Fieldtester looks deeper, so you choose smarter
Beretta and Tikka are part of the same manufacturing group, their rifles are different, but they go head-to-head on price. Ian Hodge from Cornish and online gunshop Ian Hodge Fieldsports explains what’s to like about each – and says which one is his favourite. For more about Ian Hodge Fieldsports,
youtu.be/Fv24ZjTUTRI The Spanish-made Bergara rifle company is making its pitch as a reliable African big game rifle. Zaakir Badat tries it out in South Africa and says what he thinks of it. Visit Bergara.online See our film buffalo hunting film: youtu.be/C9zBhMaAm8s
youtu.be/qxyi7YrwXMg We visit the Heym factory in Germany, talk to Büchsenmachermeister or master gunsmith Rico Stephan about how Heym makes its famous lightweight double, and South African dangerous game specialist Mynhard Herholdt, who runs the Northern Cape Professional Hunting School, explains why he chooses Heym doubles. For more, go to
Ian Hodge says that more and more of his customers are choosing to buy one rifle for all their deerstalking, and the .308 is a popular calibre as it can deal with all six of the UK’s deer species. He picks out the most popular value-for-money options that he sells
Lewis Macfarlane showcases the Bergara B14 Stoke, a centrefire rifle that’s been designed from the ground up for smaller statured shooters, with a shorter stock and fore-end, and a pistol grip optimised for small hands. It is still a capable rifle for stalking or vermin control, and ideal for new
Bergara’s man in the UK, Lewis MacFarlane, talks about the Bergara Crest Carbon fullbore rifle – the one with the ‘aggressive’ palm swell. For more from Bergara via distributor Artemis Outdoors, visit Bit.ly/aobergara To watch all of Fieldsports Britain, episode 769, visit FieldsportsChannel.tv/fieldsportsbritain769 More from Bergara here:
Ryan Charlton of distributors Highland Outdoors runs through the features of the astoundingly lightweight – at just 4.7 lbs – Howa Superlite rifle. Find out more at Highland Outdoors HighlandOutdoors.co.uk More rifle reviews here
Sako rifles have always been known for their quality. Robin Shedden of Cluny Country Guns fondly remembers his Sako 75, which would put bullets into a thumbnail sized group at 180 yards every time. “That’s what you’re getting with Sako: quality,” he says. Since then we’ve seen the Sako 85
A big heavy rifle is fine for the range, but what if you’re walking the hills all day and still need to take a precise long shot when the opportunity presents itself? That’s where the Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT really shines. It’s a lightweight, precision bolt-action rifle, available in a
youtu.be/GP_uJAlAFPI Fancy a new Tikka? Staffordshire and online gunshop Shooting Sports UK is offering a saving of £750 on a complete stalking package that includes a Tikka Superlite rifle in your choice of calibre, mounts, Steiner scope, Stalon moderator, carbon fibre bipod, shooting sticks, and an Outdoor Edge knife, all
Rimfire rifles are still as popular as ever, says Ian Hodge of West Country gunshop and online retailer Ian Hodge Fieldsports – and his two best sellers are the semi-auto Ruger 10-22 and the Browning T-Bolt. The Ruger is in .22 calibre, while he picks a T-Bolt in .17HMR. Both
Browning has unveiled the latest version of its hugely successful Browning Automatic Rifle, the BAR 4X, which promises improved accuracy and a modular sighting system so you can personalise the rifle to your needs. It comes in four grades of finish, with a choice of engraving, stock shapes and wood,
Gone are the days of fitting a huge, heavy moderator on the end of your barrel, making the rifle unbalanced and unwieldy. That’s the view of Robbie Shedden of Cluny Country. His company import the Freyr & Devik range of moderators which are lighter and more efficient than anything that’s
youtu.be/1RDybiYIi9g Fresh from hunting with the new Sako 100 in .375H&H in Mozambique, professional deer manager Paul Childerley learns how to removed and swap the barrel. Sako product manager Taneli Pokkinen recommends a switch-calibre platform for cross-season hunting. The Sako 100 is a versatile, future-proof platform designed for an advanced
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MXo8BnRUDA Cluny Country is a Blaser main dealer. Robbie Shedden explains the various options for the Blaser R8 rifle. Click here for more on Cluny Country’s Blasers More from Cluny Country here:
