Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i Sporting Gun

Aaron Heading is finally going to the Olympics. With a Junior win at the European Championships as far back as 2006, he is also a four-time Commonwealth medallist and was all set to go to the Olympics in Rio in 2016 when a motorcycle accident – that nearly cost him a leg – ended him dreams. Despite contemplating retirement, he has instead staged a remarkable comeback, reclaiming his previous form and a place on Team GB for Tokyo. And as if that if not impressive enough, when he is not pursuing Olympic glory he is a volunteer with Sutton Bridge Coastguard, Lincs. It “highlighted elements that being back in a team environment was really enjoyable”, he says. We are certainly pleased to have him back and wish him – and…

There was a good turnout at the semi-auto-only event at Atkin Grant & Lang (AGL) recently, with James Bradley-Day having a particularly excelling, shooting 98 ex-100. Having arrived with a friend, but anticipating a later shoot-off for the top spot, Mr Bradley-Day left AGL to collect his own vehicle. Then events took a turn for the worse. “On my way back, a car stopped suddenly in front of me. I stopped too, but unfortunately the lorry behind me didn’t and collided with my trailer,” he explained. “Luckily, the Highways Agency was there within minutes to assist. My truck was still drivable, but the tow bar wasn’t usable, so the agency kindly towed my trailer to the closest service station. I was able to leave it there and return to AGL…

Nick Hendrick triumphed at the 2021 Clay Shooting Classic, setting an early English Sporting (ESP) score of 143 ex-150 that the remainder of the field valiantly tried to better but rarely came close. It proved to be a Classic in both name and nature, a memorable three days of fun over May bank holiday weekend, with fierce targets and mixed fortunes. There’s something rather reassuring about the Clay Shooting Classic. Timeless and fondly regarded as a competition that’s both accessible and challenging in equal measure, its place in the shooting calendar is assured. Until it is not, that is. COVID-19 robbed us of this much-loved event in 2020, but thankfully Dan and Emily Martin of Orston Shooting Ground in Nottinghamshire managed to resurrect the Classic for 2021. What’s more, as…

I am frequently asked what method I use to keep my knives sharp, so here we go. Whether you are cutting the Sunday roast or carrying out a field gralloch on a deer carcass, a sharp knife is an important piece of kit. Also, it is safer than a blunt one because you do not have to use undue pressure during use. Using excessive pressure can be dangerous and this is when accidents occur. Forcing a knife to cut results in having no control of where the point or the edge ends up. Many people have suffered serious, sometimes fatal accidents using excessive force when wielding a blade. The golden rule, never to be ignored, is that the handler should always cut away from themselves so that in the event…

When Bill Rogers invited his 10-year-old granddaughter out onto the stands, he had no idea what he was unleashing. Two years later, his granddaughter, Amber Hill, would become one of Team England’s youngest-ever, fully-fledged Senior members at just 12 years of age. At 15, Amber made Skeet history when she took gold at the ISSF World Cup in Acapulco, Mexico. This win brought her to the attention of the global press, with the BBC naming her Young Sports Personality of the Year 2013. And 2015 was the year that Amber became more than just an up-and-coming shot-to-watch, as she claimed Gold at the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, a win that came with an Olympic quota place for Team GB at Rio 2016. She entered the Olympic stadium in Brazil…

For a bird to the right, the right foot moves back and then the left foot moves to the direction the shot will be taken, then the gun is mounted. Though the footwork seems like an extra thing to do before you shoot, it actually buys you time to take the shot efficiently without your body tightening and pulling you off line. At first the movements will feel forced but once it goes into your subconscious it allows you to shoot effectively and gracefully. As the target shows itself the muzzles should lock on to the target with the gun down out of the shoulder and stay with the target as the footwork is implemented. Once the feet are in the right place the barrels can be mounted to the…

