Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i Shooting Gazette

In the way that a terrier stares transfixed down a hole in the hope of something edible or chaseable emerging, some of you might have watched members of the unelected Upper House delivering about the best example in modern times of balanced, informed, erudite debate as they pondered the triggering of Article 50 and EU exit. Only problem was that as lords spiritual and temporal lumbered to their feet occupying 16 hours of parliamentary time to say pretty much the same thing for and against the Commons motion, they were debating the wrong thing at the wrong time. I know it is hard to comprehend that some of our populace think of Lords as an endangered species, but if you really wanted to see what endangered species look like, look…

Q We asked our Facebook followers to choose between a calm labrador or a wild spaniel and we got the following responses… David Pitbladdo wrote: “It’s not much of a choice is it. Where’s the pointers? Oh well. Cocker it would have to be. No point having a calm cocker, or you may as well have an excitable lab. So a wild cocker it would be.” Andrew Small wrote: “I have a calm spaniel and a wild lab but I’ll always love a wild springer.” Mirjam Frieman wrote: “Not much of a choice... you need both! And don’t forget the Border terrier.” Andreas Flora wrote: “Wild labrador! And a calm one, when I am absolutely retired or almost dead! By the way, I love working cockers too.” Paul Hible wrote:…

Dear Uncle Giles, Is it really sensible to combine guns and alcohol? I don’t, as a rule, drink much during the day; indeed drinking at lunch time is strictly forbidden at my place of work even though there is only a limited amount of machinery in our office and none of that life threatening, I should have thought. And yet, on a shoot day, I am invited to start drinking at elevenses and then to imbibe further, and deeper, at lunch. One doesn’t want to appear rude but I return to my original question: is it sensible? Yours, unsettled, MEJP, by email Uncle Giles writes I have often wondered how long it would take before this issue arose because it puts me neatly on the horns of a dilemma. Ban…

Pictured (above) are all the participants from the Shooting for Heroes day at Crichel, featured on pages 22-31. Headkeeper Barry Walker (second from left in the picture on the right) cites this day as one of the most enjoyable of his whole career as a seventh generation gamekeeper. William Howard sent this picture and he said: “This is my daughter, Matilda Howard, aged six, on her first day out on a shoot at Foulden, in Norfolk last season. As you can see, she took to the role of picking-up with self-evident enthusiasm.” Ella Kennedy sent us this picture and she explained: “Hoads Farm Shoot in Kent was set up by Seb Nicholas on his family farm, which grows hops and vines. He started as a small rough shoot, but found…

“I assumed the culprit must have been a badger until I saw the goshawk in action.” Red grouse are stirring on the back hill. Hormonal changes are breaking up the little packs which formed during the short winter days, and cock birds are growing impatient with one another. It has been such a mild winter here in Galloway that the birds never really formed their full packs, preferring instead to gather in loose groups of four and six – gatherings of pairs which were established in the autumn. In the winter of 2010, it was not uncommon to find packs of 30 or more grouse on the high ground, and after almost a month of snow, these birds started to come down off the hill and into the hedges to…

Isaac Hollis & Sons was one of the big Birmingham manufacturers in the 19th century, building a great many guns and rifles for the trade. It was originally established as Hollis & Sheath at 10-11 Weaman Row in Birmingham in 1849, the business being renamed Isaac Hollis & Sons in 1861. It remained at the same address until it moved to Lench Street around 1893. It amalgamated with other Birmingham firms to form Hollis, Bentley & Playfair and finally ceased business in 1953. The firm built a large variety of guns and rifles for regular usage, the bulk of its production being exported. In a catalogue of 1893, it still supplied a great many muzzle-loading guns and rifles for use abroad where cartridges might be difficult to acquire. The catalogue…

“Either the birds were getting hungry or my flock of over 100 decoys was now effective.” Ted, a farming friend of mine, has grown lucerne (or alfalfa) for many years and AC, my pigeon shooting pal, and I have had some good days over the years in spring and early summer. Ted is growing less lucerne under his present farming scheme and so this year there is only one field. He enjoys pigeon shooting and had a day's decoying there in early February when pigeons first showed an interest. However, after a few shots the birds disappeared to the oilseed rape on the neighbouring farm: game over. A fortnight later he and AC were due to shoot the field on a Tuesday, but at the last minute Ted was tied…

