CLA Game Fair 2012 - CANCELLED

Sadly, I have to report that the countryside extravaganza that is the CLA Game Fair - this year taking place at Belvoir Castle, Grantham in Leicestershire - has been cancelled.


Another major casualty of the inclement British summer we're experiencing, and a major loss not only for the show organisers, but also for the many traders who rely on the business they do both at, and subsequent to, the Fair.


A shame - I'm sure most show-goers (and exhibitors) would be more than happy to brave the weather with Barbours and wellies... but this is Britain, and all the red-tape that surrounds these public events was simply too much to cut through... even for the Country Land and Business Association.

CLA Director General Helen Woolley said: "I am extremely sad to say the heavy rain in the run-up to this year's CLA Game Fair has left us with no choice but to take the heartbreaking decision to cancel the show. It is a devastating blow for the CLA team, contractors, exhibitors and the hoards of visitors and guests who make the CLA Game Fair the world's greatest country show.

"I feel enormously sorry for all those who were so looking forward to this year's event. The CLA Game Fair will return next year."

More can be found on the Game Fair's website here.

AIR RIFLE or RIMFIRE?

The Shooting Show: sub-12ft/lb .177 Air Wolf v rimfire .17HMR 

It's often a question I'm asked - which is best: rimfire or air rifle? It's usually followed by a further question, relating to the air rifle: sub-12ft/lb or FAC-rated?


There's probably no 'right' answer - each has their merits as explained in the video shot for TheShootingShow channel on YouTube, where I was invited along to shoot rabbits with my 11ft/lb .177 calibre Air Wolf alongside a .17HMR pest controller on his patch of land.


In the (fairly short) time we each had, the score was 2-2 - though I picked up both my bunnies, and Mark, the .17 shooter, only one as he unfortunately had a 'runner'.


The grass was very long, and there was a strong breeze, so even though I had a great vantage point on top of the 4x4, I chose to limit my range. As tempting as the bunnies were at 50 yards, off a bipod, the land was alien to me and the conditions just added that little bit too much of a risk. My rabbits were therefore taken at 38 and 43 yards (I used a laser rangefinder to mark points beforehand).


Mark took his rabbits around 20 yards further on - and could easily have stretched that range further if it wasn't for the stems of the long grass blowing about in the breeze.


We shooters agreed that for out-and-out pest control, the rimfire probably had the advantage - but Mark (who hasn't shot an air rifle in years) was suitably impressed with the air rifle's capability... and the fact that it was so accurate even in the wind on 40 yarders. Plus, of course, this head-to-head finished even-stevens.


That said, we were both minced by the 'third' competitor in the challenge - long nets!


Watch the full video here.

AIR BOTTLE TESTING - IMPORTANT INFO

I took a couple of diver's scuba tanks - which  I use for filling my precharged pneumatic air rifles - into the dive centre this morning... and found out something that I never knew. 


One needed to be sent away for a full hydrostatic test; the other was still 'in date' and could be filled there and then. As many PCP owners will know, if you fill up from an air bottle, for that scuba tank to be itself filled with breathing air by a diving centre, it must be 'in test'. 


But this is where things get complicated. Surface-use-only valves only need to be tested every five years (a full, hydrostatic test). Those bottle with valves which could be used underwater for diving - regardless of whether they are or not - need to be tested every two-and-a-half years. The tests alternate between a visual and a hydrostatic test.


How to tell which type of valve you have? Well, if your tank has a gauge pre-fitted to the valve - like this slow-flow 'Jubilee' valve from MDE (below) - it's 'surface-use-only and requires a full hydrostatic test every five years. 

Surface-use-only valve (it's got an integral gauge)

However, if it has not got an integral gauge fitted, like the one below, then even if you tell the diving centre that you've never taken it underwater, they will still treat it as a below-surface valve and, as such, the bottle to which it's attached will need to be tested every two-and-a-half years - visual, hydro, visual, hydro... and so on.

Below-surface valve (no integral gauge)

 
But here's the thing I learned from my dive centre this morning. If you have a bottle with a below-surface valve, make sure you get it into the dive centre pretty close to its test date when it's due for the visual test - because if you leave it too long after, the dive centre will probably want to give it a full hydrostatic test. This, of course, costs around twice as much!


