Essential for gun learners
Essential for gun learners
ESSENTIAL reading may be a much over-used phrase, but as far as Graham Downings new book* is concerned I make no apologies for applying it.
Newcomers to shooting, both young and old, will find plenty of interest in its 160 pages. All aspects of the sport are explained in a clear and simple manner, stripping away its mystique.
Game shooting, rough shooting, pigeon shooting and wildfowling are introduced in detail. Readers are fully informed of which guns, cartridges, equipment and clothing should be employed to make the most of their first day.
The text is clearly written, and is complemented by excellent pictures, many in colour. Some are used very effectively to drive certain points home, as in the excellent chapter on gun safety.
Other aspects covered include shooting and the law, the history of the sport, choosing and training a gundog and the role of the gamekeeper, beaters and others who make up the support team in the field. The book closes with a look at how shooting fits into todays countryside, including its role in conservation. RH
*Shooting for Beginners by Graham Downing. Swan Hill Press. (£16.95).