One of the most common questions I am asked by my clients is: “When can I use a dummy launcher?” It seems that everyone wants to start launching dummies long distances with loud bangs well before their dogs are ready and without really understanding not only the benefits of the tool but also the negative aspects. As with any piece of gundog training equipment, you need to think not only how you use it but also why you want to use it. Yes, I fully understand that using a launcher can be exciting and it can make the novice feel like a ‘proper’ trainer. But take it from me, by using a launcher incorrectly and at the inappropriate time, you stand a good chance of at the very least scaring…

There are a number of launcher dummies available, all with different characteristics when fired. The normal round dummies are the most common and, depending on which power of blanks you use, will go an average distance of up to 75m. If you use a dummy with streamers attached, which help the dog to mark easier, these tend not to go so far as the streamers create more air resistance. The hard rubber ball or torpedo-shaped ones go the furthest and are really good for laying a scent line along the ground to simulate a shot rabbit.…

My friend said he inadvertently shot a racing pigeon the other day. I know they have a slightly slimmer silhouette than woodies but when you are in the thick of it it’s difficult to tell them apart. My question is, what is the responsible thing to do when you accidentally shoot a racing pigeon and has it ever happened to you? Peter says: While there may be some excuse for inadvertently shooting a feral pigeon, there is absolutely none for killing a racing bird. They fly in a very swift, direct line and will take no notice whatsoever of your decoy layout, their sole mission being to get back to their loft as quickly as possible. Racing birds are registered with the Racing Pigeon Federation and will carry a ring…

How does Grimsthorpe Estate Shooting Ground make visitors feel so welcome? Well, there’s smiles aplenty from all its staff, but there’s something more. This is a family-run business and the Russells are quick to adopt every visitor the moment they walk through the door. “My father Mark and my mother Elaine first started the shooting ground as a farm diversification project just over 30 years ago,” says Sophie, who manages the day- to-day running of the ground alongside her father. “As a child I’d help referee various competitions my parents held. From Team England selection shoots and Grands Prix to the English Open, there was always something going on. Over time the grounds grew more and more popular, and my parents realised they needed more input. So, six years ago,…

JACKET • Jacket has an active cut and is made from ArcStretch fabric • Shoulder and upper arms have integrated Härkila Storm Pro membrane • DWR treated to repel water and dirt • Reinforced underarms and lower back • Detachable hood • Radio pockets TROUSERS • Trousers have an active cut and are made from ArcStretch fabric • Waterproof for full length on back and below knee at front with integral Härkila Storm Pro membrane • DWR treated to repel water and dirt • Reinforced knees and ankles • Right thigh pocket contains holder for four cartridges • Ventilation zips on upper rear thighs…

The words ‘beautiful’ and ‘semiautomatic’ don’t get used together very often. Most semi-autos are plain. None of them would turn heads on the looks front. For example, the Benelli M2 is the workhorse of many gamekeepers because it offers rugged reliability, but it is totally utilitarian. However, the semi-auto we are reviewing this month couldn’t be more different. It is stunning. With flying mallards engraved on its profile and gold accents, the Benelli Raffaello Accademia is the antithesis of the M2. So much so that you wouldn’t believe they came from the same stable. You would struggle to find a game gun with this amount of artistry. Combine that with beautifully figured walnut (grade 3) and you get a stunningly beautiful semi-auto. Finish Not only that, the blacking is lustrous…

CHARLES SMITH-JONES SAYS:“The rifle evokes nostalgia and is without doubt a thing of beauty while remaining functional and accurate” In 1907, the gunmaking firm of John Rigby & Company rebranded the 7x57mm cartridge developed some 15 years earlier by Mauser, calling it the .275 Rigby. It quickly became a popular round among hunters due its accuracy and mild recoil as well as a flat trajectory, effective terminal energy and ability to handle a wide range of bullets. Despite the relatively small calibre it has proven a versatile cartridge over the years and had some famous users. In another era, ivory hunter WDM ‘Karamojo’ Bell shot a prodigious number of elephants with it at a time when other hunters opted for much larger calibres, and the celebrated Jim Corbett used his…

