Inhaltsverzeichnis für May 2023 in Sporting Gun

The Purdey Awards for Game and Conservation returned recently after a pandemic-enforced two-year absence. The shortlisted entrants were assessed by Dr Mike Swan of the GWCT and then visited and judged by a panel of 15 experts chaired by the Duke of Wellington. The conclusion of this process saw the Gold Award presented to the Great Lemhill & Greenwill Shoot in Gloucester in recognition of the breadth and depth of work undertaken to create a spectacular variety of wild game alongside real and sustained biodiversity gains. The judges said this project provided the perfect illustration of the long-term positive ecological and habitat benefits that can be provided by a well-run shoot. The Silver Award was given to Godmersham Park, Kent, where a successful partnership between an owner and estate manager…

15–16 April The Stalking Show, Staffordshire Showground 15–16 April English Open All Round Championship, Nottingham & District Gun Club 22–23 April East Anglian Game & Country Fair, Euston Estate, Suffolk 22–23 April Free British Shooting ‘Target Change’ Air Gun intro, Colton Hills Community School, Wolverhampton 22–23 April Universal Trench UK Championships, Fauxdegla, North Wales 23–24 April Wild Boar Certificate course, BASC Scotland Centre, Perthshire 29–30 April, English Open English Skeet, Nottingham & District Gun Club 6 May Coronation of King Charles II, Westminister Abbey, London 6–7 May Northern Shooting Show, Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate 17–21 May English Open English Sporting, Eriswell Lodge…

Like many of us I’m sure, for years I lay under the misconception that a pulse as regular as a Swiss cuckoo clock was a potent harbinger of health and vitality. The truth, it turns out, is far more nuanced. Not only does a healthy heart pulsate irregularly, but the variability of its beats can reveal a huge amount about us, including the likelihood of us shooters hitting the next target. Making the effort to understand heart rate variability (HRV), and how to manage and manipulate it, is a given in many other sports but it’s rarely practised in shooting. So, if you’re looking to gain an advantage over your competitors, listen to your heart, it’s trying to tell you something. The beat goes on Remember that first aid course…

I have managed deer for more years than I care to mention and can say the majority of wild deer that I have shot have been fit and healthy and have given me no concerns about that meat going into the food chain. The salient point here is that every carcass has been inspected by me to ensure that is the case. The European game hygiene legislation of 2004, which came into force in the UK in January 2006, lays down specific practice to ensure the food chain is not compromised and that the risk to public health when eating game is controlled. It states that anyone intending to put large game into the food chain should be ‘suitably knowledgeable’ to understand any abnormalities observed in a carcass that may…

I had an email recently from a reader about Skeet. The gentleman’s father had been a keen clay shooter just after World War II, had won quite a few trophies and shot for England in DTL Trap shooting. He would have been shooting with a side-by-side shotgun, as the importation of competitively priced over-and-under guns from America had not really started by then. Among the family memorabilia, a lapel pin badge labelled ‘20 Skeet’ was found. So, what was this for? Today, the Skeet discipline is shot around the world on a course of 25 clays involving single and double crossing targets. There are slight variations in how the targets are presented, for example between Olympic Skeet and English Skeet, but always a competition of 25 clays. When the American…

Letter of the month Roe diarrhoea I recently shot a roe deer and the back end was covered in runny excrement. I have been told this means the deer has worms. If this is true, is the meat fit for human consumption? Paul Price, via email Jon Snowdon says - Hello Paul and thank you for your query. The messy diarrhoea of the roe doe that you observed sounds pretty extreme. Roe deer are generally very clean and I have only witnessed a situation like this on two or three occasions. Even though deer can and do carry intestinal parasites, from your description it sounds like there was an underlying health problem here. Deer, like all animals, can suffer upset digestions; it is likely to be seen more in young…

Aigle Sonricker boot This Gore-Tex-lined boot comes into its own in rural environments, with a Vibram rubber sole for security on uneven ground and an insole featuring Ortholite foam technology for lasting comfort. Price: £140 bisley-uk.com Heroes & Heretics Macnab whisky Launched in February in partnership with William Evans, Cordings and Farlows, this limited-edition single-cask whisky has a honey-citrus finish. Price: £80 hahcws.com John Rigby & Co whisky travel case Your finest malt will be in safe hands. Crafted using walnut, tanned leather and brass fittings, the case is partitioned in its base for added protection. Price: £2,100 johnrigbyandco.com Schoffel Country Bowden down gilet This regular-fitting 100% breathable gilet is lightweight and machine washable, so perfect as a mid or top-layer for all-season use. It has two external security pockets…

