A reader also wants to know reaction to aim for when training a dog to drop to shot
Shooting Times
Your essential guide to walked-up grouse shooting
A guide for the grouse shooting novice
7 of the best places to stalk red stags in Scotland
Heading off to stalk red stags in Scotland is a bucket-list experience for most stalkers. One of the country’s most majestic animals, the red deer is Scotland’s largest native land mammal and one of its…
Franchi Elegante Field shotgun
There is a point at which you break away from a budget gun as you seek better quality, though what causes you to make that decision can be difficult to…
Could you be the new News Editor of Shooting Times?
For over a century Shooting Times has been essential reading for Britain’s fieldsports community. As part of a weekly publication, news has always been an integral part of Shooting Times’…
2019 game shooting seasons
The pheasant, partridge and grouse shooting seasons are now open and it's not long until the season opens for some deer in Scotland. Find out when the seasons open with…
Are fish affected by thunderstorms?
Absolutely, particularly if the water temperature is high. Like us, fish require oxygen to survive. They get this oxygen from the water, which is absorbed across the gill filaments. The…
How to be a deer stalker
I have just passed my DSC Level 1 and want to progress and learn more about deer. Would it help if I joined one of the specialist groups and, if…
Manual or automatic clay pigeon trap. Which should you choose?
So you’ve got a piece of land and you’re wanting to break some clays. You’ve got a sensible budget. You’re not going completely wild but you’ve set aside £1,500. What…
Dog theft is on the rise – here’s how to prevent it happening to you
Janes Hayes, of the charity Doglost, offers her views on ways to secure your dogs from thieves
Should the safety on all guns be automatic?
Intercepting safety sears on the tumbler of a gun are supposed to stop accidental discharges if the gun is dropped, or jarred, by accident.
Do beaters, loaders and pickers-up get paid fairly?
It is a pretty fair assumption that there are few people for whom beating, picking-up or even loading is their main source of income throughout the season. Though the money…
Stalking muntjac – a real sporting challenge
The diminutive muntjac deer arrived in Britain in 1900 as a plaything of the 11th Duke of Bedford who added it to his deer park at Woburn Abbey. Rumour has…
What’s the best clay cartridge for success?
Limits for different disciplines, speed … read on to discover what you need to know about the best clay cartridges for your purposes Q. How much shot? A. For the…
How to treat heatstroke in dogs
Dogs do not sweat like humans; they don’t have sweat glands, except for a few on the foot pads and on their noses. When they become warm dogs pant, exhaling…
Fabarm Axis S&H reviewed by Shooting Times
The closer you get to the pinnacle of any sport, the more critical the choice of equipment becomes. It would seem unlikely, then, that compromises made to produce a gun…
Are your eye dominance issues really the problem with your shooting?
Most people have a dominant eye, meaning that their brain has a neurological preference for the visual input from a particular eye. For right-handers it is usually the right eye…
Has the Land Rover had its day?
As the king of off-roaders celebrates its 70th birthday, some unwelcome guests have gatecrashed the party. There are plenty of other 4×4 manufacturers eager to snatch its muddy crown. So…
What does the future hold for Ilkley Moor without grouse shooting?
On the other end of the phone the keeper let out a short, exasperated sigh. “The peewits will go, curlews, grouse of course, they’ll lose the lot.” “How long until…
Our reviewer tries out two top thermal imaging scopes. What did he discover?
The cost of a thermal-imaging scope could easily exceed that of your day scope or rifle. At the top end of its range, Pulsar offers two distinct options: the Trail…