Innholdsfortegnelse for Mar-2018 i Shooting Gazette

Shooters can play a big part in delivering the government’s new 25 Year Environmental Plan, say rural organisations. The plan for a “cleaner, greener Britain” was launched by Prime Minister Theresa May last month and includes the creation of a new Northern Forest, along with targets to eliminate avoidable refuse by 2050 and plastic waste by 2042. But the plan has come under fire for failing to provide specific proposed legislation and for lacking in urgency. Ian Danby, BASC’s head of biodiversity, said shooting can be a partner in delivering on environmental targets: “Those who shoot are involved in creating new habitats and managing existing ones to support species resident in the UK, like grey partridge, or those that visit here, such as migratory duck and geese species. Shooting plays…

Name checking Michael Gove MP and landowner Sir James Dyson in the same breath is not something I ever contemplated, but the serendipity that is British politics recently transmogrified them in inglorious conjunction. Listening to Gove at the Oxford Farming Conference provided euphoria and hysteria, confirming subsidies would be maintained at present CAP levels until 2022, “or the end of this parliament”, not necessarily the same thing, and then majoring on what will follow. This included further incentivising farmers and landowners to invest in environmental enhancement, giving greater public access and ceasing to pay subsidies based on acreage alone. Sir James, with 25,000 acres of his own, is one who has been receiving such subsidy, circa £1.6m EU basic payment in 2016, and an article in The Spectator praising Gove’s…

Giovanna Fausti The general manager of Fausti explains how the company makes itself attractive to the British market. Have pride in your product: As Italian gunmakers our commitment is to create objects that can represent the excellence of the “Made in Italy” label, so every time we work on a new project we start from this simple concept: beauty and strength. From design to construction all our efforts are concentrate on this goal. If our models reach this result we are sure they will be highly appreciated by foreign markets. Promote yourself well: We work hard to make those passionate about our product aware of our way of working. Most of the time we do that in person. People seem to appreciate the fact they can talk and discuss about…

Thanks to your magazine, I have been reunited with my father’s gun, left to me in 1970. On Christmas Eve last year I was flicking through my latest copy of Shooting Gazette, only really looking to see what I would read during that evening. Reaching the gundog section, I skipped some pages, when my eye fell on the top left of page 95, where I saw something that rather grabbed my attention: an advert for a Chaplin 16 bore. I used to own a Chaplin 16 bore round action boxlock, having been left it at the age of 12 by my father, who had it built in 1961. I had been using it since 1975, but was forced to sell it some 20 years ago due to a divorce. I…

There is a chunk of moorland in Scotland that has been subject to a 24-year project involving upland land uses, habitat, nature conservation designations, biodiversity, fieldsports and rural economics. It all started with the Joint Raptor Study (JRS), funded by major conservation organisations, on the impact of raptor predation on red grouse which concluded conflict between interests in driven grouse shooting and specific raptors was causing a detrimental impact on the ability to sustain hen harriers as well as an ability to recoup costs of managing to keep the moor in its designated favourable condition. To make matters worse, once gamekeepers were removed from the moorland at the end of the JRS both grouse and hen harrier numbers crashed - threatening not just the economic viability of the moorland but…

Stefan Nicolaidis is a doctor from Sweden and he likes shooting. Actually, that is a masterpiece of understatement that requires unbundling. A first generation Swede of Greek heritage, he met his wife whilst they were both doing medical research at the University of Lund, and in 1986, deciding that a move was called for, bought a small horse farm in the southern province of Skåne. As he says, this gave him a new appreciation for the countryside and what makes it tick. His wife’s interest in three-day eventing inevitably led to horses in their paddocks, followed by sheep and by a remarkable catalogue of dogs. It was also inevitable that in a rural landscape populated by roe, fallow and red deer, wild boar and the ponderous elk, that shooting, stalking…

One of the imponderables in running a roving syndicate has always been deciding how much information is distributed to its members and how much legal responsibility is vested in the syndicate’s shoot captain. I have always worked on the principle that before people are asked to pass over wheelbarrows full of beer vouchers, it is only proper that they should know what they are buying. Too little information is unforgivable, but too much can become tedious. Initially teased with dates, then with bag sizes and costs, the elegant gavotte that follows putting names to dates is like pinning jelly to the ceiling in fog, but eventually out go calls for payment. Finally, when the day is in the cross hairs and people need to concentrate, the joining instructions go out.…

