So much to see

Jules Whicker gives us his favourite finds from the 2023 Game Fair at Ragley Hall

Cheshire Gun Room - www.cheshiregunroom.com

A must-visit for anyone who loves guns. No one has a greater diversity of types to suit all budgets, and there’s always something I’ve never seen ‘in the flesh’ before. This time it was a neat little magazine-fed Turkish .410, available in semi-auto or pump-action variants, and styled after the Benelli Argo centrefire rifle. Section 1, admittedly, but neat, nonetheless. They also showed me some amazing vintage German three-barrelled Drillings. I resisted these, but still left cradling an enchanting Tolley back-action sidelock, made as a double rifle in the 1870s, and converted post-war into a 20-gauge shotgun. CGR doesn’t list its stock on Gun Trader, so check out its website for new arrivals!

Jonathan McGee – Kemen shotguns - www.kemenguns.com

It has been a decade-and-a-half since Kemen’s fine O/U game guns were last available here, but now they have a new UK agent in Jonathan McGee: arguably the country’s foremost shooting photographer, and a man who clearly knows quality when he sees it. Spain’s top gunmakers are best known for their side-by-sides, so Kemen is the exception. And what an exception! These are exquisite, distinctive guns that are exciting to handle and impeccably made. Their construction represents an impressive fusion of advanced technology – as epitomised by the option of titanium actions – and classic craftsmanship. With prices running from £11.5K to £34K, a Kemen gun isn’t cheap, but for a bespoke gun of this quality, it is staggeringly good value.

GMK/Sako - www.gmk.co.uk

Every 10 years or so, Sako upgrades its core rifle. And whenever they do, I ask “Why?”, since I’ve never found anything not to like. But design and manufacturing technologies forge ever forward, and Sako clearly has no intention of falling behind! Most notably, the new 90 series leverages advanced materials and coatings to create three lightweight models designed for the rigours of expeditionary hunting – Peak, Quest and Quest Ultra – whilst the Adventure, Bavarian, Hunter, and Varmint offer more traditional good looks. Less obviously, the receiver is contoured to minimise flexing, broach-cut to ensure silkily concentric bolt movement, and offered in multiple sizes to minimise weight and bolt travel. Also enhanced are the locking lugs, ejectors, trigger settings… you get the picture!

 

Blaser - www.blaser.de

Blaser’s F3 O/U shotguns are smart from the get-go, but the bespoke wood and engraving options available take them to another level. At the NEC, Blaser wowed everyone with some amazing feather engraving. At Ragley, however, they took a more satirical route, showcasing a Brexit-themed design of interlocking jigsaw pieces representing each member state. With the gun closed, the UK’s piece (located in the underside of the action) aligns seamlessly with the others, but as the gun is opened, it tilts away! Other decoration includes a lorry tailback at Dover, a bus with an unfulfilled NHS promise on the side, and a crossed-out 2019 leaving date, but – for some reason known only to the 48% – no sunlit uplands of prosperity.

 

Ray Ward Gun Maker - www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk

Ray Ward’s website suggests a regular gun shop, but it is also a maker of bespoke guns of the very first-rate, completely made by the best English craftsmen. Few people have the funds to commission and own such guns, but the Game Fair provides a unique opportunity for anyone to admire them and dream. For once, this didn’t require stepping through one of those force fields of exclusivity that can encase the poshest pavilions. Instead, all it took was a visit to the Sportsman Gun Centre’s thoroughly inclusive stand. There I had the special experience of extending my right arm and (almost) touching one of Ward’s handmade £90K marvels, whilst brushing the fingertips of my left hand against a little Kofs Spectre that was going for a song at just £535!

