As the opening approaches, hunters will take out hunting insurance as they do every year. If this is often integrated directly with the validation and it is mandatory, what does it contain?
To answer this question, we asked the general agent (hunter) Vincent de Monval, whose office is located at 100 rue Edouard Vaillant in Bourges.
Vincent de Monval, why do we have to take out hunting insurance? Article L.423-16 of the Environmental Code requires you to take out insurance covering your personal civil liability as a hunter. An accidental shot with ricochet, an accident following handling while cleaning a weapon, damage caused during a ball trap or because of your hunting dog, your civil liability is covered for bodily injury , material and immaterial caused to third parties following an accident.
According to article L423-16 of the Environmental Code, the hunter’s insurance must: Cover his liability for an unlimited amount Do not provide for forfeiture opposable to the victims or their beneficiaries Cover his liability due to his dogs
In Gan, for example, this RC also covers the hunter organizer of hunting to organize privately up to two hunts per year with other hunters on his territory. In addition to this guarantee, other optional guarantees are often offered by insurers (bodily injury to the hunter, accidental damage to hunting dogs, damage to hunting rifles)
Vincent, is there also protection for bodily accidents that one could suffer? Of course, whether you suffer bodily injury during or on the occasion of hunting, insurers offer payment guarantees with indemnities provided for in the contract in the event of permanent disability, death, medical costs and expenses. research. Some insurers offer the daily allowance option (this is the case in Gan).
Can we also insure our hunting dogs? There are guarantees taking into account the reimbursement of care costs or an indemnity corresponding to the value of your dog designated in the contract when an accident occurs. Warning: often (depending on the insurers) dogs over 10 years are excluded!
And his weapons? If your weapon is of value, your insurer may offer you an option covering rifles, rifles and their non-detachable equipment (eg: optics) in the event of destruction, disappearance or resulting deterioration.
from an accident
from a fire
of an explosion
of a natural event
water damage
of a flight
Note: rifles and rifles are also guaranteed when they are entrusted to traders for their repair or custody. ( This is only valid if no waiver of recourse clause has been accepted between the insured and the professional)
Hunters do not compromise on safety. The proof with the publication of a decree of the Ministry of Ecological Transition in the official journal. It makes 3 concrete actions mandatory, at the request of hunters, to reinforce safety when hunting.
During collective large game shooting hunts, as defined in the departmental hunting management plan, the hunter (including unarmed persons) must wear fluorescent clothing. ” The vest can be integrated into a brightly colored garment such as a t-shirt, jacket or cape “, specifies the decree of the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
Any organizer of large game hunts must post temporary signs before the start of the hunt and remove them once they are finished. These signs must be placed on the shoulder or near public roads (municipal, departmental and national roads) to indicate the main entrances to the hunting area. The issue of providing information to other nature users on these secondary axes is essential to increase everyone’s safety. This is why the FNC has studied in partnership with the French Hiking Federation other signs that can be adapted, personalized and used according to local particularities, in addition to those defined by the ministerial decree.
At the request of the FNC, hunters will be made aware of basic safety rules every 10 years . Few businesses can take advantage of such a device to upgrade their knowledge and practices. Following the publication of the decree, holders of a hunting license have a period of 10 years to meet this obligation to upgrade, specifies the Ministry of Ecological Transition. The terms of information and convocation are set by the Departmental Federation of Hunters. The training program, which is in the process of being finalized, is defined by the FNC, after consulting the OFB.
Finally, a departmental safety commission is also set up autonomously, which must be set up within each departmental or interdepartmental federation of hunters. This new federal body is only advisory, and its opinion can then lead the federation in question to refer the matter to the Prefect or the OFB in the event of the need to take a sanction against a hunter indisputably implicated in a case. accident or breach of safety rules.
We didn’t find the perfect hunting rifle, so we built it. It is a rifle designed to be carried for long periods, over long distances, during long days of hunting, and which should behave like all Barrett weapons at the critical moment. ”
The officials of the American company Barrett, which specializes in precision weapons for competitive and military shooting at long range, do not give into false modesty.
