Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Shooting Gazette

Semi-auto misunderstanding I reply to the article by John Walker (May issue) regarding automatic shotguns. Mr Walker appears to be unaware of the well-documented fact that many shooters use these guns to minimise recoil. I now use one for that reason and the ‘gun’ headaches and neck problems that I suffered for many years have disappeared. I know several clay-pigeon shooters (including champions) who have similarly benefited. Many are elderly like myself who otherwise may not be shooting. Almost all are true gentlemen. It doesn’t sound like Mr Walker shoots clay pigeons but if he does I hope that he never experiences the pain I have suffered. He would then perhaps appreciate that not all users of these guns fit the offensive view he gives of them in his apparently…

Like many others who read Shooting Gazette, I am always amused by the monthly debate between Ben Samuelson and Giles Catchpole. The side-by-side versus over-under question is always interesting. I shot with a side-by-side until recently when my son persuaded me to try his over-under on a day when we were sharing a peg. With one gun, and one set of cartridges, it made swapping much easier. Since then, I have taken to starting the season with a side-by-side and 28gram cartridges. In December, I move to an over-under with 32gram. The over-under on January birds with 32gram No.5 or No.4 shot seems to be more efficient on stronger and more ‘feathered up’ pheasants. Plus the configuration is easier on the shoulder. Flurry days suit the over-under and save wearing…

Do you post your shooting exploits on social media? If so, what do you consider when you do so? Those of us active on social media will have seen posts about shooting that make us cringe: lack of respect for the quarry, dangerous techniques, giving away information about gun security, gun-ho behaviour, over indulgence in liquid courage, and those likely to lead to a revocation if noticed by the authorities. Having taken to task some of those who post such things, I’ve received two types of response: “I hadn’t thought of it like that, good point, thank you” to short and unsweet Foxtrot Oscars from the trigger-happy twerps who are the worst offenders. I don’t bother with them any more: they can be the architects of their own demise as…

For your chance to win a bottle of Taittinger Champagne for Picture of the Month, send us a team photograph or a picture of something unusual from your shoot. Send high-resolution images or prints with captions to Shooting Gazette Gallery, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd., Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF or email: martin.puddifer@ti-media.com WILLOW SHOOT DAY RAISES £43,000 The Willow Shoot Day, held at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School (RBSS), raised an astonishing £43,000 in May. Now in its 12th year, the shoot day has raised £600,000 for the charity, founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson and his wife Megs in memory of their daughter Anna. Proceeds will go towards offering seriously ill young adults uplifing and unforgettable ‘Special Days’. More than 100 guests enjoyed a shoot,…

Can it really be that [The] Shooting Gazette is 30 years old? Can it really be that I am the only original correspondent and contributor left standing? It makes you think. So how have things changed in the intervening three decades? Well, the magazine has a great deal more colour in it than in 1989. This is because colour was so expensive to produce and reproduce that only significant feature articles could be illustrated with it. The advertisements, on the other hand, were largely in colour because the advertisers knew this would make them stand out from the rest of the black-and-white mass. Ah, the advertisements! Who wouldn’t drool over the new Mitsubishi GLXi Liftback 4WD with electric windows and a sunroof which could waft you to 62mph in only…

I just love early hammer guns before they settled down to the conventional Jones underlever or top-lever with Purdey bolt. The progression from muzzle-loader to breech-loader was anything but straightforward and during this development a great many blind alleys were pursued. These blind alleys, little quirks of development, were the result of gunmakers attempting to create perfect breech-loaders. Each attempt was governed by one guiding principle – how to speed up the rate of fire. By 1860, the muzzle-loader was so old fashioned and ponderous to load, it is no wonder the breech-loader rapidly became so popular. It was effortless to load and a great many ingenious minds attempted to make it even more effortless, centre-fire cartridges, snap actions, ejectors and the like. One such blind alley is the subject…

In the 1860s and 1870s there were many other examples of self-cocking hammer guns: Gibbs & Pitt of 1873, Joseph Lang of 1875, James Woodward and Thomas Southgate of 1876 to name a few. One of the best known self-cockers was that patented by Thomas Perkes in patent no. 129 of 12 January 1876. Thomas, of 4 Duck Lane, Soho, was a prodigious inventor, selling many inventions to the gun trade. His most famous contribution was a series of improvements to the ejector, primarily the first usage of the over centre ejector tumbler. In the Perkes self-cocker, the hammers were raised to cock by a bar that rose out of the head of the action when the underlever was pushed forwards. Depending on how far the lever was pushed forwards,…