I learned the hard way. Although my bottle was technically due a two-and-a-half year visual, because I'd left it almost a year - as it was full at 'clockover' date, and because it's only my 3-litre 'emergency' bottle which I rarely use, I'd had no cause to take it in to the dive centre - I got thumped with a £42 bill instead of a £25 bill!


So... I just thought I'd pass this info on. Check your scuba bottle's test expiry date - either etched in the bottle, or on  a sticker - and don't leave it too long afterwards before you decide to take it to your dive centre for its scheduled test! 

Diana 280 - tune-up

The standard length Diana 280 - a rifle which responds well to a tune-up

While I tend to do the majority of my hunting with a PCP these days, I'm still very much a committed springer fan. One of the new rifles that's really tempted me into parting with my cash is the Diana Mod 280 break-barrel; it's very reminiscent of my old Feinwerkbau Sport, being lightweight, well balanced, sleek and with quite a snappy firing cycle. 


Actually, a little too 'snappy' in my favourite, shorter-barrelled 'K' configuration - which, I believe, is a UK-only model. Anyway, that's why I didn't succumb to adding one to my armoury.


Then I met up with keen airgunner, Tony Leach, at this year's British Shooting Show who'd just bought a UK-specced Diana 280K with the intention to tune it up. I know him to be pretty much a dab-hand at getting the best out of springers, so I asked him if he'd let me know how it turned out - which he's now done courtesy of his AirgunTech blog, here.


Having read it, I think I'm probably going to treat myself to a Diana 280 - the 'K', I reckon - and then give it to Tony to work his magic on. Just as I thought when I tested the original Mod. 280 (pictured), it's a lovely little air rifle with a massively huge potential if worked upon.  

BSA resumes spring gun production in Birmingham - UPDATE

BSA springers - UK production now not confirmed after all...

Well, BSA are certainly springing us some surprises. No sooner does Martin Lowe, MD of BSA Guns, ring me with the news of spring gun production resuming at their Birmingham factory... than he's replaced as MD by Simon Moore, BSA's former General Manager!


The shock change of personnel at the top was accompanied with a press release from Britain's iconic gunmaker which says, I quote:


'Simon also commented upon the recent communication that BSA Spring Guns are imminently returning to Birmingham. "I rule nothing in nor out at this stage. However, the strategic direction of BSA as a brand is under review. Manufacturing location is not important, technical expertise, and heritage is the key. No decision has been made on the issue at this time."'


I've since spoken with Simon, who refused to be drawn either way regarding the information that the previous incumbent had informed myself (and others within the airgun industry) - but one thing I can confirm is that PCP manufacture looks set to remain in Birmingham. Indeed, Simon says so in the press release:


"Birmingham is the group's 'Centre of Excellence' for PCP design and manufacture, (and will remain so!), as well as a major design authority and provider of engineering knowledge on the group's Spring Guns."


But whatever, I guess it means it's most unlikely that I'll be visiting the BSA factory this month to grab a UK-made Lightning XL after all! 

BSA resumes spring gun production in Birmingham

I've just got off the phone with Martin Lowe, the MD of the Birmingham Small Arms Company, aka BSA Guns - with fantastic, breaking news.


He tells me that, from next month, production of BSA spring guns will be returning to their historic Birmingham factory from Spain, starting with the BSA Lightning XL... and he's even invited me up there to take one of the very first guns off the UK production line to test it for myself in Airgun Shooter magazine.


I can't wait - and I'm sure I speak on behalf of all UK airgunners when I say: "Welcome back to Britain, BSA!"

BSA Lightning XL - soon to be made back at BSA's Armoury Road, Birmingham factory 

First Look - Diana P1000 PCP

Well, it's taken them over 25 years... but the great airgunmaking name of Diana has finally joined the ranks and delivered us a precharged pneumatic air rifle! And the great thing is, their new P1000 14-shot PCP is anything but behind the times!


It's supplied with both a 14-shot, rotary magazine and a single-shot loading system, and it looks quite radical, with a two-piece stock design that's available in either sporter or thumbhole guises. Supplied in either .177 (4.5mm) or .22 (5.5mm), Diana are producing the P1000 in three power formats to suit various markets, from 7.5J to a full-fat version that can kick out around 1,150fps in .177, or 950fps in .22. You can also buy the P1000 with or without a silencer to screw on the 1/2in UNF threaded muzzle.


