Fieldsports Britain – Foxshooting date for Valentine’s night ❤️
Foxes have mated, there are a few vixens looking for love, and Roy wants a buddy to joint him on Valentine’s Night for a foxshooting outing. He gets David. The pair of them are squeaking in foxes in Kent, plus using the latest thermal imaging from Pulsar to help them. That’s not all. Charlie is […]
Northern Ireland backs down over FACs – Fieldsports News, 17 February 2021
www.youtube.com/watch?v=47jfrco9EHc Here are the links:No new FAC fees for Northern Ireland – BASCTinder dry Scottish uplands burn – BBCMountain hares vanish from RSPB reserve – FacebookCoca Cola caves in to antis’ pressure not to kill fox – Daily MailAnti hunters fleece Patagonia – Fieldsports NewsSix UK shooting mags merge to three – Fieldsports NewsCarrie’s new […]
1,000th member knife – Fieldsports Extra #156
▶ For Katie Hargreaves, go to KatieHargreavesArt.com ▶ Here’s Dean on knife shapes ▶ ADG Custom Knives (5% off if you are a Fieldsports Nation member) ▶ Fieldsports Channel snood ▶ Click here for the members’ area of the website (if you are logged in to the website as a member) ▶ Join the Fieldsports Nation at Fcha.nl/membership ▶ […]
Government in ‘civil war’ over rivers
youtu.be/Hn9zRl04u_U Countryside campaigners are angry that a farmer who cleared a river bank to prevent erosion and flooding to local homes has been jailed. With some DEFRA agencies including Natural England and the Environment Agency condemning tree work on river banks and others such as the Rural Payments Agency footing the bill for it, John […]
Custom knifemakers – the best of the best
The most expensive knives in the world are – disappointingly – there to look at, not to use. However, there is a new strand in British knifemaking that makes utilitarian knives which are also custommade for users to use. They are designed around what people want to do. We have made a series of films […]
Three British shooting magazines to fold
Three of the UK’s shooting magazines are to merge with other magazines. Contributors to the magazines confirm that the monthly title Sporting Rifle is to become part of the weekly Shooting Times, the monthly Shooting Gazette is to be absorbed into the monthly The Field, and the monthly Clay Shooting is to be a section […]
Duck’s foot pistol at auction
Need to show off your crowd control credentials? There’s a duck’s foot pistol for sale at Wilson55 auctions on 25 February 2021, says Bill Harriman. Lot 4A dates from around 1810 and estimate from £3,500 to £4,500.
Nikko Stirling Diamond FFP First Focal Plane rifle scope review
youtu.be/oMN9Zkgf_XYRyan Charlton of distributor Highland Outdoors has used the 4-16×44 scope he sells with half mil-dot reticle on his own rimfire. He says he has had hits out to 300 yards using a combination of dialling in holdover and using the reticle as his aim point. There are plenty of precision scopes for centrefire rifles, but […]
Patagonia confirms cash for grouse-shooting ban group Moorland Monitors
US clothing giant Patagonia confirms it is paying money to anti-hunting group Moorland Monitors. It has given Moorland Monitors a financial grant for an indisclosed amount plus two years’ access to the ‘Patagonia Action Works platform’ which will help the animal rights extremists raise money and reach a wider audience on social media. Patagonia entered […]
Fieldsports Britain – thermal deerhunter
As thermal spotters become the must-have tool for anyone managing wildlife, Roy Lupton takes the new Leica Calonox View out after fallow. He is stalking in Sussex as the guest of Paul Smith of Wealden Game. Down in Devon, Tom Davies is also using a thermal/night vision combination for a big night on the rabbits. […]
On test: Leica Calonox View
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT-2N0W_Fs4 Roy has a new toy. Mr Lupton has his hands on the new Leica thermal unit, the Calonox View, and he has an invitation to stalk fallow deer in Sussex. It’s a good chance to put the spotter through its paces, and to bring home a beast for the freezer. A herd of fallow […]
Big night rabbit shooting
www.youtube.com/watch?v=23CUMvZ8nSM A farmer has got a rabbit problem in Devon. Tom Davies is out to sort it out with his .17HMR, night vision and thermal. Tom uses a £300 CZ rimfire, Pard007 night vision on a Hawke scope, Viperflex sticks, and a Pulsar XQ50 spotter. Find Tom on Facebook and InstagramClick here for all our […]
Gamekeepers under attack – Fieldsports News, 10 February 2021
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWYAHYR6TyQ Here are the links:Alarming increase in gamekeeper abuse – BASCRare snow leopard skin sells at auction – auction lot detailsQueen pestered again about grouse shooting on royal estates – Daily TelegraphHunting ban motion stalls after councillor’s outburst – Derby TelegraphGWCT’s big bird count is back – BFBC.org.ukIrish farmers call for ban on dog walkers […]
Win a picture – Fieldsports Extra #155
▶ For Wayne’s catapults, go to Cattyshack.co.uk▶ For Katie Hargreaves, go to KatieHargreavesArt.com▶ Blaser sticks offer – and quote FEB21▶ Rob Fickling on ducks – Fieldsports News▶ Blood Origins ▶ Niall Rowantree skinning film or his own website▶ Tom Davies rabbitting set-up film ▶ For the winch, email requesting purchase, and quote FSTV01▶ For the members’ area […]
Trade Secrets: pro rabbit-shooter’s kit and rifle set-up
Professional rabbit shooter Tom Davies reckons he has the pergfect set-up for shooting rabbits at night – and it’s as cheap as he can get it. he discusses his choice of rifle, calibre, scope, thermal and night vision.
