Table of contents for April 2022 in Sporting Gun

Almost every shotgun has one, but what purpose do ribs serve? These strips of metal on the top and in between our barrels are rarely considered when buying a gun.They can be tapered, ventilated, solid, adjustable, made from carbon fibre, concave and so on, but how do they help us hit the target? Why do over-and-under game guns often have solid ribs and Sporters ventilated? Tony Bracci delves into the mysteries of this unsung hero of shotgun construction and opens our eyes to how a rib can make us better shots.…

We are sad to report that Graham Brown, the owner and founder of the Purbeck Shooting School in Dorset, has died. Graham opened the school in 1995 and turned it into one of the country’s finest shooting venues. His dedication to coaching saw the ground collect numerous awards and accolades over the years. Graham was renowned for his critical coaching eye. Graham was also an accomplished competitive shot and target setter. He was often called upon to set FITASC Parcour de Chasse courses for World and European class events. Graham was described as a gentle giant by those who knew him, including Paul Quagliana, a regular contributor to Sporting Gun. Graham will be missed by many, but his legacy will live on through the shooting school that he founded.…

Come April, most of the fields due to be planted with spring crops should be drying out nicely and a lot of the lighter soils already sown. Indeed, I saw the first drills out on 28 January, admittedly after a prolonged dry spell. Because of a dry autumn in my part of the world (Essex), most, if not all of the winter drilling programme was completed in perfect conditions, meaning there is relatively little to be sown in the spring. You might ask what all this has to do with shooting pigeons, but this is the time of year when decoyers must be alert to any changes in feeding opportunities. It is easy to become complacent when pigeons have been feeding relentlessly on rape for five months, and therefore miss…

The Egyptian goose is not actually a goose, despite its name and appearance – it is a duck more closely related to our native shelduck. It is also known as the Nile goose for its association with the Nile Valley, where it was once held to be sacred by the ancient Egyptians. Non-native to the UK it occurs naturally across much of Africa, where it is the most widespread of the waterfowl wherever there is suitable habitat. The RSPB has estimated that there may be about 1,000 breeding pairs in this country, with many more overwintering. Though birds tend to be loyal to their home ranges and not truly migratory, they may disperse more widely during the winter. Ornamental The Egyptian goose is popular as an ornamental species and has…

Whether you’re aiming to add some silverware to your trophy cabinet, or just up for a thrilling day out, the British Schools and Young Shots Championship is a must-do. After a couple of false starts due to Covid, it’s now back in the shooting calendar, this time at Orston Shooting Ground in Nottinghamshire on Saturday 30 April. “There’s no other championship that offers this level of excitement, camaraderie and competition” Sponsored by BASC, and hosted in conjunction with Sporting Gun, the national championship for under-18s will see individuals, groups and school teams battle it out for prizes, glory and a shot at a promising future in the sport. The championship has gained a solid reputation as a proving ground for young talent, with many past competitors, such as Alfie Tibbles,…

This offering is a hybrid of a stew with a hint of a Moroccan tagine. It is also a good way of using up several items that have been languishing in the back of the fridge for far too long, such as a jar of green olives and some preserved lemons. These two items are not to everyone’s liking, so you can omit them if you wish; it will still taste good. I increasingly enjoy using rose harissa in cooking and have included it in bolognese sauces and chilli con carne, where it seems to work well. I decided to try it in this dish, where it proved equally enjoyable. Ingredients The breasts and thighs of one pheasant cut into chunks I sliced onion 1chopped red pepper 1 chopped yellow…

• Some farmers are religious – try to find out if this is the case beforehand and, if it is, don’t swear in front of them, and if it’s an issue, make it clear that you will never go onto their property on a Sunday. • Always call before you turn up on site unless you have a specific agreement with the landowner. Also, find out how they prefer to be contacted, such as if they prefer texts to phone calls, etc. • Be responsible while you’re there – close gates behind you, don’t scare the livestock, don’t tear the ground up and don’t leave carcasses lying around, especially if there’s any public access nearby. • If the landowner likes to know how you’ve got on, don’t forget to make the relevant…