The Government is moving on apace with its animal welfare action plan. The latest component to this is the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, which was introduced in Parliament last month. Among other things, the bill sets out measures to improve the welfare standards of farmed and kept wild animals, as well as pets. It also contains measures on livestock worrying, puppy smuggling, live exports of animals and the keeping of primates and zoos. It is the second piece of recent legislation introduced by the Government as part of its action plan. In May it introduced the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which formally recognises animals as sentient beings in British law. The legislation has received a cautious response from the shooting community. BASC’s Conor O’Gorman said that on the face…

The GWCT has urged those who can to take part in the Partridge Count Scheme (PCS). The scheme, which has been running since 1933, records numbers of wild grey partridge (Perdix perdix) twice a year and submits the figures to a national database. The grey partridge is a ‘barometer’ species of wider farmland biodiversity. The trust says that the grey partridge has long been considered Britain’s most treasured gamebird and a favourite of farmers and gamekeepers. Its numbers are, however, in decline and the scheme helps to safeguard its future. More intensive farming and the drive towards greater food production has contributed to the bird’s decline. The widespread use of herbicides and insecticides has eliminated both the arable weeds that provide food for the insects that grey partridge chicks feed…

The woodpigeon is a truly magnificent bird. It is one of our most sporting quarry species and makes for really good eating too. It is also our number one agricultural pest, causing millions of pounds’ worth of damage to farmers’ crops. This can cause conflict with conservationists, who believe that you should only use lethal methods of control as a very last resort, and farmers whose livelihoods depend on keeping pigeon damage to a minimum. “To provide effective crop protection you need to kill large numbers of birds” Caught in the crossfire of all this is the humble decoyer, who simply wants to be left alone to exercise his own moral judgement as to when and where he kills pigeons and enjoy his sport in peace. This is where the…

Failing to plan is planning to fail … A s I have said before, people go shooting for a variety of different reasons. Many go for the social aspect and some to train and compete. Nonetheless, it is important for everyone to understand for what reason they are out shooting, whether that be to train and compete at the highest level or just to have fun. In this article I’ll be looking at how you can best prepare yourself for a shoot to put in the best score possible. While having fun is still a large part of why I go shooting – it’s too expensive as a sport to not enjoy yourself – competing requires a great amount of dedication and focus. Properly preparing for a specific competition can…

Aaron Heading first burst onto the competitive scene in 2001, when his father, John, signed him up for a Team GB selection shoot. Scoring well, Aaron was soon announced as one of Team GB’s youngest-ever members at just 12 years of age. In 2006, Aaron scored his first major international gold, with a Junior win at the 2006 European Championships. Four years later, Aaron would make his first Commonwealth Games appearance at Delhi 2010. Shooting for Team England, Aaron performed phenomenally at the event and soon climbed the podium to take the top spot and a Commonwealth gold medal. As if that wasn’t enough, Aaron then joined teammate David Kirk on the podium to claim a Trap Pairs bronze. After an incredible first Commonwealth games, Aaron soon marked himself out…

Remote-controlled launchers have become very popular over the past few years, and here at Tarncrag I use an air-compressed model made by a British company called Ilauncher (ilauncher.co.uk). You can also get blank-firing models. The advantage of these remote launchers is that if you train on your own you can fire the dummy away from your position and this teaches the dog to look forward as it would in a picking-up situation. The air-compressor models are quieter and can be used anywhere, and though they do not have the shot sound, this can be introduced by using a starting pistol to shoot at the dummy as it is launched. Most remote launchers can be fired from anything up to 200m away from the operator, so they give you plenty of…

I assume that I am not the only one getting a tad excited about the forthcoming season. I already have the dates through for a couple of my regular shoots and I have booked a few rough shooting trips for the Circle of Trust. On a less positive note, I have heard of a number of shoots that have pulled the plug, sadly, including one I helped out at last season. It was a tough one for all concerned in the shooting community. Though most people I speak to are sounding positive there is undoubtedly a concern that our shooting days are numbered. I was talking to a lifelong shooting man who expressed a fear that his grandchildren would not be able to enjoy his way of life. I voiced…