SNAPSHOTS We have already had the Great British Shooting Show, a showcase for all the new kit that will be coming our way over the next 12 months. There is always excitement there and this year was no exception; there seemed to be an air of optimism. I was also lucky enough to get to IWA in Germany and it was great to see so many British companies flying the flag for the UK and our sport. Over the next few months we will bring you reviews on all the new kit that is coming our way, and more. This issue we start a new series on how to get into deer stalking, written by Charles Smith-Jones. And if rifle shooting is what you aspire to, then be sure to…

Research carried out by the University of Cambridge has shown that voluntary initiatives to discontinue using lead shot have had minimal impact. Academics at university’s zoology department have found that three years into a five-year pledge by nine of the country’s shooting organisations to completely phase out lead shot in UK game hunting, 94% of pheasants on sale for human consumption were killed using lead. A Cambridge-led team of 17 volunteers bought whole pheasants from butchers, game dealers and supermarkets across the UK in 2022-23. They dissected the birds at home and recovered embedded shotgun pellets from 235 of the 356 pheasant carcasses. Lead was the main element in 94% of the birds, with steel and bismuth accounting for the remainder. The results have been published in the Conservation Evidence…

Residents of South Uist have voted against the eradication of red deer from the Outer Hebridean island. A petition calling for the deer’s total removal had been put before the owners of the South Uist estate, which covers 93,000 acres. A vote was organised by the owners, a community group called Stòras Uibhist, and defeated by 379 to 140. The petition had divided opinion, with people for the culling justifying the move by saying that deer were responsible for a number of accidents and the transmission of Lyme disease. The pro-eradication constituency also said that keeping deer for the benefit of fieldsports was not compatible with the ethos of the community. However, the board of Stòras Uibhist had said the cull of around 1,200 was unnecessary, though it acknowledged that…

Despite having a somewhat extensive family gun collection when I was young and first getting into shooting, I never had any access to a side-by-side shotgun. I was always led to believe that these old muskets were relics and not as superior as their over-and-under or semi-automatic counterparts. This view was reinforced by the fact that most of the people I encountered with a side-by-side were older gentlemen. They were also typically rather lacking in the skills department when it came to bagging a pheasant on a driven day or a duck on the foreshore. I was influenced to stay away from these types of guns for fear that I wouldn’t be able to hit the proverbial barn door. I recall seeing an old AYA thrown into a sporting auction…

I spent any time that I could at the new shoot, learning my way around and getting a feel for different parts of it. I saw jobs that needed to be done. When I went to do that job I found the next thing to be done. Sometimes it felt like I had taken on too much but I really enjoyed spending my free time there. On one of my first walks around after beaters’ day, I saw the aftermath of a particularly windy storm. An oak tree had fallen through one of our release pens – this was not a one-man job to deal with. I did what I could and then arranged for a couple of syndicate members to meet me there the following Saturday with chainsaws to…

Stalking has seen a huge increase in popularity, with its followers growing from just a handful of enthusiasts a few decades ago to more than 100,000 today, according to a BASC estimate. You may be interested in joining them, so over the months to come we will look at all aspects of getting into the sport, from applying for a firearm certificate up to that special moment when you shoot your first deer – and what to do afterwards. With deer numbers increasing across many parts of the country there is no doubt that they need to be kept under control. Although management planning is a wider subject, which we will not be going into, the individual stalker still has a big part to play in the process. As venison…

Vet’s advice Neil McIntosh SG’s gundog health expert Arthritis, or inflammation of the joints, is one of the most common debilitating diseases of older animals. Many of you will have experienced the distress of seeing an old labrador struggling painfully to get to its feet, or the frustration of watching a geriatric elbow thicken and stiffen over time. However, affected patients are only presented for treatment when the condition is fairly advanced and lameness is obvious, especially with stoic working dogs. Most animals, particularly dogs, tend to hide discomfort until it is quite severe, making it difficult to identify the condition in its infancy. This is unfortunate because early treatment can alleviate or delay the natural progression of arthritis. The joint An understanding of the disease is crucial to prompt…

GOT A QUESTION? CONTACT: sportinggun@futurenet.com Sporting Gun, Future PLC, 121 - 141 Westbourne Terrace Paddington London W2 6JR Meet the team FRAN ARDLEY GUNDOGS Owner of Tarncrag Gundog Training, with more than 10 years’ experience. NEIL MCINTOSH VETERINARY A keen shooter and a practising vet in Scotland. TONY BRACCI TUITION Bisley Shooting Ground’s deputy shooting manager and master gunfitter. DAVID FROST LEGAL SG’s legal expert and author of Sporting Shooting and the Law. PETER THEOBALD PIGEONS Pigeon-shooting expert; author of Woodpigeon: The Ultimate Quarry. ROBERT MORGAN ANTIQUES Arms and armour valuer at Holts Auctioneers. ED COOK RABBITS Professional rabbit catcher working over 30,000 acres. TOM SYKES PEST CONTROL & WILDFOWLING Sporting photographer, wildfowler and pest controller. IAN SWEETMAN GUNSMITHING Owner of I S Sweetman Gun & Rifle Makers…