Vet’s advice Neil McIntosh SG’s gundog health expert That’s a question! You may have opened a veritable can of worms. Dogs begin life with a sterile intestinal system, but very quickly this becomes colonised by bacteria that collectively form the ‘microbiome’; an army of microorganisms that are essential for health and life, as they protect against pathogenic bacteria and are involved in digestion, the immune system and vitamin production. The canine small intestine can contain up to 700 different strains of bacteria, while the large bowel may be colonised by up to 5,000. Although each individual has a unique microbiome, a relatively small number of common bacterial groups are generally involved. The theory is that changes in the normal microbiome can cause gastrointestinal disease. What are probiotics? “Probiotics probably work…

MacKenzie & George Wycombe belt Crafted from vintage saddle hide, the Wycombe belt comes in chestnut or black and has hand inlaid branded rivets, a hand-polished brass buckle and six adjustment holes. Simple in design yet highly effective when paired with the right outfit, the Wycombe is made in England. Price £79.00; mackenzieandgeorge.com Schoffel Uppingham 3-in-1 coat The versatile Schoffel Uppingham features three coats in one. The outer is crafted from a two-layer laminate Venturi fabric that is fully waterproof, windproof, and breathable, ideal for the British weather. The inner jacket is filled with Primaloft Black insulation, superb for chilly spring days. Comes in navy and bark. Price £379.95; schoffelcountry.com Laksen Lady Broadland shooting vest The Laksen Broadland Shooting Vest is versatile and great addition to your shooting wardrobe. The…

Model Victory V8 ASV Magnification 2.8-20x mag Objective lens 56mm Lens coating LotuTec Exit pupil 9.9mm and 2.8mm (2.8-20x mag) Twilight factor 7.9 and 33.0 (2.8-20x mag) Field of view (m/100m) 15.3m-2.1m (2.8-20x mag) Tube diameter 30mm Eye relief 92mm (3.6in) Parallax free 50m to infinity Total adjustment range at 100m height 210cm Total adjustment range at 100m windage 135cm Adjustment per click 1cm at 100m Length 350mm (13.8in) Weight 830g (29.3oz) Illumination Yes Reticle 43 Price £2,775 Contact zeiss.co.uk…

When chatting with chums at the clay shooting club, or browsing internet shooting forums, it becomes clear that the current move away from lead shot for live quarry shooting is a hotly discussed topic. Somewhat surprising, given that we are now two years down the road since nine major shooting organisations released their joint statement, is the number of comments revealing little understanding of the reasoning behind it. The joint statement called upon every individual and business involved with live quarry shooting to transition away from the use of lead shot (and single use plastics) within five years. Sporting Gun readers will know why the nine associations took the decision to call for a voluntary phasing out of lead for live quarry shooting, being members and the topic covered here…

My ‘midlife crisis’ was nearly four years ago. I decided to have a massive change in my life and dropped most of my shooting sponsors, changed my job, went self-employed and became a shooting coach. I am pleased to report it is one of the best things I have done. Before being sponsored by Zoli and winning many titles with my trusty Z Sport, I decided that I would up my game by trying different guns. And so began a long journey. I bought myself a 32in barrelled Kreighoff K80 Super Sporter. It was a big, old, heavy thing, which I shot really well. But I felt it was holding me back and thought I would shoot a flat rib better. K80 magic “This gun really did go where I…

If you think that you can’t afford a Sauer rifle, perhaps it’s time to think again. Founded in 1751, JP Sauer & Sohn is Germany’s oldest gunmaker and it has always been renowned for its high-end rifles, as well as pistols and shotguns. These have tended to come at a price, however, which reflected the company’s status and reputation. Sauer changed all that when it introduced the 100 series of rifles, a deliberate foray into the entry-level market which finally meant that the shooter on a more restricted budget could afford a gun with a rather distinguished pedigree. The 100 series includes a variety of different configurations for various disciplines. They include the Fieldshoot (for target, competition or varmint shooting) and Pantera (long-range shooting), both featuring adjustable stocks. The more…

