Shooting advice, country and field sports Q&A | Sporting Gun

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Shooting Answers

Are we breaking the law?

My friend without a certificate leaves his shotgun in my cabinet. In winter he uses it to go game shooting. I'm not happy about this but he says it's okay because he's shooting in the presence of the landowner. Is this right? Read more

How hard should I blow my gun dog whistle?

When it comes to the stop whistle, for both labs and spaniels, how hard do you blow the call? Some folk say you should just 'breathe' on it while other trainers tell me just the opposite. Read more

How do we get pheasants to fly towards the guns?

We have one woodland drive on our farm shoot where it's difficult to get pheasants to fly forward towards the guns. Can we rectify the problem? We are driving the wood towards the release wood and that last season we did not encounter this difficulty. Read more

How do I become a shooting instructor?

I am leaving college next year and would like to become a full time shooting instructor. How do I go about finding a job? Read more

Will heavier shot reduce the number of pricked birds?

I'm not a bad shot but it surprises me just how many dead pigeons I pick up under surrounding trees after a day's shooting. Is this normal? Should I switch to a heavier shot or use slightly tighter chokes? Read more

What's the minimum number of ferrets for a day's shooting?

Two friends and I plan to shoot rabbits over ferrets this year. What's the minimum number of ferrets we need for a day's shooting? We will be going no more than once a week. Read more

Do I need to use different whistles for different gun dogs?

I am training a 10 month-old gun dog at the moment and plan to add a springer of similar age to my kennels very soon. Do I need to use two very different whistles for these dogs? If so, what do you recommend? Read more

What colour should I paint my decoys?

Does the colour of artificial decoys affect how well birds come to the pattern over oilseed rape? I use a rotary machine but I feel like 'normal' decoys blend in too well with foliage. Read more

Why does our shooting lease stipulate fibre wad cartridges?

Why does our shooting lease stipulate fibre wad cartridges when plastic wads are generally cheaper and ballistically superior? Read more

If I miss one clay, why do I then miss the next two?

Whenever I drop a bird at Sporting I can all but guarantee I will miss my next two or three out. Why is this? What can I do to stop it happening? Read more