Novice Dog/Novice Handler  1 (and winner of the Lincolnshire Area Shield) Liz Woods with lab.b. Lowsommer Blacksmiths Rose Intermediate  1 (and winner of the Ortalan Shield) Andy Brook with lab.d. Levendale Elm 2 (and winner of the Ortalan Trophy for the Youngest Dog in the Intermediate Awards) Andy Brook with lab.d.Tullyah Hugo 3 Godfrey Lowe with lab.d.Jogolo Dark Magic 4 Caroline Pont with lab.d. Brackenwood Willow Star at Ridsome CoM J Middlewood with lab.d. Kentixen Side to Side CoM Paul Williams with gr.b.Woodfinch Fortissimo…

Q Two years ago, I bought what turned out to be a pretty good dog. I trained the dog myself and along the way we have been to group and individual gundog training sessions where he is good at whatever is thrown at him. What do I do next? I feel there is another level I am missing. To be honest, we both get a little bored with the usual exercises. A That's great to hear, well done for getting to that point. I think it depends on where your expectations and aspirations are as to what you do next. If you are going to work your dog, then switch to a lot of simulated shooting situations in different environments and put all those exercises to the test. It helps…

Smoking game Game and its consumption has always been on our agenda. Mary Bremner headed to the Apley Estate in Shropshire to find out the innovative ways Lord and Lady Hamilton are using their farm shop – and a little outside help – to offer game to their customers all year round. It is thought-provoking and mouth-watering stuff – and that’s just the photography! Gundog captains As the Game Fair draws ever closer, attentions will be turning to the gundog competitions. Wendy Bardsley caught up with the captains of the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish teams at the recent Skinner's World Cup to find out more about their roles and how they use a blend of national pride, experience and time-served knowledge to prepare their charges for the big events.…

I shoot woodpigeons over crops regularly at the request of farmers to control their numbers and prevent serious damage. As part of this control I shoot them over cereal and oil seed rape stubble in the late summer. This is necessary to keep the overall numbers in check. The population of woodpigeons in the UK is in good health, with numbers increasing by 134% between 1970 and 2011. I am, therefore, perplexed as to the motivations of Wild Justice for forcing changes to the general licence for controlling these birds. It is certainly not motivated by the desire to halt the decline of an endangered species. I suspect that the true motivation of Wild Justice is an objection to anything being shot. Well, I have no problem with that if,…

There are few things that impinge more pertinently upon country sporting pursuits than money. Whether the importance of shooting to the incomes of the rural community or the value of its environmental benefits to a wider constituency, everything we do to take our pleasures is underpinned by the ability of our hosts to survive and us to keep pace with rising costs. On a sim day recently, our host was talking of the general inequality of valuing the country’s agricultural estate and how while income from grain and livestock sales had remained relatively static over the past 25 years, every other aspect of his costs had spiralled upwards. He wasn’t moaning, just making the point farming is a tough environment and likely to get tougher. Talking to the owner of…

How does Alan Paine keep its new lines fresh while not forgetting the traditions of the sport? “We keep the styling of new fieldsports clothing lines fairly traditional and functional, but each season we freshen up the ranges with innovative fabrics and new colours.” Does fieldsports clothing give its wearer a chance to express their individual personality? “Absolutely! It’s the one time the chaps can be the peacocks, although we know ladies also like to cut a dash in the field. Brightly coloured ties, scarves, socks and even waistcoats are great for expressing one’s individuality. We’ve heard that it’s not just the ladies who plan their outfit days in advance.” What’s the biggest faux pas someone who’s new to game shooting can make when choosing their attire? “Avoid wearing everything…

Dear Uncle Giles, Is poaching acceptable on a simulated game day when there are youngsters in the line who may be shooting on a driven day for the first time next season? HJC, via email Uncle Giles writes The simulation of driven game shooting by expert handlers of clay pigeon traps has reached a marvellous level of verisimilitude. A simulated drive can now achieve something very close to the experience of shooting live game. As a result, simulated game shooting can be a useful tool in teaching the young or the less experienced the correct procedures. In this regard, one thinks principally, though not exclusively, about safety. Gun management when loading and reloading, for example, and not swinging through the line before, during or after a shot. Many an experienced…

TRAVEL Altcar is just over 10 miles from Liverpool, off the A565. It’s within an hour’s drive from Manchester and over four hours from London. The nearest airport, Liverpool John Lennon, is just over 30 minutes’ drive away. The train journey from London to Liverpool takes 2½ hours. Travelling around the shoot is easy as all Guns travel in the Gunbus. The drive to the shoot room is off a minor road and gravelled. STAY The estate has an accommodation section on its website (altcarestate.com/ Accommodation). We stayed locally at the Miller and Carter near Ormskirk which was about five miles from the estate. This budget hotel was clean and tidy with comfortable beds and we had an excellent meal here. Our rooms cost £45 each in January (innkeeperslodge. com).…