Hicks & Brown Brantham fedora This fedora offers classic style and great value. It’s crafted from 100% wool felt, has a seamless brim and is finished with a faux leather band, gamebird feathers and a branded silver badge. The colour will work well with your country wardrobe. Pair with a lightweight knit, jeans and Chelsea boots for a chic spring outfit. Colour: Cinnamon Price: £49 hicksandbrown.com Ginger & Jardine silky roll-neck Made from bamboo viscose with elastane for stretch, this roll-neck is practical and comfortable. The checked pattern pairs perfectly with a range of rural clothing. The fabric is moisture wicking, antibacterial, breathable and thermo controlling. Made in England, this is both stylish and versatile. Colour: blue/green/brown check Price: £44.95 gingerandjardine.co.uk Schöffel Hambleton down jacket The Hambleton provides lightweight warmth…

Seonaid McIntosh wins Olympic quota place Seonaid McIntosh has won a Team GB quota place for next year’s Olympics. Her silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle at the European Shooting Confederation’s European Championships in Estonia helped secure her place. She lost out on gold to Norway’s Jeanette Duestad. Olympic Trap talent day British Shooting will be hosting an Olympic Trap Talent ID Day at the East Yorkshire Clay Shooting Ground, near Beverley, on 22 April. The days are designed to introduce shooters to Olympic Trap, the British Shooting Development Programme and can be the first step to an international shooting career. To book your spot, email christian.schofield@britishshooting.org.uk Military charity day British The Borders Branch of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, is to hold a fundraising event on Sunday 16…

Barbury Shooting School was the big winner at the recent CPSA annual awards ceremony. The Wiltshire ground, which has undergone extensive renovations and has placed a renewed focus on competitive events, won ground of the year. Also, Josh Brown of the school won the course setter of the year award for the second year running. George Digweed won the clay shooter of the year award, further enhancing his reputation in the Sporting world. Lucy Earl claimed the emerging shooter of the year award. Meanwhile, Beth Norton, the OSK shooter, was awarded the young shot of the year and Lorraine Greening took the disabled shooter of the year award. For a full round-up of all the awards and to purchase the new CPSA General and Technical Rulebook, which covers the official…

At this time of the year, many gundog owners begin to think about entering their dogs into the many working tests that gundog clubs run during the spring and summer months. As well as being good fun, they can also give us a focus for our training in preparation for the next shooting season. There are three types of working tests – Kennel Club (KC), registered spaniel and retriever tests, and what we in Cumbria call ‘safari’ tests, which are non-registered tests. Many run for charitable causes, and are open to all breeds, including non-pedigree dogs. If you plan to run in any of the KC tests familiarise yourself with KC regulations for gundog working tests. These can be found online, and the regulations not only lay out how a…

If you are a regular reader of this column, I assume that you have some interest in gundogs and I hope you have enjoyed following the trials and tribulations of the Ridley cockers. When I started writing these articles they were predominantly about Ted. As a result, he has gained quite a fan club and people have followed his progress and training from a puppy through to his most recent exploits in the shooting field. I mentioned last month that he had gone off his back legs a couple of times during a beaters’ day at the end of January, but that he had quickly returned to normal. Little did I know what was to come. First check Following the episode I took him to the vet’s and after a…

RCBS ChargeMaster Link There is one part of the reloading process I don’t enjoy: powder dispensing. Maybe that’s because I like to be incredibly consistent, but I find it takes me ages. I timed myself recently and found it was taking 60 seconds per powder charge. That doesn’t sound a lot, but when you’re loading 100 rounds that’s potentially an hour and a half of your life gone. So, what if I told you that whole process could be shortened to 30 minutes? The key to this time-saving is an electronic powder dispenser. You can spend in excess of £1,000 on an electronic powder dispenser, so these aren’t cheap bits of equipment. But there are a few more affordable options out there – one of which is the RCBS ChargeMaster…

For centuries, this sword has been one of the most fundamental and symbolic weapons in the history of warfare. From the legendary swords of ancient Greece and Rome to the medieval longswords of Europe, swords have been used by warriors to defend their lands, honour their codes and showcase their martial prowess. Among the many swords that have graced the pages of history, the Welsh sword stands out as a symbol of strength, courage and heritage. The Welsh sword, also known as the Cymric sword, was the weapon of choice for Welsh warriors during the Middle Ages. It was a long, straight and double-edged leaf-shaped sword, with a hilt made of wood, bone or ivory, and a pommel often adorned with intricate designs or engravings. The blade was typically between…