At the end of the rut a yearling buck on my ground was still in dark velvet and showed no signs of drying. The buck has an ear-high four-point head and appears in excellent condition. Is this a perruque and, if so, how long will it take to develop?
Advice
Lamping on a public footpath – just how legal is it?
Q: A friend was walking his dog on a prescribed footpath at night and came across two men lamping for foxes. An argument ensued as to the right to be there. Please can you clarify how close you can be to a public area, such as a footpath, to shoot?…
Moving house and your gun certificates – what you need to know
It is a criminal offence not to obey the conditions on your firearm or shotgun certificate. One of which particularly concerns moving house. Condition 3 on every firearm and shotgun certificate says: “The holder of this certificate must, without undue delay, inform the chief officer of police by whom the…
Can I bring a gun over from the USA on my shotgun licence?
I am a relatively new shotgun licence holder and shoot clays. I get on okay with my Browning but I have a shotgun at my brother’s house in the USA that I shoot really well with.
This is what you should know about shotgun barrels
What length shotgun barrels should I buy? I wish I had a pound for every time a newcomer to shooting has asked me that question. The answer is that it depends on a few variables and the wrong gun length could have significant implications on your success. Is height and…
Should I buy a Nikko shotgun? Are they any good?
I have seen a Nikko shotgun for sale at a reasonable price. It looks good, but I have never heard of the make.
Are children allowed to use rifles?
Children using rifles – is it legal? Q. I am planning a fun day for the village on my farm, where I have a range that is suitable for .22 rimfires. Can I allow young people to use the range provided that they have their parents’ permission and are under…
6 ways to LOSE your shotgun and firearms certificates. (And how to avoid that happening.)
1. Have an acrimonious split from a partner According to Peter Glenser, QC and chairman of The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), more people are losing shotgun certificates or firearms certificates during divorce proceedings than under any other circumstances. The loss often follows an untrue allegation from a…
What are the benefits of a laminate gun stock?
What does ‘wood-to-metal fit’ mean? How, for instance, can I judge if a gun is good or bad in this respect? Most of those I see have the wood standing proud of the metal – is this correct or should it finish flush? Is there a reason why so many…
What time of day are woodpigeons most active? When do they feed?
I'm just starting out shooting on my local farm and would like to know at what time of day are the pigeons most active?
The .25 airgun calibre performance
Does the .25 airgun calibre have more hitting power for rabbits at longer ranges, Richard Prior explains.
Air rifle pellets or slugs?
Q) Can you explain the difference between air rifle pellets and airgun slugs? Both of these were stocked by hardware and sports shops more than 60 years ago, but now I can only seem to find the waisted or diabolo type pellets. Are slug type pellets still available? J. HUDSON…
What happens when a gamekeeper loses his job?
I would hazard a guess that many a captain of industry who also runs a shoot listens as carefully to his gamekeeper as he does to his finance director. Not that he pays them the same. Gamekeepers are an iconic species. An ancient and highly respected profession, keepering is small…
How do I keep my head on the stock?
Shooting technique and gun stocks Q: No matter how hard I try I can’t keep my head on the stock. According to a friend I invariably lift my head to ‘watch’ the target. How can I stop myself doing this? A: There could be a number of reasons why this…
How many shotgun cartridges in a slab?
Is it true the performance of cartridges is reduced when they get cold? If so, how can this characteristic be overcome in frosty weather?
How to check the stock on a side-by-side shotgun
Gun fitting: I am toying with the idea of buying a gun with a skeleton adjustable stock so that I can set it up to fit me perfectly, then transfer the measurements to any other gun I might buy in the future.
Fancy taking your terrier out in the field? Or rabbiting? Read this first …
Gun dog training: I am thinking of getting a terrier – probably a Border – as a pet but I want to take him beating during the season.
Why gut rabbits straight away but not hares?
On the shoot where I beat the keeper always guts rabbits as soon as they are shot.
So what’s so special about Teague chokes?
A reader is considering fitting Teague multichokes to his Breda Vega Special Trap gun so he can shoot a variety of birds
Gun lending rules
Q: When a person lends a shotgun to a non-certificate holder on a private shoot, must the gun be on their certificate? Loans of shotguns and gun lending on private premises is now regulated by the Policing and Crime Act 2017. Section 130 of the act merely states: “A person…