One thing I will remember from my time with Chris Hanks is his assertion ahead of our final lesson that “there’s no room for spraying and praying” whether you are facing a clay pigeon or a driven game bird. Our three two-hour lessons have been a real eye-opener and I am indebted to him for untangling a lot of the unnecessary knots in shooting technique, both mental and physical. Whenever I have been at a stand since our first lesson back in March I’ve instantly gone into “Lady’s Wood mode”, that is, a place where all those negative thoughts, jeering away like backbench MPs, are put on mute and I remind myself, with increasing enthusiasm, that I have to have confidence in myself or I might as well go home.…

The Game Fair returns to Hatfield House in Hertfordshire for the second time on 26-28 July. As always, there will be plenty for game shooters from eight to 80 to get their teeth into, whether just visiting for a day or planning an extended weekend at the world’s largest countryside festival. Now in its 61st year, the Game Fair will open with a 61-gun salute in the Main Arena; a statement of intent for all that will be on offer across the 179-acre site. The fair is expected to attract 120,000 visitors and almost 1,000 exhibitors will be on site, with many familiar brands and famous names there to offer everything from gun buying advice on Gunmakers’ Row to debates on the latest issues affecting game shooting at the Carter…

It is wonderful to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Shooting Gazette, a landmark that led me to do some calculations of my own. It was amazing to find that it was my own silver anniversary – that is, 25 years of contributing and sharing my passion for pigeon shooting. This has been a privilege and so 300 articles later here we are, in spite of the draconian withdrawal of the general licences and the Natural England fiasco. This is now temporarily solved by an alternative which is so restrictive that it is just not fit for the purpose of managing the greatest avian agricultural pest of the farming world...but don’t get me going on that. “There are so many elements that can be the reason for failure that it is…

So what are they like to shoot? Out to the 40ft tower, the handling was exceptional with no vices, smooth and controllable. The fixed chokes produced some great patterns with a wide variety of cartridges, both game and clay loads, and recoil was minimal. Onto the 80ft tower with the same result. The gun was an absolute pleasure to shoot. You could push it quite hard and shoot with gun speed or take your time and see the lead. Onto the high tower and some extreme targets with some punchy 36gram No.5s, something I would rarely use, but they do test the comfort if nothing else. It wasn’t an issue for the Piotti. The recoil was no more than I expected. I also had the opportunity to shoot a nonsideplated…

I mentioned to a fellow picker-up that I was looking for a story relating to the 30th anniversary of Shooting Gazette’s launch in 1989. “I was in one of the very early editions,” he said. “I was a beater on the Barnby Broad shoot and the magazine came along and did a feature on it. Everyone who was part of the day was in a group photograph – as a young man, I was chuffed.” “I knew it was going to be different on my first day.” He went all dreamy and then carried on. “It was an incredible place. All alder carr and ground so boggy you could push your stick in all the way. I saw one chap disappear up to his armpits. We were all treated as…

THE AUTHOR of the Letter of the Month will receive a pair of Wexford boots from Dubarry of Ireland (RRP £325). The knee-length, side-zip boots – designed for both men and women – are handcrafted from waterproof Dry Fast-Dry Soft breathable leathers. The high quality of the boot is reinforced throughout with an insulated GORE-TEX lining that wicks moisture away from the foot, ensuring the wearer remains dry and comfortable all day. Dubarry’s new, hard-wearing durable outsole gives maximum grip whatever the ground conditions.…

Make an early start: Planning the Game Fair starts as early as 12 months before the event. Contact all the captains of the team events – Home International and Euro Challenge, etc. This in turn gives them plenty of time to select their team members. In all organisations you are only as good as the team behind you, so select carefully. Select a good working party: If possible, approach people who have helped previously. Knowledge is a wonderful thing and experience means that things should run smoothly. Try to include new helpers so that there is a larger pool of people with experience to call on in following years. Explain fully what is required: Ask if anyone has any questions and answer comprehensively. Very much like training a dog, if…

