In the days before social media, a frequently asked question in the gun shop I managed was: “What’s the best cartridge?” The truth is that one of the most hotly debated issues in shooting has a very simple answer: the one in which you have full confidence. Confidence can only come from experience. And your own experimentation matters more than mine.
Recently on Facebook, an interesting thread appeared in one of the woodpigeon shooting groups. Some of the most highly experienced pigeon Shots I know of were discussing their preferred steel shot loads and their opinions blew holes in some of the received wisdom that we have in the public domain. There was no mention of bismuth nor any of the derivatives of tungsten for the simple reason that these pest controllers — some professional, some semi-professional — are firing tens of thousands of cartridges at pigeons each year. Anything other than steel would be prohibitively expensive.
The general consensus is that you should move up two shot sizes from your traditional lead load when switching to steel shot. But it is possible to use smaller loads than we usually assume if you get the correct combination of choke and skill. The risk of damage to a barrel is on a sliding scale with the two variables of choke and shot size. The more open the choke and smaller the shot, the less risk of bulging your barrel.
Of course, the opposite is also true, but again this risk decreases with higher-quality steel and the level of proofing of your barrel.
ãã®èšäºã¯ Shooting Times & Country ã® June 02, 2021 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Shooting Times & Country ã® June 02, 2021 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
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
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
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
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
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
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
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
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside