Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Shooting Gazette

Shooting parties will have a single access route to shoots including Coombe End, Drumlanrig and Miltons following the merger of Roxton Bailey Robinson and Ian Coley Sporting. Announced in August, the merger brings over 80 years’ of combined experience in areas including game shooting, countryside management, retail and tuition to the new working relationship. Both organisations started life in the 1970s, Ian Coley as a Cheltenham gunshop that expanded to comprise a gunshop, sporting agency and shooting ground, with Roxtons growing into one of the world’s most renowned providers of shooting and fishing. Ian Coley MBE, owner and founder of Ian Coley Sporting, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to continue to grow the Ian Coley business. The merger with Roxtons will enable our continued growth and for the sporting…

Following Alec Marsh’s superb feature on Frederick Courteney Selous in the July issue of Shooting Gazette it’s a pleasure to see this new biography of a man widely regarded as Britain’s greatest big game hunters. Regardless of the modern politics of hunting in Africa there is no question that Selous was a pathfinder and his life story makes for incredible reading. If you have ever berated yourself for sitting on the sofa too much and not grabbing life by the horns, then this man’s biography might help you take some more action. Alternatively you may feel so daunted you don’t know where to start; either way it’s one hell of a read. Selous was an adventurer, hunter and naturalist in late 19th century Africa – this was a time when…

A good shoot day is all about pace and timing – it can’t be just about crash, bang wallop all day long. And the elevenses break comes as the perfect opportunity to stop and reflect on the privilege of spending a day in the field. So in recognition of this most excellent of sporting traditions we have teamed up with Foxdenton, makers of traditional drinks for the perfect elevenses and famous for their Goliath bottle, to select one shoot to feature in excellent elevenses each month. And our winner this month is Duncombe Park shoot in North Yorkshire. Thanks to Provenance Inns, a sister business to Mount St. John Sporting, which runs the shooting here, guests never go hungry. The company has a growing chain of country pubs across Yorkshire…

Conscious of the total reliance of the shooting industry upon the farming industry to facilitate our sport, it taxes me that where land management and food production was originally a stand-alone profitable endeavour, the rural economy now appears to rely almost exclusively on subsidies to keep penury from the door. If farming relies on subsidies then by extension, so do we and how much worse has this situation become since the initiation in 1973 of the European Community Central Agricultural Policy (CAP), now running at £3 billion a year. Nature abhors a vacuum so it was no surprise that in the wake of the vote to disassociate us from the EU, everyone with an agenda voiced attempts to influence our future, none more ill-starred than that of Dame Helen Ghosh,…

 Have you been out relentlessly since the Twelfth? “Conservationists do not see the bigger picture and neither does the RSPB.” “I was out on the Twelfth and have been out a fair bit since as we keep going as long as we need. As well as letting days, we also manage quite a lot of moors so that involves a lot of extra days out, making sure things are running smoothly” I’ve heard of a few days being cancelled; what is your snapshot of the grouse season so far? “Overall, England is generally good but there are patches of weakness. Scotland is the place where there is massive variation, but there are a good lot of grouse in parts, just sadly not in many parts! The normal Scottish powerhouse, the…

“Laughter was something Ed was very good at and he was always the best of company.” Ed Watson died on Sunday August 21, aged 49, following a long and brave battle with cancer, in the form of Ewing’s sarcoma. Ed was best known to Shooting Gazette readers as Dr Watson, our very own shooting instructor, and his ridiculously early death has deprived the world of shooting of one of its most colourful characters. He contributed to Shooting Gazette for the best part of 20 years and readers would often let me know how much they enjoyed his page, and how helpful they had found it. The funeral took place at Great Milton, Oxfordshire, and predictably it was standing room only, even in this large church. Estate owners, instructors, keepers, pigeon…

Oh Mr Porter! I note the problems of gun security when travelling in Scotland continue to crop up. It is not many years ago that I regularly went to Scotland in the winter hind stalking and took my BSA 7x57 rifle with me in a sleeve with the bolt packed separately. I stayed in many pubs and never had any queries when I walked in with my rifle over my shoulder. It went under my bed and the bolt in my pocket when I went for supper. Some smarter hotels offered the use of a gun room, but there was never any fuss about weapons, maybe they were glad of the custom in the winter. I was mindful of when I was an officer cadet at The Royal Military Academy,…

