Gaiters for shooting are essential, particularly if you’re walked-up shooting on moorland. Why gaiters for shooting are key shooting kit Wear gaiters with your breeks and shooting socks to protect your legs from ticks, as well as mud, scratches from rough heather and brambles. You’ll also be able to stride…
Shooting
Six must-reads about pheasant shooting
There’s an early morning nip in the air which means that the pheasant season, starting on 1 October, is just around the corner. Whether you’re new to pheasant shooting or a seasoned hand, here are some useful pheasant shooting must-reads covering everything from guns and ammunition to shooting high birds.…
Shooting manners for those new to going out in the field
Have you been invited shooting for the first time this season? Worried about shooting manners for beginners? Wondering what to wear? Whether you have to bring your own gun? What to tip? Here are the guidelines you need to follow so that you conduct yourself perfectly. The right way to…
Techniques and skills for hitting the target
Investigating and improving shooting techniques Going-away targets, low incomers and high crossers are what clayshooters frequently want to investigate and improve, namely walked-up and driven grouse and pheasants. Straight lines The only targets that do not require the shot pattern to be placed ahead of the clay on its flightline…
15 of the best smocks for shooting and stalking
Smocks for shooting 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 underneath.…
A guide to the different types of rough shooting
I recently discussed rough shooting (walked-up shooting) with Matt Clark, Sporting Gun editor and how to go about participating in this most enjoyable part of our sport. (You can listen to the discussion here) Organising rough shooting days I am passionate about this type of shooting and over the years…
Five pieces of wildfowling gear for the season ahead
Wildfowling gear has benefitted greatly from advances in materials technology in recent years. Decoy bags are now much lighter and easily washed than those of 30 years ago and neoprene has revolutionised that piece of essential wildfowling gear, waders. Jackets can now be windproof, waterproof and breathable as well as…
15 of the best boots for shooting
If you’re in the market for new boots for shooting this season then cast your eye down this list. We’ve picked out boots in various price ranges, from £125 to £329. Buy the best that your budget will stretch to and do the cost-per-wear analysis. If you’re going to wear…
The common snipe – or, as the Finnish call it, the ‘sky ram’
Facts about the common snipe Distribution: Most worldwide populations of snipe are highly migratory, breeding in Iceland and across much of Europe, Russia and northern Asia. Overwinters in Africa and southern Asia.UK distribution: British populations are largely resident or only partially migratory. Can be found across the country but more…
How to create or rejuvenate a pond
Whenever I attend a farm walk organised by the GWCT, I do so with a mixture of emotions. Positive sentiments such as wonderment, revelation and inspiration jostle with less attractive feelings. Frustration and envy largely. This unwarranted green-eyed state is not due to my begrudging the success of others. Far…
What you need to know about wildfowling calls
For as long as we humans have hunted wild duck and geese, we have used decoys and calls to attract them within range of a gun, bow or sling, or to lure them into waiting nets. Most species of wildfowl are intensely social birds. They will naturally congregate in large…
How LOUD should your shooting tweeds be?
Shooting tweeds should shout for joy, says Ben Samuelson There are a few fibs that we allow ourselves in shooting. The first is that we need big 4x4s. I spent many years driving to shoots in a TVR that only ever went off-road when I slid into a ditch. We…
Stag and Huntsman in Hambleden – take your gun and your gundog
If you’re shooting in the Bucks/Berks/Oxfordshire area and need somewhere to stay, then the Stag and Huntsman in Hambleden is ideal. This pub with rooms has a secure gun cabinet and dogs are welcome. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming and if your party wants, you can take over the…
How pigeon feeding habits change with the seasons
Wood pigeon feeding habits We should have a mental picture of the different crops grown on our pigeon shooting permissions. But at what time of the year should we be checking them? Woodies are catholic in their choice of food, which is just as well as it is not all…
How to create your own deer management plan
Deer management in any landscape requires a coordinated and well-thought-out plan. When it comes up in conversation, as it does more regularly than one would imagine, the viewpoint of those unfamiliar with deer management is more often than not, “Isn’t the aim simply to shoot as many as possible?” While…
Testing, testing shooting jackets
Testing shooting jackets The four shooting coats I was sent to trial are all so totally different from one another that to judge them in comparison is unfair and ultimately pointless. Therefore, when I was set the task of testing shooting jackets, I shifted my mindset to the one with…
What you need to know about focal planes
Many rifle shooters don’t really understand the difference between focal planes and it’s an aspect of rifle scopes that is often confusing to many. Basically, the difference between a first and second focal plane scope is where the reticule is positioned within the rifle scope. This affects the image seen…
How to keep your pheasants close to home
Very often, it is the little things that make a difference and will keep your pheasants closer. This is never more accurate than when said in relation to the management of poults inside a release pen, and the area immediately outside. Attention to detail is so important, and little tweaks…
Why ALL shooters should be members of a fieldsports organisation
If you shoot but are not a member of any fieldsports organisations, does that make you a freeloader? It’s a contentious question. In January 2017, I wrote: “To me, enjoying your shooting without being a member of any fieldsports organisations is short-sighted and perhaps even selfish. Surely there is an…