It's cocked via a sidelever action and has a screw-off cylinder as its powerplant, which is filled to 300BAR for a return of up to 280 shots (.22; 240 in .177) from the specially regulated action - each of them recoilless.


Although I'm currently testing the rifle for a detailed test report in Airgun Shooter magazine, you can get a brief insight into what I think is a very nice rifle indeed on AirgunTV.

AIRGUN TV hits 1 million views

A great way to start the week - someone emailed me to say that my AirgunTV channel on YouTube has now clocked over the 1,000,000 views mark!


I'm very proud, and would like to send out a warm, personal 'thank you' to everyone who has supported the channel.


If you haven't yet subscribed, please do so. You'll find the channel here.  

Derbyshire Police Statement on Airguns

It saddens me to read this on the website of the regional paper, the Burton Mail. For two reasons. 


One - that there are still a handful of mindless morons out there who tarnish the responsible reputation of the vast majority of airgunners with their utter disrespect of the law.


And two - that the ever-increasing number of laws this Government keeps introducing to impose further restrictions on young airgunners clearly isn't working. The 43 offences involving airguns - and we don't know, exactly, what those offences were, but that they involved 'air rifles and BB guns' - spiked between 15:00 and 18:00 which, the report suggests, implies a high proportion of young offenders.


When will they learn that the real issue is not about introducing a constant barrage of legislation, but effective education? Stopping youngsters being involved with airguns (in a responsible, controlled environment) is actually not conducive to teaching them the good rudiments of safe gun handling and a responsible attitude toward shooting? 


I was taught how to handle a gun at a very early age, and I can actually clearly remember reprimanding my peers when they ever contemplated misusing the airguns we had access to as teenagers! Many kids 'want a go' with an airgun; why on earth don't we give them that go... but with all the expert guidance that will ultimately stop them misusing airguns?


However, I was heartened to read the end paragraph: "Officers are now regularly visiting schools to educate youngsters about the risks, dangers and consequences of using air weapons." Bravo! That's exactly what's needed - and I don't mind betting that, this time next year, the number of offences involving airguns will, actually, have fallen in the Derbyshire area!

Electric Airguns - the way forward?

The heart of Daystate's electronic air rifles - this is an 'MCT' motherboard

It's always baffled me: how come we don't see more electrically-powered airguns? After all, in the world of airsofting, they're the bee's knees!


Of course, soft airguns are a totally different kettle of fish to airguns - but the question still stands. And I ask it as a long-standing user of Daystate's electronically-powered models. Since the launch of the MK3 at the very end of 2002, actually; after I'd finished testing that rifle, I ended up buying it, ultimately trading it in for an Air Wolf once I got my hands on that buddy-bottle model to do a review a few years later!


In the late 1980s, Feinwerkbau released a match-oriented air pistol - the Model 90 - which featured an electronic trigger, and Steve Harper (the airgun designer/engineer who's had a hand in the Daystate electrics) produced a pistol - also called the Wolf - which used a solenoid-operated trigger to release the shot. And back in the very early Nineties, Browning imported an electrically-cocked rifle made by the Belgian firm Rutten (The Air Star) which used a battery-powered gear system to wind back the piston. It was seen as a useful option for disabled shooters - although when I was invited over to their workshops to view its production for myself, I recall I was far more interested in what I saw when I was taken for a surprise visit to the nearby workshops of FN!


With the exception of the Daystate(s), all the aforementioned electric guns lasted but a short time. So why is it that the Daystate version - which is now seen on the MK4 derivatives and the Air Wolf - is still with us and pretty much seen as the ultimate air rifle to own by many an airgunner? Perhaps it's because it's not just the trigger that's electronic, but the entire action which uses an on-board computer system to regulate the valve opening and air release.


But as a long-time user of this highly innovative airgun system, I'm still baffled as to why it's only Daystate who market such a rifle. The fact that they continue to persevere with the system (though I'm not sure 'persevere' is the right word here), suggests to me that they're clearly on to a winner.


I recently compared the latest version of their Air Wolf - far more up-to-date than my own gun - with its conventional, mechanically-driven equivalent (the Air Ranger). You can read my in-depth review in the January 2012 edition of Airgun Shooter magazine - a digital copy of which is available from PocketMags - and watch a detailed video test on AirgunTV.


Make up your own minds: do electronic airguns have a future? (I certainly think they do...)  

