I took up shooting 18 months ago and have only shot Sporting. I would like to have a go at English Skeet but the lads I knock around with aren't…
Sporting Gun
Why do some people always use semi-autos?
Why do some people swear by semi-autos when pigeon shooting? What's their advantage over an over-under?
Am I breaking any law if I shoot on Christmas day to cull rabbits?
My only day time opportunity to shoot rabbits on a golf course is Christmas day (when it's shut to the public). Am I breaking any law if I shoot on…
What constitutes a trained gun dog?
I say it should have been worked in the shooting field but a friend says it's fully trained when it retrieves dummies, responds to whistle commands and follows hand signals?
My scores are down since I got fat!
I have put a lot of weight on and it's noticeable that my Sporting scores have gone into gradual decline ever since. Why is this? I feel as fit as…
Can Muntjac cast and grow antlers anytime?
Is it true that Muntjac can cast and grow antlers at any time of the year?
What seat is good for a pigeon hide?
Can you recommend a suitable seat for using in a pigeon hide? I've just had an operation for haemorrhoids - caused, the doctor says - by sitting too often on…
Are .22s dangerous at a mile’s range?
It is said that a .22 rimfire bullet is dangerous at one mile. Surely this is a bit of an exaggeration for such a tiny cartridge?
Did mini-clays get through my shot pattern?
I've never shot mini-clays before and they were fun to shoot, but I ended up missing them all - and I haven't got a clue why. Could they have been…
Can I domesticate a wild ferret?
I caught a feral ferret last Saturday and it's as wild as a hawk. Have I got any chance of domesticating it again? I've also been given a set of…
Can I kill birds cleanly at over 40 yards?
I am not very good at estimating ranges. Even though my pal laughs at me I always put a marker stick 40 yards from the hide to give me some…
Does your gun dog change retrieves?
How to solve the problem when your gun dog changes retrieves.
Where should we place our release pen?
Our farmer has said we can use one of two woods on the histo build a release pen. This is good because we think the present pen is in the…
Shooting problems
Champion shot, John Bidwell, answers a couple of your shooting questions.
My friend says deer management courses aren’t worth it?
My friend says deer management courses aren't worth it, and also is the season for shooting female deer being extended to include the month of March?
How do you tell stock doves from wood pigeons?
Is there an easy way to tell stock doves from wood pigeons in flight? Is it legal to shoot stock doves?
When do you feed your ferrets?
How often, and at what times of the day do you feed your ferrets? One of my ferrets occasionally refuses to come out of a burrow and sometimes it can…
Is one hopper for our pheasants enough?
We are trying to improve our feed stations in kale cover crops. At the moment we have strawed areas around a single hopper. Is this enough?
Are there any gun-dog books for novice trainers?
I'm picking up my first labrador puppy in a couple of weeks. Can you recommend any book that takes a complete novice like me through the basics of training?
How do I catch crows?
Can you advise me on best practice for operating both Larsen traps and multi-catch crow cages. What I should do with them when not in use?