BEST BUYS

John Jeffries 12-bore Legend 2

Those tackling high driven birds on the peg may find the weight and heft of this striking game gun works to their advantage, says Matt Hunt

Conclusion

In the capable hands of John Jeffries, I headed down to the pattern plate to set up the Legend 2 for extreme-range pheasant shooting. We adjusted the drop, cast, length and pitch of the gun and the gun started to feel alive. Starting on a straight driven target, the gun performed well. Operationally it was a joy to use, ejection of cartridges was superb and opening and closing of the gun happened with ease.

As with all Perazzis, I was occasionally frustrated by the top-lever hold-over not engaging and barrels being closed on to the bolt, but apart from this, mechanically, the gun is sound.

We moved on to a long crossing bird as I wanted to see how the better target vision would assist. Initially, I struggled to connect as I consistently shot low. Once I embraced the concept of the RSR and SR1 rib combination, I could feel the benefit of having closer connection between bird and rib. Essentially, I didn’t have to go so far underneath.

The gun shot very well, but for most of us it is going to take some getting used to its concepts and custom principles. It’s not going to make you shoot like Simon Ward on the first outing. I worry about the weight. Shooting a pair of these in Devon or the Welsh valleys is going to take it out of you. What you gain in accuracy, you could lose due to fatigue.

Mossberg Maverick 88

Richard Faulks and Adam Cope are taken with the versatility and no-nonsense toughness of the Mossberg Maverick 88

This is quite a specifically purposed and versatile gun. If this is what you need for your work and reliability, durability and the ability to shoot cartridges from subsonics to 3in Magnum cartridges in steel is important to you, then this will do it all.

The gun we tested came with one modified multichoke tube, and that’s possibly all you’ll need for the type of work this gun is designed for. There are no left-hand eject versions, so for the one in ten of us who are left-handed you’ll just have to decide whether that is a problem for you.

I had a chat with Andy Norris of Viking Arms who imports Mossbergs and he summed the Maverick 88 up: “It’s a workhorse, something you can chuck around in the Land Rover. Like a dog, you can hose it down when you get back from the foreshore and then all you have to do is spray it with oil and put it in the gun safe. (No oil necessary for dogs.) That’s why the American military choose it. It’s kit to be used. It’s a functional tool.”

ZEISS DTI 3/25

The DTI 3/25 delivers impressive optical performance. It has a detection range of up to 880m for a man-sized object and clarity is excellent—you can not only spot rabbits at 500m but also confidently identify them by their clear outlines.

It focuses down to less than 10m, which makes it great for close-range airgun work. Most significantly, this robust unit is compact, measuring 187mm in length and tipping the scales at 410g.

■ WEBSITE: zeiss.ly/DTI25

■ RRP: £2,150

Infiray Eye II E6 Pro V3

This offering from InfiRay is top of the crop when it comes to optical quality. Stated detection range for large objects is a huge 2,597m, and the detail shown on airgun quarry such as rabbits and rats at closer distances has to be seen to be believed.

Weighing around 520g and at 202mm in length, this model feels quite chunky but is no great burden to carry on the supplied neck strap. The onboard rechargeable battery has a runtime of up to six hours.

■ WEBSITE: highlandoutdoors.co.uk

■ RRP: £2,699.99

PULSAR AXION KEY XM30

A great choice for shooters who want a small thermal monocular to slip in their coat pocket and forget about it until it’s needed, the Axion Key is 138mm long and weighs just 250g. Despite being minuscule, it is a tough little unit and is waterproofed to withstand a 1m immersion for up to half an hour. This offering from night vision giant Pulsar is the least expensive unit in this roundup but it still delivers the goods.

■ WEBSITE: scottcountry.co.uk

■ RRP: £1,159.95

Pard G19 L

This handheld spotter is different from the monoculars in this roundup and there are pros and cons to its configuration. Some may regard its exposed 5in screen as a disadvantage as there is a risk of quarry being spooked by its shine-back, but on the flipside it doesn’t compromise your natural ability to see in the dark anything like as much as units that are held right up to the eye. For rabbit shooting on the move, either on foot or from a vehicle.

■ WEBSITE: sportsmanguncentre.co.uk

■ RRP: £2,252.99

M4A1 Carbine

Mike Morton goes into action with the CO2-powered, BB-blasting, US military-themed M4A1 Carbine from Lee-Enfield (Guns)

While some CO2 guns are totally original designs, others are inspired by powder-burning firearms. The Brothers In Arms series of historical replicas from Lee-Enfield (Guns) falls into the latter category.

The M4A1 was developed by Colt and is in service with multiple operators around the world, notably the US Army, with the Marine Corps due to follow suit. But while that gun fires 5.56x45mm NATO rounds, this CO2 variant shoots 4.5mm BBs. It features allmetal construction throughout the barrel, receiver and the 18-round magazine.

Plenty of plastic has been used here as well, most notably the handguard, pistol grip and telescoping butt stock, but that’s the case with the original M4A1 too.

The 5.56mm M4A1 was accepted into service by the US military in 1994. It first saw action in the hands of US troops deployed to Kosovo in 1999 in support of NATO forces, and has been used in several conflicts across the globe since.

Lee-Enfield’s Brothers in Arms series focuses on iconic weapons from the 20th century, so the M4A1 here is one of the earlier Kosovo-era versions, the most obvious features being the rounded two-piece handguard and the removable carrying handle/rear sight assembly.