 

 

ASI – Accumax, Black Bunker and Skout - www.a-s-i.co.uk

Best known as longstanding importers of AYA and Rizzini shotguns, ASI has also shown a keen eye for remarkable airguns over the years, and its three latest brands all have something very special to offer. First is the Accumax. The product of a collaboration with a leading Turkish manufacturer, it’s a sub-12, break-barrel springer that combines striking modern looks with great ergonomics, an impressively fast and smooth firing cycle, and keen pricing: £150 in black synthetic, and a bit extra for wood-effect and camo finishes. Then there’s the extraordinary Black Bunker BM8 (£299), a gas-ram, break-barrel ‘survival rifle’, with black or tan polymer furniture, that can be wrapped around its own polygonal accessories box and carried like a briefcase, ready to be deployed in seconds. The secret is a clever latch for the cocking linkage, and bags of original thinking! The final brand is Skout, whose Epoch rifle takes airguns to new heights on price alone, pipping Daystate’s Alpha Wolf with its £2.7K MSRP. Though, if perspective helps here, Holts recently auctioned a “good” 1925 Westley Richards air pistol for a cool £2.6K! Skout gives you rather more for your money. Namely, the most advanced PCP ever made, complete with electronic activation, trigger, and safety; staggering air efficiency; multiple barrel and calibre configurations; power up to 67 ft/lbs in .22 and 175 ft/lbs in .35; a bombproof high-capacity magazine; a fully adjustable stock; and a quality of machining, finish and design integration that leaves a much-loved Swedish brand looking like a Meccano set. Admittedly, the Epoch is somewhat heavy in the hands, but its awesomeness is undeniable.

 

FX Airguns - www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk

No manufacturer is better at catching and holding the attention of the airgunning world than FX. Every year brings multiple developments, as the company continually innovates and iterates, maximising the potential of each new design. The latest example of this is the Dynamic, a PCP rifle that takes its regulated action, concentric barrel-stiffening plenum, and low-profile ethos from the competition-oriented Pantera, while boosting shot capacity with a Verminator-style detachable buddy-bottle stock. Add a short 300mm (12”) barrel up front, and you have the Dynamic Compact Takedown. Pest-control perfection for £1,410.99.

 

 

 

PARD - www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk

Pard’s new TD32-70 LRF multispectral riflescope (£3.4K) looks like the electro-optical equivalent of those extraordinary quadruple-barrelled German hunting guns. Except, it’s actually useful, not to mention transformative. Two big, focusable objective lenses feed a 12µm/384x288 thermal sensor and a supersensitive 0.0001 lux, 2k (2560 x 1440px) colour/monochrome day/night CCD; whilst a smaller pair supports a 1,200m laser rangefinder and a zeroable, focusable 850nm IR illuminator: all working together with customisable on-board ballistic profiles and multiple picture-in-picture combinations to give you the most instant and comprehensive set of targeting information ever, within a familiar circular display with a centred reticle.
To the rear, a conventional 30mm main tube enables limitless mounting solutions, and there’s a recoil-friendly amount of eye relief, too. You also get on-board recording, including automated on-shot activation. The 21st century has well and truly arrived!

 

InfiRay - www.infirayoutdoor.com

A tip-off from Paul at Scott Country had me hot-footing it to the InfiRay Outdoor stand to get hands-on with its all-new Gemini fusion thermal/day/night LRF binocular (£4K), which was making its global debut at the show. A direct challenger to Pulsar’s Merger and Hikmicro’s Raptor, the Gemini has controls that proved admirably intuitive and easy to reach, while delivering impressively detailed thermal and daylight (colour) images of the clay line opposite the stand. Particularly nice were the thumb tabs under each eyepiece that let you focus each channel without changing your grip, as well as the sleek looks and tactile comfort of the unit as a whole.

 

Hikmicro - www.eliteoptical.co.uk

Two new products from Hikmicro caught my eye. The M15 networked trail camera (£150 in a special show bargain from Scott Country) takes high-quality images (10mp stills/1080p video) and can be configured/monitored via a smartphone app. However, its real appeal comes from its preinstalled multi-network SIM, and a free monthly image allowance that’s upgradable whenever you want. Spypoint has provided a similar service for years, and I love it. Item two is the new Thunder 2.0 TE19 thermal riflescope. The modest £999.99 price tag and small 12µm/256x192 sensor set low expectations, but its performance demolished them. A genuinely capable scope, especially for ratting and rabbiting, it also features a removable Li-ion battery and recoil-activated recording in case you forget to press that button!

