Everyday Hunter Spring Time

Although The months of April and May are great time for the Air-gunner to be out and about, be it ambushing the farmyard, or what I consider the most enjoyable, that is Rook shooting. This time of year is a bit frustrating for me, as I don’t sort after Rabbits until at least mid-June, I tend to leave the rabbits alone from late February to June, for them to do what they do best, apart from damage crops or tear up horse paddocks, and that is to reproduce, nature is simply restocking its larder in great numbers.

Through the winter I go in-to a sort of auto-drive mode where hunting with air-rifles is concerned, still being effective mind, Its not until this time of year when I’m like a grey-hound waiting for the trap to open, to go after the rabbit, and that’s the sort of passion and enthusiasm, that amazingly I still have for our sport, and Its still getting stronger as I grow older, now at the ripe old age of 41, I now have 25 years hunting experience behind me, and probably still more to learn, and that’s true about hunting with air rifles, we never stop learning new tricks.

It was a Monday when I thought to myself, which feeder shall I hit this month, after a quick thought  I decided on my golf course permission, which has a lot of small woodlands, and a very large one near the 18th green, of which I haven’t shot yet, however I still visit these feeding stations, topping them up every week, this keeps any squirrels interested in using the free takeaway stations, also it can bring in new tribes of greys squirrels.

Monday evening I nipped down my local village shop to grab a few small bags of peanuts and black sunflowers seeds, which I’ve mentioned before in previous features, this bait has brought me a lot of success down the years so I stick with It. Then I quickly went up the golf course to fill the feeder that  I was going to hit the morning after. It’s a good idea when you fill your feeders to do It as late as you can in the previous evening, I remember on one occasion I filled one of my feeders in the early afternoon, only to find it the next morning totally empty, the culprits being songbirds, as much as I love them and enjoy their presence, they cleaned my feeder out in no time.

Many a time when I’ve been out squirrel shooting I have witnessed how busy songbirds really are, they don’t stop all day, feeding back and forth, Its such a joy to watch while I wait for the next tree rat to arrive but they do empty your feeders more than squirrels ever will.

It gave good weather for Tuesday, so I set my alarm for 5am, Its nice that our mornings are now getting light earlier, and the light is lasting longer before dusk, a true sign Summer is nigh.

My camouflage choice for today is my Jack Pyke LLCS gillie suit with the matching head net and gloves also my baseball cap all in the English oak pattern, also I thought as the ground is damp and sodden in the woodland, and they is a lot of prickly brambles I decided to put my Jack Pyke countryman wellies on to protect my legs and the annoyance of the prickles snagging the leaves of my gillie suit trousers.

No doubt by now some of you are realizing what my favourite quarry is, I love the challenge that all avian quarry brings except feral pigeons, “no challenge at all” also I enjoy the control of grey squirrels. If I had to pick one of the feathered variety, It would have to be the magpie.

I arrived at the woodland at 5.30am then I had a quick check if the bait was still intact, It was all good. Then I lay down around 25 yards from the feeder, placing myself in a nice hidy hole with plenty of plantation around me. I blended in quite well and had a feeling a good day was ahead of me. I loaded my magazine with 10 Air Arms Field pellets, and cycled the bolt to push one into the breach. The Air Arms Ultimate Sporter’s loading cycle is so smooth and precise, also quite fast, which should be good today against the tree rat’s.

By now I was all settled and ready, with my head net and gloves on, now for the waiting game to see If my baiting and feeder tactics was the right choice, however I’ve done this for years now so it’s become a natural process for me. It wasn’t long before my first encounter arrived at the scene, In the form of a Jay, It swooped in so fast and silent and landed on a thin branch of young sapling, but I wasn’t in a hide and my first very slow movement to take aim, spooked him straight away. I knew It was a lottery chance and I wasn’t fazed that the chance flew off at all, maybe next time I will bring along a couple of hide poles and a net, to maybe bag a Jay or two.

Five minutes later something quite amazing happened, a buzzard flew in and landed on the woodland floor, but the amazing part was, It never spotted me and carried on its business for the next five minutes, I was cursing by now that I didn’t bring my camera out with me. The buzzard was only about 15 yards away from me to my right, then it flew up to a branch but stayed around my location still not spotting me. This proves one thing, the Jack Pyke LLCS suit is some kit I tell you.