Hunting with David James

Well, with the rotten weather we're having here in the UK at the start of 2012, I'm glad I know this particular airgunner - David James of YouTube (HuntersVermin) and Airgun Shooter fame! 


Why? Well, while I'm couped-up inside, I've got plenty to do watching his brand new hunting DVD, "Corvid Chaos", and following his step-by-step film on how to make a cheap Ghillie Suit from nothing more than some old camouflage netting.

You can watch the Ghillie Suit film over on AirgunTV - and/or read about it in February's issue of Airgun Shooter magazine, which is in UK newsagents from 5th January and available as a digital edition for computers and mobile devices from PocketMags.


Meanwhile, his feature-length, double-disc Corvid Chaos hunting DVD is available for the special price of just £14.99 - and having watched it countless times over the festive holiday period, I can tell you its worth every single penny.


The film took David almost two years to put together the two, one-hour-long DVDs, but they're crammed with top-dog pest control footage of crows and magpies, including the crafty 'grey-back' crows native to his Northern Ireland hunting grounds.


But there are also scenes devoted to rabbit stalking, woody decoying and hide-building, all very professionally presented with on-gun film footage of the forays and accompanied by David's 'director's cut' narrative. (I just love his accent!) The hunts divulge numerous tips and advice from this very experienced hunter - and although he uses air rifles rated at 15ft/lb and above, the methods he uses rarely require long-range shots to be made, this making the twin-disc DVD set very valuable to any sub-12ft/lb hunter.


Actually, for the money, it's got to be the bargain of 2012. Get it here - or order by phone on 01926 339 808.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Giveaways

All these prizes can be won from Airgun Shooter Magazine

So, Christmas is a-coming... and it could be your stocking that's getting fat, thanks to the Airgun Shooter 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!


It's already started (sorry - I'm late on this one) - and with a total prize pot of over £595, it's well worth getting involved with. How? Simple - just make sure you've 'liked' Airgun Shooter's Facebook Page (click here to go to it)... and then your name automatically goes into the hat ready for the random prize draws taking place every day from 1st to 12th December 2011.


At the moment, the odds are looking good - with 16 prizes being shared among (at current count) 365 'likers'.


It doesn't cost anything to enter - just a click of that 'Like' button - and, as you can see from the image above, there's a wide range of cool airgun stuff up for grabs.

WEIHRAUCH HW101 - VIDEO

I'm currently testing the brand new HW101 sidelever-operated PCP from German gunmaking maestros, Weihrauch. UK importers, Hull Cartridge Co., have sent me the first unit to arrive in the UK - and though I've got plenty more testing to do before I feel qualified enough to print a thorough report in Airgun Shooter magazine, my early impressions are most favourable.


The HW101 is the production version of the HW100X 'prototype' which I was first shown at this year's British Shooting Show; it was intended as a single-shot derivative of the 14-shot-magazine'd HW100. Thankfully, Weihrauch took on board my (and others') suggestion that 101 would be a more appropriate name - because although it's clearly a stablemate of the HW100, the HW101 is different enough to warrant a standalone moniker.


It's coming into the UK in only the one guise - 'KT' format, meaning Karbine (short barrel) and a thumbhole stock... which, in the case of the HW101, is in beech. I guess Weihrauch are trying to keep the pricepoint down, given the current flat-state of the more expensive precharged pneumatic market.


The HW101 is very compact rifle, with a barrel just 310mm long! It'll rival the BSA Ultra and I've already been in conversation with BSA's new MD, Martin Lowe, to set up a head-to-head in early 2012. It should be a good battle, because I already know the Ultra's no mean performer - and, as I alluded to earlier, the HW101 has got all the hallmarks that made the HW100 (Weihrauch's inaugural PCP model) such a success in the UK.


I suppose you have to ask the question 'why?' - because multi-shots are much more fun, right? Well, there's actually quite a following for single-shot pneumatics. Competition shooters prefer them, and many hunters prefer to 'feel in' each shot. I do, only running the magazines on my Daystate Air Wolf and Theoben Elan if I'm out lamping (where it does away with fumbling for pellets in the dark), or ratting (where a quick second shot is often needed).


And I've got to say that single-shot versions of PCPs designed as multi-shot guns are often just that little more accurate, by virtue of the fact that the pellet doesn't have to 'jump' between the magazine and the breech proper. 