One of the appealing things about a Holts auction is that you can actually handle all the guns on display free from any restrictions. Recently, while I perused a group of guns, one immediately caught my eye. It wasn’t the gun or case that drew my attention, it was the large warning card displayed prominently in the case lid. “Do Not Cock Hammers”. What’s all that about I pondered – were the locks at fault, were the springs broken? I picked up the gun gingerly, hardly daring to touch it and I must admit it took me a couple of minutes to find out the reason for the warning. It wasn’t a hammer gun at all as it appeared at first glance, it was a hammerless gun and the so-called…

In the late 1870s and early 1880s, Purdey built around 20 semi-hammerless guns for sportsmen who wanted the look and sighting plane of a hammer gun. These guns were lever cocked hammerless actions, the exterior of the tumblers being fitted with small dummy hammers of high hares ears form. Lateral studs prevented these hammers from inadvertently being pushed forwards. The action bars were rounded and although beautifully made and handsome to look at, such guns definitely looked odd as the hammers were actually fairly redundant. The pair of Purdey semi-hammerless guns shown on the right are Nos.10528/9, a pair of 12 bores sold in December 1879 to Sir J.K. Bailey. They have the beautiful vine leaf carving on the breeches that is so typical of Purdey in this period. The…

In common with virtually all smaller bore guns I have shot, the Pernice was a lot of fun to use. Out in the field it tackled fast-moving targets with ease, and recoil was very well controlled. Of particular note is the sight plain the gun gives you, with the tapered Churchill-style rib giving an excellent view and aiding in target acquisition, particularly on fast-crossing birds. Mounting was consistently good and trigger pulls nice and crisp without being sharp. Ejection was very strong and the gun opened a good gape every time, even in the heat of the action. Overall the Pernice was a pleasure to shoot and didn’t let me down, but didn’t quite leave me fizzing with excitement as the very best guns would do.…

I have come to the conclusion that just as temperament in a dog is paramount so it is in a judge. It is true that while some can make a dog into a field trial champion, that same individual may not be able to judge. It may also be true that even though a person hasn’t made a dog into a field trial champion, they may be a good judge. However, the question is, do people want to be judged by someone who hasn’t proved themselves or indeed even won an open stake? Good judges are level headed, good under pressure, honest, able to anticipate what is going to happen next, calm, kind, thoughtful, professional, gentle, genuine, well trained, well mentored, confident so that they are accountable for their decisions,…

Big bags Bag sizes are a constant source of debate in gunbuses up and down the country, not least because of how they influence the general public’s perception of our sport. Simon Peniston-Bird takes a somewhat alternative view on the issue, offering a few comments that are sure to catch your eye – let us know what you think. David Whitby Shooting is a broad church and is served by a number of different organisations. This month David Whitby, our forthright gamekeeping columnist, is pondering whether or not the time has come for a united front and a single, more powerful voice to defend and promote our sport and its traditions. Could it work?…

Grouse shooting is to end on Ilkley Moor after Bradford Council’s Labour Group refused to renew the lease. The group holds the majority on the council and shooting groups claim they were acting to appease animal right activists. Ban Bloodsports on Ilkley Moor campaigned to end the moor’s status as the last remaining council-owned moor on which grouse shooting takes place. Its spokesman, Luke Steele, said the ban would help to reverse wildlife decline and habitat degradation, but those who have been managing the moor for the past decade said the opposite was true. The lease had been held by the Bingley Moor Partnership since 2008. Its chairman, Edward Bromet, said: “We do not believe the decision has been made in the best interests of the bird life and vegetation…

How difficult is it to develop boots that meet modern consumer needs but which adhere to Le Chameau’s traditions? Actually not that difficult as our tradition is based on always listening to consumer needs. This goes way back to our founder Claude Chamot who developed the first Le Chameau boots in 1927 after speaking to local farmers who were complaining about wet feet. Back then these boots were made using the latest science and technology. Today we adopt the same philosophy, listening to our customers and finding the best way to meet their needs. For example, our new leather boot collection uses some really exotic materials and we’ve collaborated with Michelin to develop a new kind of outsole that’s exceptionally light and durable. These boots are cutting edge whilst completely…

“At the end of last season, Mick Roberts from Bridgnorth in Shropshire, who will be 80 on his next birthday, completed 70 years’ beating on the same shoot, Gatacre Park and Four Ashes Shoot in Shropshire,” writes Tony Head, the shoot captain for the syndicate. “Mick was presented with an inscribed cut glass and bottles. Pictured with Mick is gamekeeper Paul Brant and his wife Tracy.” “I took this on the Bennah Farm Shoot in Devon at the New Year. To me it showed the future of shooting. As well as the New Year we were seeing in a new generation,” writes Sharon Newman. “In the back row is 250 years’ experience in Keg Hoskin, John Dayment and Edward Cleave, and in the front eight-year-old Lucas and his brother, 13-year-old…