 

ICOtec - www.bestfoxcall.co.uk

Bestfoxcall’s motto is: “If we don’t use it, we don’t sell it!” and they’ve been using, selling, and helping develop ICOtec’s electronic game callers since 2016. New for 2023 are the Hellion+ (£240) and Nomad+ (£285) models. These ‘+’ series callers are fully programmable, linking to an online library of hi-fi sounds from ICOtec’s Animal Audio app via an SD-card reader or multi-function adapter you can plug into your phone. Both models also feature an upgraded remote control (bigger keypad and screen, customisable menus), while the Nomad+ adds a synchronised electronic decoy.

 

Revenant Knives - (Facebook & TikTok)

Lying in a glass case beside all the useful imports on Bestfoxcall’s stand were some home-grown treasures: an amazing display of beautiful bespoke knives by Dal Keary. Staffordshire-based Dal is a true craftsman who has developed his skills over decades. He’s also a stalker, so he understands the need for impermeability and durability. His knives have a distinctive style – handles that flare to fit your hand, blades with just the right angles for each stage of the gralloch, jewel-like mosaic pins – but no formula. Instead, every knife is the result of creative conversations with his clients. That’s why you can’t just go to a website and buy a Revenant knife. Understand the process, and you’ll understand the price!

 

Astor Defence - www.astordefence.com

Most of us have an old mil-surp ammo box or two that’s a bit tatty, hard to open, and with the odd sharp edge! But, as I discovered when visiting Astor Defence’s stand, it doesn’t have to be that way. Astor began making ammo boxes in 1942, but today’s offerings are built to the exacting standards of 21st-century militaries, not those of wartime austerity. Director, Henry Turnbull, talked me through the truly impressive multi-stage manufacturing and independent testing process. Great background info, but the quality of their boxes is immediately apparent. They’re 100% air and water-tight, stackable, and come in multiple sizes, a choice of powder-coated colours, and with either Astor’s logo, no logo, or company logos to order. Priced between £26 and £30, they’re great value, too.

 

Gearmate - www.gearmate.co.uk

It turns out there is an alternative to chucking everything (gear, dogs, guns, deer, tools) haphazardly into the back of your 4x4. Well, of course there is, but Gearmate produces one of the most rugged, practical, and comprehensive sets of solutions I’ve seen, with products for all the leading vehicle makes and models, and a ‘build your own’ configurator. There are secure dog boxes, lockable custom-fitted drawers for firearms and ammunition, the ‘Gearslide’ (a sliding half or full-width shelf), sliding load beds, and tilt-up tonneau covers for pickups with built-in tool storage that are sturdy enough to support a 500kg load. Rugged and smart, they’ll help you keep everything safe and in its proper place. 

 

Chillers/Larders - www.coldroomdirect.co.uk, www.fisheruk.co.uk, www.gamecooler.co.uk

Every stalker knows the importance of ‘thinking beyond the shot’. More than an extraction plan, it means ensuring the quality of the carcase all the way to the AGHE or end-user. The goal is to get it to 7oC or below and keep it there. In most weathers, this requires easy access to a dedicated chiller. Fortunately, several firms provide bespoke solutions for hunters. A substantial investment, certainly, but very much viable for estates or syndicates, and once purchased, they’ll give long service with minimal maintenance. Key features include plumbing and drainage, temperature monitoring, electric hoists, and external canopies that provide well-lit spaces for inspecting and preparing a carcass. I looked at offerings from Coldroom Direct (Portable Game Larders), Fisher (Compact), and Game Cooling System UK (Daro Mini), all of which offer great products developed for hunters, by hunters. And one thing they all said? Don’t let a shortage of chiller space stop you from shooting that deer!

