Q: Much has been said about the steel shot debate and it looks inevitable that many old, and often hand-made, guns will be scrapped or become obsolete ornaments. While there are a huge number of steel-proofed over-and-unders, does anyone make a steel-proofed side-by-side to an English specification for less than,…
Advice
15 reasons to date a female Gun
Female Guns are confident. They are used to handling live weapons, they are self-assured and unafraid to ask for what they want. A female Gun appreciates important and interesting conversation about cartridges, the difference between brands and loads and pellet size. She will even join in with and appreciate your…
Want to get involved on a shoot day next season? Here are some of the jobs you could do
Wondering how you can get involved in shooting? Thinking about becoming a beater or a picker-up next season? The most common way to help out during the shooting season is to join a beating team. This can evolve into other jobs on a shoot day and to helping out of…
13 New Year resolutions for shooters
Encourage more people to eat game. This is one of the most important ways we can support our sport and ensure its future. Cook game whenever you can and encourage people to try it when they’re shopping in supermarkets – after all, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and Sainsburys all stock game…
Choke options for shotguns – just what are they?
The issue of shotgun chokes and which combinations are winners raises its head regularly in the shooting world. For some, it is a subject worthy of hours of deliberation and debate. For others, it is far less concerning. As a youth I recall a farmer who had a Mossberg pump-action…
How to think positively on a shoot day
We’ve all been there. We were shooting perfectly well and then, on one drive, we inexplicably have the equivalent of a batting collapse. Just as perfectly competent batsmen seem incapable of performing even the most basic functions under increasing pressure and are sent back to the pavilion, so we cannot…
Am I rushing my second shot?
Q: I have started to struggle with hitting two birds on the trot with a slight gap between them. I often kill the first bird and miss the second, is there anything I can do that will help? A: You are clearly doing something right as you say you are…
How can I reload my shotgun swiftly with cold, frozen fingers?
Q: Can you recommend a way to reload a shotgun quickly that does not compromise safety? I’m all thumbs when the weather gets colder and was wondering if a stuffer or a reloading aid would be a good idea? A: This is a question I am asked time and time…
Why do you miss when shooting?
You will probably have heard it at some point on a clay ground from the back of the cage: “You’re behind it, mate.” While it is meant well, there is little more irritating than this kind of unsolicited comment. Another supposedly self-evident truth that is trotted out repeatedly on a…
How to address pheasants at different heights
Q: Can you give me any tips about how to avoid addressing straight driven pheasants too early? Whenever I saw a bird flying towards my peg last season, I mounted too early, took forever to get beyond the bird and then missed behind. A: The timing of shooting driven pheasants…
Can I load ammunition for a friend?
Q: I enjoy loading my own ammunition for my .223 and .243 rifles. I have been asked to do some reloading for a friend. Is this legal and would I need to inform my firearms enquiry officer (FEO)? The law on reloading A: There is nothing in law that says…
19 ways for shooters to keep occupied during Lockdown II
As current Government COVID rules stand, you won’t be able to go out driven gameshooting in England until 3 December 2020. In addition target shooting ranges and clay grounds are also closed until then. However BASC advice states that: “Rough shooting, wildfowling and deer management may continue during the lockdown…
How to move on from clay pigeon shooting to gameshooting
So you’re considering taking a step from clays to game? For many, the world of gameshooting is an interesting, if rather daunting and intimidating place. You may be comfortable on the clay ground, but how do you take the next move, to bridge the gap between shooting an inanimate object…
What do when faced with protestors on a shoot
What are the practical measures you can take to maintain safety and de-escalate a situation if you are unlucky enough to be confronted by protesters on a shoot day? Confrontation and intimidation Remember that extremists amongst animal rights groups frequently work to the same agenda – that of confrontation and…
Husband and wife gun cabinets – do we really need one each?
We all know that as responsible shooters we need to store our firearms securely. But what’s the deal if two partners sharing a home both have guns? Does each individual need their own gun cabinet? And what about the gun cabinet keys – should each partner know where the others…
How I dealt with my depression
The start of my depression It was a still, soft October morning. I was feeding my pheasants and enjoying every minute of it, because there were lots of birds on show and already they looked more or less ready for sport. There was still over a fortnight to go before…
Can my brother leave his semi-auto at my house for cleaning?
I own a three-shot semi-automatic on my shotgun certificate. My brother owns the same model and make of semi-automatic, but it is a five-shot and it’s on his firearm certificate. The only difference between the guns is my magazine has been restricted to two cartridges by a gunsmith. My brother…
Conflicts with the public in the countryside
Many of my shooting permissions border large urban towns and while I reap the benefit of pigeon flying out to feed in the fields surrounding them, I inevitably come into contact with the residents of the towns too. Public in the countryside By and large, people who enjoy walking in…
Are dog coats really necessary?
Have you got any experience of neoprene coats for gundog training? Do they work?
What’s the most humane way to despatch a pricked bird?
Never leave an injured bird Every sportsman should keep unnecessary suffering to a minimum. The prime objective of shooting live quarry is to ensure an instant death for the bird but inevitably there are occasions when birds are pricked (wounded) and need to be quickly despatched. Our quarry deserves respect…