youtu.be/WMyNejO_u-c Foxshooter Doug Pocklington loves his .243 Tikka T3X Lite rifle. “They’re a good all-rounder,” he says. “They’re reasonably priced, accurate and reliable.” Doug says he depends on the Tikka’s accuracy for 200-300 rounds, until he decides it could do with a good clean. “It’s scary accurate, but if I
RUAG have introduced two new rimfire models to the UK – the Bergara BMR. This one is the steel action model; there’s also a Carbon model. The price is very competitive, with the Steel version selling for £560. It comes in three calibres: .22LR, .17HMR and .22WMR. This one is
youtu.be/k7m2W2ugfi4 RUAG have introduced two new rimfire models to the UK – the Bergara BMR. This one is the Carbon model; there’s also a Steel model. This rifle is very lightweight, at just 5 lbs with the 18-inch barrel. It’s competitively priced too, at £640 retail. It comes in three
youtu.be/QZXy8MyC8XA Jason Doyle was keen to try the Ruger American Hunter rifle with its Magpul stock. “I had a lightweight Ruger American in .308 a few years ago, and really liked it,” he says. “I was always impressed by its accuracy.” His only problem with that rifle was the stock,
CZ has launched a new generation of bolt-action centrefire rifles, the CZ 600 range, with a unique modular design that offers improved reliability, durability, ergonomics, safety and accuracy. The new CZ 600 models replace the previous centrefire rifles in the company’s range. The new guns were well received by shooting
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/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/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
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=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=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
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
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=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
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
Gun fit is a big issue in shotgun shooting, but people forget it’s important for rifle shooting too. Your cheek needs to be resting nicely on the comb, so your head is always in the same place in relation to the scope for the best accuracy and consistent groups. That’s
So: you’ve got your Firearms Certificate, you’ve got permission to shoot rabbits on a local farm, and you’re itching to go shooting. There’s just one hurdle left: you need a rifle and scope that are up to the job. So what’s the best rimfire rifle package for a reasonable price,
Why buy a Savage B17? Half of the Fieldsports Channel audience (who own a rimfire) own the Czech-made CZ/Brno rimfires – check out our rimfire research. However, drill down those numbers and you find that the Czech rifles are getting elderly in the hands of our viewers (the average age
Purists look at foxshooting doyen Robert Bucknell’s set-up and are appalled. Until recently, he had a CAM rifle, which is in ‘practical rifle’ territory and not the usual foxshooter’s choice of heavy barrel with bipod. And, to make it a more comfortable fit, he built up the cheek pad with
Why would you want a .22 rimfire version of a centrefire Hunter Match Rifle? The obvious answer is running costs. With the price of centrefire ammo, a .22 rimfire allows you to practise to your heart’s content without worrying about the cost. But it’s also a lovely little rifle
How about a rifle that you can take down like a shotgun and pack into a rucksack? That’s the Bergara BA13 TD take-down rifle. “It’s a little single shot, break action rifle and it’s incredible,” says James Fowler of distributors RUAG. “It gets called the keeper’s gun because it’s
What rifle do you choose when you work for the importer and could take your pick? For James Fowler of RUAG there was no hesitation – he tried the Bergara B14 and fell in love straight away. “It’s a versatile rifle that you can use for hunting or match
Robbie Sheddon of Cluny Country Guns takes us through a selection of night vision and thermal scopes for less than a grand. They are: Yukon Photon RT, £599 Yukon Sightline N450, £759 Yukon Sightline N470, £819 Pulsar Axion Key XM22, £869 Starting off with the Yukon Photon RT: “This
The Savage Model 110 is the oldest continuously-manufactured bolt-action rifle in the USA. Call something a ‘High Country’ and it means this is a the version that breaks new borders, that’s used by pioneers and true outdoorsmen. North Carolinans have a western part of their state they call the
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