I have not been able to afford a 4x4 vehicle for sometime now but always owned one in the past. With current fuel prices and the cost of a well known all singing and dancing 4x4 being out of my reach I went on the look for something that would not break the bank.
The Dacia Duster is the UK's cheapest 4x4 with prices starting around £9k for the 2x4 petrol and £12k for the 4X4 it really does seem like a bargain. Recently awarded the Top Gear Bargain Car of the year award I thought it had to be worth a look. Looking at the spec sheet seems just too god to be true for the money they are asking but after driving it I am definitely interested in seeing a little more of what they car can do. It is the 2nd fastest selling car in Europe and with it being designed to cope with the less than perfect roads over there the ride excellent. Fuel consumption figures are my main worry when looking at this kind of vehicle. Gone are the days when I can afford to run two cars so this will be my shooting vehicle and the one I used daily for everything else. If I was running pretty much any of the vehicles out there in it's class I would be getting a fair bit less in terms of economy. I would love a Land Rover Defender or a Mitsubishi Shogun but to be honest I do not think I could afford to run one. This on the other hand will be more like running a well set up road car. I am not jumping in to buying anything yet but the Duster is definitely on my radar.

Lisa's first HFT (Hunter Field Target)

Country Pursuits TV has a young member that has been around for quite some time now. In fact Lisa has been around since well before the beginning of the CPTV channel. The daughter of my best friend showed an interest in shooting right from the word go. She has been the driver in many an episode of CPTV's hunting videos like Hunting with the Hammerli AR20 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EUo-T1bGMA & Air Gun Rabbit Hunting with H&N Hunter Extreme pellets http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fizrK1TgbdU and she is usually somewhere behind the camera being helpful in some way or another.

I have recently commissioned a custom rifle for her. The rifle will be something really special with a fully custom stock by my friend Toby Lee, and action and parts supplied by John Bowkett, a Tench regulator and built and tuned by Phil Crampton of The Rat Works http://www.facebook.com/TheRATWorks?fref=ts and fully wrapped in Wild Trees camo by CAMO-IT http://www.camoit.co.uk/

However the rifle has taken a while to be finished (Phil is a perfectionist). So this weekend was to be Lisa's first time shooting a HFT style course at The Shooting Grounds in Hertfordshire. As her rifle was not finished I decided to let her use my new hunting rifle the Daystate MK4is. After a little tweak to the eye relief and a quick re-zero Lisa was (unbelievably) hitting the standing 30 & 40mm spinners at 40 yards. She soon got the hang of the holdover required from 8-16 yards and from 30-45 but had a little of a hard time understanding the hold under required to hit the small reducers in between these distances.

That said I was confident she would do well at this friendly event. I have been shooting the MK4is for a while now and after trying a huge selection of pellets I have found the H&N Field Target Trophy 4.51 head size to be the best in this rifle. They seem to take a little less wind than other brands and group better than anything else I have tried.

Lisa was real nervous at the start of the shoot but soon settled down once the targets started falling over. She was doing really well with the Daystate MK4is although it really is to big for her. My confidence in the gun was huge and I knew she could win the junior section if she kept her head together. Lisa is a natural shooter and her standing form's brilliant, I think once she has the custom rifle she could be a formidable opponent.

She does have a lot to learn but I am more than happy for her to join me at HFT events whenever I attend (unless she starts beating me) I know there are some other great Junior shots out there like Becky Rawlings and Alex Honeywell but I think with some time and effort Lisa could be up there nipping at their heals.

Alex Honeywell was in attendance today with his Dave Welham regulated Air Arms EV2 MK4
He has been a regular performer at this years HFT national series putting in some excellent scores including an overall win at this years RSN10 Memorial Cup. Alex finished 2nd place in the 2012 Junior section of the UKAHFT championships and could well be a contender for the Junior World Hunter Field Target championships next year.

So how did Lisa get on?

Well Lisa finished first in the junior section and would have taken the ladies trophy too if she had not been shooting as a junior. I am very proud of her and I have just got of the phone with her father and he is just so pleased that he could not really find the words to express it.

