tjm160

BSA Tactical Carbine Backpack Rifle Slip 38" x 11" x 2.5", new and unused. £35 posted please.

Napier Apex Auto Gambrel new and unused. Since purchasing, I've found I'm happier handling the gralloch with the beasts on the ground. There's a slit to the bag near the top opening, where caught with scissors undoing original packaging, but still securely fastens. £45 posted please, saving the buyer £25 on the original purchase price.

1 with air rifle, 2 with .22 this evening. Total 436

Ahh, that's great, thanks Reggie!

AimZonic?

.243, the variation for .308 has only just come through following completion of DSC1. I'm looking to take up the slot with a new 2014 model Sako 85 Synthetic Black once funds allow. The .243 will then be transferred to dedicated foxing duties and ultimately, NV. I should add, as much as I love my A7, my one small gripe is the magazine capacity and no possibility of a third party given the configuration/fitting design. Three may be fine for deer, but it's rather a pain for foxing in the dark.

Thanks Daf, a Sako A7 with Meopta ZD 3-12/50, Harris Bipod and "Dougster" (from SD) hand made canvass sling. The Cyclone Compact advertised sound reduction is 27-31db.

Pleasure, pleased to help and best wishes if you decide to try one. I wish I could recommend based on comparison but have not had the opportunity to try others. My decision had to be made entirely "on paper", but based on my experience with since, I have no regrets, indeed, quite the contrary. Tim

Completely understand that, but then surely the only way to judge that is to try one? Happy to give you a shot of mine if desired.

Until the manufacturers adopt a common measure, all we have to go on are their figures Traztaz. Rather than continually telling us how flawed they are, why not help everyone by completing your own independent test as they did with some of the main moderators in this test?

Did you consider adding the backbox to give even greater sound reduction Thunderbird? http://www.alanrhone.com/products-aimsport.html Although tempted by the greatest sound reduction of the Cyclone Plus: I opted for the slightly lighter/more compact Cyclone Compact:

My hearing is unfortunately badly damaged through too much unprotected shooting earlier in life. Even moderated and with Peltor ProTac Electronic ear defenders, it's still getting worse (it seems percussion alone is now enough to continue the degradation). Returning to small and full-bore shooting last year, I consequently sought the 'best' moderator available. In the absence of being able to directly compare side-by-side with other makes (the AimZonic sadly wasn't included in this test), I could but go by the performance on paper. On paper, the AimZonic advertised sound reduction is greater than its competitors, the over barrel design doesn't extend the rifle too much and the medium weight balances/handles extremely well on the end of my Sako A7. I plan to add a Sako 85 in Synthetic Black as soon as I can afford and unless I come across a mod that betters the weight/sound reduction/price balance of the AimZonic, it will again be my chosen option. The Hardy looks like a good mod with db reduction stated as ranging from 22-30 db depending on calibre and ammunition type, against 27-31db for the AimZonic Cyclone Compact. The Hardy is a lot lighter at 290g vs. 395g for the AimZonic (which perhaps explains the lesser sound reduction) and appears ~£14 cheaper. Has anyone tried side-by-side? On paper having not used or seen a Hardy in the flesh, I still err towards the greater sound reduction of the AimZonic.

I tested my new Sako Quad .22 barrel with five brands kent, hoping CCI's would be best and if not Winchesters (hence two groups of each): Settling on Eley's, I took out to 100m and swapped the barrel over to compare with the HMR. At 100m I was on the bottom post of the scope (essentially fifth mil dot) with the .22:

Who, the puppy

Cracking write up and superb pictures Tim, hearty congrats on a very well thought out result. I've learned a lot from that, Crumbs, stopping shooting and walking across the field to put the birds off, that's some discipline.

Thanks Kent and Graham, some most helpful guidance there, much to mull over.

Ahh sorry Daf, just traded my Sako brass with my deer mentor. Also just had a very interesting conversation with him around bullet weight's. Have been warned off the large exit's (and corresponding meat damage) with SST's at short distances and am now thinking I should be going heavier to hit harder and reduce likelihood of running far.

Daf - thanks and sure, I was just sharing my limited experience with the Sako Gamehead .243 and thinking behind next steps of round choice. You're in another galaxy to me with your .308 and general rifle experience Kent - when using different bullet weights from the same gun, do you "aim off" or re-adjust the sights for the respective rounds? I'm sincerely hoping that a move to Hornady will present solely elevation difference between the 95g SST's and 58g V-MAX.

I started with a Sako Quad in HMR and as my sole rifle, absolutely loved it, and proved it devastating on rabbits comfortably out to 150 yds. Now I've added .243 a "quiet" rimfire was more appealing. So, I added a .22 LR barrel, which combined with subsonics, is superbly quiet and still deadly on rabbits up to 100yds (and with less meat damage). OK. I've lost 50 yds distance, but on my permissions that's less of an issue than the noise and so I doubt the HMR barrel will be used again for the foreseeable future. The beauty with the Sako Quad, is this flexibility (and can always add an extra .22 WMR barrel - a better foxing round up to 100yds, than HMR).

My Sako A7 shot best with 90g Sako Gamehead Soft Points and Hornady Custom 95g SST's Daf. I couldn't split them for group size, but chose the Sako for no other real reason than the make or the round matched the make of the rifle. I've been very pleased with the consistency and performance. I zeroed and plotted the trajectory out to 250m once last October and have taken two neck shot Fallow which went straight down on the spot (at ~40m and ~50m respectively) and five foxes under the lamp (at 100-200m) since. Four of the foxes were down on the spot and one took a second shot. So, the one round has worked well for me thus far, but I reserve full judgement until I've taken a few more deer with it, especially in the boiler room and further away. I've been offered a guided stalk for Sikka this year with the guide having no issues (given performance with the Fallow) with me using the .243. Equally, now I have DSC1 and have added a .308 slot, I will probably move to that as a dedicated deer rifle once funds allow. I'd then move the .243 to a NV foxing set-up, until being able to take up the .223 slot as well. The .223 will then become the dedicated NV rifle and free the .243 back up in it's current configuration as the general/all purpose (Roe/Muntjac/daytime fox) go to rifle. The other option I'm mulling over for the .243, is to move over to the Hornady Custom 95g SST's and see how different the POA is from Hornady 58g V-Max's. If workable without needing to re-zero and prove to work well for their respective quarry, I would then use the 95g for deer and 58g for foxing. Has anyone else tried this?

Great work Tim, surprising there are any left at all with your efficiency

Congratulations, superb fox and cracking picture indeed.

One vixen with .243 under the lamp tonight. Total = 145

Yes correct Ging, it's presently folded under a Velcro flap designed to keep the hood tidy when not in use. I purchase on a whim needing to replace my 24-year old SASS Kit Karry Smock. I'd repaired and repaired and repaired, even to the point of replacing one of the arms with the leg of a pair of windproof trousers around ten years ago. However, now it really is completely past any form of redemption. Missing all the extra pockets with this smock, I only used once before happening across an equivalent of my original smock, so this is now surplus to requirements. Tim