Do you have the lockdown blues? Ranges and clubs closed? Here Chris Park goes through places to (virtually) go and people to (virtually) see

It’s not long until the warmth and light of spring returns but this time of year can be a drag, with a lockdown upon us too it’s never been harder to get out shooting, many of us are trying to make the best of it by shooting on our home ranges or just a bit of vital pest control for a local farmer. All this does mean however many airgunners are unable to partake in the sport they love but that doesn’t mean they can’t keep in touch with the sport with a vast array of social media sites and platforms where fans of air guns can go to keep up to date and in contact with their buddies and the wider shooting community, I’m on a good number of Facebook groups and pages as well as dabbling in Instagram, so I thought I’d share a few of my favourite sites with you.

https://www.facebook.com/daystateltd

Daystate’s own Facebook page, with regular updates direct from the company and details of the latest rifles in the range.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DaystateOwnersGroup

Daystate Owners Target & Shooting Group, the largest independent Daystate group on Facebook, here you will find all the Daystate ASP shooters and a wealth of knowledge with a close working relationship with the factory and the support they give to the ASP shooters. The group is very busy with discussion, pictures and occasional competitions, no question goes unanswered, the group also has a page to help people find the group, https://www.facebook.com/DaystateOwnersPage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/819534335541728

Delta Wolf Owners Group, a specialist group for Delta Wolf owners to help each other with the technicalities of the rifle, associated with the Daystate Owners target & Hunting Group with the same close links to the factory.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/228193634187062

Daystate Owners Group, a general Daystate discussion group, a busy friendly group to get to know other Daystaters and share in the discussions about your favourite rifles.

Those are the big general groups for Daystate fans, great groups, but if you are looking for something a little more specialised you could join one or all of the single marque groups? Here you will often find owners with an unrivalled passion for a single rifle and that often means members can answer the most obscure of questions! This list of groups for the Daystate fan is fairly comprehensive but not exhaustive and there are many more pages you can follow for your entertainment including the Daystate Owners Club, which is an official forum online for Daystate owners,

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDaystateOwnersClub

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1520613091503570

Daystate Wolverine Owners Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1518990535036837

Daystate MK3/MK4 Owners Club

https://www.facebook.com/groups/742941055813522

Daystate Huntsman Regal owners

https://www.facebook.com/groups/572211803137382

Daystate tsar

https://www.facebook.com/groups/793237280734846

Daystate limited editions

https://www.facebook.com/groups/591715808167692

Daystate Pulsar Shooters

There are countless groups on Facebook for general airgun discussion, almost all do not allow for sale / wanted posts for guns, ammunition, parts, or accessories for firearms due to the Facebook Community Standards which expressly prohibit these sales, as with any group you should read the group rules and follow them to avoid the Admin ‘Ban Hammer’ often brought down without warning! The list below is just a sample of the groups available to you for advice and general shooting chat, but don’t forget if you can’t find the group you’re looking for, you could always start your own?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/304919272895108/?multi_permalinks=3642617405791928

AirgunTV

https://www.facebook.com/groups/351221505224875/?multi_permalinks=1372002523146763

Airgunology

https://www.facebook.com/groups/airgungurus/?multi_permalinks=2155064244629788

AirgunGurus

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1095910907267591

Honest Gun Reviews

https://www.facebook.com/groups/533939790100899

Air Rifle Enthusiasts

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1744589079091832

AIR GUNNER UK.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1234512020018122

Airgun World

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1143034299207072

Flat Broke Airgunner

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1077801215731796

Air Rifles UK

https://www.facebook.com/groups/572602580277042

Air Hunter U.K.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2042812652615265

Air gunners with passion target shooters and hunters

https://www.facebook.com/groups/691598510996726

Westcountry Air Rifles

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1665972373694392

Shooting UK

https://www.facebook.com/groups/184370478999357

Line of Sight Shooting Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1207664592739394/

Mavericks Airgun Talk

https://www.facebook.com/groups/142755936597174/

Air Rifles UK

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1593212404329331/

U.K. Shooters Unite

https://www.facebook.com/groups/189033185689842/

The Gun Lounge

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2321807924708108

Pimp my Air Rifle

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HUNTING.down.prices

HUNTING……..down prices!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/120936275305002

LETHAL AIR Airgun Hunters

https://www.facebook.com/groups/309523832818698

Fieldsports For All

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1991517344459572

ALL THINGS AIRGUN

https://www.facebook.com/groups/airrifleshooting

POI Air Rifle

https://www.facebook.com/groups/131205725685

BASC (supporters group)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/115505319101840

NARA – National Air Rifle Association

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1011285322259345

Kevs getting to know your airguns

https://www.facebook.com/groups/851938148524218

Yorkshire Hunting and Field Sports

https://www.facebook.com/groups/856324351099747

Air Hunters UK.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/458105601363296

