Shotguns and cartridges for pigeon shooting First off, what sort of gun would be best for you out in the pigeon field? Invest in the best gun you can afford. This doesn’t mean you have to buy new, there are plenty of good quality second-hand guns around. A properly made…
Pigeon Shooting
Our experts test out four different calibres pigeon shooting
I usually go off shooting pigeons with a Perazzi MX12. So when Patrick Galbraith called me with an idea of trying some different guns in different calibres for pigeon shooting I didn’t really jump at the opportunity. My Perazzi MX12 has been custom-fitted for me. If the day goes well…
Testing steel vs lead shot on pigeon
British shooting has been divided in recent months by the announcement on the withdrawal of lead shot within five years. While many view the decision to phase out lead and move towards alternatives such as steel as a strange route to go down, I see it as a potentially positive…
Travelling light to flight
Pigeon flighting – reliable Enough is enough. I had the eighth person come up to me in the pub asking: “When do you think we will be shooting over the spring drillings?” The ground in many counties is going to take a long time to dry enough so that you…
How to follow the new general licence rules and do things correctly
It’s great news that the general licence debacle is over — for the time being at least. The new general licence rules pretty much take us back to square one. It’s important, however, to read them carefully, understand them and comply with their terms and conditions. It is legal to…
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?
How to position your pigeon hide
When pigeon shooting, there is nothing more important than the position of your hide.
How to build a pigeon hide
Pigeon shooting: Is it okay to build a hide in the centre of a field or is it best to stick to the hedgerows and margins?
Shooting pigeons with an airgun and placing decoys
While I can’t deny that the shotgun is the most effective tool for keeping woodpigeon at bay when they are hammering crops, it is possible to make decent bags with the air rifle. Not everyone has a shotgun and, with a little forethought and lots of fieldcraft, airgunners can enjoy…
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…
What’s wrong with your pigeon shooting?
Where do you go wrong with woodies and what can you do to put things right? Build your hide right Over the years, I have come across countless people who fall at what, in the pigeon shooting game, we might consider to be the first hurdle. All too often you…
How to build a wooden tower for shooting pigeon – and why you should
Some of the most enjoyable afternoons’ sport shooting pigeon I have had has been from high towers. It brings an entirely different challenge. In the right conditions it can be fast and furious and it is great to be shooting among the treetops — it is the last place pigeon…
Pigeon shooting influenced by Syd Barrett?
There are two difficulties for me in writing this story. Firstly, while readers love tales of everything going wrong, this happens to be an unashamed success. Secondly, while it is immodest to write about one’s own performance, this was so extreme that, like an out-of-body experience, it was not me but someone in my dreams shooting in my…
Will Garfit’s dream pigeon shooting team
The first would have to be the late Archie Coats, father of modern pigeon shooting. He was like a sporting father to me as friend, tutor and influence, for better or for worse. He was a superb shot using his Webley 700 boxlock, side-by-side, with nimble footwork, fast reactions and intense concentration for the opportunity of a safe shot at whatever quarry entered…
Pigeon shooting days – how they have changed!
Shooters of my age often lament that things were better in “the good old days”, when all you had to do was throw an old stuffed grey sock out on a likely looking field and pigeons would swarm to their doom. They would recall flocks of woodies leaving the roosting woods that were so big it would take 20…
Secrets of successful winter pigeon shooting
Due to the mild weather, this year’s autumn drillings went well, the best they have for a few years — it was more like shooting over spring drillings. With the new farming schemes, there have been a lot of over-wintered stubbles, which is encouraging, and mustard has been the crop of choice for the green cover crop schemes in…
The myth of pigeon pattern
As you would expect, I spend a lot of time watching pigeons, from picking up flightlines to trying to find their favourite field at any given time of year. I get plenty of opportunity to watch birds on the ground, and to observe how they cover the ground while feeding. After 50 years of doing this, I can…
Top tips for a successful pigeon shooting technique
I am so fortunate to be out and about shooting pigeon all the time. I’ve had the privilege to learn from some of the finest pigeon Shots over the years and have learned and modified some of their techniques to my advantage. I am a great believer in using traditional methods, making use of the limited but good…