I’ve been invited to a walked-up grouse shoot. What can I do to prepare and get the most out of the day? Tony says: Practice. Find a shooting ground with some fast going-away and quartering-away targets. We have a number of oscillating traps with remote control release, which we can walk up to, perfectly simulating walked-up grouse. What you want to recreate is an unexpected target that could flush when you’re walking, possibly with your weight on the wrong foot. I have heard of some shoots that like the Guns to walk with their shotguns open, which adds another movement before you can engage with the target and is worth trying, just in case. More commonly, you will walk with your gun closed, keeping your barrels in a safe direction…

Is the lead ammunition ban going to impact your rabbit control activities? Ed says: We stopped buying lead ammo a few months ago. Yes, it’s slightly more expensive but using something a bit more environmentally friendly also means we can feed our hawks without worry. I will be passing the extra expense on to our clients or to those buying rabbits, so it won’t impact my business. I look on it as a positive move, especially as it allows the quarry to have a better market.…

MARK RUSSELL and daughter SOPHIE COUPS oversee the running of the business. Mark is also responsible for target setting and competition coaching. Sophie, alongside colleagues Beth Foreman and Claire Poole, assists visitors by phone or in person, while also organising corporate bookings. Elaine and Angie can be found cooking up a storm in The Rookery. Out on the grounds, Steve Wood serves as head coach with Martin Novinscak, the ground manager, keeping the traps maintained and ensuring the grounds run smoothly.…

Härkila Retrieve shotgun slip, cartridge bag and game bag Härkila is best known for its excellent range of hunting clothing and boots but more recently it has added some first-class accessories to its catalogue. The Retrieve range of clothing is aimed at the gundog handler and, to accompany the various trousers and jackets, Härkila can also supply matching shotgun slips, cartridge bags and a game bag. For my 60th earlier this year I decided to treat myself and bought the set. And, because of its quality, I suspect it will see me out for the rest of my shooting career. The ‘warm olive’ shotgun slip is 135cm long and will accommodate most guns. It is made from canvas and hard-wearing full-grain leather, which I hazard will become even more attractive…

Thermal-imaging scopes and observational devices are now a permanent feature of our shooting kit, with prices and size dropping as quality goes up. Conventional rifle scopes now have better optics, coatings and features, with the cost putting them within reach of many more shooters. Highland Outdoors markets the Nikko Stirling brand. These were great scopes at a good price when I was a lad and there’s now the new InfiRay brand to boost availability of the latest thermal technology. Diamond LR 4-16x50mm The Diamond scopes have a proven history of reliability and optical quality. I have several on my Venom Arms customs and now the long-range version achieves precision sight adjustments as well. This compact scope has a 30mm aircraft-grade aluminium one-piece tube with a saddle parallax focus from 10yd…

I recently had the pleasure to try out two cracking Breda guns. Last month I reviewed the Zenith Sporter; this month it is the turn of the 930i semi-auto. And what a gem of a gun it is. I had not seen one in the flesh, let alone shot one, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Opening the case it was immediately eye-catching. Breda started making shotguns in 1953 and that now spans competition and hunting shotguns as well as rifles. The company is involved in a number of other industries, too, including maritime engines, locomotive construction, thermal power plants and specialised steel construction projects. But shotguns are my business. Colours The 930i Nickel I tested was red but it also comes in blue, Sporting black, and the…

Towards the end of the 19th century requirements for rifles were changing. Hunters were demanding bigger and more powerful guns. Big money could be made from the wholesale slaughter of the North American bison (buffalo), and the Winchester 1876 model seemed to fit the bill, at least initially. Winchester, however, was desperate for military sales and its 1876 action was not strong enough to take the government .45-70 cartridge that was then in use with the US army. Oliver Winchester died in 1880 but four years later a chance encounter took place that was to dramatically change the rifle landscape for the next 20 years. Chance encounter In 1884, two Winchester salesmen were travelling through the Mormon community of Ogden, Utah, when they happened across a gunshop owned and run…