This is a really lovely little 20 bore gun, and might just be enough to give those Beretta devotees out there a pause for thought when passing by the racks in their local gunshop. It has been attractively engraved and our test gun’s woodwork has been very well finished, making a nice though relatively unremarkable bit of wood look quite special. The rounded pistol grip (main image shows a different gun) really suits the gun and is indicative of what Browning seems to have been aiming for here; in many ways this is a more refined, less challenging version of the B725 and an attempt to bring some slightly more classical appeal to a modern gun. Of course, this is still very much a Browning and so features all their…

Q Can I use my trap gun for pigeon/game shooting? A There is a common misconception that trap guns can’t be used for other forms of shooting, I disagree. A trap gun is a gun which usually has slightly longer barrels, tighter chokes and is set up with a higher comb height, making the gun’s impact point also high. In some circumstances, but not all, they can be heavier. Many people would say I have just described the perfect high pheasant gun and I would not disagree as trap guns are often used for this very purpose. There is no reason whatsoever why you can’t use a trap gun for game shooting, however, I would check the impact point of the gun on a pattern board. In previous articles, I…

With the shooting season over it is time to give the dogs a rest from picking-up and trialling, before training is resumed for spring and summer, and working tests, writes Phil Wagland. It’s also a time to review the past trial season, sort things for the AGM, prepare material for the club yearbook and find grounds and judges for next season. Most trials for retrievers are ‘any variety’ with labradors being the most numerous, followed by golden retrievers and flatcoated retrievers. Chesapeake Bay and curly coated retrievers. Irish water spaniels can also enter retriever trials but the number of these currently competing is exceedingly small. Clubs designated as field trial societies may run trials for up to four sub-groups: pointers and setters, spaniels, HPRs, and retrievers, which are always for…

Chudleys has announced its continued support for the ISA (Independent Schools Association) Gundog Challenge following the success of the competition in 2016. Hosted by The Gundog Company, the ISA Gundog Challenge is designed for primary school children aged from between three to 12 years of age with the aim of raising awareness of handling and training gundogs. The Gundog Company will visit ISA schools throughout 2017, providing educational demonstrations on how to handle and train gundogs. Once the demonstrations are complete, children are invited to practice the commands before their classmates and, at the end of the day, two children will be presented with certificates as finalists and will be invited to compete in the final. Since the training demonstrations began, primary school children have been inspired to write their…

RECOMMENDATIONS AIMED at the streamlining of current woodland grant schemes in a bid to support forestry and agriculture have been welcomed by BASC. In Seeing the wood for the Trees, a report on forestry in England by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, there are calls for the government to clarify its commitment for England to have 12 per cent woodland cover by 2060 and changes in planting to meet this target. BASC stated improvements to grant schemes will help to ensure shooting continues to play an important role in the creation and management of woodlands and underlined the role of deer management in this endeavour. Dr Conor O’Gorman, BASC’s policy development manager, said: “BASC believes it is important that forestry expansion should not adversely affect existing shooting, such…

26% Percentage reduction in the recorded number of poisonings of birds of prey in the Scottish Government’s annual bird of prey crime map (SL&E) £120 Nightly cost of a 5-metre bell tent at the forthcoming Game Fair at Hatfield House. £42 Cost per person to take part in an event during National Ladies Shooting Day on June 10. 5,500 (and counting) – Number of times the anti-rural crime Project Poacher app has been downloaded (BASC) £20,000 Amount raised for young shots during a BASC North fundraiser at Inn at Whitewell. £200,000 Amount raised during the inaugural fundraising dinner of The Country Food Trust at Syon Park, London, in February.…

1. BARRY PHILLIPS Part time wine buff and full time eccentric who invited me on my first day grouse shooting. When I thanked him, he said “no need to thank me, just return the invite by taking another keen youngster on their first day when you are older. I was told the same when I was your age”. 2. JIM CORBETT The maneater hunter from India is a hero for many, myself included. On one occasion he shot a man-eating tiger one handed, with a .275 Rigby. His marksmanship and storytelling at elevenses would add tremendously to the day. 3. BORIS JOHNSON Every shoot day needs a joker and with his track record we would not be disappointed. It would also be good to get the lowdown on Brexit between…

