A: No, they are quite different, though both are found on deer and can be present at the same time. The tick we see in the UK (Ixodes ricinus) can be found on a variety of animals and birds and is most notorious for transmitting Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis, both of which can infect a range of…
Advice
I want my dog to have his day as a picker-up
A: There is no set procedure for Guns who take their own dogs, and each shoot will have its own policy regarding the collection of dead and wounded game both during and after drives are complete. Therefore it is best to find out from the shoot captain what the expectations for that particular shoot usually are. This certainly applies…
Tips for shooting behind the combine
A: I love shooting behind the combine. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity this year, but after practising this discipline for a number of years, I have picked up a tip or two along the way. First, it is always undertaken in good dry weather, so you want to wear light yet protective tops, remembering the dust gets…
Am I using too much powder when I reloading a cartridge?
A reader asked: I see you quote some reload data in your rifle tests but when I load the same weight powder it does not always all go in. What am I doing wrong? Shooting Times’ rifle reviewer and stalker, Bruce Potts had this advice for reloading a cartridge: You are doing…
Should a scope be sitting tight in the scope mount?
A reader asked this question about tight scope mounts: I have fitted a new scope to my .243 stalking rifle and it is very tight in the scope mount. Is this right? I don’t want to over-tighten and damage the scope’s body. Shooting Times’ rifle reviewer and stalker, Bruce Potts had…
What are the advantages of plastic stocks for airguns?
A reader asked: I’m planning to buy an air rifle for my 14-year-old son to use in the garden under my supervision. I would like him to have a gun with a traditional wooden stock, but he now has his heart set on a model with a modern synthetic handle. There seem…
How to find good shooting
We all know what we want in our perfect day’s shooting. So when deciding to buy a day – for the first or umpteenth time – the agony of choice can be unbearable. We toss and turn over whether we have made the best choice to deliver the day of our dreams. After all, it’s not like there is…
Essential questions you should be asking about your sporting rights
Reading through paperwork is seen by most of us as an inconvenience, a distraction, or an unwanted addition to our already busy lives. The only kind of paperwork that most of us enjoy lies between the covers of this magazine and tells tales of shooting exploits or fishing adventures. However, there are times when said paperwork can be a necessary evil.…
How can I make my gunmount more consistent?
Adam Calvert is a freelance shooting instructor with a global reputation, offering highly bespoke and tailored shooting instruction in addition to being a Fabbri ambassador. He offered this advice on gunmount. Getting your gunmount accurate and above all consistent is probably one of the most important but equally difficult things you can master…
Are you shooting yourself to deaf?
An estimated 15,000 people will develop Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) in Britain this year, largely through occupational exposure. The National Institute of Health reports that 15 per cent of all Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 have some degree of high-frequency hearing loss. Shooters who forgo or lack hearing protection, whether in the field or on the…
Five must-reads about beating on a shoot
Have you any comments and thoughts on being a beater? Any hints or tips to give somebody new to the discipline? If so, leave a comment below.
Can a shooter with one eye shoot legally?
A: No, they cannot. The police may not attach an “accompanied” condition to a shotgun certificate in the way that they may add a condition to a firearm certificate. If you are a certificate holder, then you may continue to shoot unaccompanied as you have done in the past. Were the police to believe that, because of…
Why has my rifle suddenly become inaccurate?
A: Some problems can be complex to diagnose but others are simple and can be rectified at home. Barrel fouling or damage to the muzzle of the rifle can cause these problems, but sometimes a dried piece of dirt pressing against the barrel, changing the barrel harmonics on ring, or dirt in the bedding of the action will cause…
Can I enjoy pheasant shooting in my wheelchair?
Bill Harriman, BASC’s head of firearms and global authority on guns, gave this advice for wheelchair shooting: @shootinguk any advice for a wheelchair user hoping to start Pheasant shooting this season? — Rhys Lewis (@rhyslew7) August 23, 2016 Shooting is so inclusive that someone in a wheelchair can take part. There…
How do you transfer shotguns between certificates?
A reader asked for some advice: A friend of mine is moving house but, until his other property is ready, he would like me to hold his shotguns rather than put them in the care of a local gunshop. I appreciate that I can hold them for 72 hours without notifying the…
What are the benefits of bigger calibres?
A: Bigger, heavier pellets tend to be designed for use in FAC-rated airguns, producing muzzle energy from 30ft/lb to more than 100ft/lb. Their increased stability, especially at high velocity, helps to improve accuracy. They also hit really hard, delivering high levels of shock energy, which is a prime concern when targeting live quarry. If you are using a legal…
Pike fishing – or how to land a freshwater tiger
Pike fever rises to the surface unexpectedly, like a recurring illness, and there is no telling how long the bout will last. A pike was the first large fish I ever caught when I was nine years old and it was on that day I became infected. My mother had taken me to a small outflow channel where,…
Beware of ticks
In recent weeks the weather has been both warm and wet. I keep a rain gauge in my garden: in the first six months of this year, I recorded over 400mm, more than twice as much as in the same period in 2015. Having so much rain has been frustrating, as my favourite summer walks have…
A handy A-Z guide to shooting terms
A Accidental discharge Sometimes called a “negligent discharge”. It is the unintentional firing of a rifle or gun Action The mechanism of a rifle or gun by which it is loaded, fired and unloaded Airgun A general term for any pistol or rifle that uses compressed air as a propellant. There…
How to get rid of moles
The mole has been trapped and managed for generations. There are still professional mole trappers practising across our land, turning fields of molehills back into rich pastures. In this article I will be talking you through how I trap moles and the equipment I use. Mole trapping is another one of those highly contentious pest control jobs where every…