We still receive many emails telling us that you are against the blanket ban of all lead shot for game shooting and I always like to give the signatories to the transition a right to reply. I have had some organisations say that they would prefer not to comment as they fear a response would be “antagonistic”. This saddens me as, in my experience, silence often does more to antagonise. People are becoming entrenched and this is unhelpful. We need to keep the dialogue going. We are facing a challenge that is unprecedented in British shooting and we would do better to work together. There is ingnorance on both sides of the debate and that is why Richard Atkins has written an article on the truth about steel shot. It…

RSPB Scotland had asked the Scottish Government to restrict wildfowling on the Solway Firth, home to two major reserves, RSPB Mersehead and The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s Caerlaverock Estate. The RSPB said a ban would help to limit disturbance to migratory barnacle geese populations, which have been denuded by the recent avian influenza outbreak. Scottish ministers rejected the ban, however, a decision welcomed by BASC Scotland. Its director Dr Colin Shedden said: “We welcome the decision by the Scottish Government to resist RSPB Scotland’s calls to temporarily ban shooting on the Solway. “The RSPB’s claim that shooting causes damaging disturbance has not been substantiated with evidence. It is good to see ministers and officials following the science.” RSPB Scotland has urged ministers to reconsider. A spokesman for the Scottish Government…

Thinking of going on a BASC ‘Try Sustainable Ammunition Day’ to find out if steel shot breaks clay targets? Let me save you a car journey. It does. I’ve been using the stuff on and off for years on shooting grounds that allow its use. It certainly dusts the discs. Then again, so would cement-coated popcorn if the targets were close enough. “Is temperature key to the composition of degradable wads?” It also kills birds, but in my somewhat-limited experience not as well as lead, a material that comes with several huge advantages over its rival. Chief of which is incredible versatility. It can be used in guns of all ages, chamber lengths, bore sizes and chokes. Steel can’t. By nature it is unyielding and tiringly restrictive in the field…

Lotte has come of age. In his report a colleague recorded he had despatched a kid and taken a shot on the doe. After searching the area for blood signs he found nothing and considered it a miss. I was up on the same ground in the Borders the week after and decided to take Lotte in to see if there was any sign of the deer. I went to the eastern end of the wood so that the west wind would be in our face, making the task easier for man and dog. We were confronted with fallen mature trees on top of each other, the result of damage wreaked on Northumberland by Storm Arwen a few months ago. But the little tinker can just about go anywhere, including…

Scotland is a game shooter’s paradise. Grouse drives on the moors have become a rite of passage for any serious bird bagger, while deerstalking in the Highlands has become a sport of national pride and entices hunters the world over. It may seem, then, that clay shooting takes the back seat north of the border. However, the Christie family and their tireless efforts to create a world-class shooting ground proves the exception to the rule. “We first opened our doors approximately 30 years ago,” says Emma Christie, who helps keep everything running smoothly alongside her family, when she isn’t shooting DTL for Scotland. “Back then it was just my father, Gavin, and his business partner working a few hand traps while my mother, Evelyn, provided the catering. My brother Drew…

He plays for the county, a worrying phrase offered in the changing room in reference to the 6ft 7in mountain of a teen with a five o’clock shadow from the opposition, who’s not long from placing me headfirst into the mud before leading his school to victory against my team of scrawny 13 year olds. My senior school rugby career lasted but one match and I left that institution with the impression that county teams were only for the athletes who were hoping to springboard into a top flight sports career. So when I hear of a county selection shoot happening in my rural corner of England, I think back to that oversized boy and think that it’s not for me; I’m far too average to stand a chance. Mission…

I reckon that roost shooting is the best sport. But we always have to remember why we’re out there with our gun – it’s crop protection, just not at the ‘scene of the crime’. My first trip out roost shooting this year was a good case in point. On the farm here we only had two fields of rape this year because the dreaded flea beetle did for the rest of the crop. That meant that the two remaining fields were getting a lot of attention from the pigeons, and that in turn was annoying the farmer. I had a good day’s decoying not so long ago that appeared on The Shooting Show, which you can watch on YouTube. We managed to make a bag of 58, despite gas guns…

