Pellpax Blog

Review: Buck Trail Blackhawk Recurve Bow

Our resident archery expert James Hancock gives his verdict on the Buck Trail Blackhawk….

From personal experience of these bows, having shot both the 30# and 40# versions, it is clear to me that the Buck Trail Blackhawk represents true value for money, and I can highly recommend them to any archer who enjoys traditional shooting at a very affordable price.

Long & Fast

The Buck Trail Blackhawk is an American style Flatbow made by Raven Archery. The overall length of the bow is a huge 68 inches, and this provides the shooter with a very long and smooth draw, which delivers an arrow to the target with great speed, but little hand-shock.

It is designed to be shot off the shelf, using either a leather pad or hair rest, and constructed from multiple wooden laminations, with clear glass over the limbs. This is in keeping with the traditional look of the bow.

My personal opinion on shooting this bow would be to use a style of shooting called “canting the bow”. This is where the shooter leans the bow so that the arrow is sitting on an almost “v” shape. This is a great technique, used by many bare bow archers because it is a quick way of moving the bow out of the archers line of sight, so he may line up the shot, as well as adding stability to the arrow and making it a lot easier to shoot the arrows quickly (snap shooting).

Available in Different Configurations

Available in both left and right handed and with a draw weight range from 30-50# this is a versatile bow which can be used for everything from field archery competitions, to hunting (as appropriate according to the law in your country). I think the draw weights around the 50# mark are much better to use, providing you are able to draw these, since the arch of the arrow isn’t as much as the weaker powered bows. This is because the higher the power, the flatter the trajectory of the arrow, which will make your shooting a lot more accurate than a bow which you have to aim well above the target at longer ranges.

Arrow Selection

The best arrows to be shot with this style of bows to maintain its accuracy and smoothness would either be wooden or aluminium arrows. My personal preference would be wooden arrows with feathers on them rather than plastic vanes, but an aluminium arrow would shoot well from these as well. Carbon arrows can be quite unforgiving to shoot due to their lightness and speed which is why they are better suited to more precision shooting such as with a recurve or compound with sights.

Personally I would make my own wooden arrows because there is great satisfaction when you have put in the time and effort into making something which looks quite often better than those you can just buy, and they shoot great! At Pellpax we can supply all the materials you will need to build your arrows from the wooden shafts themselves to the arrow points and feathers.

Essential Bow Accessories

A few more things to consider when purchasing this bow. There are certain accessories every archer will need to get at some point such as finger protection from the string, an arm guard again to protect you from the string, and a quiver to hold your arrows for you whilst you are shooting.

I would personally suggest that any beginner archer should use an arm guard until you have worked out a good enough technique to not need one (although the string can still catch you!). I don’t really like using arm guards, as I find if the string hits me then it’s a tough reminder that my technique is flawed, and I need to bend my arm more.

My personal equipment preference would be to keep with the traditional theme, and get a leather shooting glove rather than a tab. This is because they not only protect your fingers, but keep your hand warm when winter shooting, are easy to use, and they look great.

In terms of a quiver, I love to use a back quiver, much like you see in every Hollywood film where there is a bit of archery. Many people struggle to get their head around how to use one of these and end up chasing around after their arrows like a cat after their tail, so for beginners it may be better to go for a side quiver instead, which can simply click onto any belt.

In conclusion, found the Buck Trail Blackhawk to be excellent value, due to its sheer quality, and I would recommend it as great bow for entry level and intermediate archers.

If you would like to see our range arrows click here, and for arrow building materials click here. A lot more arrow-making supplies are available, so if you have anything in mind which you particularly need and cannot see on here, then please feel free to contact one of our staff and raise your enquiry.

We sell the Buck Trail Blackhawk, in a variety of configurations, at the low price of £112.99. They can be found here.

For all items suggested above, you can go to the head to the Archery Accessories section. And you can browse our entire catalogue, in our archery shop.

Brand Focus: Crosman

Crosman is a US manufacturer with a proud history.

In the first of a regular new feature, we zoom in to look at a particular manufacturer in the airguns, firearms, archery and outdoor space. This month we shine a light on Crosman, famous for their Rat Catcher airgun, and much more…

About Crosman Air Rifles

Crosman are an American airgun and outdoor equipment company, that design and manufacture a range of pistols, rifles, pellets, and scopes all in the USA. Their base is in East Bloomfield, Rochester which is near to the East coast in the State of New York. Crosman also have several other highly popular brands which they produce airguns under, including Benjamin, and Sheridan. The Benjamin range or airguns are of a higher quality, and more aimed towards the hunting / pest control side of the market.

Crosman first started production back in 1923, with the introduction of the ‘First Model’ rifle which was a pneumatic rifle. It used what was essentially a bike pump below the barrel, which pressurised the chamber, and this in turn fired the pellet along a rifled barrel. This weapon was of the first of its type, and Crosman has never forgotten this heritage, as a large percentage of their range today is pump up pneumatic rifles, although they no longer need to make use of a bike pump!

