Q: I will be picking-up this season on a new shoot, where there is a fast-flowing river. On two drives it can be necessary to put dogs over the river. I know that dogs have drowned in this river in the past, and while my dogs are good swimmers I…
Safety
Shooting has an enviable safety record and we must all strive to keep it that way so whether you’re out in the field game shooting or at the clay ground it is important that you put safety first.
These are articles from our experts with rules everyone should follow – beginners and those who have been shooting for years included. We have useful information about firearms licensing, interesting facts about why you should protect your hearing while shooting and how to keep Young Shots safe too.
Keeping safe when you’re out in the field
Check and check again The safest way to treat a gun is to always assume it is loaded. Never point a gun at anyone – even if you are 100% sure it is empty. Make a habit of opening and checking a shotgun to make sure the chambers are empty –…
How should you deal with a cartridge misfire?
I occasionally join a few friends for an informal clay shoot on a farm, and last time out one of my cartridges failed to fire after I pulled the trigger.
Lamping on a public footpath – just how legal is it?
Q: A friend was walking his dog on a prescribed footpath at night and came across two men lamping for foxes. An argument ensued as to the right to be there. Please can you clarify how close you can be to a public area, such as a footpath, to shoot?…
How to hold a shotgun
I always watch the best shooters at our club and can't help but marvel at how easy they make everything look. They seem to have all the time in the world to mount the gun and break the clay.
What’s best for shooters? Ear plugs or ear muffs?
Hearing loss is a serious issue for anyone who shoots. It can be temporary or permanent, it can build up slowly over years or be caused by a single incident. Constant exposure to loud noise can make the experience of being in noisy environments less unpleasant, but the human ear…
Is your shoot transport safe?
Legal obligations for shoot transport Q: I am a relatively new member of a modest driven shoot and for the past two seasons Guns have been transported to drives in a tractor-drawn trailer that belongs to another era. Guns sit on bales of straw and, while the trailer is covered, the…
Coloured safety glass lenses and targets for clayshooters
My wife bought me a set of clay shooting glasses with different coloured lenses as a birthday present recently.
How to stop your dog chasing livestock on a farm
If you are going to work your dog on a shoot, there is one thing of which you can be certain: sooner or later you will encounter livestock. As a responsible gundog owner, the last thing you want is for your dog to show an unhealthy interest in farm animals.…
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…
How to stay safe when you’re a picker-up on a shoot
Pickers-up: The job of pickers-up is not an easy one.
Why do people worry when my gun is safely in its slip?
You don't have to carry your certificate but a photocopy has no legal status
Gun security in your car – your responsibilities
The shooting season is now well underway and so I think that a timely reminder about gun security in your car would not go amiss. I’m told by my colleague, Detective Chief Superintendent Jo Chilton of the National Ballistic Intelligence Service, that there have been targeted thefts of shotguns in the North West. Certificate holders are…
What to do if you have a car crash when you’re transporting your gun
Q: Imagine you are on your way to your shoot, with gun, cartridges and dog in your car, when out of nowhere someone crashes into you. Fortunately neither of you are hurt, but both vehicles are immobile. My question is should I call the police, as I can hardly hail…
Etiquette for Young Guns in the field
Q: I have been part of a syndicate for four years and some of the other Guns have started bringing their children with them to shoot in their place. A lot of them seem to be unfamiliar with correct shooting etiquette as they shoot low birds and seem desperate to…
Our beginner’s guide to shooting – what you need to know
Beginner's guide to shooting: Here we have the answers to some of the questions you have asked about starting shooting.
Is it safe to leave my shotgun in the car?
If I take the fore-end off my shotgun before I leave it locked in the car, is this showing due diligence (assuming the gun’s out of sight and locked up in the car anyway)?
Should cartridge colour denote bore?
Q: Why don’t cartridge makers stick to an internationally agreed colour code for different bore sizes as used to be the case (12-bore were red, 16-bore blue and 20-bore yellow)? Surely this would stop all of these dreadful accidents where people who mix cartridges double-load a 12-bore on top of…
Firearms security
One of the most tragic events of 2016 was the murder of the MP, Jo Cox. She was shot with a sawn-off .22 rifle. Quite how the odious Thomas Mair came to be in possession of it is not known, but it is known that it was previously a lawfully held rifle that had been stolen. It…
The danger of mixing cartridges
A: I once conducted an experiment in order to find out which calibres and cartridges this risk applies to. Of course, chamber and bore dimensions vary quite widely in large-bore guns, particularly older ones. However, an 8-bore cartridge will lodge in the forcing cone of a 4-bore, allowing a 4-bore cartridge to be loaded on top of it, while…