Some questions and some answers Sporting Gun seems smaller than some other magazines. Shopfront has been taken out and put on the internet. Why? It was an interesting part of the magazine and one to read over a cup of tea. When I went on the internet there were only two adverts on there. Also, in the Q&A section some of the questions are really debatable; are they really asked by readers? As we transfer from lead to steel cartridges, what will happen to the lead cartridges that I have still got left? Will we get the money back or can we exchange them for steel? The New Gear section is very good, but the gear is pricey for the average shooter, so why not have some cheaper gear as…

STANBURY’S VENISON SCOTCH EGGS PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES COOKING TIME: 6 MINUTES PER EGG MAKES SIX Ingredients 6 eggs, at room temperature 3 egg yolks 3 tsp milk 250g fine pork sausage meat (about 2 thick sausages), squeezed from its casings 200g finely minced venison shoulder (see note) 75g plain flour ( 1/2 cup) 50g panko breadcrumbs (see note) ( 3/4 cup) For deep frying: vegetable oil Method 1 Cook eggs in a saucepan of boiling water over medium-high heat until soft-boiled (5-6 minutes). Refresh in iced water, peel, set aside. 2 Meanwhile, beat egg yolks and milk together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix sausage meat and venison in a separate bowl until well combined and season to taste. Shape one-sixth (75g) of the mixture into a…

Spring is upon us – the days are getting longer, brighter and, thankfully, a bit warmer. What a welcome boost that sunshine is for both our mood and general health; you can almost feel the vitamin D coursing through your body. The increased level of brightness also enables us to see in much greater detail, which can make target acquisition a lot easier. The downside of all this lovely light is that we’re going to have to contend with more glare, and occasionally we’ll find ourselves shooting into the sun. What better time to re-evaluate our choice of shooting glasses? Most clay shooters adopted glasses as an essential piece of kit many years ago, and they’re now mandatory at many clubs and competitions. However, they’re still far less popular in…

The most common query remains: “Can I use steel shot in my gun?” The answer, so far as typical 12-bore game guns are concerned, is straightforward. If your gun carries the steel proof tested fleur-de-lys proof mark it is suited for use with High Performance as well as Standard Steel cartridges. Note that stating ‘Standard Steel’ on the cartridge cartons is not a CIP requirement (although some makers do so) but High Performance cartridges MUST state that clearly on the packaging. So, if you have some steel shot cartridges that do not state Standard or High performance then they are Standard steel.…

CHARLES SMITH-JONES SAYS: “You would be hard-pressed to find a similar ‘off the shelf’ gun that handles so well” If you are shopping on a budget, live in trepidation of your partner finding out where the credit card statements are hidden or have an uneasy relationship with your bank manager, it’s probably best to look away now. This month’s shotgun Blast from the Past is no bargain basement offering, though it certainly represents an excellent example of a modern competition gun with the genuine potential to perform superbly in the right hands. It comes, as many good things do, from Blaser Jagdwaffen of Isny im Allgäu, Germany, which started to produce its F3 range of shotguns in 2004. The gun was immediately lauded for its low profile and innovative features.…

Objections have been raised to the Government’s planned Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. The Bill aims to make provisions for an Animal Sentience Committee, the role of which would include reporting on the adverse effects government policies have on the welfare of animals as sentient beings. However, some MPs believe such a move is flawed and have raised objections. One such is Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, vice-president of BASC and MP for The Cotswolds. Sir Geoffrey and other MPs believe an existing committee already serves this role and the new committee could be influenced by animal rights groups. The fear is that these groups would pressure the new committee to act on policies beyond its remit, including shooting and farming issues. Richard Drax, the MP for South Dorset, even went as far…

The winners of BASC’s fifth annual Ladies Star of Shooting Awards have been announced. The awards aim to highlight the best of the best female talent in the shooting industry. The Shotgun and Chelsea Bun Gun Club’s Laura Boswell claimed the Target Shooting award. Laura runs ladies’ day events at Sporting Targets on behalf of the club and has helped hundreds of women onto the stands over the past three years. Gamekeeper Zoe Roper-Smith took the Game and Gamekeeping award. She was singled out for praise by the awarding committee for her dedication to the highest standard of bird welfare on her Norfolk farm. Izzy Hoskin won the Field to Fork award. Her business, Pennant Valley Game, began as a simple game preparation service for shooters and now offers fully…