I think we will be seeing a lot more of these two in the future. They both pop up on Country Pursuits TV from time to time so if you would like to follow their progress please subscribe to the channel.

Lisa with the Daystate MK4is looking very happy with her result

Ronnie Sunshines = http://www.ronniesunshines.com/ Deben & Hawke Optics = http://www.deben.com/ Armex & Umarex UK = http://www.armexltd.co.uk/ BSA Guns UK = http://www.bsaguns.co.uk/ BRC Program = http://www.hawkeoptics.com/apps/brc.html Country Pursuits TV was invited to the grand opening of the new Ronnie Sunshines shop. The place has undergone a huge transformation since I first used the shop in 2009. Dave (the owner) has spent tens of thousands of pounds to make sure that his shop is the best in the business and do you know what? I think he has done it!

The Tackle & Gun Trade show is one of the Industries leading events for the trade to come and show their new products. I was invited down this year to talk to a few of the exhibitors about their new products. I talked to Phil and Dave from NiteSite about the brilliant new Nite Spotter, Nigel Silcock about the New Brocock's in the range and Ashley from Thomas Jack's about the new Pulsar N750 digisight and more.....

Daystate Wolverine .303 - 100 yard groups with Terry Doe and Dave Welham

In this episode I am visited by Dave Welham, Phil Price and Terry Doe. We were all keen to see what this rifle would group like out too 100 yards. When arriving at the farm we could see the tree's bending and all thought we were going to struggle getting a group even with this big caliber wind has an effect on point of impact. Surprises abound with a 19mm group from Dave @ 50 yards and a 30mm group from Terry @ an amazing 100 yards. The Daystate Wolverine .303 is without a doubt one of the worlds finest ever Air Rifles.

Daystate Wolverine .303 vs Breeze Block

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you shot a 100 ft lbs Daystate Wolverine  .303 at a Breeze Block? We did! In this video you can see the power of this rifle as it rips through 3 inches of thermalite block. This really is a powerhouse of a rifle!

Worlds fastest gutting technique?

I was looking through some channels on YouTube the other day when I came across this awesome gutting technique. I just had to share it with you all.

Please check out Fieldsports1's channel to see the original video = http://www.youtube.com/user/Fieldsports1/videos

Rabbit Hunting with the HW100, NiteSite NS200 and Si Pittaway

In this video you will see Si Pittaway, Alex Honeywell and I trying out a bit of stalking, Having a go at a new (to me) rabbit gutting technique. Once we dropped Alex off home Si and I moved on to a Golf course permission of mine to try out the NiteSite and HW100 combo on Rabbits from the vehicle. We had a few problems with range estimation to begin with but once we had got some rules in place to follow we started hitting them hard. There are some fantastic shots in here from Si and hopefully you will learn something from our discoveries. Hope you enjoy the video. ATB Malc CPTV

NiteSite NS200, HW100 and all the other items in this video are available at = http://www.ronniesunshines.com/
For more info on the NiteSite = http://www.nitesite.co.uk/
Twink mk2 and HW100 lightweight cylinder = http://www.amcustomgunsmiths.com/
Deben tracer ultra spot = http://www.deben.com/tracer-gun-lights/ledray-ultra-spot-rechargeable-light.html
DVR recording device = http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/products-digital-video-recorders.html
Hawke Sidewinder 30 = http://www.hawkeoptics.com/
Country Pursuits TV on Facebook = http://www.facebook.com/groups/239277376161306/
Country Pursuits TV Blog = http://countrypursuitstv.blogspot.co.uk/

Rabbit hunting with the Daystate MK4is

I have the MK4is here on test at the moment and I am gathering DATA for the review. This is a quick clip of Alex Honeywell well and I stopping off at a permission on the way home from the range. The MK4is had gone head to head with Alex's tuned Air Arms Evo2 using the 10 shot magazine and performed almost equal to it with H&N FTT's. I think with some work put in on the set up it would out shoot the Evo2 without much problem at all. After seeing how good this was at the range Alex asked if he could use it at his permission for 15 mins on the way home. This is what happened.........

