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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Variety is key in the October edition of Australian Shooter with no fewer than eight separate firearms and products under review. Rifles in the spotlight include  the Steyr Mannlicher Zephyr II and the TCR 87 Hunter single-shot, while the Miroku ML11 Sport shotgun also features as does an eye-watering $200,000 shotgun offering from Rigby. We also run the numbers on the latest Vortex Viper riflescope, Federal Premium’s Gold Medal Berger target ammo, Nitecore Hunting Kit and the latest tools on offer from Real Avid. Sam Garro can’t help but admire the resilience of the Australian rabbit, we look at what needs to be factored in when building an effective night rifle and our ballistics guru Ian Thompson has signed off with his final Basic Ballistics column and we put the man himself in the spotlight.

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We see out winter with an eclectic mix in our August edition. Chris Rogers heads for the Scottish Highlands in search of the majestic red stag and discovers that in hunting, as with so many other things, patience pays off in the end. Con Kapralos turns the spotlight on Franchi’s Horizon 150th anniversary rifle, Thomas Tabor puts the Savage Arms Model 110 Storm through its paces and Royce Wilson turns back the clock with an insight into the Greener GP shotgun. Chris Redlich takes to the bush with a pair of Kahles’ Helia rangefinder binoculars, Geoff Smith has written a fascinating feature on Hi-Tek bullet coating of cast projectiles and in the latest of his ‘On Target’ series, Communications Officer Sam Talbot gets to grips with 5-Stand. Roll on spring!

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Rifles take centre stage in our July edition with Con Kapralos running the rule over both the Sako Finlight II and Kimber’s Subalpine mountain rifle in .300 WSM. Daniel O’Dea travels back in time to the days of his youth with a look at the latest Stoeger air rifles – the RX5 and RX20 Sport – and we turn the spotlight on Queensland’s Ipswich & District Rifle Club who will stage a two-day shooting festival this month to celebrate their 160th anniversary. Our cover picture features Chris Redlich who has taken to the field with the outstanding Swarovski ATS 65 spotting scope and, still on optics, Thomas Tabor has assessed the latest pocket-sized binoculars from Steiner Optik. We also take a look at three new Federal Premium hunting cartridges and check in with retiring Senator and keen hunter Nigel Scullion who tells us: “If I was a wild pig, I’d be starting to get nervous!”

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