The Outdoors Guide

In this article we’re going to look at the two main methods of making adjustments so that your shots will fall on target in spite of changes in range and environmental conditions. Let’s look at Dope first because it’s perhaps the easiest to explain. D.O.P.E is actually an acronym, and although opinions on its meaning vary, it is for the greater part taken to mean Data of Previous Engagements, although more recently, it has become a word in its own right. In simple terms, DOPE represents a collection, or table, of reference information gathered from previous shots, which the shooter can use to adjust point of aim to allow for varying distances or wind. This data is then put into the scope, giving a better chance of getting the first round on target. This data can be a small pocket book, but is more usually collated on a single piece of card that can either be attached to the rifle, or worn around the neck, for easy reference; it is usually known as a DOPE or range card. ZER...

We’ve gone big on Weihrauch this month, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that the HW100KT LA featured on the cover and in the editor’s test is the most important airgun to carry that famous German maker’s name. You’d be wrong, though. This HW30K, junior-sized, break-barrel springer kit is every bit as ‘big’ a product, and perhaps even more important, thanks to the role it plays in our sport. THE HW30K KIT Let’s see what the Weihrauch HW30K Kit contains, before we evaluate its importance or anything else it may provide for its £200 price tag. For that money, or very possibly a bit less, you get the HW30K rifle in .177, a neat little 4 x 32 scope with finger-friendly turrets and a duplex reticle, and a set of two-piece mounts. Most importantly of all, the rifle is a proper Weihrauch, with all of the build quality and performance that brand carries. Along with the Weihrauch quality comes a pride of ownership that will make any junior shooter feel as important as the rifle, ...

1. Don't Shoot Bucks That Looks Insecure When you first see a buck, take a moment to check its posture. Dominant bucks hold their heads high and walk loosely with their tails held straight out. A subordinate buck walks with stiff legs and a hunched back, and keeps its tail between its legs. If you see a good back in a subordinate posture, consider holding your shot. It could mean there's a real monster in the area. 2. Find Small Bucks Near Big Scrapes If you are looking to shoot a buck quickly during the rut and aren't much concerned about the size of its antlers, look for a large scrape that's torn up, irregularly shaped, and looks like it's being used by more than one deer. Younger, more submissive bucks frequent such scrapes. Since these bucks are less wary and more numerous than trophy animals, you'll stand a good chance of filling your tag faster than you would when hunting scrapes made by solitary (and often bigger) deer.

First, thanks to everyone who wished me well in my efforts to learn as much as I can about the sport of airgun shooting. The editor passed these on to me, along with some good advice about where I’m going with my series, although he told me he’d rather I found out as much as I can, myself, because that’s how the readers of this magazine will do it. My series is about finding the right way to do things, but in the real world that means making the mistakes that everyone makes, and after reading what I wrote last month, I realize I’ve already made a huge one. SAFETY FIRST I’ve been thinking so much about learning the dozens, probably hundreds, of skills and techniques, that I’ve taken the most important one of all for granted. Safe, legal shooting has to be the main priority for everyone in our sport, and I’ve been taught to handle guns, knives, axes, power tools, and even vehicles in a safe and responsible way since I was old enough to touch them. The main piece of advic...

I pulled up in a lay-by at the side of the road and studied the field in the distance, through my binoculars. The area I was surveying was a group of three, freshly drilled bean fields and I was looking for pigeons. The fields had been drilled only two days before and it can take a little while for the birds to find the food, but patient observation revealed regular pigeon movement going in and out, although the birds disappeared before I could see exactly which field they were favoring. The beans were supposed to have been put in at the beginning of April, but this crop needed to be drilled into warm soil and only now, in the middle of that month, were conditions right enough for the farmer to go into action. We’d had some rain the night before, making the land too wet to drive over and this lay-by was the closest spot I could get to the bean fields, so unfortunately, that meant I had a long haul on foot with all my gear to get to the area I was shooting. Undeterred, I set off lo...

I’ve said it before, and I’ll be saying it again, but Weihrauch always sits back and considers its options, rather than blazing trails and kicking open new doors. Mind you, this world-renowned German company has already changed the entire air-gun game with the launch of the Rekord trigger unit way back in the 1950s, so it could be said that its established stance of ‘evolution not revolution’ came about after it had already done the ‘revolution’ bit. There’s another fact about Weihrauch of which I’ve become personally aware, and that’s the company’s extreme reluctance to reveal any sort of prototype, but I’ve managed to extract one for this test, albeit one that is definitely 95% the finished item. What we have here, is the latest, and I’ll already declare it the greatest, incarnation of the HW100 side lever, multi-shot, pre-charged pneumatic, the HW100KT LA. The full name of this rifle is the HW100 Karbine Thumbhole Laminate Adjustable, and it’s the best part of that name ...