Trade Secrets: how Niall Rowantree skins deer
Niall doesn’t just skin a deer. He forensically assesses it. He uses his life long experience of managing and hunting deer to get a better understanding of what has played a part in that deers life. Plus the techniques and equipment he uses to make life as easy as possible whilst presenting the best quality […]
Aussie duck shooter fury at short season
youtu.be/7DJGQNlQFo0 The state of Victoria has announced a short season and a low bag limit for ducks. Local duck shooters are furious and say that, following the wettest summer for a decade and a record wildlife breeding season, the government is acting on ideological grounds, not on science. The law says duckshooters can take […]
Campfire popcorn – recipe
Ingredients: Popcorn kernels Oil or butter (in a tin or a pan) Metal sieve Tin foil All you are going to do is toast them over a fire until they pop, coat them in oil or butter, and either add salt, sugar, or however you like your popcorn. First, coat the kernels in oil, put […]
Best stalker’s breakfast – Hunt & Cook
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bNKXU2TjG0 Cai is out deerstalking in the early morning. He has a mission in mind: to take a fallow doe for the freezer and to cook up a magnificent stalker’s breakfast, with all the trimmings. Here’s how he gets on – and how you can do it yourself. Click here for all our films with […]
Fieldsports Britain – a fallow for the barbecue
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijo0lldY9KM A gorgeous frosty early morning in the English countryside, rifle in hand, and Cai Ap Bryn is looking for a fallow doe to shoot for a breakfast barbecue. He shows how he shoots, prepares and then cooks his animal. What a way to start the day. We also have tips for shotgunners in this […]
How to shoot high crossers, with Sam Green
It’s the bird that gets you into a big swing. Top shot Sam Green explains how to shoot high crossers, whether they are pheasants or clays. Of course it’s not just how to hit a high crosser – it’s how not to miss one, either. Then it’s all about hold point. The mistake most people […]
Natural England in muirburn muddle – Fieldsports News, 3 February 2021
Here are the links: Government thinks heather burning damages peat bogs – Government press release GWCT muirburn reaction – GWCT Mars Bar vs Muirburn film – Facebook Peak District Moorland Group burns over ice – Facebook Bumpy end to 2020/21 game season – Facebook Avian influenza touches down in Anglesey Minister wants to stop teens […]
One side’s for people, the other for hunting – guess which?
youtu.be/mz6zv7YTsFY If you want to see the difference between hunting areas and non-hunting areas in Tanzania, biologist Karen Seginak took these photos from her aeroplane as she flew into a hunting block. In every picture, the biodiverse wood and scrub is the hunting area. The slashed and burned fields are the almost wildlife-free farms. […]
Government plans airgun rule change for teenagers
the Home Office is proposing to ban 14-to-17-year-olds from using airguns unsupervised. The plan is in the Home Office’s firearms safety consultation. The proposal will see teenagers only being able to undertake pest control or target practice when in the presence of someone over the age of 21, and will have an impact on thousands of […]
The future for the sporting rifle – Fieldtester, episode 5
youtu.be/UQ1Ir0FkNTY In this month’s Fieldtester show, Tim Pilbeam leads a group of 13 stalkers who shoot 100s of deer a year, to find out how good or bad copper bullets are. The aim is to group-test copper bullets and check it’s accurate and it kills. In this month’s show, we find out about accuracy, one […]
Will a cheap riflescope work?
