Table of contents for July 2023 in Sporting Gun

The Scottish sharpshooter scored the top prize in the 50m 3-Position rifle event at the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 15 May. Her final score of 467 placed her above Norway’s Jeanette Duestad and Germany’s Lisa Müller, who scored 463.6 and 448.9 to finish in second and third respectively. This is Seonaid’s fifth World Cup medal, making her Britain’s most successful World Cup rifle shot of all time. Her score also beat the women’s Olympic record of 463.9 and was even above the overall Olympic record of 466. Seonaid has already secured her quota place for next year’s Olympics in Paris. GOT ANY NEWS? PLEASE TELL US ABOUT IT: Post: Sporting Gun, Fieldsports Press, Macnab House,14 Belford Rd, Edinburgh, EH4 3BL. Email: paul.austin@fieldsportspress.com…

A scheme to support the sustainable management of wild deer in the countryside and boost consumers’ confidence in the venison market has been launched. The wild venison quality assurance scheme, which will be open to applicants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will ensure a set of audited standards are met throughout the supply chain, from forests and the processing chain to supermarket shelves. Successful applicants – including venison producers and processors – will support the development of a wider, more robust marketplace for British wild venison as a sustainable and healthy food source. The UK’s deer population is believed to be at its highest level for 1,000 years, with an estimated two million deer. Such a population with no natural predator puts more pressure on woodland ground flora through…

Most shooters love a friendly debate, whether it’s over the real-world usefulness of the latest gun-making innovations, the correct cartridges to use or what length of barrel is best. Every shooter has their own, often strongly held, beliefs. It’s part of what makes our sport so interesting and diverse. But while we argue over the latest evolutions of clay breaking technology until the cows come home, there’s one key factor that is all too often overlooked by shooters wanting to boost their scores: nutrition. From golf to canoeing, most other sports seem miles ahead in this aspect, with athletes constructing meal plans and delicately assessing their balance of micro and macro-nutrients. Yet almost every shooting ground in Great Britain only offers ‘traditional shooting ground fare’ in their clubhouse cafés –…

The end of the shooting season is when I start to turn my attention to decoying. Things were looking good until I got my nets out and went and sat in a hide. It’s been a very odd spring so far and the cold weather hasn’t helped with the decoying and we are into May, coming to the end of classic spring shooting. It’s been frustrating and difficult. On the positive side, I have seen a swallow and the cherry blossom is out despite the cold. I always look forward to shooting over spring drilling; it’s my favourite time of year for decoying. This year has been a struggle though. I just don’t seem to be able to get the birds to decoy and there have been very few opportunities…

Vet’s advice Neil McIntosh SG’s gundog health expert Providing chews for dogs can relieve boredom (and satisfy their basic desire for wanton destruction), but they must be selected carefully and used judiciously. Poor choice of material can result in tooth fractures, tooth attrition and choking. I see all three regularly, with the latter occasionally proving fatal. The basics Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not possess ‘crushing teeth’. The front teeth, the canines and the incisors, are mainly used for catching prey, offensive and defensive behaviour and fine nibbling, which would include scraping meat from bones and grooming. The teeth at the back of the mouth, the carnassials, have sharp, pointed cusps, which allow them to cut their prey into strips with a scissor action prior to swallowing. The problem…

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 and former gunsmith at Purdey. RICHARD ATKINS TECHNICAL Expert on the technical aspects of ballistics and shotgun performance. GUNDOGS Choose…

In the last edition, I talked about game hygiene regulations and mentioned the various lymph glands that the hunter is legally required to inspect in case of disease. All of the glands we check are inspected because any disease or infection will show up in the gland’s appearance, which may prevent the carcass from entering the public food chain. A healthy gland is firm to the touch. An infected gland will be swollen, discoloured or feel a bit like soft cheese, which is a sign of pus. It may be gritty to the touch. These are signs of infection. Most of them are easy to find, especially if they are abnormal, but knowing where they are helps. Probably the glands that are slightly more difficult to expose for inspection are…

SNAPSHOTS I must admit, I’ve been slightly dreading writing this piece. It’s always a challenging balance between the excitement of starting a new role and the regret of losing someone who has painstakingly crafted the shoes you’ll be stepping into. I’ve known Matt Clark professionally for many years. Before joining Fieldsports Press, the new publishers of Sporting Gun, I was a regular freelance contributor. And it was Matt who sent the fateful email that inspired me to apply for my initial role as editor of Rifle Shooter magazine. Several members of the team have moved on, while others have chosen to remain. However, our goal now is to build upon their legacy and create the best shooting publication in the market. By blending the finest aspects of Sporting Gun and…

The use of snares will become illegal in Wales this year following royal assent. A ban on all snares in the country, including the most modern designs known as humane cable restraints (HCRs), has been approved by the Welsh government, which ignored concerns voiced by the hunting and shooting community. Samuel Kurtz MS, chair of the cross-party group for shooting and conservation, placed amendments at stage three of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill – in essence to licence the modern HCRs for the sole purpose of species restoration and conservation of targeted species – but these were voted against. Critics of the move say that the future of Wales’ most threatened species has been put at significant risk and, as a result, predators will not be able to be controlled adequately.…

English Open All Round Championships Tony Coulstock’s score of 98 ex100 saw him claim the High Gun title at the CPSA’s All Round Championships at Nottingham and District Gun Club on 17 April. He was followed closely by Richard King and Joakim Smith, who drew on a score of 95, with Richard taking the runner-up spot by default. Meanwhile, Lucy Earl’s score of 93 saw her top the ladies’ and juniors’ leaderboards, and Graham Elkington’s 92 saw him crowned Veteran High Gun. British Shooting launches 50m series British Shooting has now announced details of its highly anticipated 50m series. The series will include three rounds, each with 3-Position and Prone competitions, and will be shot exclusively at the National Indoor Shooting Centre, Wolverhampton. The series is fully open to all…

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) has said that it understands Sweden will resist any ban on lead ammunition imposed by the EU. A ban on using lead shot over wetlands has already gone through following a ruling in February. However, Sweden intends to veto any proposal to go further and ban all lead ammunition use, saying current measures are already restrictive enough. The country’s rural affairs minister has cited arguments from hunters regarding shot safety and animal welfare, with lead alternatives failing to kill animals cleanly in comparison to lead. They also believe ricochet from some non-lead ballistics could endanger public safety. These arguments have been highlighted by the SGA when responding to the UK proposals. It has called for UK-based science and a proper impact assessment before any moves…

RECIPE Ingredients ● 2 cups oats ● 1 cup vanilla whey or plant protein ● 4 tbsp dried fruit ● 2 tbsp mixed nuts, chopped ● 1/2 cup semi-skimmed milk (or milk of choice) ● 3 tbsp honey ● 2 tbsp peanut butter ● 100g 70% dark chocolate Method 1 In a large bowl, mix the oats, whey, dried fruit and nuts together. 2 Add the milk, honey and peanut butter. Thoroughly mix. 3 Line a small tray with baking paper and spread the mixture evenly, pressing down firmly to flatten. 4 Melt the chocolate in the microwave, before spreading on top of the flattened mixture. 5 Place in the fridge to set for 2 to 3 hours or overnight to set before cutting into 8 bars.…

We were halfway through the year and although all seemed to be going well, there were a few areas of concern about things that were out of our control. Things that with some experience wouldn’t be a worry, but being the first year of the shoot caused some sleepless nights. The covercrops that we had put in had grown well but we found out that a long-standing favour of a local contractor spraying over with a pre-emergence spray meant that all the canary grass we had put in had been killed off. The canary grass was sown with a primary crop for the first year – we used sorghum – and had time to grow and establish itself. The whole crop was topped and the idea is the canary grass…

One of the most important commands you can teach your gundog is the stop whistle, and yet it is probably the one command that handlers find the most challenging to get right. In previous articles I have looked at how to teach your dog the basic stop whistle command, which initially begins as a sit (normally directly in front of you) and then the distance between the handler and dog can gradually increase as the lesson is learned. Most dogs will learn quite quickly and respond well when the exercise is done under controlled conditions, such as the dog walking next to the handler – you pip the whistle the dog stops/sits. The challenge comes when the dog is in full-flow hunting or retrieving mode. There are two trains of…