For them this is a culmination of years of hard work, and being selected to represent their country at the Olympic Games is the highest accolade for any sports person. In this issue, we look at our Olympic hopefuls. They are not only representing their country, but they are also ambassadors of our sport. Also, you will notice that Robin Scott and Steve Nuttall are not in this issue. Steve is on holiday and Robin is recovering from an operation – we wish him well. The magazine doesn’t seem the same without them, but they should be back with us in the next issue. I hope you enjoy the magazine and I’m sure you will be with me wishing our Olympians all the best. Go Team GB!…

Top sport at Ian Coley As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, the Ian Coley shooting ground played host to a 120-bird registered English Sporting shoot from 2 to 4 June. Martin Myers came out on top at the end of proceedings, with an impressive 116 ex-120, closely followed by AA Class High Gun Richard Faulds on 115. Call for ban on grouse shooting defeated A petition calling for a ban on grouse shooting was roundly defeated following a debate by parliamentarians last month. The debate was triggered after a petition launched by Chris Packham garnered 100,000+ signatures. Pheasant charity fundraiser The World Pheasant Association is holding a fundraising charity clay shoot on 9 July. The annual event raises vital funds to enable the conservation charity to continue its work.…

We all have things in our lives that we are reluctant to try, even though, deep down, we know we should. Whether that’s through a fear of the unknown or our own pig-headedness is something I’ll leave you to wrestle with. But why not take a leaf from Olympic Trap (OT) star Kirsty Hegarty’s book? She had the courage to open her mind to new experiences and it’s carried her all the way to the Olympics and Japan 2021. You may be surprised to learn that the younger Kirsty wasn’t straining to take hold of a shotgun. In fact, it would seem that she tried to avoid the sport as much as possible. “As a child I was dragged from ground to ground as my parents [Clifford and Sandra Barr]…

There are many different opinions about what will and won’t work when it comes to crow shooting. Over the years, I have taken a lot of these with a pinch of salt and gone out of my way to test different theories to see if some popular beliefs bear scrutiny. I have been asked many questions from people who have been told that you must do certain things when on the crows or your day in the hide would be a failure. Yes, some points may help improve your odds of success, but that doesn’t mean that they are the key to success. Beginners are often the ones beset by such advice. You mustn’t use shiny decoys This is something that I debunked several years ago after successfully making crow…

As a Junior, Matt Coward-Holley travelled the country collecting almost every award a young DTL shot can. However, he realised quickly that DTL could only take him so far. Intrigued by the fact that no one had ever scored a perfect 150 straight, Matt switched to what was then an Olympic discipline, Double Trap (DT). Before long, Matt was awarded a Double Trap Team Gold medal at the 2015 Lonato World Championships followed by a Double Trap bronze at the European Championships the following year. Unfortunately, DT was removed from the Olympic roster in 2018, but this did not slow Matt’s path to the top. He took the lessons he’d learned from DT and DTL and used them to master Olympic Trap (OT). In 2019, Matt claimed an OT silver…

We are now ready to look at pairs of targets, whether on report (second bird coming as the first bird is shot) or simultaneous pairs (both released at the same time) for the clay shooter, and dealing with randomly presented driven targets to simulate game shooting. As we have talked about in previous lessons assessing the break point, hold point and visual pick-up point on single targets, we now have to double our planning for two targets. This would start with a gentle on-report pair where the foot position would be the same for both targets. Next, we would shoot an on-report pair where the break points would be very different, for example far left and far right. We would then discuss whether a compromise could be made with the…

Laid winter barley is my next decoying opportunity. I am looking forward to it after a spell in the doldrums. Since the end of May conditions have been a bit tricky for decoying, unless you had a crop of peas on your patch, that is. The pea fields around here are on the neighbouring farm, alas. The pigeons had a good time on the spring drillings then spread far and wide, feeding on the sparse bits of rape or freshly drilled and chitting peas. So the pea fields were the only bankable locations to make a bag. Pea fields draw pigeons from the day they’re drilled to the day they’re harvested: the birds just love them. But if you did not have access to pea fields, you were stymied. Bring…

