Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i Shooting Gazette

As we move into the busiest months of the shooting season we take the opportunity in this issue to look at two shoots at opposite ends of England which both have fearsome reputations for stunning shooting and fantastic hospitality. Whitfield (pictured above) in Northumberland and Withycombe in Devon are at the top of their game - literally. And on the topic of challenging shooting, this month we also feature guns which are specifically designed with high pheasants in mind (pages 54-56), and why not? After all, if you are lucky enough to find yourself pegged out in a deep post-glacial valley, straining your neck to see the top of the hill in front, then you will want to feel confident you have the right hardware to hand. Some of these…

What was your first shotgun? My first gun was a .177 air rifle that I got for my eighth birthday and I used to shoot Airfix models with in the garden. I used to fix a plastic aircraft to a line, set fire to the engine and then let it fly across the garden while trying hit it with limited success. My first shotgun was a 12 bore Harrison and Hussey. Where was your first shoot day? My first formal day was at the Trafalgar shoot on the Longford estate near Salisbury. I was commissioned to paint a caricature of the syndicate as a leaving present for Peter Jenkins. They kindly invited me back and I had to borrow a gun which didn't fit and banged my finger every time…

Wild game faggots SERVES FOUR PEOPLE Ingredients • 50g mince rabbit• 50g mince venison• 50g mince pheasant• 50g mince pork• 50g chopped game offal• 100g diced onion• Chopped fresh thyme• Chopped fresh sage• 1ltr game stock• Cornish sea salt• Milled black pepper Method Mix all the game mince, pork mince, diced onion and chopped herbs together. Season well and roll into balls. Place into an earthenware pot and pour over the stock. Place into a hot over 180° for 20 minutes. Once cooked removed from the oven and allow to rest. Remove the excess stock from the faggots. The stock can be reduced on the stove and poured back over the wild game faggots once it is thick and sticky.…

Dear Uncle Giles I am a little bit particular about shooting with someone watching me. When the host or shoot manager stands right behind me, it doesn’t half put me off. Is there a way I can politely ask them to move on, or should I be asking myself why it puts me off? REM, via email Uncle Giles writes You are not alone, dear boy. Having someone you don’t know particularly well standing with you is always deeply off-putting and faintly aggravating. I dare say that top shots who routinely shoot in front of crowds don’t mind, but the rest of us are definitely irked. And always in the centre of the line, too. You wait three hours to find yourself in the pound seat for the big first-half…

PICTURE OF THE MONTH…

It is often illuminating to see how shoots describe themselves, especially when they are unknown quantities. Florid flights of creative fancy on websites are often less likely to produce flights of excellence when the game chips are down. But the dawning realisation that the shooting community exposes the good and bad by constant cross-reference, in the bar or online, has helped to hone the prose and reduce the improbable and less likely. Withycombe Farm sits midway between Winsford and Withypool, pretty much in the centre of Exmoor, and describes itself as ‘1,500 acres of prime Exmoor shooting country... the deep valleys and woodlands, the result of England’s most southerly glacier, offering very well presented birds that will guarantee to challenge even the most experienced guests’. A bold statement, but as…

I seemed to have created the odd flutter of panic from some of my guns who read last month’s column and thought all was doom and gloom here. Far from it, luckily, as we found we were able to work round the late harvest and would chalk September up as a good first month. It is too early to tell how the rest of the season will pan out but there are grounds for optimism as the belated combining meant more stubbles being left longer which has held the partridges better. October is the crunch month as the cropping has been settled and then we find where the birds decide to stay for the winter. The pheasants are still enjoying the natural food available but don’t appear to be straying…

A golden Guinness triple? What an interesting article by Donald Dallas in the October issue about the Churchill 22. A true oddity! In the article, he speculates on why the Hon. A.E.Guinness had a Triple of 17" barrelled 20 bores built by Boss. He mentions he had three daughters, Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh, the "Golden Guinness Girls". Surely it must have been for his beloved offspring? Allan Dobbs By email Tread carefully in the world of trophy hunting The case of the killing of Cecil the Lion appears to be a criminal act and should be treated as such and not as a siren call to criticise so called "trophy hunting". Trophy hunting as carried out in South Africa and most of sub-Saharan Africa by the vast majority of responsible…