Crosman 2240 & 2250

Crosman are perhaps best known for their range of pest control rifles and pistols, such as the Crosman 2240 Rat Buster Co2 pistol, and their range of Ratcatcher rifles, namely the Crosman 2250 XL. These are all powered off the 12g Co2 capsules that Crosman began experimenting with back in the 1930s. In 1954 they introduced the standard 12 gram capsule as we know it today, and are now a standard in almost all airgun manufacturers of today.

Crosman also produce some ‘Big Bore’ airguns in calibres up to .357, making them immensely powerful and aimed primarily at the American market, although they are available in the UK with an FAC. One of their attempts was the Benjamin Rogue, which fired a .357 lead pellet at up to 1000 FPS making it immensely powerful. It also had an electronic controller for the firing mechanism which increased the shot count and consistency.

Crosman 2250 XL with 4x32 Scope — Crosman 2250 XL with 4×32 Scope

In my opinion though, you can’t really beat the Crosman 2250 Ratcatcher. The latest model, the 2250 XL, is a much improved model with a metal breech kit, and a longer barrel with a ½ inch UNF thread for fitting a silencer. The beauty of the 2250 is that it is so elegantly simple, with disassembly taking a few minutes, and a wealth of customizable parts available, which can be found on the internet. There are multi-shot kits, new bolt and probe assemblies, and you can replace literally everything on the rifle for a custom part! It really is the rifle if you like tinkering and improving, as the possibilities are almost endless.

Or, if you prefer something of a smaller size, the Crosman 2240 Rat Buster pistol is great, as it is almost exactly the same as the 2250, the only being difference being the inclusion of a smaller barrel. For instance, take a look at this Crosman 2240 (pictured) pistol where pretty much everything has been customised, apart from the Co2 tube!

Crosman 1077

The Crosman 1077 RepeatAir is a fun, fast and easy to use air rifle. Powered by Co2 capsules, it’s as easy and loading the magazine, loading it into the rifle, and firing to your heart’s content. With a velocity of 6ft/lb, it has enough power for youngsters to play with, and for the learner. A rail is included for optics and other additions.

760 Pumpmaster

Crosman 2240 air pistol. Credit: Carl, Lancs, England.

Other Crosman air rifles which are particularly popular are the 760 Pumpmaster which, as the name suggests, it is a pump air rifle which fires either pellets or BBs. The small frame size is ideal for juniors and female shooters, but can quite easily be used by adults as well, and is an excellent choice for teaching marksmanship skills as well as safe firearm handling.

A firm favourite of pistol target shooters over here in the UK is the Crosman 2300T, which is a CO2 powered pistol, based on the 2240, but with a longer competition barrel, and high quality sights, making it ideal for those wanting to start in target shooting, or teach it to beginners.

Just recently Crosman have released a new product under their Benjamin line called the Pioneer Airbow, and instead of a barrel that fires pellets, it fires arrows from a tube from an airgun based platform. The idea behind this is that you can use a scope, and finely adjust the trigger just like you can on a normal air rifle, to achieve the same high level of accuracy. Unfortunately it’s not available in the UK, but I think it’s pretty cool and shows the innovation that Crosman have.

To learn more about Crosman products, head over to their collections page now. Or check out their full range of Crosman air rifles and accessories on their brand page. Or head to their official site to learn even more.

How To Get Started With Clay Pigeon Shooting

You don’t own a gun. You have never fired a gun. You have no gun licence. You don’t know how to obtain a licence. You don’t know if you need a licence. You don’t know anybody who shoots. So how do you get started with clay pigeon shooting?

When you attend your introductory shooting lesson, you don’t need a licence or a gun of your own. Current legislation allows an unlicensed person to borrow a gun belonging to the occupier (not necessarily the owner, but a licensed person) of privately owned land, in his or her presence.

Do I need a licence?

However, it is a legal requirement that anybody who owns a shotgun must hold an up-to-date licence. A first shotgun licence, valid for five years and issued by the Firearms Licensing Unit of the local police force, can be obtained at a cost of £79.50 on completion of an application form (201) and a follow-up interview with a police officer. Form 201, application for a firearm and / or a shotgun licence, can be downloaded from various websites, including the BASC (British Association for Shooting and Conservation), Shooting UK (a popular UK shooting website), and your local police force’s website. A shotgun licence application can take months – or as little as three weeks; it depends on whereabouts in the country you live. We’ve written a detailed blog post on the topic here.

Where can I practise clay pigeon shooting?

trap clay pigeon shooting club — Clay Pigeon Trap Shooting can be found in local clubs around the country.

There are over 500 clay pigeon shooting clubs in the UK, including 11 in Norfolk. You can find your local club by heading over to the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association. Check out our site for all your shooting accessories. Contact a club near you and book yourself onto a clay pigeon shooter beginner’s session, where you will be coached in technique, gun safety, site safety … and jargon, of course!