 Wild birds in wild places are what I enjoy about grouse, and I’ve visited moors of all sizes and situations. However, it’s fair to say this was a day in one of the wilder places I can ever remember seeing. “‘This is a young man’s moor,’ he announced... my leg muscles were inclined to agree.” Mar Estate, not to be confused with its neighbour Mar Lodge, sits just outside Braemar in Aberdeenshire, with legendary estates such as Invercauld and Balmoral on its doorstep. It’s also an easy drive from the A93, but when the black stuff runs out, well, that’s when the fun starts. To be fair, I recollect now that when Mark Nicolson had invited me he had mentioned Mar’s 16,000 acres boasted good stocks of grouse but few…

“It was so calm and so solitary... all seemed to breathe freedom and peace.” Far from the smog and the grimy unremitting crush of humanity in the capital, the Balmoral Estate in the Scottish Highlands has offered a sanctuary to our Royal Family for nearly 160 years. Overlooking the River Dee, cavernous lochs, grouse moors and steep hillsides of ancient Caledonian pine forests, six monarchs and their families have sought refuge in this sprawling 50,000-acre estate, relishing its natural beauty and enjoying the rich sport it offers. The royal love affair began with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert: they bought the 27-year lease on the then 11,000-acre Grampian estate in February 1848 on the recommendation of the Earl of Aberdeen, lately their foreign secretary. Though they did so unseen (except…

When it comes to choosing your shells for the pheasant season we can start with the big four British brands: Hull Cartridge, Gamebore (also from the city of Hull), Lyalvale Express and Eley. The latter two are both based in the West Midlands so the main players on the domestic market come from just two areas of the country. Hull Cartridge is run by the Bontoft family and both David and sister Susan are passionate about shooting. In the last few years they have brought in a number of successful new loads and the High Pheasant Extreme with a nickel plated head is specifically designed for high birds. The High Pheasant fibre wad is another top cartridge for pheasants in any part of the country and the Imperial Game remains…

“The chap shot everything that broke cover... the beaters were not impressed.” I was talking to a fellow picker-up a few years ago about the performance of the team of guns visiting the shoot that day. My colleague, who liked to give his dogs plenty of work, was mightily impressed by them but I had to partially disagree. Admittedly, they were decent performers but were not particularly discerning, with a couple of ‘star’ shooters blasting away at some hedge-hoppers that many would have felt embarrassed at shooting on a formal driven day. This once again brought to the fore the age-old question: is a good shot always a good sport? About 20 years ago I bought a gun on a 100-bird day. I had been to the venue before and…

In the late 19th century, enormous bags of game fell to the guns of many sportsmen like Lord Ripon, Lord Walsingham and the Maharajah Duleep Singh. Such bags would meet with disapproval today, but in the Victorian era the size of the bag was of the utmost importance, and there was great competition amongst sportsmen. It was impossible for guns to count in the heat of the moment and consequently game counters were invented to record the battue. The earliest and simplest of these game counters are what have come to be known as Norfolk Liars, hand-held devices with simple dials pertinent to different types of game. The trouble with the Norfolk Liar was that it was a portable item kept in the pocket – very inconvenient in battle. To…

“Around 50 years ago... pigeons rarely if ever saw decoys, and so responded with no fear.” It is time to ponder a question put to me by a young pigeon shooter at the Field & Country Fair at Cornbury Park earlier in the year. This related to a phrase I use from time to time referring to pigeons “decoying like days of old”. What exactly did I mean, he asked? It takes me back nearly 50 years to my early 20s when I first met the great man himself, Archie Coats. He kindly took me under his proverbial wing as he recognised my passion for pigeon shooting and saw a kindred spirit. At that time there were few people interested in pigeon shooting, apart from the odd bit of evening…

The B725 from Browning has been out in the wild for some time now. The range has been steadily expanding since 2012 with a variety of finishes and weights in order to compete in seemingly every conceivable section of the over-under market. It is somewhat surprising, therefore, given the ongoing trend towards long guns designed for serious game shooting, that this is the first 12 bore variant of what is best considered Browning’s ‘standard’ gun to be available with 32” barrels. Given I felt previous iterations of this model were noticeably barrel heavy, an even bigger B725 was an interesting prospect. Pleasingly, however, our test gun proved to be anything but the dull beast its weight and dimensions might suggest. The G3 in the gun’s title indicates it has a…

