It can sometimes be surprising how many like-minded fellow shooters are out and about in the community without us knowing it, and the subject of this month’s cover story is exactly that. Regular contributor Derek Nugent had no idea that when the people next door sold up and moved away, his new neighbour would be a keen shooter with a custom rifle that’s the stuff of dreams. The pair have since become regular shooting and hunting buddies and no doubt will be for years to come. We have a couple of excellent rifles under review this month, with Daniel O’Dea running the numbers on the Blaser R8 Professional Success, while Chris Redlich has nothing but praise for the superb Benelli Lupo High Precision. Products in the spotlight this time include Sordin Supreme Pro-X electronic earmuffs, Howa deluxe walnut rifle stocks, the affordable Pecar Black Carbon riflescope, Pro-Shot cleaning gear to keep your firearms in tip-top condition and a new range of hard gun case from Pro-Tactical. And with competition reports, readers’ letters and our usual range of columns and advice, we feel there’s plenty going on in this issue.

The humble air rifle was an introduction to shooting for many, if not most of us and, like the majority of things nowadays, air rifle technology has come a long way. So this month we salute and celebrate that often overlooked aspect of this great sport with a deep dive into all things air rifle. We’ve put a few aspects of the genre under the spotlight with a look at some of the rifles themselves as well as pellets, both modern and retro, and a purpose-built air pellet chronograph. Elsewhere we take a look at hearing protection, a thermal imaging riflescope and a superb new range of shotgun shells by Italian manufacturer NSI, while senior correspondent Rod Pascoe has everything the budding hand-gunner needs to know about buying his or her first handgun. And of course we have our regular columns, readers’ letters and competitions as we bid farewell to another summer.

For our cover story this month, Joe Norris has documented the touching story of his good friend Trevor, tragically diagnosed with a terminal illness yet keen to make the trip to Africa in search of a trophy Cape buffalo. Read about how Trevor’s loyal mates rallied round and helped turn his dream into reality in what was a hunting expedition like no other. We’ve put three superb rifles in the spotlight this month, starting with the Chapuis X4 which had Mark van den Boogaart singing its praises as he describes it as “an elegant and finely-crafted rifle made for adventure, representative of a quality not often seen at your local gunshop”. Paul Miller freely admits he was in ‘lefty heaven’ when he laid his hands on the Tikka T3X Veil ‘Wideland’, a rifle made at the Sako factory in Finland and one which he says will be difficult for the partnership to improve on. And Ben Unten enjoyed his time with the Rossi R95 Triple Black lever-action, a rifle which had him harking back to the golden age of Hollywood and watching classic John Wayne movies with his dad. Other items under review this time around include ammunition, red dot sights, a long-range torch, binoculars and a reliable riflescope well under the competitive $1000 price point. And of course we have all our regulars columns, letters and the ever-popular Top Shots.

It was a long time coming but, after a Covid-enforced hiatus, the SSAA Shot Expo returned in late October and attracted around 16,000 to the Melbourne Showground. John McDougall was there for Australian Shooter and has put together an overview of the event and how well it was received by exhibitors and visitors alike. Firearms under review this month include the 505 Synchro XT Black rifle from Sauer who say it’s designed to be ‘the most beautiful bolt-action rifle in the world’. A bold claim indeed and we left it to Mark van den Boogaart to assess that claim and deliver his verdict. Also in the spotlight is the new MK10 Premier Sporter over-and-over shotgun from Miroku which, according to reviewer Paul Miller, “represents excellent value for a well-designed and beautifully finished shotgun”. But firearms aren’t much use without ammunition, so we sent Con Kapralos out and about with three new offerings in .223 Remington from Italian manufacturer Fiocchi, which passed the range test with flying colours. Elsewhere this month we also run the numbers on an all-round affordable hunting knife by Cold Steel, AI-enhanced shooting glasses from RE Ranger, while Matthew Godson launches his reloading career with the Breech Lock Challenger Kit from industry veteran Lee.

