Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2016 i Sporting Gun

Any first day on a shoot is a particularly stressful event, and Matt Hardy and Patrick Boyle are happy to admit that they were petrified when they set off in the morning to host a day for their guests – all friends whom they met while at Cirencester Agricultural College. Both work for an agricultural consultantcy company that sets up crop trials for farmers and while working on fields in 2013, farmed by Andrew West on the outskirts of Stamford, they spotted great potential for a shoot. There are around 300 acres with no bordering shoots. The land has a well used footpath, the river Guash divides it, and it is regarded by most of the dog walkers in the area as open access land. Despite these problems, the topography…

People often remark how lucky Paul and I are to be able to shoot big bags of pigeons, almost at the drop of a hat. They imagine that we have access to a breed of woody that pours into any field we choose to set up on in biblical numbers. Admittedly, we can both usually juggle work commitments if there is a good situation brewing, but those big bags only come about by doing a lot of legwork, or rather, road miles. It was Gary Player, the famous golfer, who, when suggested he was lucky, said: “The more I practice, the luckier I get.” To relate this quote to pigeon shooting, the more reconnaissance we do, the more likely we are to find big opportunities. That does not mean we…

The telephone at shooting schools invariably starts to ring more frequently once the first pheasant shoots of the season are behind us. Right now mine is busy with shooters trying to find answers as to why their early outings have not met with the success they had expected. I’ve asked my first question so often that I’m now word perfect with it: “Have you had any practice on clays over the summer?” ‘”Er, well, no, not really…” comes the reply. “I did a corporate clay day in April with my 30in O/U, but that’s been about it.” “So what,” I ask “are you using on the pheasants?” “My side by side English boxlock, of course, the one dad left me.” I have to choke back a comment and stick to:…

Some of you may be aware of my latest member of the team, Goose, after his appearance in the magazine when he was eight weeks old. Well my little Andrex puppy has come a long way since then and he has been accompanying me in the field on a variety of shoot days. Where it all started I have been keen to expose Goose to as many different environments, smells and sounds as possible from the minute I first got him home. This started by introducing him to the rest of the pack and even taking him for a quick spin on the quad bike. I was fortunate that the estate was holding an activity day on the parkland, which was a perfect opportunity to introduce him to other dogs,…

• A point that many people fail to take on board is that finding your quarry without alerting it by flashing any lights around is really important. For this reason, I always carry an NV spotter too (I also carry a thermal spotter, but that’s a different matter), so that I can locate the fox in question and then take my time to get ready to deal with it. If I’ve done my fieldwork properly it doesn’t even know that I’m there until it’s too late. The lower magnification means there’s a bigger field of view – it’s also much safer to use than waving a loaded rifle around! • Some foxes have become wary of infrared illuminators in the same way that they can become lamp-shy. This is usually…

• Keep dogging-in – there is a lot of natural food about at the moment. • Put straw on rides which will give the birds something to scratch at. • Offer alternative foods such as split maize and others that are available. • Deer: With the roe doe season now upon us it may be time to thin out the does, particularly if there are too many in one area that may be interfering with a drive. It is better to sit out for them in the evenings as it doesn’t cause as much disruption to your birds as morning stalking, which can interfere with birds coming off roost to go and feed.…

Who would you rather shoot with, friends or strangers? Plainly a rhetorical question – or perhaps not? A recent survey came up with a rather surprising finding. Overall spending on gameshooting has grown, however syndicate membership (both roving and static) has fallen, compared with last season. The annual Game Shooting and Fishing Census by GunsOnPegs with Strutt & Parker suggests a decline in teams of friends shooting together. More shoots are selling “split” days – where the line of Guns is made up from smaller groups of people and some individual Guns. So why the apparent decline in teams of friends shooting together? The authors speculate that the villains are time and money, and there could be some truth in this. Over the years I have been involved in both…

High Gun I read my issue of Sporting Gun 220 feet above the Tyne. Steve Falkous, crane engineer A dream come true Having had the pleasure of meeting Paul Payne last weekend at the Fennes Shooting Ground in Braintree, I wanted to extend my thanks to him. For those who don’t know, Paul frequently accompanies Sporting Gun’sown Peter Theobald on his pigeon control forays. My son Alexander (13) and I were practising one of the challenging stands at the ground. Unbeknown to us, Paul was watching. After we had shot he stepped forward and was extremely complimentary about Alexander’s shooting. The icing on the cake was when Paul very kindly offered us a try with his custom-made 12-bore Purdey – I never dreamed that one day…

