We look at some of the must haves to go with your new rifle this upcoming season!

A rifle is without doubt a very important purchase. Firstly, you need to decide caliber then finer details for your chosen specification. A lot is available information wise on this widely debated subject but not so much on those forgotten essentials you need to make your shooting outings worthwhile. Let’s take a look…


We start off with some items that often get overlooked dramatically so let’s start with the rifle sling. The sling is the very contact between you and your trusty rifle. You will spend many hours in the countryside with it strapped to you so selecting the one for the job is of upmost importance. If you spend your time target shooting then this may not apply so much but for vermin and stalking shooting it can make a huge difference to both the comfort and fatigue levels experienced in the field. Materials vary from neoprene/soft feel such as the Butler Creek to leather GMK slings so find the material which feel and grips your shooting attire correctly. The most important thing overall with the sling is that it fits and feels snug and secondly that it suits your individual taste of how it looks.


Another important accessory is the rifle stand/rest by MTM. This is very useful on a number of different occasions as many people never even think of investing in such a piece of equipment. Cleaning is made a lot easier and straight forward if done on one of these as it supports the rifle in a safe and upward manner. The other use that is extremely handy is to actually shoot off! Yes, that’s right shooting. Supporting the gun with the stand allows zeroing to take place with absolute minimal interference from the shooter, giving a very accurate point of impact to take place. This will guarantee after zero ultimate accuracy when taking shots in field off bipods or high seats having had the truest impact point of the bullet established.


The bipod is a piece of kit that some shooters swear by and others simply won’t entertain. The answer I would first of all ask yourself is will you really have the opportunity to shoot from a prone position on any real semi regular basis? What is the topography like on your chosen ground? If relatively flat and the majority of shooting is from high seats then in reality a bipod is more of a hindrance in terms of size and weight than any benefit. If on the other hand more distant shots are presented on safe backdrops then yes it certainly is worth it’s weight and size walking all those miles. If you don’t have a rifle stand like above a bipod is the most practical item for also zeroing as it allows a rock steady position for shooting. Make sure you choose a bipod suitable for your caliber and above all a sturdy one the Harris is one of the top-rated brands. For a kneeling shot you are probably better off on sticks than a long bendy legged bipod.


The stock on a rifle is very important as the moment the trigger is pulled this is your main method of support and control. For numerous years a lot of criticism was given to stocks being low in the comb meaning the head of the shooter had to be held above the comb taking an element of best guess for acquiring the reticle in the same place every time. The manufactures have finally bowed to this and we have seen makes such as Tikka and Sako bring fully adjustable combs to the rifle World as a standard option much like shotgun manufacturers have done for many a long year. We see these on the Tikka T3X & Sako Finnlight II. This allows the cheek to be rested with a positive contact on the comb meaning each time you line up the shot you can guarantee it is the same place every time with ultimate consistency. This will no doubt transfer into more accurate shooting.


As well as the less obvious attachments to the rifle the vermin shooter will often be equipped with a caller of some kind. These have evolved over the years from the simple mouth pieces to the modern electronic remote-controlled callers. One particular caller that has all the features you need is the Foxpro Inferno. It comprises of a remote control and separate speaker unit and has a vast range or distress, cries and mating calls to lure your intended quarry to a safe shooting location. It can store up to 200 separate calls and can be customized by downloading your preferred calls and also arranged in playlists to access them quickly and with ease. The remote allows the speaker unit to be positioned 50 yards or more away from your position giving it maximum versatility. A great piece of equipment to really enhance vermin control and achieve a higher level of success.


Shooting a rifle isn’t just about the scope, or the rifle or anything in particular. It’s about how a combination of small but very important pieces come together in a real synergy to bring ultimate accuracy and consistency.