Table of contents for May 2026 in Sporting Shooter

ONE of the great ironies of the post-Bondi guns laws is their creators have been incredibly divisive, creating a split in a society they’re desperately trying to hold together. I wonder if they have any idea what they’ve done? I doubt it. On the one hand, we’ve got political leaders effectively labelling us terrorists, alongside the Bondi attackers, and on the other we’ve got leaders of the same colour labelling us nazis. Yes, Labor leaders (federal, NSW and Queensland), but don’t think my saying so limits my criticism to just one party. Meanwhile, as NSW SFF politician Mark Banasiak discovered when questioning the state’s Police Minister, convicted paedophiles have more identity protection under the law than we law-abiding shooters. The media can and does publish maps that show rates of…

WHEN a brand steeped in European Heritage, with an unshakable reputation of reliability, undergoes a radical generational redevelopment of its flagship centrefire rifle line, it’s worth taking note of the final product. Particularly when you realise this thing is built to such a high level. The new Ceska Zbrojovka 600 Lux marries classic European styling with new-age technologies and features, to create a stunning piece of equipment. I struggle to stop looking at it when it’s out of the safe! Chances are anyone involved with rifles over the years has experienced a CZ of some variety, including the brand under its previous name, Brno. From a rimfire rabbit gun through to a high-performance calibre, CZ has long held a place in the market – and for many people, in their hearts,…

WIN WE’RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT EVERY ISSUE FOR THE REST OF 2026 WILL PUT YOU IN THE DRAW TO WIN ONE OF 12 WEATHERBY 307 RIFLE PACKAGES, BUILT ON WEATHERBY’S NEWEST AND MOST ADAPTABLE PLATFORM. VALUED AT $3499 Designed around a Remington 700 footprint, the 307 Series is compatible with the widest range of aftermarket stocks, chassis systems, and comes standard with the trusted TriggerTech adjustable trigger. Build it your way and experience the next evolution of Weatherby precision. Key Features of the Weatherby 307 Series • Rem 700 Compatible Footprint – endless customisation options • Precision 2-Lug, Fully Cylindrical BOLT Design • TriggerTech Primary Trigger included • Tool-less bolt disassembly & M16-style extractor • Threaded barrel for brakes • Sub-MOA accuracy guarantee • Monte Carlo polymer stock with…

MY wife and I recently became empty nesters. I don’t like it. After 28 years of a house full of boys, their mates and girlfriends – I miss it. I also miss my most consistent and enthusiastic hunting partners! It’s a double-edged sword when my phone pings and a photo appears of the latest pig or deer they’ve conquered without me. But I also find it gratifying they are now self-motivated and out there doing it themselves as adults. Here’s what I found important in my boy’s transition from kids to hunters. Start them young – but not too young Like any skill, it’s easier for kids to become properly proficient at hunting if you start them young, but you need to find just the right time. They need to be…

MAGAZINE The latest shooting PIGS & news, DOGS reviews and tips delivered to your door DIGITAL Instant access to each digital copy via Zinio VISIT GREATMAGAZINES.COM.AU/SPORTINGSHOOTER OR CALL 1800 807 760 AND QUOTE AUTO-RENEWAL Conditions: This offer is only available to readers with an Australian postal address. By subscribing via auto-renewal you give Yaffa Media authorisation to charge your nominated credit/debit card account or direct debit bank account regular amounts, in regular instalments, as set out in the terms of the subscription you are purchasing, until you request it to be stopped, or your card or account expires. You may voluntarily stop your subscription at any time by providing Yaffa Media’s customer service department (subscriptions@yaffa.com.au) with written notice. For full terms & conditions, visit www.greatmagazines.com.au. YAFFA 17035…

WHEN former Sporting Shooter editor Marcus O’Dean first asked me to write a column, I numbered them as I sent them off, partly because I didn’t know which issues they would be released in, and partly because I didn’t know any better. I kept with that tradition all these years, not knowing how long it would take for my ideas to dry up, but I’ve started archiving them with both the number as well as the year and month they will be published. I’m pleased to say I don’t see myself slowing down anytime soon – and proud to say this column is my 100th. Fifty thousand words worth of columns expressing ideas and thoughts from a young man who is trying to live a life that can be considered ‘wild’.…