Q As we move towards the pheasant season can you recommend the best cartridge load for standard driven pheasants, and I don’t mean 60-yard skyscrapers? A I think cartridges are very much a personal preference and I would say that whatever gives you confidence when you are shooting is the correct cartridge for you. Shooting is a mental game and it is important to believe you have the correct tools for the job. However, cartridge choice is obviously affected by what type of gun you are shooting. For my side-by-side users I would tend to recommend 28g 6s, moving to 30g 5s later in the season. For my over-under users I recommend a 30g 6 for the early part of the season, moving to a 32g 5 later on. I…

BENTLEY BENTAYGA This car is probably always going to be sniggered at by people who’ve never driven one, but Bentley have nailed their ambition to build the best money-no-object 4x4 on the market at their first attempt. It might not be as handsome, or even as spacious, as a Range Rover, but as a thing to drive and be driven in it is peerless. Stupendously quick, exquisitely refined, surprisingly good off-road and with the best cabin currently in production, it might be expensive (£160,000 plus) but it’s worth every penny. PORSCHE MACAN TURBO This car is starting to become an obsession of mine and can even be seen elsewhere in the magazine (see pages 54-55 for more details). Every time I drive one, I realise it really could have been…

Burghley field coat by Farlows £695 farlows.co.uk Quilted jacket by Oliver Brown £275 oliverbrown.org.uk Storvik jacket by Härkila £429.99 harkila.com Linton field coat by William & Son £675 williamandson.com Illkley field coat by Purdey £895 purdey.com Highland jacket by Musto £499 musto.com Highland Ultra jacket by Musto £299 musto.com Highland Lite jacket by Musto £399 musto.com Compton extended peak cap by Alan Paine £34.99 alanpaine.co.uk Berkeley reversible hat by John Field £49 johnfield.eu Cap by Holland & Holland £180 hollandandholland.com Loden field coat by Holland & Holland £1,290 hollandandholland.com Compton wrap by Alan Paine £119.99 alanpaine.co.uk Cape by Farlows £499 farlows.co.uk Gilet by Oliver Brown £195 oliverbrown.org.uk Grassmere shooting vest by Purdey £395 purdey.com…

Byrecleugh Estate in the Scottish Borders, owned by the Duke of Roxburghe, proved to be a superb venue for the 2016 Champion Stake, the Kennel Club’s premier event for pointers and setters. The heather in bloom was the perfect backdrop for an outstanding championship. Held in association with Connolly’s Red Mills Engage, the two-day event attracted competitors from all parts of the British Isles and Ireland. It was also something of an international affair, with spectators travelling from Norway, Sweden and Italy to witness this prestigious event. For the first time ever, the championship was officiated under a three-judge system, which was highly effective given the topography of the ground. All three judges – Meryl Asbury, Shaun McCormack and Michael Houston – embraced the new system. On both days of…

Liam Bell is the new chairman of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO). Mr Bell’s appointment comes following the retirement of outgoing chairman Lindsay Waddell earlier this year. Mr Waddell will now take on the role of honorary NGO vice-president. Mr Bell, a gamekeeper for more than 20 years, author of On Your Shoot: A Practical Guide to Running Your Own Shoot, and a judge in the Time Inc Shooting Industry Awards, has been an NGO regional chairman since 2007. Prior to his appointment as chairman Mr Bell served as the NGO’s national vice-chairman. “I am absolutely delighted to lead the NGO, which has done so much to defend and promote our profession since its inception in 1997” said Mr Bell. “It is a truly great honour. I would also like…

The Teflon™ Diamond Standards Awards is now offering catering students and keen home cooks who pride themselves on their game dishes the chance to prepare them as part of the 2016 competition. Launched in 2012, the awards offers home cooks the opportunity to gain recognition for their game cooking abilities and catering students a platform to showcase what they’ve learned during their studies. The winner of the student category will also have the option to undertake a three-year-long Specialised Chefs Scholarship under the guidance of chefs at leading restaurants. Head judge and chef Lesley Waters is joined on the judging panel by executive chef at The Ritz John Williams MBE and Claridge’s chef executive Martyn Nail, along with the winner of last year’s student category, 17-year-old James Ganderton. Mr Ganderton,…