Q: I would like to buy my son his first shotgun as a birthday present when he turns 14 this summer. Can he have his own shotgun certificate or is it best to put it on mine? A: Whilst I would suggest it should be on yours as well he can certainly have his own shotgun certificate. There is no minimum age at which a young person may obtain a shotgun certificate and young people need them to be able to borrow shotguns when under the age of 15. Whilst this age group must be supervised at all times by a 21-year-old or over, there are times when the lending certificate holder cannot be immediately present and the youngster is placed with a suitable person aged over 21. There are…

How much is too much? In your publication, towards the end of last season, your editor’s mind was exercised on several occasions on the subject of what makes a good day’s shooting, particularly in respect of bag sizes. Those of us who are involved in the sport of shooting are a pretty diverse bunch, so expectations vary greatly. To quite a few of us a bag of around 50 would be fine; to others 100 to 150 represents a perfect day; others look higher towards 250, 300 or even 500, which are all pretty much understandable in the right situation. But, just as a thought, where is the threshold where the day moves from being enjoyable and acceptable to all involved to being, perhaps, excessive, greedy and, basically, just not…

TRAVEL Shooting Gazette flew to Madrid Barajas Airport from Birmingham Airport in just under two-and-a-half hours with Iberia, an airline that permits firearms and ammunition in the hold (iberia.com). Madrid-Barajas Airport is just over an hour from Toledo, which is in turn around 25 minutes from El Despeñadero. Darío Jr arranged for transportation from Madrid to Toledo and also to and from the estate on shoot day. It is possible to reach Toledo from Madrid-Barajas Airport by train, a journey that lasts around 90 minutes - a useful option if you’re arriving later than the rest of your party (trainline.eu). STAY If you’re planning on shooting at El Despeñadero it would be foolish not to be as close to Toledo as possible. Darío Jr recommends five hotels to visiting guns:…

“Talent Pool is an X-Factor type event aimed at people who haven’t shot before or in a limited way.” Winning awards tends to gain attention and that’s how I found myself at Southdown Gun Club earlier this year. The ground had just won the Nation’s Favourite Shooting Ground 2017 (voted for by the readers of Clay Shooting magazine) and I was there to find out a bit more. Not only that, but it also won Best Sporting Ground, Best Trap Ground for the new DTL layout...and the café got Best Breakfast, too. I’m a great believer in shooting practice, but I am not a competition shooter and, although Southdown is only an hour and a quarter from my home, I had never visited before. This is mostly because I thought…

“It is a high quality rifle built in the 1880s costing about £9.” It is remarkable how many phrases in common usage in the English language have their origins in gun history. Phrases like “ramrod straight”, “a flash in the pan”, "keep your powder dry”, “going off half cock” etc. all derive from centuries ago in the muzzle-loading era. Further still, many firearms have become household names due to their popularity in the cinema, Colt 45, Tommy Gun and so on, and until comparatively recently, another firearm could have been added to this list: Martini Henry. The Martini Henry was the rifle of the British Army between 1871 and 1888 until it was replaced by the.303 Lee Metford. This period in the third quarter of the 19th century was…

“Like foxes, a deer’s eyes are designed to focus more on movement than stationary objects.” I was recently walking along the river that runs through my favourite part of the world in County Kerry. Its banks had frequently provided me with brown trout for breakfast, wild duck and venison for dinner and countless hours of enjoyment for reflection. I had once stalked the area professionally, employed by the Irish Government to cull sika and had long ago learned the advantages of hunting along rivers and streams; not just the movement of water that masked a moving body, nor its sound that muffled a clumsy gait, but perhaps deer seem to find vegetation along the bank sweeter and more abundant. I have shot a great number of deer along moving water…

If the improved looks of this gun went a fair way to wiping away my doubts about the merits of another version of the B725, pulling the trigger left those doubts far behind. The 30” barrels seem perfect for this 20 bore gun, no doubt contributing to the 6lb 8oz overall weight, but also giving superb handling characteristics and providing enough heft to make this feel as serious a game gun as it looks. The point of balance is just forward of the hinge pin, making for a very positive mount every time, and the mechanical action means excellent and consistent trigger pulls. The shape of the stock was very comfortable on my cheek and the gun moved absolutely fluidly, as you would hope of a 20 bore, but without…

