FOXING SECRETS
Stay hidden and deceive Charlie
For shooters of calibre
GET READY FOR THE RUT
July 2017 No.143 £4.75
W IN! The
ultimate shooting experience with Zeiss
Summer stalking masterclass How to train your deer dog Bumper kit roundup
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Issue 143
BEST NEW GEAR Mountain rifle roundup
CULTURE CLASH We send an NZ
n n n
Pulsar Trail XQ50 Mauser M12 Impact
hunter to Africa
WILD BOAR The best rifle sport the continent has to offer Traditional hunting in Germany
10 scopes made for fast shooting
The best outfitters in the business
BATTLE FOR VICTORY: ZEISS V8 AND HT SCOPES HEAD TO HEAD
Credit: Digoarpi / Shutterstock
Cover photo from Alamy Editor-in-chief Pete Carr Deputy editor Colin Fallon Sub-editor Stuart Newman Art editor Jonathan Wells Advertising sales 01225 687867 fieldsports@futurenet.com All departments First Floor, Unit 4 Jephson Court, Tancred Close, Leamington Spa CV31 3RZ fieldsports@futurenet.com Production Head of production UK & US – Mark Constance Production controller – Nola Cokely Subscriptions & back issues Online: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Email: contact@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Telephone: UK: 0344 848 2852 International: +44 344 848 2852 Management Managing director, magazines – Aaron Asadi Editorial director, field sports – Paul Newman Group editor-in-chief – Peter Carr Editor-in-chief at large – Dan Hutchinson Art director, Leamington Spa – Chris Sweeney Group art director – Rodney Dive
Contents 8 News
58 Steel yourself…
Shooting’s the focus in the run-up to the general election, and other essential news for rifle lovers
...Mark Ripley discovers the benefits for foxers of training on steel targets
12 Letters
Uncovering the growing trend for mountain rifles, Byron Pace assesses some of the most popular on the market
The best letter wins a bottle of the King’s Ginger – get scribbling!
15 Making an Impact
65 Fox vision?
Stuart Wilson is impressed by the pleasingly pointable Mauser M12 Impact
How far can foxes really see? Robert Bucknell finds out
20 Subscribe now!
70 WIN!
Save money on your favourite magazine
Win a shooting experience like no other courtesy of Zeiss
22 Summer success Dominic Griffith on why summer stalking beats the early-season bucks hands down
25 Bucks in the bunkers David Barrington Barnes negotiates the tough task of muntjac stalking on a golf course
28 Does size matter? On an Oxfordshire stalk, Paul Childerley is faced with the ultimate stalker’s dilemma: Take the trophy buck or the cull buck?
32 Deer dog debut
72 Heavy going What bullet weight is right for you? Darryl Pace investigates
76 Snap shot Ten minutes in the high seat with Ewen Steel of Seeland
78 Head measuring Dominic Griffith reports on a bumper month for the BASC and BDS measuring service, including a platinum head
80 Target news
Licensing Senior licensing and syndication manager – Matt Ellis Matt.Ellis@futurenet.com +44 (0)1225 442244
Chris Dalton welcomes his newest recruit – Zosia the German short-haired pointer – and details how he starts off her initial deer dog training
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers. The opinions expressed by the correspondents are not necessarily those of the publishers.
Ten essential stalking accessories for your buck management this summer
Does your TR technique go to pieces in the rain? Then you need to read this
36 V for Victory
87 Follow the Trail
Sporting Rifle recommends that readers satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of advertisers’ claims before any purchase is made, and accepts no responsibility for any loss arising from any purchase. Readers are advised to make appropriate enquiries and take appropriate advice before sending money, incurring any expense or entering into binding commitment in relation to an advertisement in this publication. Future PLC shall not be liable for loss or damage incurred or suffered as a result of accepting or offering to accept any invitation contained in any advertisement or article published in this title. Future Publishing Limited provides the information contained in this publication in good faith and makes no representations as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out any instructions detailed in this publication do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of parts, equipment and environment for a particular use. Appropriate protective/safety gear should be worn at all times when handling dangerous equipment. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future Publishing Limited, its supplier or any of their employees, agents, subcontractors or contributors shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information, provided that nothing shall exclude or limit the liability of any party for personal injury or death caused by negligence or for anything else which cannot be excluded or limited by law.