As a beginner, you will use a gun with a fitted recoil pad. Recoil (also known as knockback, kickback or kick) is the backward momentum of the gun when it is discharged. Being of equal force to the projectile (plus any ejected gases), the recoil is, understandably, quite a shock for a first-time shooter. Recoil pads are made from a soft material, e.g. rubber or leather, and are attached to the buttstock of the gun or strapped onto the shooter’s shoulder, which also serves to prevent the gun from slipping on clothing.

And what about clothing and essential shooting supplies?

Wear comfortable, safe shoes. Wellington boots are ideal in wet weather, and in drier conditions, walking boots or trainers are suitable. Ensure that laces are securely tied. Well-fitting clothes are essential. Tight clothing will obviously restrict movement, but baggy clothing, too, is restrictive in its tendency to get in the way.

The wearing of adequate and effective eye protection by shooters and trappers is now mandatory. It’s possible to wear additional eye protection over the top of prescription glasses; however, many people find this physically uncomfortable and a visual hindrance. As glasses are considered ‘adequate and effective’ protection, people often choose to wear either their own glasses or special eye protection.

It is advisable to wear some form of hearing protection is also compulsory when clay pigeon shooting. A discharging gun is extremely loud, and eardrum damage is irreversible. Check out advice from the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association for more advice on the exact guidelines;

You can find the BASC website here to get your Form 201. Detailed instructions on how to apply for a certificate can be found here. And guidance from the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association is available here.

If you already have your certificate, you can grab shooting supplies in our Shotgun store, and shooting accessories such as shotgun cartridges here.

And head to the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, where you can find a club near you.

The Big Interview: Mat Manning

Here at Pellpax, we’re proud to bring you an interview with a very special featured guest. In the world of airguns, Mat Manning is that rarest of things: A bone-fide celebrity. Mat works for Blaze Publishing Ltd, and is deputy editor of Airgun Shooter magazine. You may recognise him as being presenter of The Airgun Show, which regularly airs on Youtube. He is also the author of Air Rifle Hunting Through the Seasons: A Guide to Fieldcraft and Hunting with Air Rifles: The Complete Guide.

Tell us about your childhood, and what brought you to shooting?

I was outdoors for most of it. My grandad was a herdsman on a Somerset farm, not far from where I grew up, and I spent a lot of time there, helping grandad and doing a lot of fishing with my uncle Kevin – Mum’s little brother. Kev was actually closer in age to me than he was to mum.

I started shooting when I was ten. I loved it. Kev would lend me his old Webley Vulcan airgun, and I’d tag along with him whenever I got the chance. Kev and I still go out shooting together – he’s one of the cameramen on The Airgun Show.

Having a grandad in the farming network was a great help when it came to obtaining shooting permission. My ears would prick up at the mention of pests, and I’d be in there!

You’re coming up for forty. Career-wise, are you where you planned to be twenty years ago?

Well, yes. As a youngster, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I wasn’t a good scholar – I messed about too much – but I loved writing, and I knew I was good at it. At sixteen, though, I went off to Cannington College (a residential agricultural college) to study Countryside Management. I already had a very keen interest in wildlife and conservation, and I was familiar with the concept of balancing wild and domestic habitats. I never forgot about writing, though. In 1999, I went off to Glamorgan University to study journalism.

How did you do?

Got a First.

Excellent!

So yes, I wanted my career to be a combination of writing and shooting. Talking to a camera, though … that was a shock to the system! It’s a lot less forgiving than having time to compose your words on a keyboard, but it’s a challenge I’ve embraced, and I reckon I’m getting the hang of it now. Some of our films have had around 300,000 views, so we must be doing something right.

Tell us about your early career – those first jobs after studying.

For three years, after agricultural college, I worked for a woodland management company and also on a game farm. The work was seasonal, so these two occupations complemented one another well.

During the colder months – September to April – I’d be working on a chainsaw. This included the regeneration of hazel coppices, hedge-laying, and woodland thinning. You see, when the canopy is dense, there’s not enough sunlight on the woodland floor – nothing can germinate, so you don’t get any regeneration. By taking out some of the mature trees, you let the light in, wild flowers and young trees flourish, and biodiversity is improved.

Mat out filming with Tom O'Carroll from the BASC — Mat out filming with Tom O’Carroll from the BASC

Summer work was game rearing, and I also played an active role in pest control. The introduced grey squirrel population is detrimental to a lot of native wildlife – and not just the red squirrel. Greys are very partial to eggs, and they’ll even eat newly hatched birds. This has a destructive effect on songbirds and game birds. The squirrel’s taste for tree sap also causes major damage when they strip bark to get to the syrupy liquid beneath. It deforms trees and can also kill them. This habit makes the grey squirrel an enemy of foresters and also impacts on the habitat needed by our indigenous wildlife.

During these three years, I wrote an occasional article for shooting and fishing publications. I was itching to write, so, at twenty-three, I went off to Glamorgan to study Journalism.

