Shooting

At Shooting UK, we’re here 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. We write pieces on how you can improve your shooting, learn new skills and better your technique.

We also keep a keen eye out on gun laws and Government legislation affecting shooters, staying abreast of new developments with expert comment.

You might be a gameshooter or clayshooting might be much more your bag. Or maybe you do both, depending on the season. Either way, by browsing through the articles below you’ll find the answers to many of your questions and you’ll see that many shooters have had many of the same experiences as you.

Then there are the pigeon shooting fans and those who love nothing better than being out on the foreshore, wildfowling.

If you’re looking for somewhere to shoot, check out our shoot reports, which are updated regularly. And of course, if you’re looking for a new gun or want to buy one second-hand, then we’re always reviewing shotguns, rifles and airguns of every description.

Should you want us to cover something in particular,  please e mail us direct here with your request.

We’re always open to new ideas.

stance in shooting

How to improve your shooting footwork

As with any sport, when you want to get better at it you have to go back to basics to ensure that you have a good enough grounding. Shooting footwork tips A crucial point with shooting is having your feet in the right place. The reason for this is so…

fitting shotgun chokes

Does choke matter?

The degree of choke in your gun barrel is the difference between the size of the bore — the barrel diameter — relative to the constriction at the muzzle. For this reason, plug-in choke “gauges” will only ever give you a very rough guide. The only way to measure choke…

Duck in flight

Are flightponds actually ethical?

I like ducks. While geese are masterly and waders noble, the duck is affable. My warm feelings for them may sound incongruous. Much of my spare time is spent trying to place myself on the foreshore and marsh so that I can shoot one, preferably two. That being said, the…

CIC review 2018

English and Welsh Roe Review 2018

English roe had a good year in 2018. After reporting an increased number of heads presented for measuring in 2017 — the best on record — we were prepared for a slower year in 2018. Reports from stalkers across the country were suggesting lower numbers of quality bucks. As so…

disabled shooting

Getting around a clay ground in a wheelchair

Disabled sport’s profile has risen hugely in recent years, partly driven by the success of British athletes in the Paralympics. I was therefore interested to see how far the disability sport revolution had reached into fieldsports. I sought out some of the UK’s leading practitioners from the worlds of clayshooting,…

camouflage jackets

6 of the best camouflage jackets

The last thing you want when hunting is to be conspicuous or you will risk scaring your intended quarry before you take your first shot. You can give yourself an edge by getting kitted out in a camouflage jacket that will help to keep you unseen, quiet and comfortable. Here…

CIC winning head

Scottish Roe Review 2018 – the CIC tables

More than half a century ago, when Shooting Times started publishing annual reviews, if you stalked a roe north or south of the border that was felt to have made the grade, you would see your name on the very small list of bucks from across the UK that had…

shooting lesson

How to improve your visual focus on the clay target

Don’t look at the gun once it is at your cheek and shoulder. All of your attention must be on the target as you pull the trigger. Mount the shotgun to your cheek and eye, not to your shoulder. If you are standing correctly with a well-practised gun mount and the…

how to mount your gun

How to mount your gun

The mount is a crucial part of your shooting technique and knowing how to mount your gun correctly can quite easily be the difference between hitting or missing a target. Where to start When you begin shooting it is quite normal to start in the shoulder, but as soon as…

Muntjac hiding

All about muntjac

Small, secretive and constantly on the move, the muntjac is a challenging quarry for the deer stalker. Little bigger than a springer spaniel, it offers a difficult target among the thick undergrowth that it prefers to live in. Although its antlers are simple things, usually not more than a couple…

flying pheasant

Facts about the pheasant – phasianus colchicus

Just how long the pheasant has been found in Britain is open to question but it is likely that, as with so many of our non-native species, the Romans had a major hand in bringing them to our shores. It is also likely that they were bred as table birds…