A: This is a great question as when high bird shooting there is an optimum point at which to shoot the bird, one I often refer to in my lessons as the most vulnerable point. This is when the bird is at its closest but also at a stage in…
Advice
How to avoid getting a bruised face when shooting
Q: I am emailing out of frustration and wondered if there was any advice you could give me. I have been a competitor in trap shooting, on and o ff throughout my life, but now find it most uncomfortable to shoot any more than 50 targets due to a very sore…
Christmas gifts for women who shoot
Under £25 Tea towels shouldn’t just be practical but should decorate the kitchen like works of art when they’re hung up by the AGA. This modern design by Creative Tops is just the thing. BUY NOW: Creative Tops Into The Wild pheasant tea towel, from Amazon, for £7 These shooting…
4 tips for more consistent shooting
It is at this point in the season that some Shots start to question their shooting technique. If you want to make major changes you’ve missed the boat by about six months, as the hard work should have been put in before the season started. However, for those who are…
Should I buy these sporting rights?
When leasing a shoot find out your rights and where your legally stand
Does gun fit matter?
Gun fit does matter a great deal. With poor gun fit the gun is less likely to be pointing at the target or where the shooter is intending. This in turn can cause the shooter to unknowingly develop all sorts of corrective measures to address the problems. What can sometime…
Can I take cartridges on a plane?
Can I take gun cartridges on a plane? Q: I have been invited to shoot in Northern Ireland and I will be travelling by air. What are the rules about taking gun cartridges with me? A: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) sets standards for airline safety and security, including…
Tips for shooting fast, curling pheasants
Q: Any tips for bringing down those fast, curling pheasants that have the wind at their backs? A: Curling pheasants can be one of the most difficult shots in the book, particularly if you add wind and height. Often when pheasants have got the wind behind them they can dive…
Can I lose my firearms licence because I drink over the recommended weekly limit?
Q: I have applied for the renewal of my licences and have been told by my firearms enquiry officer (FEO) that because I drink more than the Government weekly limit, he will refuse to renew the licences because I am intemperate. I go to the local pub three days a…
How do you hit low incomers when clay pigeon shooting?
When clay pigeon shooting, one target I really hate is a low incomer that drops to the ground about 25 yards in front of the shooting stand - and it's even worse when thrown as a quartering crosser. How do you hit them consistently?
Doing this will reduce the risk of Lyme disease
Q: I stalk frequently in a wood and heathland area where there is a lot of bracken and when I get home, I often find ticks both on the roe that I shoot and on myself. I am concerned about the risk of Lyme disease. Is there anything I can…
What is the difference between a Sporter and a trap gun?
Q: I’m new to shooting, and about to buy my first gun. However I don’t understand the main differences between a Sporter and a trap gun. Could you explain please? Sporters and trap guns A: Let’s start by looking at the different types of targets presented in the sporting and…
What to do if you have a car crash when you’re transporting your gun
Q: Imagine you are on your way to your shoot, with gun, cartridges and dog in your car, when out of nowhere someone crashes into you. Fortunately neither of you are hurt, but both vehicles are immobile. My question is should I call the police, as I can hardly hail…
Is this the best way of “dogging-in?”
Dogging-in means using a dog to push straying pheasants from the boundaries of a shoot back into the middle. This time of year the majority of keepers face this seemingly never-ending and infuriating task. Time-consuming and impossible without a dog The art of pushing wandering poults back to the more…
How deep is the average rabbit burrow?
How deep is the average burrow and what's the deepest set you've ever come across? Also, how high above the ground should you set the noose on a rabbit snare?
When you need written authority for gun loans
Q: I have noted with pleasure recent changes in the law over borrowing shotguns. I allow a local pigeon shooter to shoot over my farm, and he would like to bring his 16-year-old son with him and lend him his gun for use under supervision. I am quite happy with…
What’s the most humane way to dispatch an injured bird?
What's the best way of despatching a pricked pigeon? Will a pricked bird flapping around near the decoy pattern stop other birds coming in or might it even encourage them?
Problems with springer spaniels and hunting
My springer spaniel’s training is coming along pretty well but I can’t get her to leave hedgerows and cover to hunt open ground for retrieves. Any advice?
This is how to avoid the misery of midges
Q: I stalk in Sutherland and every time I go out I get horribly bitten by midges and ticks. Can you recommend any remedies or repellents that work, please? Tell me about it — the “black mist” seems to be particularly bad this year. Midges don’t seem to affect me…
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…