Kaylie says: “I think when it comes to gameshooting, often a girl’s first experience will be attending to accompany a Gun, rather than shooting herself. In my experience, if you’re fortunate enough to be given a shot or two, typically you’re handed a spare which is the least favoured in…
Guns
Fibre wads – it’s time to ditch the plastic
Shooting advice: Can you tell me whether a fibre-wad cartridge in 28g No.5 gives a better pattern than a plastic one in the same size?
If I give them my shotgun licence can somebody else buy me cartridges?
I went shooting on one of the extremely cold days in early December, and when I was cleaning my gun afterwards I noticed that the bores were much dirtier than normal.
Six popular air rifles for under £500
One of the greatest appeals of airgun shooting is its affordability. For a few hundred pounds — and sometimes significantly less — you can pick up an air rifle that should give years of reliable service. With Christmas looming large on the horizon, it is likely more than a few…
Will a budget air-rifle really do the job?
Airguns are not only my hobby, they are also my livelihood, and as someone who subscribes to the adage that you should always use the right tool for the job, I like to use the best shooting equipment that my budget can stretch to. However, not everyone can justify forking…
Would your gun cabinet pass the test?
A muscular man in the middle of the room swung a large hammer up over his head and brought it crashing down on a metal cabinet. It was not an ordinary Wednesday and Utah was not an ordinary destination for a Shooting Times assignment. Browning’s ProSteel gun cabinet factory sits…
Dealing with rats in the hen house
Having an air rifle in the house often proves handy for impromptu backyard pest control. My airguns are called into action in the garden to deal with marauding grey squirrels, but more recently it has been dealing with rats in the hen house. Grain attracts rats We keep hens and…
How to choose a foxing rifle
Choosing which foxing rifle best suits your needs is not necessarily straightforward as varying circumstances will dictate different choices. The first basic decision has to be whether you intend to shoot from a truck or from foot, and that will be determined by two basic factors – a) the nature…
What’s the best cartridge load for standard driven pheasants?
Q: As we move towards the pheasant season can you recommend the best cartridge load for driven pheasants. I don’t mean skyscraper high pheasants, rather standard ones. A: I think cartridges are very much a personal preference and I would say that whatever gives you confidence when you are shooting is the correct cartridge for you. Shooting…
Should I buy a spring-powered airgun or a PCP?
Choosing the right airgun can present the newcomer with a minefield of choices, and picking a power source is usually the biggest quandary. For decades, spring-powered airguns were the only option but over the past 15 or so years, precharged pneumatics — often referred to as PCPs — have really…
A 20-step guide to cleaning your stalking rifle properly
How to clean your rifle: You’ve been out with your rifle, had a great day, but it’s come back filthy and soaking.
FAC airgun accuracy – how can you improve it?
Q: I have recently switched from a sub-12ft/lb air rifle to an FAC-rated pre-charged model producing muzzle energy of around 40ft/lb and my results have so far been very disappointing. My old air rifle is capable of grouping pellets within half an inch at 30m, whereas the high-powered one is…
How to store shotgun cartridges legally and safely
I want to keep shotgun cartridges in the loft, which never drops below freezing but does get a bit damp at times. I am not talking about keeping the ammo for a long time, but maybe buying a year or more’s supply at a time.
Would a lighter load improve your shooting standard?
Having taught hundreds of new and experienced shooters over the years, I’ve seen lots of examples of how excessive and unnecessary recoil can adversely affect some people. In many cases (particularly with long-term shooters) these can often go unnoticed or, worse, become accepted as part of the sport and a…
A close look at the Perazzi MX8 – a blast from the past
If you want to make money out of gun ownership, then go for a new “London Best” (preferably a Purdey, Holland & Holland or Boss), don’t shoot much — or not at all — and live long. This idea came to me when I reviewed a second-hand Holland & Holland…
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 stand back to see what would happen. At this point the firearm began its evolution, though the shotguns we use…
10 gun care tips every shooter should know
Never neglect gun cleaning. A little effort will keep your guns safe, reliable and rust-free Do not put a gun in a gun slip into a gun safe. You want air movement Do not put a heater or a lightbulb in your gun safe. Your stock will over-dry, warm…
How to clean and care for a semi-auto shotgun
A lot of issues will be avoided simply by taking 10 minutes to clean your gun properly every time you’ve used it. In the long run it will pay dividends to do so and ultimately save you money should you want to trade it in or sell it on. I…
177 or .22, .25 or above… which should you pick and why?
I shoot pretty much everything from sub 12 air rifle up to fairly hefty centerfires. Trust me calibre isn’t everything. It’s all about picking the right tool for the job and for 12flbs shooting you need to think long and hard before straying away from .177. The problem is ‘boys…