We would shoot pheasant at Stowell Park in the Cotswolds, close to home and beautiful in all weathers. I love shooting in the cold. There is a real sense of satisfaction when you sit down in a warm place at the end of a successful day and reflect. First on my list is partner Joe McClean, who ‘fine tunes’ me in the field and has influenced my passion for shooting. He’s not a bad shot himself, either. Don’t tell him I said though! Next up is my grandfather John Moore. I didn’t get a chance to shoot with him before he passed away. I wish I had. He had natural talent and would have been so proud to see me sharing a real passion of his. Third on the list…

Q What considerations should one take into account when looking to buy a shotgun from a foreign gunmaker and bringing it into the country? A It is, of course, perfectly possible to buy a shotgun abroad and import it into the UK, but it may not be straightforward and there could be considerable difficulties with red tape and dealings with the police and possibly the border force. If importing it personally, you will have to make arrangements for it to go from the manufacturer to the export port – and the vendor will have to sign your certificate. Some police forces can be helpful and it’s certainly worth checking with your FEO before you start the process. I asked Bill Harriman, BASC’s director of firearms, for his views. He said:…

TRAVEL Arley Estate sits in Upper Arley on the banks of the River Severn between Bridgnorth and Bewdley. The M5 and M42 near Bromsgrove are 30 minutes’ drive and you can be at Birmingham International Airport within an hour if traffic is on your side. The location of the shoot has made it popular with shooting parties coming from as far as mainland Europe as well as the Isle of Man. STAY Shooting Gazette stayed at the exceptional Royal Forester Country Inn near Bewdley. A place to enjoy game dishes in comfortable surroundings (royalforesterinn. co.uk). Arley Estate also recommends the Mercure Hotel in Bewdley, a Victorian gem with room for large parties (mercurebewdley.co.uk). New for 2020 will be Arley's Grange Hotel, so keep an eye on its website for details.…

Summer on the hill would hardly be complete without the sound of drumming snipe. The rush of that lonely, whooping call is enough to make your hair stand on end. Snipe seem to have bred well on our hill ground this year, and it is interesting that they should hold their own amid the dramatic decline of all other wading birds. We lost our golden plovers more than 30 years ago, and lapwings followed them soon afterwards when the land around us was planted with commercial forestry. Most waders cannot tolerate trees, particularly when they bring foxes, badgers and crows on to the open hill. I remember a time when curlew were common, but now there are only a few pairs that return to us to breed. It makes for…

Advance tickets for one day at the Game Fair cost £27 for an adult and £10 for a child (aged eight to 16). Advance three-day tickets cost £75 for an adult and £30 for a child (aged eight to 16). An advance family ticket for two adults and up to three children costs £67 for one day or £200 for all three days. Concessions are available for senior citizens (60+) and military personnel. On the gate, one day adult tickets cost £34 and child tickets are £10. Accompanied children aged eight and under are free.…

I was a full 20 minutes late for my first day at Shooting Gazette in July 2006. Things had started so well. It was a picturesque 50-minute and near three-mile walk from my flat in Easton on the Hill, across the border into Lincolnshire then down into Stamford. I was keen to make a good impression. Back then, the magazine was based at Rock House, an imposing Georgian building which was the HQ of the Polish Parachute Brigade during the Second World War. I allowed myself a 30-second pep talk about doing my best before pressing the buzzer for entry. When I arrived, the office was already a hive of activity and I was impressed everyone at Shooting Gazette was so eager to start the day’s work even earlier than…

Centre-fire rifle development tended to lag behind slightly on account of the problem of gas escape from rifle cartridges due to the higher breech pressures. The technology for pressing out brass cartridges did not exist at this time and many rifle cartridges were made out of cardboard. As usual, improvements to rifle cartridge cases were driven by the military. The problem was solved by Col. E.M. Boxer of the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, who took out a patent in 1866 to create a coiled brass cartridge case. A metallic cartridge was constructed by making the case out of coiled brass attached to a metal head. When the cartridge exploded, the coiled brass could easily expand to seal the breech and yet return to its original size to permit removal. The…

Engineering: 10/10 The engineering is exceptional. You know when you close the gun that a lot of effort has gone into making sure everything has been made to the highest standards. Putting the gun together requires precise placement of the barrels to the action, such are the fine tolerances. One further small point that impressed me was the button that enabled the movement of the trigger, different from the usual Allen key and well engineered. Looks and finishing: 9/10 Nicely finished without unnecessary bling. It feels and looks like a quality gun made to a standard from the first process and not something dressed up to achieve a price. If I was going down the engraved side-plated route, I would opt for a game scene rather than scroll, but that’s…