New market research by Savills has revealed 2016 was the best period for forestry expansion since the 1980s, with more than 18,300 hectares sold across Britain to a cumulative value of just under £83,000,000. Although the average price per hectare across the market dropped slightly compared to 2015 levels, there were significant changes in market share by region, with nearly 80 per cent of all property sold north of the Forth-Clyde canal. Demand for UK-grown timber improved over the year, with the prospect of further rises thanks to ambitious tree planting targets from both the UK and Scottish Governments supported by attractive grant packages. This presents clear opportunities for investors to create new productive forests. One of the most buoyant market sectors in 2016 was the purchase of agricultural land…

QI am thinking of taking my two-year-old lab out next season as I think he is ready. What is your advice about the right time to take a dog on a shoot for the first time? A That depends on a great number of things. The worst scenario, of course, is a well trained dog that is ill prepared for the experience which can lead to ruining a great dog and spoil the day for everyone, including yourself. Training is not necessarily a guarantee of performance in the field. It also depends on what your expectations are around being on the shoot and what your dog’s role will be - peg, beating, working the boundary, picking-up or all of them? Consider your dog’s capability in these situations and the training…

We have not had a trial at Cuffley for a number of years, but were delighted to be invited back under the new keeper Martin Smith,for a novice a.v. spaniel trial at the Brook Farm shoot, writes Julia Reed. Dave Thomas is a very cordial host and the ground is fantastic for spaniels with a very good supply of game. The trial was judged by Jeremy Organ, Mark Light, Ricky Mackintosh and John Keegan. The amount of game was unfortunately the undoing of several dogs and in the end only three completed. All three had ‘knocks’ for one reason or another and the judges awarded three certificates of merit. Thank you to all who helped on the day, to sponsors Kronch and Sporting Saint and to the guns for their…

THE SUN always shines on St. Oysth, and we had another lovely day at this great ground at Fallow Hall for the Utility Gundog Society open springer qualifying stake, writes Julia Reed. As always we were made very welcome by Rose and Eddie Greig, who keep the ground quiet for the trial. Unfortunately a dog from the village escaped from home and ran through two of the woods before being caught, which meant proceedings took a little longer than normal. There was a good supply of game and the guns David Standing, Richard Bunyan, Chris Pope and Paul Seaman shot exceptionally well. The trial was very ably judged by Wayne Greig and Steve Lewis. I am indebted to my guns for their financial input and to the sponsors Kronch and…

My dogs are always named after characters from Rudyard Kipling and they have all been the best at some points in their lives, so it’s impossible to pick just one... Stalky, my first dog, was a springer spaniel and the one who taught me pretty much everything about owning and training a dog. I remember him picking a teal which had dropped 100 yards away and then, when the drive finished, he picked another from a pond where the pickers-up had been looking for quite a while. The icing on the cake was those two teal won us the sweep. Gunga was a completely chocolate wire-haired pointer who was never in any sort of control but one day, above me here in Wiltshire, he pointed a covey of wild quail…

THE BRITISH Shooting Show will celebrate its 10th birthday at the NEC Birmingham in 2018, a major step forward for one of the most popular events in the fieldsports calendar. The NEC’s close proximity to the centre of the UK’s motorway network, Birmingham International railway station and Birmingham Airport mean that the show, which started life at Newark Showground before moving to Stoneleigh Park, is now able to attract even more exhibitors and visitors, both in the UK and overseas. “Major first time exhibitors” are already said to be working with show organisers on their requirements for 2018 and bookings are also said to have reached “an all-time high”, with many coming from across Europe, South Africa and the US. A ‘Trade Only’ area will be a new fixture in…

How did you get involved in game shooting? It started off when I was a kid and my Dad taking me rabbiting and later ferreting with the dogs. I took my first shot, with a .410, when I was eight years old, and I was hooked on shooting after that. What kind of shooting do you do most of during the season? I try and do a mixture, a bit of driven shooting and also walked-up because I’ve got a spaniel that I work. I do a little woodcock shooting in tight cover too, in woods and so on, and that’s a real challenge. How did you manage to fit shooting in around rugby during your playing days? I was part of a syndicate up in Hereford which met on…