We didn’t find the perfect hunting rifle, so we built it. It is a rifle designed to be carried for long periods, over long distances, during long days of hunting, and which should behave like all Barrett weapons at the critical moment. ”
The officials of the American company Barrett, which specializes in precision weapons for competitive and military shooting at long range, do not give into false modesty.
With its weight of between 2.2 and 2.7 kg depending on the caliber and the length of the action, the Fieldcraft bluntly inflicts a little air of anvil on many rifles past and present. Gone are the days when a bolt-action rifle with scope and mount weighed nearly 4.5 kg.
Because the scopes have become lighter, that’s true, but above all because the war on superfluous grams has long been declared by rifle makers. We remember the Winchester Featherweight (“featherweight”), launched after 1964 and its 3.3 kg allowed to claim a light weapon.
The Sako 75 Finnlight with composite stock and flute barrel, born in 2001, was also a lightweight particularly noticed at its launch, with its 2.8 kg.
Others have since followed with most European and American manufacturers, but in the last three seasons, with the arrival of carbon stocks in the catalogs of major brands, then the Sauer 404 carbon and Sako Carbonlight models, a new step has taken place. been crossed.
And this time, it is therefore a small American who sets a new record, with a weight of 2.3 kg in .308 caliber, 2.2 kg in .243 Winchester and between 2.5 and 2.7 kg in the. larger calibers (in terms of cartridge length) such as .270 Winchester and .30-06.
What does that give in “working order weight?” You are already wondering. With a Swarovski Z3 3-10 × 42 bezel, renowned for its lightness, and a Leupold QRW steel mount: 2.860 kg on the scale, yes, less than 2.9 kg! All that is missing is the weight of the five cartridges that you will add, one in the box and four in the magazine.
Story of a gram hunt
How did the engineers and designers at Barrett go about achieving this super featherweight?
“The butt is made from carbon fiber to provide a light but stiff platform,” they explain. The actions are available in several versions and lengths according to their specific caliber and the ultra-precise barrels are also specially profiled. The Fieldcraft is the perfect combination of an ultralight design and great robustness combined with a high level of performance. ”
Manufacturers have also resorted to the usual techniques of weight reduction by using light alloys wherever possible, this is the case in particular for the trigger guard. They also reduced the profile of the barrel and its length, forgot the open sights and refined the bolt. The absence of a removable charger also saves a few grams.
Let’s see in more detail how this hunt for grams went and what the fruit of this fight looks like. Aesthetically, this rifle is discreet, sober and above all compact. It gives the impression of a pocket rifle. Which it is, since from the buttplate to the muzzle it measures only 103 cm.
The textured and anthracite gray stock brings to the weapon a great sobriety – a certain rusticity one is even tempted to say at first glance. No particular grid or grip area, the brand’s own matte finish, which obviously hardly likes the Cerakote style, and a grippy, raw surface texture.
No shiny black woven look like we find on Christensen, Sako or Sauer stocks to bring out the carbon construction.
It is ultimately very well thus, but, for a little, this extreme stripping would make us doubt the research of which the rifle was the object.
Bling-bling counter-effect, when you hold us!
The shape is classic. We find a right comb, a pistol grip, a round front and, on the left side, a round cheek as well. The butt plate is 22mm thick, black and soft. It has been glued to the butt and cannot be easily removed, which the firm also strictly forbids.
Dom mage, because the total length of the butt is only 35 cm, including buttplate, it is not much, although it will suffice for the vast majority of hunters.
The stock is light while not sounding the hollow enough and above all it does not resonate. Which means that the intrinsic strength of carbon has made it quite thin while giving it the strength and rigidity that sit in a rifle mount. What Barrett’s techs don’t say is that they arguably also used a carbon-kevlar blend, which resonates much less than at all carbon, which is better in terms of vibration and stiffness.