TRAVEL We flew from Gatwick to Madrid, but there are many flights available from Heathrow, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and other regional airlines. It is a two- to three-hour flight and many bargains may be had. The estate will then arrange transport from Madrid Airport. If you do take your guns with you don’t forget you need to get a European Firearms pass. STAY The farmhouse at the Lomas de Fuensauco Estate has 11 luxury double rooms and can provide breakfast, lunch and dinner in its palatial surroundings and certainly if you are planning back to back days would be the ideal solution. The Parador de Chinchón is a lovely hotel and Chinchón is a charming medieval town with many restaurants round the Plaza Mayor. If you get the chance then…

JAMES’ STORY I first became aware of Chapuis Armes around four years ago when discussing the acquisition of a double rifle with Ivor, my local firearms dealer, who sources my safari rifles, and then again soon afterwards at the 2014 CLA Game Fair where Chapuis had a stand. It was there I’d first met Davide Chapuis, one of the three members of the Chapuis family who runs the business, and who explained their range of products to me. A couple of years later I decided to switch from using over-under shotguns for game to the unarguably more elegant side-by-side, as I wanted a new challenge. Having acquired a particularly beautiful 12 bore sidelock side-by-side made by Piotti, one of Italy’s finest gunmakers, for driven pheasant and partridge days, I felt…

DON’T MISS THE GUNDOG ISSUE A salute to our four-footed friends, including... PICKER-UP POLITICS Should dogs work more during drives? WHERE DO YOU WANT ME? The question of where pickers-up should stand PLUS A DYNAMIC DUO Stunning shoot reports from Lancashire and Powys HOW TO BE A BETTER FIELDSPORTS PERSON Why we should all be upholding the highest standards MOORLAND SPORT On ptarmigan in Scotland THE APRIL 56 JANUARY ISSUE 2018 WWW OF .SHOOTINGGAZETTE SHOOTING .CO.UK GAZETTE IS ON SALE FROM MARCH 22…

There were snipe in every field. The birds rose up in their dozens and twinkled their bellies against the sky. I had never seen so many; we must have seen 200 in a short afternoon. This was Wigtownshire; the wilder, rougher half of Galloway where Scotland blurs into Ireland. Old habits die hard here, and the ground is rough and broken. In some places, the scrub was too thick for the guns to move, and the sprigs of gorse and rowan would ping and twitch to the movement of spaniels below. Roe deer were shaken from these places, and woodcock lunged through gaps in the brambles. Most of the snipe were clustered around the circular cattle feeders – a churning broth of mud and rushes where the beasts were being…

The East Anglian Game & Country Fair returns to Euston Estate near Thetford on April 28-29 and Shooting Gazette has 10 sets of family tickets to give away. The fair, which has been running since 2004, offers everything keen country folk of all ages could wish for, offering a perfect way to push away the post driven shooting season blues. Whether clay shooting, archery, clothes shopping or fly fishing is your thing, there’s something here for you across well over 350 stands and arenas. “My family and I are delighted that Euston Estate is once again hosting the East Anglian Game and Country Fair. It was an unqualified success in 2017 and proved a popular day out for the whole family,” said host Henry Fitzroy, 12th Duke of Grafton “As…

My day would be on Spanish partridge and held at El Despeñadero. Up first is my father, Dario Vallano Sr. He is a must for this day. As owner of the estate and founder of the hunting company we have he could not forgive me if I don’t choose him as one of my team. I have to say the old boy has style when shooting. Dave Carrie and I met at the Game Fair at Hatfield. I was lucky enough to enjoy a little conversation with him and learn from him the big respect he has for the shooting world and conservationism. I saw an enthusiastic hunter and it was really nice to see how capable he is to promote this awesome practice. James Bennett is more than a…

Dear Uncle Giles As your departure from the European Union approaches do you consider that there are any aspects of game shooting on the continent that might usefully be adopted – or not, for that matter – over there? WWH, Brussels, by email Uncle Giles writes As a matter of fact, I can think of several features of la chasse and die jagd that might happily be adopted here – and without waiting for Brexit either. Our continental cousins have a more abundant appreciation for their quarry than we do here. This is most plainly demonstrated by their laying out of the bag after a day in the field and celebrating it with burning braziers, tootling horns and passionate declarations of thanks to the quarry and to the ancient gods…

