2025 Year-End Roundup: Staff Picks for Product of the Year

2025 marks our 5th year in business. Five years of chaos, a few enemies shouting from dingy corners, some spectacular misses, and plenty of wins. From failed property ventures to overstock nightmares, it’s been a rollercoaster—but one with clear highs. Our trade arm, OnTarget Distribution, is now pushing products into airgun retailers near you, and while our overheads have ballooned, so has our influence. All this with a five-person team. Yes, people still complain we don’t answer phones, but hey, we’d rather keep prices low and wear all the hats ourselves.

Now, after much heated discussion and even forcing Julie, our head of finance, to pick a favourite despite knowing virtually nothing about guns, it’s time for our Product of the Year 2025 nominees.

Karl’s Pick

Weihrauch HW100X Laminate Sporter Air Rifle

View the HW100X

The HW100X made waves as the first genuinely new Weihrauch in years with meaningful improvements. M-LOK rails, improved cylinder, higher shot count thanks to an upgraded regulator, lower weight—everything a HW100 fan could want. Karl, a long-time Weihrauch loyalist, admits this one made him smile after 25+ years in the industry.

Luke’s Pick

Taipan Slash 420 Tactical Self-Indexing Air Rifle

View the Taipan Slash 420

Luke went for pure innovation. The Taipan Slash is a self-indexing, magazine-fed target rifle with a functioning decock system. Accurate, ingenious, and complex, the Tactical 420 edition adds M-LOK quad rails and a slimline design. Not for the faint-hearted, but an engineering marvel.

Craig’s Pick

Snowpeak AP900 Folding Air Rifle

View the AP900

Craig flipped between choices before landing here. While the Theoben Ben Taylor is a Concorde moment of airguns, the AP900 is more of a VW Beetle: affordable, available, surprisingly capable, and one Craig has purchased for pesting and nighttime adventures. It’s approachable yet dependable.

Tee’s Pick

AGT VIXEN 2 Carbine PCP Air Rifle

View the VIXEN 2 Carbine

Tee doubles down on the lightweight, ultra-portable VIXEN 2. The carbine version offers tactical versatility without unnecessary length. Loved by the AGT faithful and embraced by the trade, it’s one of the best-selling products under our roof in 2025.

Julie’s Pick

Daisy Powerline 880 Pump Charge Air Rifle

View the Daisy Powerline 880

Not a hardcore precision rifle, but a riot for casual shooters. Julie managed to hit an 8” target at 40 meters on her first try. For a £70 plastic multi-pump, it’s fun, practical, and perfect for introducing newcomers or juniors to the sport.

Honourable Mentions

• EPIC TWO LITE – View EPIC TWO LITE: Lightweight, accurate, modular, and the top-selling rifle of the year.

• Theoben Rapid Classic Ben Taylor Edition – View Ben Taylor Edition: Collector’s dream, modern take on a classic, premium price tag, maximum cool factor.

• UX ICONIX by Umarex – View UX ICONIX: Affordable, approachable, side-lever PCP with Picatinny rails. Perfect entry-level option for juniors or budget-conscious shooters.

Voting is now on

The nominations are in. Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Which of these 2025 guns deserves Product of the Year?

Looking Ahead

BSS 2026 is just around the corner. Bigger than ever with more range space, stock options, and hopefully fewer Craig-and-forklift incidents. We’re also still hunting for a larger property near Retford/Newark/Mansfield. If you know of one, drop us a line—we’re interested.

Here’s to a chaotic, fun, and successful 2025. Let’s see what 2026 brings.

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