On the ammo box it says .22 LR subsonic are dangerous up to 1½ miles - can one of these bullets kill a long distance away?
Rifles
Do we rely on scopes too much?
I once went out on the hill with an old stalker who bemoaned the use of bipods. This struck me as odd, because I would have thought using bipods meant fewer missed shots and, more importantly, fewer wounded beasts. But according to him, in using a bipod, his guests tended…
The 6.5mm Creedmoor round – why stalkers are talking about it
Q: I keep hearing about a new round called the 6.5mm Creedmoor and friends say it is the best cartridge for deer. Is that true? A: The 6.5 Creedmoor is one of the new wave of cartridges designed to get the best possible ballistics from an efficient case design. The…
Is this the most exciting indoor shooting range ever?
A buffalo is staring straight at me. I hear my heart pounding in my ears and then the recoil hits me as I pull the trigger on my Holland & Holland 500. I’m not in Africa, nor am I dreaming, I’m in Middlesex on the brand-new Schiesskino range at the…
How do you carry a rifle when woodland stalking?
What is the best way to carry a rifle when woodland deer stalking?
What’s a good second-hand rifle for deer stalking?
Q: I want my son to come out stalking with me; he is keen and a good shot. Can you recommend a good-value second-hand rifle? Will any brand be OK providing the rifle meets the right specifications, and if so what specifications should I be looking for? A: It is…
£1,200 for a new rifle. What should I buy?
A: That is a good budget for a decent rifle, with the Tikka T3, Schultz & Larsen, Steyr Mannlicher CL2, Strasser RS Solo or Browning X-Bolt, to name a few, all around that price level. Any one of these rifles will be a good and reliable choice. You need to…
Hunting rifles – Parker Hale M81
The M81 rifle was Parker Hale’s top-of-the-range hunting/stalking rifle and completed a portfolio of bolt-action rifles. These included classic, clip feed, deluxe, standard, African and varmint grades, to name a few. Pure English styling The M81 was a refined version of the hugely popular 1200 model rifle, with more classic styling, and was introduced in 1986.…
The Sauer 404 bolt-action rifle
The 202, the predecessor of the 404 was launched in 1993 and was seen as one of the best rifles around. However, the new 404 has many mechanical improvements over the 202, one being the safety catch. When you push the safety catch up to make the rifle “live”, you are physically cocking the rifle. Moving the safety catch…
On test: Schultz & Larsen Legacy .223
Schultz & Larsen (S&L) comes from Denmark and has a long history of making precision rifles and barrels. It has become a household name for its excellent cut rifled barrels and its new CNC machinery produces quality at an a ordable price. Schultz & Larsen offers a good range for stalking rifles and this Legacy model is designed for…
Difficulty cleaning a rifle
A: Cleanliness is next to godliness but when cleaning a rifle, especially the action area, it is very difficult to clean the section where the bolt recesses into the action. The locking lug area in a rifle’s action accumulates primer residue, cleaning solvents, debris and brass chips. These can all affect a rifle’s performance. I use a Sinclair…
Am I using too much powder when I reloading a cartridge?
A reader asked: I see you quote some reload data in your rifle tests but when I load the same weight powder it does not always all go in. What am I doing wrong? Shooting Times’ rifle reviewer and stalker, Bruce Potts had this advice for reloading a cartridge: You are doing…
How can I touch up a scuffed synthetic stock?
A reader asked: How do you touch up a synthetic stock? Mine is really scratched. Shooting Times rifle reviewer and stalker, Bruce Potts, had this advice for airgun maintenance: Synthetic stocks can be practical against knocks and scratches and keeping a rifle’s zero from shifting as, unlike wooden stocks, they don’t warp in bad…
Should a scope be sitting tight in the scope mount?
A reader asked this question about tight scope mounts: I have fitted a new scope to my .243 stalking rifle and it is very tight in the scope mount. Is this right? I don’t want to over-tighten and damage the scope’s body. Shooting Times’ rifle reviewer and stalker, Bruce Potts had…
Why has my rifle suddenly become inaccurate?
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…
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…