Q: Can you give me any tips about how to avoid addressing straight driven pheasants too early? Whenever I saw a bird flying towards my peg last season, I mounted too early, took forever to get beyond the bird and then missed behind. A: The timing of shooting driven pheasants…
Advice
Our magazines – Shooting Times, Sporting Gun and Shooting Gazette answer your fieldsports questions with advice from experts at the very top of their field.
Our tips include help with gundog training, gun maintenance, shooting skills, legal issues, licensing, technical gun information, ammunition advice, cooking tips, shooting etiquette.
New to shooting?
If you’ve just started shooting you’ll find answers to questions like what is the best first gun or how to buy a gun second-hand. Also what to wear shooting and the legalities you need to know about.
Or do you have a good few seasons under your belt?
If you’re a more seasoned shooter you might have questions about your shooting technique and how to improve it. Or queries about the legalities of gun cabinets and shotgun licences.
Beating and picking-up | Gundog queries | Starting shooting | Shooting etiquette | Shooting clothing | Shotgun certificates and firearms licences | Gun cabinets | Legal answers | Shooting answers|
Can I load ammunition for a friend?
Q: I enjoy loading my own ammunition for my .223 and .243 rifles. I have been asked to do some reloading for a friend. Is this legal and would I need to inform my firearms enquiry officer (FEO)? The law on reloading A: There is nothing in law that says…
19 ways for shooters to keep occupied during Lockdown II
As current Government COVID rules stand, you won’t be able to go out driven gameshooting in England until 3 December 2020. In addition target shooting ranges and clay grounds are also closed until then. However BASC advice states that: “Rough shooting, wildfowling and deer management may continue during the lockdown…
How to move on from clay pigeon shooting to gameshooting
So you’re considering taking a step from clays to game? For many, the world of gameshooting is an interesting, if rather daunting and intimidating place. You may be comfortable on the clay ground, but how do you take the next move, to bridge the gap between shooting an inanimate object…
What do when faced with protestors on a shoot
What are the practical measures you can take to maintain safety and de-escalate a situation if you are unlucky enough to be confronted by protesters on a shoot day? Confrontation and intimidation Remember that extremists amongst animal rights groups frequently work to the same agenda – that of confrontation and…
Can my wife use my gun cabinet for her shotguns?
Q: I’m wondering if we need to have two gun cabinets in our house or whether it would be legal to just have one. I shoot both rifles and shotguns and so have both a firearms licence and a shotgun licence. My wife has taken up shooting in the past…
How I dealt with my depression
The start of my depression It was a still, soft October morning. I was feeding my pheasants and enjoying every minute of it, because there were lots of birds on show and already they looked more or less ready for sport. There was still over a fortnight to go before…
Can my brother leave his semi-auto at my house for cleaning?
I own a three-shot semi-automatic on my shotgun certificate. My brother owns the same model and make of semi-automatic, but it is a five-shot and it’s on his firearm certificate. The only difference between the guns is my magazine has been restricted to two cartridges by a gunsmith. My brother…
45 Christmas gifts for shooters 2020
This Christmas it’s going to be hard for many of us to go out Christmas shopping due to Covid restrictions and so we’ve put together a long list of Christmas gifts for shooters that you can buy online which can be delivered directly. As well as products we’ve also included…
Conflicts with the public in the countryside
Many of my shooting permissions border large urban towns and while I reap the benefit of pigeon flying out to feed in the fields surrounding them, I inevitably come into contact with the residents of the towns too. Public in the countryside By and large, people who enjoy walking in…
Tips for freezing game
There are a few rules to freezing game to make sure you have a good supply throughout the spring and summer months and they apply whether you have a chest freezer or something smaller. Label everything Always clearly label your game even if you tell yourself confidently: “Oh, I’ll remember…
Are dog coats really necessary?
Have you got any experience of neoprene coats for gundog training? Do they work?
What’s the most humane way to despatch a pricked bird?
Never leave an injured bird Every sportsman should keep unnecessary suffering to a minimum. The prime objective of shooting live quarry is to ensure an instant death for the bird but inevitably there are occasions when birds are pricked (wounded) and need to be quickly despatched. Our quarry deserves respect…
Can I buy a Purdey or Holland & Holland on a budget?
Is it possible to buy a Purdey or Holland & Holland side-by-side on a budget of between £2,000 to £3,000? If so, would it be reliable for gameshooting all the time and not just for special occasions?
Why you shouldn’t tackle rural crime by yourself
As sure as day follows night, hare coursing and the poaching of gamebirds and deer become more prevalent after harvest. The seasonal increase in poaching and rural crime generally isn’t for any noble reason or observation of a season of any sort, it is simply due to the fact that…
What’s the accuracy of lead-free bullets?
Lead-free ammunition is definitely making its presence felt and I am increasingly hearing from readers who have concerns about lead-free bullets and accuracy. Here’s an example of just one such question. Lead-free bullets and accuracy Q: Will my .243 Win rifle shoot lead-free bullets accurately if lead is banned? A:…
Why you should always pattern your shotgun
Shotguns and cartridges are, ballistically speaking, highly inefficient.
Is it legal to borrow or lend a gun?
At the start of the shooting season you may be shooting with friends who have recently ventured into fieldsports and don’t yet own a shotgun. So what’s the law if you are going shooting with a friend on a formal shoot and the friend, who doesn’t have a shotgun certificate,…
What is the max killing range for a 100 grain .243 bullet?
Deer stalking: What do you reckon is the ethical max killing range for a 100 grain .243 bullet for a heart/lung shot on Roe?