Sporting Gun

Sporting Gun is the leading monthly magazine for clay, game and rough shooters. With editorial offices in the Lincolnshire countryside, it can justifiably claim to be at the heart of the shooting community. Monthly features range from gundog training to pigeon shooting, game shooting to wildfowling – along with sound, practical, advice on equipment and techniques to help the beginner, intermediate or experienced shot get more enjoyment from their sport. Sporting Gun is a must for anyone who invests time in and money on their shooting.

SNAPSHOTS • After a disappointing session on the clays, I went for a shooting lesson with Mark Heath at West London Shooting School.

Steel equal to lead, study shows

John, 10, bags award

Hen harrier challenge dismissed

Olympic repeat for Coward-Holley

Countrywide bird flu restrictions

NEWS IN BRIEF

Ned & Ted

Wild Justice reignites burning challenge

Firearms licence condition change in Northern Ireland

The hungry years • Many people in our society are struggling to afford to feed themselves. Philip Reynolds hears how a project is trying to combat this and help the environment

Many happy returns • At least that is what Robin Scott hopes for, after a difficult time which involved a major health scare

JUSTICE AT LAST

CLOSE CALLS

Prescription for change • David Frost looks at the new regime to be imposed to enable people to renew or apply for firearms and shotgun certificates, not least compulsory medical verification

Land of opportunity • Farming is often seen as a key contributor to the problems faced by the natural world, but it is also part of the solution. We asked Andy Gray, a 13th-generation farmer, to explain

Walked-up and talked down • You cannot beat a small-scale day shooting with friends. In fact, says Nick Ridley, it is the bottom line in fieldsports, but don’t expect it to be easy

Decoy run • Tom Sykes likes to employ a bit of DIY in his arsenal for his pursuit of geese on the marshes

Spot of bother • The only pattern of behaviour that the adaptable woodie conforms to is it goes to where the food is, says Peter Theobald

Case study • A red matriarch gives Jon Snowdon the chance to teach aspiring hunters how to prep a carcass and all the legal obligations involved

Tasks in hand

ANDREA’S RECIPE

That’s your Lotte

Weasel Mustela nivalis • It may be the country’s smallest carnivore and look cute but the weasel is a ruthless predator across many habitats, says Charles Smith-Jones

WEASEL FACTS

A rich seam • Jasper Fellows discovers how Sam Steward and his family have turned a historic mining site into a modern shooting ground

SPORTING GUN’S CLAY SHOOTING CLUB DIRECTORY

Right on cue • The unwitting signals provided by wildlife ‘assistants’ help to tip the odds in Charlie’s favour, says Patrick Hook, leaving us at a disadvantage in this neverending combat

Patricks’s top tips

A sporting chance • Geoff Garrod likes to reward the people who help him on the estate with a day’s shooting, but his feathered friends had other ideas

Mind games • Is your brain sabotaging your shooting efforts? James Simon chats with sports psychologist Jess Thom to discover how we can train our thoughts for better performance

THE SCIENCE

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

‘Tis the season… • Tony Bracci takes you through what to expect and how to prepare for a day on the pheasants

Vision on • Charles Smith-Jones gives some clear advice on how to set up a rifle scope

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ZEISS

FOUR-STEP ZERO

The metal age • Where are we now on lead ammunition and its potential...