By the end of this winter, I will have been wildfowling on the same stretch of the Solway coast for 15 years. As a wildly enthusiastic teenager, I spent days in quiet reconnaissance along the edge of the deep creeks of muddy salt water, and I learned how the duck used the shelter of the estuary in every pitch and heave of weather and tide. The best conditions always come in a gale and a day of driving rain, when all but the deepest bog holes and rushy bottoms are raked with a wild wind. On days like these, the duck shy away from the exposed corners and concentrate on the loops and bends of the deep water below the ash woods, where the storm is broken and shows itself…

FEATURING The 10 best pheasant shoots in the UK Fantastic festive food and drink and last-minute gifts for game shooters BILL MELDRUM SPEAKS OUT The Queen’s legendary headkeeper and dog man on modern training trends HIGHLAND HEAVEN A sporting estate to make you drool TURKISH DELIGHT A gunmaking nation with a growing global influence PLUS The greatest writing team in fieldsports, from Giles Catchpole and Donald Dallas to David Whitby and Barney Stratton THE DECEMBER ISSUE GOES ON SALE ON THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26…

LONDON RULES 34-35 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7LB Just around the corner from Covent Garden, London’s oldest restaurant, which opened in 1798, is the place to go if you have a budget to throw out of the window and an appetite for game to satisfy. With links to an estate in the Pennines, where staff go to improve their husbandry skills and knowledge, you can expect the best game that money can buy within its grand walls. Rules refers to itself as a “heritage restaurant”, and for “old warm charm” in its endless rave reviews read high standards both in the kitchen and in its numerous dining rooms. rules.co.uk THE JUGGED HARE 49 Chiswell St, EC1Y 4SA Part of the ETM Group which has bolt holes all over London, The Jugged…

Human The dog is an even-tempered soul. I know dogs that are not. I know dogs that are highly strung and I know dogs that are not to be trusted. I have met dogs that are plain vicious. I am of the view that a dog’s attitude is largely the product of its environment. Stressed dogs tend to come from fraught households. Snappy dogs tend to emerge from homes where uneven temperaments are on display, and vicious dogs are created by their owners for purposes that I cannot fathom. I have known a couple of dogs that went mad but they were suffering from some sort of illness or progressive defect, which is sad. Having said all of that, the dog has been known to express its disapproval of the…

Holland & Holland has a large number of patents, probably more than any other British gunmaker. From its first patent in 1861 to the last in 1950, an incredible 51 have been registered to the firm. The manufacturer was highly inventive and one simple patent in 1911 showed how it dealt with the problem of full choke. The Duplex choke bore was patented by Henry Holland and William Mansfield on October 27, 1911. In a heavily choked gun it was dangerous to fire a solid projectile as it could cause the restricted portion to bulge or burst. To lessen the pressure, Holland and Mansfield invented a two-stage choke bore. The length of the choke was longer than a conventional choke and it was divided into two stages ( ‘a’ and…

Ted Darling is a friend who farms near Royston, and his renowned grey partridge and farmland bird success is due to hard work, lateral thinking and the optimising of agri-environmental schemes. Part of this involves creating 24-metre strips of spring barley around the edges of five fields. These produce 3km of field margin food for birds, and after woodpigeons have gleaned the stubbles and winter drilling, they join the partridges and small birds on this food source at the end of October and through November, when some good days’ sport are possible. Ted himself enjoys decoying and, if time permits, he likes to join my colleague AC and I in the field. It needs three of us to keep the birds moving as if only one field were shot, the…

This is a Spanish-made copy of the classic London five-pin sidelock gun, and William Powell makes no secret of it, with “Especially made for William Powell in Spain” engraved on the underside. It’s difficult to compare it directly with an Arrieta as the price of its guns seems to be a closely guarded secret – probably because William Powell is one of two authorised UK Arrieta dealers, along with E.J. Churchill. You might compare it with the slightly more expensive AYA No.2 at around £6,270. This Monarch in 20 bore form has quite a large action – noticeably larger than the AYA – and almost looks like a 16 bore. Though the engraving is underwhelming, the wood used in the stock is striking and has been well finished. The stock…

Q I shoot with a 28” barrel shotgun but have seen people out with 32” and even 34” barrels. Will my pheasant shooting improve if I make this switch? Considering I have often read about the famous Churchill 25” barrel gun, I am rather confused… A I have been writing this Dr Watson column for many years now and one of the most valuable pieces of shooting advice I have given time and again is the importance of making a good connection with the bird you are shooting. If your connection is good at the start of your shot, the rest of the process falls into place. The longer your barrels, the easier it is to make a connection with the bird. This is why many modern era guns have…

I must admit that I’ve never much fancied the Audi Q7. The old one was just too big, too brash and, dare I say it, too ugly. To me, it really didn’t look like it had been developed with the UK market in mind, but that didn’t stop it selling like Alka-Seltzer on New Year’s Day. The new version is a more sober affair, and looks like its bodywork is rather well-tailored. It is only a couple of inches smaller in all dimensions than its predecessor, but it looks like the chaps with the chalk and the tape measures have been working their magic, and its sharp creases hide its bulk better. It is also a massive 300kg lighter, having been on a diet of aluminium and trick hot-formed steel,…

You may remember back in the September issue we profiled a boxlock that once belonged to an RAF pilot whose name was the inspiration for the Captain W.E. John’s character “Biggles”. The 12 bore single trigger that once belonged to Air Commodore Cecil George “Wiggles” Wigglesworth went under the hammer at Holt’s on September 17, selling for £2,200 – a full £1,000 above its top estimate. Auction diary dates Southern Counties Sporting Goods Sale (salisburyauctioncentre.co.uk) Netherhampton Salerooms…

Tom Grange brings you a selection of fine old cartridges from his collection. The Grand Finale from Atkinsons of Swansea (1924); the Imperial from P. Morris & Son of Hereford (1924); the Castle Brand from Edward Gale of Barnstaple (1916); and the Special Imperial from H.W. Barford & Co. of Coventry (1927). The Champion Smokeless from Skinner & Co. of Leek (1910); the Special from C. Jeffery & Sons of Dorchester (1927); the Bull’s Eye Special from Bakers of Worcester (1927); and the Signature from Cole & Son of Devizes, Portsmouth, Chippenham & Windsor (1910). The Special from James Woodward & Sons of London (1910); the Baker’s Best from F.T. Baker of London (1910); the Weston’s Special from C. & H. Weston of Brighton and Hailsham (1910); and the Eclipse…

IT WAS the turn of the Essex area of the United Retriever Club to host the area finals this year, held in the stunning grounds of The Auberies near Sudbury, with huge thanks to the owners, Nigel, Nicky and Dominic Burke, writes Jackie Smith. Our judges were Roger Ketley, Glynis Hillier and Caroline Heasman, who all have years of experience, so a massive thank you to them, too. We had an army of helpers who kindly gave up their day to support the club: stewarding, dummy throwing and various other roles were carried out like clockwork. Tremendous support came from our sponsors: Masters Dog Food supplied bags of food for each winning team member and other award winners; Sporting Saint gave various bits of gundog training equipment as prizes; and…

THE NORTH Midland Area of the United Retriever Club held a cold-game test at Strines Moor, Yorkshire, by kind permission of Mr & Mrs Hunt, writes Phil Wagland. The judges were John Benyon, Kevin Jackson and Scott Marland from Lancashire. The tests were based on natural shooting situations and there were spectacular views across the moorland. There were ten entries for the veteran test, and 28 for the intermediate/novice section, with labradors, goldens and flat-coated retrievers competing. In the morning, Kevin judged a static test where a gun below a steep slope saluted a marked retrieve falling in rushes. Meanwhile, John and Scott were busy with a walk-up across the moor, with four dogs in line at a time. The afternoon tests were sited on the steeper edge of the…

A FEW months ago I had the privilege of meeting one of the best of the best, Frank Clitheroe. When Frank ran his first field trial he had to do it under his employer’s name as he couldn’t be a member of the gundog clubs as a keeper. While chatting, Frank told me why a trial is called a stake – because in London clubs, gentlemen would wager money that their keepers and dogs could beat their neighbour’s keepers and dogs. This started me thinking about the history of trialling and the way it has evolved. The Kennel Club was originally set up to uphold fair play among dog shows and field trials that first took place in the 1860s. The first stud book for 1874 records the inaugural competitive…

