Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Shooting Gazette

Further to our review of the Wm Evans St. James we recieved the following from general manager Alastair Philips: “The price point was chosen based on Perazzi’s own RRPs in the UK. We didn’t want to add £2,000 on top of the price for having our name on the side. The uplift from the actual SC3 is the extra time in the more perfuse engraving and wood quality. Also, as the majority of our clients are game shooters this comes with an auto safety as standard in the price which would otherwise be an optional extra. We have deliberately not wanted to be greedy on the margin, and offer a high build quality, custom over-under sub £20,000”.…

Whilst trying not to revisit issues covered recently there are exceptions that are irresistible, especially as the season of goodwill draws ever nearer. The National Trust’s AGM, held in that leafy backwater, Swindon, was riven by dissent as attempts by a small claque driven by outside influences to persuade the 5m members to outlaw trail hunting on trust land failed. It would probably have been unenforceable had it succeeded, but true to form the group behind the failed motion are crying foul and demanding a replay. Should we question how, in today’s world of social media and social conscience, democratic decisions are routinely challenged in law and elsewhere by the snowflakes whose views have been outvoted. At a conference organised by the GWCT and Natural England (NE) recently delegates were…

New blood needs to be hungry: I have always said I don’t want the most talented, I want the person, regardless of background, who will try their hardest. We reject around 70 per cent of applicants because I feel they will be a bad fit for Watson Bros. I like them to have tried hard at school and achieved good grades in Maths and English. If they belong to something like Army Cadets that is a bonus as they have already got good discipline. Motivated staff will thrive: Keep them interested in new things going on in the company, whatever that may be. It is always good for staff to see the advantages of working for you. I always show everyone any shotguns I have purchased, especially any unique features.…

Q What does the law say about disposing of firearms one no longer wishes to possess? Is it just a straightforward trip to the police station to hand them over? A There are a number of ways to dispose of an unwanted firearm – what you must not do is simply dispose of it or deactivate it yourself. As you say, the easiest way is to simply take it to the police station. The police will have it destroyed unless it is of sufficient historical interest to warrant being held in a museum or by other official party (assuming such historical interest is recorded by the police). Not all police stations have the facilities to accept firearms and you should check on the website of your local force to see…

How very true the editor was in the November issue when he observed, “Think of all the friends we have made over the years through shooting”. It was pertinent to this octogenarian since I had just been enjoying a gift one such friend had sent me. The way I came to meet Simon was pure serendipity. Though we weren’t actually shooting together at the time, this was something that was soon to follow. I had recently spent time in a spinal unit following an accident and foolishly or otherwise had booked an English Channel wreck fishing trip. After being delivered to the quayside by my carer, the skipper assured him he would see me safely aboard. Wrong! I found myself spinning rapidly towards the deck until suddenly I was scooped…

What are you doing over the Christmas period? I know from having spoken to many readers during my tenure on Shooting Gazette that you are spread far and wide across our islands, so your routines and timetables at this end of the year might not always be one and the same. While we were busy putting this issue together I got to wondering about what you might be looking for to - or even dreading - about what I personally consider to be a very special time of year, and what role, if any, game shooting will play within it. I have a picture of the ultra-organised amongst you sitting in armchairs ticking things off lists as long as your legs, warmed by the knowledge that you have catered for…

With the introduction of nitro powders in the 1890s, the Paradox could be turned into a far more powerful firearm. The Paradox was always intended as a short range weapon, but in the early years of the 20th century, Holland & Holland developed the Long Range Nitro Paradox. This firearm used a new design of bullet to Henry Holland and Thomas Woodward’s patent No.26362 of December 3, 1904. In this patent the Paradox bullet was redesigned to give a more conventional shape with better aerodynamic qualities. To keep this elongated bullet as light as possible, a nose made of aluminium was affixed to a lead base. By adopting a conventional bullet outline, air resistance was substantially reduced leading to a flatter trajectory and longer range. The new bullet produced very…

The day’s pigeon shooting started in Hertfordshire where I met AC, my one-legged friend, and his friend, Mick, at 9.30am. The previous day’s reconnaissance had indicated a busy shoot and the need for two hides from which to cover the field. We patiently watched the field of lightly cultivated bean stubble where many beans were still showing on top and made easy grub for hungry pigeons. However, while we had a commanding view from a rise in the ground at one end of the field there was a distinct lack of birds on the ground, in the sky or sitting in nearby woods. Apparently at this time the previous day there were a great number of pigeons around. In spite of our eternal optimism, an hour later we realised it…