Christmas stockings Okay, giving socks at Christmas might smack of little imagination, but it isn’t entirely a naff idea – it all depends on the type of sock that ends up in your stocking. No matter how nice and bright they might look with breeks, cheap nylon jobbies make me wince. They’re next to useless for shooting: hot, sweaty and smelly in summer, cold and hard on the skin in winter. And don’t even think of wearing them with wellies. All socks need some man made fibre in the mix to stop ’em wearing too quickly at the heel and toes, but give me a decent dollop of soft wool every time. Better still mohair – pure luxury for the tootsies, hard wearing and the socks don’t smell after being…

Tom Sykes: Cusom Fit Guards ear defenders: Hearing protection is an important piece of kit for anybody in the company of shooting. I have always been interested in custom hearing protection and at the CLA Gamefair I was fitted for a pair of passive ear plugs by Custom Fit Guards. A passive filter is inserted into the ear plug, which allows low noise levels to pass through like a normal conversation, though slightly dulled. It protects the ears from high level sounds like a gunshot. The body of the ear plugs are made from a cast of the ear, this allows them to fit comfortably and without the worry of them falling out if inserted properly. Everybody’s ears are different, so it can take a little time to get in…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH SWAROVSKI OPTIK The weather pattern is certainly changing, and, looking back through my notes from the past five or six years up here in God’s Country (that of course is Northumberland), climate-wise the beginning of our doe seasons are certainly not what they used to be. Through the nineties and in to the millennium we invariably received very hard frosts, often starting in October, and that would be followed by a few light layers of snow in November. From the roe stalkers point of view, as they took a look out of the window, it was always a welcome sight. I have often said that we are a slightly barmy breed! The great thing about the onset of an earlier winter meant that the cover would be…

Last month we looked at training our dogs to go back in a straight line. If you think about it, provided you can get your dog lined up directly to the retrieve, the back command will suffice in most situations. However, there will be occasions when the dog has gone slightly off line or it didn’t get a good mark, so we may need to direct the dog into the area and therefore being able to send it left or right is a real benefit. I have pointed out on more than one occasion that it is important to make sure that the foundation training has been firmly put in place before moving on to more advanced techniques. This is particularly important in this exercise. If your dog is not…

You know the feeling. Kate comes into the office coughing and sneezing ( Ed: actually, I’m in perfect health, Neil!) . Your daughter’s wedding is next week, then you have a fishing trip with the boys and all you can think is “Don’t give it to me!” You Google “incubation period flu” and discover it is one to four days. You wake three days later with a sore throat and Kate becomes the least popular member of staff. In truth, she should have stayed at home and avoided starting an epidemic. There are times your dog is the same. Careful assessment of all working dogs should be carried out immediately prior to a shoot day. Ear, nose and throat Any discharge from the nose is worthy of attention.…

PROFILE NAME KEITH THOMAS AREA OXFORDSHIRE MEDIA METAL ENGRAVING TOOLS PROFESSION GUN ENGRAVER Keith Thomas became a gun engraver by accident really. Good at art at school, he particularly enjoyed doing linocuts, but was told he’d never make it as an artist. Browsing through some magazines, he bought a copy of American Guns & Ammo magazine and read an article about Holland & Holland. “I decided that I wanted to work for them so I applied for an apprenticeship. They asked me what I wanted to do and I said research and development. They burst out laughing and said they hadn’t done that since 1900, so they put me in the repairs department. Their apprentice engraver left nine months later, so I moved over to do that, served a five…

December is a great time for gun auctions, with two prestigious auction houses holding events in London early in the month. Gavin Gardiner’s sale at Sotheby’s, New Bond Street, was rescheduled from 9 December to 1 December, while Holt’s sale at Princess Louise House, Hammersmith Road, is due on 10 December. These two December auctions have, traditionally, offered a huge range of guns from the Òcheap-andcheerfulÓ to the London Best, but the concentration with both auction houses has always been on quality guns. Two great opportunities to acquire something to show off at the traditional Boxing Day shoot! An interesting feature of both sales is that they are preceded by valuation days all over the country. All you have to do is call the auctioneers to book an appointment and,…