34 Cull clobber
Chris Parkin compares two Zeiss Victory scopes: the V8 and HT
41 Driven wild
83 Rain of terror
Mike Powell is among the first to test the new Pulsar Trail thermal imager
91 Save the Rhino We unveil a 22nd lot in our latest auction to raise funds for Save The Rhino International
44 Boar bonanza
Daryl Crimp swaps New Zealand for the Drakensberg Mountains on the trail of nyala
95 Kiwi abroad
Book your next boar-shooting trip with our selection of outfitters – plus find out where to train for a driven hunt
98 Almanac
47 Sounder in the snow
102 Rifles and scopes
Thomas Nissen heads to a Bewegungsjagd in the middle of winter and discovers why the Germans do it best
50 Class glass 53 Foxing faux pas Mike Powell discovers he’s made a schoolboy error when waiting out after a fox
56 Calibre hunter Byron Pace on a lesser-spotted member of the .30 cal family
sporting-rifle.com
The mass switchover from prone to 3p rifle begins – plus all the essential target shooting news you need to know
Pete Carr witnesses some of the best boar stalking he’s ever seen while on the Zeiss press hunt at Laubach
Ten scopes with a wide field of view to see you right when shooting on the continent
4
60 Mountain man
What to expect this July Buy and sell shooting gear for free here
104 Where to shoot Plan your next hunt, anywhere in the world
107 Courses Everything from DSC to PhD
110 Reader ads Buy and sell your gear for free today
113 Coming soon The summer special and beyond
114 Back page We remember another hunting great
Comment: Political Circus
Your Countryside Needs You!
With the advent of another General Election, editor Pete Carr assesses the various parties’ views and wonders if today there’s really such a thing as a sure vote for shooting
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Credit: Mike Gimelfarb
T
he political circus has been thrust on us once again. The biggest concern for countrymen like you and me is how any political changes will affect our way of life and the great British countryside. In my cynical middle age I am resigned to the view that most parties see shooting and hunting as an irritation. Right now, it would be hard for any politician to give shooting a greater priority than Brexit considerations, and the threat of international conflict – if hostilities became a reality, Britain would be bound by the ‘special relationship’ with the United States to commit our boys to action. Frankly, the only special thing in the US at the moment is Donald Trump – and he’s not even the craziest leader out there. Putin has thrown down the gauntlet by annexing the Crimea – the west did nothing, despite promises to support Ukraine. And the situation is far more fragile on the Korean peninsula, with nutter Kim Jong Un hellbent on nuking anything flying the Stars and Stripes. Add all that to the biggest national crisis since 1939, and it’s not surprising to find field sports near the bottom of parties’ agendas. Enough doom and gloom – the countryside has a voice, and a loud one too. We must stick together, and support our representative bodies with membership and lobbying. Let’s exercise our political rights and look at the options. Labour say they “recognise and celebrate the contribution shooting makes to the rural economy”, but that’s as far as it goes. They believe the EU Firearms Directive is a proportionate response to the terrorist threat we face – but shooting is a paradigm shift away from encouraging terrorism. I say Corbyn and crew speak with forked tongue, and they’d sell shooting down the river to win just a single seat. UKIP has always been a supporter of field sports. Nigel Farage knew how important they are to the countryside, and his replacement Paul Nuttall is of similar ilk. A recent UKIP statement
made me chortle: “Most previous governments knew more about the back end of the moon than they did about the countryside. Asked where bacon comes from, they’d answer: ‘Sainsbury’s.’” The Lib Dems aren’t even worth scrutiny, while the SNP are nothing short of traitorous, and in former times would have been delivered to justice at Smithfield market – but that’s the trade-off with modern democracy. Devolution aside, they have an agenda to destroy Scotland’s sporting heritage and dismantle its great estates. So we come to the incumbent Conservatives, who could once be relied on to support shooting. But former PM David Cameron, despite being a fan of field sports, didn’t do much for them. He was hobbled by the Liberals during the coalition period – but come on Cameron, the party faithful needed red meat throwing to them, and all they got was freeze-dried pot noodle. Davy recently said he was using his newfound free time after leaving politics to take up shooting again, and names birds ‘Boris’ and ‘Michael’ just before pulling the trigger. I bet Boris, too, now saddles every driven bird or red stag he engages with the moniker of Gove, Micky Turncoat or similar. Boris and Davy are not cut from the same cloth despite being old Etonians, and as foreign secretary, Boris will have influence on PM Theresa May.