My first ‘proper’ job as a journalist was with the Blackmore Vale Magazine. As a news reporter, I was thrown in at the deep end, covering anything from crime to planning and business, from sport to food and farming. It was great; bashing out 10,000 words of news a week is pretty good grounding for a career in what is a very hectic industry.

I also had my own shooting and fishing page called ‘Field and Stream’. At twenty-six, I had a lot of knowledge and experience when it came to wildlife and countryside issues. And I loved writing. This was a really good job for me – especially with the extra training provided by Trinity Mirror, which owned the magazine at that time. I spent twelve years at the Blackmore Vale magazine in various roles, including Content Editor.

You’re really busy at the moment with Blaze Publishing. Tell us about what you do.

Well – I’m Deputy Editor of the Airgun Shooter magazine, which is a four-weekly publication dedicated to all aspects of airgun shooting. I’d been a freelance contributor for shooting magazines for more than ten years, but presenting on The Airgun Show was completely new to me – as you can see if you look back at the early episodes!

Normally, I’d be hunting alone. Moving around with someone else, who’s weighed down with camera and sound equipment, is very different to your usual shooting experience. And it’s even trickier when we use the scope camera. This is a marvellous bit of equipment that allows your audience to see what you’re seeing, as you’re actually shooting. It takes some getting used to, though. The camera is fixed to the scope, while the shooter has to look off to one side at the little monitor. This means that the gun isn’t nestled snugly into your shoulder, and you find that it’s more difficult to hold it steady.

I try to make the best use of shot quarry that I possibly can. If it’s good for the table, I take it home with me and make burgers, sausages, pies, pasties, stews … and I save magpie and jay wing feathers, and squirrel tails too – the fibres are great for tying fly hooks and are always gratefully received by fly-fishing friends! It’s important to understand why you are killing. Conservation depends on achieving a balance. Population growth in a struggling species can sometimes only be achieved by the suppression of another. However, I feel that it’s vital to make the best use of culled animals.

Mat – we all want to know: what’s your favourite airgun?

Not telling!

Only joking. It’s a Daystate Mk 4 – a PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) air rifle, fitted with Daystate’s patented MCT – that’s ‘map compensated technology’. That’s my favourite at the moment, though I’m also very impressed with the latest incarnation of Daystate’s electronic firing system in the Pulsar. My Mk 4 is FAC-rated, but I also have several legal limit (sub-12 ft/lb) airguns in my collection. My Air Arms Ultimate Sporter and BSA Ultra SE see a lot of action.

You can grab a Daystate Mk4 PCP air rifle, Air Arms Ultimate Sporter and BSA Ultra SE from the PCP Air Rifles section on our webstore.

Pellpax Competition Time!

Here at Pellpax, we pride ourselves at building a great relationship with our incredibly passionate customers, who hail from all over the UK. As part of that commitment, we’ve built this blog to share our knowledge and expertise, and provide a useful resource for those passionate about airguns, bushcraft, and much more.

Another step in our commitment has been our first ever competition, which has been an outstanding success. With thousands of entries from across the UK, it’s clear that there is lot of enthusiasm for airguns and for Pellpax.

Dan Wesson Competition Winner

In October, we launched the competition to win a gold 2’5″ Dan Wesson revolver. This eye catching and highly desirable airgun is much sought after by enthusiasts. And so we’re happy to announce that the winner of the competition is Phill Akehurst of Water Orton, Birmingham. He will be receiving his airgun courtesy of our unique RFD door to door delivery service shortly. If you missed the comp, or didn’t win, but still fancy buying the revolver, you can find it here.

Win TWO Heckler & Koch Xmas MP5 Special Kits

The next competition will be to win not one, but TWO Heckler and Koch MP5 A5 AEG Two Tone Xmas Kits. They include 1000 BBs, and 50 Airgun targets. To claim your chance to win, keep an eye out for the special competition entry page where you can enter to win.

Pellpax Supports Our Heroes!

glen-henderson-pellpax — Former Marine and Pellpax staff member Glen Henderson

Here at Pellpax, we have an exciting announcement about one of our staff, who will be doing a 350 mile bike ride across England, for a very special cause.

Each and every week, Pellpax delivers airguns, shotguns, and other products to our array of customers across the UK using our very own fleet of drivers. Many of these personnel are ex-servicemen and former police officers, who help us fulfil our requirements as a Registered Firearms Dealer, handling the weapons, dealing with customers and checking their ID, as we are required to do by law.

One of our team is Glen Henderson, a brave ex-Royal Marine who has served his country during the First Gulf War, and has an incredible story to tell. Back in 2012, he suffered localised bleeding to the brain, while cycling to work, and fell quite seriously ill. The AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation), caused this bleeding inside, and the family man was left with 3 tough choices presented to him by medical staff, all of which carried the risk of death.

