When I’m preparing a relatively new clayshooter for clayshooting competitions my lessons follow a certain format. Once we have gun, clay cartridges, hearing and eye protection sorted we get straight out onto the ground. A lesson in clayshooting competitions We begin shooting a few easy targets to warm up and…
Shooting
What guests really want on a shoot day. Nine things that matter
I have been shooting since I was 11, but it is only since August 2019, when I began working as editor of Guns on Pegs, that I’ve really started to get a feel for how the shooting community actually thinks. I’ve had some of my assumptions challenged and I’m often…
Hunting lamps: we pick out the best around
The vast majority of us still rely on trusty hunting lamps to get the job done and ‘traditional’ lamping remains by far the most cost-effective way of dealing with nocturnal vermin. With this in mind, I was delighted to put a selection of hunting lamps to the test this month.…
Best shooting smocks
The best shooting smocks should be tough, resistant to thorns and brambles and pack away to almost nothing. They need to be breathable, lightweight, windproof and waterproof of course. In addition they should be comfortable to wear, easy to put on and take off, with room to put on layers…
When do deer shed their antlers? Now is a good time to be looking.
Despite being in the depths of the close season, this time of the year offers deerstalkers something for nothing. By the end of April, most of our sika and red deer have thrown their antlers, with the fallow following suit a few weeks later, and there are few better ways…
Lamping kit – how has it changed?
Fox shooting technology has come a long way since I first drove around a field in circles hoping to spot a fox in the headlights. That was in the early 1970s, and we thought we were at the cutting edge with our lamping kit when we bolted a wooden handle…
Archie Coats’ pigeon shooting: what has changed since his heyday?
As I turned the pages of Pigeon Shooting by Archie Coats, I came across the phrase ‘rabbit clearance society pigeon poking programme’ — quite a mouthful and certainly something you wouldn’t hear in the 21st century. However, it got me thinking about how things have changed for the modern Gun.…
Best shooting boots 2021: our pick of the best shooting boots you can buy this year
If you’re in the market for the best shooting boots around then cast your eye down this list. We’ve picked out boots in various price ranges and tested and rated each pair. We’ve looked at performance, durability, waterproof qualities, warmth, comfort and grip. Our recommendation is always to buy the…
Shooting with both eyes open – why it’s something to aim for
Out of season is the ideal time to work on improving your shooting technique and one of the questions I get asked frequently is about shooting with both eyes open. One eye or two? There are two different ways of shooting — monocular versus binocular — which basically means with…
What age should a youngster start shooting?
Eyebrows were raised at the last round of Home Office firearms licensing statistics when it was revealed that a seven-year-old had been approved for a shotgun certificate. That decision led to lively debate at my local clay ground. Opinions were split. A significant number of regulars felt that the decision…
Air rifle scope mounts – buying them and mounting them
You’ll almost certainly have given a lot of time and thought to the subject of buying an air rifle before parting with your hard-earned cash. You probably spent a good while considering scopes too. But what about mounts for airgun scopes? Have you considered what you’re putting your scope on?…
Long range foxing – how to go about it
Long range foxing early in the morning From where I sat, I could see the entire lambing field. All had remained calm until I noticed the ewe closest to the cover stand up and stare intently at the bushes. I was already watching the area after I noticed the blackbirds…
Pigeon shooting accessories – Geoff Garrod on what you really need
Having a lot of pigeon shooting accessories isn’t for me. It might be what some pigeon shooters want but I’d rather depend on the 40 years of fieldcraft and knowledge that I’ve built up. And if I do have kit, I prefer the simple. Essential pigeon shooting accessories First off,…
The definition of sporting – what does sporting really mean?
Definition of sporting “I’d rather be sporting than just put stuff on the ground,” the end Gun muttered as the horn sounded and his neighbour’s old cocker bumbled over to where the first of her master’s redlegs lay dead. I was on the flank of the beating line, from where…
Best gun slips – we’ve picked out the best in different price ranges with different finishes
Gun slips are an essential accessory for shooters. Not just to protect the gun but to keep you and your shooting companions safe and remaining within the law. Guns should always be transported in a gun slip and always be in a gun slip if they’re not broken or aiming…
Clay pigeon shooting in Yorkshire – where should you go?
We’ve listed some of the best clay pigeon shooting in Yorkshire available. Two of the clay grounds featured here have a cast iron reputation for showing the highest driven clays in the UK. If you can do a job on what they throw into the stratosphere then you’ll be well…
Waterproof shooting boots – we put some pairs to the test
When spring arrives, most of us are equipped with clothing suited to the change in weather. The heavy-duty Gore-Tex coats and leggings that shrugged off sleet and gales now hang in the wardrobe, replaced by lightweight fleeces and cotton trousers. However, this yearly switch to summer order of dress rarely…
Is this the end of high birds?
Could the ruling on lead mean the end of high birds? In the early 1990s, when we had a voluntary phase-out of lead for shooting over wetlands, my old mate Charles Nodder and I had a little try with some steel cartridges out on the Medway mud. Being young and…
Six of the best fleece gilets for shooters
The best fleece gilets for shooting are warm but not too hot, comfortable without being scruffy and easy to care for
How to build the perfect high seat
High seats feature in some of my most enduring stalking memories. With the safety of a permanent earthen backstop and the comfort and concealment that a high seat for shooting offers, it’s easy to see why elevated hunting blinds are enormously popular both in the UK and throughout much of…