Not long after, about 20 minutes in to my session, my first chance hit the feeder quite rapidly, a grey squirrel had arrived, so I carefully lay my mill-dot cross hair on his kill-zone and released the first shot of the morning, smack! It connected so sweet he toppled off the feeder and hit the ground without a flinch, confirming my first kill of the day. It wasn’t long after until another squirrel had arrived, this tree rat crawled up from the ground up towards the feeder, he took his peanut and headed back down the tree trunk, I thought to myself “no stop” fortunately he did halfway between the bait station and the woodland floor, he was hanging upside down by his back paws nibbling at his peanut so I decided to take the shot where he was, I aimed dead on the top of his crown for this shot, as he was hanging nibbling away, I pressed through the Ultimate Sporter’s trigger and released the shot to it’s mark. The pellet impacted perfect, but the squirrel was still hanging, he was stone dead but still there, the shock of that shot must of been that good he hung for up-to 30 seconds with blood dripping out like a tap. He eventually slid to floor confirming number two in the bag.

An hour had passed before my next chance arrived at the scene, this squirrel approached from behind the feeder, and came round the base of the tree, and headed on up towards the feed, the tree rat took a peanut and travelled on up towards the top to eat. He took one nibble before the Ultimate Sporter turned his lights out, indefinitely. He dropped so cleanly I thought he was going to stay on top of the feeder’s lid, but the squirrels final kick pushed It over the edge towards the floor.

 

With my bag of grey’s certainly growing by now, I was feeling quite confident I could push double figure’s, for the session, as another had arrived out of the blue, these squirrels was certainly taking me by surprise. I slowly settled my Bushnell legend mil-dot reticle on his bonce, and released yet another mini Air Arms rocket to its mark, smack! This shot was absolutely superb, as I bowled the tree rat right of his perch “stone dead”.

Within the next hour, It was a grey squirrel highway, one after another arrived at the feeding station, I couldn’t believe how my day was turning out, It was like a target session In the end, every shot for me and the Ultimate Sporter was just a formality.

By 2pm my bag was on 13 tree rats for the day, I was well chuffed with my performance, It just go’s to show by doing your homework and planning your sessions, you really can fill up your game bag. If any of you reading this very feature, has some woodland on your permission, go and check it out, you never know just how many squirrels may be waiting for you. Build yourself a feeder and find the right location to situate it, I normally put mine in the middle of a wood averagely in between the drey’s I have located,  Its usually a good bet to start with. Be sure to check your feeder at least once a week, topping it up with peanuts and sunflower seeds or maize, and set your ambush point around 25 yards away.

Well that’s it folk’s until next time, be safe and happy airgunning.

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Rabbit Control by Nigel Jones

For this feature i have returned to rabbit control. Ron, from the fruit plantation farm near to where i live, gave me a call the other day. “Nigel” he said, “I’ve got a problem. Those darned rabbits are back tearing up my young shrubs, and eating through them. Can you sort them out for me?” I knew exactly what he meant and obliged instantly.

“I’ll drop in and see you on the way back from picking up my lad from school,” i replied. I got to Ron’s to confirm with him the location of the problem. At this time of year, the fruit plantation farms are extremely busy, and Ron’s farm is a big one indeed, probably in excess of 1000 acres. It stretches from my village right up to where my lads school is, some three and a half miles away – that’s big!

I am very fortunate to have to have this permission. I have been controlling this farm now for around 12 years, shooting all our legal quarry species, mainly rabbits, but on other occasions i have controlled moles on this same permission. Some of my permissions come from my pest control work, just like this one. Being a fully licensed pest controller, i get other work here and there and when I’ve finished, some of those landowners give me permission to carry on with my main hobby, and we all know what that is, don’t we!

With the location in mind and the problem rabbits confirmed, i visited the area for a quick reconnaissance. On arrival, i checked the raspberry shrubs for signs of activity, and this was confirmed by rabbit droppings all the way through the plantation’s plastic covered tubes. The rabbits had been chewing the young shrubs, which will hinder the natural growth of the potential raspberry stocks and ruin Ron’s plans of good fruit production for the season.

