The Benelli 20-bore 828U Field really is blue-sky thinking in its design. The established, reliable and respected systems of designing lock, stock and barrel have been shelved and the designers at Benelli have approached the challenges of gunmaking in a totally different way. The elephant in the room is why…
Rough or walked-up shooting
Walked-up or rough shooting
Walked-up or rough shooting is when the quarry is flushed out of woods and cover by gundogs with the Guns walking behind. Many shooters have been introduced to the world of shooting in this manner.
It’s a wonderful way to be out in the fresh air and a good way of getting those miles in, as you’re likely to walk a fair way through the fields.
Seeing trained Labradors or spaniels at work, flushing out game from cover as the group walks along is a joy to watch. The dogs are trained to retrieve the shot game back to the Gun so that it can be despatched humanely if needed.
Virtually all the quarry species listed can be walked-up.
Numbers are usually totally irrelevant with rough shooting, it’s about being out in the countryside with your dog and hopefully bringing something home for supper.
Here are a range of articles on the rough shooting so you can learn more.
The drawbacks of the back-gun
I have a confession: wandering with the beaters is one of my favourite places to be on a game shoot. I say that even as a member of the gun trade who, when asked to go with the beaters, invariably ends up with a performance review committee of customers past…
How to find affordable rough shooting
Robin Scott investigates how to find affordable roughshooting and what it costs
The Spinone Italiano – a gentle breed
The Italian spinone – Spinone Italiano – has been present here in Britain for almost the same time as the Brittany: the dogs first appeared at the Game Fair exactly 40 years ago, while they were first exhibited at Crufts in 1983. They soon gained an enthusiastic following in the…
Hatsan Escort semi-auto shotgun review
The Hatsan Escort semi-auto shotgun is a Turkish-built semi automatic that creates a stir on price alone
Pheasant shooting on a budget
Is there such a thing as pheasant shooting on a budget? Well, yes there is. You can always buy a left-over day on a shooting website and snap up a bargain. However, you may not know any of the Guns you are shooting with if you go down this route.…
Rough shooting jacket – what are the best options?
Many shooters are introduced to the sport through either rough shooting or walked-up shooting, and it is often the starting point for the best Shots, as it is a perfect way to get fresh air, be out in nature, and get plenty of exercise, as you’ll likely spend a while…
Tips to make you better at walked-up pheasant shooting
Have you been invited walked-up pheasant shooting for the first time? If so, congratulations because it’s a sought-after invitation. However it can be a daunting prospect for the beginner. On a walked-up shoot you don’t have total control of the birds and you don’t know how they will be presented,…
Walked-up shooting and the going away bird
For clay pigeon shooting enthusiasts and game shooters alike, walked-up shooting is making more and more sense. Here is how to prepare for typical going away targets.
The best gaiters for walked-up shooting
Gaiters for shooting are essential, particularly if you’re walked-up shooting on moorland. Why you need the best gaiters for shooting 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…
Why the best Shots start out as rough shooters
Very often you will see a person’s true character when you drive game over them on a peg. It’s difficult for anyone to hide it. If you are greedy, lack respect for your quarry or have a tendency to moan, it’s likely to show. We can learn a lot about…
What’s more challenging – a driven or a walked-up day?
Driven or walked-up shooting? It’s walked-up for Robin Scott who says: Given the chance I’d pop away at a driven game any day of the week. Nothing is easier than standing on a peg shooting birds passing nicely overhead after being flushed by a whole heap of beaters. You can…
How to bag rough shooting
On my desk as I write this is a rather yellowed and crumpled letter from the Forestry Commission offering an annual shooting lease over 1,003 acres at West Tofts, Norfolk, for the princely sum of £50. The letter is dated November 1971, a time when my father and a group…
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…
Walk on the wild side
Have you ever discovered that you have become fashionable by accident? Wildfowlers shared this experience a few years ago when metropolitan young men intentionally started sporting beards and looking unkempt. A game shooter’s garb, no longer ancient and malodorous, is now ‘cottagecore’, according to The Guardian’s fashion correspondent Priya Elan,…
How to start up your own DIY shoot
Starting a little DIY shoot can be great fun and very rewarding. In fact, it is the DIY shoot that is bringing some ‘fresh air’ to shooting. Why start a DIY shoot? Basically you and your shooting companions should get moderate driven shooting at a reasonable cost. Of course, while…
One barrel is all you need
A single-shot, single-barrelled shotgun is not popular these days. The guns are looked down upon as somehow ‘less than’. When I began my shooting life under my father’s instruction, I was as excited as any 14-year-old could be. I had completed my three-year apprenticeship of various gun-, dog- and bird-related…
How to tackle common species when walked-up shooting
Successfully walking-up any quarry and making the most of your opportunities is not as as straightforward as people often think. Here I will go into specific details about how to tackle commonly encountered species. The most frequently made mistake among would-be rough Shots is to head to the local clay…