 

 

So much to see

Jules Whicker gives us his favourite finds from the 2023 Game Fair at Ragley Hall

Cheshire Gun Room - www.cheshiregunroom.com

A must-visit for anyone who loves guns. No one has a greater diversity of types to suit all budgets, and there’s always something I’ve never seen ‘in the flesh’ before. This time it was a neat little magazine-fed Turkish .410, available in semi-auto or pump-action variants, and styled after the Benelli Argo centrefire rifle. Section 1, admittedly, but neat, nonetheless. They also showed me some amazing vintage German three-barrelled Drillings. I resisted these, but still left cradling an enchanting Tolley back-action sidelock, made as a double rifle in the 1870s, and converted post-war into a 20-gauge shotgun. CGR doesn’t list its stock on Gun Trader, so check out its website for new arrivals!

Jonathan McGee – Kemen shotguns - www.kemenguns.com

It has been a decade-and-a-half since Kemen’s fine O/U game guns were last available here, but now they have a new UK agent in Jonathan McGee: arguably the country’s foremost shooting photographer, and a man who clearly knows quality when he sees it. Spain’s top gunmakers are best known for their side-by-sides, so Kemen is the exception. And what an exception! These are exquisite, distinctive guns that are exciting to handle and impeccably made. Their construction represents an impressive fusion of advanced technology – as epitomised by the option of titanium actions – and classic craftsmanship. With prices running from £11.5K to £34K, a Kemen gun isn’t cheap, but for a bespoke gun of this quality, it is staggeringly good value.

GMK/Sako - www.gmk.co.uk

Every 10 years or so, Sako upgrades its core rifle. And whenever they do, I ask “Why?”, since I’ve never found anything not to like. But design and manufacturing technologies forge ever forward, and Sako clearly has no intention of falling behind! Most notably, the new 90 series leverages advanced materials and coatings to create three lightweight models designed for the rigours of expeditionary hunting – Peak, Quest and Quest Ultra – whilst the Adventure, Bavarian, Hunter, and Varmint offer more traditional good looks. Less obviously, the receiver is contoured to minimise flexing, broach-cut to ensure silkily concentric bolt movement, and offered in multiple sizes to minimise weight and bolt travel. Also enhanced are the locking lugs, ejectors, trigger settings… you get the picture!

 

Blaser - www.blaser.de

Blaser’s F3 O/U shotguns are smart from the get-go, but the bespoke wood and engraving options available take them to another level. At the NEC, Blaser wowed everyone with some amazing feather engraving. At Ragley, however, they took a more satirical route, showcasing a Brexit-themed design of interlocking jigsaw pieces representing each member state. With the gun closed, the UK’s piece (located in the underside of the action) aligns seamlessly with the others, but as the gun is opened, it tilts away! Other decoration includes a lorry tailback at Dover, a bus with an unfulfilled NHS promise on the side, and a crossed-out 2019 leaving date, but – for some reason known only to the 48% – no sunlit uplands of prosperity.

 

Ray Ward Gun Maker - www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk

Ray Ward’s website suggests a regular gun shop, but it is also a maker of bespoke guns of the very first-rate, completely made by the best English craftsmen. Few people have the funds to commission and own such guns, but the Game Fair provides a unique opportunity for anyone to admire them and dream. For once, this didn’t require stepping through one of those force fields of exclusivity that can encase the poshest pavilions. Instead, all it took was a visit to the Sportsman Gun Centre’s thoroughly inclusive stand. There I had the special experience of extending my right arm and (almost) touching one of Ward’s handmade £90K marvels, whilst brushing the fingertips of my left hand against a little Kofs Spectre that was going for a song at just £535!

