Glossario
Young Shots are youngsters involved in shooting and is a term that’s generally used up until they’re in their late teens. fonte: Shooting UK
Hunting euphemism for the killing of the fox. Also known as Bowled Over, Brought to Book, Punished, Dealt With. fonte: The Hunting Act
The mechanism of a gun or rifle including its loading, firing and unloading. fonte: Shooting UK
Clay or card target used for shooting competitions or practice. fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The early part of the season, from around August to the beginning of the Main season. fonte: EQUUS England
Total number of birds or animals shot in one day/session fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
the measurement which shows how streamlined a bullet is and how efficiently it flies through the air. fonte: Shooting UK
A small ball bearing used in some types of airguns. Also refers to a specific size of shot found in shotgun cartridges used for large game. fonte: Shooting UK
A call for riders to be careful of potholes, rabbit holes, etc. whilst riding – often pronounced as “war ‘ole” (‘ware hole). fonte: EQUUS England
Hounds are said to be biddable when they are at their most responsive, that is, when they have just checked. fonte: The Hunting Act
A female hound. A “hot bitch” indicates a female hound that is in season. fonte: EQUUS England
The protective coating on the metal segments of a rifle or shotgun which is blue or black. fonte: Shooting UK
A huntsman and hounds draw a blank when they fail to put up a quarry from the area they were searching. The covert can said to be blank.Failure to find quarry all day is a blank day. fonte: The Hunting Act
A hunting pack made up of local dogs including hounds, terriers, lurchers, and sheepdogs. fonte: EQUUS England
To cause the quarry to leave a place of shelter or underground refuge so that it may be chased or killed. In fox and mink hunting the quarry was often bolted by use of terriers so that it could be hunted again by hounds. fonte: The Hunting Act
When you manually-operate the bolt to load and unload a gun. Bolt actions are usually found on rifles, but they sometimes are also used on smaller shotguns for instance a .410. fonte: Shooting UK
A pair of shot quarry. For instance, a brace of pheasants is two pheasants. fonte: Shooting UK
The end of the barrel nearest the shooter where bullets, cartridges and pellets are loaded. fonte: Shooting UK
Hounds bring a deer to bay to bay when they run it to exhaustion and it turns to face them. fonte: The Hunting Act
The daily charge or donation from riders who do not usually subscribe to the hunt. fonte: EQUUS England
Metal (rifle) or plastic (shotgun) casing containing propellant charge and projectile fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The angle of the stock to the centre line of the bore, which enables the shooter’s eye to line up, with the centre line of the bore fonte: Shooting UK
When hounds search for the lost line of the quarry.The huntsman may take charge of the pack and cast the hounds towards where he/she thinks the hounds will pick up the line or the hounds may cast themselves. fonte: The Hunting Act
A cartridge with a primer placed in the centre of the cartridge. This type of cartridge is suited to high power ammunition fonte: Shooting UK
Chamber lengths in shotguns are usually 2½, 2¾ or 3 inch (65, 70 and 76mm). It is important that you know the chamber length of your gun before buying and using cartridges because if you use the wrong size there is a chance you could seriously injure yourself as well as damage your gun. fonte: Shooting UK
Chokes are fitted to gun barrels to restrict the width which has the effecting of ‘focusing’ the shot on the target fonte: Shooting UK
When a hare has stopped and hides herself by flattening her body on the ground. fonte: The Hunting Act
Disc of pitch and chalk thrown into the air as a target for shotgun competitions or practice fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Dates during which a quarry species is protected by law and may not be shot fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Set of rules by which the shooting industry regulates behaviour fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Sports carried out in the countryside, such as shooting and fishing fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Two hounds. Packs of hounds are counted in couples. A single hound is one hound, not half a couple. fonte: The Hunting Act
The area in which the quarry hides. Cover can be woodland, hedgerows, crops (specific crops such as maize, kale or mustard can attract game and these are known as cover crops) fonte: Shooting UK
The period immediately preceding fox hunting. Starts from around mid to late August until the Opening meet normally the last Saturday in October or the first Saturday in November when young hounds are trained to hunt and fox cubs are predominately hunted. Also known as Autumn hunting. fonte: The Hunting Act
