Sommaire pour December 2021 de Sporting Gun

A discussion over dinner resulted in Al Benton-Jones helping his neighbours at Grimsthorpe Estate in Lincolnshire control their burgeoning deer population. Four years later, in 2019, when the then tenants decided to give up the shoot, Al and his team were well placed to take over. Al – who also runs a successful plumbing business – got the shoot up and running with let days but has now opened it up to a syndicate, who enjoy challenging birds across 3,500 acres of parkland and 25 drives. Sporting Gun joined them for a late-September partridge day. Find out more on Page 32…

British Shooting launches Olympic challenge British Shooting is encouraging Juniors who have never shot to try the Olympic disciplines at a registered OT or OS event, with the top scorers being invited to a grand final at E J Churchill in March. Visit britishshooting.org.uk Royal seal of approval Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal officially opened the 32nd GWCT Scottish Game Fair, sponsored by NFU Mutual, at Scone Palace, Perthshire in September. The Princess unveiled a brass plaque in the main arena to commemorate her visit north of the border. Bird of prey initiative The Aim to Sustain rural strategy has announced a series of measures to protect the UK’s raptor population. The campaign, which promotes sustainable game and land management, has produced a suite of legally-approved clauses for contracts…

Georgia Moule, the four-time British Open Ladies Champion, will captain the England team at the World English Sporting Clays Championships in San Antonio next April. Georgia will be joined in Texas by a number of experienced Shots, including Amy Easeman, 2020 CPSA Clay Shooter of the Year, and William ‘Billy’ Baughan, Champion of Champions. Also in the squad is Georgia’s friend and occasional rival, Emma Stacey. She said: “I am very excited to head out to the States with her as my captain.”…

Celebration of game A celebration of game and all it has to offer will be at the forefront of the Great British Game Week held later this month between 22 and 28 November. People who have never tried game will be encouraged to do so at a number of events around the country. The week is part of BASC’s Eat Game initiative in conjunction with the British Game Alliance’s Eat Wild campaign. GWCT annual ball A reminder that the GWCT is hosting its 41st annual London ball this autumn at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London on Wednesday 24 November. Funds raised will contribute to the trust’s research. Clay pigeon awards CPSA members have been asked to nominate fellow members for the association’s annual awards, which will take place in…

By the time you read this, pigeons in my part of the world (Essex) should be feeding exclusively on oilseed rape, particularly as it appears to be a very poor year for acorns. In a big acorn year, pigeons desert my area, only returning when the acorn supply has been exhausted. Here, pigeon numbers have seldom been higher, and we have enjoyed day after day, making bags in the 250 to 300 bracket. However, there is a potential fly in the ointment — or should I say beetle? Who would have thought that a tiny insect called a flea beetle could jeopardise my entire winter’s decoying? But a large number of our farmers have given up trying to grow rape because of the devastation that flea beetles do to the…

Deliziosa! Ingredients 1lb minced venison 4oz sun-dried tomatoes 2 tbsp oil (best from the tomato jar) 1oz butter 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 glass dry white wine Salt and pepper 1lb tagliatelle Parmesan and crème fraîche Method Heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook until the onions start to soften. Add the meat and stir until it starts to brown. Stir in the tomatoes, wine and seasoning and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked. Cook the tagliatelle until it is soft and drain well. Serve the tagliatelle topped with the sauce, parmesan and a spoonful of crème fraîche.…

Grimsthorpe Estate Shooting Ground DISCIPLINES English Sporting, FITASC, a 120ft high tower complex and a pattern plate. ADDITIONAL FACILITIES The Rookery Café and Home Wood & Hale country clothing store. MOBILITY The car park is lightly gravelled. Wide, solid pathways lead to all stands and golf buggies are available. Disabled bathrooms are also available. WHEN IS IT OPEN? Wednesday to Sunday, 9.30am-5pm PRACTICE ROUNDS The 100-target Sporting course is connected to a Promatic Claymate system. Skilled Shots can shoot solo with clays charged at £32 per 100. TUITION Individual one-hour lessons are available from £60 and include 50 clays. Additional shooters can join from £20 a head. MEMBERSHIP Membership is available from £225 a year. Members enjoy a complimentary lesson on joining and renewal, reduced clay rates and more. DESCRIPTION…