Joseph Nugent, like many hunters, went in search of a deer for the freezer during the 2024 ‘Roar’ and while that ultimately didn’t happen, he did account for a few wild dogs which were causing havoc on his hunting property. Read his account of how a chance encounter with a breeding pack turned a deer-free outing into one which would prove beneficial to the local koala population. As the SSAA continues its march towards 220,000 members, it was pleasing to hear of a new multi-purpose shooting range opening its doors last month, this one at Ettrick in South Australia. The SA branch of the Association extended an invite to Australian Shooter editor Allan Blane who was more than happy to visit the sprawling 1500-acre Allambi Shooting Complex, which is already preparing to host the 2024 Long Range Precision National Championships. Also this month we take a look at the latest shotgun from Miroku, the MK10 Black Sporter, and among other products in the spotlight are ammunition, binoculars, ear protectors and knife sharpeners.

As a youngster I was fascinated by the lever-action rifle, John Wayne striding down Main Street in all his glory, picking off the bad guy on the roof of the livery store. So for this month’s cover story I was more than a bit eager to see what rifle aficionado Chris Redlich made of the latest Rossi Puma lever-action, this one with a 20^ barrel and chambered for the small .357 Magnum/.38 Special calibre. As it turns out he put it to very good use on some feral pigs and, so impressed was he, the review rifle now has pride of place in his own gun safe. And sticking with rifles for now, Daniel O’Dea has been busy with the Winchester SXR2 pump-action which, for general shooting, he found “came to point easy and was fast to operate” and should find favour with sambar hunters or those chasing pigs in the lignum. And if that’s your mission then a decent spotlight would probably come in handy so, to that end, Nick Rositano has put three from Pro-Tactical to the test, covering all options from beginners right through to professional shooters. And when the hunt’s over you may need to process that carcass, so Derek Nugent has assessed an impressive trio of cleavers from Aussie Outback Supplies which will cover every eventuality should the need arise. Add to that some handy hints to extend the life of your double shotgun along with our usual columns, Top Shots and letters and there’s plenty to be going on with in another feature-packed edition.

Riflescopes are becoming more complex and more feature-packed with each passing year and the Burris brand is no exception. For our cover story this month, Nick Rositano has ventured afield with their latest Eliminator 6, a rangefinder scope which completely eliminates guesswork for the modern-day hunter. Featuring a reticle which offers no fewer than 177 aiming points, simply place the crosshairs on your target, press the range button and it calculates the exact distance so all you need do is squeeze the trigger. Yildiz shotguns out of Turkey have built a reputation as being value-for-money firearms and John McDougall has taken their SPZ ME Special Sporter to the traps where he says it equipped itself admirably using a mixture of light and heavy loads. Reliable binoculars are now an essential part of the outdoors person’s kit and to that end, Matthew Godson has run the rule on the latest from the Hikmicro Habrok range, these ones handily equipped with an inbuilt laser rangefinder and enhanced night-vision capabilities. And as springtime beckons across Australia, Con Kapralos has tips on hunting hares, a sustainable and delicious alternative to rabbits. Elsewhere, we salute a young gun and a new inductee to the Hall of Fame following the SSAA Fly Shoot National Championships.

The Skout Epoch air rifle was developed over a five-year period and looks nothing like a conventional timber-stocked rifle, rather a wholly futuristic firearm with its carbon fibre components and matt black chassis more in keeping with the tactical look we’ve become familiar with. For our cover story this month, we take an in-depth look at this revolutionary air-gun that features rechargeable electrical computer controls which allow tuning and a hammerless valve system. As reviewer Paul Miller points out: “Serious air rifle geeks will undoubtedly be thrilled by the technology.” Sticking with firearms, Daniel O’Dea has gone bush with a Bushpig shotgun from Turkish firm Axor Arms and while it may not win any prizes in the beauty stakes, it does have several new, innovative and redeemable features. Also under review this month is a double-whammy from ZeroTech, as we unbox their ADV 4-24×50 riflescope and 20-60×80 spotting scope and put them to the test, and also run the numbers on an iconic and all-purpose hunting knife from Ka-Bar. The passing of firearms writer Nick Harvey has left a hole in the Australian shooting landscape that will probably never be filled and, in a tribute of his own to the great man, Chris Redlich has penned a touching piece on his connection to a true Aussie gun legend