Pellet pushers of the world unite II

https://www.facebook.com/groups/421602212068098

Shooting Adventures

If you are into something more specialist to suit a particular branch of the sporting disciplines, or something to add to your set up, don’t be shy about searching out some of the groups for support and advice from first hand users, below are some examples in no particular order.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1888907281337886/

MTC / Optisan Optics Owners Club

https://www.facebook.com/groups/nvuk.nightvisionuk

Night Vision UK

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1431006563822393/

Huggett Moderator Owners

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1109737622526888

CARM

https://www.facebook.com/groups/908558065923417

UK Benchrest Target Sport Enthusiasts

https://www.facebook.com/groups/belltarget

Bell Target 6 & 7 Yard Air Rifle Enthusiasts

https://www.facebook.com/groups/653370445125690/

Preesall Air Rifle Range

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542783956025531

Mad Air outdoor air rifle range Pilling

https://www.facebook.com/groups/511300516378969

Long Range Airgunners

https://www.facebook.com/groups/207819235982252/

Air Rifle Hunters Recipe Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/954235824623568

VERMIN BASHERS……

https://www.facebook.com/groups/200610323900311

Air Rifle Vermin Control UK FEATHER and FUR

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theBFTA/

The BFTA (British Field Target Association)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538796829720355

UKAHFT

https://www.facebook.com/groups/444909922605086

UK Crow & Pigeon Hunters

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1729863907277740

UK and Ireland squirrels The Grey Area Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/273469082988454

UK rat squirrel and bunny hunting

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2267805239967337

Pest control (air gunners) UK

https://www.facebook.com/groups/249087698548813

Eaglevision

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1687570314609905

Game for the Table

There’s hours of online entertainment for the lockdown on Facebook which will link you to other platforms like YouTube, Instagram, MeWe to name but a few, all this means there’s no reason to lose touch with your favourite shooting sports.

Chris Park,

Admin & group owner,

Daystate Owners Target & Shooting Group.

This traditional shaped bullet is when applied to an airgun a ‘slug’ and a slug usually has a better Ballistic Coefficient than a pellet.

This traditional shaped bullet is when applied to an airgun a ‘slug’ and a slug usually has a better Ballistic Coefficient than a pellet. What this means in practise  is that the slug retains a lot more energy at extreme ranges where it outperforms an airgun pellet. But The ART team didn’t have an easy time of it as trials revealed that it’s not always so easy to get better results and a lot of development work was needed to ensure that short range accuracy would at least match that of a pellet.

The Juggernaut slug is the team’s answer producing phenomenal accuracy right out to 100 meters and beyond. The Juggernaut .22 and .25 now joins a range of 19 other pellets in the Rangemaster brand with each type is given it’s own sub-brand relating to the power it is recommended for:

Precision-made to exacting tolerances, the Rangemaster Kaiser, Sovereign, Sovereign Hunter, King,  Emperor pellets and now Juggernaut Slugs cover, between them, calibres from .177 to .30 (4.5 to 7.62mm) and weights from 8.44 to 50.15 grains (0.547 to 3.240 grams).

Each of the Rangemaster types has been specially matched to suit specific purposes, from short- and long-range hunting to field target and Benchrest competition, with ballistic configurations to cater for rifles that produce sub-12ft/lbs (16J) power output to those in excess of 100+ft/lbs (135+J).

Supplied in new, easily-identifiable colour-coded tins (of 150 to 500 according to type/calibre), Rangemaster is the line that’s got every shooting scenario covered.

Look out for more additions to the Rangemaster brand coming soon!

Grey squirrels are a destructive invasive species that are having a serious impact on trees and vulnerable wildlife, including red squirrels – Mat Manning explains how to use a feeding station to bring the greys to book

WHAT TO USE

Most feed hoppers are of a similar design to bird boxes but with a feed tray in front of an outlet hole at the front. The sides of the tray should be low enough to allow you to take clear shots at squirrels if they decide to settle in there. Vulnerable areas of the feeder, particularly around the outlet, should be reinforced with metal to protect against gnawing. Good quality feeders can be purchased online but it is easy to make your own.

Wheat is the most affordable bait to load your feeders with but it lacks attraction if there are other food sources nearby. Maize and sunflower seeds have more appeal and, although more expensive, peanuts will get grey squirrels queuing up at any time of year.

WHERE TO TARGET

Focus on the areas of your woodland shooting permission where you have seen the most squirrels. In the absence of frequent sightings, look for other signs such as squirrel’s dreys and trees that have been damaged by the rodents’ bark-stripping. Likely places include areas around trees such as oak, hazel, beech, sweet chestnut and walnut, which provide natural food, and areas where dense patches of ivy provide shelter for squirrels.

