You’ve finally decided to buy a high-powered rimfire rifle, but which one’s best for you?
Advice
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…
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.
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.
What you need to know about shotgun choke
First, what is a shotgun choke? Choke is a narrowing or constriction at the muzzle end of the barrels that reduces the breadth of the shot charge or pattern, so increasing the density of pellets to achieve a more effective result. It’s important to understand the implications of choking and…
How not to be a stick in the mud
Tyres are something that most of us don’t tend to think too much about until they let us down. Literally. In fact most of us don’t know too much about tyres. We tend to think that it’s the quality of the vehicle that provides performance over terrain, when the reality…
How can I legally send a gun to the USA?
Q: I have three shotguns that once belonged to my father. I hold the licence for them, but wonder if you could tell me how I would go about sending them to my brother in the US? Send a gun to the USA A: If you are a shotgun certificate…
Do Hungarian vizslas make good family pets?
I am thinking of buying a Hungarian vizsla as a hunting/hawking dog and which would also be a family pet, but I know little about the breed. Is there a good book on this breed and a trainer or breeder in Somerset whom I can contact?
How to gain a permission to shoot land
If you have a pressing need to stop one or more foxes from killing your livestock you probably already have somewhere to shoot, but let’s suppose that you don’t know any landowners. How on earth do you go about getting someone to agree to let you on their property? Well,…
Why do people worry when my gun is safely in its slip?
You don't have to carry your certificate but a photocopy has no legal status
At what age can I apply for a shotgun certificate?
One of the commonest questions I get through Sporting Gun is from youngsters wanting to know what the minimum age is for getting a shotgun certificate.
How old do you need to be to go shooting?
I am applying for a shotgun certificate but am confused about the age you must be to go shooting by yourself. I'm 15 coming up 16 and have a keen interest in all country sports. I'd like to take up pigeon shooting as we have a pigeon problem on our