As for May, she is far more cagey. In 2016 she u-turned on holding a vote on the Hunting Act: “There is plenty of government business at the top of the agenda – focusing on the immediate priorities... I don’t think fox hunting is top of the in-tray.” Fair point, but no less disappointing than Cameron’s weak treatment of the matter. But there is hope in environment secretary Andrea Leadsom. “I have no plans to change the current regime… I have always supported country sports and will stand by the manifesto on this issue,” she told the Countryside Alliance when she stood for PM last year. Hurrah for Andrea. So the Conservatives may be in pole position – though the PM herself is hardly waving the banner, it’s those around her that count. In his first election intervention, Boris has called Corbyn a “mutton-headed old mugwump” – though he later apologised to “mugwumps everywhere”. The specific meaning of the word is left to the imagination, but what we don’t need is too many mugwumps [people who remain aloof about party politics] in Westminster when it comes to field sports. Make your vote count on 8 June.
Peter Carr, editor-in-chief
News: The latest issues
News
If you have a news story, email colin.fallon@futurenet.com
All followers of shooting, hunting and field sports are urged to make shooting their number one political priority in the run-up to the General Election. Major organisations are mobilising their political forces in the wake of prime minister Theresa May’s election announcement. And although they won’t tell you who to vote for, they do want us all to make sure shooting’s voice is heard in Westminster – both through voting at the polling station and through campaigning beforehand. BASC has relaunched its dedicated campaigning website that gives shooters a quick and easy way to contact their local candidates and make their views known. All you need to do is enter your postcode and email address, and the site will immediately bring up the recorded views of your local MP,
telling you whether or not they are broadly supportive of shooting. You can then click a link through to lobby your MP. BASC chairman Peter Glenser said: “Prospective MPs need to know that shooting is a force for good for the economy, for conservation and for social wellbeing. “This website will allow us to make sure shooting’s voice is heard in Westminster. Candidates will be left in no doubt that shooting matters to their constituents and it will provide is with a good indication of where MPs stand in the next parliament. “Shooting generates £2bn for the economy every year and generates 3.9 million work days on conservation. It also supports the equivalent of 74,000 full-time jobs. BASC will make the resources available to ensure that shooting’s voice is heard.”
Credit: descrier.co.uk
Prospective MPs need to know that shooting is a force for good for the economy, conservation and wellbeing
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Credit: Judith E Bell
Vote for shooting on 8 June
Police leak 30,000 shooters’ addresses to third party The Metropolitan Police passed the addresses of 30,000 firearms and shotgun certificate holders to external contractors for postal marketing purposes, it has emerged. The Met used an external company to print leaflets advertising a marking product called Smartwater, which were distributed to firearms holders using another company. This appears to contravene the data protection statement police and licence holders agree to, which permits the sharing of information with GPs, other government departments, regulatory bodies or enforcement agencies – but not commercial third parties. Bill Harriman, BASC’s director of firearms, said: “BASC will always work with the authorities on initiatives we consider will improve firearms security. “In this instance, however, we are seeking assurances from the Metropolitan Police that the manner in which this scheme has been rolled out has not put at risk the home security of firearms certificate holders. Each time that information is passed on, it heightens the risk that sensitive, personal data will be compromised. “We can see no legal authority which allows the Met to breach the Data Protection Act by passing on sensitive, confidential information to as many as three external companies. “The Met appears to have struck at the heart of a key tenet of firearms security. Those who shoot are told to take every precaution against strangers discovering where firearms may be stored. Such information is currency for criminals.”
