'All The Gear'... Choosing the right Equipment when Hunting.

When it comes to shooting in the UK, I believe I'm someone with some gear and a pretty good idea, but as I always say, I'm not a pro and I'm always learning.

One of the things I've had to learn quickly in the past couple of years is getting to grips with new equipment. I've been very lucky to be able to try out different guns, scopes, binoculars and more; but as nice as it is, it means I need to take more time and brain cells to get used to different actions, new software, learn faster about different types of ammo/loads/shooting distances etc. It's like cars - I am a massive car lover by the way - but if you had to get to grips with a different car or van every month, a different biting point, a different overtaking speed, an automatic instead of manual and back again - it could be quite exhausting!

So, I thought I'd share what I have discovered works best for me in my different situations and with different quarry, to hopefully help someone who may be thinking about going after that quarry for the first time with a different type of gun, or may find themselves on a new permission that has a different topography to what they're used to.

Rabbits

I tend to use a .22 rifle with 40 grain ammo. I have used an air rifle in the past and will be doing so again soon.

Whether you use a .22 or an air rifle, you hold bear in mind your comfortable shooting distance is going to be between 30 - 50 yards, 70 yards at a push. I have shot a rabbit at 76 yards using a .22 and my partner at around 100 yards, but then you're getting into the realm of holding above the target etc. or setting up your scope to handle the drop - it's really not worth it if you're just out getting your dinner!

Obviously you need an appropriate scope whatever rifle you're using. I am currently using the Hik Micro Alpex day/night scope and I'm loving it - it's especially useful as rabbits are often more active after dark, and I have the Hik IR torch mounted on a swivel mount that I love, but you can use any torch you want with it.

I also use the Condor LRF 2 thermal spotter which is especially helpful when walking around an 18 hole golf course in the middle of the night! It's good for finding the rabbits and figuring out how to get closer to them, it's great for finding them later on (I tend to leave them lying where I shoot them and carry on shooting - this way most of the fleas have dropped off by the time I come to pick them up a couple of hours later). It's also essential for safety reasons - read my blog about using thermal imaging HERE.

Hik Micro have also brought out a new Alpex day/night Light scope that I will be using next month. I'm off to film in Devon with Fieldsports Channel on rabbits using a new RAW air rifle - blog on this to follow!

Deer Stalking

Whether I'm hunting Roe deer, Chinese Water Deer or Muntjac, my go to is the Tikka T3 .243 rifle with 100 grain Fiocchi ammo. These are the only 3 species I have experience in hunting, and therefore the only ones I will talk about here.

I will never forget the satisfaction of buying that .243 as it was the first gun that I bought for myself, with my own hard earned money, that I had chosen myself with no unwanted 'guidance'. I remember asking the shop owner "what ammo can I use that is going to drop whatever I point at?" (of the 3 species mentioned above). He told me 100gr and I've stuck with it, although I've moved from other, non reliant brands to the very consistent Fiocchi.

When it comes to the scope, I personally find that traditional is best and glass scopes are the way to go for deer stalking; although the HikMicro Alpex 4K scope would also be suitable for those that prefer digital.

As with rabbit hunting I use a thermal spotter - it's a great way for me to check range, as I prefer to stalk my quarry until I'm as close as I can get. However, I have only been deer stalking for around 3-4 years and my range judging by eye alone is still in development, especially when switching between spotting 3 different deer species in one evening! So for me, the best way to check that I am under the 100 yard mark that I prefer, and also to check that the brown thing that I've seen in the distance is a deer and not a hare or a tree stump - is by using my Hik Micro Condor thermal imaging device. Of course, once you've established that it is indeed a deer, you'll need a good set of Binoculars for clear species, age and gender identification.

Pigeons

I have used both a 12 bore semi automatic shotgun and a 12 guage over and under on decoying pigeons. Alongside the Fiocchi 6-32's Pigeon bio cartridges which I ADORE - but I always advise to use your own preference of gun and cartridge. My preference is the semi auto due to having that extra shot in the chamber - I'm hoping to get an 8-shot on my licence soon (*smiles and waves at Derbyshire police firearms department*).

Binoculars are also important for reconnaissance, allowing you to watch pigeons from afar without disturbing their normal behaviour, checking flight paths and where they're landing to feed; whether that's in trees, hedgerows or on the ground. It means you can plan the best place to setup based on seeing the environment and checking the surrounding crops.

Sometimes it's necessary to use an air rifle on pigeons, depending on the land and crops. One of the fields on my permission is next to a busy road and houses, so in the Summer months when pigeons start eating from 5am, it's better to use an air rifle to pick them off quietly... I'll be using this technique in the coming months along with my air rifle topped with the Hik Micro Alpex light scope - just need the rain to hurry up now...

What equipment are you planning on using on your next outing? Whatever equipment you use, make sure it's right for you and the situation, make sure you respect your quarry, and above all else -

Happy Hunting!

*The above are just my opinions and suggestions based on what I use personally for my hunting outings.