Best stocking filler gifts for airgun shooters

If you’re looking to buy something stocking-sized for your favourite airgun shooter this Christmas, you’re in luck. Here are just a few items, released this past year, that have really impressed us!

For FT Shooters: H&N Baracuda FT

H&N launched its new Baracuda FT pellets following extensive testing among shooters in the UK and overseas. We looked at a pre-production sample of this pellet in issue 112 and were impressed by its consistency of manufacture and accuracy.

These .177 pellets have a head size of 4.50mm and weigh 9.57 grains, positioning them nicely between the H&N FTT and the heavier Baracuda Match.

They follow a strict manufacturing and testing process. After five shots at 50m, each production batch has to reach a maximum shot grouping of 12mm centre-to-centre. After 20 shots, the maximum grouping must be 20mm. They’re produced in small batches at a time, with the weight tolerance no more than +/- 0.25 per cent between each pellet.

www.bisley-uk.com

Lighter Pellet: JSB Exact Express

JSB pellets have found a place in the armouries of countless thousands of airgun shooters all around the world, with probably the best-known type being the JSB Exact.

But have you tried the Exact Express? The Express, as its name implies, is lighter than its more well-known sibling, and offers a potentially higher velocity and flatter ballistic trajectory. While this ammo is particularly good in springers, which tend to prefer a lighter pellet, give it a go in your PCP too, because the ‘best’ ammo for your airgun is the one it shoots most accurately.

www.schulzdiabolo.cz

QYS Domed pellets

Qiang Yuan Sports, better known as QYS, has been making pellets since 1994 and winning medals with them since 2000. While the brand may not be too familiar to us in the West, the company dominates the Chinese pellet market, and this ammo is now available in Europe as well, including the simply named Domed pellet in .177.

These pellets are a regular pinched-waist diabolo, with relatively thick skirts, and are cleanly and consistently made. They shoot very consistently too. The QYS Domed may not have a very sexy name, but the downrange results are certainly attractive, making them a great choice for both target shooting and live quarry.

www.shootingparty.uk

Rowan Engineering trigger blade and guard

If you’re one of those airgun shooters who loves to dress up their airguns with some aftermarket parts, enhancing both the way they look and the way they shoot, Rowan Engineering should probably be your first port of call. Rowan’s extensive catalogue includes air strippers, parallax levers, sidewheels, adjustable butt plates, single-shot adapters, multi-shot magazines, hamsters and scope risers, among other things.

Most of these components are very simple to fit, including the natural aluminium trigger guard and Rekord curved setback trigger that have been fitted to the HW 97 seen here.

www.rowanengineering.com

Bisley Gun Grease

If you want to ensure fast and smooth action on your guns, improve their performance and reliability, and reduce wear, Bisley Gun Grease is undoubtedly an excellent choice.

This might not be the sexiest product
on show here, but it’s one of the most invaluable and frequently used for compression springs, trigger mountings and release mechanisms, bolts, threads and any other moving parts where excellent slip, smooth operation and anti-corrosive properties are required.

www.bisley-uk.com

Napier Stock Shield

Traditional wood stocks can look magnificent with an oiled finish. But that finish needs to be maintained if you don’t want it to turn dull.

Over time the stock will drink that oil and be thirsty for more, and anyone who’s ever oiled a stock knows the process can take a long time. Even an annual top-up will take a while to dry. But there is a quicker and easier way of doing a maintenance coat: Napier Stock Shield. The product is applied with its own applicator pad, after which it can be left to dwell for a few minutes before the excess is removed and the finish buffed with a microfibre cloth.

Stock Shield can also be used on non-oiled wood stocks, including laminated ones.

www.napieruk.com

Casström Lars Fält knife, Fixed-blade Knife

This sturdy bushcraft knife from Casström has been developed with the help of wilderness and survival expert Lars Fält, making it suitable for a variety of tasks from preparing shot quarry to splitting wood to make a fire.

The blade is made from thick Böhler K720 tool steel with a high carbon content, making it durable, even with hard use. It’s supplied with a sturdy and deep sheath in vegetable-tanned leather.

www.casstrom.co.uk

Blade Tech Knife Sharpener G2 Vivo

Don’t get caught out with a blunt knife – just carry a G2 whenever you’re out in the field. The G2 is made in the UK and is just 4mm thick by 100mm long by 36mm wide. It features a riveted body made from aircraft-grade aluminium and uses polished tungsten carbide technology to look after your edge.

www.bladetech.co.uk

BASC Membership

The British Association for Shooting & Conservation looks after the interests of more than 150,000 enthusiasts, using its size and experience to support the sport

we love while offering the highest level of insurance cover built into your membership.

BASC membership also offers numerous shooting opportunities and exclusive offers to save you money, such as discounts on BASC courses and up to a 10 per cent discount from many BASC trade members.

www.basc.org.uk

Tickets to The Great British Shooting Show

The British Shooting Show is the perfect place to get hands-on with the latest airguns, whether you’re looking for a springer, gas-ram, PCP or CO2-powered gun. You’ll be able to try out some guns on the air rifle ranges,

Tickets, which include a show guide, are available on the day for £20, or can be purchased online for £18 through the BSS website. And don’t forget children aged 15 and under get in for free.

www.shootingshow.co.uk

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