Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2019 i Sporting Gun

Bywell expands its facilities Bywell shooting ground recently reopened after significant redevelopment. The ground in Morpeth, Northumberland, has expanded its gunroom and retail space in response to a growing customer base. The works took place over the past year. To mark their completion, Bywell, which opened in 1980, held an event to mark the relaunch, attended by members of the gun trade and customers. From parish priest to paperback writer Remaining Reverend is Toddy Hoare’s tale of his 24 years as a rural parish priest in North Yorkshire, covering eight churches and 12 villages. This lively account has insights into Toddy’s early life and influences, his art and his singular take on life. It is published by Zeticula and costs £12.95. Sporting championship heads to Ireland The ICTSF World Sporting…

The use of Fenn traps for stoats will become illegal in the UK in just under a year. Jonathan Reynolds, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT) head of predation control studies has recommended that gamekeepers become familiar with the traps that will be lawful after 1 April next year. Dr Reynolds was speaking at an event held by the trust recently at its Allerton Project in Loddington, Leicestershire. He explained the reasons why Fenn traps failed to meet the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards and why its successors could prove more effective. He said: “It’s impossible in this day and age to defend a trap in which animals take more than five minutes to die.” The switch from Fenns will be a major inconvenience for many, but Dr…

I’m quite pleased with the big lad as he no longer takes my hand off with the apples or pieces of heart that he is offered. There is no doubt that he is more settled and obedient. Then again, he is 12, for heaven’s sake. I say obedient, most of the time. When a carcase is in the back of the vehicle and he is in his cage I can see him working out how he might grab it and wrench it through the cage. Despite my thorough checking for eye blink to ensure death there was a foot that had managed to move all by itself into the cage. I say a foot, it couldn’t be recognised but the carcase had one missing. Strange that. Who’d have thought it?…

• Be honest about your shooting ability. If you are uncomfortable about shooting over longer ranges make sure that your professional hunter is aware so that he doesn’t ask too much of you. • Be honest about your fitness and any physical limitations so that days can be tailored to suit your abilities. • Spend some time on the range before you travel. Shooting can be at longer ranges than in the UK and, if you are not used to shooting off sticks, practice is essential as thick bush often prevents more conventional shooting positions. • There is no need to take your own rifle. Your outfitter should be able to provide firearms in appropriate calibres and your stay will invariably start with a zeroing session. • If you do want to…

DISTRIBUTION: Common and widespread, breeding across northern Europe, Northern Asia and North America and wintering further south. UK DISTRIBUTION: Present all year but mostly as a winter visitor. Most commonly found in East Anglia and central and southern England. BREEDING: April to June. Drakes are very territorial during the breeding season and will compete actively for females. Once paired, they will defend their partners from other males. NESTING: Prefers to nest in grassy areas away from open water. The It is a shy nest is a shallow depression in the ground lined with down and plant and material. CLUTCH SIZE: 7 - 10 eggs, seems sometimes more. INCUBATION TIME: 22/23 days FOOD: Aquatic invertebrates, plankton, molluscs, seeds and close to plants HABITAT: Shallow fresh water shore” surrounded by vegetation is…

I’ve been a fan of Muck Boots since I was given a pair of the company’s classic half-neoprene, half-rubber wellie boots to test last year. They were firm favourites of mine for many reasons and lasted well. I have now been given a pair of its Summit 8in lace-up boots to test. I just hope they don’t disappoint. My first impressions are good. They look well made and are said to be completely waterproof as well as warm and breathable. A common problem for me with this style of boot is getting my big feet into them in the first place. Often the laces don’t allow the top of the boot to be opened up enough for my feet to slide in easily and the material inside the heel catches,…

NAME: Alastair Prince AGE:28 HEIGHT:5ft 10in WEIGHT:13st 10lb OCCUPATION: Finance manager for a rail and construction company in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. Alastair is right-handed. SHOOTING EXPERIENCE: Alastair lives in Droitwich, Worcestershire with his fiancée and daughters. His first experience of shooting was in 2016 at a work Christmas outing. Since then he has been shooting a few times and was granted his licence in July last year. He has always enjoyed outdoor life and has childhood memories of being taken all over the country to visit National Trust and English Heritage sites. He is looking to shoot at a local club and develop a rounded knowledge of shooting.…