In the HW101's case, my groups at 40 yards certainly appear to be holding tighter than those I shot with the HW100 FSB test model just over a year ago. This may just be because the barrel likes the ammo I'm using - Daystate RangeMaster Li - but, whatever, it's certainly confidence-inspiring. For such a little gun, it's capable of a really big performance.


Ahead of the comprehensive report I'll be filing in an imminent issue of Airgun Shooter magazine, here's a brief snap shot of Weihrauch's new sidelever from AirgunTV, with the emphasis on that all-new breech set-up:

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAYS!

You may remember that, last Christmas, I was able to give away Airgun Shooter mugs to readers of the magazine - and I'm feeling no less generous this year!

Airgun Shooter Xmas Edition - NOW ON SALE!

The Christmas Special edition of the UK's only award-winning airgun magazine is now on sale in newsagents (subscribe here, or get a virtual copy sent to your computer by searching 'Airgun Shooter' in either iTunes or here) - and there's lots of goodies up for grabs.


Two free-to-enter competitions to win over £1,100 worth of prizes - a pair of Stoeger rifle/scope combos with special silencers on, and a Daystate Huntsman PCP.


You can claim a free Airgun Shooter mug when you spend over £30 in the magazine's Media Store - where there's a great selection of airgun books and DVDs to tempt you in time for Christmas.


And many of the items in the Airgun Shooter Gift Guide Bonanza have been donated by the suppliers - and the mag can give them away in the run up to Christmas!


So, Airgun Shooter's 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways starts on 1st December, and to be in with a chance of winning one of these donated gifts, simply visit the Airgun Shooter Facebook Page (here) and 'Like' it. 


All of those who have done will go into a random draw that takes place daily between the 1st and 12th of December - and more than a dozen lucky people will get a freebie Christmas gift courtesy of Airgun Shooter magazine and those advertisers who have filled the stocking.


Remember - you must like the Airgun Shooter Facebook Page to be eligible for the free draw. 


(And while you're about it, don't forget to follow the magazine on Twitter, too: @AirgunShooter)


Good luck...  

CHARITY HUNTING DVD

The new charity airgun hunting DVD - Rise of the Verminators

Si Pittaway - YouTube tag 'Zinaroon' - has told me that he's been able to release his charity airgun hunting DVD, Rise of the Verminators, ahead of schedule.


Available now, it's a riveting, 128-minute long hunting film that's been put together by Si and many of his hunting buddies who regularly post their airgun stuff onto YouTube - but the best news is that all the money goes to charity.


Si is a warrant officer currently serving in the British Forces, so it's no surprise that he's putting all the proceeds from his movie project into services-related charities - primarily Treats4BritishTroops and, also, the more well-known charity Help for Heroes.


I've put Si's Rise of the Verminators trailor up on AirgunTV some time ago, so if you haven't already seen it, go check it out; it gives you a good indication of its diversity of content.


If you'd like to buy this DVD and support a worthwhile cause, then send a minimum donation of £10.99 to his charity PayPal account - Treats4BritishTroops@yahoo.com. To pay by conventional means, contact Si directly via email here.

Ultimate AirSoft Experience

Now, I've enjoyed plinking with 'soft' airguns since the early 1990s, but it's really only in recent years that I've become aware of the sport of airsoft - a version of paintballing where plastic BB-firing soft airguns are used instead of CO2-powered paintball chuckers. I say 'aware of' loosely, because I'd not really taken part in a fully-fledged airsoft event. Until last weekend, that is...


I went along to a local 'skirmish' run by Ultimate AirSoft - though it was more a recce trip for me, as I didn't want to take part, just have a look-see what it's all about. Personally, I struggle at pointing any guns in the direction of people - although airsoft guns are, effectively, very low-powered toys which shoot 6mm BBs weighing just 0.2grams, so they're quite harmless.


Run under the well-organised umbrella of UKARA - the United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers' Association - airsofting is a booming business in the UK, as it is in the rest of the world. The event I rolled up at was a regular one (at least twice a month) and was attended by over 120 re-enactors who are keen on the tactical side of the sport, not to mention its historic side. Some of the costume and weaponry was incredibly realistic, right down to the last detail.


