Shooters can now receive an eight-week extension to firearm and shotgun certificate renewals under certain circumstances, in a move that it is hoped will reduce the existing backlog in renewals.…
Shooting Times
Heym SR21 rifle and scope combo
Heym manages to blend seamlessly the art of rifle-smithing and modern manufacture, presenting its guns with an enviable degree of finish. The SR21 rifle has undergone a few modifications from…
Licensing fees under review
The Home Office is exploring an increase in licensing fees for firearms. The minister responsible for firearms licensing, Nick Hurd MP, recently confirmed in a written answer to a Parliamentary…
Can terriers work in the beating line?
Terriers are an asset in the beating line, says David Bezzant after observing a Jack Russell at work on a shoot
Socialising dogs – some readers’ problems
Q: I have a 20-month-old Labrador dog who lives in the house with two Labrador bitches aged five and eight. He is being trained as a gundog and works fine…
Do electric collars have a place in dog training?
Defra is under heavy pressure from a number of organisations, including most notably the Kennel Club (KC), to ban electric shock collars, and has launched an online consultation to gauge…
Tips to improve your rifle shooting and markmanship
As we drift towards the summer, most game seasons have closed. Your stalking kit has been cleaned and stowed away, and you’ll likely see more venison on the barbecue than…
Shooting pigeons with an airgun and placing decoys
While I can’t deny that the shotgun is the most effective tool for keeping woodpigeon at bay when they are hammering crops, it is possible to make decent bags with…
IS firearms licensing a public service?
David Jamieson, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, wants a fee increase so police are not “subsidising gun ownership” I am pleased to see that BASC’s Bill Harriman is suitably…
Stark choice for game industry on antibiotics
A coalition of shooting and veterinary groups has urged the game sector to make further cuts to antibiotic use in game birds. A joint statement has been released by the…
New gun laws could have ‘unintended consequences’
The Countryside Alliance (CA) and BASC have both warned of “unintended consequences” for shooters stemming from the Government’s proposed new Offensive Weapons Bill. Announced by the Home Office earlier this…
Game meat is free range so does that mean it’s organic?
Only a tiny proportion of game meat is officially “organic”. Game meat is free range or wild, healthy and nutritious but the label “organic” was captured by the organic farming…
What’s my best gun for shooting clays and game?
Q: Having just taken up the pastime of clayshooting (the skeet discipline), and having more than a passing interest in gameshooting, I find I am bamboozled by the choice of…
What makes the perfect Labrador?
If you wanted to start an argument at a game fair, you couldn’t go far wrong with initiating a discussion about what the perfect Labrador should look like. Even the…
Police boss wants to increase firearms and shotgun certificate fees
In another blow to the shooting community, a senior police official has called on the Government to increase the fees charged to applicants for firearms and shotgun certificates. David Jamieson,…
Should you neuter your dog?
Neutering dogs has become such routine practice that I’m sure many people don’t give it a second thought. Bitches always seem to come into season at the most inappropriate time,…
Queen makes donation in support of gamekeepers
HM The Queen has shown her support for the fieldsports community by making a donation to the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust. The gift to the charity was revealed following the Trust’s…
English and Welsh roe review 2017 and other species
The CIC’s trophy measuring system has had another good year. Newly qualified UK measurers got into their stride throughout 2017 at home and at shows around the country. And senior…
Government ‘betrayal’ on GP fees for new licences
Proposals to make every gun owner pay a fee to their GP when applying for a shotgun or firearm certificate have been declared as a betrayal by Government. Following a…
Mauser M12 Impact
Mauser knows what real shooters want from a rifle. The Impact is not only a premium sporting arm at a great price but its overall design of stainless-steel metalwork and…