To kill selectively (especially old and weak) animals, to maintain the health of the herd fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
An early way of making barrels by welding strips of metal together around a rod and forge welding them together. This created a beautiful effect, but the barrels are not very strong fonte: Shooting UK
A dummy designed to lure birds, especially woodpigeon, within shooting range. Also refers to a pond used for trapping ducks fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Person who approaches deer without being noticed in order to shoot selected animals fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The use of spades, metal bars or even adapted walking sticks to dig down into a tunnel system to find a fox. Terriers were used to locate the fox before it was killed. fonte: The Hunting Act
This is the stronger eye and is usually the eye a person would favour when looking down a telescope fonte: Shooting UK
Scent left by a hare or a mink. In drag hunting the drag is the artificial scent laid for the hounds to follow. fonte: The Hunting Act
Drag hunting, or draghunting, is a form of equestrian sport, where mounted riders hunt the trail of an artificially laid scent with hounds. fonte: Wikipedia
Form of sport in which game birds are flushed over the standing Guns fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
drop at comb, drop at toe These are measurements of how much the stock drops in certain places below the rib of the gun fonte: Shooting UK
Using an unloaded pistol or airgun to practice shooting techniques. Target shooters use it to build up muscle memory. Be warned, dry firing can damage the action on some firearms unless snap caps (see below) are used fonte: Shooting UK
These are vital to protect the shooter’s hearing when firing a shotgun or firearms fonte: Shooting UK
An underground tunnel where a fox may take refuge that can include a badger sett or drain. fonte: The Hunting Act
Someone employed by the hunt to block or ‘stop’ fox earths and badger setts in the areas to be hunted. This occurs prior to the hunt taking place, normally the night before. fonte: The Hunting Act
A mechanism that removes the cartridge from the breech of the gun after firing fonte: Shooting UK
An entered hound is one that has hunted for one season or more. During the first season the hound may be referred to an an un-entered hound. fonte: The Hunting Act
Land over which farming, forestry and shooting activities take place fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The distance between the shooter’s eye and the ocular lens (the lens nearest the eye) of the scope fonte: Shooting UK
The keeping, training and / or sport of hunting with falcons or other birds of prey. fonte: EQUUS England
When a hound thinks it owns the line but is uncertain it will not speak and instead will wave its tail (stern) or ‘feather’ and move along the assumed line. fonte: The Hunting Act
When a hound is on the line but is uncertain, it will not speak and instead will wave or ‘feather’ its tail (stern) and move along the assumed line. fonte: EQUUS England
This separates the powder in the shotgun cartridge from the shot and pushes the shot down the barrel after the powder has ignited. Made from wood fibre, it is biodegradable unlike a plastic wad fonte: Shooting UK
Ferrets are put down rabbit warrens to make the rabbits bolt outside into a waiting net. The rabbits are then shot immediately or dispatched humanely with a priest fonte: Shooting UK
A licence needed to own firearms, or airguns over 12ft.lbs power. (See advice on how to get one) fonte: Shooting UK
A small steel pin which strikes the metal primer of a cartridge to ignite the powder which then explodes pushing the bullet (rifle) or pellets (shotgun) out of the barrel fonte: Shooting UK
Sometimes called open sights, these are iron sights mounted on the rifle’s barrel fonte: Shooting UK
Movement of pigeon or wildfowl at dawn and dusk between resting and feeding areas fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Area of water into which wildfowl drop to feed and roost fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Paths in the sky routinely taken by birds to move between roosting and feeding areas fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
A nervous twitch caused by firing a firearm and is often caused by the shooter fearing the recoil of a firearm. It can ruin accuracy fonte: Shooting UK
The copper covering of a lead bullet that allows the barrel to be driven up the barrel faster than a pure lead bullet fonte: Shooting UK
Usually refers to rifles larger than .22 calibre that use centre- fire (see above) ammunition fonte: Shooting UK
