The lowland season is upon us
What better way is there to kick off the new season than replace bits of your worn-out kit with something that will last for years to come?
If the shoot is close enough to travel to on the day, then the mad panic for equipment is delayed until Saturday morning and it is only then that I realise that I have lent my favourite gunslip to my brother who is yet to return it. I always forget cash for a keepers handshake and am regarded with deep suspicion in my breeks, cap and tie as I dive into an Esso in Milton Keynes in search of an ATM.
Madly flying down down country lanes at ten past nine, a phone buzzes with a message from our host laden with subtext but just cheerily saying “how’s progress?” At long last we arrive at a farmyard in a fog of clutch and expectant canine flatulence. Once I have dug out my gun which I have normally cleverly secreted beneath all of my luggage, and slipped on my wellies, equilibrium is restored.
While I am still saying my hellos and an old pal is fervently trying to tell me about his new choke set up and load choices, the haunting carnyx cry of the pheasant erupts from the depths of a copse to reach the ears of the assembled congregation.
Shoot captain’s chat complete, we all wander to the gun bus, tripping over the legions of dogs vying for social supremacy that swirl around our feet. As I pat myself down trying to make sure I have my ear defenders, a suspicious lump in a coat pocket turns out to be an old and mouldy, but crucially full hip flask. Daringly I take a swig enroute to my peg and with a mouth full of rust and potcheen strong enough to fuel a primus stove, I briefly fear I may lose consciousness. I make sure to quickly offer it round.
At last we are lined out, ears straining, and a moment of calm. Then a heavy wingbeat and the “Koch, Koch.” A volley of shots ring out and we are off. The significance of the beginning of the lowland shooting season extends leagues beyond the three or four dozen birds that you might hope to shoot on the day itself.
Preparation, nostalgia, tradition, the pleasure in appreciating fine craftsmanship, working your dogs and simply being outdoors, are all wonderful annotations to what is already a splendid occasion. Below are a great list of products that I have found help get the season off to a roaring start.
Croots Havana Byland Leather Shotgun Slip
£399.00
People spend an awful lot on their guns but seem a bit outraged to spend even a fraction of the same on the slips which protect their precious investment. This gunslip from Croots is magnificent. It is a symphony of the finest hides trimmed with unctuous bridle leather and quality brass buckles. The dark Havana colouring is as handsome as leather gets, and the fleece lining wicks away moisture like a Soviet canal draining the Aral sea. The slip has a hand sewn block muzzle end which protects your barrels beautifully for when a zealous spaniel gambles into your leaning gun, knocking onto a barn floor.
A robust zip that extends the full length of one side allows you to open it up for drying and easy access after a soggy day. Croots leather products are hand stitched by artisanal craftsmen and women in Yorkshire and it really shows. This slip looks like it has been made out of a spitfire pilots flight jacket and will last a lifetime.
12 Gauge Hull Imperial Traditional Steel Hydrowad Cartridges
£539 per 1000 (listed on justcartridges.com)
This is a super modern cartridge that is almost universally applicable for driven shooting. It has enough oomph for good high pheasants without pillow casing a sprightly partridge popping over a Norfolk hedgerow.
The non-toxic steel load means that as long as your barrels are able to handle it, you don’t need to worry about shooting near water. The 100% plastic-free hydrowad will melt away to nothing in the field all by itself which eases any environmental concerns even further. The hydrowad also helps keep a tight pattern and leaves no residue in your barrels, which is a great benefit for the longevity of your piece, and reduces the hassle for when gun cleaning time is called.
With mild recoil, it is more than possible to shoot plenty of these over the course of a day without waking up the next morning feeling like you’ve been mauled.
Fine Shooting Accessories Buffalo Cartridge Bag
From £625
Perusing FSA’s product pages is my equivalent of being a child in a sweet shop. They offer a dizzying array of glorious and exotic leather accessories that make me hum with desire. Their range of cartridge bags sound like something from a Farrow and Ball colour chart and ooze sumptuous quality. If so inclined you may have a cartridge bag made from ostrich leather in either cognac or oxblood or even one hewn from ethically sourced crocodile skin in burgundy or taupe.
They are all heart-wrenchingly beautiful objects that are still wonderfully ergonomic, but the buffalo cartridge bag is my favourite. The delightfully textured buffalo skin feels spectacular to the touch and appears weathered and timeless from the off. FSA include stamping your initials on the deep tobacco leather in the price for a touch of extra class, and the bag will shrug off the most inclement weather and the stickiest mud.
It looks and feels as though it might have been in the family for some decades but is robust enough that it will continue to be handed down for many more. It holds 150 shells and it is utterly glorious.
Alan Paine Combrook Tweed Shooting Breeks
£214.95
Alan Paine makes a vast array of things that I desperately want from smart merino wool jumpers to wonderful, pleated flannel trousers. No matter the format of a day’s shooting a good pair of breeks is essential.
There are currently a vast array of technical breeks with hydrophobic Teflon linings and all the rest but I still have a soft spot for straightforward top quality 100% woollen ones like the Combrooks. Wool is an incredible material and it absorbs a huge amount of water before feeling wet and even then it still keeps you warm. Wool is also harder wearing than any synthetic fabric I have yet come across and looks and feels better.
These breeks look fantastic particularly I think in the sage colour scheme. The thin lines of rusty bracken cut through the herby greens to help you disappear into a landscape and are subtle enough to go with almost any coloured shirt. The cut means there isn’t too much excess material folding around the knee, which I prefer and the cotton lining means they aren’t too scratchy.
Alan Paine Rutland Men’s Waterproof Tweed Shooting Coat
£259.95
This jacket laughs in the face of torrential rain and ignores it at drinks parties. The technical linings mean that water does not make it through the membrane but sweat and body moisture can escape. It’s got some thoughtful knitted storm cuffs which stop the wind from getting right up you and chilling you through, as well as helping keep your shirt cuffs dry.
The coats outer layer is made from a modern and durable wool blend and the elastic back panel allows you freedom of movement. Big cartridge pockets minimise time spend fossicking for ammo during an overwhelming flush and nice touches like a throat strap keep the weather out even when it is absolutely howling. A soft moleskin collar means that you don’t get that irritating scratchiness that tweed can sometimes impart on the back of your neck, and two hand warmer pockets are there to plunge your hands into between drives.
I have a number of mid-quality shooting coats where the zip gave up the ghost many years ago and I survive on poppers alone, the heavy-duty zipper on this beast will still be going as the sun enters its red giant phase and swallows the earth, so you needn’t worry. Where most top-quality coats cost £300 plus this also represents terrific value. Looks quite smart too.
William Powell The Sovereign 12 Bore
£5,500
William Powell’s Sovereign is a fabulous gun that occupies quite a nice space on a wish list. Of course, we would all like a Holland and Holland but if your surname isn’t Rockefeller then we sometimes have to adjust our horizons.
This beautifully sideplated boxlock is still by no means a steal but it sits just at the edge of reasonable fantasy and feels legitimately attainable despite looking and feeling like a best British gun.
The side-by-side Sovereign pleasingly combines traditional craftsmanship with the latest technology Although it has a genuine boxlock action, it looks rather like a much more expensive sidelock, due to its sideplates. Decorative, deep cut scroll engraving on both the sideplates and the underside of the action is matched by a stunningly figured Turkish walnut stock. The Sovereign has steel shot proofed barrels and is designed to absorb the recoil of modern high-performance cartridges. A choice of triggers, bores, barrel lengths and stock shapes, means this is a gun to suit anyone.
