how expensive is rough shooting?

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deansherratt

Member
Oct 12, 2014
10
0
united kingdom
Hi all, been thinking about taking up shooting as a way of gathering wild meat but always thought it would be really expensive. Is rough shooting expensive? How about wildfowling? I'd mainly be interested in taking edible vermin such as rabbit and wood pigeon. Any advice would be really welcome.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
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If you just want informal rough shooting you can get started for less than £500. But most importantly you need a landowner to grant you permission - if you are mates with a few local farmers, thats usually not a problem. If not, well, going up to someone saying "you don't know me or have any any reason to trust me, but I'd like to roam your land with a loaded firearm" is unlikely to be well received.

Wildfowling can be more accessible. Most coastal areas have wildfowling clubs that you can join.
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
1,976
928
Devon
Do you mean rough shooting? I'm not sure if there's a single definition but I would regard it as shooting game, so not pigeons.

I also wonder if there's much demand for squirrel control, I known of a few people who've had problems with squirrels and no one to deal with them.

Which takes me to another point, I know a few pest controllers that seem to be in demand and quite a few shooters who're looking for places to shoot. It's that old chestnut of once you get some experience and a good name for yourself you can often get plenty of cheap shooting. It's getting your foot on the ladder that's hard.
 

Bowlander

Full Member
Nov 28, 2011
1,353
1
Forest of Bowland
There are several county FB groups that have shooting on offer. A local one to me has all types of shooting for sale from driven pheasant to pigeon decoying.

Good luck in your search!

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Buckshot

Mod
Mod
Jan 19, 2004
6,466
349
Oxford
The short answer is as cheap as you want it - although to may have to search around for the really cheap groups
I used to be in one that cost £200 a year
I'm now in another that costs £650
Offering to beat will often get you an inroad to be able to hold a gun in the future
 

Doc

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 29, 2003
2,109
10
Perthshire
Coastal wildfowling is not expensive but there is a learning curve. If you join BASC you can get the wildfowling booklet that lists all the clubs, and membership is fairly cheap. In Scotland there is still free wildfowling without need for a permit on some Crown foreshore. Some nature reserves like Eden Estuary, Montrose basin, Tyninghame and Lindisfarne allow permit-controlled wildfowling. The permit is free at Eden, and not expensive at the others. You must have a shotgun certificate and liability insurance (automatic with BASC membership) to get the permit.

I don't pay for my rabbit shooting. You just need to cultivate relationships with landowners

My half-gun in a syndicate costs me £250 a year - that gets me 2 days on the rough shoot (pheasants, woodock, hare, pigeons) plus a few days decoying pigeons over peas, plus some deer stalking.

Hind stalking (with a rifle, obviously) on Arran is pretty cheap via BASC (about £250 for 5 days, if I recall right).

To get the shotgun certificate you would need to budget:
Application fee about £50 or so
Gun cabinet about £100
BASC membership for insurance (not mandatory but very wise) about £50 a year
Gun. I paid £50 for a boxlock side by side. You could spend slightly more on a pair of Purdey sidelocks.

As Buckshot mentioned, some shoots will give their beaters a free day of shooting late in the season in return for their work.
 

Gooner

Forager
Feb 27, 2014
170
1
Kent
I actually pay nothing for my shooting permission, I do give a bottle of drink at Christmas.
My permission allows me to set up a hide when shooting pigeon, other times I walk with dog through woods, where the chance of rabbit, Woodcock, pigeon & phesant are on the cards, I do not expect large bags but it is good to be out.
Time spent visiting local farms and asking for permission to shoot pigeons, rabbits can be obtained (eventually)
The main thing is to turn up looking smart and to be polite, also try not to turn up at unsociable hours.
I have learnt that respect for all crops is a must,no driving across fields unless permission given first.
Also do not leave empty cases all over the place when leaving.
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
1,976
928
Devon
Can someone explain "rough shooting" to a non-UK person?

