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…
Advice
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…
Is a wooden or synthetic rifle stock best?
I am considering changing the old .22 Hornet rifle I use for fox control with a modern .22/250, but am undecided as to whether to go for a wood stock or one made from a synthetic material. What do you think?
Just what is a shooting syndicate?
If you are a member of a syndicate shoot, are you aware of all the legal aspects? David Barrington Barnes runs through how not to become the wrong sort of syndicate
Questions to ask when booking a driven day somewhere new
New shoot: The key things to cover with a prospective new shoot.
How to hold a shotgun
I always watch the best shooters at our club and can't help but marvel at how easy they make everything look. They seem to have all the time in the world to mount the gun and break the clay.
Learning to shoot the George Digweed way
Would you like to be taught to shoot by George Digweed MBE? Who wouldn’t? He is the winner of 26 world titles and over 150 international titles. He is unequalled in the shooting world and his accomplishments extend beyond clayshooting He is considered one of the finest game shots in…
Help! How can I get my guns back from the police?
How can I get my guns back from the police? Last year, the relationship with my longterm partner ended, although not very amicably. Some days later, I received a visit from the firearms department at 9.15 in the evening.