Sporting Rifle

DL

Well-Known Member
In common with a couple of others who have said on here, I have had enough, I believed this was a really good magazine for a while, & even had a few back issues sent out.
Now though, it is just a bit too far fetched to cover my interests, so isn't as informative as before.
I won't be hunting with my air rifle, I have two rimfires for that sort of quarry.
I wont be going hunting in Zimbabwe - I like my freedom too much.

It is beyond my means to buy an RPA, & likewise to buy a £3.5k Maxi kite night vision scope.

So I'm afraid I am letting my subscription lapse.

I have ordered a magazine from abroad, & apart from a bit of a delay by surface mail, it looks to be better & costs less too.

So it was nice whilst it lasted, but I am left wondering who will buy Carminnows? Now that the gaffer is off doing reports on African hunting trips. :confused:
 
DL

I have to agree completely with what you are saying it has turned into the Peter Carr fan club mag as far as i can see .
On another point has any one ever won one of the Howa rifle's that is a prize every month ? I have never seen the winners announced any were in the mag which is a bit odd don't you think ?
 
Yeah, they really did end up giving the rifles away for real, pippa in the intro's section was talking about one.
I notice no-one from Scotland got on though, that will just be down to the population difference.
 
Dl
I stand corrected on the Howa and hello and welcome to Pippa
and well done for wining a rifle. :eek:
 
Mr Carr has often introduced himself as a professional white hunter :lol: and I well remember the time he visited with me and told the attendant on the desk that he was a professional hunter :rolleyes:

He obviously was a bit blown away by the collection, but to my mind was not quite as knowlegable on big game as he implied. Some species such as Dorcas Gazelle and Wallia Ibex were quite new to him and he looked very out on a limb ;)
 
reiver said:
Dl
I stand corrected on the Howa and hello and welcome to Pippa
and well done for wining a rifle. :eek:

Cheers! :)

Still waiting to get my hands on it tho'... I was notified at the end of March that I'd won, and it took me a good couple of months to a) decide on a calibre and b) discuss with my FLO the conditions I'd need to satisfy to get te calibre I wanted on my FAC, before I actually specified the rifle with the supplier (Highland Outdoor). They didn't have the .308 calibre I'd chosen in stock, so I've had to wait for it to come in from the USA, clear customs, then go for screwcutting and proofing. I'm hoping to get it by the end of this month, so will report back with a review when I can get it down to a range for zeroing.

As for the mag - I'll continue to keep up my subscription at least for now... I'm also a target .22rf shooter so having the Target shooting section is a plus, although the information does seem a little limited.

I've been a little downhearted at what seemed to me to be a huge amount of coverage of African big game hunting, but as I'm still new to stalking, I had so far assumed that there was sufficient interest among the readership to warrant it. Perhaps not, if the posts here are any indication...

What should they have in the mag, instead of articles on african hunting?

As a new shooter, I'd like to see some more kit reviews - clothing and accessories as well as rifles; as others have said, not all of us can afford a 2k+ rifle! I'd also like to hear about how people go about their stalks - do they use shooting sticks (mono, bi-, tri-pod?), what kind of fitted bipod do they use, how do they carry their rifle - not just what sling they use, but physically how - muzzle up on left shoulder, muzzle down sling wrapped around right arm.. etc.

Also, more info on what differences people are seeing in the deer being shot in their area compared to anothers... colour, weight, antler configuration, etc.

Maybe if someone from Sporting Rifle is watching these forums, a little constructive discussion could help to build a better mag, and we wouldn't feel the need to cancel the subscription...?
 
Sporting Rifle.

Good post Pippa, the kind we need here, if you broke it down into separate questions it would keep us interested for some welcome to a breath of fresh air. The old Stalking Magazine suffered the same problem even worse, it didn't have airgun articles so even less material to publish if I remember correctly. Welcome Pippa deerwarden :lol:
 
Pippa

That sounds like a great shopping list for posting messages on the Stalking Directory website ;) In all seriousness, I have gained a lot more information from other users of this forum than I have from many of the magazines.

I used to subscribe to Stalking magazine, but sadly it disappeared. I liked it, as it was nearly all about stalking in the UK with just the occasional 'foreign' trip to add some spice. I pick up Sporting Rifle if I see it on a newsagent's shelf, similarly with Shooting Sports, but wouldn't want to buy them every month.

willie_gunn
 
I have sadly let my subscription lapse even though i have had a couple of articles written about my company.
I buy it from time to time now on the chance it grabs my attention again.
Heres hoping ;) :D
Though i think it may need a different captain to steer it away from the african stalking rifle :rolleyes:
 
Sporting Rifle is basically rubbish, a tabloid version of a shooting magazine but..... I still buy it when I see a new issue in a petrol station! Help!

I suppose that is in line with news of the world type thinking, you wouldn't buy it if you wanted serious coverage of news issues but they still sell millions each week.

On a more serious note, I wish the editorial staff would take a bit more care, you often see photos dipicting bad practise, poor weapon handleing, out of season deer with no explanation etc.

I have to say, most of the other shooting magazines are nearly as bad though. Shooting Times is pretty weak but I suppose that they are up against it being a weekly publication, It is the accepted industy journal so most keepers and stalkers subscribe. Shame that they devote so much space to raptors and badgers, often putting across very mixed messages. Sporting Gun is just four weeks worth of Shooting Times, sometimes even the letters are the same. The Field is quite good and is the only one that passes the 'Waiting room test' (would you be happy to leave it in a doctors etc) I have no experience of any others.

Pippa, your comments are very valid and, as a reader, you should email them to the editor. JC
 
I think some people writing here could post a few articles to the Sporting Rfile magazine, and I believe they would be published. I also think SR improved recently picturewise, as the photos used to be like from poor horror movies with the ketchup all around. :D

Greg
 
I only periodically get this magazine to keep up with what new kit is on the market - not that i can afford it mind you! my old Sako 591 in .308 is more than trustworthy and accurate for my needs!

At the CLA a guy on the Sporting Rifle stand asked my if i would subscribe - i told him "absolutely not!" and informed him that any "joe public" picking up any edition would be less than convinced that that stalkers in general practiced any management/animal welfare ethics...

Rob
 
I recall a similar thing at the Midland G/Fair last year, the issue that they had on display showed a couple of rednecks butchering a deer in the farm workshop! The end result looked like a grizzly bear had attacked it! I pointed that out to the staff when they asked me if I wished to subscribe, they went a bit quiet! JC
 
Hi JC, I can't agree with the comparison of Shooting Times and Sporting Rifle i'm afraid. I would be happy to leave a copy of Shooting Times in a waiting room.

The quality of writing is stellar compared to that of Sporting Rifle and their remit is far wider. It includes the average sporting rifle user, shotgunners, gundogs, countryside issues, fishing etc etc etc.

If they have harped on about Badgers and Raptors then thats because they are the issues of the moment. I don't think it reflects badly on a news magazine if they choose to represent contemporary views. Rather the contrary in fact.

Sporting Rifle is trashly journalism and largely a promotional vehicle for one man, his commercial interests and his friends.

That on its own is neither here nor there as we're not forced to read it. However it is badly edited and a good number of the articles are ill considered, ill written and depict the sport in a very bad light to those who know little of it.

We can ill afford to give our enemies such delighfully well crafted ammunition.

I think there was a recent thread on this subject but whether it was on here I can't recall. Anyone else remember?


Regards

Gareth
 
zaitsev :D

can't agree more. PC isn't in touch with real issues here in the UK, it's really bad when a magazine is solely about one mans ego.

Let's face it, with some of the issues at the estate in the past, who in their right mind would listen to someone with those values.
 
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