How were you introduced to shooting? My first experience of driven game shooting was at Vaynor Park as a young lad beating. I was fascinated with how it all happened and this gave me the inspiration and vision for my career. The headkeeper at the time was Gwyn Williams and I remember very well him pulling me up for being out of line. Where was your first shoot day? The first driven days we had were on the home farm here at Bettws Hall; we released 80 poults and returned 19 for the season. Who has been the biggest influence on your shooting? John Ransford; he was the first person to bring let days into this area of Wales. A great character and great shot, he held the record for…

Roast pheasant, parsnip game chips & watercress SERVES FOUR PEOPLE Ingredients •  2 oven ready pheasants• 2 parsnips• 50g watercress• 50g butter• Cornish sea salt• Milled black pepper Method Season the pheasant and sear in a hot pan for two minutes each side. Place into a hot oven and roast for 12 minutes at 220°. Remove from the oven and add the butter and baste for two minutes and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Peel the parsnips and trim off both ends then, using the same peeler, continue to shave the parsnips to make the chips. Deep fry in hot oil until golden and place onto some kitchen paper. Place the pheasant and parsnip chips onto a serving plate. Serve with the watercress.…

Dear Uncle Giles I have a couple of mixed pheasant and partridge days booked in October. In the past on days like these I have noticed the odd immature pheasant with a very short tail being added to the bag by an unscrupulous fellow gun. Should I say something or is it his choice? AMD, by email Uncle Giles writes If you have booked mixed partridge and pheasant days in October then you must expect your companions to shoot pheasants as well as partridges. And a goodly number of those pheasants will, I venture, be less than dazzling. It occurs to me that he might, of course, not be shooting immature pheasants at all but shooting what he believes to be a more than averagely manageable partridge. To be honest,…

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: will.hetherington@timeinc.com. The guns, beaters and keepers from the day at the Hall Shoot in Devon, which is featured on pages 36-42 of this issue. Thirty BASC coaches made clay shooting available to 7,000 young people from more than 30 countries, with sponsorship from Eley, during the Essex International Jamboree. The guns, keepers and beaters from the grouse day at Mar, featured on pages 48-52 of this issue. Howard Brittain (left) of the Bramham Park Estate near…

 How was it for you in the fog stakes last November? And while we’re on the misty subject, what about the same month the season before that? “He could barely see the top of the church spire from the hotel 60 yards away.” In this part of North Yorkshire both were uncommonly bad but particularly 2015 when the shroud settled and didn’t lift for days at a time, sometimes an entire week. Low-ground shoots edging the Vale of York were either cancelled or often started very late when, with luck and a bit of breeze, things might thin sufficiently for guns and birds to get a soggy view of one another by lunchtime. Sometimes it worked but other times it didn’t. And always the birds flew poorly. Against this gloomy…

 The popping of wood absorbing lilac flames, and the deep aromas of warm stone and burning wood from the ornate fireplace looking out across the Great Hall’s Gothic innards could not have set the scene any better. Reds, greens and yellows from the stain glass windows appeared as flecks on the long wooden table at which the odd gun sat, warm coffee cupped in their hands, the twinkling eyes of mounted deer heads on the wall above occasionally catching their eye. It was unseasonably mild in Devon. The thin grey clouds outside brought a lukewarm breeze, enough to tease orange particles in the flames away from their intended course, and as more boots filed and squeaked into this breathing monument of the Hall estate’s past, the echoing conversations around them…

During the summer my brother and I were shooting pigeons over barley stubble on a farm in Essex when at 3pm we noticed a helicopter circling above us. We didn't think anything of it and carried on shooting. I left the hide and went to organise my decoys and it was at this point that I noticed a group of people coming towards us. My brother was still in the hide, and as they got closer they gestured to me to move away from the hide. My brother started to come out of the hide with his gun pointing down by his side. They all started to shout in a panicked manner: "Put the weapon down! Put the weapon down!" The group consisted of six armed squad team members with…