Club: United Retriever Club (Lincs Area) Event: Novice Dog/ Novice Handler Working Test and Intermediate Working Test Venue: Worlaby Judges: Mike Birchall, Julie Campbell, Martin Eveleigh and Casper Jonsen Chief Steward: Keith Parker Sponsors: Mr and Mrs M. Strawson Worlaby has wonderfully varied terrain and we would like to thank Mr Lamyman, Mr Dennis and Mr Swinn for hosting us. Test one was a mark down the side of the lake, followed by a blind in the same place. Test two was a mark with shot to the right onto plough and a blind. The blind was to the left in reeds and rough grass alongside an area of water. Test three was a double mark. One mark was thrown into a small plantation of trees and the other was…

I recently attended the Skinner’s World Cup Retriever Event at the Glanusk Estate in Powys. The dogs were given some spectacular retrieves. This was a working test on steroids for some of the best handlers from Europe and the UK. Day one retrieves were long on open moorland – minus heather – with gorse. Some of the tests were straightforward marks and some were blinds with marks as a distraction. Day two saw parkland retrieves, some with water. Dogs sent in a line needed to take it straight and, equally, when a handler commanded a dog to go right, left or back, it had to do so. If the dog didn’t, they hit bunkers that created bigger problems and more handling was needed. The experienced still had a hard task,…

Novice  1 (& winner of the Midland Area’s Novice Cup) Danielle Jones with lab.d Stokes of George at Ashwynd 2 Charlotte Brailsford with lab.b Casheath Wild Blackberry 3 Charlotte Brailsford with lab.b. Kentixen Sunshine Blossom of Casheath 4 Kay Pallett with lab.d Hollygate Derwent CoM Helen Swan with lab.d. Braitoft Artful Open  1 (& winner of the Midland Area’s Winner’s Trophy & Clancallum Shield for highest-placed golden retriever) Catherine Munn with gr.b. Lilleburne Freedance Fee 2 (& winner of the Braeduke Cup for highest-placed yellow labrador) Steve Le Voi with lab.d. Maderablanca Amarillo 3 (& winner of the Wagtail Misty trophy for highest-placed black labrador) Pat Dixon with Forever Storm King 4 Ellena Nunneley with lab.b. Swiftlands Dora Intermediate  1 (& winner of the Midland Area Intermediate Rosebowl) P. Dixon…

Club: The Arfon Working Gundog Club Event: 14 Dog Novice A.V. Retriever Stake Venue: Carreglwyd Estate Judges: Kevin Bradey, Nicola Reynolds, Judith White and Phil Brown Guns: John Dudley, Leanne Deering, Rob Jones, Ken Owen, Gerallt Wynn and Eurwyn Roberts. Sponsors: CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds and Gary McCarthy of Gundog Gear We held our retriever stake in Llanfaethlu, Anglesey, by kind permission of Rickie Roberts. With a number of dogs failing, we were well into the second round after all the birds were retrieved from the first drives. Following the second drive, the dogs were tried again and once more there were failures. By the time the judges closed their books, there was only one dog left. We would like to thank our host, judges, Guns, helpers and sponsors for…

Club: URC (Essex Area) Event: Special Puppies/Novice/Veteran Tests Venue: Purleigh Judges: John Keegan, Liz Ingram, Keith Foster and Jackie Smith Stewards: Mike Lawrence and Fred Rice Sponsors: Masters Foods and Sporting Saint We held our first test of the year at a new ground in Purleigh. With 48 entries, the lack of scent early on played a part in making the tests more challenging. Test one, judged by Keith Foster, consisted of a marked retrieve to gunshot in front of two hedgerows, followed by a blind retrieve back to the same area for the puppies and a blind retrieve with a distraction for the other classes. While the marked retrieve appeared straightforward, a number of the dogs were pulled into the hedgerows beyond the mark. With the scent low on…

Special Puppy  1 Roy Jarman with lab.d. Uncleby Lordy 2 Kelvin Smith with lab.b. Braitoft Swiftsure of Tideshot 3 Mike Tallamy with lab.d. Brindlebay Mead 4 Dominic Butcher with lab.d. Berewyk Tim Novice  1 Andy Cooper with lab.d. Copperwheats Harvey 2 (& Judges Choice for the Ron Bendall Trophy) Jean Hosking with lab.b. Bellspaddle Whiffle 3 Kim Prentice with lab.b Tashwarne Jasmin 4 Harriet Newcombe with lab.b. Riverlily Sunny Sunshine Veteran  1 Arthur Cook with lab.b. Malshinga Rabinda 2 Tracey Chesser with lab.b Gunnerheath Fern of Spurgate 3 Cath Elsey with lab.d. Kayteens Kentucky…