A Pillar type bedding has been made from the back of the case, at the end of the front. It is an integral bedding which also reinforces the rigidity of the stock in order to guarantee the precision of the weapon. With an unexpected consequence, the barrel is not floating, but covers the bedding, the entire length of the butt. To those who would be surprised or worried about it, let us specify that a floating cannon is not always the panacea, whatever leads us to believe its generalization. It may be good or even necessary at times for the barrel to carry. That Barrett made this choice is, so to speak, proof of this, as his reputation in the field of precision is well established.
The firm is known worldwide for its beam-frame rifles for military and long-range shooters, ultra-precise weapons produced from A to Z at its site in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
The Fieldcraft barrels are no exception, they are homemade, bored, chambered and shaped by the same machines that make the tubes of the MRAD, 98B and 107 precision rifles and rifled by olive before the steel is de-stressed. twice.
The barrel of the short actions is offered in two lengths: 45.7 and 53.3 cm. The first barrel is threaded for the installation of a muzzle brake or a silencer, not the second, like that of our .308 Winchester. The long action barrel systematically measures 61 cm.
It is therefore essentially at this level that the difference in weight from one model to another is played out. The barrel, like the case, is taken from a piece of 416 stainless steel. In addition to the caliber and the proof markings, this tube receives a rare hallmark which indicates the number of scratches, a good thing.
On our .308 it is one turn in 10 inches. The Fieldcraft scratching pattern, whatever the caliber chosen, is suitable for fairly heavy bullets, therefore long, and for elusive rears, the famous boat tail. The brand indicates that it is with this type of bullets, and on condition of opting for Premium cartridges, that maximum precision will be achieved. To know ?
Barrett guarantees an accuracy of less than the minute of angle, the famous MOA, that is to say a grouping of less than 3 cm at 100 m, 1.5 cm at 50 m and 6 cm at 200 m, which we will take care to verify. At the muzzle, the diameter of the barrel shows 14 mm, that is to say the usual profile of a gun of light weapon but without exaggeration. It is possible to adapt the silencer of the mar that on this thread, the DC30 Suppressor. On long actions with a 61 cm barrel, the muzzle has a diameter of 15.5 mm.
An old-fashioned steel case
The barrel is screwed onto the case which is very classic and leaves nothing to show the quest for light: in steel, it has two bridges like a derivative of Mauser 98. It is made from the same stainless steel as the barrel. and, like him, seems to have
been microblasted to deliver a very discreet matte appearance in the field.
First surprise, the top of the case is fitted with optical pre-equipment, with two threaded holes on the rear axle and three on the front axle. This allows you to position the base before your assembly more or less forward depending on the mounted telescope and to adjust the eye distance as well as possible. But you can also choose the Talley mount designed for this rifle, with a front base with three wells, one per screw.
This steel case was imperative because the two front tenons cut in the mass of the breech do not lock in the barrel. It is the case which ensures the closing of the weapon by a 90 degree rotation of the movable breech. The latter is fine and provided with helical striations.
The process has two advantages. It allows you to close the cylinder head when plant debris, leaves or twigs, or even sand, have lightly covered it.
Above all, these ridges lighten the part by a few grams without losing rigidity or resistance. The first production rifle to have possessed such a ridged breech was the Remington Titanium which, despite “critical success”, had a relatively short existence, no doubt due to its high price, far from the Remington mind.
Nevertheless, many customs directors and then rifle manufacturers were inspired by it later, like Barrett today.
The straight tenon has a groove. When the breech is mounted on the weapon, this machining grips a steel rim of the housing, placed just under the ejection window. Maintained in line, the movable breech is guided in its movements, it moves back and forward without play, with smoothness and fluidity.
The cylinder head is cup-shaped, there is a spring-tensioned piston ejector and a claw extractor located just above the right tenon. No controlled power on this weapon, it is only at the end of locking that the extractor is closed on the throat of the cartridge case. The diameter of the movable breech is thin (15 mm), this can be seen in particular when you look at the breech head: the walls of the bowl are very thin, another proof of the race for grams less.