 

 

ASI – Accumax, Black Bunker and Skout - www.a-s-i.co.uk

Best known as longstanding importers of AYA and Rizzini shotguns, ASI has also shown a keen eye for remarkable airguns over the years, and its three latest brands all have something very special to offer. First is the Accumax. The product of a collaboration with a leading Turkish manufacturer, it’s a sub-12, break-barrel springer that combines striking modern looks with great ergonomics, an impressively fast and smooth firing cycle, and keen pricing: £150 in black synthetic, and a bit extra for wood-effect and camo finishes. Then there’s the extraordinary Black Bunker BM8 (£299), a gas-ram, break-barrel ‘survival rifle’, with black or tan polymer furniture, that can be wrapped around its own polygonal accessories box and carried like a briefcase, ready to be deployed in seconds. The secret is a clever latch for the cocking linkage, and bags of original thinking! The final brand is Skout, whose Epoch rifle takes airguns to new heights on price alone, pipping Daystate’s Alpha Wolf with its £2.7K MSRP. Though, if perspective helps here, Holts recently auctioned a “good” 1925 Westley Richards air pistol for a cool £2.6K! Skout gives you rather more for your money. Namely, the most advanced PCP ever made, complete with electronic activation, trigger, and safety; staggering air efficiency; multiple barrel and calibre configurations; power up to 67 ft/lbs in .22 and 175 ft/lbs in .35; a bombproof high-capacity magazine; a fully adjustable stock; and a quality of machining, finish and design integration that leaves a much-loved Swedish brand looking like a Meccano set. Admittedly, the Epoch is somewhat heavy in the hands, but its awesomeness is undeniable.

 

FX Airguns - www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk

No manufacturer is better at catching and holding the attention of the airgunning world than FX. Every year brings multiple developments, as the company continually innovates and iterates, maximising the potential of each new design. The latest example of this is the Dynamic, a PCP rifle that takes its regulated action, concentric barrel-stiffening plenum, and low-profile ethos from the competition-oriented Pantera, while boosting shot capacity with a Verminator-style detachable buddy-bottle stock. Add a short 300mm (12”) barrel up front, and you have the Dynamic Compact Takedown. Pest-control perfection for £1,410.99.

 

 

 

PARD - www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk

Pard’s new TD32-70 LRF multispectral riflescope (£3.4K) looks like the electro-optical equivalent of those extraordinary quadruple-barrelled German hunting guns. Except, it’s actually useful, not to mention transformative. Two big, focusable objective lenses feed a 12µm/384x288 thermal sensor and a supersensitive 0.0001 lux, 2k (2560 x 1440px) colour/monochrome day/night CCD; whilst a smaller pair supports a 1,200m laser rangefinder and a zeroable, focusable 850nm IR illuminator: all working together with customisable on-board ballistic profiles and multiple picture-in-picture combinations to give you the most instant and comprehensive set of targeting information ever, within a familiar circular display with a centred reticle.
To the rear, a conventional 30mm main tube enables limitless mounting solutions, and there’s a recoil-friendly amount of eye relief, too. You also get on-board recording, including automated on-shot activation. The 21st century has well and truly arrived!

 

InfiRay - www.infirayoutdoor.com

A tip-off from Paul at Scott Country had me hot-footing it to the InfiRay Outdoor stand to get hands-on with its all-new Gemini fusion thermal/day/night LRF binocular (£4K), which was making its global debut at the show. A direct challenger to Pulsar’s Merger and Hikmicro’s Raptor, the Gemini has controls that proved admirably intuitive and easy to reach, while delivering impressively detailed thermal and daylight (colour) images of the clay line opposite the stand. Particularly nice were the thumb tabs under each eyepiece that let you focus each channel without changing your grip, as well as the sleek looks and tactile comfort of the unit as a whole.

 

Hikmicro - www.eliteoptical.co.uk

Two new products from Hikmicro caught my eye. The M15 networked trail camera (£150 in a special show bargain from Scott Country) takes high-quality images (10mp stills/1080p video) and can be configured/monitored via a smartphone app. However, its real appeal comes from its preinstalled multi-network SIM, and a free monthly image allowance that’s upgradable whenever you want. Spypoint has provided a similar service for years, and I love it. Item two is the new Thunder 2.0 TE19 thermal riflescope. The modest £999.99 price tag and small 12µm/256x192 sensor set low expectations, but its performance demolished them. A genuinely capable scope, especially for ratting and rabbiting, it also features a removable Li-ion battery and recoil-activated recording in case you forget to press that button!