News: The latest issues
CLA members’ Game Fair DEAL Members of the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) will benefit from a promotional ticket rate for The Game Fair at Hatfield House on 28-30 July. CLA members will be able to get an advance ticket for just £20, compared to the normal £22.50 or £27 on the gate. CLA director general, Helen Woolley, said: “The Game Fair is a great celebration of the British countryside and we are pleased that CLA members have the opportunity to enjoy it this year in the beautiful setting of Hatfield House.” James Gower, managing director of The Game Fair, added: “CLA members have a long and close association with The Game Fair. They are the people that live and work in the countryside and so we are thrilled to offer them a promotional rate.” For more details, visit thegamefair.org.
New-look Airgun Shooter hits shelves Airgun Shooter magazine has had a complete revamp with new content and a fresh look – and readers are now able to discover what’s in the new edition after it went on general sale on 20 April. With editor-in-chief Mike Morton at the helm, the magazine has introduced a host of new features, each with the aim of increasing reader interest. The price of the magazine remains the same, and the new-look issue offers a cover-mounted CD with 60 minutes of airgunning video absolutely free. “The magazine has had a huge revamp, and it does look very different, but the changes I’ve made are more than merely superficial,” said Mike Morton. “There’s an awful lot of information packed into those pages and I hope everyone reading the magazine will get a lot out of it, whether it’s a tip, technique or gear review. “While hunting is a core activity for many airgun shooters, reader response told us there was a clear need for more varied content, particularly target shooting, so I’ve introduced a whole section curated by FT and HFT aficionado Mark Camoccio. “We’ve also managed to secure an interview with Olympic and Commonwealth shooter Jennifer McIntosh, who’s passed on a few of her medal-winning tips.
“Our readers really know their stuff, and another thing that’s come across loud and clear when listening to their feedback is the value of our reviews. My pledge is to deliver reviews that are impartial, objective and fair. “I’ve mentioned our readers a lot – and that’s because they’re the most important ingredient in any magazine. It’s written by us, for them.” Subscribe to Airgun Shooter today – visit myfavouritemagazines.co.uk or call 0344 848 2852.
Remington returns to UK Remington Arms has appointed Raytrade UK, a subsidiary of Australian firearms giant Raytrade, as the new exclusive distributor of Remington and its associated brands in the UK. Raytrade UK’s Hampshire-based facility has been completed and first shipments of stock have now arrived. Remington products previously came to the UK through Edgar Brothers, but after it switched its distribution to subsidiary company Remington Outdoor (UK) in 2013, shooters complained of a lack of availability of guns and ammunition. Now, Raytrade UK intends to rectify that across a number of brands including Remington, Marlin, Barnes, Dakota Arms, Bushmaster – though it did say it will pare some product lines down in order to ensure it holds sufficient quantities of stock. Prospective customers interested in where to find Remington Arms rifles and accessories should contact their local dealers or Raytrade UK direct on 01635 253344 or sales@raytradeuk.co.uk.
SPORTING RIFLE
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News: The latest issues
Licensing needs national oversight
steps which will improve licensing and
trading on Ebay since 2004, but is now
enhance public safety.”
stepping up its game and showing off its
BASC has backed calls for greater national
SYSS support streams in
oversight of firearms licensing, and says it would assist in making this a reality. Following a report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the Home Office has been called on to review national guidance on firearms licensing. BASC’s Bill Harriman said: “The lack of national oversight and direction for firearms licensing compounds the lack of training for firearms enquiry officers at a local level. There is no national safeguard for any failing constabulary. The problem is further aggravated by the widespread inconsistency in firearms licensing
The South Yorkshire Shooting Show has announced an array of new exhibitors and sponsors, including GMK, the UK importer
flagship brands, including Atom optics and Chameleon Hides. Visit the site and see all the gear: www.inyoursights.co.uk
NI online licensing a goer?
of Sako and Tikka rifles. British airgun
BASC has launched a consultation
giant Daystate has also recently confirmed
on Police Service NI’s plans to move
its attendance. Viking Arms, Night Master,
firearms licensing in Northern Ireland
Swillington Shooting Supplies and
entirely online. BASC’s ‘Northern Ireland
Pentagon Jeep are already on the list of
Licensing Survey’ is anonymous, should
supporters. The show takes place on 30
take less than two minutes to complete
September and 1 October at Doncaster
and information provided will be treated
Racecourse – for more information, visit
in strictest confidence. Its findings will
www.southyorkshireshootingshow.com or call 01274 548342.
