I have been fortunate enough to be involved in the wonderful world of fieldsports for most of my life. From rough shooting with my father to great times on the…
Sporting Gun
A deerstalker was doing something completely legal. So why were the police called?
There will be exceptions, but most countryside and wildlife police officers that I’ve come across have gained the trust of many shooters. The best appreciate that the support of the…
Have you tried this clayshooting method?
Mary has her eyes opened to a shooting technique that stands accepted thinking – and teaching – well and truly on its head
What exactly goes on in a police firearms licensing department?
With about 23,000 certificate holders, Hampshire is a middling size force as far as firearms licensing is concerned. Its performance in recent years has left much to be desired. At…
Which are the best prestigious English guns to choose when buying second-hand?
Frankly, even if I won several million I don’t think I would buy a new Purdey, Boss or Holland & Holland. It’s not that I don’t hugely admire the finest…
How do you hit low incomers when clay pigeon shooting?
When clay pigeon shooting, one target I really hate is a low incomer that drops to the ground about 25 yards in front of the shooting stand - and it's…
Take it easy – training tips for young gundog puppies
So that’s it, you’ve finally got your new puppy. It’s fully vaccinated, raring to go and ready to start its exercise and training. You’ve got all your new equipment and…
Clayshooting tips for beginners
Understand the jargon heard on the clay shooting ground with Mark Russell's tips for shooting beginners
What is the difference between a Sporter and a trap gun?
Q: I’m new to shooting, and about to buy my first gun. However I don’t understand the main differences between a Sporter and a trap gun. Could you explain please?…
How deep is the average rabbit burrow?
How deep is the average burrow and what's the deepest set you've ever come across? Also, how high above the ground should you set the noose on a rabbit snare?
How to read a clay target successfully
Last month we looked at a few 'firsts' in the shooting world, safety first, first gun, first targets and the like. Carrying on from this I'd like to reconsider how…
What’s the most humane way to dispatch an injured bird?
What's the best way of despatching a pricked pigeon? Will a pricked bird flapping around near the decoy pattern stop other birds coming in or might it even encourage them?
Tips to make you better at walked-up pheasant shooting
Shooting coach Mark Russell treks to the outback of his shooting ground at Grimsthorpe - in the pursuit of perfecting his driven pheasant technique.
How to get wildfowling camouflage right
SHOOTING TIPS: Wildfowling camouflage: Jack Sykes looks at ways of keeping out of sight when wildfowling.
Three questions about eye dominance
I have to close my left eye because of eye dominance, so sometimes I lose sight of high driven birds – what can I do to stop this?
How to choose a second-hand gun for £1000
Mike George’s buying advice for a second-hand gun for £1,000 The most common request I get from readers is advice on buying a first gun. It’s also one of the…
How to get into game shooting
Have you ever wanted to get into game shooting and wondered where to begin? Well, that’s just what Johnathan Cox, head keeper at the Buckhurst Estate in East Sussex, is…
Partridge shooting lessons for the season ahead
Shooting coach, Mark Russell, shows how to hit both partridge and their clay counterparts.
Sauer Apollon reviewed by Sporting Gun
It’s time to break out some game guns to show you all in anticipation for the forthcoming game season. This month I’ve been lucky enough to be given the new…
Three of the classiest boxlocks around
“I would dearly love to be able to afford a sidelock O/U from a prestigious maker, but I can’t afford one. Instead, I am going to have to settle for…