So, with all the recce done and dusted, my plan for my first attack was the stalk approach. I do like the challenge of pitting my wits against the conies, and there’s no better feeling than when you stalk quarry using nothing more than good old field craft. Stalking is not easy by any means; first you have to check what the wind is doing – is it swirling or in one direction? You have to keep the breeze in your face at all times. Secondly, you have to select the best approach after you have spotted your target. The best way is to use what’s available around you, be it a hedgerow or farming equipment, to mask your route on your way into range of your quarry. Thirdly, keep your footsteps light. If i start my stalk with my right foot, i will drop my foot with the rear right side of my heel touching the ground first, then roll my foot inward, feeling underfoot for stones and small twigs. If i feel something as i roll my foot over, i quickly shift my foot to a new location around the twigs. The same follows with the left foot, of course.

The next tip is to start crouching your body as you get closer. This is usually at around 40 yards, and it irons out your human shape to the rabbit; onward for about 35 yards, presuming the rabbit has not bolted for cover, and then starts to drop into a belly crawl for the final few yards. Whilst all this is happening, keep in mind that at all times the rabbit will stop feeding and go on the alert. My trick for this is to freeze, wait for it to resume feeding, and then carry on toward it. If all goes well, then the rest is up to you and your rifle, providing you keep your cool and control your breathing to complete your kill.

Beginners may have a little bit of ‘buck fever’, when the excitement and heartbeat will be uncontrollable and adrenaline levels will be up to the max. All of this can easily result in a total miss, which will be a big disappointment and cause a dent in confidence, especially after you’ve sweated it out and your approach has lasted for what seemed like a lifetime.

Moving on – my chosen kit for the days session was my Air Arms Ultimate Sporter in. 177 calibre, topped with my first choice of scopes, the Bushnell Trophy XLT 4-12X40 with adjustable objective on board, all perfectly married together with sportsmatch mounts. My camouflage choice for the attack on the problem rabbits was Jack Pyke’s English Woodland pattern. I have had great results when stalking conies with this particular pattern and it’s by far my favorite in the hunting field. I decided to do my stalking session on a Friday afternoon, into early evening, and with enough light at this time of year, its fine until at least 10 pm. I arrived at the plantation at four o’clock, and got my kit together ready for action. I loaded my S510 magazines with my gun’s favorite diet, of Air Arms Field pellets. When stalking, I always wear a head net, it helps a lot, believe me, covering that big pink beacon that we call ‘a face’ is a must. Its one of the biggest giveaways that our quarry picks up on first, along with sound and scent – lay off the Lynx and other aftershaves because rabbits will smell you for sure, and bolt for cover way before you spot them.

I started to stalk around the plastic tubes, using them as cover as I went forward, searching for my first chance of the session. Some twenty minutes had passed with me seeing nothing at all, and i was getting frustrated, so i stopped and told myself, ‘Don’t panic, Nige. Just be happy that you’re out, enjoying the privilege of being here on this fine permission’. Air rifle hunting is not just about big bags of vermin. If i go out and bag, say, four rabbits, and they were outstanding shots, then that’s worth more to me than bagging 30 – plus rabbits – its about quality not quantity. I do well most of the time, though, usually.

At last my first chance presented itself and as I stalked around my tenth tube, a young rabbit was grazing unaware some twenty yards away. I dropped for a prone shot for this one because i was a bit worn out after stalking for about half an hour.

I settled my breathing and aimed i aimed just behind the Coney’s eye as i took up the first stage of the Ultimate Sporter’s trigger. Then i pressed through the sweet second stage, releasing my shot to its mark. Smack! The rabbit bowled over on its side with just a few final kicks, confirming a clean kill and the first of the evening in the bag. As i moved on i heard a chatter of a magpie in the distance; magpies are not easily stalked, so i thought I’d forget about that one. I was here for rabbits, so let’s get on with the job in hand. It wasn’t long before i spotted my next chance.

A rabbit was sitting some 35 yards away, and i decided to move closer using the cover of the hedgerow. My plan was to get behind a mound of soil to take the shot and if i made it to my destination, I was on for an easy 25 yarder. I managed to arrive undetected so i steadied my Bushnell’s cross hairs on the rabbits bonce, and let fly my pellet to its destination. Thwop! The shot was another good one, as the Coney rolled over, stone dead. The magpie i heard earlier had come closer, and landed on top of a plastic cover, about 40 yards away, but as there was no wind this evening i decided to take the shot.

I was just behind the dirt mound and that had given me enough cover so the magpie wasn’t aware of my position. I settled and aimed carefully, giving about an inch and a half for elevation. I released the shot and dinner – suited robber dropped like a bomb to the floor, stone dead. Yes! My excitement was escalating by now, and my adrenaline was rising for sure after that shot.