be used to provide an evidence-based response to the PSNI. Printed versions of the survey have been sent to all BASC
staff in those departments. BASC has
In Your Sights launches dedicated website
vast experience in firearms licensing
Shooting gear retailers In Your Sights have
also been sent to those members in NI
issues and, as the UK’s largest shooting
expanded their operation to include a new
that have registered email addresses with
organisation, will willingly support any
retail website. The company has been
the association.
administrative practice by police forces and the workload placed on officers and
members in Northern Ireland. Emails containing a weblink and password have
Countryside Alliance refused charity status The Commission’s response suggested that the CA might have a business element that would preclude it gaining charitable status. It wrote: “In relation to the promotion of game or game production, it appears... that the primary result of the furtherance of this purpose is private benefit accruing to those commercially involved in the production of game for eating. “Further, some of the research published by the Alliance appears to be promoting particular activities or points of view rather than being balanced educational research,
and the concept of relieving need ‘in relation to rural economies’ generally is too wide to be exclusively charitable.” Critics of the decision have already pointed out that organisations such as the League of against Cruel Sports do not appear to bound by the same rules, despite their explicit promotion of antishooting viewpoints. CA head Tim Bonner said the decision exposed a “fundamental problem with charity legislation” and that the Allliance will now consider an appeal against the decision.
Credit: James F Carter
The Charity Commission has turned down an application made by the Countryside Alliance, citing activities it said “do not fall within a description of purpose... recognised in law as being a purpose which may be charitable.” The Alliance already has a charitable arm, which was granted its status in 2007, but applied to become a charity in its own right in 2014. Status as a charity carries considerable advantages, including exemption from stamp duty, capital gains tax and inheritance tax, as well as the ability to reclaim tax from donations via the gift aid incentive.
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Letters: Readers’ views
Mailbag
Send us your letters – or email colin.fallon@futurenet.com for a chance to win a great prize
WIN
SIX OF THE WORST?
Each month, the best letter wins a bottle of King’s Ginger – the ideal drink to enjoy after a cold stalk. For more details visit www.thekingsginger.com
HI ANXIETY
Dear Sporting Rifle, I put pen to paper as an avid reader of your magazine over numerous years, and get great satisfaction from the articles, stories and information contained within. One of the features I look forward to is the ‘spot the difference’ competitions. Some of these are downright devious in their presentation, and with old eyes can take some time to locate – though I’ve never been beaten yet. But your April 2017 issue brought into play an interesting scenario… there seem to be more than five differences. Was it done on purpose? The lower photograph of Mike Powell has been shifted slightly towards the right, which creates more differences – a single leaf showing in the top left corner, a gap from the next leaf down to the edge of the photo, more of Mike’s hair showing at the back of his head… Since (I suspect) the photo has been presented slightly out of alignment during printing, would it be correct to circle the whole left-hand side as a difference? Or does someone at Sporting Rifle HQ have a strange sense of humour? Ron Thanks to the many of you getting in touch with similar queries on recent competitions – it appears we need to get the magnifying glasses out at Sporting Rifle towers… However, we’ve decided to be lenient with entries and accept any that circles five credible differences – not just the five we were thinking of.
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star letter
Dear Sporting Rifle, In response to Robert Bucknell’s article about the foxing suitability of his new Toyota Hilux (Sporting Rifle June 2017): I too have recently acquired a new pick-up, and found an orchestra of bleeps, bells and whistles living behind the dashboard to accompany nearly every operation. What I’ve found so far is: - The lights cannot be turned off - The handbrake bleeps - Move the vehicle without the seatbelt on and it tells you off - Go near long stubble or grass and the sensors go mad - Open the door while it’s running and another chime goes off - Go over deep holes or ruts and something else gets upset You might as well drive round with your favourite ELO track (‘Mr Blue Sky’, since you ask) booming out. A lovely truck, but not good for keeping a low profile (or foxing). Regards, Steve