Well, that didn’t go to plan. And I was so looking forward to the end of the shooting season, which consisted of two beaters’ days and a walk around. My expectation was at the highest level but the mother of all colds meant that it wasn’t to be. In fact, I felt so rough I think it was a dose of proper flu. All I could do was lay on the sofa and reflect on the highlights of what, up until that point, had been a fantastic season. Bombproof Much of this reflection was in the direction of Ted, who has matured into a focused, reliable, dependable and truly versatile gundog. He has been worked regularly in the beating line and I have shot over him on more than 20…

I am keen to breed from my spaniel bitch but don’t want her coming into heat in the middle of the shooting season. Is there any way that I can manipulate her cycle? Neil says: Yes, but remember we play with Mother Nature at our peril. There is a licensed product, which will be familiar to your vet, which is an injectable progestogen. It reliably postpones heat if given mid-cycle and you might expect the next heat to then occur about six months after the injection. Alternatively, it can be used to continuously suppress heat when further injections are given after three, then four, then every five months. It can also be employed to postpone a heat that has actually started, as long as it is given as soon as…

Does anyone have information on this old Midland gun shotgun? Looks like the serial number on the trigger-guard is 15848. It is a salvage gun, but I just can’t bring myself throw it away. Robert says: The Midland Gun Company retailed a plethora of guns for many years but did not actually produce anything; all were products of other manufacturers and renamed. The photos are a little small for accurate assessment but from the proof marks it would appear to have been made between 1896 and 1904, although Midland continued to retail hammer guns right up to World War II, with the most popular model being ‘The Demon’. Be mindful that it still requires a licence under UK law, whether working or not (unless officially deactivated). And remember that to…

I have a young spaniel and he pulls ahead along hedgerows. He gets through to the other side and has run off. What can I do? Graham says: Hedgerows can cause all sorts of problems for young dogs, especially when birds run down the hedge bottom; this can cause the dog to pull ahead on the scent line. When possible, work the downwind side and this will encourage the dog to stay with you. Also, don’t push on too quickly. Let the dog hunt about 10 to 15 yards in front and then whistle him back to you and encourage him back into the cover. The idea is to form a ‘stitching patter’. When shooting over the dogs, I find it better to walk out from the hedge-line rather than…

What is the best cover crop for pheasants and partridges? Although maize can be effective on its own, usually a shoot will benefit from a varied, year-round habitat and an equal proportion of annual, biannual and perennial crops works well. Some aspects to consider are: • Does the plot have to comply with stewardship (wild bird seed mixture, for example HF12 or AB9)? • Will the shoot depend entirely on game cover or does it have existing copses, forestry, marshland, ponds, etc? • Who will manage the plots? • Can crops be protected from pests such as pigeons, slugs, fl ea beetle, rabbits and deer? • What machinery is available? • What crops can be grown in the location? • What is the fertility status of the plot (NPK –…

JetWet Sport Power Washer I like my gadgets but have a cupboard full of items that I thought would be useful and aren’t. I am pleased to say that this is not the case with the JetWet Sport Power Washer. If you spend time in the countryside, having a piece of portable equipment that can get muck off bikes, boots, dogs and even horses is a godsend. I know when a piece of kit has value because Mrs R gets excited about it. In no time at all the JetWet was down at the stables washing down Bertie the cob’s legs and hooves. I have been using it on the dogs to remove the clumps of mud between their pads and to wash down their legs and underbelly when we…

If there was a common theme, it was how technology can make life easier for us shooters. For example, Härkila has a heated vest powered by an auxiliary battery. It’s a bit like wearing an electric blanket, but this vest does not have any cables that can break; instead, a membrane transfers heat through the garment. Clever stuff. It’s not just clothing that is using state-of-the-art materials. The Browning 525 SL features a laminate stock and this results in a thoroughly modern-looking gun. It’s great to shoot as well — see our report on page 84. Moving on to optics, the MTC SWAT prismatic scope uses the latest lens technology to create a high-power scope with a super wide-angle field of view. Hawke’s Frontier scopes and binoculars are also utilising…