“Introducing your dog to the field can be daunting, so take things slowly and relish support from the shooting community.” The shooting season is in full swing and you are keen to introduce your novice gundog to the field. It’s an exciting time and as you can expect any dog will move up a gear or two when they get into the shooting environment. Ultimately, it’s a golden opportunity for you and the dog to gain experience, but it can also bring unexpected challenges so it’s important to ensure your dog is prepared to face the demands of their picking-up role. So what are the feasible behaviours that should be in place for a novice dog to work in the shooting field? There are a number of things to consider...…

Gundogs and gundog clubs gathered in Northumberland for the official opening of the Kennel Club’s Emblehope and Burngrange Estate, which the Kennel Club aims to develop as a centre of excellence to support a wide range of activities. The estate was purchased as an investment in working gundogs, as fewer pieces of suitable land are becoming available to hold working dog activities such as bloodhound trials and gundog training. The official opening saw an introduction delivered by Kennel Club chairman, Simon Luxmoore, a tour of the estate and its facilities, and the opportunity to accompany a mock field trial, held by the Scottish Field Trials Association, for attendees to fully experience what the estate can offer. The moorland stretches to some 7,550 acres and is billed as being ideal for…

Q I have spent two years training my labrador and am now about to go on my first shooting day at the local farm. Any tips you can give me would be much appreciated! A That's great. I assume you know the process of how a shoot is conducted, so I'll share a few thoughts on you and your dog. Be sparing with the whistle. I know it’s essential but you want to look like a professional handler and not someone in the park on a training routine. Keep those whistle commands to a minimum and use the slip lead a lot. Your dog will be very much in a new environment and you need to concentrate on the job in hand and not what he/she is doing between drives.…

Being able to commute to a trial ground is a real bonus – you sleep in your own bed and the dogs are in their own kennels. So you can imagine my delight when I got a run in the recent Three Ridings Labrador Club two-day open, only 40 minutes from home. Sadly disaster struck when the shoot couldn’t accommodate the trial and the field trial secretary had to find a new ground. Step forward Emblehope and Burngrange Estate, the Kennel Club’s new ground in Northumberland. Armed with maps, flares, food and water, along with strong walking boots, we set off for the big adventure. When you finally reach the Kennel Club sign deep in the woods, it is still another 20-minute drive on track deep into the forest. Suddenly,…

A year in review Twenty-seventeen was another eventful year in game shooting and Helena Venables has been speaking to some of the key figures in our sport to get their thoughts on the past 365-odd days. While there is no doubting it’s been a good year for many, both in the field and at the till, all know that you won’t get anywhere by being complacent, so there is still plenty to do – and look forward to – when 2018 rolls around in a few weeks time. Novice gundogs December is a great time of year to introduce a novice gundog to the picking-up line, thanks in part to the number of family and friends days that take place around now. Wendy Bardsley examines the best way to make…

How did fieldsports shape your childhood? They’ve been a huge part of my life. All of my favourite memories are of things like playing with fish Dad would catch when we were too small to cast the rod...we got to do the exciting part! All six of us in my family shoot, so it’s special family bonding time for us and the only time nowadays when we spend the whole day together. How does fieldsports inspire your collections for Mistamina and how do you balance fashion with function? I’ve always known what I wanted and needed for both style and comfort out in the field, which is why I started Mistamina. I wanted to create a fresh take on countrywear that’s practical too. There’s room to move around in my…

Ingredients • 8 confit duck legs • Flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs • 10g chopped chives • 1 lemon zest • 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley • 2 garlic cloves • Olive oil • Cornish sea salt • Milled black pepper SERVES FOUR PEOPLE Method Chop the parsley and garlic and add the lemon zest to a little olive oil and season to make the gremolata and set aside. Flake the duck meat from the bone, and form into small balls. Refrigerate and reform if needed. Season the flour and pass the duck through the flour to dust them. Break the eggs and whisk together, pass the duck through the egg mix until covered. Add the chopped chives to the panko breadcrumbs. Pass the duck through the panko breadcrumbs…

PICTURE OF THE MONTH Adam John Neale has been in touch with this image of his shooting-themed wedding cake. Adam said: “We met on a shoot day through mutual friends in which I was a gun and my now wife was picking-up for me.” Congratulations, Adam, we’ll send you some bubbly to help continue the celebrations! The guns at the Rectory Farm shoot, Essex. John Offord (left), Peter Sturla, Brian Sewell, Will Shipton, Christopher Cole (shoot captain), Chris Attle, Malcolm Reid, Joe Imrie, Duncan Canney & Steve Knight. Back row: Simon Garnier (helper). The team from the walked-up day’s shooting over Braque St. Germains, featured on pages 88-89 of this issue. Georgina Hudson (left), Ian Hendy, Annette Kastner, Winni Kaufer, Stefan Hoppe, Jez Thornton, Sebastian Schreiber, Karola Richards & Doug…