BERETTA 687 EELL CLASSIC £6,850 A modern icon, the EELL from Beretta is amongst the most sought after guns by sportsmen and women up and down the country, and with even a cursory glance it is easy to see why. With a design lineage stretching back to 1979, Beretta’s 680 line of guns have long been the go-to shotgun for many buyers, with the EELL moniker indicating the best finishing, woodwork and engraving Beretta has to offer outside of its custom shop guns. The Classic variant is the one I would look out for thanks to its tremendous engraving across the sideplates and fences and the lovely rounded Prince of Wales-style pistol grip really adding to the gun’s excellent, flowing lines. The next gun in the range, the Jubilee, is…

Human So how do you finally pick a new dog from a litter of universally adorable puppies? Time was when the accepted wisdom was to look for the adventurous character. Lean into the whelping box and snap the fingers. The pup that was first up and over and investigating was the one for you. Eager, dynamic, inquisitive, busy; that was what we were looking for. Was. I have spoken to many dog owners over the years – and dog breeders and handlers, and trainers, as well as a bunch of keepers who all have a couple of spaniels at least, and whose opinions I value above all others if I am honest, and their advice has changed. The modern opinion is that the busiest dog in the litter may not…

Travel back far enough and the major components you’d find in a keeper’s arsenal were gin traps, snares and a bottle of strychnine. Over time the gins were replaced by fen traps, strychnine removed altogether, and snares modified so they are no longer self-locking. It is true that Larsen traps have been a godsend and of course a shotgun and rifle are always handy, but nowadays there is a new addition, perhaps more essential than all the rest. Just about every keeper in the land needs knowledge of game bird disease and the array of medicinals at his disposal. I was at my vets recently (regarding a first outbreak of coccidiosis) and met a young keeper with a similar problem. Thoughtfully, the young man had taken his girlfriend with him…

This is an interesting gun for Browning as it offers a very sought-after specification and level of finish at a price point its nearest rivals don’t currently match. This is Browning’s B725 set up for high birds and it shows – it comes in a posh black Opaline case and weighs in at just a shade under seven pounds and seven ounces. At grade three you get a good quality of wood, well finished, and some more intricate and attractive engraving designs. The wood on this test gun is quite well figured and has been beautifully finished, bringing out the interesting patterns of the grain. The shape of the B725 is an improvement over the B525, and the manufacturer has made enough changes to make the gun stand out over…

The Amberite from Wright & Currey of Spalding (1900); the Whirlwind from W. Hensman of Boston (1900); the Snipe from G.R. Webster of Boston (1927); and the Special Loading from W.G. Henton & Sons of Lincoln (1900). The Joyce Long Brass sold by Mr Davidson of Wells (1880); the Invincible from J. Nelson of Exeter (1927); the Quantock from John Waddon & Sons of Bridgwater (1922); and the Kynoch C.B. from J. Reynolds of Cullompton (1900). The Newport from Edwards of Newport, Mon (1922); the Champion from Edwards of Newport, Mon (1900); the Essex County from Leech & Sons of Chelmsford (1927); and the Pigeon from Leech & Sons of Chelmsford (1910). STRAIGHT FROM THE HART A box of metal-lined .410 cartridges from F.W. Hart of 39 Queen Street in…

In the first issue, back in autumn 1989, I wrote the ironically titled ‘Getting Off to a Good Stop’. It was about the stop whistle – by common consent the cornerstone of any training edifice. Now, in the 300th issue, can there be a comparably weighty equivalent? There certainly can. Sometimes there can be a world in just a few words. Think them through and all kinds of implications and consequences suggest themselves. So it was with a short definition I first heard when, on a blisteringly hot August day in 1980, I travelled to Tilehurst near Reading to visit a man who, at one year older than the century, was sprightly of manner with a memory to match. Early in his career Bert Pattle had been keeper at Nuneham…

A lot of people being asked to judge field trials have little experience in the shooting field. As the steward of the beat is more often than not the gamekeeper, one can soon be caught out if one thinks the flushing point is where the loo is. Knowing what good dog work is never goes in or out of fashion, but the nuances of handling and the standard of dog work has changed. One of the hardest things to second-guess is what the judge considers to be the ‘area’. If they are more used to judging working tests, they may consider the area to be smaller than it might be in a trial, bearing in mind a dummy can’t run. This is where having a sound knowledge of shooting comes…