Terms & Conditions Shop Front is for guns and other shooting-related equipment including dogs and ferrets. Shop Front is a service for private buyers and sellers - adverts from trade sources will not be accepted. Buyers and sellers of guns should abide by current certificate regulations. Under the Firearms Amendment Act it is an offence to sell, exchange or swap a gun without meeting the buyer or recipient face to face to ensure that both buyer and seller have current certificates. *There is a £5 fee for online advertising for guns costing more than £1,000. How to advertise in Sporting Gun Send us an email at sportinggun_shopfront@timeinc.com and include: Your name Your address Your postcode Your daytime telephone number And, most importantly, details about the item/s you have for sale…

Christmas is only days away, but I’m running a little low on seasonal goodwill right now. The festive spirit was going okay until yesterday lunchtime, when I chanced across a van parked inside a wood on the farm. It’s one I’ve seen being driven slowly along the lane from time to time in spring and summer, the driver stopping in gateways, then moving on whenever I’ve approached. I hadn’t been able to get close enough, until now, to note the vehicle’s registration number, nor discover who drives it. Minutes later I found her, along with six dogs running in all directions having a whale of a time – two chasing a hare, the others flushing pheasants. I politely asked (it being Christmas and all that) what she was doing on…

When I was tasked the with job of reviewing this rifle package, I knew that it was going to be as much of a fact-finding test as the rifle and sound moderator are new to me. Luckily, Kahles optics is a product that I have plenty of experience with. Kahles optics Many of you have heard of the company, but might not know the pedigree behind this manufacturer. Kahles, the oldest scope manufacturer in the world, started producing scopes in 1898. The company produced scopes through both World Wars, and was the first company to produce a variable power scope, a waterproof scope and implemented multi-coating to its glass. So, when I was given a Kahles Helia 5 in 2.4–12x56 as part of the package, I was relieved — this…

GUNDOGS Health matters Q I am looking to breed from my Labrador this year. Do I need to bother with checking if the sire has had any health tests? LEZ SAYS: You most certainly do! On the other side of the coin, you should only consider breeding from your bitch if she’s sound in temperament, is good with people and other dogs, and is quiet. Then you would start the process of health testing (hips, elbows and eyes for Labradors) and only when you have a clean bill of health should you be looking for a sire that would complement your bitch. He should also be sound in temperament, good with people and other dogs, quiet and have a clean bill of health. You should always be looking to improve…

Easy to find? Easy peasy. The ground lies just off the A65 Skipton to Kendal road. From Skipton, pass through the village of Coniston Cold and the entrance is a mile further on, into the grounds of the Coniston Hotel on the right. Drive past the front door of the hotel, through the Land Rover Experience centre and follow the signs for another half mile or so. Access is via a neatly tarred lane. Disciplines: Four Down the Line ranges, four English Skeet layouts, one Automatic Ball Trap range, Compack/ Sportrap layout and 20 or so Sporting stands, including a 90ft tower. Traps: Fully kitted out with automatic machines. All the Sporting stands are fitted with Promatic Sporting Claymate control boxes, which allow for delayed release so you can shoot…

Isn’t it often the same? After studying the weather forecasts carefully, you decide on the date and time for a good pigeon or wildfowling session, arrange everything carefully, and then for some reason it all goes belly up. Strangely, the reverse can also be true, when a spur of the moment outing, with little or no planning, often goes unexpectedly well. Perhaps it’s having too great an expectation, and setting your sights too high? On previous occasions at this very spot, I’ve experienced several of what could genuinely be called “flights of a lifetime”. At times I have witnessed spectacular and almost non stop movements of fowl all over the coastal marsh, so much in fact that it had been necessary to restrain myself to a self imposed bag limit.…

