to put out an IR beam at two different wavelengths to boost the power of your NV unit, or switch to a visible red light. The two different IR modes mean you can hunt using the 850nm IR, or the totally covert 940nm option. A quick detach gun light mount allows you to attach your Wicked Light A51iR to your night vision or directly to your rifle. RRP £249.99 Scott Country 01556 503587 scottcountry.co.uk TLR-1 GAMESPOTTER The TLR-1 Gamespotter Gun Light features IR and can be mounted directly to all Picatinny and glock-style rails. The long range tactical light features the latest in shock-proof power C4 LED technology, and provides almost two hours of continuous regulated run time. The TLR-1…

One-Pot Grouse with Chorizo & New Potatoes SERVES TWO Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 35 minutes Ingredients 2x Whole GrouseSmall knob Butter1tbsp Olive Oil2x ¼ Lemon2x Bay leaves2x Thyme sprig300g Chorizo ring, thickly sliced700g New potatoes, halved (or quartered if really large)12 Garlic cloves, left whole and unpeeledLarge splash Dry sherry150ml Chicken stockHandful Parsley leaves, roughly chopped Equipment Large, flameproof casserole dish Method ■ Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4 and season the grouse all over. ■ In a large, flameproof casserole dish with a lid, heat the butter and some of the oil until sizzling, then spend a good 15 minutes browning the grouse well all over. Remove from the dish, and pop the lemon, 1 bay leaf and a sprig of thyme into…

RIMFIRE Brno .22LR bolt action with Leupold VX1 3-9x40 scope and Parker Hale mod. £200. Gavin Jones 01646 603814 07967 284704 (Wales) CZ452 American .22RF bolt action, 10-shot mag. BSA Sweet17 3-12x40 scope and mod (bipod not included). Good condition. With 500 rounds. £150. Selling due to retirement. Patrick Plavin 01303 863891 07934 597060 (Kent) BRNO .22 RF bolt action, five-shot magazine, ASI Super scope 4x40, wide angle image. All as new with silencer. £275 ono. Michael Darlison 01189 783202 miketat3@yahoo.co.uk (Berkshire) CENTREFIRE Sauer 202 Bolt Action .300 Win Mag. Synthetic stock, sling, bipod, moderator. Swarovski Habicht 4-16x50 scope. Sauer airline case. Bought for wild boar, used just four times. Plus 100 rounds Sako 220gn. £950 the lot. James Radcliffe 01924 402697 Jr_unionroad@btopenworld.com (West Yorkshire) Blaser R93 .308 black edition,…

It goes without saying that this year has been odd, to put it mildly. Things throughout the country have been changed out of all recognition due to the impact the coronavirus has had, and as far as I can see, things are likely to remain this way for some considerable time to come. Despite all the upheaval, this year has flown by, and to be writing the Almanac for October, albeit in advance, seems strange. I quite like October for several reasons: first and foremost it’s the month when the clocks go back. Many bemoan this, as it heralds the onset of winter. Selfishly, to me it means my nightly foxing activities can start at a sensible time, and there is no need to be hanging around until really late…