I'm still not sure it's something I'd be so keen on taking part in, but I left the event in no doubt that the shooters who participate in games of this type are very serious about what they do - and if it's helping keep the gun industry going in these austere times, then it's certainly no bad thing.


Airsofting is a very well organised sport, and business - and if you've never done it before, or want to know more, the AirgunTV team took along a camera and dared to get right into the heart of the day-long sorties. You can watch it on AirgunTV's YouTube channel here:

  

Cammo... and the FULL MONTY!

The Jahti-Jakt Membrane Suit in Hardwood - blending in with autumn nicely

I've written about the latest camouflage clothing I've been testing this year in the December 2011 'Xmas Special' issue of Airgun Shooter magazine (virtual copies available here) - so I'm not going to go into too much detail in this Blog post. This is more an update on what I've written in the mag and, of course, there's the promised pic of me in ma undies...


The suit is by Jahti-Jakt, pronounced yark-tee-yart, and is distributed in the UK by Arctic Outdoor. It's a combination of Finnish and Swedish words for 'hunter' and the camouflage has been designed by the accomplished Finnish artist, Kimmo Takarautio, to match the patterns seen in European habitats. J-J call their pattern Hardwood (not to be confused with Realtree's Hardwoods - plural - which is a different pattern altogether).


I'm wearing the suit - jacket and trousers - on just about every hunting trip, and many other field outings to boot. Recent rains have made the ground particularly sodden and, therefore, muddy, but the Membrane Suit (as Arctic  Outdoor call it) has remained extremely water tight. I've sat and knelt in the water-laden long grass, and crawled over terrain that's so soft your elbow dig into the mud underneath, but I've emerged dry and clean... even if the outside of my suit hasn't.


From a practical perspective, both the jacket and trousers have got everything a fieldsman needs - see the printed review I referred to earlier for a more detailed lookaround - but now that a few weeks have passed since press day, I'd like to add how well the clothing is coping as colder spells arrive in the UK. We haven't yet had the 'Siberian winter' that's been forecast - and have had a lot more sunny days than we'd normally expect at this time of year - but I've been kept nice and warm on my outings so far, without getting either too cold or too hot. Mind you, I have been making full use of the underarm vents that easily unzip for extra ventilation.


What I'm particularly enjoying is that I can hunt so freely in the J-J Membrane Suit - its lightweight Air-Tex2 material is terrific at insulating you from the outside while letting the inside 'breathe' that you really don't need to 'bulk up' when you go out and about. Typically, I'm wearing a T-shirt and/or the J-J fleece (which comes as part of a special package deal when you buy the suit right now) - and when the thermometer really dips, or I'm out later in the day, I don the MicroDry underwear (that's also included in that deal).


I'll come clean and say that the underwear - which I can't for the life of me fathom out why is camouflaged, because you'd never go hunting in the nuddy! - is being worn on many occasions: going to the football, when I'm out walking with the kids/camera/wife and, more recently, on bonfire night. It's brilliant. It keeps me warm, dry and by transferring the humidity caused by perspiration to the outer side, smell-free - and its long cuffs and polo-style neck keep they heat in where you're most susceptible to the cold. It's worth every penny of the no-money-whatsoever it costs when you buy the Membrane Suit!

The full monty! Caught with his pants down and Hardwood (oo-er missus!)

And because this inner 'skin' is so lightweight and thin, I've been afforded a degree of mobility that doesn't hinder me at all when I'm out in the field. So clambering over stiles, gates and through narrow gaps in hedges really isn't a problem - and you can't often say that when you go out in your normal thermals and 10 layers of clothing.


As to the camouflage itself, I'm getting great results - even better now we're in to the autumn colours. Static hunting - a common tactic among airgunners - with the in-collar hood up (and a face net and gloves) works brilliantly, especially as the outfit keeps out the cold while you're waiting around for the action to begin.


If I'm totally honest, I'm not convinced that the ScenTech feature - which is supposed to mask the human scent - actually works (nor how it might work), but the cammo has proven itself on many an occasion. While I know many quarry species don't see colours in the same way as we humans do, there's something about J-J's Hardwood that's working - I guess when you look at it mono-chromatically, you can see that it breaks up the human outline extremely effectively. (Doesn't my FWB's barrel stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, though?) 