Species of wild animals and birds deignated in law and hunted for sport and food fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Person who rears game birds for release into the wild and manages their habitat fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Called down the line to alert the last person to close a gate behind them. fonte: EQUUS England
When the Huntsman blows certain notes on the hunting horn to gather the hounds together or to signal the end of hunting for the day – to “blow the gather”. fonte: EQUUS England
A hunting guide, particularly in Scotland, who accompanies shooters or fishermen fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
When the hunted fox has taken refuge underground; usually a fox earth or badger sett but could include a drain, log pile or hay bale. Also Gone to Earth and Run to Ground. fonte: The Hunting Act
Used at the beginning of the day as a greeting, regardless of the time. fonte: EQUUS England
The measurement of the patter of shots on a target for rifles and pistols fonte: Shooting UK
A firearm or, when Gun is spelt with a capital G, the person using a shotgun fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The term used to fit a shotgun or rifle to an individual shooter’s body, so that the eye is aligned directly down the rib (shotgun) or scope (rifle). This produces much greater accuracy and usually minimizes the effect of recoil on the shooter fonte: Shooting UK
Specially bred and trained dog for locating, flushing and retrieving game fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
A local deer expert employed by a stag hunt to select a suitable stag for hunting. fonte: The Hunting Act
Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares by two dogs, predominantly greyhounds. The dogs are released from leads by a man called a “slipper” to chase the hare, and judges assess their skill in making the hare “turn” as it flees. fonte: The Hunting Act
Hounds are hunting heel or are hunting the heel line when they hunt the line in the opposite direction to which the quarry has run. fonte: The Hunting Act
The hunted hare is referred to as ‘her’ irrespective of whether it is male or female. fonte: The Hunting Act
Place of concealment blending into the natural environment fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The hunted fox is always referred to as ‘him’ irrespective of whether it is male or female. fonte: The Hunting Act
Fox hunting: Positioning the field/foot followers around a covert to keep the fox cubs and hounds inside during cub hunting. Hare hunting: Keeping the hounds in a tight group around the huntsman. fonte: The Hunting Act
Pronounced ‘holler’. A high-pitched yell made by a person who has seen the quarry to attract the attention of the huntsman and is often accompanied by holding a cap or arm in the air in the direction taken by the quarry. fonte: The Hunting Act
Used by the huntsman to control and communicate with the hounds - e.g. to encourage them or call them back - or to signify the end of the day. fonte: EQUUS England
Responsible for working the hounds (e.g. Huntsman, Whipper-in, etc.). fonte: EQUUS England
The pursuit and killing of a selected wild bird or animal for food, sport or management fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
If a rider stops or makes way for a Master at a gate or jump and the Master says you may go on ahead. fonte: EQUUS England
Night shooting of pests and predators using a powerful spotlamp fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Fox hunting: The start given to a bolted fox before the hounds are released onto it’s line. Hare coursing: The start given to a hare before the greyhounds are released. fonte: The Hunting Act
The ‘gunking up’ of the lands and grooves in a rifled barrel (see below) from bullets or airgun pellets. This can affect accuracy fonte: Shooting UK
The point at which the sears release the shot in a trigger mechanism. A crisp let-off means the trigger works rather like a switch and ‘creep’ refers to a more vague let-off point fonte: Shooting UK
The number of shot pellets packed into a cartridge. This is measured in grams and known as the ‘total weight’ of the shot. Recoil will be heavier with a high load fonte: Shooting UK
A radio receiving device used to track the signals from a radio transmitting device which is attached to the collar of a terrier used underground. The terrierman scans the ground above the tunnel system listening for the signal which indicated the progress and position of the terrier underground. Also Terrier finder. fonte: The Hunting Act
The time taken from the release of the sear by the trigger to the moment the primer is struck. In airguns it refers to the time taken from the release of the sear to the exiting of the pellet from the barrel fonte: Shooting UK
Refers to a hound or terrier that is so experienced it can be relied upon to do its job without further training. fonte: EQUUS England
The part of a repeating rifle that stores ammunition ready for the next shot fonte: Shooting UK