What are your thoughts on Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to appoint Kerry McCarthy, a vice-president of LACS, to the position of shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs? Bernie Russell posted: “I wouldn't worry about McCarthy. Corbyn has as much chance of becoming PM as he does of becoming Pope. And once he goes, so will she. But it does reinforce the point that any shooter would have to be brain-dead to vote Labour. Its default position is to ban everything of which it disapproves. (Anglers should also take note. if they get us, you'll be next.) What are your thoughts following the news of the CLA Game Fair’s cancellation? Dan Doherty posted: “They have just priced themselves out of the market. The cost to stay on the…

Ian Niall (whose real name was John McNeillie) became one of the most famous country writers of his day after his precocious leap into the limelight in his early 20s with the celebrated Scottish novel Wigtown Ploughman: Part of His Life. Bleak, hard and brutal, the novel was published in 1939 and followed the life of a farm worker in the Scottish lowlands, tracing his progression from a surly schoolboy into proud, brutal manhood. Wigtown Ploughman won acclaim because it pulled no punches, but it also painted an extraordinarily colourful and evocative picture of the Scottish countryside, from late night poaching expeditions to bloody fist-fights down at the Wigtown show. Later in his life, Niall wrote extensively for Country Life, and his ability to capture the detail and appeal of…

Q: I have sent my certificate off for renewal but I am shooting next week and have no realistic expectation of having it returned before then. What should I do? Guy Stevens, via email A: It rather depends on whether your old certificate has expired. If it has you need to make sure the firearms are being lawfully held. Either they need to go to a registered firearms dealer (RFD) – taken there by someone with a ticket – or an RFD needs to come and collect them, or you need to give all the keys to your cabinet to someone with a certificate. If the police (and I have known it happen) say “don’t worry just keep them in the cabinet until you get the new certificate”, it's best…

TRAVEL Located midway between Winsford and Withypool in the north of Exmoor and around 190 miles from London, most people will approach by road. Southerly access is off Junction 27 on the M5 (Tiverton), while the A39 at Dunster offers the best northern approach. Either way, it’s a three-hour haul, but make the northern run in daylight for the most spectacular views across the moors to the Bristol Channel and South Wales beyond. Unless it is raining. Arrive by air at either Exeter or Bristol, or by rail at Tiverton Parkway, and you will make a taxi driver very happy indeed. STAY As we have seen, Exmoor is not the easiest place to access quickly or easily from any direction, which adds much to its charm for shooters and the…

Without its rituals and quirky rules, a day’s shooting could end up being a complete flop, so there’s always room for a little superstition to get one into the rhythm. “I always wear odd-coloured shooting socks and have to put my lucky right Wellington boot on first, otherwise I won’t shoot well that day,” explained roving syndicate shoot captain Will Ashby. “And what about traditional lucky pants?” I asked, innocently. “A good idea but I never wear pants,” came the reply. Goodness me. Too much information. This team of six guns shoots two consecutive days at Whitfield in Northumberland every year – one extreme pheasant day followed by a mixed pheasant and partridge day. Known for its cloud-clipping pheasants, Whitfield is a Mecca for high-bird specialists. “You don’t book a…

FOLLOWING UNCLE Giles' advice on tipping in the October issue, I would like to comment on our experience of a shoot day a few years ago. Being a set of friendly guns who had parted with a fairly substantial amount of money, for what I must say was a wonderful day's shooting, I was told in no uncertain terms, not once but twice, that “I would tip the keeper at least his set amount, and more if I felt I should”. We as a roving syndicate are not ungenerous but the amount we were told “we were going to pay” was almost double the amount we'd intended. We were definitely left feeling, having paid “top dollar” to shoot, we were now expected to subsidise the keeper’s pay, which we did…

What’s the most radical change you’ve ever had made to your shotgun? There are lots of alterations a gunsmith can make to give us a better picture of our target, but how about gluing on a reversed rib? That might sound a little fantastic, but it’s exactly the kind of thing John Jeffries has been doing for years, sometimes to great applause, sometimes to an awkward murmur. Readers of a certain age might recall Faster, a song on the Manic Street Preachers’ album The Holy Bible, which opens with the lyrics “I am an architect, they call me a butcher/ I am a pioneer, they call me primitive”. Despite learning of his deep love of music during our interview, I shied away from asking John if he was aware of…

