If you are going to work your dog on a shoot, there is one thing of which you can be certain: sooner or later you will encounter livestock. As a responsible gundog owner, the last thing you want is for your dog to show an unhealthy interest in farm animals.…
Safety
Shooting has an enviable safety record and we must all strive to keep it that way so whether you’re out in the field game shooting or at the clay ground it is important that you put safety first.
These are articles from our experts with rules everyone should follow – beginners and those who have been shooting for years included. We have useful information about firearms licensing, interesting facts about why you should protect your hearing while shooting and how to keep Young Shots safe too.
Alcohol, guns and the law
An alarming viral email was recently widely distributed among members of the shooting community. It alleged that shoots will be specifically targeted by police with breathalyser tests over the Christmas period and has resulted in the police and BASC reassuring shooters that this is not the case
Would your gun cabinet pass the test?
A muscular man in the middle of the room swung a large hammer up over his head and brought it crashing down on a metal cabinet. It was not an ordinary Wednesday and Utah was not an ordinary destination for a Shooting Times assignment. Browning’s ProSteel gun cabinet factory sits…
How to stay safe when you’re a picker-up on a shoot
Pickers-up: The job of pickers-up is not an easy one.
Why do people worry when my gun is safely in its slip?
You don't have to carry your certificate but a photocopy has no legal status
10 of the best gun slips
When you’re out in the field or on a shooting ground your gun should be broken at all times (unless of course you are aiming at a target). Make sure guns are unloaded and carried in gun slips whenever possible. This way everyone knows they’re safe. 1. Beretta Light Transformer…
Should the safety on all guns be automatic?
Intercepting safety sears on the tumbler of a gun are supposed to stop accidental discharges if the gun is dropped, or jarred, by accident.
Six of the best ear defenders for under £35
Use it or lose it really is the case. Protecting your hearing when you’re out shooting is one of the key shooting safety rules. Ear defenders are an efficient way of doing this and many people find them particularly comfortable to use. We’ve picked out six of the best ear…
Five of the best electronic ear defenders
Ear protection is one of the key shooting safety rules. Numerous shooters complain of deafness, and, possibly the worse affliction, tinnitus – a constant ringing sound. The old ear defenders, which meant that you were cut off from the world, are no longer inflicted on us. Today sudden loud or sharp noises, whether from your own…
Garden airgunning
If you have a moderate sized garden then you probably have enough room to set up a shooting range for an air rifle. Long warm evenings mean you can enjoy a spot of airgunning after work and improve your markmanship along the way. It’s also a good time to introduce…
Cartridge safety rules
Reloading your shotgun cartridges is popular in places like America but nobody in the UK (with the possible exception of a few wildfowlers) seems to bother. Why is this?
Where should I keep my gun cabinet keys safely?
On Sunday August 10 1997 a police officer called at the house of Mr Mark Farrer. He wanted to inspect his firearms security. Mr Farrer was not at home. His mother, then in her 80s, who did not hold a certificate, fetched the officer the key and allowed him access to the gun cabinet. The Chief Constable then declined…
What happens to my gun when I’m at the shoot lunch?
Err on the side of caution when it comes to gun security, Bill Harriman advises, as you may be seen as the criminal if a theft was preventable
Effective pest control with an airgun
What do you do when grey squirrels, rats and corvids are robbing nests of eggs? You get out the airgun - and you lay in wait, as Mat Manning explains
6 of the best gun cabinets
Remember all gun cabinets and gun safes must conform to the British standard, have secure gun locks and be fixed to a secure structure. Contact your local police firearms department if you have a query on where to fit your gun cabinet or safe. The police prefer a gun cabinet…
What is the closest to a public road you can legally use a shotgun?
Where a field is bordered by a public footpath, what is the minimum distance at which one can safely and legally shoot a shotgun?
Gun security in your car – your responsibilities
The shooting season is now well underway and so I think that a timely reminder about gun security in your car would not go amiss. I’m told by my colleague, Detective Chief Superintendent Jo Chilton of the National Ballistic Intelligence Service, that there have been targeted thefts of shotguns in the North West. Certificate holders are…
What to do if you have a car crash when you’re transporting your gun
Q: Imagine you are on your way to your shoot, with gun, cartridges and dog in your car, when out of nowhere someone crashes into you. Fortunately neither of you are hurt, but both vehicles are immobile. My question is should I call the police, as I can hardly hail…
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…