Battling through this tough time with the help of his wife and two children, while in a confused state due to the injury and the situation, he elected to have a craniotomy. After the operation and prolonged recovery, which he was nursed through by his wife, he made a full recovery. Now, back to full fitness and having returned to work, Glen wants to give something back.

help-our-wounded-logo2 — Help our Wounded Royal Marines And Supporting Arms is Glen’s nominated charity for the bike ride

The former marine has summoned the courage to cycle across England, from Barnham Broom in our home City of Norwich, to Bickleigh Barracks, in Plymouth Devon. It’s the home of 42 Commando of the Royal Marines. Glen’s aim is to make the most of his return to health, and raise money for Help Our Wounded Marines And Supporting Arms. It’s a charity that assists ex servicemen and women, suffering who have made huge sacrifices for our country, and now suffer with serious conditions, such as amputees, blindness and mental health issues.

Pellpax’s Director, Darren Kirk, has been vocal in his praise for Glen’s efforts, both in nursing himself back to recovery, and also in making such a major personal commitment to help his less fortunate former comrades. “Glen has been incredibly brave throughout his ordeal”, explains Darren. “He has handled his health problems with such courage and doing something like this, for charity, just shows how lucky we are to have him. We want to use our resources and our reach as an organisation, to help in any way we can”.

Pellpax are proud sponsors of Glen’s bike ride, and we will be using our resources to help with fundraising during the coming months leading up to the event. The bike ride itself will take place over between Saturday 18 June 2016 through to Monday 20th June. This is to allow for rest times, and ensure the journey is a safe one.

If you’d like to donate to Glen’s charity bike ride, then click here, to go to his Just Giving page.

To read more about his story, and stay updated as he prepares for the journey ahead, go to his blog.

Adventures In Airsoft: What Is MilSim?

One of the keys to practicing Airsoft is MilSim – the highly realistic military simulations that make for a typical weekend of airsofting. Here we explain the terminology, gear, and what you can expect….

Before we go straight into talking about MilSim we need to determine what it is and why it takes place. MilSim is an abbreviation for Military Simulation and it comes in 2 types: entertainment / war games or re-enactment. Out of the two, war games tend to be the more popular because they don’t require lots of expensive equipment or experience.

MilSim is becoming increasing popular in America and Europe with hundreds of people turning up to take part in the games. I’m not a professional myself, although I do have a love for airsoft, so I’ve decided to share the basics with you about what you need to know, if you decide to participate in any of these milsim uk events.

Time to Gear up!

Probably the most important thing about MilSim is the equipment. Although a lot of people go and spend hundreds of pounds on equipment, it is not necessary for your first time. The best way to approach it is to buy the basics first, and after each event decide what was good, and what held you back during the games. Once you’ve identified these areas of improvement, then you can buy the accessories accordingly and prevent these problems re-occurring.

With that sorted, let’s talk about the basic equipment. Before assembling your loadout, you need to sort out your uniform and one important thing to note are restrictions. You won’t get told off for not polishing your shoes or wearing the wrong belt, but the organizers often put restrictions on the type of camouflage each team can wear. This helps each team identify friend or foe, and generally adds realism to the game. Some events go even further and ask you to match your gun according to the teams, but for lower grade MilSim this is rare.

You Need Good Footwear for Milsim

Don’t underestimate the importance of good footwear. The boots are as important as your BB pellets. I would not recommend wearing uncomfortable boots, or new boots to a MilSim, since blisters are a sure way to halt your fun. Make sure you have a pair you’re familiar with, and happy to wear for long periods of time. Two pairs of good quality walking socks are also something I’d recommend and should see you though the Games.

What you choose to carry is purely down to what military role you want to play. If we’re talking about an average rifleman, you will be carrying around 5-7 magazines (including the one in your gun), an easily accessible radio and water. Most players like to wield a sidearm, typically a pistol but this is entirely up to you. Most MilSim games don’t allow you to reload your mags until you’re at a respawn point so carrying spare BBs is pointless. Finally, grenades are used by a number of players, and generally are fun to use. Again, there is a restriction on how many you carry, which is normally around six, but it’s always best to check with the organizers first.

Your gun is your trusty companion during these few days. There are three types of airsoft guns which include electric (often known as AEG), gas and spring. Spring isn’t used as often since they tend to be weaker and therefore can’t get the range required. Electric and gas are used the most due to their range and power, so if you plan to use these, ensure you have spare batteries or gas cans packed.

How to survive the next few days

Since these events last a few days, you will be required to take all your equipment with you. This includes sleeping bags, roll mats, clothes, grenades, guns, maps/intel etc.

An accessory that I would call a very smart investment is a patrol pack. This is a smaller bag that you can take with you when advancing, resupplying or guarding areas. Within these you typically put the essentials such as water, food and cooking equipment. You can also pack some form of thermals in case of a sudden temperature change.

Water is absolutely essential in these events. It doesn’t matter if the weather is like an Australian summer or a Russian winter you will be using plenty of this stuff, so take it! You will need it for drinking, cooking meals, washing up and cooling off. I would highly recommend refilling your canteens / water bottle at any chance you get and make sure everyone in your squad takes some to reduce the load.