I have always had a love for older guns. One of my favourites is the Remington 1100. We have had Remi 1100s in the family since before I was born. Two of the family Remingtons were Trap models. There was also an old Magnum that was my gun of choice as a teenager before I bought my Beretta AL391. That fondness for the 1100s stuck with me, and I was amazed to see one on the gun shop shelf in great condition with an inviting price tag of just over £200; certainly too inviting to ignore. The gun in question is a 2.75in chamber field version with a 28in barrel and fixed half choke. The gun has that trademark chunky feel to it, looks beautiful and rugged combined with a…

Ingredients 6 venison sausages 3 onions peeled 1 tbsp dried sage 2 eggs Pinch of salt 4oz plain flour Enough milk to make a thin batter Sunflower oil and beef dripping 1/2 pint good beef stock Method Heat a little oil in a frying pan and gently fry the sausages until they are cooked and brown in colour. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the salt and flour and beat thoroughly. Gradually add the milk until you have a smooth thin batter. Finely chop one of the onions and add to the batter along with the sage and stir. Put a knob of dripping in each section of the pudding tin and heat in the oven until almost smoking. Cut each sausage in half,…

I have always considered hares far too noble to be shot, even in areas where populations need to be controlled. For me, it is too easy and wrong to pull the trigger on them. Such is the regard I have for hares that I believe they should only be tested by a natural predator – the hawk. Where I live hares are abundant. Large populations often mean you don’t have to look far before you bump into these powerful and nimble athletes. There is simply nothing in the wild that can touch a hare for speed, stamina and manoeuvrability. I also have a love of and fascination with goshawks. They are a challenging species by any measure and one that many in falconry say are the hardest to train and…

Lea Marston Shooting Club DISCIPLINES Sporting, Compak, Skeet, ABT and DTL. ADDITIONAL FACILITIES On-site café and bar, archery, 35m air rifle range, fishing lakes, campsite and a nine-bed Georgian guest house. MOBILITY The entire site is designed to be completely accessible. Wheelchair access is possible to all stands and facilities. WHEN IS IT OPEN? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10.30am-5.30pm Wednesday, 2.30pm-8.30pm Saturday, 10.30am-3.30pm Sunday, 9.30am-2pm PRACTICE ROUNDS The Promatic clay counting card system allows licence holders can shoot all disciplines at their own pace and pay at the end. Clays cost £0.34 each (£0.28 for members). TUITION Half-hour lessons start from £50 and include 30 clays and cartridges, which can be shared between two people. Discounts are available for members and those booking a course of three lessons or more.…

Each year a farmer friend of mine is kind enough to invite me on a driven day towards the end of the season. I look forward to it with great expectation. Due to lockdowns and work I had hardly been out with a gun for months, and was pleased with a left-and-right at a cock and a hen pheasant on the first drive. My old Browning B125, which I acquired 36 years ago, was still cutting the mustard, but as I got older I found my shooting can be erratic. I went through a patch around midday where I was missing birds that I shouldn’t have, but regained my form in the afternoon. Why was this so? It may be due to possibly sloppy gun mount, lack of practice, or…

When shooting, we keep being told to look at the target, so what’s the point of the rib? Well, no matter how hard you try, the rib will still be in your peripheral vision. How much you are aware of the rib varies for each shooter but, believe it or not, a change in the amount of rib that you see can have an effect on your shooting. “The weight of a set of barrels can have a big effect on the balance and handling of a shotgun” The rib shouldn’t be a distraction or a hindrance and there are different ways to prevent glare from the rib. Most ribs will be machined or chequered on the top surface. Some have crossed lines, some have straight. The idea is to…