When hounds bay at the entrance of an earth or place where a fox has sought refuge. fonte: The Hunting Act
Person responsible for the running the hunt and talking to landowners, planning the route, etc. fonte: EQUUS England
A list of dates and times when hunting will take place along with the location of the meet. fonte: The Hunting Act
This does not stand for “military” but refers to milliradian, which is a unitless measurement, similar to degrees fonte: Shooting UK
A scope reticle designed around the measurement unit of a milliradian. This allows the shooter to calculate the distance of an object with known dimensions, helping range finding and accuracy fonte: Shooting UK
Used by the military and target shooters and it is an angular measurement used as a reference for sight adjustment fonte: Shooting UK
The energy with which a projectile leaves the barrel, usually measured in ft.lbs. fonte: Shooting UK
Dates during which quarry species may be taken legally, also known as the shooting season fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Shotgun in which one barrel is on top of the other fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The amount of movement on the trigger after the sear has been released fonte: Shooting UK
This occurs when the target image does not fall in the same optical plane as the reticle. This affects all scopes, but many have a parallax adjuster that focuses the scope at one range and aids accuracy. With high magnification scopes parallax error is particularly acute fonte: Shooting UK
Where the Gun stands waiting to take a shot at the quarry. Pegs are each given numbers and Guns draw at random from cards numbered accordingly. Hogging the middle peg is considered bad form and each Gun will move to a different peg at the end of a drive fonte: Shooting UK
A projectile made of lead used in an airgun, which is usually shaped like a shuttlecock. Sometimes called a slug fonte: Shooting UK
Animal that damages crops or wildlife, or represents a threat to health fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Person who retrieves dead and wounded game with the aid of gundogs fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
It is the job of gundogs and their handlers to pick up fallen game and track down wounded birds (and dispatch them humanely). fonte: Shooting UK
The removal of feathers from a bird destined for the table fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
A person who kills or takes game belonging to another person without permission fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The distance from putting up the quarry to the place at which hounds kill or lose it, measured as the crow flies. The actual distance is described ‘as the hounds ran’. fonte: The Hunting Act
The whipper-in or member of the field positioned at a strategic point on the edge of a covert to alert the huntsman if the quarry breaks. fonte: The Hunting Act
A small charge fitted in the centre of a centre fire cartridge or around the rim of a rim fire to ignite the main charge in a cartridge fonte: Shooting UK
Process of checking that that a firearm is safe which is usually done by firing a special test cartridge which exceeds the guns tolerances by 30% fonte: Shooting UK
A hound who is new to hunting that season - when weaned, young hounds will be sent off to hunt supporters to be raised, socialised and familiarised with livestock and other dogs so that they are well-behaved when hunting begins. fonte: EQUUS England
An animal is said to be put up when it is frightened by the hounds into running from them rather than remaining where it is. fonte: The Hunting Act
This is your target of your shot – which may be a clay pigeon, a game bird, a rabbit, vermin or a deer. fonte: Shooting UK
A tweed jacket. Worn during cub hunting and by visitors riding with the hunt. fonte: The Hunting Act
When a hound is reprimanded. The huntsman or whipper-in rates a hound or hounds when it/they riots or strays too far from the pack. He/she will shout in harsh tones "leave it", "get back to ‘im" or similar and can be accompanied with whip cracking. fonte: The Hunting Act
The act of breeding game birds for release into the wild fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
A safe haven for wildlife where human activity is restricted fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The process of refilling empty cartridge cases so they can be used again. This is done for economy and in the hope of increasing accuracy fonte: Shooting UK
The barrels of this type of gun are rifled – marked with grooves which cause the bullet to spin, making it go further and hit more accurately. Rifles are used for killing quarry at a distance, cleanly and humanely. Ammunition is bullets and a firearms certificate (different from a shotgun licence) is required fonte: Shooting UK