I am frequently asked about how to deal with certain shots that decoyers find tricky. There are some types of shot that always come up and the answer is not straightforward, as local conditions and the situation of your hide can vary on any given day. Many things can come into play – the wind, the position of the hide and different backgrounds can all deceive the shooter. That’s the joy of the sport, though, its unpredictability. Sometimes you’ll be left with no alternative but to set your hide up with the wind directly in your face. It’s never the best option, but the location may leave you no choice. This can make for some tricky shooting as birds will probably arrive at your hide and decoy pattern from behind…

“Dig deep in practice and it will feel like second nature” The frost on the ground and the dark mornings not only mean the end of summer, but also the end of the competitive clay season. Those looking to make serious improvements to their competitive ability should use the winter period as an opportunity to improve, with all major shoots now out of the way until next spring. While in the summer months you may only have a weekend in between county and selection shoots to practise on clays, you now have the time to work on elements of your game, take a few lessons, try something new, work on it and build yourself back up into a better Shots for the coming season. With this in mind, here are…

As the latest addition to the ZEISS DTI 3 family, the new DTI 3/25 offers an enlarged 26-metre field of view, at a 100-metre distance, making it ideal for hunting in wooded areas. It delivers high-quality detailed images, even under foggy or humid conditions, thanks to Contrast Boost. The ergonomic design and intuitive ErgoControl operating concept also offer excellent handling in cold and dark conditions – even when you’re wearing gloves. Learn more: www. zeiss.ly/new-thermal…

At your local shooting ground, practise normal driven targets at a height you expect to be shooting. There is no point practising on a high tower if the birds are going to be half that height – you’ll increase your chances of missing in front. Partridges are commonly found on open land, so find a driven target you can see coming from a long way away. This will teach you not to mount too soon, which can cause an elongated swing that is measured and inefficient. While waiting for the drive to start, barrels should be in a safe direction, either broken or pointing up. When required, drop them down to where your eyes are looking while maintaining a safe direction. As the birds flush, eyes and muzzles will lock…

Out in front I always enjoy it when the new issue of Sporting Gun lands on my doormat but I was especially pleased with the October issue and to see Fran Ardley’s gundog training article ‘Keep it Tight’. One of my spaniels has been pulling out far too much in front of me and with a working test in a couple of weeks I have been tearing my hair out trying to fix this. So, Fran’s article was perfect and although it’s only day one there is an improvement. With regular work over the next couple of weeks I am hopeful of a decent run. Many thanks and keep up the good work, it’s a great magazine. Martin Emms, via email Wall planner update I would like an update on…

I love walked-up shooting, but I have never been tempted to try lightweight 12-bores, largely because I didn’t like the idea of an aluminium receiver with lightweight parts that will wear more easily than steel ones. Of course, on a walked-up day, your gun is not going to have the demands put on it that a claybuster would have in a competition, but I still like to know that the gun in my hands will give me many years of service without too much intervention from a gunsmith. However, the new Ultraleggero, based on Beretta’s 690 series, has changed my thinking. The action frame is made from high-grade steel as are many of the working parts, giving the strength and longevity I desire. But how has Beretta created a 12-bore…

CHARLES SMITH-JONES SAYS: “The hammerless shotgun was robust and cheaper to produce but the public did not take to it” Christopher George Bonehill was a Birmingham gunmaker, widely recognised as residing among the upper tiers of the city’s thriving gunmaking quarter in the late 19th century. Born in 1831, he established his own firm just 20 years later after serving a six-year apprenticeship to another gunmaker, possibly William Aston. His business flourished and in 1872 his premises were located at 33 Charlotte Street but shortly afterwards he moved the entire business to the Belmont Firearms Works in Belmont Row. Bonehill developed a special reputation for versatility and ingenuity, registering several patents at a time when British gunmaking was at its zenith. His company produced shotguns, rifles and combination guns in…

