Shotgun shooting is an Art. Rifle shooting is a Science and Pistol shooting is a Skill. All are improved with practice.

The person I like to see is the one who shoots Sportingly; and safely of course. That is taking the birds within range and not shooting unless he or she has a fair chance of a clean kill with the right combination of gun and cartridge. The one who says that they can consistently kill birds with a 20 bore at 60 yards; and you do hear them, are either lying or considerably over estimating range. And the one who shoots deer out to 500 yards doesn't deserve to own a rifle.

I pick up with dogs at a number of driven shoots. That entails standing behind the line of guns by a couple of hundred yards or so and collecting the birds, starting with any runners and then moving forwards after the drive is over. I see a lot of shooters. There are the ones who work on the assumption that they have paid for the day and they are going to fire as many shots as possible. They will shoot out of range and at birds far too close that should be left. There are the ones who shouldn't really shoot at live game until they have reached a reasonable level of consistency on clays first. If those type are in the line me and the dogs have to work our socks off trying to retrieve runners that have dropped down and legged it or are still capable of short flights. Silly thing is they think that they have shot well because the bird has been bagged. No, they are lousy shots who are fortunate to have two good dogs standing behind!

There is one shoot I go to that has a woman in the line up (not being sexist it is just that this one happens to be female), the pheasant comes perfectly 30 yards up and straight as a die. A perfect shot to be taken just before the apex of flight but no, she always waits, turns round and blasts it up the bum at 50 yards with her trap gun. Never a clean kill it just shudders and drops one or both legs and comes down in a heap and then goes for cover as best it can. Dogs retrieve it even though it has glided on for ages. Everyone else tells her she is a good shot as the bird is bagged.

We all miss of course but to pick up behind a good team of Guns is a pleasure. Birds either killed clean or clean missed and all shots within the proper range perameters. On those shoots there may only be one or two runners that drop back. And what's more I and the dogs aren't worn out either. Lagopus.....