Fieldtester looks deeper, so you choose smarter
Sergio Couto gives his boots a hard time. As a professional stalking guide, he’s out day after day in all weathers – and he’s very impressed with the Gateway 1 Pheasant Game wellies, a Danish brand that’s made in China. “They’re tough, really tough,” he says, “Comfortable too.” He explains
youtu.be/7190vX1FS-M A good thermal spotter is pretty much essential for any gamekeeper or pest controller nowadays. The iRay E3 and E6 series covers most requirements, with four models in the range, all offering excellent performance in a convenient shape that fits neatly in the palm of your hand. The basic
youtu.be/iC8P-UXEWCM The iRay FH25R could be the perfect tool for deer stalkers, fox shooters, and anyone else who needs to spot quarry and measure the range – all in one pocket-sized, robust, hand-held monocular. The FH25R fits neatly in the palm of your hand and offers tremendous performance from a
youtu.be/5cPDDghFbt0 The Merkel K series isn’t the gun for everyone; it’s a top-lever break-barrel single-shot rifle that you wouldn’t choose for a big deer culling job or pest control. But the K3 and now the K5 have a loyal following among hunting purists who are all about the one perfect
youtu.be/Djt9MrQ1dqM This Ruger Hawkeye Hunter is an intriguing mixture of traditional and modern – a hunting rifle with the time-tested Mauser style bolt-action and walnut stock, combined with Cerakote coated stainless steel and a 22 inch barrel threaded for a moderator. It’s available in the UK in a limited edition
youtu.be/LfHUuOj9f1w The iRay Clip CH50 is a thermal device you can clip on the front of a regular daytime rifle scope to turn it into a thermal scope – ideal for switching from daytime hunting to night-time pest control, without the need to change scopes and re-zero. As well as
youtu.be/Bx8E3eUZCzg When you’re serious about pest control, only the best will do – and iRay’s flagship Rico RH50 riflescope offers outstanding quality. “I’ve used just about every unit that’s available, and this is the best image I’ve seen on a thermal riflescope so far,” says Ryan Charlton from distributors Highland
youtu.be/x0EJjq02hOU iRay UK offer a range of thermal spotters and scopes – their E3n featured here is an entry level spotter, priced at £1,169.95. It’s pocket sized with a compact and handy design, and offers serious performance with a typical battery life of around seven hours. “This model has a
youtu.be/YE7ZtKUx3Dk The iRay TL35 might look and handle like a regular daylight rifle scope – but inside is cutting edge thermal technology, allowing you to shoot day or night even in bad weather conditions such as heavy fog and rain. “It’s super simple, lightweight and easy handling,” says Ryan Charlton
youtu.be/yhSUwgxHjV8 The Mossberg MVP LC is a great little compact rifle that would be ideal for a gamekeeper working out of a pick-up truck. A bolt-action, it borrows some of the features of a tactical AR type rifle, such as the extending stock which can be shortened in an instant
youtu.be/MPNcd9Rk1DU The Mossberg Patriot is a good honest rifle built to get the job done. “It’s what I’d class as a gamekeeper’s gun,” says Andy Norris from distributors Viking Arms. “It does what it says on the tin, and for a terrific price of under £600.” This is the Patriot
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAiOyY–OzM If you’re after a basic, working rifle with no frills, the Ruger American Ranch could be exactly what you’re looking for. “It’s a Ruger – so it’s rugged, it’s reliable, and it does what it’s supposed to do,” says Andy Norris of distributors Viking Arms. “It’s a great little
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjs69fmY5A8 Following on from the huge success of Ruger’s Precision Centrefire rifle, the gunmaker has produced a Rimfire version – and that’s gone down a storm too. The Ruger Precision Rimfire is a faithfully downsized version of the centrefire rifle, and comes in .22LR, .22WMR and .17HMR. Conceived as a
youtu.be/NqZ1DH6Ymi8 Italian gunmaker Breda has made some cracking semi-autos over the past 100 years or so. More recently they’ve turned their skills to making over-and-unders – and the Zenith is going down well with clay and game shooters alike. This one is the game model, the Zenith L. It’s steel
youtu.be/Cc-bV_-f4h4 Jason Gibson of Vario Hearables travels many miles to shoots up and down the country, so he needs to keep his guns and cartridges secure in his vehicle. He’s fitted a TransK9 Translock storage drawer in his BMW X5. “I absolutely love it,” he says, “and it gets a
youtu.be/bmfc7LrYynA Becky McKenzie is one of Britain’s top lady Sporting shots, and a clay shooting coach – so who better to run through the essential kit you should carry in your bag when you go to a competition? Skeet vest – “Mine’s by Clayclo, it’s a fairly new clothing company
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQAZzp1AjiM The Mossberg Model 500 pump-action .410 needs little introduction, at least to British gamekeepers and pest controllers. For them it’s an invaluable working tool, especially when fitted with the Hushpower moderator, which cuts the sound of the little .410 cartridge down to a mere pop. “This gun is just