The issue of the phasing out of lead ammunition in the UK continues to be a hot topic and divides opinion across the shooting community. Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) continues to strike a singular path on a number of issues, including deer control in Scotland. On the subject of the phasing out of lead ammunition, it has restated its opposition to this, flying in the face of the other major representative rural and shooting organisations. The SGA was the only such organisation not to back the five-year voluntary transition away from the use of lead ammunition when it was announced in February of last year. It urged its members and supporters to submit evidence to a consultation by UK REACH (the post-Brexit UK chemicals agency) as to future restrictions on…

The political party conference season has ended with both the Conservatives and Labour reaffirming their support for the countryside. At the Conservative Party conference, held recently in Manchester, George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, praised the work carried out by BASC and said: “All of us need to look at how we make space for nature and I know that a lot of proactive work is done by BASC to protect the wildlife in our countryside.” While discussing general licences and animal sentience, Mr Eustice stressed the importance of securing a good evidence base to support policy decisions. He said: “General licences, for example, have been a difficult issue for several years. The challenge is that the emphasis has been on ambiguous assessment processes. We want to get to a position…

BASC has called upon the Welsh government to rethink its plan to ban the use of snares. The intention to ban snares is contained in a raft of proposals in the Cardiff administration’s official response to the Agriculture (Wales) White Paper. The consultation ended earlier in the year. Steve Griffiths, BASC Wales director, said his organisation had worked with the administration on developing a code of best practice for the use of snares and their importance to land management practices. He said: “The code offers a means of controlling the use of snares in Wales whilst seeking to deliver the highest animal welfare standards and minimise risk to non-target species. We are unaware of any new evidence that leaves the code out of date or requiring further legislation.” The Welsh…

Doping scandals in cycling, weightlifting, boxing and athletics appear to hit the headlines with gloomy regularity. After decades of big-name revelations – Ben Johnson, Lance Armstrong, Tyson Gay, Shane Warne, ‘unintentional doper’ Maria Sharapova – and recent high-profile debacles involving Russian state sponsorship and British Cycling’s former team doctor, we almost take it for granted that ‘other’ sports aren’t as clean as they should be. But what about shooting? We’ve certainly seen cases in the past. Russian Olympian Sergei Alifirenko, who won gold for pistol shooting in the Sydney 2000 Games, was handed a two-year ban for doping in 2008. The same year, North Korean Kim Jong-su was stripped of his silver and bronze medals, won for pistol shooting at the Beijing Games. The most recent figures from the World…

Who doesn’t want to do something to improve the health of the planet? Picking litter from a beach, planting a tree or making sure household waste goes in the proper recycling bin floats most boats. But some environmental ‘causes’ are more popular than others. We invariably pick and choose those that sit best with our lifestyles, largely ignoring the rest. Examples aren’t hard to find: youngsters demand adults save the world, yet many don’t want to walk to school. Mum drives them, which creates more of the pollution that threatens their blighted future. And all are addicted to ecodamaging smartphones and computers. Electric Others are attracted to the idea of owning an electric car, even though the carbon footprint in building and powering one is immense and pretty much negates…

“Birds will take advantage of a wobbly line and run back” year, but it just didn’t feel right. The local shoot I helped on last season didn’t survive the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic but, as they say, “every cloud has a silver lining” – another local shoot has been resurrected. I have been dogging-in and helping out the keeper and a week or so ago they held their first day. Like so many others, I have been itching to get this season under way. I did manage to get a few days’ shooting and beating in last As we lined up to blank-in a small plantation, I got chatting to a couple of my fellow beaters. They mentioned this was the first time they had ever been beating then,…