I'm not sure if there's a single definition but I would regard it as something less organised, shooting walked up game. A group of people (one or more), possibly with dogs, who walk land and flush game to shoot.
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
Vermin control with a sub-12ftlbs air rifle is the way to go. Plenty of rabbits, pigeons and squirrels to be had and you need to hone your stalking skills to get near them. Get insurance before seeking permissions, CCC3.org.uk seems like good value
 

allrightscud

Tenderfoot
Feb 13, 2013
84
1
Central Belt, Scotland
I would say the minimum you’d spend is

Air rifle shooting.
Pellets £5
Second hand decent springer £100
Permission, whatever it takes I guess.

Shotgun
Shotgun £50 upwards depending on what you want.
Carts. £50 for 250 say, its more or less depending on what and where you buy but it’s a good rule of thumb.
Licence £50
Cabinet £150
Insurance, £50 more or less depending on who you go with or what organisation you join.
Permission, this can be free or thousands of pounds depending on where and who’s ground you want to shoot over. Its up to you and your contacts and what you want to shoot.


Its like all things you can do it quite well and effectively on a budget if you want or you can spent as much as you want. £100 for an air rifle and once you get permission then off you go. Permission is the hardest part. A land owner has to trust you before they will allow you to shoot over his ground. Shot gun shooting is a little different as you need to get your licence first and you usually need a permission before they give you one. The cost of a gun isn't that much depending on what your after. I learnt with a £50 single barrel hammer gun and it cleanly kills stuff as well as anything 10 times the price. Again the thing is getting permission. You’ll also need a cabinet to keep it in and insurance for liability etc.

My father has a farm so I get to shoot over that plus I have 9 acres of my own which I shoot over so it only costs me my licence few and cartridges to shoot at home. I also have a few air rifles and that’s very cheap shooting as a pellets are very cheap. I'm also a member of a pheasant syndicate and it has a rough shoot attached. For £150 on top of the syndicate fees I get 1200 acres of farm land I can rough shoot over. I try and go a walked up day which is a more formal rough shooting experience than the one at home and offers pheasant and partridge, you get 6 birds for £130 plus £20 a bird if you shoot more than your 6.

I also do a little wildfowling as a guest but not sure of the membership costs etc. Its also in season thing so you'd only get to shoot from September 1st to February 20th.

If you have no experience I would advise trying to get in with a shooter, either air rifle or shotgun, who you could help out with and learn from. As suggested above you could find a driven shoot nearby and volunteer to go beating, that way you get introduced to the shooting community and land owners in the area. Then its up to you to groom your contacts. They sometimes offer a beaters day at the end of the season as a thank you to the regular beaters.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
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Both exist and "rough" shooting can be far from rough with trained dogs and tweeds :). Driven shoots can be family fun or silver service lunch, matched Purdeys and loaders :)
 

Clouston98

Woodsman & Beekeeper
Aug 19, 2013
4,364
2
25
Cumbria
Both exist and "rough" shooting can be far from rough with trained dogs and tweeds :). Driven shoots can be family fun or silver service lunch, matched Purdeys and loaders :)

We called in Purdeys when we were in London. Nearly wet myself when I saw half the beautiful stuff, then I practically did wet myself when I saw some of the prices! Still though - bloody lovely stuff! :)
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
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They will though hand make you a gun to fit you perfectly. Sure you could be into the price of a nice house for a matched pair, but they really are lovely guns :)
 

Clouston98

Woodsman & Beekeeper
Aug 19, 2013
4,364
2
25
Cumbria
They will though hand make you a gun to fit you perfectly. Sure you could be into the price of a nice house for a matched pair, but they really are lovely guns :)

If ever my numbers come up and I've got a licence I can tell you that is where I am headed! Some of the engravings and craftsmanship were breathtakingly good. Every last thing in the shop was Gorgeous. I've seen nicely done guns (not that I'm a good judge) but those were on an entirely different level- a worthwhile visit to anyone who passes through the big smoke :).
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
There are always Churchills - a snip at £158,000 for a pair :)

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