Shotguns have been made for many purposes over the centuries; from 9mm garden guns for pests to enormous four bore shoulder guns for geese on the mudflats. There have been shotguns with short barrels for woodcock, guns with reverse chokes for grouse and long-barrelled guns for high pheasants. The variety is such that we all seem to need that extra gun (convincing your spouse being the only obstacle). But how about a shotgun specifically designed for shooting down Zeppelins? What an addition to the gunroom that would be, even if the quarry is somewhat limited today. The First World War was the first war in which advanced technology was used to create destruction on an immense scale, and new weapons were invented that for a period offered an advantage until…

Three cheers for Sir Ian Botham for having the balls to take on the RSPB, a charity rightly accused of “forgetting the birds”. Founded in 1889 as the ‘Plumage League’ by ladies with concerns about the enormity of the feather trade, where birds suffered persecution in the name of fashion, the RSPB is now the largest wildlife charity in Europe, boasting 1,000,000 members, 2,000 employees, 212 nature reserves, more than 321,237 acres of land and an income of £100m. We live in a pluralist society with many thousands of pressure groups all pushing their chosen interest. The RSPB lobbies government about many issues concerning birds, but now it seems birds are no longer enough. This empire-building organisation worries that it is just seen as a birdwatching club. Back in January,…

As a 20 bore, one would expect the gun to mount and move well, and this was the case, as myself and instructor Bruce Marks discovered at Grange Farm Shooting Ground. At a little over 6lbs 3oz it is certainly a good weight, although interestingly it probably feels a little heavy in the hands, with much of the weight felt in the front hand – surprising given the fixed choke 28” barrels. In spite of it being a light side-by-side, we found it actually handled recoil very well indeed, with minimal noticeable muzzle flip. The Monarch is a good length out of the box, though as mentioned in the main body of the review, I would have liked more grip from the butt of the stock. There is a good…

Covering over 1,000 acres in a peaceful setting near Lewes, this fine residential, farming and sporting estate has much to attract the shrewd buyer, not least iconic views of the South Downs. At the heart of the estate is a Grade II listed manor farmhouse dating from 1824 with eight bedrooms and a range of domestic offices, including a cellar. Alongside this is a further Grade II listed four-bedroom house and two pairs of semi-detached cottages. All this residential space could be ideal for letting, or for housing the staff to keep this excellent estate running. The organic farming operation is well supplied with specialist agricultural buildings including 750 tonnes of grain storage and two large modern covered yards ideal for livestock. There are 492 acres of grass and 462…

Richmond ladies wrap by Alan Paine £99.99 alanpaine.co.uk Hunting and shooting print boxers by Unmentionables £25 gunnline.co.uk Regent shotgun cleaning outfit by William Powell £95 williampowell.com Limited edition hunting scene necklace by Rachel Elizabeth Wood £1,000 rachelelizabethwood.com Rapid multi shot dummy launcher by Waidwerk £199 sportingsaint.co.uk Pair of pheasants in flight picture by Atlas & I £295 atlas-and-i.com Cartridge cufflinks by Holland & Holland £295 hollandandholland.com House check shooting suit by Cordings of Piccadilly £740 cordings.co.uk Helmsley field coat by William & Son £675 williamandson.com Shotgun cartridges silk tie by Atkinsons £45 (each) ahume.co.uk Erase XT Forest Thermos flask by Seeland £29.99 seelanduk.co.uk Oak frame wooden dog bed…

THE GUILDFORD Working Gundog Club hosted the 2015 Southern Interclub Challenge at Windsor, by gracious invitation of Her Majesty the Queen and the Crown Commissioners, writes Jo Rollinson. The day was a great success and many thanks must go to the judges Diana Harrison, Heather Bradley, John Stubbs, Nick Coates, Chris Rose and Dave England. The ground was ideal and our thanks also goes to Peter Clayton for agreeing to let Guildford host the event there. There were 17 teams and six tests. All were suited for each level of competitor. The novice dog/novice handlers were guided around the day and advised by the novice and open handlers through all the tests. There was great team spirit and support throughout the day and fantastic catering was provided by The Inn…

Readers of this magazine probably don’t need much convincing on the topic of delicious and healthy game. Whether it’s pheasant, partridge, grouse, rabbit or hare, we all love to eat what we shoot. But, as Jose Souto and photographer Steve Lee so richly illustrate both in word and image in this sumptuous book, venison is one of the most versatile, healthy and downright delicious of all of nature’s bounty. A Spaniard by birth, Souto has worked for many years as a chef in the House of Commons and is now senior lecturer of the butchery department at Westminster Kingsway College. He is also a demonstrator chef for BASC and is a very keen deer stalker. This book contains more than 50 recipes as well as clear information about the different…