For as long as they can remember father and son duo Nigel and Stuart Smith have loved shooting. They’ve done it all, from classic grouse shoots on the wild moorlands of Scotland to smashing clays competitively for England and everything in between. So, in 2015, when the opportunity to buy their own shooting ground presented itself, the Smiths jumped at the chance. Now they are using their decades of combined experience to create a full-service shooting centre that stands among the UK’s best. “It’s only been six years, but we’ve been so busy that 2015 seems like an eternity ago,” says Stuart, the younger Smith. The Smiths and their team at Eriswell Lodge have been renovating the entire site in Brandon, Suffolk. “We are continually evolving our shooting facilities,” says…

• Once you’ve got used to a particular spotter, it’s a good idea to make a mental note of the brightness and contrast settings so that you can always return to the same values. That way you’ll be more familiar with the tonal variations of the landscape around you and thus have a much better chance of picking out your quarry. I like to set the brightness of my spotter to match that of my night vision scope so that I can quickly switch between the two without having to wait for my eyes to adjust. • A large part of quickly identifying your quarry is down to knowing how it moves. It’s therefore a good idea to spend some time just sitting and watching various animals going about their daily…

Often it’s the little details that make a real difference, and the one I’m going to talk about here is a cheap and easyish project that you may care to try yourself. While I’m not finished, I thought the initial results were promising enough to share. However you hunt, you still need to get to your chosen shooting location, and this often involves some driving off the public highway. The moment you do this, though, your lights expose you both to your potential quarry and any nearby people. While the former may just run off, the latter can cause all manner of grievances. Especially the ‘fluffy bunny brigade’ who hate shooting and the ‘concerned citizens’ who don’t know either who you are or that what you are doing is entirely…

“There are circumstances that require immediate veterinary intervention; there are no second chances” Yes. The development or placement of your puppy’s teeth must be giving her cause for concern and I would most definitely follow her advice. Massive changes are occurring in canine mouths at this age, as the 28 baby or temporary teeth are gradually being replaced by 42 adult teeth, which must last a lifetime. Normally, erupting adult teeth instigate the loss of blood supply to the roots of their baby counterparts, causing them to be reabsorbed and the crowns to fall out. Starting at around four months of age, first the incisors, then the molars and finally, at around 22 to 26 weeks, the canine teeth are replaced. It is vital that this process occurs uneventfully, so…

Teething troubles I pick up and shoot on a number of local farms and always take birds home to eat if they are offered. Now, and especially in the near future, I won’t know whether these birds have been shot with lead or steel. While I am not keen on any shot in the game I eat, it is more likely that steel will break one of my ageing teeth. As such, do you know of any commercially available and cheap metal detector that I could use to scan the birds/cuts of game so that I can be sure this does not happen? Jon Bellamy, via email Ed – The only thing I can think of, Jon, are the digital detectors used for searching for nails, pipes, wires in walls.…

CHARLES SMITH-JONES SAYS:“Its design was so successful that it was continued after the end of World War II” Occasionally, when you are browsing the used rifle racks something a little out of the ordinary shows up. This month’s Blast from the Past is no exception. Of all the mass-produced bolt-action rifles ever made, this is one of the most numerous, with an estimated 37 million manufactured over the 80 years or so that it remained in production. Despite its age, it is still in use in various parts of the world today. It was with such a rifle that sniper Vasily Zaitsev achieved fame during Battle of Stalingrad in 1942/43. He was lauded as a ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ and his exploits were recorded for history in the book…

It is still making the news and letter after letter from our readers tell me that they are flatly opposed to the transition. I have yet to hear from one person who is pro steel. I hope I do. Shortly before closing this issue I was made aware of a document published in 2013 by the Countryside Alliance called ‘The Case for Lead’. It is doing the rounds on social media and robustly defends the use of lead shot for game shooting. It would seem that since then the Countryside Alliance has done a volte-face when it comes to its views on lead shot. I am sure there is a good reason for its change of view. After all, the person who never changed their mind never changed anything. That…

