What’s the best starter gun? It’s a subject for constant debate, with guns from Lincoln, Lanber, Baikal, and various relative newcomers from Turkey all having their adherents.
Charles Smith-Jones
A short history of the shotgun
A very long time ago, some enterprising person decided to fill a tube with gunpowder, put a rock or something equally solid on top, light the blue touch paper and…
How to pass your DSC1
Charles Smith-Jones tells you how to prepare yourself to pass your DSC1 and face the assessments with confidence
A gunsmith’s guide to buying guns second-hand
What’s the best way to go about buying guns second-hand though? What do you look for and what are the potential pitfalls? To find out more I visited The Country…
Storing guns: advice from the police
“Many people don’t realise that the law does not actually require you have a purpose-made firearms cabinet,” said Dave Mathias, Explosive Liaison Officer with the Devon and Cornwall Police. “It…
Perhaps it’s time to get a moderator…
Want to shoot more accurately, bag more quarry and disturb the environment less? Perhaps it's time to get a moderator, suggests Charles Smith-Jones
Drey poking: In pole position for squirrel control
Head to the trees for a spot of drey poking
Deer: Keep out!
Charles Smith-Jones suggests a variety of ways to keep deer away from your precious planting
Balancing shoot and deer management
Can deer management and trophy shooting ever reach an equilibrium?
Stalking: Follow that fallow
A good dog is invaluable when stalking
Netheravon shoot in Wiltshire
A family-friendly shoot on Salisbury Plain
Stalking Chinese water deer in Bedfordshire
Irish stalker and invasion ecology professor Jaimie Dick stalks his first Chinese water deer
How to choose a stalking rifle
Advice on choosing a rifle and scope
Deerstalking: Rewards of the rut
Stalking roebuck in the rutting season
HOW TO…. Construct a stand alone high seat
Careful positioning and a well-planned build make for an ideal freestanding high seat, says Sparsholt College’s Charles Smith-Jones
Roebuck Stalking – Troublesome Twins
Charles Smith-Jones recalls a series of frustrating encounters with a pair of yearling roebucks
View from on high
Charles Smith-Jones recalls some of his more memorable experiences from the various high seats he has used while stalking over the years
A bright start on the roebucks
Charles Smith-Jones is always excited by the prospect of the first roebuck of the year. Blessed by a glorious spring morning in a Hampshire woodland, he sets off with great…