When you take part in Milsim your will be burning a lot of calories and will get hungry quicker than usual. The running around and carrying of equipment soon takes its toll, so it’s best to be prepared. Small cookers are very handy whether they are gas or fuel. It would be wise to find a compact one and take it with you on your MilSim experience. I also pack a mess tin and use it for eating, cooking and washing up. Most people tend to take food packs with them although other alternatives are available.

What to expect on your first MilSim

When you first go to a MilSim event a lot of things will go through your head beside adrenaline. You will be getting briefs, being put into squads (expect to be bossed around a lot by the pros), assignments/missions will be handed out and loads more. This is all part of the fun and realism of MilSim and when all combined it aids the excitement of the event, no matter if you’re a MilSim veteran or a private. Even though these events are very tactical and physically straining, everyone is friendly and there for the same reason – to have a good time! The war games will be played in different areas depending on their location and organizer. Some are based outdoors on large areas of land, some are indoors with built scene and the best sort, in my opinion, are the ones based in abandoned facilities. The main thing to expect is lots of fun, excitement and a whole new experience of war games.

When you first go you will be trying new things, trying to find your role, play style and figuring out what’s going on. This is completely normal for a first timer and isn’t anything to worry about. The more you play the more you’ll learn and find out about yourself. I soon discovered my love for sniping, playing that support / cover role and making key decisions for my team.

The more MilSim events you attend your more people you’ll get to know, more gear you’ll acquire and you’ll start to get a feel for what sort of player you are. The biggest thing I notice is the different paces of these war games. Sometimes you will be stealthy and tactical like a spec ops group or you may just go in all guns blazing. The main things to remember is to have fun, play fair and enjoy this experience of a whole new level of airsoft.

To find a registered airsoft game site near you, check out this list published by UKARA, the British body in charge of the sport.

To check out our range of airsoft gear including accessories, simply head to our Airsoft store, where you can grab airsoft guns, glasses, batteries, silencers, targets, and much more.

Tips For Shooting At Night with Scopes & Lamping

When hunting at night there are a two main things which must always be considered and upheld at all times: safety and the law.

Unless you can obtain a special licence to cull deer at night, it is illegal to do so between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise. Game birds and hares also cannot be shot at night. Night shooting is generally used for population control of pests and certain predators such as foxes. You must also only shoot on land that you either own, or have permission to shoot on; shooting on land without permission is a serious offence and comes with heavy fines and even a custodial sentence.

A Rifle Scope is Essential

Generally, at night time, I would always recommend using either rifles or air rifles with scopes on, so that you can more easily identify both your target and where the shot could go afterwards. You should also never just shoot at a pair of eyes, through a scope or otherwise, as what you think could be a pair of rabbit eyes could be a pet, or even someone with binoculars observing animals at night.

It’s also strongly recommended that when shooting at night, you use a suppressor, so as not to make too much noise, which could disturb people in local houses trying to sleep, and scare nearby livestock.

At Pellpax we stock a large range of suppressors for air-guns and rifles alike. Click here for more in air rifle silencers. And here for more on Rifle sound moderators.

When shooting foxes, you must ensure that you’re using a calibre of rifle that is legal; generally, .22 Hornet or larger are favoured; air rifles and rim-fires are not legally permitted.

Using a scope at night can be hard work if your scope hasn’t got an IR (illuminated reticle), which is when your crosshair will clearly light up, making your point of aim much clearer. As well as this, you will also need a good spotlight or torch to identify your targets; a bright light also temporarily stuns animals such as rabbits, which will make for an easier shot. You should also choose a scope with a large light intake, which will make for a much clearer and wider field of view. For example, there’s the Hawke Vantage 3-9×50 IR Mil dot reticle scope, and the more powerful 4-12×50 version.

Three Lamping Colours

There are three most popular colours of bulb which are used when lamping or shooting at night, and they all have different pros and cons – all of which are down to personal preference: red, green, or white.

The most popular colour for lamping is a red bulb. This can commonly be seen when driving around back roads at night and you see farmers using these red spotlights across their fields, looking for rabbits or foxes. It’s a popular favourite because the red light doesn’t affect your personal night vision as much as the other colours, and animals are less aware of this bright light being put on them, and so won’t get spooked and run away. The red light can make it quite hard to spot your prey at night if they are in long grass or in the undergrowth, as everything will appear as the same colour. This is still the first choice for any fox or rabbit hunters. You can find a red spot light here – the Tracer LEDRay F400 Red.

The green spotlight is quickly becoming more popular because, like the red light, it has little effect on your own night vision, and with the green light, it’s much easier to identify different targets, because it shows up differently on obstacles – unlike the red, where everything can blur into the same colour. The green light, however, is a lot less popular with shooters after predatory animals like foxes, because they notice this colour a lot more and have been known to run away as soon as the beam is on them. A great example is this, the Tracer LEDRay F400 in Green.