Moving on, i managed to stash another five rabbits to my game – bag, and then I spotted a wood-pigeon aloft in a tall oak tree. My Air Arms rifle made short work of the Woodie, adding it my tally, and after dropping that pigeon, another magpie turned up chattering like mad at the fallen wood pigeon, so i dropped it with a well placed shot to the head. My session was coming to a close and i managed to put another two rabbits to the bag before dark. Well, I’d done it again – yet another good session and I’d thought at the start that it was going to be one of those days.

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Air Rifle Safety Part Two

It goes without saying that Airsoft is one of the most intense sports in the world, where every decision you make counts and you need to hone in on your skills of teamwork to work your way out of problem solving situations. As with any sport, Airsoft comes with risks and the team at Solware thinks its best that we run through the top 4 Airsoft safety tips that you need to take into account if you’re thinking of getting into the sport!

• Eye protection

In the middle of a match, rubber pellets are flying across with incredible force which can cause serious injuries to you and other players. That means its important players have the correct eye protection on at all times while holding the Airsoft gun.

• How to buy and have control over your Airsoft gun

Be comfortable with your Airsoft gun; learning how to handle, load, operate and fire your Airsoft gun is vital in ensuring yours and other player’s safety. If you are worried about having to learn to control the Airsoft gun, then training is always available and players who have been involved with the sport for years are happy to assist.

We can’t stress enough how important buying your first Airsoft gun is, if you get it wrong then it will prove financially costly and if you get it right, then you have the perfect gun and would have saved money!  The video below will help you decide which gun is best for you:

• Correct Airsoft Stance Positions –

If you’re looking to perfect every skill in Airsoft then having the correct technique in your stance when holding the gun is very important in ensuring you hit every target in as little pellets as possible. There are various different techniques used in Airsoft, and the video above goes in-depth on what correct stance’s look like and what incorrect stance’s look like.

• Think Safety First

We think you know this, but never consume alcohol prior to, or during a shooting session. Being under the influence of alcohol while holding a gun can cause significant danger to you and other players. Regular maintenance on your gun is a great way to check whether it is still safe for use, if you’re a beginner however, then your gun should be safe for a while, it’s still important to check never the less.

Air Rifle Safety Tips Part One

Air rifles are great, but they’re also very dangerous and without proper training1, someone could easily lose an eye or worse!

It’s high time we went through the procedures required when handling or looking after an air rifle…

Handling an air rifle with care is essential, but cleaning them is also essential! Within this video, ShootingUK offer an in-depth look into rifle care: showing you the ins and outs of professional cleaning while sharing small pieces of information along the way for the novices out there.

As many places will tell you, there are rules you must follow when handling an air rifle:

• Always know where the muzzle of your air rifle is pointing and NEVER point it in an unsafe direction.
• The safe conduct of air rifle shooting must meet the standards described in this code, show respect for the countryside, due regard to health and safety and consideration for others.
• Before you shoot, make sure that a safe backstop is present to capture the pellet.
• Consider live quarry; do not shoot beyond the bounds of your ability.
• Consider your surroundings and who is amongst you.

This video, produced by UmarexAir shows you proper safety with air rifles; it provides some great tips and guidelines to work by when handling air rifles.

Top 3 YouTube Airgun Channels!

It almost goes without saying that YouTube is the most popular platform for video content in the world. If you want your videos be seen online – you’re going to use YouTube. Before its launch in 2005, the notion of capitalising on video blogs seemed impossible due to technological limitations of the era. Now that the internet is seemingly ingrained into every facet of 21^st century life, creating fun, informative and engaging multimedia content to share across a wide digital audience is no longer niche.

The air gun community is no different to that of any other cultural interest and has bared a huge number of successful YouTube channels in aid entertaining fellow enthusiasts. Here are the Solware team’s top 3 channels to check out for regular musing on air rifle culture…

• Airgun TV

Created and hosted by airgun aficionado Nigel Allen, this insightful channel offers plenty of reviews, features and conversations around much of the latest air gear, guns and peripherals. With each video gaining in excess of 100,000 views, it’s easy to recommend Allen’s insights.

• The Airgun Gear Show

Like Airgun TV, the production values and professionalism offered by this independent YouTube show sure are impressive. This channel is packed with air gear tests, reviews and features – once again, view levels are insane, people love this stuff. It’s evident that the everyman can outdo the TV bigwigs these days!

