Can you use a clay gun on a pheasant shoot? Yes. A lot of the differences between a clay and a game gun are subtle. Ventilated and wider ribs, manual…
Graham Downing
What you need to know about renewing your shotgun and firearms certificates during the COVID pandemic
If you’re medically vulnerable or living with somebody who is, then you’ll have had to be particularly cautious during the COVID pandemic. But what’s the deal if you need to…
Cull before the storm
‘‘For at least 20 years, deer stalking has been one of the brightest stars in the shooting firmament. Its rise has tracked the steady growth in the range and population…
How to bag rough shooting
On my desk as I write this is a rather yellowed and crumpled letter from the Forestry Commission offering an annual shooting lease over 1,003 acres at West Tofts, Norfolk,…
What you need to know about wildfowling calls
For as long as we humans have hunted wild duck and geese, we have used decoys and calls to attract them within range of a gun, bow or sling, or…
Can I set up an air pistol target range in my garden?
Would an air pistol target range at home be legal? Q: I would like to set up a simple air pistol target range in my garage. It is a secure…
Your essential guide to walked-up grouse shooting
A guide for the grouse shooting novice
How do you transfer shotguns between certificates?
A reader asked for some advice regarding looking after his friends guns. Graham Downing advises on carrying out shotgun transfer between certificates.
Keeping an eye on you
Frost still clung to the grey carpet of oak leaves that clothed the forest floor. My breath hung around me in wreaths and you could cut the silence with a…
Will my shotgun be safe with steel shot cartridges?
I would like to try steel shot for wildfowling in my 2.5in chambered gun, but I have been told by some of my friends that I cannot do so unless…
Why thermal-imaging binoculars will change stalking forever
From time to time in the stalking world there comes along some advance or technical development that is a game changer. Usually it is roundly disapproved of until it becomes…
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…
How to call muntjac deer
Learning how to call muntjac deer can be a deadly tactic but you need a strategy, stealth and a good call, writes Graham Downing
What’s the law on inheriting a shotgun?
Some months after my father passed away the police told my mother that because his shotgun certificate had lapsed she should hand his gun to the local gun shop.
Can you use a thermal-imaging device to shoot deer?
If deer numbers are becoming such a problem in parts of England and Wales why can't we get easy permission to shoot them (as they do in Scotland) with a…
Shooting deer near houses. Is it legal?
Deer have moved into my area and are coming into the garden, damaging plants and vegetables. How high a fence will I need to keep the little ******* out?
Cartridge safety rules
Reloading your shotgun cartridges is popular in places like America but nobody in the UK (with the possible exception of a few wildfowlers) seems to bother. Why is this?
Do I need white camouflage for stalking in snow?
Shooting consultant and sporting author
What’s the best first gun for a youngster? A .410 or a 28-bore?
Which is the best first gun? My son, who is 12, is keen to start shooting and I am considering buying a light side-by-side .410. However, one of my shooting…
Preparing game for the freezer – here’s what to do
Q: At this time of year I always end up with an abundance of game birds that I need to store until quieter periods in the year. How best should…