GETTING STARTED

Attach your feeder to a tree at a height that keeps it well clear of the ground and marauding badgers but is slow enough for you to refill comfortably. Fill it with bait and leave it alone for three or four days. Songbirds are likely to be the first visitors and their comings and goings will attract squirrels.

When you return to check the feeding station the feed should already be going down. Refill and leave it for a few days. After a week, the feed should be going down quite steadily – now is the time to build your hide. If your feeder has not received any attention after a week, move it to another spot.

KEEPING CONCEALED

You only need a very basic hide to keep you out of sight when shooting grey squirrels from a feeding station as the rodents are usually too distracted by the food to take much notice of what’s going on around them. It should be positioned between 20 and 25m from the feeder and afford you a clear view of feeding squirrels.

My usual choice is a net hide propped up with purpose-made hide poles. I like to have a substantial backdrop behind it – either a bank, bushes, a thick tree trunk or branches – to keep my silhouette hidden. After constructing a hide, I leave it in position for another week. During this period the squirrels will grow in confidence at the feeder, attract even more of their mates and learn to ignore the hide.

GUN, SCOPE AND AMMO CHOICE

Any accurate airgun, either sub-12ft/lb or high-power is suitable for controlling grey squirrels at a feeding station. My go-to airgun is a .22 calibre Daystate Red Wolf which churns out a muzzle energy of just over 30ft/lb. Such a powerful airgun is not essential when targeting squirrels at relatively close range but it gives me extra reach if I need to take wary squirrels or avian quarry at range. My Red Wolf is paired with an MTC Mamba scope. In my opinion, this versatile little optic is as close as you can get to perfection for airgun pest control.

I usually couple the Red Wolf with Rangemaster Sovereign pellets. This may sound like a light round to be using with a high-power airgun but they are extremely accurate out to around 60m and are less inclined to ricochet than heavier pellets or slugs – an important safety consideration when hunting in woodland.

THE SHOOT

The first shoot usually takes place about a fortnight after the feeder is put in position, by which time plenty of squirrels should be visiting with confidence. Fill the feeder the day before you intend to shoot because you don’t want to have to disturb it when you arrive.

Early morning sessions tend to be very productive as squirrels tend to wake up feeling hungry, although evening sessions can also be good. Head straight to the hide and settle in as quickly and quietly as possible. Make yourself comfortable as you may have to be patient. I like to use shooting sticks for extra support when taking sitting shots from a hide.

When a squirrel arrives, don’t be in a rush to take a shot. Give it time to take some feed from the tray and settle down to eat it – this will ensure that you are presented with a static target, which makes it much easier to ensure clean shots to the head. There is no need to break cover to retrieve dead squirrels until the end of the session – their mates are usually too interested in the feed to worry about the bodies beneath the feeder.

KEEP IT GOING

The first session on a feeding station is usually the best and can often yield bags of ten or more in just a couple of hours. When you leave the hide, refill the feeder and make sure you keep it filled until you return to shoot again – a week is about the right amount of time to leave between visits.

Your second session should yield less squirrels than the first, and numbers should continue to decrease until you draw a blank. When this happens and it appears that the only visitors are wild birds, it is time to move the feeder to another spot and start over again.

Hunting Hero!

When it comes to out and out hunting rifles, they don’t come more traditional than the original Huntsman from
Daystate. Their latest model, the fully-regulated Hunstman Revere is a marked improvement on the original, with many features that will appeal to hunters all around the globe.

THAT SEXY STOCK

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of this rifle’s performance and qualities, I’ve got to kick off by talking about the magnificent stock. After all, it’s the first thing we see when opening the box. Crafted from specially selected walnut, the stocks for these rifles are created by some of the finest stock makers in Italy.

The double-oiled finish really is a sight to behold, it’s silky-smooth and feels beautiful to the touch. Carefully positioned cross-hatch chequering on the foregrip, coupled with more stippling and a signature ‘R’ carved into the pistol grip, ensures that good grip can be obtained in the field, no matter what the conditions.

FEATHERWEIGHT

The first thing you’ll notice when you pick this rifle up is just how light it is. Weighing in at gnat’s under 6lbs unscoped, it’s clear to see why it is such a big hit with hunters. You can carry the Revere all day and not feel like you’ve been lugging a suitcase about.

The first time I took it out I felt like I was able to wield the Revere, shoulder it and settle down for a shot quicker than I could with some of the other rifles I use. Maybe it’s just my head playing silly games, but I honestly believe that the lightness of the Revere actually speeds things up a tad, even if it’s just milliseconds.

AVAILABLE OPTIONS

The range encompasses something for everyone, with .177 and .22 sub-12 versions for UK hunters, plus FAC-rated .177, .22 and .25 models for FAC holders and hunters around the world who don’t have such restrictions.

Each calibre is also available in both left- or right-hand stock models, with ….