Looking at it mono-chromatically - perhaps through quarry eyes

I've also snagged the jacket and trousers on brambles and barbed wire a fair bit, but my outfit is still hanging up in my wardrobe devoid of any rips and tears. And, actually, there isn't even a pulled thread to be found - not that I should be surprised mind you. I got the Jahti-Jakt because I know the brand's become a firm favourite among many outdoor professionals - and there's one thing you can be assured of: professionals whose livelihoods depend on them being able to carry out their duties in the worst the weather can throw at them always choose stuff that works.

AIRGUN CRIME - Down by 45% in Scotland

The latest official figures released by the Government show that the number of offences in Scotland involving airguns has dropped by 45 per cent - down from 427 offences in 2009/10 to 233 in 2010/11. And this following a strong downward trend over the past five years - the figures actually show a 66% fall since 2006/07.


This is further evidence to demonstrate recent postings I've made in this Blog - that the extensive legislative powers already available to the authorities are more than adequate; there is simply no need for any more rules and regulations, and to impose any more is simply unfair on the vast majority of law-abiding airgun shooters.


The news will come as a significant blow to the Scottish authorities who have such an inane appetite to treat airguns differently, despite offering poor reasoning as to why. Exactly two years ago, the Scottish Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill, tried to dismiss the then-dropping firearms crime figures by saying: "There is still more than one air weapon offence recorded each day... we are pressing the UK Government time and time again to let us take action on air weapons."


Well, this newest Government data shows that crimes involving airguns in Scotland are now significantly less than one a day - and, once again, the findings add further weight to the argument that the power to outlaw airguns should most certainly not be devolved to the Scottish Parliament (currently proposed as part of the Scotland Bill).


There is clearly no need whatsoever for Scotland to deal with airguns any differently from the rest of the UK - the Firearms Acts (and the many other statutes which indirectly impinge on airgun ownership and use) are more than enough to ensure the police and courts can deal adequately with the tiny minority of airgunners who choose to break the law.

Airgun Shooter Awards 2011

Got a favourite air rifle or pistol? Whether it be an old-timer or new-release, why not nominate it for an honour in the inaugural Airgun Shooter Awards?


Run in conjunction with the UK's best airgun magazine, Airgun Shooter (itself an award-winner!), everyone is eligible to vote in these awards, which include no fewer than 10 categories, from sub-£300 springers to CO2 rifles... to your ultimate No. 1 gun of 2011.


Full details and a guide to help you cast your votes are in the November 2011 edition of the magazine (available at thousands of UK newsagents from 13 October, and online at YUDUfree) - or you can shoot straight to the polling station by clicking here!

Voting closes on 14 December 2011

OFFICIAL: Government has no plans to licence, nor ban, airguns in the UK

Prompted by the tragic events last year in Cumbria, the Home Affairs Committee (HAC) of the House of Commons announced its intention to hold an inquiry into controls on firearms. 

Their ultimate aim was to examine whether there was a need to change any parts of the current shooting legislation as a means of preventing gun violence and protecting public safety. And even though a whole raft of new laws - the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 and Crime and Security Act 2010 - have indirectly imposed new measures on the control of airguns, they were still to be included in the inquiry.

The HAC inquiry was submitted to the Government in December 2010, and I've now got hold of their responses to the recommendations proposed therein. 

I’m pleased to report that the Government considers the misuse of airguns to be by a minority, and that the aforementioned Acts have made in-roads into reducing the airgun problems they perceived were there. (Note my use of the word 'perceived'!)

I’m even more pleased that they have finally put into writing that they have no plans to ban, nor licence airguns. In short, they accept that there is enough existing legislation to combat any problem.

However, we airgunners must not let that be an excuse to become lax – we must all still act with the utmost responsibility when we're undertaking our favourite pastime, and consider shooting airguns as a privilege, not a right. 

As you can see from the following key elements of the Government’s response to the question whether low-powered airguns should be incorporated into the firearms licensing regime, we must never take our airgunning for granted in this day and age.

“The Government has no plans to ban or licence air weapons, the vast majority of which are used safely and responsibly, and prefers to tackle the minority who misuse air weapons. The Government agrees that enforcement of the wide range of existing controls referred to in the Committee’s report and which appear to have secured significant reductions in air weapon misuse since 2003-4, might usefully form part of police activity to deal with anti-social behaviour.

The Government will continue to monitor the misuse of air weapons and will not hesitate to take further action should this prove necessary.”