On our model, the part of the movable breech between the root of the lever and the end of the breech head measures 11.5 cm. As we said, our action is a short one, designed for reduced size cartridges like the .308 and .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6 Creedmoor, 7-08 and .22-250, the calibers offered by Barrett.
The longer version is built for standard calibers, the .270 Winchester, the .30-06, the .25-06 and the 6.5 × 55. The cocking lever is finished with a small hollow ball, that goes without saying. The lever is not welded to the body of the movable breech, but screwed onto a protuberance which surrounds the rear of the breech, playing the role of a nut bearing and rear reinforcement.
A T-cut gives this binding the necessary strength and resistance. The steel parts were probably obtained by microfusion or MIM (Metal Injection Molding), we can still see the trace of the mold seam inside the ball of the cocking lever or on other hidden or visible parts. When opening, the lever pivots and, at the end of rotation, comes up against a slight inclined side of the case, proof that the primary pre-extraction has not been forgotten despite the small size of the lever. Inflated cases can still be removed.
The cylinder head nut is black and semi-hexagonal in shape. When the rifle is cocked, the rear of the firing pin protrudes by 5 mm, it is unmistakable. If this visibility still seems insufficient to you, nothing will prevent you from painting the edge in red.
The root of the cocking lever rests on a cutout at right angles to the case, again proof that, light weight or not, safety requirements have not been forgotten since this part plays the role of a tenon. of security.
The safety is placed on the right side of the weapon, behind the cocking lever. It is in two positions. Pushed forward, it allows firing and releases the movable breech, towards the rear is prevents the trigger tail from releasing the trigger, but without blocking the breech, which therefore remains easy to handle.
There is no removable magazine on this weapon, nor a fixed magazine hatch. The magazine, which accepts four cartridges, is of the blind type, as was the case on the Mauser 66 for example. This choice, you can imagine, was dictated by the same rule of always lighter. This magazine measures 7.65mm long on short stocks and 8.57mm on long ones.
The round trigger guard, like a mauser 98, is very accessible, even for gloved fingers. It is made of light alloy but has the same matt gray color as the barrel and the case and the same microblasted finish. It houses a ridged, wide and direct trigger. This is a Timney block, a guarantee of quality. Not only is the relaxation clear and straightforward, but above all it is particularly pleasant and without running. The weight is set at the factory, it can be adjusted by the user or a gunsmith afterwards.
A pit trip with 3 balls
The presentations are made, it is time to go and discover our rifle on the ground, at the Gonesse shooting range (95). We are going to use three types of bullets, Winchester .308 cartridges of course, weighing between 10.7 and 11.7 g (165 and 180 grains) and, for two of them, fitted with a receding tail, in order to check if the heavier balls and boat tail offer us greater precision, as the manufacturer announces.
We start by firing a few bullets with direct arms at the earthen butt. The trigger is really remarkable, the weapon incredible lightness and its very good balance. The handling of the small cocking lever is easy, I was afraid that its small size would be inconvenient for a quick rearming, it is not. The ejection is good and the rearming is done naturally, even with a full magazine.
The optical adjustment is rough, we start the precision shots at 50 m, for lack of camera on the long distance stand.
The first of three bullets fired is an 11.7g (180 grain) Sako Hammerhead with no leaky rear. The grouping of the first two balls is good, they touch each other. The third is shifted 2 cm to the left, ouch! I decide to shoot a fourth bullet, which is closer to the third. The result is on the same line, but disappointing.
The points reached (3, 3 and 2) correspond to the points targeted.
The points reached (3, 3 and 2) correspond to the points targeted.
The points reached (3, 3 and 2) correspond to the points targeted.
The groupings obtained with the Sako Hammerhead (4 balls), the Winchester Match (3 balls) and the RWS Speed Tip (3 balls). The last two have a slippery rear, which Barrett recommends, the difference is clear. PS: The points reached (3, 3 and 2) correspond to the points targeted.
