So you've decided to venture onto a clay ground with a view to taking up the sport. Congratulations. It's a popular pastime for good reason, as you'll discover.
Shooting
Here are articles to help and inform all aspects of your shooting, whether you’re a novice shooter or somebody who has been out in the field every season for years. You will find pieces on how you can improve, learn new skills and hone your technique.
We also keep a keen eye out for changes to gun laws and Government legislation.
You might be a gameshooter or clays might be much more your bag.
Then there are the pigeon shooting fans and those who love nothing better than being out on the foreshore, wildfowling.
Rabbiting has a section too.
If you’re looking to see how a particular ground performed than check out our shoot reports.
Our contributors frequently write about deer stalking with guidance on different species, locations and equipment.
Finally we encourage the next generation of shooters, informing and educating Young Shots.
Are you going to shoot game or focus on clayshooting?
Driven | Walked-up/Rough | Improve your shooting |
Lamping | Improve your clayshooting | Improve your pigeon shooting
A 5-minute guide to the different clayshooting disciplines
New to clayshooting? This is what English Sporting, English Skeet and Trap shooting involve
How to control foxes when they’ve become lamp shy
Lamping may be one of the most efficient ways to kill foxes but if you miss then, you'll have created a much fightier foe. Liam Bell outlines other options for fox control
How to choose the right clay cartridge
Here are some of the key questions you need to ask when choosing clay cartridges. Q. What wad material should I choose? A. Today many shooting grounds label themselves as ‘fibre-wad only’ grounds and you should always ring ahead to check to see what a shooting ground’s policy is. Wad…
Keeping an eye on you
Frost still clung to the grey carpet of oak leaves that clothed the forest floor. My breath hung around me in wreaths and you could cut the silence with a knife. I had been waiting on my stand in northern Alsace for perhaps an hour when I heard the doe,…
How to start up your own DIY shoot
Starting a little DIY shoot can be great fun and very rewarding. In fact, it is the DIY shoot that is bringing some ‘fresh air’ to shooting. Why start a DIY shoot? Basically you and your shooting companions should get moderate driven shooting at a reasonable cost. Of course, while…
The rules you must follow when rearing gamebirds
Before you take any steps to start on rearing gamebirds yourself you need to be aware of the key factors involved. Rule 1: Think of it as a business You need to think seriously about rearing gamebirds right from the beginning and consider it as a business, whether you’re rearing…
The different parts of a shotgun
Do you know your hammer from your extractor? Here is a clear explanation of the functions of named parts of a shotgun, namely a side-by-side boxlock with side plates, based on the Anson & Deeley design. What is a boxlock shotgun? In a boxlock shotgun the inner workings, the “lockwork” …
How to make an antler handle knife
Every stalker I know has an “antler box” — a collection of cervine debris that has gathered dust for some time, awaiting the rainy day when they would be turned into all manner of useful household items. With self-isolation, that day may have arrived. Making a deer antler knife Most…
How to hatch and rear your own pheasants
Many DIY shoots are looking at ways of reducing costs, and one way of achieving that is rearing pheasants yourself. There are plenty of benefits. You know where your birds have come from The birds will be the age and strain you want You will be aware of any pheasant…
Finally some shooting clothing for women that’s fit for purpose
As any female involved in fieldsports will know, buying women’s shooting clothing can be a bit of a nightmare. In decades past, I joined my first beating line and was clad in a wax jacket and trousers that disintegrated within a day. Many manufacturers overlooked us and in very recent —more…
How a shotgun works
Lewis Potter looks at the inner workings of a shotgun to explain and illustrate how a shotgun works
How to get permission for pigeon shooting
Permission for pigeon shooting can be hard to get. A lot of the time it’s about getting to know people before you’ll get anywhere. Think of it from the farmer’s point of view. He or she needs to have complete confidence in the person asking and won’t give a permission…
How to choose the right shotgun and cartridge for pigeon shooting
Shotguns and cartridges for pigeon shooting First off, what sort of gun would be best for you out in the pigeon field? Invest in the best gun you can afford. This doesn’t mean you have to buy new, there are plenty of good quality second-hand guns around. A properly made…
Can I set up clay shooting on my own property?
Can you set up clay pigeon shooting on your own property?
Exercises you can do at home right now to improve your shooting technique
You’re probably very frustrated by the fact that you can’t go out shooting at the moment. However, you can use this time to improve your shooting technique and here I’m going to show you some exercises to improve your gun-mount. You can do them at home and practising them regularly…
The Bolton Estate, North Yorkshire. Where gameshooting and conservation work together …
You will probably need to visit Bolton Estate more than once to fully appreciate just how important its 12,000 acres are to the fabric and ecology of the Yorkshire Dales. Many of the more than 60,000 visitors from across the world with any number of agendas will probably know the…
Our experts test out four different calibres pigeon shooting
I usually go off shooting pigeons with a Perazzi MX12. So when Patrick Galbraith called me with an idea of trying some different guns in different calibres for pigeon shooting I didn’t really jump at the opportunity. My Perazzi MX12 has been custom-fitted for me. If the day goes well…
Could prescription shooting glasses make all the difference?
When was the last time you had an eye test? If you’re overdue for a visit to the optician then it could make all the difference to your shooting. You should also enquire about prescription shooting glasses at the same time. Get your optician to make your glasses with polycarbonate…
British deer: A guide to identifying the six species found here and where to stalk them
The six species of deer to be found in England, their origins and locations.