Just because a riflescope is expensive, does it work better? Dan Pool from Braces of Bristol says he can’t see a difference in optics over a certain price level. He says you pay more for a scope for its resale value and for its reliability and after-sales service. For more from Braces of Bristol, visit […]
Airgun pellet gel test
youtu.be/yF7oJwvzfac How good are these pellets at killing?– H&N Baracuda Green– Webley Velocipell– Webley Mosquito Express– Webley VMX PellAirgun expert Johnny Muston from R&K Stockcraft puts them through their paces on ballistic gel to find out. For more from R&K Stockcraft, visit RKStockcraft.co.uk
How night vision has changed the rules for rifle fit
Gun fit is a big issue in shotgun shooting, but people forget it’s important for rifle shooting too. Your cheek needs to be resting nicely on the comb, so your head is always in the same place in relation to the scope for the best accuracy and consistent groups. That’s a problem where rifle stocks […]
Copper bullet accuracy test
youtu.be/OM0o97qkwiE We test six copper rounds for accuracy. This is part of a project run by Tim Pilbeam where 13 deerstalkers keep diaries of how copper bullets perform for them. Stalkers include Steve Goodwin, Steve Bull, Alison Otway of OtwaysMeatandGame.co.uk, gamekeeper Rob Beeney and David Sadler set about finding out about copper ammunition. We will […]
Leica Amplus 6 riflescope – review
youtu.be/R98moTyIQKU Leica has a new entry-level riflescope. Of course, entry level to a top-end name such as Leica does not mean it is under £1,000. However, Tim Pilbeam says that for the money – £1,400 – you get all the Leica quality most of us could want. Tim tried out the 2.5-15×56, which has 6x […]
What to do with a pellet stuck in an airgun barrel?
youtu.be/qF1X_xOi_TQ Airgun expert Johnny Muston from R&K Stockcraft explains how to clear your airgun barrel – and tells a few horror stories about barrels that are past saving. For more from R&K Stockcraft, visit RKStockcraft.co.uk
Catching rabbits at a turf farm
The lovely turf at Wembley and Wimbledon comes from turf farms, and turf farms are magnets for rabbits. The South Somerset Ferreters answer the call to ferret the rabbits at a turf farm. It’s the first sporting action this turf will see – and it’s just as exciting and active as a cup final. Find […]
Winter pigeon and rook shoot – big day
Rooks and pigeons are hitting a maize crop. With the cost of feed, Paul Childerley is especially keen to shoot a few of them, so he has built a socially-distanced pigeon hide on his ground in Bedfordshire. Plus he shows how to call in the corvids. Find out more about Paul’s sponsor Shooterking clothing Click […]
Fieldsports Britain – Paul’s uncanny wildlife calls
Did you know he could make the noise of a frightened Chinese water deer, a chattering greylag goose and even a randy woodpigeon? And all of them using only his mouth? Paul Childerley is the Alistair McGowan of the animal kingdom, all of which we learn while he is in a hide on a pigeon […]
Sab thugs attack hunts again – Fieldsports News, 27 January 2021
Here are the links: Trespassing sabs incite ‘common assault’ – Facebook Time-wasting new system added to individual licence applications – Fieldsports News Scottish Gamekeepers plan #RWP21 Edinburgh protest – SGA Grey squirrels to go on the pill – Daily Mail Big cats to ‘replace’ Scottish deerstalkers Antis shun criminal sab Luke Steele to hold on […]
Gun auctions review 2021
Why buy a gun at auction? how? and what gun? If those are your questions, this is the right page for you. Our gun experts Diggory Hadoke from VintageGuns.co.uk, Bill Harriman from BASC and the BBC Antiques Roadshow, and others offer the answers. Below you will find the stories of indvidual guns that come up at […]
Game exports resume as vet untangles EU red tape
Gamedealers throughout the UK breathe a sigh of relief as a Wiltshire vet and a Hampshire gamedealer have successfully fought their way through the EU export paperwork and sent wild venison and game birds to European markets. The two stars of the gamedealing world are Rita Alves from Daltons Game Consultancy in Amesbury, Wiltshire, and […]
Claysports
What do pigeons cost farmers?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIt7B9qJnCI How much does a pigeon eat? And what are you saving a farmer when you shoot a pigeon? While in his pigeon hide, shooting in Kent, Andy Crow finds out – and turns the answer into a homeschooling maths question that any keen shooter will be keen to answer. Here’s the full quiz – […]