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o8iPrTORkk For years serious clay shooters have chosen between the two Bs, Beretta and Browning. Now there’s a third B to consider: Breda – and their Zenith Sporter is certainly attracting attention. The Zenith Sporter is a brand new design from this Italian manufacturer which has been making guns for
youtu.be/hocd42pb8t4 Legendary fox shooter Robert Bucknell has spent years refining his go-to foxing rifle set-up – and he reckons he’s got it just about perfect. He’s been using his current rifle for a couple of years – it’s based around a CAM action set in a carbon fibre stock. “It’s
Tom Davies from Dartmoor Deer Services compares the Pulsar Accolade 2 LRF XP50 with his trusty old Pulsar Helion XQ50, and says what the differences are. For more, visit ThomasJacks.co.uk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3doV6bq3fw The Leupold VX5 HD 2-10×42 would make a great rifle scope on a centrefire for stalking – but deer manager and restauranteur Mike Robinson has fitted it to his .17HMR. “This is a cracking scope which I’d happily use on my main deer rifle. It goes up to 10x
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPt8CfysjPI The Haenel Jaeger 10 series are classic bolt-action hunting rifles from the Merkel factory in Suhl, Germany. Viking Arms import two models – this is the more modern looking version, the Pro, with an adjustable synthetic stock. “This one is designed for the professional stalker who’s out in extreme
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ_IFsJ12iI The Haenel Jaeger 10 series are classic bolt-action hunting rifles from the Merkel factory in Suhl, Germany. Viking Arms import two models – the adjustable synthetic stocked Pro, and the Heritage range you see here, with Grade 4 wood stock. “It’s a great working bit of kit with a
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLiDlPygFJQ Mike Robinson is a big fan of Savage rifles. As a professional deer manager and game chef he uses them daily, and values their accuracy, smooth operation and ruggedness. He’s excited about his latest acquisition, a Savage 110 Ultralite in 6.5mm Creedmoor. “Not only is it incredibly light, it’s
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBrT0sktCAE Mike Robinson’s rifles are the tools of his trade. As a professional deer manager and game chef he uses them daily, and demands faultless performance in all conditions. His go-to deer rifle is the Savage 110 High Country. “I love proper old fashioned bolt-action rifles, and what I love
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdnwOgM0_1c The double rifle is a classic design, the pride and joy of any manufacturer’s product range – and this Merkel really is a beauty. “The only way really to make a double rifle is the traditional way, with craftsmen – and in the Merkel factory in Suhl they still
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9H1xhbW4xc Cornish deerstalker Ollie Williams has been testing the Seeland Hawker Advance set of jacket and trousers – and he’s impressed. The Hawker Advance jacket is a technical shell jacket designed to withstand any weather conditions while being light weight and low noise. It has a windproof and waterproof Seetex
Scope caps are a small thing, but they can make all the difference to a day’s deer stalking, as professional deer manager Mike Robinson explains. “I spent ten hours on the hill in Scotland, in driving rain all day long. At the end of the day, when I finally came
www.youtube.com/watch?v=itN2Tftq2SE If you had to pick one rifle scope for every type of hunting, from driven boar to alpine chamois and everything in-between, what would you choose? For Fieldtester’s Tim Pilbeam, it would have to be the Swarovski 3.5-28×50 P. Why? “This scope does the lot,” he says. He’s been
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrp9gwp5sSk A good quality rifle scope is important to Mike Robinson in his role as a professional deer manager – and he’s more than happy with his Leupold VX6 HD 4-24×52. In fact he has two, one on each of his 6.5mm Creedmoor chambered rifles. “Particularly when deer are under
One glance at the Breda 930i will tell you it’s a top of the range semi-automatic shotgun made for competition clay shooting. Its distinctive looks set it apart from other guns on the market, with its stylish Italian lines, polished receiver and blue or red anodised parts including the trigger
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qgOYSAydME You want to buy a rifle and you’ve got a budget of £1,500. There’s plenty to choose from in that price range, so some expert advice is good – and who better to ask than Cluny Country Guns in Fife? They’re keen shooters themselves, stock a huge range of
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M_wS6ZIZXI What’s the best pellet to use in your airgun? Johnny Muston from R&K Stockcraft says it’s all about accuracy, and that means there are three main things to consider. “What rifle you’ve got, what calibre it is, and what you’re going to use it for.” Once he knows the
So you’ve got £5,000 to spend on a new shotgun – lucky you! What are you going to choose? Obviously you’ll want your new gun to be future proofed, so it’ll need to be proofed for steel shot. An over-and-under is the most popular choice, for good reason. But that