A ban on pheasant shooting on public land in Wales came into force on 1 March. It is now no longer legal to shoot on land managed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW). The decision to end shooting and rearing of game birds on NRW land was taken by Hannah Blythyn, the former Welsh environment minister, and went against advice from experts in a report. Fieldsports organisations opposed the move and criticised it for its damaging effects and lack of rationale. Animal welfare organisations had argued for the ban. Ms Blythyn, who is now deputy minister for housing, said that she had merely expressed a view and NRW was not required to act on it. NRW has, however, said that it would: • Consider requests for permissions to drive birds from…

There has been a dramatic rise in the population and range of many of Britain’s predators over the past 50 years. A study conducted by Exeter University highlighted otters, which are said to have “almost completely recolonised Great Britain”. Pine martens have moved beyond the Scottish Highlands, while polecats have migrated from Wales throughout southern Britain and numbers have risen to 83,000 since the 1958 gin-trap ban. Badger numbers have almost doubled since the 1980s, while evidence shows that stoats have prospered. Professor Robbie McDonald, head of Exeter’s wildlife science group, said, “legal protection, conservation, removal of pollutants and restoration of habitats,” were a contributory factor.…

How old is the business? Martin: We started by focusing on fishing tackle but added a few air guns to test the market. Local shooters responded positively, so we moved into Section 1 and 2 firearms in 2010 and the shop has transformed since then. What are your shooting backgrounds? Chris: I prefer the shotguns side; I love my clay and game shooting and really enjoy the social aspects. Both Dad and I believe in the ‘kill it, cook it, eat it’ philosophy. I have a deep interest in the technical side of firearms and spend a lot of time researching and learning more. “For me, the pleasure is in the process that leads up to pulling the trigger, not the killing” Martin: I started off fishing but my grandfather…

• Many thermal monoculars are supplied with weak sling attachment rings, so the first thing I do is throw them away and fit ones that are up to the job. The last thing you want is to damage or lose your expensive spotter. • Wet air will adversely affect every thermal imager’s performance, so if yours doesn’t appear to be working very well, stop and consider the weather conditions. • Users of thermal imagers experience intermittent problems due to the use of separate batteries. These often fail to line up properly in their compartments leading to a loss of power. In this case consider getting a solid-state replacement, such as the Pulsar DNV battery pack. Buy a spare too while you’re at it – and make sure they’re fully charged.…

As with any sport, when you want to get better at it you have to go back to basics to ensure that you have a good enough grounding. A crucial point with shooting is having your feet in the right place. The reason for this is so that the rest of your body can move smoothly to where you want to go. Without moving your feet, you will limit the rotational movement in your body. This movement can come into effect when taking driven targets to the left and right or moving between targets in sporting and FITASC (International Federation for Shooting with Sports Guns). Let’s look at a game shooter stood on the peg waiting for birds to flush. Both left and right-handed shooters should be waiting in a…

The first thing to do when your dog does anything ‘wrong’ is to stop and think about what happened; there could be extenuating circumstances that caused the situation and it might not be the dog’s fault. However, by the end of the shooting season most gundogs would have gone off the boil and unlike a gun they cannot be put away and brought out again [unused] in October. They might well need a bit of ‘boot camp’ training. That said, provided your initial training was effective, it is a case of trying to recreate a problem and working to rectify the issue. If your dog has started to drop its retrieves, there are a number of ways to remedy this . 1 The first stage is to get either a…

After a day’s work, my cocker’s eyes are red and sore. She sits with them closed. Any ideas? Neil says: This is not an uncommon problem with this breed as their face is in everything. I would have her tear production measured by your vet: normal production is 20mm per minute and anything less than 15mm would be cause for concern. Dogs with ‘dry eyes’ will have recurrent bouts of conjunctivitis. This is because normal tears have both watery and viscous components and it is the former that is reduced in affected dogs. But let’s assume her tear test is normal, in which case I would instigate a system of flushing her eyes regularly through a syringe with water, saline or a proprietary eye cleaner. Also use lubricant drops at…