Training Age 87 months As you get older, time definitely passes more quickly. It’s not only the days, weeks and months that seem to fly by but also the years. With everything that has been going on with Ted’s health recently, I missed his seventh birthday, but I am just very grateful that he is still here with us after all he has been through. I can’t believe that I have been sharing our adventures for seven years. He is still having blood tests every two weeks, and his calcium levels were holding steady at the lower end of normal, but unfortunately they have dropped again recently and so his vitamin D medication has once again been increased. I was hoping that by now things would have settled and stabilised,…

Last month we looked at deciding what the best rifle calibre will be for you, an essential decision as you can go no further towards obtaining a firearms certificate (FAC) without being able to say what you want. Unlike a shotgun certificate, which allows you to purchase any Section 2 firearm (see information box) when you produce it in the gunshop, you must specify the type and calibre of stalking rifle when you apply for the FAC and can only purchase what is stipulated. Once you have made up your mind, there is no going back without a variation application. Applying for a FAC is a straightforward procedure, so there is no need to be concerned. You need to satisfy the police licensing authority that you are a fit person…

Bisley Active ear defenders These lightweight electronic ear defenders feature advanced noise reduction technology that adjusts to the environment in real time. They also come with a variety of ear tips and independent volume controls, ensuring comfort and ultimate protection in the field. Price: £79.99 • bisley-uk.com Eley Hawk polo shirt Crafted using Coolplus performance permanent wicking fabric to keep the wearer cool and dry, the polo features a locker patch, a flat-knit collar with tapered neck and side vents for form and function. Available in men’s and women’s versions. Price: £35 eleyhawkltd.com Bisley shooting vest Crafted with durable cotton and featuring a mesh back, a variety of pockets and adjustable straps for the perfect fit, this shooting vest is a comfortable and practical garment, with space for all of…

Eye-dominance aids I’ve been participating in shooting activities for approximately two decades. As a weekend clay pigeon enthusiast, an aficionado of decoying and occasional participant in driven shooting, I’m not interested in competition. Yet, I am always eager to hone my skills and ensure that every day I spend with my gun is a day I shoot to the best of my abilities. Over the past four months, however, my clay scores have taken a nosedive. This unfortunate downturn in my performance coincided with a blurring of my left eye and a slight astigmatism, identified by my optician. This was particularly concerning news given that I shoot from my left shoulder, being left-handed and left-eye dominant. I hypothesised that my eye-dominance may have shifted. To combat this, I attempted squinting…

The Government may review its decision to require all shoots releasing on Special Protected Areas, plus a 500m buffer zone, in England to obtain individual licences. Previously, releasing in these areas had been conducted under a general licence (GL43), which expired at the end of May. Defra had caused consternation in the shooting community by announcing recently that it intended to fall in line with the EU on such releases. The decision came as shoot preparations for next season are well advanced, with payments and deposits for gamebirds, feed and shoot days already made, and drilling of covercrops and hours of conservation work already in progress. There was no consultation, just notice of implementation. BASC has lobbied for releasing in these areas to continue to be done under general licence.…

The RSPB has repeated a call for a countrywide moratorium on the release of all gamebirds. It has asked Defra to implement the request as a precautionary measure against the spread of avian influenza, in particular the H5N1 strain that has hit this country and western France so badly, with the knock-on effects on shooting in the UK. The RSPB’s call came in a blog from Claire Smith, the charity’s senior policy officer, who said a moratorium on the release of gamebirds would “limit the spread of avian influenza in wild birds and reduce the risk of viral reassortment leading to new strains of the disease.”…

