A relative of mine used to carry a gun all the year round. I suppose I inherited the habit. There have been times when I have not felt properly turned out unless I had a gun under my arm. The fact is there is always something to shoot. And so long as a man does not mind the weight, it is a good plan to have a gun as a constant companion — assuming he is on his own ground or where he has the right to shoot.
At this time of year I used to carry a heavily choked gun for long shots at vermin. At the time, pigeons were not universally classed as pests. For all that, there were places where they had to be discouraged and it was never easy to approach them. Crows and other vermin too usually kept a good gunshot away.
A choke bore was certainly more justified than it is in ordinary game shooting. But another advantage was that by the constant use of a gun you kept yourself in training for the more important kind of shooting later on. For it is only by continual aiming and gun handling that you can maintain your mastery of the art.
It is all very well to think that because you can shoot with reasonable efficiency, you cannot do better. To maintain a really high average, year by year, where big figures are involved, is admittedly a tremendous undertaking. But, for all that, it is within our reach — if we train for it and keep in training. Of course, it is often a surprise to find how well we shoot after a prolonged absence from the field. But fate is sometimes kind and lets us down gently.
Easy target
Denne historien er fra April 21, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra April 21, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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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