A truly inspirational story from Charlie Hare, whose submission is this month's worthy winner... Charlie writes: “I thought you might be interested in this story of my son Archie, aged nine, who is pictured with his first pheasant. Whilst I am sure you get many of these types of photos, this is slightly different as Archie is blind. “This was on our shoot at home in North Yorkshire. So he had the .410 in his shoulder and one hand on the trigger, the other on the fore-end. When I saw a hen pheasant coming towards us I told Archie to mount the gun, I was holding him and had one hand on the bottom of the barrels. I helped Archie get onto the bird, he took the safety catch off…

SHARE YOUR VIEWS Email: martin.puddifer@timeinc.com Is it time for game to become fast food? I have been concerned for some time about the number of game birds shot with little or no demand for them. If we do not do something to address this problem, we will be giving the antis a great deal of ammunition to use against us. There have been a wealth of ideas over the years, ranging from the Taste of Game and Game to Eat campaigns to a levy on birds shot to pay for the promotion of game, to offering guns a brace of oven-ready birds instead of in the feather at the end of the day. Even if all eight guns did take a brace of birds oven-ready, if it was a…

Reading Chris Warren’s article in this month’s issue about his trip to Spain last year immediately brought to mind my own forays to mainland Europe for Shooting Gazette. I have been fortunate enough to have visited numerous countries over the past dozen years, sometimes to shoot, sometimes to observe. Trips have lasted anywhere between 24 hours to four days, each one offering valuable lessons about the hunting customs in foreign climes. Whether I have found myself alongside a baron, artisan gunmaker or peasant farmer, one thing has been constant: shooting is their life. I’ve come to the conclusion that every sportsman in this country should at least think about shooting abroad at least once in their lifetime. And not just because of the thrill of le chasse or the weather,…

Considering with a muzzle-loader that it was impossible to tell if it was loaded or not, the loaded/unloaded question became a bit of an obsession whenever centre-fire guns became common in the 1860s. It does seem logical to us today just to open a gun and check but in the 19th century sportsmen wanted visible evidence and the result was a fad in the 1860s and 1870s for loaded indicators to tell whether a gun was loaded or not. There were a variety of such indicator patents in the 1860s such as Alexander Henry’s patent of 1865, James Purdey’s patent of 1866 and Thomas Horsley’s patent of 1868. All these patents utilised a pin of some sort that popped out whenever a cartridge was in the breech. To me, the…

Things didn’t look promising as I watched an 80-acre field of peas drilled a week earlier where pigeons had already devoured the few seeds left on the headlands. A few birds had been seen by the keeper early that morning, and a number of guns were out that day to cover other drillings in the area, meaning there could be a glimmer of hope for some sport. Suddenly there was a tap on the car window. It was Jason, the young agronomist who advises on the farm and many others in this part of East Anglia. We had met briefly before but always had little time to chat. Today I had all the time in the world, and as he had completed his inspection of the crop he was unhurried.…

Zoli guns are very strong and reliable thanks to the action, trigger plate and monobloc all being milled from single blocks of steel. Like most Italian guns the barrels are totally silver soldered to the ribs along their length, ensuring strength and longevity of the gun but making any potential barrel repairs slightly trickier. The profile of the gun is quite handsome as you would hope for a small bore, round action gun, with a nicely swept back Prince of Wales style-grip really complementing the lines of the gun. Wood to metal fit and overall finish is very good, and the fine design of the engraving is quite eye-catching – I particularly like the stippling effect used on the fences. Although the wood has a good grain and certainly looks…

Twenty-eighteen is the year of Natural Capital. In January, the government published A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment and stated the aim to become ‘the first generation to leave the natural environment in England in a better state than we found it’. Two weeks later, the ONS published its assessment of the UK Natural Capital, while the World Bank released a separate report on the subject. So, what is it, what’s it worth, and why is it important? According to Professor Dieter Helm, chair of the Natural Capital Committee, it is ‘All those environmental assets that nature gives us for free’. The ONS states natural assets are essentially what make human life possible; the food we eat, the water we drink and the plant materials…

Q I have been online looking at the array of training aids, from dummy launchers to bolting rabbits. Do they work and should I invest in some to help me? A Needless to say, the basic kit of a whistle, a few canvas dummies and your own investment in time gets you a long way. And best not over complicate things until you have some core foundations in place. A great deal of training is about using your imagination and surroundings to maximise the dogs interest and attention using simple aids. However, there does come a point that you may need to get variety and surprise into the process. A dog can be rock steady to thrown dummies but that bolting rabbit whizzing past on a retrieve? Training is all…