WILDLIFE FRIENDLY SHOOTING IN ASSOCIATION WITH Farmers and gamekeepers are vital in helping to ensure the future survival of many of our most cherished farmland bird species such as skylark, yellowhammer, corn bunting and wild grey partridge. They are responsible for managing the largest songbird habitat in the country on their farms and shoots, but, frequently, their efforts to help reverse bird declines have gone unrecorded. But, the GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count, launched in 2014, is fast becoming a fixture in the calendar for many farms, and shoots and is a great way of highlighting the positive work that many farms and shoots do to help boost farmland wildlife. In 2015, over 950 farmers took part and recorded 127 species. The average farm size of those taking part was…

WHERE THEY WERE SHOT Name: Dave Woollard Location: Atherstone, Warwickshire Here pictured is Dave Woollard (right) and Mark Winser. Both were invited down to Andy Crow’s for a PB day over rape stubble. Dave said: “For anyone who knows Mark Winser, he is currently one of the best Shots in the country in the clayshooting scene, and to see him shoot was incredible.” Name: Gary Preen Location: Leominster, Herefordshire Pictured is Gary Preen (above) and his 10 year old son, Joshua, (right). Gary shot 230 pigeons alongside his friend Phil. He said: “We were shooting over rape stubble, it was the only field that was cut in the area and we could of had more if we did not run out of cartridges. The second photo is Joshua, who shot…

ESKEEZ THERMAL LAYERS These thermals, made in the UK, offer outstanding thermal protection without bulk. Excellent wicking performance, proving warm even when wet, hard wearing and quick drying. They make thermals from the toddler up, so the whole family is catered for. Price: from £25 Web: www.eskeez.co.uk SEELAND HESTER UNDERWEAR We love the thumbholes in the sleeves to prevent the arms from riding up – there’s nothing more irritating. These thermals are made from polyester with sweat transporting qualities, they should also wash well and keep their shape. Price: £39.99 Web: www.seelanduk.co.uk RIDGELINE BAMBOO This three pack of leggings, short sleeve and long sleeve tops is excellent value for money. Made from bamboo fibre fabric that traps and eliminates body odours, the anti-bacterial quality means you don’t have…

Braised Venison Shanks INGREDIENTS: Heat the oil in a casserole dish and brown the meat in batches. Remove from the pan and keep warm on a plate. Add the onions to the casserole dish and cook them gently, stirring all the time to stop the juices from the meat sticking. When the onions are soft add the paprika and flour and cook for about one minute. Stir in the tomatoes and stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and add the venison shanks. Cover with a lid and place in a cool oven (I put it in the bottom oven of my Aga) and cook until the meat is tender. When you are ready to eat skim off…

Every dog that works on the shooting field will, at some point or other, unravel. That could be by a little or it could be by a lot, it really depends on whether we see it happening soon enough to do something about it, or if we miss the signs for one reason or another and the extent of the issue only dawns on us when we realise we’re out of control. Why, when we’ve spent months and months training our dogs and doing the drills does it fall apart half way through the season? Well, during training we spent all of our time teaching the dog that we’re the better hunter, that he can trust our judgement as we always know where the dummies are and we always guide…

In recent months there seems to have been a growing interest from the rabbiting fraternity on the subject of how to make and use a dropnet. After receiving a notable amount of calls from folk seeking advice on the subject, I felt there was a need to cover it with an article. I have fond memories of using such a system in the early 1990s that my father had borrowed from a local rabbit catcher. That rabbit catcher later became my friend, Mick Mansbridge, one of the more knowledgeable people when it comes to the art of netting rabbits. Some will say “Why bother with a dropnet when you can shoot, ferret or snare?” Well, there are situations when such methods aren’t suitable. My father and I used this net…

GUNS FOR SALE Benelli Super Black Eagle. 12-bore semi-auto, 28in mc, 3.5in chamber, lop 14.5in, 7lb12oz, gc, £750. Also Spanish sle, 26in barrels, lop 14.5in 6lb7oz, bored ¼ and ¾, nice lightweight game gun, vgc, £400. Tel 01756 752137 (North Yorkshire). Bettinsoli O/U 28in barrels, c/w five chokes. Side-plate version, fired fewer than 150 cartridges. Vgc, £450. Tel 07523 256074 (Bath). BSA 12-bore, gc, 32in barrel, 2¾in chamber. C/w Brady soft leg-of-mutton case for sbs up to 28in, £45. Tel 01159 655287 (Nottinghamshire). Lander 12 bore o/u shotgun, 28in barrels, £300. Tel 07973 392690 (Staffordshire). Hatsan Escort Magnum, 12-bore, black, 28in barrel. No scratches or marks – little used. C/w four chokes, stock spacers, spare O-rings and key, £260. Tel 01706 229323 (Lancashire). CZ.17HMR 452 American, meopta meopro 6-18x50 bdc…