Summer now seems a long way off in Galloway. Skeins of geese have been passing to and fro over the landscape since the beginning of October, and their massed vocals reach a crescendo as we approach midwinter. The Solway is only a few miles away, and they follow the contours inland to feed on fresh grass wherever they can find it. I can almost set my watch by the distant skeins as I head out to feed my cattle, and the sounds carry for miles across the countryside. There are sometimes opportunities to intercept these birds when they fly under the moon, but this is beef and dairy country and our small patch of rough, rocky grazing is of little interest to them. Perhaps my most memorable chance took place…

One of the very rewarding things about being involved in the gun trade is the number of surprises that occur. I think I have seen it all, then something appears completely new to me I have never encountered before. This happens time and time again, very unusual guns, guns with little idiosyncrasies, guns with fascinating histories and so on and so forth. I got a phone call from Chris Beaumont at Holts saying they had just received a firearm with the most unusual rifling they had ever seen and wondered if I knew what it was. When I examined the rifle, it looked like a fairly standard boxlock ejector 12 bore double rifle by John Rigby & Co. My eye was immediately drawn to the engraving on the top rib…

In 1876 Fosbery was promoted to Lt. Colonel and in 1877 resigned from the Army. He devoted himself to experiments with all kinds of arms finding success with inventions like the Webley-Fosbery revolver, an automatic self-cocking gun. His patent for the Paradox, No.7568 was taken out on June 20, 1885. The last two inches of the barrel was rifled with any number of grooves as desired although Fosbery recommended seven grooves. The rifled choke constricted the barrel by about 1mm and when the bullet reached the rifled choke, it was compressed slightly causing it to spin and function as a rifle bullet. The rest of the barrel was smooth bore as in a normal shotgun. When firing just shot, the rifled portion just acted as a choke and did not…

The first thing to strike many buyers about this gun, I think, will be the price – it is far more attainable than you might imagine looking at the quality of finishing on display. There is lots of fine chequering on the fore-end, a push button fore-end release and lovely figuring and finishing on the wood. Engraving is also particularly good considering it has been applied by machine. Our test gun is the No.2 of a pair, a subtle gold ‘2’ inlaid at the breech end of the barrels, on the top lever and in a diamond on the bottom of the fore-end to good effect. Of course, the gun is still a Rizzini, so you are guaranteed a straightforward, reliable boxlock with a single selective trigger. Our test gun…

Q I’ve started to struggle with recoil when using my 12 bore: what can I do to reduce it? Is it time to change to a 16 bore? It’s really strange as my 12 bore fits me well. AI come across many people who suffer with this and usually it’s a combination of factors which are coming together to cause this recoil. Most people’s solution to this is to buy a new shotgun and in some situations this can help. You can get some good advice in the gunshop and it can cure the problem. In many cases, though, it doesn’t. I know I will attract the wrath of many 16 bore users but I am not a fan of this calibre. They remind me of 34” guns, which were…

Many dream of owning a country estate, however the purchase price can often be beyond their grasp. With a bit of lateral thinking the dream of owning a splendid idyll could become a reality. Indeed, we are increasingly receiving enquiries from groups of friends and family who like the idea of buying an estate as a syndicate. The advantage is affordability, with the purchase price and running costs being split between parties. Buyers may feel a part share in something special is preferable to 100 per cent of a mediocre property – higher quality properties are more likely to hold their value, too. Clearly such purchases come with key considerations. As a syndicate buyer you don’t have complete control over the management of the property or the practical decisions. Moreover,…

Club: United Retriever Club Event: Open cold game test Venue: Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire Judges: John Yarwood and Malcolm Peacock Chief Steward: Anne Crookes Sponsors : Alpha Feeds the signals of the chief steward. Guns saluted pigeons thrown at a distance for marks in front or behind. In the second Our test was held by permission of Robert Bealby. The card of 27 included three breeds of retriever. The ground consisted of 30 acres of sugar beet, a long field with a wood to the west and a hedge on the east side. In the morning the beet was walked-up along a gently undulating slope. Each judge had two dogs in line at a time, with retrieves orchestrated by round, dogs were sent for retrieves down the line or for blinds. After…

