As we leave winter behind and step into spring, there is much to keep you busy in the September edition of Australian Shooter. Our firearms reviews kick off with Con Kapralos testing the Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Long-Range in 6.5 Creedmoor which he rates ‘up there with the best of them’. Still on firearms and John Gillis remembers fondly the Model 55 Winchester .22 while Neil Wheatley find the Streamline air rifle an excellent PCP option for the rabbit hunter. Sam Talbot our Communications Officer continues his quest to shoot multiple SSAA disciplines and this month turns his attention to Field Shotgun and what it takes to be competitive. This edition features a trail camera special with Steve Bain comparing the low-glow and no-glow options while Derek Nugent explains the best way to get the most out of your camera. Among the latest products under review are muzzle brakes and the new powders from ADI, while DVD presenter Shaun Whale features on our cover as he goes in search of his first trophy boar. It’s all happening in September’s Australian Shooter.

Iconic bushman Lu Cervi looms large in the August edition of Australian Shooter as our correspondent Mick Chapman joins him to track deer in the revered hunter’s home state of Victoria. And Scott Mitchell also has deer as his target after painstaking work to revamp his rifle with Swan barrels.
On a historical note, Ivo Dimitrov outlines the evolution of Germany’s MP40 wartime firepower, while Rod Pascoe is another writer stepping back in time to document the role SSAA members played in helping the Mulwala Explosives Factory produce commercial powders for sporting shooters. Another fascinating tale comes with Sam Garro unravelling the 140-year journey of an 1879 Alexander Henry 12-bore double rifle.
Under review this month are GC Precision Developments’ CWS rifle, the Grand Power handgun by Roxor, the Australian Tactical Precision cheekrest wins Steve Hurt’s seal of approval while Ben Unten checks out the HyperPod II bipod.
An update on items in the SSAA online shop and some enticing prizes on our competition page round things off nicely.

The cover of our July Australian Shooter features Senior Correspondent John Dunn, who appraises the Ruger No.1 rifle on the inside pages. The esteemed firearm is enjoying its 50th anniversary and made a suitable impression. Also on assessment duty is Con Kapralos, checking out the Howa HCR rifle combo. Amid mounting unease from expert onlookers, SSAA President Geoff Jones and Olympic shooting great Russell Mark deliver withering rebukes concerning Australian sport’s Winning Edge strategy. Geoff is also part of the National Executive team involved in an encouraging report from the SSAA’s 56th AGM. A hunting excursion sees Dick Eussen on his quad tracking pigs along the Cape York Peninsula. Two new variations of state-of-the-art shooting glasses light up the SSAA online shop while our competition offerings round off another wide-ranging edition.

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.