Q: In terms of firearms, where would I stand legally with firing on private land? I have access to acres of land isolated from the public, but would I be legally allowed to purchase a firearm and perform target shooting there, with the landowner’s permission, or would I have to…
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.
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.
Do you have a question you’d like answered? Email us here at Shooting UK
Gundog queries | Starting shooting | Shooting etiquette | Shooting clothing |
Shotgun certificates and firearms licences | Gun cabinets | Legal answers |
Will a sound moderator fit two different rifles?
Sound moderators are ever popular for sporting use these days, but ill treatment or neglect can cause corroded threads, misalignment or they can become permanently attached to the barrel.
How to improve the accuracy of your air rifle
Most shooters want to be able to shoot more accurately and there are lots of things you can do to improve the precision of the average airgun. Serious geeks take it to the absolute extreme. While “dark arts” such as tuning a gun’s internals and washing and weighing pellets can…
Which rimfire rifle would be best for you?
You’ve finally decided to buy a high-powered rimfire rifle, but which one’s best for you?
How can you stop a scope fogging up?
Q: When I travel to my stalking grounds in a warm car my scope’s lenses fog up in the cold weather. What, if anything, can I do to stop this? It’s a real nuisance and very irritating when I want to get out in the field Bruce Potts offers some…
Do my shotguns have to be kept at my home address?
Shotgun licence: If I apply for a shotgun licence do the guns have to be kept at my home address?
How to help save the red squirrel
We are fortunate in Northumberland to still have pockets of the native red squirrel in several areas. This is not by accident. The work that is quietly being carried out on estates by the shooting community is managing to sustain these populations. Every estate I have visited over the last…
Can I run an air rifle range at a fete?
Q: I am thinking of running an air rifle range at a church fete. Is this lawful and if so, what do I need to look out for when running it? Any pointers would be useful. A: An air rifle range at a church fete is a “miniature rifle” range…
Can I go camping with my shotgun?
Should you keep your shotgun in the tent or your car? Q: I’m in the process of buying some woodland and I intend to do some shooting there. I also plan to spend a lot of time camping in the woods. Is it legal to leave my shotgun in the…
How far do shotgun pellets travel?
We did a risk assessment on our syndicate shoot last season and highlighted a slippery stream crossing (two planks of wood) as a potential problem.
Where I should place my hand on the fore-end of a shotgun? (And other related questions)
I have just come in to shooting and I am getting a bit confused about where I should place my hand on the fore-end wood? I have seen shooters holding it at the front, while others hold it quite close to the back.
As a shooter, should I have told my GP about my depression?
Some time ago, I suffered a bout of depression. I had recently lost my father and an old injury had flared up, meaning that I was having to take strong painkillers. There were other things as well — aren’t there always? — but equally there were many good things in…
How to make your rifle shoot straight
One of the most common causes of damage to a scope is that of poorly made or misaligned scope mounts.
How long should you hang shot game?
I've heard you should hang shot game birds by the neck, and make sure they don't come into contact with one another.
Alcohol, guns and the law
An alarming viral email was recently widely distributed among members of the shooting community. It alleged that shoots will be specifically targeted by police with breathalyser tests over the Christmas period and has resulted in the police and BASC reassuring shooters that this is not the case
How long can I keep meat in the freezer for?
Freezing pigeons: I lost quite a few pigeons last summer because I didn’t get to the game dealer quickly enough so this year I’ve decided to buy a freezer.
Is there a minimum recommended calibre for a foxing rifle?
Fox control: Why do all the rifle experts have such a low opinion of the .22 rimfire for fox control? I have taken numerous foxes at ranges of 100 yards – measured not guessed.
Is it legal to carry a shotgun on a motorcycle? And where should I store my shotgun during the shoot lunch?
Some time ago some shotguns were stolen from locked cars while the owners were in a pub having a meal. The shooters lost their certificates.
Is it legal to borrow or lend a gun?
Q: A friend is staying with me and will be using my gun on a formal shoot. He will not be bringing a shotgun. Can I lend him one and do we need a visitor’s permit or simply a letter from the shoot owner? A: Your friend can take advantage…