Good looking, fast flying, delicious as well as easy to rear, tough and adaptable. The pheasant comes in a perfectly designed package. Like anything that’s relatively trouble-free, we don’t think about it much. So are we in danger of taking the pheasant for granted? An exotic alien We expect it to thrive…
Shooting
Should you shoot pigeons with a semi-auto?
The gun you choose to shoot pigeons — whether decoyed, flighting or roosting — should always be given maximum thought if you are to shoot to the best of your ability. The gun must suit you and the bore size, weight, length of barrels and, of great importance, the gun…
Which type of pheasant shooting is superior?
High pheasant in open fields By Giles Catchpole Snap shooting is all very well and good. Couched on a ride in the midst of the shelter belt or in a clearing in the heart of a block of forestry can be exciting, for sure. Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of…
Despatching pricked birds – the best way to do it
A vital aspect of shooting is the humane despatching of a wounded bird or animal, be it a pheasant, duck, pigeon, rabbit or squirrel. The prime objective of shooting live quarry is to ensure, wherever possible, an instant death for the creature we are pursuing. We are, hopefully, taught how…
Gun fit terms you need to know
Do you know this gun fit terminology? Cast Cast off: This is the degree to which the shotgun’s stock is offset from its centre point and to the right. The aim is to allow the right-handed user’s line of sight to be directly down the centre of the rib from the breech to the bead…
The best British brands for a gentleman
✨ B A N K H O L I D A Y ! ✨ Bag up on your bank holiday! #bagoftheday #bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . #briefcase #savillerow #friday #tan #lock #menshealth #mensaccessories #mensfashion #accessoriesoftheday #bagsforsale #luxury #luggagebag #bankholiday #bankholidayvibes #bagup…
Popular shotguns for the pheasant season
What you need to consider when picking out a game gun Weight Gauge Style Action Budget Patrick Galbraith, Editor of the Shooting Times, comments when discussing shotguns for pheasant shooting: “I would say that there has been a move towards affordable guns, with pairs of Mirokus becoming a frequent sight…
How to improve your game shooting technique
Game shooting: You have to take risks if you want to improve your game shooting. Here are some top tips.
Should I shoot game birds with a side-by-side or over-and-under?
Tradition will always be on the side of side-by-side shotguns. In recent years, over-and-unders have grown in popularity. This is largely due to people going into gameshooting having started on clays. But this doesn’t mean that if you’re an over-and-under user you shouldn’t try a side-by-side. In fact, it might…
How to read a clay target successfully
Last month we looked at a few 'firsts' in the shooting world, safety first, first gun, first targets and the like. Carrying on from this I'd like to reconsider how we actually hit our targets.
Tips to make you better at walked-up pheasant shooting
Shooting coach Mark Russell treks to the outback of his shooting ground at Grimsthorpe - in the pursuit of perfecting his driven pheasant technique.
How to improve your pheasant shooting technique
Here are some pheasant shooting techniques to help you in the field Footwork and balance In all forms of driven shooting, good footwork is the building block for any shot, and with good footwork comes good, controlled balance. Without these two factors at the start, shooting consistently is not possible.…
Which is the faster bird – partridge or pheasant?
Game shooting: Which bird flies faster and needs more lead - a partridge or a pheasant? I’m reasonably okay at game shooting, but I do struggle on partridge shown on the same drive at the same height. Can you shed any light on my problem?
TOP 10: Pheasant shoots in the UK
Pheasant shoots: Looking for top pheasant shoots? From Warter Priory and Angmering to Towie and Wrackleford, we list the top 10 pheasant shoots in the UK.
Top 10 pieces of essential shooting kit
The cape At first glance, a cape may appear a slightly strange sartorial choice for a determined gun, but when the heavens open, you won’t just look like a superhero, you’ll feel like one, too. ‘Buy yourself a Purdey cape,’ advises James Horne, chairman of the famous English gunmaker.…
Seven top grounds for game shooters in England
Top grounds for game shooters Barbury, Wiltshire Nestled into the foot of the Marlborough Downs just a few minutes from Junction 15 of the M4 this picturesque ground is well run by Huw Stephens and his team. It’s open every day of the week and it is loaded with rural…
Etiquette for Young Guns in the field
Q: I have been part of a syndicate for four years and some of the other Guns have started bringing their children with them to shoot in their place. A lot of them seem to be unfamiliar with correct shooting etiquette as they shoot low birds and seem desperate to…
10 reasons we miss when driven shooting
Driven shooting: Understanding why you miss will improve your driven shooting.
A beginner’s guide to picking-up
We walk you through what to expect on your first time picking-up, including when to know if your dog is ready, what to do on the first drive and how to behave during the day
How easy is it to join a wildfowling club?
Joining a wildfowling club My path to education came about thanks to the BASC wildfowling permit scheme, which provides a “suck it and see” opportunity for novices to try their hand at fowling. Luckily for me my local club, the Great Yarmouth Wildfowling & Conservation Association (GYWCA), is a keen…