Can I shoot it? Heckler & Koch 416D .22 semi auto

I was at the Shooting Ground (Formally Broomhills) testing some airgun gear for the channel. When I was offered the chance to shoot a rifle I am interested in when my FAC comes through. This Heckler & Koch 416D is not on my wish list I hope you enjoy this new episode. Let me know if you would like to see more of this content. Many thanks Malc

Airgun Rat shooting with Verminhunters TV

Hi all, In this 20min episode I meet up with Simon Pittaway and Davy Thomas from Vermin Hunters TV. The lads very kindly invited me down to their rat permission in Oxfordshire for some mental rat shooting chaos. Sadly when we arrived at the permission the site manager informed us that they had just poisoned the site heavily. We were all a little concerned that we would only get a couple of rats on this evening. We were wrong! Once night fell the resident population (although thinned out considerably) made an appearance. This place has rats everywhere you look, up down left right they are everywhere! Unfortunately the layout of the farm means that some of the rats shot could not be retrieved. You see in this video Si, Davy and I take another chunk out of the population with in excess of 60-70 rats being shot. We collected 41 rats in total at the end of the session. Not a bad night really with Davy Thomas accounting for most of the kills using his trusty HW97k and a simple lamp set up. Great job guys and thank you very much for the invite.

Gear list

Scopes
Hawke Airmax EV = http://www.deben.com/rifle-scopes/airmax-ev.html
Hawke Panorama = http://www.deben.com/rifle-scopes/panorama-ev.html
Hawke Varmint SF = http://www.deben.com/rifle-scopes/varmint-sf.html

Rifles
2 x Weihrauch HW97 http://www.weihrauch-sport.de
Phoenix Fast Fire 10 = http://www.phoenixairguns.co.uk/ OR http://www.paxguns.co.uk/products.htm

Night Vision and recording
NiteSite = http://www.nitesite.co.uk/
Lawmate evo500 PVR = http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/products-digital-video-recorders.html

Extras
A & M Custom gunsmiths X3 Silencer = http://www.amcustomgunsmiths.com/index.html
Sandwell fieldsports = http://www.sandwellfieldsports.co.uk/

To support Help for Heroes and Treats for troops and buy the Rise of the Verminators DVD contact Si Pittaway at Simonpittaway@Yahoo.com

Rat shooting gear preview (Mega rat cull with Si Pittaway & Davyt63)

I go over the gear I am using for this weekends shoot at a pig farm rat shoot. Si Pittaway and Davyt63 have very kindly invited me to a rat infested pig farm in Oxfordshire to shoot some of the unwelcome residents. I am taking the Phoenix Fast Fire 10 in .22, my new John Bowkett custom Hornet in .177 fitted with the new x3 silencer by A&M Custom gunsmiths and the NiteSite NS50 night vision unit. If the rats are anything like as many as last time they were there we will be very busy.

 

.177 Defiant Ogives are incredible

I was at the range today with some pellets that I was given to try by PAX guns.
These new .177 Defiant Ogives are going to a real favorite with the guys hunting with .177 if they work like they did today in my John Bowkett Special Edition Hornet.

The ballistic coefficient of these pellets from PAX guns is incredible! They carry more down range punch than anything in it's class and over the scales they weigh up better than anything else I have tested. Weighing in at 11 grains these air bullet shaped pellets have the stopping power .177 hunters are going to love and I can really see these taking quite a chunk of the small caliber hunting pellet market if consistency and quality continue.

I have not tried them in any of the other guns I have here on test yet but one thing is for certain the Bowkett special edition Hornet I have just got absolutely loves them.

To get Defiant Ogives and other Pax Pellets
Check -  www.defiantpellets.com
Forum board - Best Deals -

A look at 10m Sporter Air Rifle Shooting with Annabelle Bullock

I was very lucky this week, I was invited to a small shooting club in Stevenage UK to meet up with 2012 Under 21 Sporter Air Rifle Champion Annabelle Bullock. She is charming and she is also a fantastic shot with her Air Arms MPR (Multi Purpose Rifle). I took an opportunity to ask her about the sport and I also take a look at the club she started shooting at just 18 months ago.