Congratulations to Diane Morris for this delightful picture of her springer Charlie. How to win For your chance to win either a Pintail Explorer smock (top) or a Seasons jacket (right), email high-resolution pictures to: katemaxim@outlook.com. Please put “Gundog Picture of the Month” in the subject line. The winner will be chosen by the Shooting Gazette judging panel. Good luck! The prize will only be posted to winners with a fixed UK postal address.…

Shooting organisations have hit back after Lincolnshire’s police and local medical committee (LMC) made plans to charge for licensing checks. The Lincolnshire LMC has come under fire after GPs in the county were instructed to begin charging for initial medical checks for shotgun and firearm certificate applicants – contrary to Home Office guidance. The Lincolnshire GPs were acting under instruction from the LMC, which had supplied a template letter stating: “If we [the GP] do not receive your consent, and the fee, within seven days of this letter, we will write to the police to inform them that we are unable to examine your medical records for the purposes of providing information in relation to firearm licensing. We will state in this letter that they should assume that you have…

Shooting Gazette, together with its sister titles Sporting Gun and Shooting Times are delighted to be the media partners for the Royal Berkshire Shooting School’s (RBSS) Handicap Challenge in 2018. We are excited to announce that with our kind sponsors, Sunseeker London, we will be offering a fantastic prize of £500 in cash for each magazine’s Top Gun. Participants can shoot the Handicap Challenge course at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School from March 5 to April 25, 2018, for an entry fee of £49. Readers can use the vouchers printed in the magazines in the New Year and enter the magazine challenge alongside the main competition to be in with the chance of bagging £500 and to win the title of Shooting Gazette Top Gun. The Handicap Challenge is renowned…

It would be women only, but men are welcome as loaders. I’ve been to ladies’ shoots before and there is just such a great atmosphere. I think women tend to be very supportive and there is a greater emphasis on having a go and taking an accurate shot, rather than shooting as many birds as possible. Also it’s an opportunity for some girlfriends who have never shot live quarry before to have a go. I’d invite friends I’ve met at shooting clubs. Mhairi Morris from Gladrags and Cartridge Bags and Victoria Knowles-Lacks from the Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club. My Goddaughter Tosca Tindall is another competent shot. I’d also ask The Field’s recipe writer Philippa Davis. Also my sister-in-law Claudia Gray so she too can be relieved of the shoot…

Dear Uncle Giles, What do you give, for Christmas, to the shooting man or woman who has everything? My recently acquired in-laws, for example, are keen shots and appear to have absolutely everything they need. I want to make a good impression as a dutiful son-in-law, obviously, but they could also be the source of some cracking days out if my limited hand is played cleverly. PMJ, via email Uncle Giles writes The key to presents for those who have it all is to give them something they didn’t realise they needed. Old things tend to fit the bill; from a vintage silk scarf to an antique ebony and brass cleaning kit. Ivory-handled boot pulls to get their boots on or a fine mahogany jack for getting them off again.…

 So what have you been up to, Richard? “People try to tell me that a piece of organic farmed fish is as good as a bit of wild salmon. There’s not a chance it’s as good – not in a million years.” “I’ve been flat out…at our hunting lodge in Ireland, busy putting down the foundations of an amazing future horticultural operation. We’ve been at it for the last three years. It’s called Virginia Park Lodge and it has taken over my life a little bit. We’ve had lots of fishing parties there, fly fishing on Lough Sheelin for the wild trout. Lough Sheelin has had huge issues with pollution over the last 50 years, but the lake looks like it’s beginning to come good now. “And of course grouse…

A walk down memory lane I was so pleased to read the article on Miltons in the September issue, as my brother, Frank, some friends and myself were some of the first guns to shoot there when Alan Milton started selling days. Some years ago, Steve Potter, who lived in our village, had been helping us build up a partridge shoot on our farm. He and his friend Tim Farr decided to move to Exmoor and start a game farm, which was a great success. In the early 1980s he became involved with Alan, and he was astonished when he saw the quality of the birds. He called me and told me I must come and see it for myself. We booked in to the Royal Oak ready for the…

How many shopping days left before Christmas? Search me. I bought all the presents for friends and family back in July at a couple of country fairs. Job sorted. The same goes for the rolled brisket, ham, pork pie and giant rib of beef to see us through Christmas Eve to New Year. The order was placed yesterday. Nobody will go hungry. Or for that matter, go cold. Much of my spare time last month was spent splitting logs. In fact I’m feeling pretty pleased and smug about things in the wood department – there’s a pile of ash and oak in one of the sheds Sherpa Tenzing would struggle to climb. It will last until April. I just wish my Dad, my shooting and fishing mentor since I was…

