You know the feeling. You’re only two-thirds of the way through an enjoyable day’s shooting yet suddenly you feel wearier than a sleep-deprived dormouse. This morning you had all the exuberance of a freshly lit firework on New Year’s Day, but now your energy is plummeting. Not only does it…
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
Moleskin trousers: we’ve picked out the best for country style
We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Moleskin has been around for centuries and moleskin trousers have long been a part of a country wardrobe, thanks to their warmth, comfort and durability. Despite the name, the…
How to stop a fox in its tracks
Now is a good time to organise a fox drive to reduce numbers. Foxes eat more pheasant and partridge poults than all the other predators put together. You don’t always see what they kill and eat, but they are continually chipping away at them; now, when the hen birds are…
Why location is crucial for setting up a hide
When I acquired my first shotgun, aged 14, I became obsessed with the pursuit of the few woodies that lived on our farm on Canvey Island. Though the farm was mainly arable, it was rare to see populations of more than 20 to 30 birds. My tactics, therefore, usually consisted…
Charles Smith-Jones discusses the problem with rewilding
It’s a fashionable word that you seem to hear everywhere these days, but if you ask 10 people to define what rewilding means, you’ll get 10 wildly different answers. To some it might be a matter of leaving nature to its own devices, while to others it suggests a more…
Foxing on the foreshore
In 1999 and 2000, I was fortunate to spend many months in the jungles of Brunei and Belize as part of my Royal Marine training. Both were wonderful environments in which to soldier. For the previous two years, I’d spent most of my time wet and cold — on Dartmoor,…
Should I shoot game birds with a side-by-side or over-and-under?
Side by side shotguns are loved by traditionalists. Many Guns start shooting with a side-by-side shotgun (which they have possibly inherited) and then switch to an over-and-under. But why? (More on switching from a side-by-side to an over-and-under.) Side-by-side or over-and-under? It is much easier shooting with an over-and-under. For…
Taking advantage of the longer days for roebuck culling
As the days are longer now, there’s more time to get stuff done in the middle of the day. Our estate rifle range is up and running again for use by private clubs or as hourly sessions overseen by yours truly. (Click here to get some ideas for the best…
Best hunting knives put to the test
We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more There are few tools more central to fieldsports than a decent knife and, whether you are gralloching stags in the Highlands or divvying up the game pie at a…
Best shooting jackets: we pick out a selection to consider
Shooting coats vary more than any other kind of shooting kit, but this pick of the best shooting coats offers a variety of choices for different budgets and different purposes.
History of Skeet shooting: how it all began
The history of Skeet shooting Some 150 years ago, the shotguns that were putting a partridge or two in the pot for supper were using black powder explosive. It powered everything from the highwayman’s pistol to the Navy’s cannon. The flintlock-spark ignition system, with a cloud of smoke right in…
Why studying your local roe deer population is essential to good stalking
April is always a busy month for stalkers. This year, it is even more so as we return to post-pandemic normality. It has been particularly nice to welcome regular stalking guests whom we have not seen at Garryloop for more than two years, due to the various restrictions. Demand for…
The problem with political intervention in wildlife management
Politicians should really keep well away from matters when it comes to wildlife management, for the simple reason that very few, if any of them, know enough about it to make the correct decisions. To compound matters, when a ruling party has to rely on another party with only a…
Why the wood pigeon is so successful
About wood pigeon You may think that you are hearing pigeons heating up for the breeding season in April and May, seeing lots of wing-clapping display flights and hearing lots of their distinctive “don’t scold so, Susie” cooing. However perhaps the first thing about wood pigeon that will surprise you…
The best Tattersall shirts for shooting
We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more The best Tattersall shirts are design classics for shooting and a garment that no countryman or woman should be without. (For our list of the best shooting shirts see…
Alan Pain’s Fernley Field Coat review
When it comes to shopping for country coats, one of the things I struggle with is finding a good ‘all-rounder’. There is a wide selection of beautiful coats available from many brands, and going into a country clothing shop can provoke a ‘kid in a candy store’ feeling; too much…
Testing steel cartridges during roost shooting
I’m still having pigeon problems on the two rape fields on the estate. The gas guns and flags aren’t working any more, so the damage continues. At least I found where they are roosting and so decided to have a third go at thinning out the flock. One evening in…
A guide to improving decoy patterns
We’ve all been there. Our days of reconnaissance have suggested a field will produce a bumper bag. We constructed the ‘perfect’ hide and the decoys are out, and we await what will be the first of many arrivals. What could go wrong? Within minutes, the first pigeon appears on the…
How to get permission for pigeon shooting
Permission for pigeon shooting can be hard to get. Think about 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 to shoot their land to anybody they don’t know reasonably well. (You could also consider…