MTM Predator Shooting Rest

Hi all, I have been looking for a rock solid bench test set up that I can use for testing these rifles on the indoor range at Pete's Airgun Farm. While shooting with YouTube friend Gary (digifilmshooter) I discovered the MTM Predator Shooting Rest Now don't get me wrong I had seen the MTM Shooting Rest before on channel's like the awesome and inspiring Ted's Holdover but I had never shot off of one. While Gary and I were shooting we swapped seats for a bit and I shot off it. That was that I had to have one! I ordered it from Solware through Amazon and it was here within a couple of days GREAT! Tharek and I wanted to do a build video showing how easy and quickly this superb rest goes together.

So here it is....

This awesome rest is what I will be using indoors to bring you the bench results for all the rifles I will be testing on the channel. All the items in yellow are links to the various sites I mention in this blog.
The Predator Shooting Rest is just £49.95 and IMO for the money is the most stable of these types of rests on the market. Good job MTM!

Fox control with NiteSite NS200

This adventure starts with a phone call from a building site manager in London. He is put in touch with me through a friend of mine that works with him. He has been having trouble with the foxes defecating (having a poo) inside the prestigious venue that he is responsible for while the restoration is completed.
I was asked to arrive with a covert kit as this was a job on a building site bordered by a residential area.  In this blog I will be talking about our third visit to the site where in just an hour and a half Dave Welham and I took two more of the defecating offenders out of the game.

Before we get on to that I guess I should take take us back to the beginning.

When we first heard about the job Dave suggested that we should use the .22 Walther Long that he has owned since 1976. This is a superbly accurate and lightweight stealthy hunting rifle capable of sub 1inch groups at 100yrds. I had recently bought the Pulsar N550 digisight and a cheap recording device purchased on eBay. As you can imagine I was keen to see this in action and capture some footage for the channel. Dave kindly mounted and zeroed the N550 on his 22 and the next night we were on our way to this strange venue for a night of pest control in London. In the first video link you will see Dave using the Pulsar N550 digisight to good affect. We shoot five fox over the space of two short evenings. It was great to shoot in such a different environment.

So we already knew that this venue had a fox problem and with little or no control of them in the local area we would have an endless supply of fox to shoot at. It went quiet there for a few weeks apparently but then the foxes started getting into the buildings again. We visited the site a few times taking out charlie with the Pulsar. This time though I had some new night vision kit that meant Dave did not have to dismantle is beloved Walther .22 and Zeiss 6 x40 scope combo. I had purchased the NiteSite NS200 night vision add on system. I had used it a couple of times with 100% success rate but was keen to see how it coped in this demanding situation. We arrived at the venue about 21.30hrs at took a little look at the shooting position as this had changed since we were last there. Once satisfied we had a safe position to shoot from Dave and I fitted the NiteSite NS200 to the .22 and got ourselves in position. It wasn't long before the first fox arrived and as you will see in the video things did not quite go as planned. A little while after shooting fox number one and being visited by a Tawny Owl we only had to wait about 40 mins for our second and final fox of the evening. This time all went like clockwork and another two of the local trouble makers had been taken out of play. In this entire video we did not use the Infra Red of the Nitesite as the ambient light was enough for the unit to work flawlessly.

 Look at the difference in quality from video one (Pulsar N550) and video two (NiteSite NS200) 

The footage in this video was recorded using the Lawmate PVR500 Evo 

Available from DOGCAM http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/Lawmate-PV500-evo.html

It is not the cheapest solution by a long chalk but it is worth the extra money. This thing is packed with goodies. Look out for a full review of the recorder coming up soon on the channel.

Have you seen or used the NiteSite NS50 or NS200 night vision units yet? If not look out for a demo evening at one of your local gun shops or clubs as they are holding these all across the UK. I will be attending the one being held at The Shooting Ground (formally known as Broomhills)

John Bowkett Custom Rifle has arrived!

OK as some of you know I have been having a rifle made for me by John Bowkett. It arrived last week but I have only been out with it twice, once in my GINB custom stock and once in it's own original stock. I have had some issues with it in the GINB Custom stock which I believe to be harmonics related (I will do a video on this later) but in the standard stock it is a tack driver! Today it was hitting the 3x4 inch bell at 100yards time and time again with CPTV's driver/assistant Lisa Roberts behind the gun.