QI have just bought my first gundog. I am hoping to do some beating and maybe picking-up at the local shoot. Do you have any advice on the sequence of training? What should I be doing first? A THE AIM is to get a solid foundation in steadiness, recall and retrieving before you move on, and this is the basis of all future training and more detailed work. So make sure you work on all these areas quite carefully and take your time. Steadiness in any situation, whether at home, out and about or in the field, is one that needs constant attention. Any new dog – especially a youngster – will not know the boundaries and be full of interest and enthusiasm. The key is to find as many…

THE KENNEL Club has announced the dates of its various field trials to be held throughout the new shooting season, and schedules and entry forms are now available on the Kennel Club website. The next dates for this season’s trials are: October 31 and November 1, 2016 – Open Retriever, Blankney Estate, Lincolnshire. November 7, 2016 – Novice English Springer Spaniel, Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire. November 8, 2016 – Open English Springer Spaniel, Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire. November 23, 2016 – All Aged Spaniel (Minor Breeds) Stake, Harvington Shoot, Warwickshire. December 9, 2016 – Novice Cocker Spaniel, Stean, Yorkshire. Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said: “Another busy season of Kennel Club field trials is almost here and we are looking forward to seeing the dogs compete and showcase…

Is your WC or study groaning under the weight of old issues of Shooting Gazette? If you’re getting as much grief from your other half as your floorboards are from driven shooting’s finest journal then our new, specially made binders, capable of holding a year’s worth of magazines, could be just the thing you need. We’d like to think the gold embossed lettering on the spine would make your bookshelf even more presentable, too. Binders are priced at £9.95 + P&P each, with a discount for larger orders. To order your binders email: leeanne.wright@timeinc.com…

In August the fieldsports world lost one of its most popular characters in Ed Watson, a shooting instructor and Shooting Gazette columist, who passed away after a long battle with cancer. News of Ed’s death saw a number of tributes on social media, including these: Kathryn Holmes wrote: “Passionate about what he did and it always showed.” Fiona Eastman wrote: “Cancer can take the person we love away but never all our memories. I enjoyed every moment I spent with you, Ed.” Francis Wallinger wrote: “You touched more lives than you would have realised, and each time with a giggle” Richard Wolfenden wrote: “"Doctor" Watson. A great character and not a bad shot either. RIP Doc” @fieldsports wrote: “Met him a couple of times during my six years as a…

Q: Do I need special insurance to go shooting? I’m a bit confused by all this liability stuff… A: I have always thought it completely extraordinary that it is a legal requirement to be insured while driving a car but not while using a gun. But that is the case. That said, no responsible person would ever shoot without insurance and many estates require proof of insurance as a condition of taking any shooting. Happily, as part of your membership of BASC or another countryside organisation, you are automatically covered. In fact you may be covered more than once – many of us are of the view that all of the organisations deserve support and are members of more than one. But let’s address the confusion about liability. Shooting is…

TRAVEL Hall Estate sits in Bishop’s Tawton around four miles to the south east of Barnstaple. The nearby A361 will take you to Junction 27 of the M5 in just under an hour. If you’re taking the train in or back to London or elsewhere around the country then it's probably quicker and easier to use Tiverton Parkway than go all the way into Exeter St. Davids only to have to come all the way out again.(nationalrail.co.uk). Should you wish to fly, Exeter Airport has a dedicated corporate aviation facility (exeter-airport.co.uk). STAY Shooting Gazette stayed at Highbullen during the trip to Devon and if you want to make yours that extra bit special the 37-room Victorian-Gothic fronted hotel, complete with its stunning Devon View restaurant, should be on your shortlist…

“In a moment I will probably never forget, two big black shapes crossed the grassy ride beneath.” Having devoted a column to wild boar in Galloway last year, a recent close encounter has given me a whole new perspective. We’ve had boar living in the forests around home for the past 10 or 15 years, and while I have heard them at night many times, I had never clapped eyes on one. These are extremely secretive beasts, and they keep themselves to themselves with incredible efficiency. Several local stalkers have turned their attentions to boar over the last few years, and some with great success. I mentioned that I had never seen a boar in Galloway in passing to one of these aficionados and was kindly offered the chance to…