Calculating recoil the easy way Q Is there a formula for comparing the differences in recoil of various cartridges in rifles of different weights that doesn’t require a computer program? Does barrel length affect recoil? Bradley Henry A One formula used to calculate recoil is bullet weight (in grains) plus powder charge weight (in grains) times powder charge weight, then divided by rifle weight (in pounds) times 80 (constant). For example, assuming an 8lb rifle in .30-06 loaded with 58gn of powder behind a 150gn bullet, we would have: (150 + 58) x 58 (= 12,064) divided by 8 x 80 (= 640) equals 18.9 foot pounds. If you prefer to work in metric, use bullet and charge weights in grams, rifle weight in kilograms, and a constant of 0.55:…

GARMIN’S revolutionary Xero L60i is the first laser rangefinder with onboard GPS navigation, but it’s not just this that takes this unit’s rangefinding and navigation to a completely new level. You can also view distance, location, maps, ballistics and navigation through its high-resolution colour overlay display. New levels indeed! Maps are displayed in full colour through the screen, with those colours adjustable to suit the user. This Garmin can range an animal up to 1500 yards or 1371m – you choose the units – and large surfaces such as a tree or a rock face up to 2000 yards (1828m). The Garmin L60i also offers a GPS compass allowing you to range to a projected waypoint in the distance, then navigate to it, using the Garmin Explore App on your phone.…

AUSTRALIAN governments love spruiking efforts to “get guns off the streets”, despite this rhetoric being incredibly misleading and offensive. Laws restricting what types of guns someone can own, or how many they can have, do not “take guns off the streets”. They take them out of the gun safes, vaults and other compliant storage facilities where they are kept by their licensed, responsible and vetted owners. These guns are not “on the streets”. They are stored in approved safes, subject to strict regulatory controls and owned by people who have undergone extensive background checks. Suggesting otherwise is disinformation, plain and simple. The anti-gun narrative also ignores the existence and effectiveness of state and territory firearms amnesty programs, which already provide lawful pathways for the surrender of unregistered or unwanted firearms. These…

Leupold BX-6 Range HD The Leupold BX-6 Range HD combines premium binocular optics with advanced ranging and ballistic intelligence in a single, field-ready platform. Built to deliver world-class optical clarity, the BX-6 has Leupold’s highest ever performing optical system. It delivers exceptional clarity, colour fidelity, and low-light performance, ensuring targets remain sharp and identifiable in challenging conditions. Integrated into the chassis is a powerful laser rangefinder capable of reaching almost 5500m (6000 yards) on reflective targets and over 2700m (3000 yards) on trees in its standard mode. Onboard environmental sensors work in conjunction with the built-in Hornady 4DOF ballistics calculator to provide ultra-fast and precise firing solutions tailored to real-time conditions. Bowhunters benefit from integrated Precision Cut Archery software, offering dedicated archery solutions without compromise. When paired with Calypso wind…

WINNER WIN a GARMIN eTrex 22x EVERY MONTH! ENTRIES: Please email your high resolution. jpg or. png pig hunting image as an attachment to the email addressed to mickmatheson@yaffa.com.au – all images must be at least 1MB in size. For entry to be valid the following contact details must be included: First name, surname, full mail address, contact phone number and email address. A short explanatory sentence with the email is also needed. Garmin’s outdoor range features unparalleled innovation in hiking, camping and hunting tech in handheld or wearable configurations. Options span from navigation, communication, safety and tracking devices. Garmin also produces a range of bow sights with built-in rangefinder enabling better shot placement. A Garmin eTrex 22x GPS Navigator will be sent to the best entry every month, thanks to…

THE dog was 270 yards away. It was late in the afternoon with a very heavy cross-wind as a storm rolled in fast from just behind the hill she was on. I had gone in with the old 6.5x55 to a state forest I had booked near Walcha, NSW. It was a semi-steep uphill shot and 140 grains of steel sure did knock her off her feet, which was great. One shot through the chest on a square-on frontal angle quickly did the trick. It was the first animal I had taken in a forest, and the first with the old Swede. The bug has now hit me pretty hard, and I have really enjoyed public land far more with the rifle in hand than I ever have with the…

I don’t remember a time when bullets, as handloading components or indeed in factory ammunition, were not very good. But we wanted to be sure. To do that, we set about measuring some critical elements of recently manufactured projectiles. The first projectile is an economical hunting bullet – a 125gn Speer TNT. The second subject is a match grade 175gn Nosler Custom Competition “missile”. Both are in .30 calibre, nominally .308 diameter. First, we measured the weight down to 0.05 of a grain, using an RCBS 1010 balance beam scale. Then we measured the base-to-ogive length (BTO) using a Hornady .30-calibre tool attached to a Frankford Arsenal six-inch digital micrometre, measuring to 0.0005” tolerance. Speer 125gn TNTs We weighed 15 examples of the Speer TNTs, numbered one to 15 for…