Shooting Gazette asked a host of leading figures in gameshooting community for their reflections on 2019 in fieldsports, what they are looking forward to about 2020 and also the one issue they are concerned about in the year ahead. Eoghan Cameron, chairman, BASC High on the list of successes for…
Shooting Gazette
Which is the best shotgun cartridge for hitting high birds?
I noticed something last season. I saw some fellow Guns shooting birds at extreme range – higher than 60 yards – and I was also successful with some of my birds. What occurred to me was that a few years ago these birds would certainly have been out of range.…
Should a youngster have his or her own shotgun certificate?
Q: I would like to buy my son his first shotgun as a birthday present when he turns 14 this summer. Can he have his own shotgun certificate or is it best to put it on mine? A: Whilst I would suggest the new shotgun should be on yours as…
Would a working cocker spaniel be right for you?
Once upon a time everybody had a black Labrador. Then chocolate Labradors arrived on the scene. Now fox red Labs are de rigeur it would seem. Mind you, the dog that you’re likely to see in the field just about everywhere now is a working cocker spaniel. Not so long…
A Gun’s view on picking-up on a shoot day
Picking-up: Guns should be allowed to go picking-up on shoot day.
How NOT to be asked shooting again
Bad manners in the field What time is this? Lateness is a serious sin. Mark you, earliness can be quite embarrassing if you stride into the kitchen roaring for coffee and bacon sarnies to find your hostess, still in her nightie, surrounded by last night’s washing up, poking forlornly at…
Should you ever smack a gundog?
Gun dog discipline: A light tap on the nose as a warning for one gun dog owner may seem tantamount to cruelty to another. Justin Clarke examines how to make the punishment fit the crime.
12 bore vs 16 bore – the great debate
Which would be your choice in the 12-bore vs 16 bore conversation? Ask some people why they use a 16-bore and they say they “stumbled across one by chance” but now wouldn’t use anything else. Here’s what our debates think … 16-bores are for rural hipsters says Ben Samuelson A…
We need to talk about lead shot
Calls for game shooting to push ahead with finding alternatives to lead shot are growing louder, both inside and outside of the sport. Rob Yorke offers a personal view on the subject. How lead shot became popular One hundred and fifty years ago, wild meat was harvested, without the use…
Beretta SL3 reviewed by Shooting Gazette magazine
A brand new model from the Beretta dynasty is not something that comes along every day. I first laid eyes on the Beretta SL3 when it was launched with much fanfare at IWA last year. Since then, I’ve been keen to have a closer look and put the gun through…
Browning Heritage Hunter
There are clients at the shooting school who will only shoot a 20-bore on all their game days, and other clients that switch between 12-bore and 20-bore. Then there are those moving to a lighter gun, as 12-bores become a little heavy in later years, or youngsters being bought their…
Why does the springer spaniel have a reputation for being difficult to train? It’s not deserved.
The springer spaniel holds the greatest appeal of all gundog breeds for me. Springer spaniel skills include multi-tasking, drive, pace and style. No other breed comes close to a hard-going springer. However, the behaviour of some springers in the field has given the field a somewhat chequered reputation. Springer faux…
Perugini & Visini HVR
The Perugini & Visini shotgun we’re examining this month is a custom version, the brainchild of John Jeffries. John has been involved with shotgun customising for more than 50 years and looks to improve the performance and handling of existing products, matching these improvements with a bespoke fitting service. John…
Chapuis C40 12 bore reviewed by Shooting Gazette
Prior to picking up the Chapuis C40 for this month’s review the only other French shotgun I had shot before was a Darne made in the same region of France as the Chapuis but with a unique sliding breech action. So on opening the travel case I was quite relieved…
Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust: Text 07786 917498 for support
Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust: The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust has added a new texting service to its helpline in a bid to provide gamekeepers with greater access to its services.
How to deal with redundancy when a shoot closes
If there is anything more upsetting and unsettling than impending redundancy, I have yet to hear of it. And for gamekeepers who have been given notice of a shoot closure or impending redundancy, there is the added body blow of having to find not only another job, but also in…
Beretta 695 reviewed by Shooting Gazette
The Beretta 695 on test is a relatively new offering from the Beretta stable and top of the range for shotguns based upon the 690 action. It is available in 12 bore and 20 bore and in this form comes with fine, deep-relief scroll engraving and Grade 3 premium walnut…
What’s the best cartridge load for standard driven pheasants?
Q: As we move towards the pheasant season can you recommend the best cartridge load for driven pheasants. I don’t mean skyscraper high pheasants, rather standard ones. A: I think cartridges are very much a personal preference and I would say that whatever gives you confidence when you are shooting is the correct cartridge for you. Shooting…
William Powell Perdix
The William Powell Perdix is not just a partridge gun, more a gun for all seasons that performed very well on test