DON’T MISS FANTASTIC PHEASANTS The top 20 shoots in the UK A HUNTER LIKE NO OTHER The barely believable shooting exploits of Archduke Franz Ferdinand PLUS MORE THAN A MEETING PLACE Special shoot rooms make all the difference. We go behind the scenes of one ambitious project DOES IT FIT? Why you really will shoot better if your gun actually fits you CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR GAME SHOOTERS The ultimate guide to festive harmony WHAT MAKES A DREAM TEAM? Expert advice on how many dogs and which breeds are best for picking-up THE NOVEMBER ISSUE GOES ON SALE ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 27…

I have often remarked how some guns and rifles are instantly recognisable due to a particular design, style or patent. Charles Lancaster hammer guns and rifles are a good example – the distinctive hares’ ears hammers on its hammer guns proclaim “Lancaster” in no uncertain terms. These hammers had long spurs like startled hares’ ears, and were nose-less, the breasts of the hammers falling upon the firing pins instead. What makes Lancaster guns even more interesting is the fact they always employ one of more or the firm’s many 19th century patents – at that time Lancaster was a profuse inventor. Twenty-bore hammer gun no. 5173 was built in 1882 to Lancaster’s well known and popular slide and drop action, which had been patented as far back as 1853. Whenever…

Along with the introduction of the shooting school in the late 19th century came a more scientific approach to gun fitting, which resulted in the development of the try-gun. The try-gun began life as the measurement gun, a gun with an adjustable stock that could be varied to suit the individual shooter, but which was not actually capable of firing. The measurement gun was a useful tool, but using one in the shop rarely translated well into the field, when shooters were encumbered by jackets and the like. An actual try-gun that could be fired was a far better system. It was difficult to convert the measurement gun into a try-gun that could fire and yet also offer a multitude of adjustments, and during the late 19th century there were…

You will spend a lot of time thinking about the size of the fore-end on this gun, as the balance of the B725 is biased towards the front hand. As noted in previous reviews, the B725 makes its weight felt very much forward of the hinge pin thanks in part to Browning’s Invector DS multichokes fitted as standard. This was exaggerated even further on our test gun, where the long 32” barrels push the point of balance well past the hinge-pin. This forward bias does make for a pretty consistent mounting experience as one cannot help but lead with the front hand. The gun moves very well, if a little deliberately, and shoots pleasingly flat, as is common with Browning guns. Having a mechanical action rather than one reliant upon…

The 16th century New Inn at Coln St Aldwyns lies in the middle of the Cotswolds, and a visit here will take you far from the concerns of modern life. But that’s not to say the pub is outdated, far from it in fact, as the whole place has been sympathetically refurbished in recent years. The 15 bedrooms are all modern, quirky and charming and ensure you will have a good night’s sleep. Food is a passion and the hotel is part of the Cripps Barn Group, using only the very best ingredients. Pure Cotswolds charm. new-inn.uk…

The results of our sixth Shoot Benchmarking Survey run in conjunction with the GWCT, covering the 2015/16 season, have recently been published. Compared with the 2014/15 season, the performance of shoots has been relatively stable. Total variable costs increased to just over £8 per bird, with the cost of birds being the largest inflationary factor. Fixed costs decreased to just under £5 per bird, with staff salaries, the most significant fixed cost, being the largest deflationary factor. Total costs averaged just under £13/bird, which was within one per cent of the 2014/15 figure. Applying the total costs per bird to the average return rate (40 per cent for 15/16) translates to a total cost per bird shot of £32 before VAT. The data revealed shoots have also increased their charges,…

EVERY DAY the Air Ambulance saves lives. The critical-care paramedics, trauma doctors and pilots fly an average of three rescue missions a day. Within minutes they can be on the ground delivering lifesaving care at road traffic collisions, sports events, industrial accidents or for medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, stroke or accidents in the home. There is also a new nationwide Children’s Air Ambulance service to fly critically ill children to specialist hospitals across the country. The East Midlands Gundog Club held a charity working test at ground donated by Mr and Mrs G. Dilworth at Shangton in Leicestershire to raise money for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance, writes Gaynor Gent. The club received much support from beneficiaries who donated items for auction and also from many…