A good shoot day is all about pace and timing – it can’t be crash, bang wallop all day long. And the elevenses break comes in as the perfect opportunity to stop and reflect on the privilege of spending day in the field. So in recognition of this most excellent of sporting traditions we have teamed up with Foxdenton, makers of traditional drinks for the perfect elevenses and famous for its Goliath bottle, to select one shoot to feature in excellent elevenses each month. The Punchbowl and Blowingstone shoot makes the most of the sporting opportunities presented by the famous ridgeway which passes through this part of south Oxfordshire. So when guns have been tested to the limit on the screaming pheasants and partridges passing high overhead they are always…

Irony is using words to convey a meaning that is diametrically opposite to its literal meaning. Often, this column subtly employs it to highlight the maladministration, commercial illiteracy, general incompetence and self-serving agendas of those who influence, or seek to influence, our lives. Nicola Sturgeon is a really nice lady whose stance on nationalism, Land Reform and Trident have much to commend them, is just one example of the genre. In the midst of the dogfight to elect a new Labour leader, this column signed off with a gently ironic poke at contender, Jeremy Corbyn, a man who would lead us towards the promised land of equality and nationalised industries, but whose views on the rural community were largely unknown. But within 24 hours of his election, the Trotskyite-leaning Corbyn’s…

Have you raised a gun to any real birds this season? “I’ve done some pigeon shooting over decoys. I adore shooting pigeons. There are a few people I go with occasionally, but I tend to shoot on my own.” When you’re in the hide, is that shooting you can really enjoy without the pressure of competition? “It is. I have a labrador and I love taking her out and just sitting there. I suppose it’s the thrill of the chase; I get a real buzz out of it but it’s a peaceful buzz. You’re on your own, but you’re trying to get your pattern right and outwit them. When it works well, it’s an incredible feeling.” So it’s more of a therapeutic buzz than pure relaxation? “Yes it is. But…

The Gunmakers’ Company Charitable Trust received a huge boost when more than £70,000 was raised on this wonderful day at Holland & Holland Shooting Ground. Chairman of the Trust Lord Sharman hosted the day and teams enjoyed a sporting round of 80 clays with the opportunity to shoot with H&H shotguns on one stand.…

I started working on this magazine in July 1999 and I have attended almost every CLA Game Fair since. In the early days I was involved in stand construction and would often drive the hire van on to the site on the Wednesday preceding the show. In those days, after a riotous three days of working hard and partying even harder, I would be back on site on the Monday morning to pack up the van and trundle back up the motorway, nursing a sore head and exhausted body. Talented writer and photographer Darren Crush, who also enjoyed a party, often accompanied me. Sadly Darren passed away in July 2012 but his memory lives long and strong, as will memories of the Game Fair. Back in the heyday of this…

TRAVEL The Whitfield shoot and the village of the same name are around 12 miles south-west of Hexham on the A69, making it a fairly straightforward journey for guns coming via Carlisle (off the M6) or Newcastle (off the A1). On your way to the shoot you’ll probably be able to hear the aircraft coming in to or taking off from Newcastle Airport, around 33 miles east, or Carlisle Airport around 35 miles to the west. If you’re staying at Langley Castle and are taking the train, alight at nearby Haydon Bridge railway station, which is on the Tyne Valley Line. newcastleairport.com carlisleairport.co.uk northernrail.org scotrail.co.uk STAY Will Ashby and his team stayed within the luxurious confines of Langley Castle, an imposing 14th century edifice built during the reign of Edward…

The knight errant is not a concept one hears discussed much these days, which is a pity in my view, because the idea of a gentleman wandering about the vicinity rescuing maidens, slaying dragons, righting wrongs and generally being something of a good egg to all and sundry is an attractive one that merits wider consideration. Which brings us to sporting gents. And when we say “gents” of course we include equally ladies of a sporting disposition too, because ladies can always be quite as sporting and just as gentle as any chap, and being a sporting sort of chap does not by any means depend on gender. A TRUSTY MODE OF TRANSPORT Much like the elephant, the sporting gent is easy to recognise but hard to define. So it…