F400 Red Lamp — **F400 LED Red Rifle Lamp**

Finally, we have the white spot light. This offers the greatest distance for you to shoot at, and makes everything a lot easier to see at night, but it will have the worst effect on your own night vision and will scare predatory animals away the most. However, this is my personal favourite to use when shooting rabbits, as the bright light stuns them for a moment, allowing for a clear shot and clean kill. One white light to try is the Tracer LEDRay F400 in White.

All of the above spotlights, which I have added the links to, are for attaching either onto the gun, or onto the scope – which would be my personal preference when shooting. There are other options available, however, depending on the environment and style in which you will be shooting, such as from a vehicle or with another shooter.

Night Vision Scopes

Another option for night shooting is the use of a night-vision scope. Originally intended for military applications, this is another favourite among hunters, as these night sights are becoming ever more affordable for the everyday shooter.

Check out a range of gun lamps and spotlight options here. You can also check out our website for more on night vision, including gear by Nitesite and Pulsar.

How Can I Get A Shotgun Licence?

You may be tempted by the impressive array of shotguns we sell here at Pellpax. Unlike many shotgun retailers online, we can deliver them direct to your door. However, you will need a licence, as it’s a requirement of law here in the UK. We take a look at how you go about acquiring a shotgun certificate here.

A Licence is Essential

A shotgun, under section 1(3) a of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended), is defined as a smooth bore gun (not being an air weapon); having a bore less than 5.08 cm and a barrel not less than 60.96 cm; having either no magazine or a non-detachable magazine incapable of holding more than two cartridges; and not a revolver gun.

It is a legal requirement that anybody who owns a shotgun or buys a shotgun for sale, must hold an up-to-date licence. A first shotgun licence, valid for five years and issued by the Firearms Licensing Unit of the local police force, can be obtained at a cost of £79.50 on completion of an application form (201) and a follow-up interview with a police officer.

Form 201, application for a firearm and / or a shotgun licence, can be downloaded from various websites, including the BASC (British Association for Shooting and Conservation), and your local police force’s website.

Security & Vital Info

It is good practice to arrange security immediately, ensuring that your locking cabinet, or alternative storage, complies with safety regulations. The application form includes questions about the provision of storage and security – proposed or in place – and the visiting police officer will need to be satisfied that your arrangements are appropriate; the application process can be slowed down by a lack of adequate security measures in place.

When completing form 201, you will be asked to give personal information regarding contact details, previous names and addresses, place and date of birth, nationality, convictions, and place of work. There is a section concerning personal health. It is a legal requirement that the applicant discloses all physical and mental health issues, both current and historical, and the signing of the form gives the police permission to contact the GP in order to verify the information given.

Any person who has known you for at least two years may act as a referee. The referee’s personal details (full name, date of birth, occupation etc) and contact details must be provided, along with four passport-style photographs of the applicant – one of which must be signed by the applicant.

The Next Stage

After four to six weeks, you will receive notification about your application. If this first stage has been successful, a police officer will visit you at your home to discuss safety arrangements – proposed or in place – and your reasons for owning a shotgun. It is perfectly reasonable to say that you want to take part in shooting for sport.

If the officer is satisfied with your security instalment, he will notify the Chief Officer of Police, and your certificate will be issued. If everything else is satisfactory, but your provision for safe storage is not yet in place, your certificate will be hand delivered by a police officer once he has seen, and is satisfied with, your gun security arrangements.

If successful, the certificate you will be issued with will last for 5 years. If you’re unsuccessful, you will receive a letter from the local Chief of Police, with the reason, and detail of the appeals procedure.

You can check out and buy a shotgun for sale from our online store right here. We sell shotgun accessories, too.

The Big Interview: Darren Kirk

To kick off the first in an occasional series of interviews with people in the world of airguns, shotguns, archery and outdoor gear, we talk to the director of Pellpax, Darren Kirk.

A dynamic leader who has turned this online business into a multi million pound organisation within two years, Darren has his sights on making it the biggest player in the airgun market. We chatted to him to find out more.

You’re running an airguns website right now, but what’s your background?

My background is actually IT: sixteen years as IT manager for Dupont. It was older technology – way older technology. I’m a certified Novell Engineer, but nobody uses Novell anymore! When I left that job it was early days of Windows, and very early days of anything Internet related. We had wide area networks – nothing like there is today, of course – but even in those early days I realised the power of IT, especially in a business like ours, where we’re a warehousing and online business, and the website is effectively our shop front. That’s where we need to invest the money. Whereas other people would invest it in infrastructure – things like dummies and shop windows and displays – our shop front is the whole of our website.

What’s a typical ‘day in the life’ for you, as the director of Pellpax?

Each day I do some work to keep control of the finances, sorting out things like who gets paid when, so in that sense, I keep a very tight control on the purse strings. We’ve got so many projects on the go at the moment, and we can’t bring them through as quickly as we’d like, so it’s just a matter of spending a little time on each project, trying to move it forward. Then there’s a lot of day-to-day stuff like paperwork and so on. It’s so easy to get diverted, and then at other times you just get held back. It can be really time consuming. For example, at the moment I have 1018 unread emails! I scan through them, pick out the most important ones, and reply to them. And whenever I get time, I start from the oldest ones and work my way forward – which is not a good place to be. It’s just that there aren’t enough hours in the day to physically do everything at the moment.