This .177 air rifle based on a BSA Hornet action (John Bowkett's design) features a custom regulator capable of incredible consistency.

Couple that with the new special edition non BSA barrels that John is importing and you have custom rifle that really is something else! I will of course be doing a full review of my new rifle once I have got to grips with it properly.

First indications are that John Bowkett when unencumbered by financial restraints can design and build a world class rifle that will stand side by side if not above any other air rifle in the world. I am honored to own such a superb example of his work.

Topping the rifle is the brilliant and hugely underestimated Hawke Optics Panorama 4-12 x50 EV AO and BKL single strap mounts. This version has the MAP 6A reticule which I was a little dubious about using. I have spent some time using this reticule now and feel we are going to get along just fine!

For more details about custom rifles visit John Bowkett's website http://www.johnbowkett.co.uk/

or his Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Bowketts-Official-Fan-page/178352388876311

Here is the link to the Hawke Panorama EV = http://amzn.to/I3ZE1G

For full details of the Hawke optics range click here = http://www.hawkeoptics.com/

Testing the Jack Pyke LLCS (Light Leaf Concealment System) Ghillie suit

I popped over to Jack Pyke HQ to do some business last week and Glenn Lewis (sales and marketing manager for JP) asked me if I had tried the LLCS system? I had not had the opportunity to use this system yet and informed Glenn that I would be very grateful to be given the chance to check it out.
The suit is very light and packs away into a very small pouch that I have in my hunting bag. It also allows the air to circulate through it making it very cool in the warmer weather we're having. I am going to be wearing this suit a lot this summer! The pattern and leaf combo works better than any other LLCS suit I have ever used. I will be updating you all on this suits performance from time to time to let you know if there any issues.


Here is a short video showing the suit off in the field

Rabbit Hunting in the 21st Century....

The 25th March 2012 provided a great evenings shooting with my buddy Tharek. We met up at one of my permissions that has a few rabbits on that nobody can get near with lamping gear. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to give the NiteSite NS50 an outing. Tharek was quite eager to shoot the Daystate Air Wolf that Country Pursuits TV has on test too so I decided to marry them together. 

The Air Wolf & Nitesite in their cases waiting to be brought together.

Something dawned on me after fitting the NS50 to the Air Wolf This rifle and NV add on combo represents the absolute cutting edge of air rifle hunting technology. This really was going to be Rabbit Hunting in the 21st century.

Daystate Air Wolf & NiteSite NS50 turned out to be a deadly combination

It is difficult to explain the buzz you get from using a set up like this but I will try. The Rabbit population on this particular permission have seen it all. They have been lamped, stalked and ambushed.  The younger Rabbits have the older wiser ones to look to for warning signals making them very hard to shoot. However with this Rifle/NV combo they do not know you are there. The Daystate Air Wolf with it's shrouded barrel and optional mk5 Airstream silencer is so very quiet. The tactical version with it's rubberized matte black stock lends itself perfectly to this kind of task.

The Daystate Air Wolf CPTV has on test came in this brilliant hard case.

Tharek and I were only shooting for a couple of hours but having state of the art technology had paid off. On this difficult permission we had bagged 6 of it's wily inhabitants.

The Daystate Air Wolf & NiteSite combo has proved itself to both Tharek and I on a number of occasions now being successful with Rat & Rabbit. The NiteSite has also accounted for four fox kills in three outings. Below you can see the NiteSite mounted to a Remington 700 .17 centerfire. This is the rifle I like to use for fox control when using the NiteSite NS200.

 NiteSite NS200 mounted to the Remington 700 .17 centerfire

The Daystate Air Wolf and NiteSite NS50 with six unlucky Rabbits, they did not know we were there.

Watch the video here

Anti-kink airgun charging hose from Solware

I had a new product hit my doorstep this morning that is going to turn my frown upside down. If you charge your PCP with a micro-bore hose (like most of us do) you will be familiar with the picture below.

