As winter arrives we turn up the heat in the June edition of Australian Shooter. Our cover story celebrates the gold medal success of three Aussie hot-shots at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Australia finished second in the shooting medal table behind big-spending India and gave us plenty to talk about.

Con Kapralos gets his hands on Kimber’s Open Country rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, which he finds to be a “divine option for someone looking for a rifle that carries well in the hand and can also take that longer shot if required”.

And in the first of a new series, our Communications Officer Sam Talbot is a man on a mission – to shoot the SSAA disciplines one at a time, learning as he goes. In the first instalment he takes us through the process of buying your first firearm and setting it up.

Elsewhere, senior correspondent John Dunn continues his love affair with the single-shot rifle and extols the virtues of the Winchester Model 1885 High Wall Special Sporting rifle in .22WCF.

Thomas Tabor discusses the importance of correct ammunition storage carrying and we look at the Racken Rest Lone Shooter, the latest ear protection and have your questions answered by our resident Top Shots experts.

Variety is uppermost in the May edition of Australian Shooter. Our cover story sees Don Caswell road test the Weatherby Vanguard HSP Varmint rifle, calling it “the most consistently accurate rifle I have ever used”, while Mark van den Boogaart takes us through his journey in search of a collectable sporting rifle.

Still on firearms, senior correspondent John Dunn takes an in-depth look at some unusual single-barrel shotguns, and Chris Redlich shares the tale of his .284 Winchester which he purpose built for hunting. On a lighter note, Dick Eussen enthuses over the fun to be had when plinking and Royce Wilson takes a step back in time with a visit to the Musee de l’Armee in Paris.

Out in the field, Ben Smith enjoys a busy weekend hunting deer, pigs and goat, while Leon Wright takes us on a journey recalling his days from a young hunter to the present. And on the subject of young hunters, our May edition includes the latest Junior Shooter special edition, with Joseph Nugent stalking and trophy-mounting stags.

Elsewhere, Con Kapralos sets his sights on Meopta’s Meostar R2 and ZD riflescopes, Rod Pascoe finds the new Chargemaster Lite a handy device for the serious reloader and Sam Garro puts the new Gaerne Canyon Boots through their paces.

A celebration of the 70th anniversary of the formation of the SSAA takes pride of place in our April edition of Australian Shooter. We look back at how the body came into being in 1948, at some of the events of that year, and the many achievements of the organisation in the interim decades. Elsewhere, the magazine is as busy as ever with Daniel O’Dea taking us on a journey around the annual US SHOT Show in Las Vegas. On the home front, there is a message from Federal Sports Minister Senator Bridget McKenzie, ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Royce Wilson steps back in time to assess the Sten Machine Carbine while Henri Lach also gives a nod to the past by detailing restoration efforts on a vintage shotgun. Items reviewed include three riflescopes from Hawke Optics and the X-51 v3 Range Camera System. And don’t forget to check out what’s up for grabs on our competition page.

As autumn arrives, the March edition of Australian Shooter  contains a 14-page duck season special, focusing on the gear, guns, ammo and etiquette required for this popular discipline. Read John McDougall’s feature on everything you need to know for a successful duck shooting season.

Also in this edition, Ian Ferrier discusses a right-handed rifle for a left-handed shooter, and senior correspondent John Dunn attends a weekend knife-making course at the Tharwa Valley Forge near Canberra.

On a more competitive note, SSAA President Geoff Jones looks ahead to this month’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and invites members to back the online petition to have shooting reinstated to the 2022 Games in Birmingham.

Put through their paces by our expert reviewers this month are the new Sako 85 Carbon Wolf rifle, which is already creating a buzz, and the Savage B22 FVSS, an ideal starting rifle for recreational hunters.

We move into 2018 in fine style with the February edition of Australian Shooter by unveiling SSAA’s exciting new partnership with David Ireland. Known across the globe as The Wildlife Man, David adorns the cover to bolster the launch of a video series detailing steps to follow to safely enjoy the experience of the great outdoors. David’s ground-breaking wildlife films have aired on major television networks. Come February, the 10-episode series will be available on our SSAA TV YouTube channel, found at ssaa.org.au/ssaatv

Another new feature in the magazine is a question and answer segment, which will see some of our expert writers deal with readers’ queries on all aspects of firearms topics. SSAA President Geoff Jones certainly echoes the upbeat mood in his monthly message. Geoff feels that the SSAA is flourishing as never before with the opportunity to expand the shooting sports at an all-time high.

On a sad note, we bid farewell to editor Kaye Jenkins, who stands down after being at the helm for almost 13 years.

Con Kapralos reviews a Howa M1500 rifle fitted with a GRS Berserk stock and chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor; John McDougall field-tests the Axis S&H shotgun from Fabarm and John Dunn puts the Schultz and Larsen Hunter Traveller rifle under the microscope. Benjamin Unten examines the feature-rich ATN X-sight II HD 5-20x Day/Night riflescope, while Paul Miller takes a look through a pair of Rudy Project Rydon shooting glasses. SSAA-LA’s Kate Fantinel pens a wrap-up of the national firearms amnesty and an account of how volunteers’ resilience is paying off for the rare Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby. Senior correspondent Rod Pascoe tries out CCI’s Copper .22 rimfire cartridge and Lionel Swift provides a in-depth guide on cleaning double-barrel shotgun actions. Assistant Editor Dave Rose gets to know the latest SSAA Bursary recipient and sharp-shooter ‘Jeremiah’ traces his shotgun all the way back to her Royal Majesty. Dick Eussen assesses the unique Compact M1911 Folder knife and Donna Partridge reunites with the Heart of the Huntress cast for a successful weekend hunt.  

John McDougall reviews the GK01 Sporting 12-gauge over-and-under shotgun from Turkish manufacturer Radikal, while John Hill treats himself to a good birthday present in the form of a Savage Model 16 FCSS Weather Warrior rifle chambered in .223 Remington. SSAA-LA’s Kate Fantinel explains that gun murders are driven by poverty and inequality, not gun availability. Peter Bindon tries out a set of folding Walther Pro knives, Geoff Smith tracks his bullets with the Labradar chronograph and Con Kapralos takes a look at down the SIG Sauer Tango6 5-30×56 scope. Alek Wadi reconnects with the Berthier Mousqueton Mle M16 French service carbine, RF Noonan explores the surprising history of his ‘American’ Lithgow No.1 Mk III and senior correspondent John Dunn is impressed with Browning’s T-Bolt Mossy Oak Bottomlands rifle. Communications Officer finds out how junior shooter Nick McConnell went at the SSAA 2017 National Junior Challenge.

Paul Miller tests Walther’s MaximaThor .22LR-calibre precharged pneumatic repeating air rifle and Con Kapralos reviews the Anschutz 1771D German ‘hogsback’ stock rifle in .204 Ruger calibre. Assistant Editor Dave Rose explains the SSAA’s involvement with the Conservation and Wildlife Research Trust, while Media and Political Officer Kate Fantinel discusses the SSAA-sponsored sambar study and gives a full recap on the Brisbane SSAA SHOT Expo. Daniel O’Dea is impressed with the Uzkon LA887 lever-action shotgun, while John Hill performs some gunsmithing on a Sako L461 Vixen rifle. John McDougall puts Spartan shotshells through their paces, Communications Officer Sam Talbot tries out virtual hunting in Hunting Simulator and the Action Trackchair all-abilities vehicle gets taken for a spin. We meet junior member Sinee Khanprasert, and senior correspondent John Dunn looks back on the life and times of Australian hunting legend, Bob Penfold.