Like most firearm companies, Remington burns a lot of midnight oil coming up with ways to convince hunters and shooters they need to buy more than just one of a particular model. Among the enticements are styling changes and limited editions produced only during a specified period of time, a year being typical. It has to be that way in order for most firearms to survive. A Model 700 BDL built in 1962, its first year of production, is still one of my favorite rifles, but had the Model 700 stayed exactly the same and had never been offered in other variations, it might not be with us today. Instead, the same basic rife has been available in about three zillion different styles, variants and calibers, and for that reason, along with the fact it was a good design to begin with, it remains the most successful sporting rife of American design. The Model 700 Classic wearing a stock of true American classical styling appeared during the 1970s and is an example of a subtle change in market...

Hunters and shooters are hoarders of many things, not the least of which is ammunition, but how long can we expect it to last on the shelf. As general consensus has it, the smokeless powder and primers in modern ammunition are chemically stable for around 25 years after it is loaded—as long as the ammo is stored in a cool, dry environment. But ammunition has been known to last much longer. I have read that some of the .50 BMG used by American mechanized units in Operation Desert Storm was from World War II stock. If this is true, the ammunition could have been 50 years old. I frequented gun shows in my area back before they became flea markets, and one guy who always had a table specialized in vintage ammunition for collectors. Most of it was quite expensive, but if a box showed wear or damage or had cartridges missing, prices were often affordable. I used to buy an occasional box, some of it dating back to the 1890s. Just for the fun of it I would shoot a few rounds from a broken...

The belted case has standard H&H magnum head dimensions minimum body taper and a gentle 25-degree shoulder angle, (the same as its .264 sibling and the 7mm Rem. Mag) giving it a modern look. Maximum cartridge overall loaded length is listed at 84.84mm – the same as the .30-06 – allowing it to fit in standard length actions. Bullet diameter is a true .338 inch unlike some of the early .333 caliber cartridges. Winchester launched the cartridge with a choice of two bullet weights – a 200gn Power Point with a nominal muzzle velocity of 3000fps and a 250gn Silvertip at 2700fps. Then in 1961, a third loading with a 300gn round-nose Power-Point bullet at a listed 2450fps was added. Maximum chamber pressure was listed as being 53,000 psi. For whatever reason, muzzle velocities were later reduced to 2960, 2660 and 2430fps respectively albeit from a 600mm barrel. Today Winchester offers four different loads for the .338 – three with 200gn bullets – a 200gn Power Max Bonded, a 2...

I’d acquired a “new” full-bore rifle from a nice fellow shooter in Tamworth, of all places; new because it was a 98 year-old Winchester M17 action in full-bore target configuration. It was the right price, had a beautiful Schultz and Larsen 13-twist barrel and its stock was not your regular adapted full-bore abortion that some had appended to their bundooks. Being a Winchester action, it was the “creme de la creme” of M17s, somewhat more desirable than the Remingtons and much more so than the Eddystones. I had a scoped Eddystone that was very accurate though, just rough in appearance. So I rolled up at the property, touched base with Grant and he said he’d be keen to come out for a hunt and a walk when I’d finished with the target work. An extra pair of eyes is always appreciated because mine aren’t the sharpest, especially when I’d not hunted for some time. I arrived at my normal target shooting paddock and noted that the grass was as green as can be and while not “as ...

No excuse to buy a new rifle is a good one, and with my well-worn Ruger M77 .280 Remington starting to lose its appeal another rifle in a different cartridge was pretty much a foregone conclusion. In fact, I’d already decided on a 7mm Remington Magnum, months earlier. The only decision remaining was which rifle to choose, and with so many different brands available my final choice wasn’t going to be easy. At first, I was rather keen on the Winchester model 70 super grade, but unfortunately it wasn’t available in 7mm Rem Mag. So after some pondering and perusing the isles of several gun shops, I decided on a Remington 7mm Magnum model 700CDL. It had all the features I needed as well as a reputation for good accuracy, and of course, having a soft spot for Remington’s certainly helped. So the deal was done! Once ordered it took nearly six months for the dealer to call saying my new bang stick had arrived and was ready to be picked up. After finally taking possession, I had a few a...

Gaining access to good hunting properties is becoming harder all the time. In my local area, landholders are refusing access, frustrated by poachers and the odd idiot who doesn’t respect the farmer’s wishes in regards to livestock and gates etc. For this reason, I tend to look after the landholder’s who allow me access to their places. I respect their wishes, help out where possible and don’t take anyone else with me who has net been granted permission by the cocky. For this reason, choosing a hunting partner can sometimes be a difficult task. There will be plenty of takers if you offer up a hunting trip, but finding someone you can trust is hard and often the key to success. Over the years, I have learnt some valuable lessons when taking people hunting. These experiences have taught me that human nature can be very fickle when it comes to loyalty and friendship. Throughout this article, I will relay some of these experiences so that you, the reader, can be forewarned and somewhat...