The Best Four By Four

Eight Guns get to experience four superb drives on four of the finest shoots in Devon — and conservation will benefit, says Chris Warren

- Chris Warren

If someone were to offer you a very special day in Devon with seven of your friends, shooting the four best drives of four of the county’s finest shoots with accommodation, transport and a celebratory dinner all for £200, you’d think you were dreaming.

But for some years, as part of the GWCT’s High Four, such a thing has been a possibility. The formula is simple — sell a relatively small number of high-price raffle tickets with the prize for the winner being a day’s shooting for a team of Guns consisting of one drive at four different shoots.

In this case, it put on sale 250 tickets at £200 each; £200 is a lot for one raffle ticket but the winner is guaranteed a unique day of high-quality shooting for eight Guns. You’d have better odds from the bookies at the races but the prize is much bigger.

The idea for this particular event began when Chris Setter, owner of the Great Warham shoot in the Torridge Valley, north Devon, was approached by the chairman of the GWCT’s Devon committee, Christopher Bailey, to donate a single Gun on one of his days for a prize at its annual dinner and auction. “I’ll do more, Christopher,” Chris replied. “If you can get three other shoots to join in, why not have a Devon High Four?”

Christopher needed no further persuading. Not long before, he had met Jeremy Boyd, who runs two shoots in the area, Hall and Temple, at a short walk.

Jeremy knows everyone in the county’s shooting world and, if he could be got on board, the shooting side would be dealt with. “Three phone calls and it was done,” he said.

No time to lose