SERVES FOUR PEOPLE Ingredients • 1kg game mince• 400g minced pork• 20g chopped thyme• 30g chopped garlic• 30g grated parmesan• 400g papperdelle• 200g spicy tomato ragu• 20g fresh basil• Olive oil• Cornish sea salt• Milled black pepper Method Place the game mince and pork mince into a bowl. Add the thyme, garlic, parmesan and season well and mix together. Make into 16 small meatballs. Place into a hot pan and fry in a little rapeseed oil to brown them off. Place into a hot oven for five minutes at 220˚. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a further five minutes. Heat the ragu sauce. Cook the pasta and drain well then fold through a little oil. Place into bowls and add the meatballs, spoon over the ragu and sprinkle over a little extra parmesan and the fresh basil…

 So Sir Robin, how was last season for you? “I remember we were in Kent with this colonel and we stopped to watch him shoot. He didn’t miss a bird - he got about 30 that drive.” Sadly I didn't manage to shoot at all. I just have too much on. We have the next Clipper race coming up which will start in August. We are in the middle of re-fits at the moment - the refitting of our yacht, the training of our crews. Come August, the race will start and then I am away quite a lot, so I never really manage to get a full season of shooting in. So it is always just days snatched? Yes, very much so. Always snatched; always precious. In the previous…

John Goggins jumped at the opportunity to get a City and Guilds Level Two Certificate in Principles of Live Quarry Shooting. “Since joining the programme I have obtained my shotgun certificate, joined a wildfowling syndicate and have shot a variety of game and vermin. I have even been deer stalking. The course has opened so many possibilities. Being part of the Crichel shoot was a real honour. A day I will look back on for many years to come.” This was Steve Johnson’s second visit to the shoot he calls the Holy Grail of game shooting. “From the first moment we realised how fantastic the day was going to be with everyone involved in putting the shoot on for us beaming with delight. I joined S4H as a form of…

“Round body guns are also seeing a resurgence, so it’s a good time to make a new addition to the shotgun cabinet.” I visited Lady’s Wood Shooting Ground on the southern edge of the Cotswolds on a sunny day in March. It’s only a few miles from Bath and Bristol and the M4 and M5 motorways, so it’s a convenient place to go and do some shooting. Now that Sportarm of Dorchester has a very smart new branch in the traditional lodge you can do some serious shopping too. Sportarm is an established name in the shooting world and has gained a reputation for good service and an excellent range of shotguns for game and clay shooters. But these days innovation is very much on the cards for this particular…

“Extreme range means different distances to different people - 55 yards to some guns is a very long shot.” Each year at our shoot, we have a day, usually in June, when we gather to shoot a few clays and have a BBQ. Last year, to add some interest, I set up a pattern plate and the guests were invited to test their guns and cartridges. A good many shooters have never pattern tested their guns and shoot full choke heavy loads on shoots where the birds are no more than 30 yards; others are shooting at extreme birds with open chokes and light loads. Extreme range means different distances to different people; 55 yards to some guns is a very long shot (Ed. You can include me in this…

Barbury, Wiltshire Nestled into the foot of the Marlborough Downs just a few minutes from Junction 15 of the M4 this picturesque ground is well run by Huw Stephens and his team. It’s open every day of the week and it is loaded with rural charm. With a full range of simulated days to offer in the surrounding area, as well as all the shooting at the ground, game shooters are at the forefront of the offering here. And they are guaranteed a warm welcome from the friendly team. barburyshootingschool.com E.J. Churchill, Buckinghamshire This Buckinghamshire ground near the M40 at High Wycombe won the best shooting ground in our very own Shooting Industry Awards in 2014 and hosted the World English Sporting Championship in 2014 and 2016. Set amidst 40…