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTwPP8DTlMY Ammunition choice is critical to Mike Robinson. He’s a deer manager, and wants to achieve reliable, quick, humane, one-shot kills on the deer he shoots. But he’s also a chef and restauranteur, so it’s important to minimise any wastage of meat or carcass contamination. That’s why he uses just
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK8305bQnTU After your rifle, scope and binoculars, one of the stalker’s most important pieces of equipment is a knife. There are hundreds to choose from, ranging from high-end brands down to the cheap ’n cheerful knives. They all get the job done – but that wasn’t enough for professional stalker
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlGyx1WExB0 You don’t need to spend a fortune to get set up for fox shooting, but it helps to have a bit of expert advice. Ian Hodge of Ian Hodge Fieldsports is just the chap to turn to. He’s helped hundreds of customers kit themselves out with great value gear
Semi-auto shotguns have a lot going for them. They offer great value, along with smooth shooting and minimal recoil. A semi-auto is great for wildfowling or in a pigeon hide, but they’re also popular with rough shooters and gamekeepers – and they’re favoured by a good few clay shooters too.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUgvh-_rF7E GRS have forged a great reputation among rifle shooters worldwide for their CNC machined, hand finished rifle stocks. GRS stocks are renowned for their design and ergonomics. As GRS’s Oscar Haugen puts it, “We make people shoot more accurately because the rifles fit them better.” Ryan Charlton, from GRS
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8EidVeyC_A A modern precision rifle chassis system offers the ultimate in accuracy, but it might be a step too far for the traditionally minded rifle shooter who wants the fit and feel of a ‘proper’ rifle stock. That’s where the MDT XRS Chassis System fits in. It’s a hybrid system
It’s a surprisingly common problem for shotgun shooters. They look down the barrels and see wear and pitting, and assume they have worn the barrels out with the number of shots they’ve fired. Maybe they even blame steel shot for causing the wear. But they’re wrong. Matt Simpson, of Simpson
You can spend a large sum of money on a high end scope, but will it actually put more meat in the freezer? Of course a top end scope may give you a few more minutes’ shooting at dawn and dusk, but Dan Pool of Braces of Bristol thinks there’s
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpvof0aELQw “This isn’t just the fastest gun in the west – this is the fastest gun in the world!” says Andy Norris from Merkel distributors Viking Arms. He’s shooting the Merkel Helix Speedster – and he’s loving it. Originally developed for wild boar hunting, the Speedster is now the most
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2iTcSYZTr4 Every deerstalker needs a good pair of binoculars, but until you’ve tried rangefinding binoculars you might not know just how useful they can be. It’s not just about measuring the range before taking a shot; rangefinders can help you plan your stalk, as Richard Ryan from GPO’s UK distributor
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXRXpZOelJc When you take accuracy seriously, only the best will do – and the Furiosa chassis from Woox is reckoned to be one of the best-crafted precision shooting chassis in the world. Designed in the USA and made in Italy, the Furiosa is a drop-in system that requires no extra
Many people have turned their hand to making rifle stocks over the years, but few have got it right, and been able to produce them in sufficient quantity. Peter McGregor, the owner of FORM Stocks, is one of those few. “I first met Peter several years ago, and he was
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoaywkd6hvA The Remington Model 700 rifle is legendary. First produced in 1962, nearly 60 years later it’s still in production, with an unparalleled reputation for dependability and out-of-the-box accuracy, relied on by elite military units and law enforcement around the world. Richard Ryan, of Remington’s UK distributors Raytrade UK, is
If you are thinking of a hunting app, the two market leaders are Huntstand and MyFieldsports (called MyHunt outside the UK). Huntstand from the USA has an American heritage steeped in hunts for whitetail deer. MyFieldsports is the UK version of MyHunt, and can’t escape its Germanic heritage. There’s a
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-RxcKlLigI Top military tailor Jonathan Macintyre has a shop in Wellington Barracks, SW1 and, as well as making military uniforms, he makes shooting shooting suits. Here’s how he does it. For more about Jonathan, visit JMCleanCutTailoring.comClick here for Jonathan’s views on shooting clothing sizing.
youtu.be/6ZyTpZLMLaEWhen you’re serious about your shooting, you need a special kind of rifle – and that’s what you get with the Bergara Premier Ridgeback, says James Fowler from the importer RUAG, who is also a competition target shooter. It aims to provide near custom performance from an off-the-shelf rifle at an