June 8-11 English Open DTL Weekend and Dougal Memorial Shoot, Bywell Shooting Ground, Northumberland June 14 Shotgun Safety Officer, DBC Leisure, St Briavels, Gloucestershire June 16-18 Royal Three Counties Show, Three Counties Showground, Worcestershire June 17-18 English Open Olympic Trap Championship, East Yorkshire Clay Shooting Ground June 24-25 English Open ABT Championship, National Clay Shooting Centre, Bisley, Surrey June 30- July 2 GWCT Scottish Game Fair, Scone Palace, Perth July 3-8 World English Sporting & Sportrap Championship, EJ Churchill’s West Wycombe Shooting Ground July 1-2 Cotswold Show, Cirencester Park, Gloucestershire July 5 Intro to Wood Pigeon course, Eriswell Lodge, Suffolk July 28-30 The Game Fair, Ragley Hall, Warks…

Newton’s famous theory, “What goes up must come down,” rings especially true when applied to projectiles from a gun. Whether it’s an air rifle, shotgun, small-bore or full-bore rifle, the fact remains that our pellets or bullets will eventually succumb to gravity’s pull. If you’re the owner of a grand estate or hundreds of acres of land, then falling shot probably isn’t a problem. However, it can become a contentious issue if you’re shooting close to residential boundaries. I recall an article discussing the range of shotgun pellets. It’s been around 40 years since I read it, but according to my memory, the esteemed Gough Thomas claimed that pellets from a 12-bore shotgun (almost certainly lead) could travel up to 220 yards or approximately 201 metres at optimal barrel elevation.…

We have lived in our crofter’s cottage for just over a year and have loved every minute of it. Soon after moving, we started operation ‘hearts and minds’ to help secure our position in the community. We have been keen to attend local events, such as ceilidhs, made time to chat to the local crofters and helped out when needed. It has been a great way to get a foot in the door of the community. It has been a long and steady process, but it has started to build nicely. We have made new friends and gained shooting permissions through the local crofters, who work the small patchworks of croft land. As with a lot of tight-knit rural communities, it has proved fruitful to play the slow game when…

Now let me say right from the very beginning that I neither condone nor condemn the use of electronic training collars (e-collars) being used to train gundogs. However, that said, I have found the whole debate about their use most interesting. I can remember many years ago attending a gundog training course and one handler had an Irish setter that took very little notice of any command, but especially the stop whistle, and would disappear into the next county at the first opportunity. After the first day and many miles covered by both the dog and handler, it was noticed that the owner had put an e-collar on it, and it was quickly pointed out to him that if he wanted to remain on the course, he would not be…

In a market saturated with high-priced competitors, Leica is a brand name synonymous with high-quality cameras and camera lenses. Their telescopes and binoculars are held in equally high regard, but for some reason, their riflescopes don’t seem to feature on many people’s radars. I must confess that I too am guilty of this oversight. Whenever I dream about my ‘forever’ riflescope, I find myself looking at products from Swarovski, Zeiss and others, forgetting about Leica. However, an email from a gunshop in Tain, Scotland, R Macleod & Son, set me right on this. The email brought to my attention an offer that I could scarcely believe – a riflescope from Leica for only £1,000. Though I hadn’t encountered Leica riflescopes before, I had always associated them with the premium market.…

Schöffel Ladies St Ives polo shirt A useful addition to your wardrobe through the warmer months, the St Ives polo shirt from Schöffel may be simple in design but it is well made, comfortable and easily styled. Featuring Schöffel’s usual high attention to detail, there are branded buttons, ptarmigan logo, contrast piping and suede trimmed side vents. When it comes to summer staples there may be cheaper alternatives, but the quality composition of this shirt will ensure it holds its flattering slim shape and keeps you cool and looking stylish season after season. The colour shown is pale lemon but there is a selection available, and it is machine washable. Price: £54.95 • schoffelcountry.com Joules Shirley long denim shorts These denim shorts from Joules have a relaxed, stylish feel that…

Having been in the shooting industry for almost 10 years now, it is exciting and heartening to see the increase in female shooters and the general acceptance that it is a sport for all. There is no doubt that the rise in women donning their tweeds and taking to the peg has provided retailers a whole new market of potential customers and this does leave me wondering whether some products, such as ladies’ guns, are necessary or not. I dabbled in clay shooting at the tender age of 11 but it wasn’t until my late teenage years that I started shooting regularly, with my first gun a tired, second-hand yet functional 20-bore Beretta Silver Pigeon. This did the job for a few months until I decided that I wanted something…