The military muzzle-loading Enfield rifle of the 1850s fired a .577 round as did its replacement, the breech-loading Snider. The thinking behind this massive round was that the low velocity of the rifle would be compensated for by the high stopping power of this .577 lump of lead. Various rifle builders had proved that this round was too big and in particular Joseph Whitworth in the 1850s proved that a reduction to .451 bore size gave more accurate results. The success of the Whitworth rifle lead to a general reduction in bore sizes and likewise, Alexander Henry of Edinburgh favoured the calibre .450. During the trials for the new military rifle in the 1860s, a bore size of .450 was specified. When the Martini Henry rifle was decided upon, it…

Apparently, for any product to truly be a success in this day and age it seems it must be offered in a bewildering array of models and specifications. Take technology giant Apple, for example. Once known for making a few uniquely stylish products to exacting standards, in 10 years its range of products has ballooned. Each year brings an array of granular changes to existing concepts, each apparently worthy of holding a new name and creating a brand new product in an increasingly crowded and confused marketplace. While it would be, perhaps, a little unfair to tar the shooting world with the same brush, it is difficult to argue that this new mode of consumer culture, the demand for newer and better branded things on a yearly basis, has not…

The Champion from Arthur Hill of Horncastle (1910); the Special from P. & J. Peter Ltd. of 16 Old Burlington Station (1900); the Empire from West London Shooting School (1919); and the Milburn Special from Milburn & Son of Brampton (1910). The Abbey from C.H. Smith & Co. of Birmingham (1900); the Accuratus from W.P. Jones of Birmingham (1900); the Special Loaded from J.T. Baker of Darlington (1900); and the Smokeless from J.T. Baker of Darlington (1927). The Lion from Joseph Pease of Darlington (1927); the G.C. & S. from G. Coster & Son of Glasgow (1919); the Super from Turners Carbides of Hull (1918); and the Special Express loaded for Manton & Co. of Calcutta and London (1927). A RARE BOX OF BADMINTONS… Here we have a rare presentation…

SPECIFICATIONS 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line 4 Motion 190PS DSG Price: £36,765 Top speed: 131mph 0-62mph: 7.9 seconds Combined: 49.6mpg CO2 emission: 149g/km Quite often I’ll write in these articles that the car I’m testing is surprisingly engaging and handles with far more aplomb than you’d expect. I might even go on to say that it’ll astonish youths in hot hatches in races away from the lights or fangs across the moors. This isn’t one of those occasions. The Volkswagen Tiguan is not a car that begs you to take it out before the family are up on a Sunday morning and drive it like you stole it. In fact, it isn’t much fun to drive at all. But I still absolutely loved it. It is quite possibly the most grown…

In conjunction with its specialist range of nutritious working dog food, Chudleys is the only brand to have a team of expert in-house nutritionists available on a helpline to answer questions about dogs’ dietary requirements, feeding and Chudleys products. The friendly nutrition team consists of Sarah Kearney, Jessamine Kellett and Pauline Smith. All three nutritionists have a wealth of knowledge and experience in dog nutrition, and are happy to answer working dog owners’ questions on what is best to feed their working dog depending on age, breed and levels of activity. The Chudleys nutritional helpline is available to call from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday on 0845 345 2627. Alternatively, you can visit chudleys.com and complete Chudleys Nutritional Helpline form and the team will answer your queries via…

The Border Counties and Cotwold Area of the United Retriever Club held a water training day at Fullingbridge Farm, near Westbury, writes Colin Selwood. This ‘swimming gala’ seems to come around quicker each year and is greatly enjoyed by all who take part. Sixteen dogs and their handlers were split into two groups. There were a good variety of retrievers including labradors, curly coats, flatcoats and goldies. Once again our thanks must go to our host John Bush and the fishing syndicate for forgoing a morning’s casting. Most of all our thanks must go to Richard Cripps who arranges our time at the lake and, not only that, he arrived hours before everyone (on his birthday!) strimmed sections of the bank, and cut out reeds making it easier for handlers…

The other day I came across a folder full of my old gundog training notes and my pass certificate for the J regs. When I started writing this column my brief was to write about field trialing for the housewife handler AKA cannon fodder (of which I am one). To help people know what really goes on and that training on a few dummies and picking-up at the local shoot is never going to cut it – in fact even training with the “right “ people won’t always help. What you really need is the right coach, the right dog, the right training a lot of hard work and a huge amount of luck. Oh, and by the way, don’t make any enemies, because if you do then all that…