Giving the very high birds your best shot
Shooting Times & Country|October 14, 2020
Barrel length has changed over the years, and preferences differ but is longer always better for reaching tall birds, asks Simon Reinhold
Simon Reinhold
Giving the very high birds your best shot

High bird shooting is a specialist subject. Some devote themselves to nothing else, but is there an optimum barrel length for it?

It might surprise you to learn that the fashion for long barrels is nothing new. Take a look at any of the fowling 4- and 8-bore shotguns from the later part of the 19th century and you will rarely find one with short barrels. To cut through the babble of modern field sports marketing, though, we need to determine what we mean by both high birds and by long barrels.

High birds is a relative term. What is high for me may not be high for you. It must be assessed on individual ability and, for that, you must be honest with yourself. When my sons, who are starting out on their shooting careers, begin to leave birds that they think are out of range I know they will have passed an important milestone in their shooting career.

That ceiling moves as we progress and our ability with a shotgun and our understanding of our equipment and its capabilities improves, but there are limits beyond which our behaviour becomes unacceptable. It is for each person to judge for themselves.

One Norfolk shoot stalwart of my acquaintance summarises the difference between 32in and 28in barrel lengths with the comment “well, you’re four inches closer to the bud bor”. He is the same man who sidled up to one Gun, who was shouting oaths at his apparently deaf dog, with a grin and the levelling comment: “Wos uts real name?”

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRYView all
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

United we stand

Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 mins  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

They're not always as easy as they seem

While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 mins  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition

In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make

time-read
4 mins  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

A step too far?

Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work

time-read
6 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

Two bucks before breakfast

A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem

time-read
6 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 mins  |
August 02, 2023