I read with bemusement your articles in the March edition of Sporting Gun – ‘The rewards of February’ and ‘When Pigeons come home to roost’. In my opinion shooting pigeons coming to roost does not comply with the general licence and is therefore illegal. That is unless you can tell me that as they are coming into a place to rest or sleep they are about to cause damage. I would argue not. And before you think I am some do-gooder who does not shoot, I come from a farming family that has shot for over 35 years. Peter says: Questions concerning the conditions of the general licence come up at regular intervals. I am by no means an expert in this area but I am fairly certain that this…

I have been roost shooting with my young dog but he is reluctant to pick up the freshly shot pigeons. What can I do to encourage him? Graham says: Wood pigeons have very soft feathers and a young dog can find it off-putting. If your training has been sound, plenty of encouragement will normally ensure that the dog makes a clean retrieve. It is also a good idea to remove as many feathers as possible from the dog’s mouth once you have taken the bird from them.…

I am having trouble being consistent in my clay shooting, finding it hard to straight a stand. Any thoughts? Tony says: We see this a lot in sporting competitions. It is usually down to trying too hard. To make sure is to make sure you miss. All the elements of the shot process have to be in place: the same pick-up point, same stance, the same method, the same swing, same sight picture and last but not least, the same follow-through. A lot of shooters just concentrate on the same sight picture once they have found the target and forget one or more of the other elements. We see shooters shoot six straight with pull away method then on the last pair mount in front and miss, subconsciously thinking it…

Browning 525 New Sporter One The 525 now comes with four Invector chokes and an auto-safety system. It has back-bored barrels, a 10mm battue rib and oiled, grade 2 walnut. Price: £1,685 Visit: browning.eu Alan Paine Surrey Tweed Men’s Field Coat This tweed coat is designed exclusively for Alan Paine. It has large cartridge pockets and a check body lining. There are various tweed colour options. Price: RRP £349.95 Visit: us.alanpaine.co.uk Hawke Frontier binoculars This new range of binoculars is said to offer high-definition viewing thanks to new lens coatings and dielectric coated prisms to ensure high light transmission. Available in green or grey with 8x or 10x magnification and the option of full-size 42mm objective lenses. Price: from £259 Visit: uk.hawkeoptics.com Alan Paine Men’s Leather Brogue Boots These leather…

Even thought the 525 SL Browning isn’t the first shotgun to incorporate a laminate stock, it is certainly a leap forward in stock-making technology. Laminate is robust, dense and cheaper than walnut, which means it has a significant advantage over more traditional guns in terms of both performance and affordability. The laminate stock will divide opinion. Some will like the plain, purposeful looks, others will prefer a more traditional gun, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the new 525 SL handles superbly and should give many years of faultless service. SCORES ON THE DOORS Build quality 24/25 Handling 24/25 Styling 24/25 Value for money 25/25 Total: 97/100…

Game shooting is more popular than ever, especially among younger people. A new poll conducted by Survation, on behalf of the League Against Cruel Sports, found that 5.3% of rural residents in England and Wales have been game shooting. This equates to around 600,000 people. The figures suggest near 40% growth in participation over the past five years since the 2014 report The Value of Shooting, conducted by Public and Corporate Economic Consultants, found that 430,000 people participated in game shooting. It highlighted that participation rates are highest among rural people aged 18-24. Whereas 5.3% of all people have been game shooting, the figure rises to 13% among the latter group. Rachel Evans of the Countryside Alliance said the poll shows the “future of game shooting is very bright”. GOT…

9 and 16 April EJ Churchill Young Guns Academy EJ Churchill Shooting Ground, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire www.ejchurchill.com 21-22 April Kelmarsh Country Show Kelmarsh Hall, Kelmarsh, Northamptonshire www.kelmarshcountryshow.co.uk 26 April Red Squirrel Conference University of Exeter www.redsquirrelconference.co.uk 27-28 April East Anglian Game and Country Fair Euston Hall, Near Thetford, Suffolk ukgamefair.co.uk 4 May NGO Team Flush Six Mile Bottom Shoot, Suffolk, www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk 11-12 May Northern Shooting Show Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate, North Yorkshire www.northernshootingshow.co.uk Sharpshooter Matt Hance Matt Hance was the sharpshooter at the recent Watchfinder Royal Flush competition hosted by the Royal Berkshire Shooting School. He was one of 27 shooters who qualified for the final. His winning score was 86x100.…