Despite being a lover of all things antique, I do have a passion for modern guns, too. I suppose, if there is a common theme among the guns that I own, it is build quality. Please do not misunderstand, I fully accept that plastic and other synthetics such as carbon fibre have their uses, but there is nothing quite like oiled wood and finely blued metalwork. Remarkably, one doesn’t have to look far or cripple the bank balance to find quality in the gun world either. One of my all-time favourites is the Browning Auto-5 semi-automatic shotgun; from its introduction around 1900 to the last models produced a few years ago, quality was never compromised. The production run of this shotgun ran to the millions, especially if you include the…

• Binoculars – Leica Geovid Rangefinder – brilliant with the intergrated rangefinder, and didn’t get fogged up or lose too much visibility during the very wet weather. • Scope – Leica Magnus – Really clear and easy to use – all the dials have a nice positive grip. Good relief from lens to housing at each end which helps in bad weather. • Ammunition – Hornady – The stag dropped to the shot and worked nicely with the Sauer rifles, with all of us getting good tight groups. • Rifles – The rest of the team were using the Sauer 404 with synthetic stock, and I heard no complaints. I was using the very pretty Artemis, which has a stock that has been designed for women. Very comfortable indeed to use, and lovely wood.…

This Bergara rifle certainly has a place in the UK market, especially with a price of this black synthetic rifle retailing at £690. I was disappointed with the feed on this new demo model, but Ruag assures me that this is the first gun to have any problems like this. I think once the detachable magazine model comes out, it will be well worth looking at. The Hausken sound moderator is, for the price, really good value. It ticks the majority of boxes for the average stalker/ foxing rig for build good quality, weight, balance and noise reduction. Certainly a moderator to think about, at just £219. The Kahles Helia 5 is a well-rounded scope with a flexible magnification of 2.4 to 12, which is perfect from driven boar or…

VETERINARY: NEIL MCINTOSH A practising vet in Scotland. TUITION: JOHN BIDWELL 6 times World FITASC champ and pro shooting coach. LEGAL: DAVID FROST Author of Sporting Shooting and the Law. TECHNICAL: MIKE GEORGE Engineering author with a deep love of gunmaking. GUNDOGS: LEZ GRAHAM Gundog trainer and author of the Pet Gundogbooks. PIGEONS: PETER THEOBALD Author of Woodpigeon: The Ultimate Quarry. STALKING: GEORGE WALLACE National Gamekeepers’ Organisation’s firearms consultant. FERRETS: ED COOK Professional rabbit catcher working over 30,000 acres.…

Last week, I received an email from one of the subscribers to my YouTube channel. He had been watching one of the latest head-cam videos and he asked what the difference is between a walked-up and a rough shoot, which got me thinking. The first thought that came to mind is that at times my shooting can be, well, variable and many would consider it pretty rough! But, in truth, I think there is a difference. First of all, I would say that if you go roughshooting then nothing is really organised. You would have a wander around your permission with your dog and perhaps a fellow Gun and pretty much anything legal that presents itself would be fair game. You would be hunting hedges and edges and you would…

As part of our Deer Management unit of the course, we visited Studley Royal Deer Park, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, to study the Red, Sika and Fallow deer. Before walking around the park and studying the deer behaviour at this time of year, we received a short talk from the deer warden about deer ecology and management strategies in a parkland habitat. Being able to get so close to each species allowed us to understand identification techniques, behaviour and management in a parkland environment. The trip helped us to understand the ecology of the deer species, an upcoming assignment in our Deer Management lectures.…

We’re delighted to be able to present a new national competition for 2016: The Young Shot Conservation Award. The idea came from Lucy Marsden, a Young Shots Ambassador, while at Lowther Game Fair, and has been organised by Duncan Thomas, North West Regional Officer for BASC and a champion for Young Shots. Lucy will also be one of the judges. We all know how important conservation is, and that shoots can be a great force for the good when it comes to helping nature and wildlife. It’s something we’re all keen to show the wider public. This is a great chance to show just how brilliant shooting can be for conservation, as well as giving the finalists the chance to win some great prizes. There are loads of options for…