• Solware

Did you really think we’d leave out our own channel? Hah!

Any regular videos you recommend? Let the Solware team know on Facebook and Twitter.

Gun Dogs and Their Responsibilities

Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Pointers and Setters – what do they all have in common? Yes they are all Gun Dogs. Gun Dogs are a type of dog that are specially bred to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game. Usually gun dogs are used for game bird shoots. The hunter shoots them out of the sky and the dog goes to find them and brings them back.

Gun Dogs are usually divided into Beaters and Pickers Up. The Beaters have a lot more freedom to move about and aren’t usually as well trained as the picking up dogs but they do have to respond to a whistle.

Retrievers

These dog get the precision job of picking up – they are required to stay faithfully at the shooters side until they are called upon to pick up the shot game. The retriever has to have a great deal of discipline and must be very well trained. They have the most stressful job of all of the dogs on a shoot. The most popular retriever in the UK is the Labrador retriever although the golden retriever and the flat coat retriever are also popular choices.

Spaniels

The spaniel is the hunter dog. The hunter dog has to be extremely efficient and stay within close range of the handler flushing game until it is shot when it may be called upon to retrieve it. Because spaniels are such lively dogs it can be hard to train them and to get them to be as obedient as they need to be on a shoot – especially the Springer. The English Cocker is a popular choice for hunting game.

Setters and Pointers

Called pointers because they are required to point out the game so that the hunter can move in close before the flush. These are larger dogs and are only worth having as a gun dog if you are going to be doing lots of hunting in larger spaces. They are big dogs that cover a lot of ground and not recommended if they are going to be more of a pet than a working dog.

The overriding factors that influence your decision to buy your gun dog should be the amount of work that they are required to do. If you simply want a pet that can occasionally pick up your game then your requirements are different to those serious hunters that run shooting game clubs. All too often gun dogs can end up in rescue centres because they weren’t chosen wisely.

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A Brief History of Air Guns

While the popularity of air rifles in Britain continues to grow as a sporting interest, many people do not realise the heritage behind the gear they use. Air rifles for example were first introduced (at least according to the history books) sometime around the 15^th and 16^th century. According to archaeological documentation, 1580 marks the construction age of the oldest preserved air rifle still present today.

In fact, you may be surprised to learn that air guns were more popular in the 1600’s than traditional gun powder fuelled weaponry as they proved considerably less unwieldy and smoggy than the latter. For example, with an air powered weapon they needn’t be concerned about the black powder getting wet or having smoky clouds emerge from their fire – better yet, they were far quieter thus giving hunter’s considerable advantage.

The weapons continued their popularity well into the 1800s, particular in the states thanks to the development of technology and the earlier introduction of .30 and .51 calibre air weapons. A popular air rifle form this period is that used by Lewis and Clark between 1803 and 1806 during their expedition through the Pacific. The weapon was a .31 calibre air gun and was used for hunting, the gun is said to have roused considerable intrigue from the Native Americans who named it a “smokeless bolt of thunder”.

While air guns would eventually be phased out in battle in favour of firearms, air guns remained a favoured pastime worldwide for hunting, target practice and sport. In fact, you may recall in 1984 the Olympics introduced competitive shooting and the National Air Rifle Association continues to broadcast and support the sporting merits of these outstanding machines.

Solware recommend giving this brief video a watch over on YouTube, it condenses a lot of these facts down into an easily digestible lesson!

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Introducing The Latest Sig Sauer Pistols and Rifles

Great news for Solware customers this November as we proudly launch our latest stock of Sig Sauer lead pellet’ pistols and rifles with some seriously weaponised discounts. Available now both online and at our brick and mortar Staffordshire unit, these outstanding air weapons offer unrivalled precision and grip for an accessible price. Take a look at two of our featured pistols and rifles below…

• Sig Sauer MCX FDE Semi Auto Lead Pellet Air Rifle

Available now for £369.95, this impressive rifle offers a 30 round Roto Belt magazine with a semi-automatic 0.177 calibre steel barrel. This is a seriously durable and attractive rifle which we are pleased to offer at a discounted rate for the winter season. For extra precision, a Sig Sauer 20R red dot sight also comes mounted as standard.

• Sig Sauer P226 Black .177 Lead Pellet

This finely crafted full scale replica offers Solware customers a chance to own one of the most popular pistols among the British Police Firearms unit. With a reliable and satisfying CO2 cartridge and semi automatic steel barrel, this fine pistol is a further testament to the quality of Sig Sauer’s lead pellet weaponry.