As mentioned, most dummy launchers use .22 long blanks and these come in three strengths: green (lowest); yellow (medium); and red (high). I tend to only use the yellow strength as these will propel a dummy around 50m to 75m, which is quite far enough for most of my training needs. They also have the power to push a rubber dummy over and even through rough grass. More importantly, I find I can cope with the recoil easier than when using the high-powered red blanks.…

Letter of the month Grouse about modern guns The recent popularity for high-bird shoots has escalated the trend for long-barrelled, weighty game guns designed to cope with the heavy-load cartridges this type of sport necessitates. There have always been fads for guns and this got me thinking. A couple of decades back, it was not uncommon to come across a ‘grouse gun’ advertised for sale in the shooting press. I believe that a grouse gun was reverse-bored, so that the heavier-choked barrel was fired first on the front trigger and the open-bored barrel by the rear trigger. This made good sense as, in theory, the first shot taken at a bird from an incoming pack of grouse would be taken well in front of the butt, with the second shot…

I believe that you use dogs when you are pigeon shooting, but do you ever take them through a rape field in flower? I’ve heard it can cause nasty burns and irritation to dogs. Peter says: I have never owned a gundog, but my shooting partner Paul has one, and will take it in certain circumstances. He never uses it in situations where the dog could come to any harm, such as standing corn and particularly barley. I have no knowledge whether flowering rape causes problems, but there are relatively few occasions when we would be shooting over such a crop. Even rape stubble can cause eye injuries from the sharp stalks, so you do need to be careful when you work your dog.…

Dovey Valley Shooting Ground DISCIPLINES English Sporting, DTL, ABT, Skeet and Simulated Game. ADDITIONAL FACILITIES Onsite café, gunroom and country store. MOBILITY Wheelchair users should call ahead to discuss their requirements. WHEN IS IT OPEN? Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 9:30am-4pm. Sunday, 10am-4pm. PRACTICE ROUNDS A Promatic Pay-and-Play system allows solo practice, with clays priced at £0.30. Caddied rounds are available from £35 for 100 targets. TUITION One-hour individual lessons start from £40, exclusive of clays and cartridges. Additional students can join for £25 per head. Discounts available for young shots, students and young farmer members. DESCRIPTION When Hugh Jones first established Dovey Valley Shooting Ground in the 1960s he quickly developed a reputation for high quality, realistic, simulated targets. Now, with more than 50 years’ experience, Dovey Valley offers some…

This thermal monocular from the Chinese firm InfiRay is likely to cause quite a stir among thermal users. Its size, weight, resolution and price of £2,574.95 is unmatched in the marketplace. I like the pocket-friendly 70x52x130mm dimensions and 320g weight, making it easy to carry in one hand. The 25mm objective lens gives a field of view of 17.5x14.0 degrees with optical magnification of 1.5-6.0 and digital zoom of x1, x1.5, x2, x2.5, x3, x3.5 and x4. The display has a pixel resolution of 1280x960, offering HD performance with high resolution and really sharp images and definition, day or night. This is further enhanced with the use of advanced image processing and optimised infrared optics, yielding better detection and identification up to 1,298m. This is due to the high-performance 12µm…

CHARLES SMITH-JONES SAYS:“Opening and closing it feels positive and silky smooth” The Fausti family has been manufacturing shotguns in the Gardone Valley of Italy since Stefano Fausti founded the company in 1948. It is now run by his daughters, Barbara, Giovanna and Elena, who feature prominently in its marketing. The company produces over-and-under and side-by-side models for both the hunting and competition markets. Fausti’s guns have always enjoyed a reputation for functionality, craftsmanship and style, though there are no cheap entry-level guns in a range that has prices starting from around £2,500. Fausti also produces two Express models of double-barrelled rifles in a wide variety of calibres to cater for the hunter of larger game. Purpose The XF4 is a relatively recent addition to the Fausti range, and the company…