Thanks to the availability of affordable night-vision systems, hunting at night has become much more popular in recent years. For a long time, however, the only real choice of illumination was the infra-red laser. While these can work superbly, they have their drawbacks – especially their propensity to develop spots across the image. These are caused by a mix of dust and moisture, and range from annoying to completely debilitating. TacLight were one of the first suppliers in the UK to move things forward by bringing an LED infra red torch to the marketplace. This was called the Night Master 800, and it used an aspheric lens to project a beautifully clear beam. More or less unaffected by the kind of debris that would have taken a laser out of…

Some pundit from the past – I think it was the legendary Col. Townsend Whelen, once commented that only accurate rifles are interesting. It is hard to disagree with such a fundamental truth. Sometimes our new rifle is not as accurate as we might wish, but before labelling it “uninteresting” and trading it in to some unsuspecting dealer, there are quite a few things we can try at home before having to despatch the offending instrument to an expert for a bit of expensive tuning. Tighten up A quick check of stock securing screws, scope mounts and rings may seem elementary, but they can and do work loose, especially just after first assembly. It plays merry hell with accuracy. Once that is sorted, the most likely reason for unsatisfactory groups…

• Pre-shoot meal Feed at least two hours before you’re due to start. Your dog needs food to sustain his energy throughout the day, but needs it to be well on the way to digestion to prevent gastric torsion (bloat). • Snack breaks Make sure you take plenty of water with you and a couple of snacks for your dog (I tend to take a three-pack of Natural Instinct’s beef jerky). • Keep hydrated Your dog will no doubt drink from rivers, streams and puddles throughout the day, but make sure he has fresh water available to him when you stop mid-morning, though not too much as you don’t want a water-filled stomach sloshing around. • First aid Take a small first aid kit that you can keep in your pocket or bag and…

Ingredients  Serves: 1 medium goose, about 10-11lb/4.5-5kg 5 medium Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into four 2 oranges cut into quarters 1 whole bulb of garlic 2 heaped tbsp thyme 1 stick cinnamon 2tbsp rock salt 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon Cranberry Chestnut Stuffing 1lb/450g sausage meat 1 medium onion, chopped 2tsp finely chopped sage 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped Grated zest of one orange 1 small jar of cranberry sauce 12 peeled and chopped roasted chestnuts (tinned will do ) 2 egg yolks A handful of breadcrumbs 1tsp salt 1tsp ground black pepper cooking method 1 Place the potatoes in a large roasting tin and season with salt and pepper. Fill the goose cavity with orange, garlic, thyme and cinnamon and place it on top of the…

BERETTA SILVER PIGEON CLASSIC When we first tested the Silver Pigeon Classic in 2013, we noted that it cost £2,825, against £2,075 for the Silver Pigeon 1 Deluxe, and £1,600 for the Silver Pigeon 1. These were importer’s recommended retail prices and, although most dealers sold them cheaper, the difference between the prices were roughly the same in percentage terms. So was the “posh” gun – the top of the Silver Pigeon range – worth the extra cash? Our then gun tester, Jason Harris, thought it was, while I remain sitting on the fence – largely because I have never bought a high-grade gun during my 50-plus years in the shooting sports. Maybe it’s because I’m stingy, but I will let you decide who’s right; Jason or me. In its…

GUNS adj — adjustable ble — boxlock ejector blne — boxlock non ejector brls — barrels c/w — complete with cyl — cylinder db — double barrel dt — double trigger ej — ejector ex con — excellent condition fac — firearms certificate fc — fixed choke gc — good condition grd — grade hg — hammer gun imp — improved ltwt — lightweight m/c — multi-choke mod — modified o/u — over and under ono — or near offer ovno — or very near offer p/x — part exchange pa — pump action rf — rimfire rnds — rounds (ammunition) sa — semi-automatic sb — single barrel sbs — side by side sle — side lock ejector slne — sidelock no ejector sst — single selective trigger tge —…