Ingredients 4 venison loin steaks 3 tbsp peppercorns 1 knob butter 1 onion, finely chopped 8 tbsp brandy, or a good dollop 8 tbsp stock 6 tbsp double cream Crush the peppercorns with a pestle and mortar. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook until soft but not brown. Add the brandy and flambé; when the flames have died down add the stock. Boil for about three minutes then add the cream. Allow the sauce to heat through but not boil then put to one side and keep warm. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and when hot add the steaks. Cook quickly on both sides and serve with the sauce. Cook the steaks for longer if you prefer them well done.…

The hunting season tends to start in April or May and runs to late October, when African temperatures start to soar. Lanka Safaris operates in the heart of the Eastern Cape Fish River Valley. It will tailor packages to a client’s requirements. The rolling hills provide a natural home to a wide variety of species from the elusive Cape bushbuck to the native Eastern Cape kudu. Veteran or novice hunters are offered an ethical and lasting safari experience while accommodated in Lanka’s hunting camp. This consists of eight double bungalows, hand-built from local rock and thatch that blend with the surrounding bushveld. The main lodge has a terrace, spacious dining room, kitchen and a well-stocked bar. All the lodges are equipped with solar panels, hot and cold running water and…

Finances are always one of the most difficult parts of running a shoot. Making the books balance at the end of the season and hopefully leaving enough to pay myself is always a worry. No end of things can come along to make a dent in your bank balance, so I’m always looking for ways to save or make money. “Catching up” surplus hen pheasants in late January makes sense. I’ll explain why. Just remember, though, that it is against the law to “catch up” after the shooting season has finished. Numbers game First, you are saving on the amount of feed you need to put out for the birds left over when the shooting stops — you can’t just leave the birds to fend for themselves in the close…

In this series we take a newcomer to clay shooting and look at where to begin. And it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We look at: choosing the right gun; choosing the right shooting ground; and the initial lesson to ‘get going’, all under the guidance of a professional instructor. A million questions Every wannabe shooter has a million questions, understandably, and Alastair is no exception. With digital platforms such as YouTube, there is much information available to help a newcomer get started, with umpteen ‘how to’ videos and discussion forums. It is easy with a little homework to learn a lot of technical basics. Prior to our lesson I encouraged Alastair to ‘bone-up’ on eye dominance. A model student, he found a wealth of information detailing just why…

Vet’s advice Neil McIntosh SG’s gundog health expert I certainly agree with you that many of the ‘facts’ about animal conditions that are circulated on social media are complete and utter drivel. Recent examples include: leptospirosis is easy to treat and diagnose. (Of 99 dogs infected by leptospirosis that were referred to specialist vets for treatment, one third died.) Leptospirosis vaccine kills dogs. (I have been vaccinating thousands of dogs annually for 35 years and I haven’t had one die yet.) Bravecto killed my dog. (No it didn’t. Something else did.) All are examples of opinion expressed as fact, which just get repeated and repeated… As a scientist once said: “People are entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts.” Grain-free diets That said, grain-free is different.…

GRAHAM WATKINS GUNDOGS A professional gundog trainer for more than 35 years, he runs Gamegoer. NEIL MCINTOSH VETERINARY A keen shooter and a practising vet in Scotland. TONY BRACCI TUITION Bisley Shooting Ground’s deputy shooting manager and master gunfitter. DAVID FROST LEGAL SG’s legal expert and author of Sporting Shooting and the Law. PETER THEOBALD PIGEONS Pigeon-shooting expert; author of Woodpigeon: The Ultimate Quarry. ROBERT MORGAN ANTIQUES Arms and armour valuer at Holts Auctioneers. ED COOK RABBITS Professional rabbit catcher working over 30,000 acres. TOM SYKES PEST CONTROL & WILDFOWLING Sporting photographer, passionate wildfowler and pest controller.…