The second of the three bullets selected for these shots was a heavy armor with a leaking rear, the Winchester Match 10.9 g (168 grain). Logically, according to Barrett’s specifications, the grouping should be much better. Indeed, my three balls form an almost perfect clover. No complaints. The third and
last bullet is a 10.7g (165 grain) RWS Speed Tip with receding tail, a hunting bullet this rifle wants to claim. For reasons of target readability, I shift my shot to the right by aiming for the number 2. My first bullet approaches it, the next one completes the first. The third should be good… It will be exceptional, it will take the photo-finish, magnified, for me to discover its impact in the first. The grouping measures less than 1.2 cm.
The new all-rounder?
Is this rifle accurate? Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. With all kinds of bullets? Yes, with the difference that it was designed to perform at its best with heavy ball and receding tail, as announced by Barrett, who once again sets the standard in the field of precision weapons. Above all, with its small dimensions, its incredible weight, it forms with our assembly and our scope an essential panoply for those who are looking for a light weapon for the
mountain and approach.
On the side of hindsight? Nothing to report, at least in .308 Winchester. It should be the same for the other calibers, Barrett having had the intelligence not to add too muscular calibers, since the “strongest” of those proposed is the .30-06.
Those of us who can’t stand heavy weapons any longer have every reason to buy this rifle.
If they have the possibility, because at the beginning at least, it will only be imported in small numbers. Let’s not forget that it was proclaimed rifle of the year by Guns & Ammo, which will make the American market very greedy.
Those who ultimately buy it may be tempted to make it their all-round rifle. Because if a light weapon is a plus when approaching, what can be said when driven, where, with a red dot like Aimpoint H2, it would drop below the 2.5 kg mark? We imagine
what fieldcraft it would result.
Fieldcraft? “Agility”, “field experience” in English!
TECHNICAL SHEET
Brand: Barrett. Weapon type: bolt action rifle. Name: Fieldcraft. Import: Armory of the Stock Exchange in Paris . Stock: straight comb, round cheek and front in textured carbon. Store: fixed and blind.
Case: stainless steel with two bridges. Cylinder head: helically ribbed with two lugs at the head. Extraction: extractor-claw and ejector under spring tension. Barrel: 47, 53.3 or 61 cm stainless steel depending on the version. Short case ratings : .243 Win., 7-08, .308 Win., 6 Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .22-250. Long case ratings : .270 Win., .25-06, .30-06 and 6.5 × 55.
Price: from 2600 €.
Weight: 2,150 to 2,720 kg.
ADVANTAGES
• Record featherweight
• Handling
• High precision
• Choice of caliber
• Sobriety
• Carbon stock and its bedding
THE LESS
• The price
• Short stock
• No removable magazine
• The absence of thread on the 53 and 61 cm barrels
The difference between an amateur and a professional is dedicated study, practice and experience. A professional also has focus with a willing mental attitude to the task he or she performs. So start out now and adopt a professional attitude to the task of handling, using, firing and zeroing in your rifle scope. We use our optics to improve accuracy so we need to realize that we are dealing with a precision instrument. Our objective should be to strive for perfection (the clinical approach). To achieve the perfect setup we need to do the hard yards and spend the time to get the results that everyone who is behind the trigger wants… One Shot… One Clean Kill.
SAFETY FIRST
Safety should be your number one priority in all your activities when using a firearm. So check, recheck and check again. When you are zeroing in your scope you are going to need a safe place to shoot your firearm. If you live in the city then you may have a problem. Your best option would be to join a club. Being a member of a club will not only give you a place to shoot but you will also benefit from other club members who are usually more than willing to help out by providing you with their expertise and knowledge. If you are privileged to live in the country then all you need do is select a safe area where you can fire your rifle.
