A New Normal

Are we experiencing a new appreciation of single-shot rifles? The Editor investigates via the Air Arms S500 Carbine

Of the many changes wrought by this pandemic, greater appreciation of our beloved hobby has definitely been one of them. I have genuinely lost count of the ‘it’s keeping me sane’-themed emails, letters, calls and conversations I’ve had since March, and my own experience endorses entirely this view. The opportunity to escape the various stresses, strains and demands of dealing with this crisis simply cannot be overstated in terms of a necessary diversion. Our sport is uniquely suited to the ‘therapy’ side of things, due to the fact that a silenced airgun can be used pretty much anywhere it’s safe to shoot, and the need to focus on a target pushes aside our enforced concentration on the problems of everyday life. This happy situation has always existed, of course, but its healing effect has never been more beneficial, or important, than it is right now.

A NEW TYPE OF SHOOTER

From my frequent conversations with the trade and suppliers, it’s obvious that more and more airgunners are shooting in their gardens, and we’re not just talking about grabbing a long-forgotten plinker and blatting away at tin cans. There’s a new type of garden-gunner evolving, and this one wants to take things further; to push the performance envelope of themselves and their hardware. Overall, at the newly-emerging end of things, these garden sessions are becoming more like lessons in precision marksmanship, where calm control is king, and accuracy the ultimate reward.

NO MAGS? ARE WE SURE?