Miroku has now done a Grade 5 in its Universal specification, which has a nice 8mm rib, Deeley edge stock with slightly higher comb, Grade 5 wood which is very pleasing and comes with ¾ and full chokes which cover the extreme birds these guns were made for. These offer good value for money, sensibly priced at £2,694. Beretta is now coming out with 32" barrelled game guns. The 20 bore 32" version is very popular, and is available in various grades. Beretta also supplies 32" barrels that can be retro fitted. These guns are multi choke and offer all spectrum of the chokes for varying ranges. The prices start with the Deluxe at £2,250 and go up to the EELL which starts at £6,125. To retro fit a pair…

This unique course, run by experienced deer stalker and Holland & Holland shooting instructor Steve Rawsthorne, is designed to take someone who has not shot a rifle before to the point where they could accompany a professional stalker with an Estate rifle and competently and safely shoot a beast, or someone taking the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 to confidently undertake the shooting test, an essential part of the course. The DSC1 includes a shooting test but there is no opportunity to train/practise for it. Many new stalkers need to have a DSC1 to get a firearms certificate but cannot practise because they do not have a rifle, so are in a catch twenty two situation. After passing the Stalkers Course you will accompany Steve with a borrowed rifle on…

Sloe gin’s origin dates back to the 18th century. The Inclosure Acts of 1773 meant countless blackthorn bushes were planted as hedges and the ready availability of sugar from the West Indies meant the huge supply of largely rough gin could be made considerably more palatable. Nowadays sloe gin and other fruit liqueurs have never been more popular and Jonti Dampney is beginning to carve out a niche in this marketplace. Last summer saw the 26-year-old needing some extra money to help refurbish a cottage and he hit on the idea of fruit liqueurs. Having been into shooting and hunting all his life, he had some ready-made contacts and the fact that his godfather owns a soft fruit farm didn’t hurt. He began with the raspberry range – gin, vodka…

In the early part of the First World War, pilots brought aloft various weapons to pursue combat if an enemy aircraft was sighted. Most of these weapons fired single shots and were not very effective against aircraft of wood and canvas construction. Against Zeppelins they were just popguns. On November 27, 1914, Henry Holland and his factory manager William Mansfield took out patent no. 23196 for a string of shot. Attached to one large 12 bore ball was a string of smaller shot. The patent drawing shows many variations on the theme, some with single strings, others with multiple strings. Specially produced brass cartridges were filled with this hefty charge and the recoil must have been quite considerable. The density of lead and powerful charge meant the string could travel…

The Hunter GTX Extreme® from Lowa is the boot of choice for guns and keepers who demand strength and comfort when out in the field. Handcrafted in Germany using the finest leather, SPS midsole technology and Vibram outsoles, your feet will be stylish and well-supported, while the PRIMALOFT® insulation and GORE-TEX® waterproof lining will keep your feet warm and dry. For more information visit lowa.co.uk. To win a pair of these Lowa boots find the 11 listed words and send the completed entry form to: Wordsearch, Shooting Gazette, 7th Floor, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU. Entries to arrive no later than November 30. The first correct entry to be drawn will win. September’s winner was Martin Stacey from Ayrshire.…

The name William Powell has been involved in gunmaking in Britain since 1802. The firm passed through the hands of many generations of Powells before the rise of European makers finally caught up with them and the business was sold to Mark and Christine Osborne in 2008, moving to a new site near Banbury. Today, one might be more familiar with William Powell as a retailer of all things country sports, rather than as a gunmaker. Indeed, upon viewing the Powell website there is an extensive range of clothing and accessories from various high-end manufacturers. William Powell was among the first British gunmakers to spot the writing on the wall and outsource manufacturing to the continent, contracting Italian firm Abbiatico & Salvinelli to produce its Heritage line of guns in…

Just down the road in the splendid village of Highclere you will find the Yew Tree Inn, where Simon Davis displays his love of cooking seasonal British food with stunning results. I was there this summer for delicious grouse on the evening of the Glorious Twelfth. On that day Simon had been on the moor at Reeth in the morning and had personally escorted enough brace to feed a full restaurant. Having then overseen the preparation of the birds, he set about cooking them all for the 70-plus tweedy types who had gathered. And we enjoyed every mouthful. It’s a fantastic place to eat and they have rooms too.theyewtree.co.uk…

