We’ve put some of our regular contributors on the spot and challenged them to nominate their favourite combination of rifle, cartridge and scope and our June edition kicks-off this short series with Daniel O’Dea outlining his top trio. Elsewhere, Senior Correspondent John Dunn was excited to lay his hands on the new Anschutz 1761 Classic bolt-action rifle, something he says will “give a good account of itself as this really is one classy rimfire”. Staying with firearms, Con Kapralos has been out and about with the new CZ 455 Thumbhole Black Carbon rifle which he found “certainly works when it comes to dependability and accuracy”. In a hunting vein this month, Mick Chapman and a handful of mates finally realised their dream when they went in search of warthog in Zimbabwe, a trip which didn’t disappoint. And while our latest edition has had an enforced reduction in pagination as a result of COVID-19, keep reading with our 20-page digital supplement available HERE.

View the digital Australian Shooter magazine

With the nation in lockdown mode, what better time to get the most from Australia’s foremost shooting sports magazine. Our May edition is packed with interesting and informative articles to keep you entertained at home, starting with Ben Unten’s review of the new Akkar triple-barrel shotgun. Still on firearms, Con Kapralos has been out and about with the Ruger American Predator in .308 Winchester, while Senior Correspondent John Dunn takes us on a tour of his collection of Stevens single-shot rifles. Elsewhere, Chris Redlich recounts the tale of his great uncle Harold, one of the gallant ‘Rats of Tobruk’ who fell victim to a German MG 34 machine gun and Ivo Dimitrov take an in-depth look at what was the German army’s primary rapid fire weapon during World War Two. With too much more to mention, our May edition will help banish those self-isolation blues while we await a return to normality.

View the digital Australian Shooter magazine

Our April cover story sees John McDougall visit Cobaw Sporting Clays in rural Victoria where he witnessed some spectacular shotgun shooting as part of the Grouse Plate team event. And in another feature piece, Lionel Swift turns back the clock to give us a fascinating insight into the shot towers of the trans-Tasman, one of which now holds pride of place in one of Melbourne’s biggest shopping centres. Firearms under review this month include the Swarm Fox 10X air gun by GAMO, the Miroko MK38 Monte Carlo shotgun and the Browning Maral SF Big Game straight-pull rifle, which Senior Correspondent John Dunn says is bound to find favour with pig and deer hunters as well as those involved in feral animal control. Also this month we run the numbers on a couple of riflescopes – the  ZeroTech Trace 3-18×50 and Zeiss Victory V8 4.8-35×60 – and speaking of scopes, Mike Smith explains how to zero-in yours with just four shots. And with all our usual columns and letters page, there’s lots to enjoy in our April edition.

View the digital Australian Shooter magazine

Under normal circumstances March would herald the start of duck season and, with that in mind, our cover story this month tells you what you need to know in the breeding of the ideal gun dog as Chas Harding takes us through the step-by-step process of rearing a four-legged hunting buddy for life. Firearms in focus this month include the quirky but fun Pedersoli High Wall, a look back at the Russian-made Baikal IJ-58 shotgun and, exclusive to Australia, the CZ 527 MDT Varmint rifle in .223 Remington. And speaking of varmints, the nation’s pests have been put on notice with the introduction of the Varmageddon projectile, available in both tipped and hollow-point varieties, and Chris Redlich tested them to devastating effect. Senior correspondent John Dunn went in search of bigger game though and recalls the day he exceeded all expectations and claimed the buck of a lifetime. And those among us who enjoy a drop of fine wine can raise a glass to industry icon and keen shooter Wolf Blass as we turn the spotlight on this fascinating character.

View the digital Australian Shooter magazine

Are you in the market for your first centrefire hunting rifle? Then look no further than the February edition of Australian Shooter where Con Kapralos has put four contenders in the $1500 price bracket to the test. He has run the numbers on all four in the .308 Winchester calibre and provided all you need to know to make an informed decision. Also this month, Don Gilchrist has penned a fascination article entitled ‘Barrels, bullets and benchrest’ which should be a must-read for the serious benchrest shooter. Other firearms in the spotlight this month include the Chiappa Alaskan takedown, Miroku’s ML Silver Edition shotgun and the Browning T-Bolt rifle. We also field test Pulsar’s Accolade XP50 thermal imaging bincoluars which turn night into day, take a close look at GlowShot’s new portable target kit while Senior Correspondent Rod Pascoe puts the latest range of NX8 riflescopes from Nightforce to the test. Set some free time aside and settle into our February magazine – there’s plenty to keep you busy as summer starts to fade.

View the digital Australian Shooter magazine

As we bid farewell to another year, the cover of our December issue features Chris Redlich on a tahr hunt in New Zealand and the lengths he went to in a bid to snare an impressive trophy. Firearms in review this month include the new 686CL Sports shotgun from Turkish manufacturer ATA and the latest addition to CZ’s 457 family, the Premium. As legendary French firm Verney-Carron prepares to celebrate its 200th anniversary next year, Sam Garro has penned a fascinating insight into their L’Atelier Verney-Carron double rifles, while our Communications Officer Sam Talbot wraps up his popular Talbot on Target series with a look at the Long Range Precision discipline. Products in the spotlight this time round include the latest range of Styrka riflescopes and an appealing array of brass cases relatively new to Australia from US maker Jagemann. And senior correspondent John Dunn has signed off for 2019 with an entertaining account of a weekend knifemaking course in the Mother Mountain Forge at Dignams Creek on the NSW coast. We wish all our readers a merry Christmas and happy new year.

View the digital Australian Shooter magazine

Communications officer Sam Talbot stands tall on the cover of our November magazine as he tackles the fine art of Muzzleloading in the latest instalment of his mission to shoot the SSAA disciplines. We’ve thrown the spotlight on a couple of shotguns this time round, John McDougall taking to the field with the new Dickinson straight pull bolt-action 12-gauge while Dick Eussen gives us his assessment of another 12-gauge, the Ozkanlar SHS STP-12. In the optics field, Chris Redlich has plenty of praise for Swarovski’s Z5 2.4-12×50 riflescope with ballistic turret while the latest Nikko Stirling scopes, the Metor and Prostaff 5, have impressed Con Kapralos. The SSAA has provided vital funding for a new approach to chital deer research in Queensland and key player in the project, Dr Matt Amos, has written us a fascinating insight. All the regular columnists are on board as usual and with our popular letters and Top Shots sections the latest edition will keep you busy.

View the digital Australian Shooter magazine

Here at last! So proclaims the cover of October’s Australian Shooter as we have the first review of the long-awaited LA105 Woomera from Lithgow Arms, an all-Australian made rifle which left reviewer Daniel O’Dea suitably impressed. And on the subject of impressive rifles, James Hoffman has run the numbers on the Marlin 336XLR and come up with a few reasons for choosing an upgraded 30-30 over the modern Winchester 88 spin-offs. Switching to shotguns and Paul Miller has assessed the Beretta DT 11 ACS, not an inexpensive option but one which he reckons might just make that crucial difference for the competition shooter. Speaking of competition shooters, Australian Barry Whitford travelled to the IHMSA World Championships in Oklahoma City where he returned with not one but two world titles under his belt, a feat he hopes to repeat when he defends them next year. And with our usual mix of features, columns and product reviews we’re confident our October issue will keep you entertained.

View the digital Australian Shooter magazine