Of course, these are not the only two new products to get excited about; we also have the fierce yet attractive Sig Sauer MPX FDE Semi Auto Lead Pellet Air Rifle and MPX Double Action Lead Pellet Air Rifle.

 

To discuss these products with us further please don’t hesitate to give us a ring on 0844 357 0306.

We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

New SMK PCP Rifles at Solware

As you may already know, the team at Solware are currently celebrating the company’s 17^th year in trade and what better way to kick off autumn than with the arrival of our cheapest SMK PCP rifles yet?

We believe that there should never be a trade off between value and quality which is why we are proud to stock the PR900W and M22 models fresh from production.

The PR900W offers outstanding stability, range and precision at an entry level price free from the ramshackle flaws one may expect from shooting on a budget. If you would like to take a closer look at the rifle before committing then please do pay our Tamworth outlet a visit where we will happily demonstrate the hardware in person.

Available online now for £209.95 (plus delivery and VAT), its key features include:

• Single & Multishot in one gun
  • Fixed Precision Rifled barrel for greater accuracy
  • Overall Length 95cm / 37″
  • Open Sights
  • Grooved for Telescopic Sight with Fibre Optics
  • Extremely Powerful
  • Hardwood Stock
  • Weight 2.27 kg / 5 lbs

Next up we have the M22 which takes things up a notch but is once again available in either .177 or .22 calibre models.

While a little pricier than the PR900W, this exceptional rifle offers quality far beyond what we expect for such a price tag.

Available now at £364.95 (plus delivery and VAT), features include:

• Single & Multishot in one gun
  • Available in .177 & .22
  • Fixed Precision Rifled barrel for greater accuracy
  • Overall Length
  • Barrel Lenght
  • Grooved for Telescopic Sight with Fibre Optics
  • Extremely Powerful
  • Hardwood Stock

To get in touch please visit our contact us page or give us a ring on 0844 357 0306.

You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

ALEX BODDY MEMORIAL CHARITY SHOOT

Solware BlogPRESS RELEASE
A “TRULY INCREDIBLE RESULT” FOR THE ALEX BODDY MEMORIAL CHARITY SHOOT
September 13th saw a huge number of both Field Target and Hunter Field Target shooters from all over the country come together at Meon Valley Air Gun Club near East Meon in Hampshire to take part in the Alex Boddy Memorial Charity Shoot.
Meon Valley Club member Alex had lost his battle with a brain tumour last year at a tragically young age, and it was decided to hold a commemorative shoot to not only to honour his memory, but also to raise money for The Rosemary Foundation, an often over-looked charity that did so much for Alex and his wife Judit, enabling them to spend those last few precious weeks together at home rather than Alex being cared for in hospital.
In total, 82 shooters attended the event, making it one of the largest shoots that the Club had ever hosted, and a staggering £1,660 was raised for The Rosemary Foundation charity. Not only did shooters turn out in force, but some very generous lots were donated for both the raffle and auction (with Gary Chillingworth stepping up to the rostrum and wield the auctioneer’s gavel in his own inimitable style!) by Air Arms, Solware, Steve Edmondson of Pellet Clam fame, The World Hunter Field Target Association, McLaren of Woking, and many others.
Alex was a highly talented automotive designer, who had been head-hunted by McLaren, prompting his move down to Hampshire a few years ago, and the company provided 2 absolutely stunning scale models of the cars that Alex had been involved with during the course of his work there, one of which achieved £300 in the auction!
Jeremy Mitchell from The Rosemary Foundation was on hand to congratulate the class winners and hand over their well-deserved trophies, and the results were:
Field Target class:
1st place – Glen Newman (North Oxon Field Target Club)
2nd place – Barry Warren (Meon Valley Airgun Club)
3rd place – Dave Croucher (Kent Woodsman Field Target Club)
Hunter Field Target class:
1st place – Vince Blackman (Meon Valley Airgun Club)
2nd place – Charles Peal (Mile Oak Shooting Club)
3rd place – Phil Jacobs (Horsham Hawks HFT Club)
Prior to the event, there had been some debate as to whether running a shoot that combined the two very different disciplines of both Field Target and Hunter Field Target shooting work be viable – suffice to say that many of those who attended enjoyed the day so much that they enquired whether a similar event could staged next year!