A poorly Micro-Bore hose 

The micro-bore hose is capable of handling massive internal pressure but hang a gun or bottle off it when charging a few times and the hose will get kinked like the one above. This can greatly reduce the pressure handling of the hose making it dangerous to use. Now most of us accept that and buy a new one once the old kinked hose looks like it is getting to unsafe to use.

Click here to go to Solware

However Solware are distributing an anit-kink hose that is simply brilliant. As you can see from the pictures (below) all that was needed was the wire coil which allows movement and flexibility but refuses to let you kink the hose. I actually tried to cause a kink at the weak points (Where it joins the fittings) while testing and could not get it to fail.

Even with the heavy bottle hanging the hose refuses to kink

The hoses are coiled at both ends protecting the hose

Click here to go to Solware

Shooting live blank shotgun cartridges with air rifles

Here is a video showing my buddies and I shooting at shotgun cartridges with our PCP's.

Custom HW97 @ The Shooting Ground (Formally Broomhills)

I met up with some friends today at The Shooting Ground formally known as Broomhills. I was there testing the FF10 and Ogive pellets from Pax guns (More on these soon) and I could not help taking some pics of this superb "home made" stock designed and carved by Roger Martin. I think you will agree this guy has some skill, especially when you hear he did this using a router, an angle grinder and a chisel! 

Great job Roger!

Roger Martin with his home made stocked HW97

New .22 pellet from Pax Guns named the "Ogive"

I visited Pax Guns Friday last week to pick up the Phoenix FF10 for review and while I was there Hugh and Bob asked me I would like to try the new pellet they were releasing called the O-give (pronounced oh jeeve). The word ogive is from the French language, it pertains to the angle of the head of a bullet/pellet. This new .22 version is a 16grain air bullet style pellet that is not unlike the Dynamic and Defiant PCP range of pellets already manufactured by Pax. The quality and finish of the pellet looks excellent and on the scales they match up very well. I am told they do favor a clean barrel so I am scrubbing my test rifles barrel before I start as they tell me this pellets stability relies heavily on it griping the rifling. I will be posting test results on CPTV's YouTube channel and of course writing about it in more detail here if you're interested in this new design.

New Pellet available from Pax Guns soon....

 Phoenix Fast Fire 10 & NiteSite (night vision) NS50 testing

I was out shooting rats tonight while testing the Phoenix Fast Fire 10 and NiteSite's awesome NS50 night vision add on. I am doing video reviews of the Fast Fire 10 PCP take down rifle and NiteSite NS50 night vision unit so I thought I would pair them together for some ratting. The Fast Fire 10 is perfect for the Pest control guy who needs an accurate rifle that is quiet and discrete. When coupled with the NS50 this rifle become a very effective tool. It comes in a non descriptive black case that could easily be a drill or some other power tool. The NiteSite also comes in a similar case, you could arrive with a UK legal PCP and an NV unit at a job wherever it may be without raising any suspicion or unwanted attention. Please look out for the review of these items coming soon on Country Pursuits TV.

Here is an unlucky visitor who found out just how good this combo is just after this shot was taken.

NiteSite NS50, NS200 and batteries all charged up and ready to go

In this video aimed at new shooters I talk through the subject of trajectory.

Understanding a pellet/bullets flight along it's trajectory is one of the key's to becoming a crack shot.

This is a foundational subject that once understood will help you to be the best shooter you can be. When coupled with a well set up rifle and good shooting technique the knowledge and understanding of trajectory can be very satisfying. 

Everyone should know how to fit a rifle scope right? In this video Tutorial I show how I fit a scope to my John Bowkett Blueprinted BSA Scorpion.

This is something that new shooters must learn to get the best of their set up and to avoid the pitfalls on an incorrectly fitted scope. A canted, crimped or poorly positioned scope is not going to serve you well. If you follow this easy step by step video you will have a scope that shoots well and will last you until you're ready to sell it and upgrade to a new one.

Items featured in this tutorial are -

BSA Scorpion .177 single shot PCP
Ginb.it Custom rifle stock No. FT-7
BSA Side Wheel Focus 8-32 x 44
SportsMatch 11-13mm Medium Mounts
Deben Pro Bench Rest