For many people getting a permission is one of the hardest aspects of shooting. And even when you’ve done so it doesn’t stop there. It is only too easy to lose your access. Sometimes it happens through no fault of your own, such as when someone dies and the land in question is sold on. On other occasions, however, it’s directly attributable to the shooter’s actions. One of my cardinal rules – with the exception of a couple of farmers whom I know very well, is that I never set foot on anyone’s land without letting them know in advance that I’d like to be there. This protects me as much as them if, for example, someone leaves a gate open and all the sheep behind it get out onto…

Beaters’ or keepers’ day is the one day of the season that all of us who work tirelessly behind the scenes of the shoot look forward to. It is a ‘thank you’ for all the hours of trudging through mud and bramble. Traditionally, the day was known as beaters’ day, as it was mainly the beaters and pickers-up that would be given the opportunity to shoot. On some shoots I have been associated with it is now known as ‘keeper’s day’, as it gives the gamekeepers an opportunity to thank the people who have helped them out during the year on a particular shoot. These may be people only indirectly involved with a shoot, such as the local farmer that sows the cover crop, or even the cover crop seed…

GUNDOGS Uphill task My cocker spaniel is fine retrieving pheasants and partridges but really struggles to bring me back a rabbit cleanly. Is there anything I can do to improve things? Fran says: A good healthy rabbit is quite a retrieve for a little cocker, and they can be a bit of a challenge to get cleanly back to hand, especially if the dog has been hunting for a while and is a bit hot. A dead rabbit can hang down either side of the dog’s mouth and can cause a seal and if the dog is tired and hot, they may well put it down to readjust it. Obviously, you don’t want this to become a habit and one way of getting the dog to come back cleanly is…

I have reviewed some good value for money scopes recently, but the top-end scopes undoubtedly offer the discerning shooter the ultimate optical quality, despite their higher prices. Zeiss continues to be ahead of the game with regard to the high-quality, reliable and functional models it offers, concentrating on getting its range perfect and not offering a huge array of scopes that most people will not buy. The Zeiss V8 range is the embodiment of this. The 1.1-8x24mm, 1.8-14x50mm, 2.8-20x56mm and mighty 4.8-35x60 scopes cater for every need. The 2.8-20x56 model on test is designed for real-world hunting scenarios where you want a compact scope with universal 30mm tube size, low light capabilities, illuminated reticle, parallax adjustments and ASV or ballistic turret system for precise downrange aiming, along with Zeiss HT…

How do you choose the right colour glasses for you? Is it simply a matter of choosing a hue that complements the colour of your outfit? This is the approach some Shots take, with mixed results both in terms of accuracy and sartorial elegance. Instead, think in terms of some colours being able to help your vision in certain weather conditions, while other colours can make a target visually ‘pop’ from its background. Let’s work through a basic palette. Greys Grey lenses cut all light across the visible spectrum equally, without increasing contrast. They are fantastic to use in brightly lit conditions, especially when shooting into the sun. The browns Lenses in amber, vermilion, brown and light brown are good all-rounders. They can be used in most conditions, including variable…

Sometimes you just want a rifle to get the job done, be that for keepering, forestry or occasional stalking. Or perhaps you are someone who is not interested in the niceties that a more seasoned rifle shooter might look for. In both cases, price, reliability and accuracy are the primary concerns. Mossberg is an American firearms manufacturer that dates back to 1919 and has always had the ethos of producing guns for working people – no airs and graces, just well-built rifles. Simple is often better, especially when the price is so appealingly low that even with the addition of a moderator and scope/mounts, it is an affordable set-up. The Patriot rifle range, introduced in 2015, offers budget-priced rifles, and this Predator model costs £555. Features include a dark-earth coloured,…

One of the questions I am most frequently asked about antique guns is: “Can I use it?” As an auction house we have no control over what happens to anything we sell. And if the client has the correct credentials, nor could we refuse to sell it. However, and this is an important qualification, if anybody obtains an antique arm with the intent to use it they would do well to heed the following. Antique arms are by definition, under UK law at least, any arm with an obsolete ignition method that was manufactured before 1939. “Manufacturing processes are far better today for the raw materials” Most encountered are of 19th century origin, and while the saying ‘they don’t make things like they used to’ references the poor quality of…