Wild Justice whipped in Wales – Fieldsports News, 20 January 2021
youtu.be/fO__qZ5knBE Here are the links:Wild Justice loses Wales pest control lawsuit – Fieldsports NewsScottish cops deny freedom of information request over ‘deer-in-water-gate’ – Fieldsports NewsChannel 4 airs pro-shooting documentary series – Channel 4Packham picks on prince over ‘trophy’ hunting – Daily ExpressBison rangers wanted: no experience necessary – The GuardianBASC encourages shooters to fill in […]
Lockdown walked-up recreational exercise shooting
Under lockdown rules, Ollie Williams can take his daily recreational exercise with dogs and a shotgun. He walks around the family farm on the lookout for pheasants and – what he really wants to shoot – grey squirrels. ▶ For Ollie’s sporting agency, visit CornishSportingAgency.com ▶ Click here for more films with Ollie, visit or […]
Fieldsports Britain – homeschooling with Andy Crow
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjkNK16l8Xg We’re not just pigeonshooting with Crow in this week’s show. We’re also helping everyone who is homeschooling kids who would rather be pigeonshooting. Crow comes up with questions such as: if a single pigeon eats 50g of wheat a day, how much does it costs the farmer? Crow is doing the maths while knocking […]
Shooters beat Packham in Wales
Wild Justice has lost its court case to limit pest control in Wales. In a High Court judgement, Judge Jarman QC rejected all three of the anti shooting lobby group Wild Justice’s claims that the legal process of controlling pest birds, known as the general licences, are not lawful. Page one of Judge Jarman’s judgment […]
Fieldsports Britain – five deer down
Paul has a job on his hands. David follows him out culling deer on his ground – a single day’s work that culminates in stalking four species of deer: roe, muntjac, fallow and Chinese water deer, with five animals on the ground. Meanwhile, Charlie is on a mission to find out about pheasants and what’s […]
A day in the life of a deer manager
youtu.be/-T_A5WyO1gk Shooting deer is hard work. Paul Childerley has his work cut out thinning the various deer species on his ground in Bedfordshire. Paul is also putting Sako products through their paces, shooting a Sako Powerhead Blade round in .308 and Sako S20 rifle. In the end he shoots five animals from four species: fallow, […]
Grouse go to Westminster – Fieldsports News, 13 January 2021
Here are the links:Parliament sets date for driven grouse debate – GWCTWildlife celeb caught twisting truth – again – Twitter This is incorrect. We have not said this. — National Farmers' Union (@NFUtweets) January 11, 2021 Some antique guns obsolete and illegal under new firearms rules – Fieldsports NewsSabs salivate over two-year-old Countryside Alliance doc […]
Lockdown walked-up pheasant shooting
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wrCQvp6fUs We can go walked-up shooting – it’s part of a healthy lifestyle, says the government, and it is OK in England and Scotland, even during this January 2021 lockdown. So that’s what we are doing with Tom Davies in Devon, on a shoot on the edge of Dartmoor. But what of the pheasants that […]
Swarovski updates its dS riflescope to gen II
by Charlie Jacoby The Swarovski dS scope is growing up. The technical marvel that is the gen II dS has a slimmer look, though the same 40mm tube, a choice of six reticles, and more customisable features such as the ability to switch off the wind bars. It comes with an alignment indicator, which gives you […]
Swarovski updates its CL pocket binos range
by Charlie Jacoby All the expensive optics manufacturers have the same problem: should they launch cheaper models? If they do, it opens them to the charge of going downmarket. Also, they may have to cut costs in the manufacturing process, which could bring with it a quality issue. All of the expensive optics manufacturers worry […]
Browning B525 Ultra XS Pro shotgun – review
Is there such a thing as the all-round shotgun that will do everything and still look the part, from knocking over vermin around the farm to bringing down rocketing driven pheasants or bagging the silverware at a major clay shooting championship? There’s no-one better to ask than Sam Green, a true all-rounder. A […]
