I have been left an old side-by-side which was part of a collection and has not been shot for many years. A gunsmith tells me it has only black powder…
Tony Jackson
Rabbiting with a second-hand CZ BRNO rifle
A classic CZ BRNO Model 2 E-S rifle lives up to expectations when Tony Jackson takes on the burgeoning rabbit population of south Some
Is your shoot transport safe?
Legal obligations for shoot transport Q: I am a relatively new member of a modest driven shoot and for the past two seasons Guns have been transported to drives in a…
What is the closest to a footpath or public road you can legally use a shotgun?
Where a field is bordered by a public footpath, what is the minimum distance at which one can safely and legally shoot a shotgun?
The law on tail docking
Docked tails: I want to ask my new picking-up team about their dogs' docked tails.
Wild boar shooting in the UK
Wild boar shooting in the UK: Over the past few decades, reports of wild boar sightings have steadily filtered in to both police and media across Scotland.
Sixty years of The Game Fair – so how did it all start?
How the CLA Game Fair became the biggest event of its kind, complete with photos dating back to the 1950s and memories of some of the CLA Game Fair's biggest…
Will coated cartridges make you a better Shot?
It is the latest trend in cartridge production for both clay and game shooting. Coated cartridges — or, to be more accurate, lead shotgun pellets that have been coated with…
Can’t stop stopping my gun
Q: How do I stop myself stopping the gun when I shoot? A: Tony says: Stopping the gun as you shoot can be down to a number of factors. Let’s…
How to spot the difference between a Jack Russell terrier and a Parson Russell
In 1815, the Reverend John Russell, then 20 years old and obsessed with hunting, was on the point of taking his final exams at Oxford University. One day, while strolling…
What happens to my gun when I’m at the shoot lunch?
Err on the side of caution when it comes to gun security, Bill Harriman advises, as you may be seen as the criminal if a theft was preventable
Can threatening saboteurs still wear masks?
Q: My wife, who hunts with a local pack of foxhounds, recently found herself being abused by two hunt saboteurs, both of whom were wearing masks to hide their identity.…
Despatching pricked birds – the best way to do it
A vital aspect of shooting is the humane despatching of a wounded bird or animal, be it a pheasant, duck, pigeon, rabbit or squirrel. The prime objective of shooting live…
What you need to know BEFORE taking your dog onto the shooting field
The picker-up enjoys the pleasure of working their own dogs in the knowledge that they are performing an essential role in the day’s sport. Collecting shot birds is vital; even…
Cecil the lion – the real story
On 1 July 2015, an elderly 13-year-old black-maned lion, anthropomorphised by the name of Cecil, was legally shot but wounded in an area outside Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. The…
What is the right amount of choke for wildfowling?
Q: Last season was my first foray into wildfowling. I had been told by fowling friends, whom I assumed were knowledgeable, that a fully choked 12-bore was essential. I therefore…
The conservation benefits of African hunting safaris
Safari! Derived from the Swahili for a journey, the very word itself still evokes the spirit of past adventures, of hot, weary hours spent trekking in the bush, of long-forgotten hunting expeditions in East Africa. Even…
Blackpowder, a home-made 8ft long punt-gun and muzzle-loading memorabilia …
On a warm humid day, the Bridgwater Bay Wildfowlers’ association brought the boom and sulphurous smell of blackpowder to the open day held by Rifleman Firearms Ltd at its headquarters…
This year’s Field & Country Fair
The CLA Game Fair may be no more, but Time Inc (UK), publisher of leading country magazines Shooting Times, Shooting Gazette, Sporting Gun, The Field, Country Life and Horse & Hound,…
Partridge shooting at Wappenshall in Shropshire
Twenty years ago, I reported for Shooting Times on a then 350-acre Wappenshall partridge shoot in Shropshire, hard by the Wrekin, that 1,335ft hill which rises above and dominates the Shropshire Plain. Created by Jonathan Crow, whose…