Lt. Col. George Vincent Fosbery V.C. was a product of his time and typified the embodiment of the hero of the British Empire. He was born in 1832 at Stert near Devizes in Wiltshire and joined the Bengal Army in 1852. He was stationed at Mereet on the North West Frontier and during the Umbeyla Campaign, on October 30, 1863, he volunteered to lead a party to recapture the fort Crag Picquet after its garrison was surrounded. Fosbery was the first to reach the top and he pursued and routed the enemy inflicting many casualties upon them. For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was of a very inventive turn of mind and took out patent No.7568 on June 20, 1885, for a rifled choke in which…

In previous articles I have given a broad selection of what is on offer in the Holts auction, from the £10 oil bottle to the £20,000 sidelock ejector. I thought for a change I would give you some examples from the September sale at the upper end of the scale – the lots fetching good money. Condition is everything. Firearms in their original condition with little evidence of use will always fetch high prices. Such condition and originality was exemplified in a beautiful pair of 40 bore flintlock officers’ pistols by Champion of Chichester in Lot 455. Estimated at £3,000-£5,000 they went for £4,800 and were a joy to behold; resplendent in their original case with accessories. Another pair of guns in remarkable original condition were in Lot 521, a…

This gun really is a joy to shoot, though it is certainly something most will need a little time to get used to. One clear advantage to this design is one’s eyes are inevitably drawn solely to the target, meaning the Rizzini is particularly comfortable with instinctive, fast shooting and would be quite at home on the moor. The gun is well balanced in spite of the lack of rib, and comes to the shoulder consistently well. The stock is a good length as standard, and the chequering on the Prince of Wales grip and fore-end is comfortable in the hand. The gun stays on line beautifully, with none of the flighty characteristics one might expect of a light, small bore game gun. Recoil is also very well managed, with…

PHEASANT-FEATHER WREATH BY PLUCKING FABULOUS £45 pluckingfabulous.co.uk LUXURY LEATHER LICENCE HOLDERS BY ALBION ENGLAND £45 albionengland.co.uk HOUSE-CHECK TWEED JACKET BY CORDINGS OF PICCADILLY £435 cordings.co.uk THE FAIRISLE SHOOTING SOCK BY THE SHOOTING SOCK CO. From £54 shootingsocks.co.uk PHEASANT RUN PYJAMAS BY PJ PAN £135 pjpan.co.uk SUPER SOFT CREW NECK SHETLAND JUMPER BY FARLOWS £89 farlows.co.uk THE GUN’S DOG BY GRAHAM COX £9.95 pernicepress.com BESPOKE LUGGAGE TAG BY EAST AFRICAN TRADING COMPANY £25 eastafricantrading.co.uk HERITAGE 1845 12 BORE LEATHER CARTRIDGE BELT From £24.95 philipmorrisdirect.co.uk GUN BAG BY OLIVER BROWN £375 oliverbrown.org.uk PHEASANT SOCK GIFT BOX BY BARBOUR £27.95 barbour.com COMBROOK LADIES' TWEED HAT BY ALAN PAINE £54.95 alanpaine.co.uk PHEASANT PATÉ/BUTTER DISH BY FUR FEATHER & FIN £32.99 furfeatherandfin.com HARRINGTON HONEYBEE GIN BY WARNER EDWARDS £40 warneredwards.com The perfect gift this Christmas…

Club: The English Setter Club Event: Grouse field trials Venue: Eggleston Moor, County Durham Judges: Julie Organ and Colin Adamson Headkeeper and steward of the beat: Robert Beadle Robert Beadle gave us every assistance in making the trials run smoothly, which were held by kind permission of M.J.C. Stone Esq. We had two sunny days with a steady breeze and perfect conditions. The novice stake showed much promise but the judges were disappointed to lose several dogs fairly quickly. Some dogs were a little too enthusiastic by taking on too much ground and making mistakes. However, Mr Hall’s pointer dog Windhovering Alder showed us his quality of game finding in both rounds. He finished his run by locating a covey and producing his birds well. He was our eventual winner…

The Kennel Club is issuing a reminder to competitors about the importance of filling out entry forms accurately when entering their dogs for the club's competitions. Over the past year, the Kennel Club has seen an increase in the number of awards which have had to be disqualified through competitors providing incorrect information. Situations such as these are not only disappointing, but are completely avoidable if competitors take extra care and time when filling out entry forms. It is especially important that competitors enter their dog only in the category or class for which it is eligible. They should always read the event schedule very carefully and, if in any doubt at all, contact either the event organiser or the Kennel Club for guidance. Competitors can double-check their own dogs’…