I am new to clay shooting and see that everybody at a nearby gun club where I’ve been having lessons use 12-bores.
Shooting
Learn the maintained lead style of shooting
Sporting Gun's shooting instructor shows how the maintained lead style of shooting could increase your scores and give you the 'X' factor.
How to call muntjac deer
Learning how to call muntjac deer can be a deadly tactic but you need a strategy, stealth and a good call, writes Graham Downing
When you’re out deer stalking how can you deal with walkers who criticise what you’re doing?
Dealing with walkers?: While I was out stalking recently, I was accosted by a walker who let fly a torrent of abuse and accusations. This person accused me of "murdering beautiful creatures, ruining the countryside and posing a danger to honest walkers".
Switching from shooting an over-and-under to a side-by-side shotgun
Here we offer some shooting advice on maintaining your scores in the event that you have to borrow a gun.
Clay shooting: How to hit battue clays
Clay shooting: Mark Russell of Grimsthorpe SG reveals how to hit that loopiest of targets - the battue.
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…
What happens when you use an imitation owl to lure crows and magpies?
Corvid control with an air rifle can be unpredictable. There are days when the quiet stealth of a moderated airgun can be a real asset, enabling you to pick off countless birds before they wise up to what’s going on. And, of course, there are plenty of times when suspicious…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
How to improve your roost shooting skills
Mark Russell believes you need an instinctive feel when you're roost shooting pigeons, but you can practise it
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
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…
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…
When is the best time to start pigeon roost shooting? (And other frequently asked questions on the subject.)
When is the best time to start roost shooting, is November too early for the rooks and pigeons?
Tips on roost shooting pigeon
Snap shooting is often the key when roost shooting pigeon, says coach Mark Russell.