What is happening in the current land market? A simple question but one troubling many when answering. August is usually a happy month with the start of the grouse season, harvest in full swing and the financial markets placid whilst holidays are taken. Grouse numbers were already patchy in some areas but one of the wettest Augusts recorded did not help the situation, nor for released birds ready for the partridge and pheasant season. Harvest was miserable with grain and livestock commodity prices testing some farmers’ sanity. The financial markets also had another black day with further uncertainty continuing across world economies. The September market usually sees the introduction of property for the autumn market but there was little excitement. Some were still struggling with harvest, others struggling with dwindling…

Gundogs and how to train them. The subject frequently stirs up a hornet’s nest, with various experts having differing, dogmatic views. There is a world of difference between the professionally trained gundog that lives in a kennel and works three or four times a week and the dog that is predominantly a family pet, taken out picking-up occasionally during the season. But both sets of dogs serve their purpose, and the latter, if well trained, is equally useful in the shooting field. “Many trainers say you should train in short bursts. I completely disagree.” DOGS: LIKE SPORTS CARS This is where dog trainer Mike Barnes comes in. He doesn’t train gundogs, he trains owners and their dogs, and specialises in the pet gundog market while working his own spaniel, Binley.…

THE LINCOLNSHIRE Area of the United Retriever Club held its puppy, special puppy, veteran and junior handler working tests at Nocton, writes Gilly Bell. Our thanks go to Mr and Mrs R. Howard for allowing us to use this ground, which makes such an excellent venue. Thanks must also go to Mr and Mrs M. Strawson for kindly sponsoring the event. Mike Williams was chief steward. Cherry Wood and Anna Wagland were our judges for the day, and the kind help and guidance they gave to the junior handlers was much appreciated. All the puppies competed in the morning, each completing four tests. Test one was a two-dog walk-up; test two was a mark followed by a blind; test three involved two marks in water; and test four was a…

ELEVEN DOGS were entered for the working gundog certificate day, held at Bryn-y- Pys, Overton on Dee, Wrexham, by kind permission of Mr T. Roselli, writes Gaynor Bailey. The Gundog Club of North Wales must have been pleased with the number and variety of entrants. There was a good mix for assessors Anthea Lawrence and Jenny Menage, including two English springer spaniels, one Welsh springer, one cocker, one German wirehaired pointer and five labrador retrievers. A major criterion for the day was steadiness, with lots of blank shots fired and dummies thrown. After a walk-up with seen dummies thrown out behind, each dog in line was sent back for a retrieve. Each dog was also sent for a blind retrieve, then a water retrieve from the River Dee. Then all…

THE EASTERN Counties Golden Retriever Club held its novice dog/novice handler and special puppy working test at Grove Farm, Raveningham, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Pip Warde, writes Di Ewings. Judges for the day were Nick Clitheroe, Steve Ellis and Dominic Clitheroe, who was shadowing Steve. The competitors were split into two groups to undertake the four tests. The walk-up and mark were extended to include a blind in the same place as the mark for the puppies. When it came to the blind, the puppies had to contend with a distraction on their return. The double retrieve was on the corner of a stubble field, giving a wide angle between the two dummies thrown onto the field margin. The novice handlers were given the option of which…

MENTION THE name John Wilson in gundog circles and the response will almost invariably be, “Ah yes, a true gentleman,” writes Anne Heading. Influenced by his maternal grandfather in rural Aberdeenshire, he developed a lifelong love of the countryside and country pursuits at an early age. As a young man John bought his first field trial dog Ruro Midge from Roddy Grant, from whom he gained invaluable advice that set him on the road to a successful trialling career. After gaining second place with Midge in his first field trial, John was ‘hooked’ and thus began a passion that endured for the rest of his life. Over a field trial career spanning some 50 years, John’s labradors gained many awards and he made up two field trial champions, FTCh Beinnmhor…

Congratulations to Bob Dunford with this wonderful picture of his youngest labrador Jess. HOW TO WIN For your chance to win a Ridgeline smock in this month’s competition, email your high-resolution pictures to: katemaxim@outlook.com. Please put “Gundog Picture of the Month” in the subject line. The winner will be chosen by the Shooting Gazette judging panel. Good luck! The prize will only be posted to winners with a fixed UK postal address.…