On a shotgun, what's the difference between a standard pistol grip and the much classier sounding Prince of Wales style?
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.
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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.
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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.
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Shotgun certificates and firearms licences | Gun cabinets | Legal answers |
What should I do about shotgun storage while I’m away?
I intend to take a long holiday away from home and wonder what obligations I am under in respect of storage of my shotguns while I am away?
How many shotguns can I legally hold on my shotgun certificate?
I currently have two 12-bore shotguns on my shotgun certificate. Can you tell me how many shotguns I can legally hold? Also, how much smokeless powder can I store for reloading?
What does shotgun bore actually mean?
Despite modern techniques, the archaic system for setting bore sizes is still in evidence today. Lewis Potter traces the evolution of shotgun measurement
Should I use a 20-bore just because I’m female?
My husband has got me hooked on clay shooting and now wants to buy me a 20-bore because it’s lighter than the 12-bore I’ve been using.
The right kit for a succesful day’s rough shooting
It would be fair to say that I am pretty well addicted to my walked-up shooting. Years ago, walked-up or rough shooting was the mainstay of many a Gun and I know for plenty of people it was how they were introduced to the world of shooting. Then along came…
Just how strict are the rules in FITASC sporting?
I want to try FITASC Sporting but I am not sure what ‘gun down’ means in relation to the gun being out of the shoulder.
What should I do with a shotgun or rifle when the owner dies?
What happens to shotguns after owner’s death? Q: What is the best thing to do if someone you know has died and they held a licence and owned shotguns that are still within their premises? It is still early days waiting on a post-mortem examination and death certificate, and no…
Do I need to keep my guns at home for a shotgun licence?
Shotgun licence: If I apply for a shotgun certificate do the guns have to be kept at my home address?
This is how to analyse your shooting (and become a better Shot)
Eyes If you are right-handed it is crucial that your right eye controls the direction in which the gun is pointing. Or your left eye, for the left-handers who shoot with the gun in the left shoulder. When the opposing eye takes over control of the pointing activity, the shot…
10 questions about air rifles – and 10 answers
1. Do I need a licence to own an air rifle? In England and Wales you do not need a licence to own what is regarded as a “legal limit” airgun. This is an air rifle producing a muzzle energy not in excess of 12ft/lb or an air pistol producing…
What you need to know about general licences right now
Defra has issued new general licences that look workable, following weeks of uproar. Here’s what you need to know. The three new licences do not need to be applied for because they are ‘general’. GL34: Licence to Kill or Take for Conservation Purposes For control of carrion crow, jackdaw, jay,…
Can I store my guns in the attic?
Q: I am applying for a firearms certificate so that I can acquire a .243 calibre rifle for stalking. I understand that I must obtain a gun cabinet, which I am considering installing in my attic. Would this be a suitable location? A: While an attic may appear to be…
Do 20-bore guns recoil less than 12-bores?
Q: Over the last three seasons, more of our syndicate members have switched from 12-to 20-bore guns. They’re nice and light and I’m thinking of following suit. Or does the 12-bore still have advantages? Do 20-bore guns recoil less? A: My word, you’ve opened a can of worms here! Entire…
Can a local registered firearms dealer ‘confiscate’ an air rifle?
Q: I have just taken my air rifle into my local registered firearms dealer (RFD) for some work. While he had it, he tested it over a chronoscope and said that with a heavy pellet it produced 12.4ft/lb of energy y and because of that he is not allowed to give…
Why do multi-shot airguns cost more?
Paying more for a pre-charged airgun with a magazine-fed firing cycle is probably justified if you intend to use it for hunting. When a fast second shot is required to finish off wounded quarry, the extra speed of being able to cock and reload the gun with the throw of…
What is the closest to a public road you can legally use a shotgun?
Where a field is bordered by a public footpath, what is the minimum distance at which one can safely and legally shoot a shotgun?
Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust: Text 07786 917498 for support
Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust: The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust has added a new texting service to its helpline in a bid to provide gamekeepers with greater access to its services.
How to deal with redundancy when a shoot closes
If there is anything more upsetting and unsettling than impending redundancy, I have yet to hear of it. And for gamekeepers who have been given notice of a shoot closure or impending redundancy, there is the added body blow of having to find not only another job, but also in…
How to call a fox
HOW TO SQUEAK A FOX: Here the Nataional Gamekeepers Organisation tell you how to call in a fox.