Many thought that by leaving the European Union the UK would be freed from the shackles of mega-state bureaucracy and win back the ability to set its own laws. In…
Robin Scott
Shooting was a sport for the rich once. Will that happen again?
’There was a time when shooting was a sport for the rich, or landowners. Or both. Perish the thought, but is it possible – in the short-term, at least –…
How to find affordable rough shooting
Robin Scott investigates how to find affordable roughshooting and what it costs
Biodegradable shotgun cartridges – questions still loom
The move towards biodegradable shotgun cartridges, and wads and steel shot gets closer and closer by the day, but there are still some questions that need answering on the ramifications…
Why the lead shot deadline should be extended
One lesson most of us learn pretty early in life is to not make promises we can’t keep. Doing so risks credibility and trustworthiness. Failing to deliver on a personal…
Best shooting weekend getaways in England and Wales
Sporting hotels: Looking for a good sporting hotel? Here is a list of the best.
Is the river otter a victim of its own success?
One of the biggest wildlife success stories of the past 30 years has to be the reintroduction of the river otter to the UK. When river quality started to improve…
Shotgun choke – here’s what you need to know about it
Shotgun choke does as it sounds. Chokes. That is, it constricts or narrows the barrels of a shotgun. This has the effect of reducing the pattern so that the density…
Clay pigeon shooting in Yorkshire – where should you go?
We’ve listed some of the best clay pigeon shooting in Yorkshire available. Two of the clay grounds featured here have a cast iron reputation for showing the highest driven clays…
Why has Natural England introduced new controls for corvids?
Things had calmed down after Natural England helped stoke anger over the general licences two years ago, but it has heaped coal back on the fire. Back then it was…
How to deal with Guns who are after bag quantity, not quality
Be discreet, says Steve Nutall of Border Fieldsports Why are some Guns still after shooting big bags? I’m not just talking driven pheasants and partridge, here. Even some so-called wildfowlers…
Finding the one – your perfect gun
Buying and selling guns is part and parcel of the enjoyment of shooting. It’s all about finding “the one”. All I can say is count yourself lucky if the first…
Has commercial driven game shooting reached a watershed?
We all know the price paid by game dealers for shot birds has been historically low for many seasons, and maybe it always has been. Back in Victorian times the…
A deerstalker was doing something completely legal. So why were the police called?
There will be exceptions, but most countryside and wildlife police officers that I’ve come across have gained the trust of many shooters. The best appreciate that the support of the…
Prejudice against rural people?
Cricketing hero and champion charity fundraiser Sir Ian Botham has broad enough shoulders to shrug off the kind of brick bats bowled at him during a recent BBC Radio 5…
Should our police be armed?
When you’re up against today’s breed of religious nutter, who’d want a job as a tactical cop in a firearms response team? Slotting an escaped bullock or a gun-wielding loner in…
Your cartridges are going to cost you more
Thinking of buying new cartridges to replenish your dwindling stock? If so, perhaps you should do it sooner rather than later as cartridge cost is set to go up. The…
Shooters contribute £2.5 billion to the economy annually. So why aren’t they applauded?
Shooting’s massive contribution to the British economy has already been well stated. But it never hurts to keep repeating. Without the £2.5 billion shelled out by shooters each year, many countryside communities would be in financial…
Keepers test the new Subaru Forester on the shoot
In partnership with Subaru A couple of weeks ago Subaru got in touch to ask if I would like to take the wheel of their new flagship Special Edition Forester in…
Are Labradors born to be greedy?
Scientific research is a marvellous thing. I mean, who would’ve thought butter is not bad for us after all and two good gluts of red wine a day keeps the heart healthy and the arteries open. Amazing.…