What is the latest thinking on Alabama rot? Neil says: Alabama rot was first diagnosed in racing greyhounds in the USA in the 1980s. Since 2012 just over 160 cases have been seen in the UK, with only one being a greyhound. The condition has occurred in a range of breeds, with no age or weight predisposition. There have been 30 confirmed cases in Labradors, 16 in English springer spaniels and 11 in cockers. South-west England is the worst affected area and most cases occur between November and April. Alabama rot is more properly called cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy and belongs to a group of diseases known as thrombotic micro-angiopathies. Ulcerative lesions on the limbs, belly and mouth occur and many animals develop anaemia and acute kidney disease. The…

I went pigeon shooting with a friend who is an excellent shot. I noticed that he shot almost as soon as the gun was in his shoulder, whereas I take my time and swing through the target. My friend’s method seemed more effective, judging by the number of woodies he bagged by the end of the day Peter says: I have learnt to shoot by broadly following the method taught by CPSA instructors, which is starting with the gun down, mount it with the bead on the target throughout. By the time the gun is fully mounted to your face, you should be pointing directly at the target. I then stay with the target long enough to ascertain line and speed, before pulling away and squeezing the trigger. If done…

Is it correct that entire bitches are more likely to develop mammary tumours? Neil says: Indeed it is. While many factors have to be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to neuter an individual bitch, the likelihood of mammary tumours developing is a big one. The incidence of such cancers is around 0.5% when bitches are neutered before their first season but this rises to 8% when the op is delayed until after the first season and 26% thereafter. That’s one in four. Of the mammary tumours that occur in canines, around 50% are benign and 50% malignant, with many being difficult to diagnose on palpation (examination by touching) alone. Malignant mammary tumours in bitches (unlike cats) are not necessarily fatal.…

What are the differences in a shotgun for clay shooting and game shooting? Tony says: The differences between a shotgun designed for game or clay disciplines can be subtle and usually won’t stop you using the gun for both. An auto-safety is usually found on a game gun as you could be shooting with people around you or walking around rough shooting. A manual safety catch is usually found on a clay gun as you would only close the gun on a stand with the barrels pointing down range into a safe area. The top and side ribs on a clay gun are likely to be ventilated to help dissipate heat. A game gun is more likely to have solid top and side ribs. Multichokes used to be more of…

Our shoot has started an annual roost shoot for crows and pigeons at the close of the season. We shoot in a large area of woodland and often struggle to find the best spot to be productive. Do you have any recommendations on how to concentrate our efforts? Tom says: Roosting crows is great sport but can be tricky in large areas. The first trick is to observe at night and see where the bulk of the birds head when they arrive at the wood; the time and location. I would also walk around the wood in daylight and look for the birds’ roosting spots. Depending on the number you are dealing with, this can be spotted by the volume of droppings and is where you need to focus. After…

Knitted fleece with softshell contrast panels; comfortable as well as smart. Price: £42.95 Visit: www. jackpyke.co.uk Hawke Frontier Range This new range of first focal plane scopes has quality coated lenses, side focus control for parallax and glass-etched reticle. Price: from £459 (lifetime warranty) Visit: uk.hawkeoptics.com Hull Sporting 100 Following a makeover they now come in a Graphite Edition, with an eye-catching new box and translucent grey cartridge case. Price: £227/1,000 Visit: www. hullcartridge.co.uk…

So, whether you want to add an extra layer of warmth to your shooting attire or just spruce up your look, here are some garments for your consideration: WHAT TO LOOK FOR Pocket space Warm lining Internal storage 1. SCHOFFEL OAKHAM FLEECE GILET Mid-weight soft fleece men’s gilet. It has two external zip pockets and can be zipped into the Schoffel Ptarmigan Interactive coat for extra insulation. Available in a variety of sizes and colours. Price: £139.95 Visit: www.schoffelcountry.com CAN BE ZIPPED INTO OUTER COAT 2. PURDEY MEN’S TWEED SHOOTING VEST Shooting vest woven in the Borders for Purdey. It has an inverted pleat at the rear to allow greater movement and half-belt with adjustable fastening. Available in two colours and sizes XS-3XL. Price: £395 Visit: www.purdey.com TWEED EXCLUSIVE TO…