First, in September 2015, came the report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) for England and Wales into the efficiency of the licensing system. It will come as no surprise to readers who have…
Sporting Gun
Akkar Triple Crown Mammut
When I heard about the Akkar Triple Crown Mammut (a triple-barrelled shotgun) I couldn’t help but smirk! All I could think of was Sergeant Harper from the Sharpe novels by Bernard…
How can I protect my guns in storage against rust?
Mike says: A thorough clean, followed by a wipe-down of the metal parts with a lightly-oiled cloth should be quite sufficient for guns in storage, providing your friend is going to examine your guns…
Ammo options for .22 centrefire
Those of us who like rifles and rifle shooting often develop an interest in calibres and cartridges that are a bit out of the ordinary. It also gives us something…
A lesson on driven grouse targets
Although the RBSS is a clayground, gameshooting tuition is very high on its agenda. The school has an excellent grouse butt and 25-bird sequence, which ends in a four-clay “covey”.…
A visit to the Royal Berkshire Shooting School
If you haven’t heard of the Royal Berkshire Shooting School then you have probably been living on Mars. The school, founded in 1991, has become synonymous with excellent service, innovative…
Shooting memories I’d rather forget …
Following a conversation I had with someone at a game fair recently, I realised that despite there being many thousands of gundogs working in the field not many of their…
Three value-for-money second-hand Sporters
Medalist Sporter More than 30 years ago, the UK Browning importers could offer an impressive range of guns – everything from £1,000-plus competition and game guns to exotic and expensive…
Hunt, point and retrieve – truly versatile dogs
Many years ago, when I started out photographing gundogs, I used to attend quite a few spring pointing tests and it was at these events where I not only saw…
Blaser F16
When Blaser launched the Blaser F16 at the Stonely Shooting Show back in February we can all honestly say the after burners were fully on, I could feel my eyebrows smoldering…
Starting game shooting
Wildfowling If you can’t afford to buy game shooting by the day, or through a syndicate, we recommend you join one of the many UK wildfowling clubs listed with the…
Starting shooting with clays
The first clay pigeon shoots started around 1885 as an affordable alternative to competitions using live pigeons as targets. Shooting schools – particularly those owned by London gunmakers – set…
What’s in a shotgun cartridge case?
For all the good it could do you might as well hammer the barrels into the ground and use it as a fence post or sapling support. Yet cartridges are amazing…
Shooting safely – rules everyone should know
Shooting is rightly proud of its safety record. Compared with any other sport you care to name its safety record is second to none. In fact accidents of any sort…
Starting shooting – how to find an instructor
Getting going – will you get a thump in the shoulder? The thought of firing a shotgun for the first time can be a daunting prospect, especially if you’ve talked to…
Marocchi SI 12
This Marocchi SI 12 semi-auto, supplied by Viking Arms, is a gun that has had very little press in the UK – it should have, though. The company was founded by Stefano Marocchi…
Hare pie with sweet potato, carrots and cabbage
Ingredients for hare pie 4 hare legs (one per portion) 4 tbsp rock salt 1 tbsp cracked black pepper 600ml vegetable oil Filling from 4 large pork sausages 40g pistachio…
Run rabbit run, here comes the lurcher
When I was growing up I used to spend a lot of my school holidays with my grandparents in a small rural village in Kent. Next door lived an old man…
Shotgun jargon buster
It’s nice to look at old magazine adverts and think: “Wow, in 1904 I could’ve bought a best London gun for about £100, a good day’s wages today!” Back then, though, most…
A new series on starting shooting
Funny old world, isn’t it? In spite of society throwing its hands up in horror at the mere mention of guns, shooting as a sport has never been more popular.…