 

ICOtec - www.bestfoxcall.co.uk

Bestfoxcall’s motto is: “If we don’t use it, we don’t sell it!” and they’ve been using, selling, and helping develop ICOtec’s electronic game callers since 2016. New for 2023 are the Hellion+ (£240) and Nomad+ (£285) models. These ‘+’ series callers are fully programmable, linking to an online library of hi-fi sounds from ICOtec’s Animal Audio app via an SD-card reader or multi-function adapter you can plug into your phone. Both models also feature an upgraded remote control (bigger keypad and screen, customisable menus), while the Nomad+ adds a synchronised electronic decoy.

 

Revenant Knives - (Facebook & TikTok)

Lying in a glass case beside all the useful imports on Bestfoxcall’s stand were some home-grown treasures: an amazing display of beautiful bespoke knives by Dal Keary. Staffordshire-based Dal is a true craftsman who has developed his skills over decades. He’s also a stalker, so he understands the need for impermeability and durability. His knives have a distinctive style – handles that flare to fit your hand, blades with just the right angles for each stage of the gralloch, jewel-like mosaic pins – but no formula. Instead, every knife is the result of creative conversations with his clients. That’s why you can’t just go to a website and buy a Revenant knife. Understand the process, and you’ll understand the price!

 

Astor Defence - www.astordefence.com

Most of us have an old mil-surp ammo box or two that’s a bit tatty, hard to open, and with the odd sharp edge! But, as I discovered when visiting Astor Defence’s stand, it doesn’t have to be that way. Astor began making ammo boxes in 1942, but today’s offerings are built to the exacting standards of 21st-century militaries, not those of wartime austerity. Director, Henry Turnbull, talked me through the truly impressive multi-stage manufacturing and independent testing process. Great background info, but the quality of their boxes is immediately apparent. They’re 100% air and water-tight, stackable, and come in multiple sizes, a choice of powder-coated colours, and with either Astor’s logo, no logo, or company logos to order. Priced between £26 and £30, they’re great value, too.

 

Gearmate - www.gearmate.co.uk

It turns out there is an alternative to chucking everything (gear, dogs, guns, deer, tools) haphazardly into the back of your 4x4. Well, of course there is, but Gearmate produces one of the most rugged, practical, and comprehensive sets of solutions I’ve seen, with products for all the leading vehicle makes and models, and a ‘build your own’ configurator. There are secure dog boxes, lockable custom-fitted drawers for firearms and ammunition, the ‘Gearslide’ (a sliding half or full-width shelf), sliding load beds, and tilt-up tonneau covers for pickups with built-in tool storage that are sturdy enough to support a 500kg load. Rugged and smart, they’ll help you keep everything safe and in its proper place. 

 

Chillers/Larders - www.coldroomdirect.co.uk, www.fisheruk.co.uk, www.gamecooler.co.uk

Every stalker knows the importance of ‘thinking beyond the shot’. More than an extraction plan, it means ensuring the quality of the carcase all the way to the AGHE or end-user. The goal is to get it to 7oC or below and keep it there. In most weathers, this requires easy access to a dedicated chiller. Fortunately, several firms provide bespoke solutions for hunters. A substantial investment, certainly, but very much viable for estates or syndicates, and once purchased, they’ll give long service with minimal maintenance. Key features include plumbing and drainage, temperature monitoring, electric hoists, and external canopies that provide well-lit spaces for inspecting and preparing a carcass. I looked at offerings from Coldroom Direct (Portable Game Larders), Fisher (Compact), and Game Cooling System UK (Daro Mini), all of which offer great products developed for hunters, by hunters. And one thing they all said? Don’t let a shortage of chiller space stop you from shooting that deer!