GET IT RIGHT FIRST TIME
To zero in your rifle scope accurately you will need a system or set up that will help you to eliminate all movement of your rifle when you fire. Forget holding your rifle in your hands. No matter what preferred shooting position you adopt you will not be able to eliminate enough movement. What you will need is a properly constructed bench rest (yes it takes time and effort). So make yourself a good solid bench rest with sand bags to support your rifle. The good thing about using sand bags is they have a bit of give and you can mould them around your rifle so the rifle is totally supported front and rear. My approach to this task is to make a cradle to hold the rifle in position and clamp it to a bench. The rifle is then locked in the cradle and is not subject to movement. It is made of heavy duty plywood with carpet so as not to scratch the stock and has a couple of adjusting screws. Simple….and effective. With a bit of imagination I’m sure you can come up with your own design that will be equally as effective. Or you could buy a shooting rest. These are available through your local gun shop and can be purchased for under $300 Mmmm…Nice if you can afford it.
PRE ZEROING YOUR RIFLE SCOPE
You will need to Pre Zero your rifle scope. You can use your new bench rest to do this. So with your rifle snugly secured into your rest, you can now proceed to bore sight your rifle by removing the bolt and looking through the bore. What you are trying to achieve is that when you look through the bore of your rifle which is centred on a target placed at 50 yards, your rifle scope’s cross hairs should also be center to the same position on the target. You can adjust the windage and elevation screws on your rifle scope to achieve this. If you cannot remove the bolt…. you can use a small mirror in the ejection port and tilt it so you can see through the bore. Trying to find a suitable mirror is a mission in itself. (I’ll bet you don’t have one in your drawer at home) You could purchase a bore sighting device (What!! another expense) alternatively go to your local gun store and get them to do the bore sighting for you.
ANOTHER METHOD
Another method (if you can’t find that mirror). Using your rest put a target up at 25 yards and shoot at the centre. If your first shot missed then you will need to bring your target in a bit closer. Now being careful not to disturb your rifle, adjust your cross hairs so they align with the bullet’s strike hole. If you use windage adjustable rings, make your major adjustments with these then make fine adjustments with your rifle scope. Next fire a shot at the centre of the target. It should be spot on. If you have not hit the centre of the target then you need to start again as you may have moved the rifle at some point. When you are happy with the results you have achieved at 25 yards. Now it is……Time to go hunting? NO. The job is half done.
ZEROING YOUR RIFLE SCOPE
Now set up your target at 100 Yards and fire three rounds. Observe where your bullet strike holes are and find the centre of the three holes using a pen. Rule a line between the centre of the three strike holes. You now have a triangle. The centre of this triangle is where you set your scope reticle/cross hairs to. So adjust your rifle scope’s windage and elevation adjustment screws to set the reticle to match the centre of the strike holes. Now repeat the process. Take your time until you are perfectly happy and you have achieved the perfect set up……..Time to go hunting? NO. The job is still not done now it is time to practice, practice and practice.
ZEROING A VARIABLE POWER RIFLE SCOPE
Not all rifle scopes are created equal so we need to identify some weaknesses in design. Most budget variable power rifle scopes due to the mechanical design have a variable point of impact (don’t be fooled…. most budget scopes including the “Big Name Brands” are like this….not that they want you to know)
OK don’t fall off your trolley at this point. There is nothing wrong with working with what you can afford. You still can achieve SPINE TINGLING SURE KILL ACCURACY by using a slightly different approach when setting up the rifle scope on your rifle and when zeroing in the scope.
I set up the rifle scope so that when it is mounted on the rifle it is already zeroed as it sits on the rifle. It takes a bit of time and you will need to use shims for adjustment (I’m assuming you don’t have adjustable rings). A good source of shim material can be found in aluminium drink cans but you may find other suitable materials for the job.
You are aiming for minimal windage and height adjustment to finish the set up of mounting the scope. Now set your variable power rifle scope to mid point between its lowest and highest power settings. Now zero the scope as above. What you have done is taken out a considerable amount of the mechanical variation in the point of impact.
By setting up your scope like this it will mean that you will still be able to achieve one shot…one clean kill. Now all you need do is….AIM TO KILL because now you have achieved…..