To compete at a high level while taking beta blockers you’ll need to apply for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE). In the UK, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is responsible for creating an environment for confidence in clean sport, and part of its remit is the granting of TUEs. UKAD also defines at what level of competition a TUE is required, known collectively as the UKAD National TUE Pool: British Shooting World Class Programmes (Olympic and Paralympic) British Shooting National Academy Programmes (Olympic and Paralympic) British Shooting Talent Academy Programmes (Olympic and Paralympic) Athletes competing at ISSF and/or WSPS Major International Events (World Cups, World Championships and European Championships). Other organisers may also choose to adopt WADA standards in their rules, terms and conditions. For example, the rules for the CPSA Championships…

I have been a fan of pump actions all my life. There is something rugged about a pump, and that certainly applies to the Mossberg. The Mossberg 500 is an American favourite that has been in production for over 50 years – that’s more than 10 million shotguns and counting. It is a popular gun across US law enforcement, military, home defence and with the hunting community. I was keen to see how well the Mossberg would perform in my day-to-day life of wildfowling, clay shooting and pest control. The Hushpower modified version of the Mossberg is popular throughout the UK for a range of vermin shooters, but you don’t often see many standard guns in operation. I wanted to test it to see if we were underusing this gem…

I was giving a talk during a Deer Stalking Certificate (DSC1) course recently when in popped Sarah, a past candidate who had completed it successfully some months earlier. I have a special memory of Sarah as her course took place during the pandemic restrictions and was one-to-one. I have mentioned the determined focus that most women demonstrate compared with men during rifle or DSC1 courses. That has always been the case. Women seem to have the ability to focus and, more importantly, are able to apply the discipline necessary to achieve success. They also tend to ask far more questions and that, ultimately, is the way to learn. If you are not sure about the details of any topic do ask, as that is what any teacher needs to help…

We are girding our loins for the roe doe season when Lotte can continue getting experience on the real thing. She does pop off for the odd foray into the woods on deer scent and she understands the difference between fox, rabbit, badger; she just shows interest in those. But when it is scent left by deer her nose goes up and she’s off, yipping all the way. Inevitably, every deer in the parish knows what’s going on. Unlike Alfie, bless him, Lotte has very short legs and no matter how fast they go she cannot catch the deer, nor can she jump fences. The good news is that she does come back, though I can’t say immediately. She eventually gives up the chase and will saunter back – all…

The Grimsthorpe Estate in Lincolnshire is situated between Bourne and Grantham in the south of the county and boasts 16,000 acres of prime agricultural land plus properties including village houses and tenanted farms. And it’s all owned by Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby, who is the granddaughter of Nancy Astor, first female MP who died at Grimsthorpe in 1964. As well as those 16,000 acres and numerous properties, the Baroness is also patroness of Grimsthorpe Castle, which has been inthe family for 500 years. The oldest part of the castle was built in the 13th century but the magnificent frontage must be credited to renowned architect Sir John Vanbrugh. Grimsthorpe was his last masterpiece following Blenheim and Castle Howard. It was commissioned in 1715 by Robert Bertie,…

It’s fair to say I’ve worked in some unusual environments. Rabbits have taken me to all four corners of the UK and many places in between. The majority of the jobs I have undertaken have been on farmland in some form or another. I have also worked on a notable amount of conservation areas, which can range from sand dunes to historical sites. Add to this gardens, hospitals, parkland, motorways and railways. The list is wide ranging and I am grateful that I get such a variety of work, which keeps it exciting and interesting for me. Many jobs stick out for various reasons. The Inner Hebridean island of Canna will always be one for the sheer volume of rabbits. The large numbers combined with excessive damage the rabbits caused…

Sound moderators are now part of the British shooting fabric and an almost must-have item for rifle shooters. For shotgunners, however, they are still a specialised item. You have a choice of fully suppressed shotguns with in-built silencing – the original Hushpower moderated shotguns from the Saddlery and Gunroom (SG) or more recently, the Stealth which used to come from York Guns (YG). However, for those who just want to add a moderator to their existing shotgun, then the muzzle-mounted versions will be of interest. These comprise slip-on types or those that attach via the multichoke attachment. SG offers both types while the new A-Tec A12 choke-mounted system has become very popular too. SG also made a 20-bore fully suppressed double-barrelled gun but it is only available second hand at…

