One of the biggest upheavals to the way we conduct our shooting is unfolding before our eyes. The move away from lead ammunition continues to confound and divide those within…
Sporting Gun
Three collectable air rifles originally designed for military purposes
I’m taking a look here at three collectable air rifles. All share a common theme in that when they were designed by their respective manufacturer they almost certainly all had…
Telling the age of deer: here’s how to judge
The glorious roe rut is alive. Proceedings start around mid-July and rise to the peak later in the month and into the first weeks of August. That said, rutting behaviour…
Is your eyesight affecting your shooting?
Unless you’re blessed with devilish good luck, the less visible a target, the harder it is to hit. While many of us are fortunate enough to have eyesight that, with…
The Longthorne Valhalla Model 3004
Where do I start with this stunning, 100% English-made beauty, the Longthorne Valhalla? My full-time job, as a lot of you know, is being a shooting coach and my part-time…
Winchester Diamond Grade trap gun: quality, reputation and desirability
Origins of the Winchester Diamond Grade trap gun The 101 Winchester Game gun is an example of one of many models produced by the prolific Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The…
CZ 452: Pick whichever variant you want, they’re all good
Birth of the CZ 452 Some time ago, Blast from the Past looked at the venerable Brno Model 2, a real workhorse of a small-bore rifle that started production in…
The future of lead shot: the threats that lie ahead
Many thought that by leaving the European Union the UK would be freed from the shackles of mega-state bureaucracy and win back the ability to set its own laws. In…
Lintran – Richard Faulks meets the founder of the dog transit box company
It would be very hard to arrive at any shoot day in the UK and not see one of Lintran’s dog transit boxes being used by one or more of…
Win £2,500 to spend on Stoney Creek gear
This is your chance to get a £2,500 credit to spend on any bit of Stoney Creek gear you like. The clothes you buy don’t have to be for you;…
Can a gundog also be a family pet?
Believe it or not, a question I often get asked is: “Can a gundog still be a pet?” The simple answer is: of course it can be, but if you…
How to stop foxes spreading tapeworms
When I first started foxing it was for a very good reason: there were a number of vulpines causing serious problems for the local sheep farmer by ripping the tails…
Zoli Z-Sport MR – the Zoli Mid Rib tested out by Becky McKenzie
The Zoli Z-Sport MR Mid Rib is what I would class as the Zoli Z-Sport step rib because this actually has a step-rib style of top rib. Having shot a…
Grouse shooting clay practice: get your eye in before you go out on the moors
Coach Mark Russell of Grimsthorpe Shooting Ground gives us a guide to shooting grouse targets.
We asked BASC some tricky questions about lead shot and the proposed ban. Here are the answers.
Why would BASC challenge the UK REACH proposals when it seems to have accepted that steel shot is the way forward? A voluntary move away from lead shot for live…
Shooting gun up. What are the pros and cons?
Shooting with your gun ready at the shoulder - also known as 'gun up' - is a sensible option. But it's not appropriate for all targets
Is it true that woodpigeon migrate?
A myth about woodpigeon First, let’s get rid of a pigeon shooting myth. It is not so long ago that many country people believed that each autumn woodpigeon flocked into…
How will deer populations adapt to climate change?
A colleague recently sent me some extensive research on deer and hunting. It made for interesting reading, though, to quote Basil Fawlty, parts did seem to be “another MA in…
What are the implications of rewilding?
Rewilding. The word leads to unending controversy and polarised views. Let’s explore why. As a sportsman, what is there not to like? Cleaner rivers, more wildlife to pursue, more wild…
How to compensate for heat mirage when rifle shooting
We’re in the throes of a heatwave at the moment so it’s timely to offer some advice on dealing with the heat mirage that occurs when rifle shooting. Heat mirage…