How has Pellpax grown in the past few years? It seems to have experienced a rapid period of growth.

It’s actually been only two years. The current website went live on Feb 13 2014, so we traded for six months on a different website. The biggest achievement is that we’ve achieved that growth without borrowing any money. Everything is paid for. All our stock is paid for upfront. We pay our suppliers pre delivery, before we get our products in. That’s the biggest challenge: juggling the money. You want to be sure you’re safe in the bank for anything that happens, but at the same time you don’t want to be holding back too much money and stopping the business from growing. It’s quite challenging at times. It’s a juggling act, but we’ve managed to keep the balls in the air so far – and without needing any financial help from anybody.

Tell us about the type of customers you get.

We do have two main types of customers. One group is the professionals or the ones who are seriously into their shooting. We have people working here who are very knowledgeable and know what they’re talking about. We’ve got three gunsmiths on site. We’ve got a guy who has three British archery records. We’ve got a guy whose business is hunting, managing deer herds, and game keeping. So we’ve got the in-house expertise in all the areas our customers are interested in. But then we do have a large number of customers who are first time buyers. Or maybe they’re retired, and they had an air rifle as a child, and they’ve got a bit of spare time and a bit of spare money. Our experts have to look after these customers in a different way. So we have two ends of the spectrum: people who really know what they’re on about and what they’re looking for, and people who have no idea beyond a budget and a rough idea of what they’re going to use it for!

We don’t always sell people the most expensive gun or the item we can make most profit from. If they say, ‘we want to use it for pest control’ or ‘we want to use it for target practice’, we do advise them, and they end up with a product that’s most suitable for the purpose. So really, the level of qualifications, knowledge and expertise in the staff team is a big advantage for us.

Tell us about Pellpax’s unique delivery service.

We have our own fleet of five vans, and occasionally we’ll hire an extra one if we need it. They’re all caged and high security, with cameras and lights inside. We have two full-time drivers, who go out every weekend, and then we have a bank of seven ex-policemen – drivers that we pool from, depending on how many we need. Most of them are former fire officers and ex-marines. They know the guns anyway, and they’re used to dealing with people in difficult situations. So we take the security very seriously. We try and give as good a service as possible. When you’re planning routes that cover the whole of the country, it’s very difficult to be at a certain person’s house at a certain time with no room for error. There’s always going to be traffic problems or whatever. But we do achieve over 95% hit rate on getting to the door at the time we told the customer we’d be there.

A couple of things that have happened over the last few months: we’ve had our explosives licence through, so we can deliver powders and ammunition, and if we turned our hand to it, even fireworks too; but we also do quite a lot of canoe deliveries, believe it or not. It’s really expensive to courier a 15-foot canoe anywhere, but our vans are going everywhere every weekend anyway, so it’s very easy to strap one onto the roof. We’ve got a canoe trailer too, and we can tow that. So we’re making a fair impact on the canoe business at the moment!

It seems like there’s a lot of innovation in the business. How important to you is trying new things?

I think, in a lot of businesses, if you stand still, you’re actually going backwards, because other people are coming along and doing things bigger and better and faster than you are. So there’s no room to stand still. We’re constantly moving ahead, looking for new suppliers, looking for new products, investing money in improving the website, investing the money in doing the email marketing and blogs and facebook and twitter, and all the other things we’re doing at the moment.

A lot of it is going to take years before we become big players with some of those products, but the whole point as far as I’m concerned is that if people are searching for something, and they end up at your website, they’ll then see what other products you supply. You might just get somebody coming along for a boat box, for example – a Dragons’ Den boat box – and they come onto our website, and they’re into their shooting. And they might never have found us if it hadn’t been for some relatively obscure product they were searching for.

We’ve got the development of the show trailer at the moment, with an idea that next year we’ll be at a lot of shows. The base is on order and the first money has gone to the carpenter who’s building this thing for us. So the emphasis isn’t just on new products and how we expand the range, but also on how we get those products in front of potential customers, either electronically or physically.

Finally, tell us about the new warehouse plans that are underway.

Yes, we broke ground about eight weeks ago now, and we’ve got a new warehouse that will be split into three sections. One will be a small retail unit, and then there’ll be the main warehouse to one side of it and a further warehouse, for bulk product, on the other side. So the three units that are being built are in total well over three times the space we’ve got at the moment. And there will be a full-length archery and gun range built down the back of them. So, customers will be able to come along and look through what we’ve got in the retail unit shop, and if it’s not there, we’ve got the warehouse next door, and we’ll be able to fetch something off the shelf for them to look at. And if they’re seriously interested, they can go down into the range to test fire the guns before they buy.

With exciting times ahead at Pellpax, stay tuned for announcements on the blog, or sign up for our regular emails for news, features, and info on the latest products in our range.