Sometimes I end up setting my hide on top of banks, looking down on to the crop I’m protecting. This is a shot that you’ll rarely have practised, even at a clay ground. It’s a deceptive shot because we’re not used to shooting at targets below our feet and the background of a crop rather than sky means that speed and distance are harder to judge. This is similar to the way rabbit clays seem to be going faster than they are and look further away. Technique is key to this shot, and don’t be tempted to rush. As you are looking down on the target, remember the clock face. A bird coming to your decoys from across the field 45 degrees to your right will need lead at about…

Back when I first started using thermal imagers to help my hunting, I was often told that they were far too much of a niche thing to ever catch on. How times have changed. No self-respecting nocturnal shooter would be considered properly kitted out these days if they didn’t have one. Many daylight shooters too can also benefit from them, especially if they shoot in the half-light of dawn or dusk. The basic role of a thermal spotter is to find living creatures – these may be animals that you want to shoot, or it may be ones that you don’t, such as livestock. Knowing where each is located well in advance can be a real bonus, so that you can plan your route accordingly. The devices themselves work by…

We are two months into the partridge season and the good news is there are another three to go. For those lucky enough to start their season at the beginning of September, early partridges mean warm days and just a shirt and light waistcoat but by the last knockings on 1 February we can’t seem to wear enough clothes. Many shoots with plenty of fields and hedgerows can start their season a month earlier than those shooting pheasants alone; and why wouldn’t you? You can also extend your season into February and March by shooting in Spain. There are two breeds of partridge: English or grey (Perdix perdix) and French or redlegs (Alectoris rufa). They are similar in size and shape, although the English partridge is slightly smaller and a…

Age 68 months It has been a month of highs and lows – frustrating, exciting and sad, all in just a few weeks. A few weeks ago, we had to say a very sad farewell to ‘the main man’, our 13-year-old cocker Harry. Harry was a very special dog and taught me so much. He was the original versatile cocker; not only was he a first-class picking-up and beating dog, but he was also a brilliant shooting dog. I have lost count of how many hours we wandered the countryside in pursuit of pheasants, partridges and rabbits. He was the original star of the Circle of Trust videos on my YouTube channel and had fans all over the world. He also featured on many magazine and book front covers. I…

RABBITS Weight gain What size and weight shot do you use when shooting bolting rabbits? Ed says: I tend to use No 6 shot for rabbits with either the 12-bore or .410; both will kill cleanly if placed correctly without much meat damage. Either 32g or 34g is adequate for 12-bore, and 14g in .410, which are the shotgun calibres I lean towards when shooting bolting rabbits. LEGAL Can I get this FAC condition removed? I have a condition on my FAC that says my stalking rifle can only be used on land approved by the police. Can I get that changed? I’ve been shooting for years and it seems rather pointless. David says: It is largely pointless. Land is neither intrinsically safe nor unsafe. It all depends on the…

French company Jocker has become much better known in the UK in recent years and particularly so since its products have been distributed here by Shooting Star of Suffolk. Having gained a rising profile with its budget clay pigeon cartridges, which came at a very good price at a time when cartridge costs were rising, Jocker has now become a fast-growing name in the development of eco-friendly and non-toxic cartridges. The carton The big demand at this time is for the game season, and so the Jocker Bio ISO Steel cartridge is timely. These come smartly packaged in cartons of 25 that carry a duck-flighting scene on the front. Some pheasant shoots include a pond or two and so there should be no need to swap from lead to steel…

The Perazzi High Tech S has a lot to live up to. I have a Perazzi, the MX2000S, which I am rather fond of, but I realise it is a different beast. Perazzi has form and over the decades its guns have been in the hands of shooters who have won a number of medals at the Olympics and other major championships in the world of Sporting and FITASC. The High Tech S (HTS) is one of the Brescia maker’s newer guns. It is designed and built as a Sporter. It can be bought as a standard gun or be purpose-built, to your own specifications. You can visit the Perazzi website, perazzi.it, and click on the High Tech configurator button and create your own gun. There is much choice: the…