A less formal version of walked up shooting (qv) usually involving a small group of Guns opportunistically shooting whatever legal quarry presents itself. fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The small depression in the ground dug by a hare in which she lays. Also known as Scrape or Form. fonte: The Hunting Act
A shotgun where cartridges are placed into a magazine which automatically loads the cartridges into the waiting chamber fonte: Shooting UK
The lead or steel pellets contained in a shotgun cartridge; may also refer to the person using a gun fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
A shotgun has single or double barrels and fires shot contained in cartridges, which are place in the chamber of the gun fonte: Shooting UK
If you own a shotgun the law is that you need to be in possession of a valid shotgun certificate. You can however apply for the certificate before you buy a gun. Certificates are currently valid for five years and you should allow several months for a certificate to be granted. Here’s how to apply for a shotgun certificate fonte: Shooting UK
The structure that hides the ‘slipper’ from the hare as it is urged forward into the field at a hare coursing event. fonte: The Hunting Act
Shotgun in which one barrel is alongside the other fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The person who releases the two greyhounds to chase a hare at a coursing event. fonte: The Hunting Act
The feet of deer or their footprints. The slots are removed after the kill and mounted. fonte: The Hunting Act
An inert cartridge used to release the tension on the firing pin spring of a shotgun or for dry-fire a rifle fonte: Shooting UK
Hounds are said to speak or are speaking when they yelp or bark excitedly when following a scent. Also known as Giving tongue, Voice or In cry. fonte: The Hunting Act
The practice of blocking up fox earth and badger sett entrances prior to a hunt taking place, to prevent the hunted fox from going to ground. fonte: The Hunting Act
The amount which can be shot without detriment to the population as a whole fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Group of people who shoot together, sharing the costs of a day’s or season’s sport fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Pronounced Tally-O. A call made to indicate that a fox has been seen. If the huntsman is not in speaking distance a ‘holloa’ would be given instead. fonte: The Hunting Act
A call to indicate that the fox has left covert. Also Gone away. fonte: The Hunting Act
A call to indicate that the fox has returned to covert from whence it came. fonte: The Hunting Act
Call made to indicate that the fox has crossed a road, track or a clearing in covert. Also Tally-Over. fonte: The Hunting Act
A sight which is rather like a telescope and magnifies the target fonte: Shooting UK
An imaginary line running from the muzzle of a gun along the centre of the barrel. fonte: Shooting UK
The mating season for deer and runs from the end of September to November. During the rut or rutting period mature stags leave their bachelor groups to seek out hinds at traditional rutting sites where they attempt to defend groups of hinds in an attempt to prevent mating from other stags. During the rut the stags will engage in roaring contests which may escalate in parallel walking and locking of antlers. fonte: The Hunting Act
When hounds lose the line and check they lift their heads and look around for help or ‘throw up’. fonte: The Hunting Act
It is customary to tip the keeper at the end of the day, who will divide up tips amongst the beaters and pickers-up. As an old-fashioned rule, it’s £30 for the first 100 birds and then £10 for every 100 after that. However, if the Gun has had a particularly good day then generosity should prevail fonte: Shooting UK
Mechanical device to capture legal pest and predatory species. Also the device which throws clay pigeons fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Term used for hounds that are not looked after as a pack but by individuals and brought together as a pack on hunting days. fonte: The Hunting Act
Device operated by the shooter’s finger that operates the trigger system to fire the gun fonte: Shooting UK
The device that uses sears to release the firing pin of a firearm, or release the mechanism of an airgun to fire the shot fonte: Shooting UK
Head or full body of an animal or bird preserved for display by taxidermy fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
The more experienced hounds in a pack used to separate the harboured stag from the rest of the herd. fonte: The Hunting Act
The bore of a gun is the diameter of its barrel; for shotguns this normally varies between a 28 bore (the smallest) and a four bore (the largest) The most commonly used size for sporting shooting is a twelve bore. fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
packing that keeps the shot in position in the cartridge. Wad can be made from plastic, fibre or felt fonte: Shooting UK
A bullet or pellet with a flat nose used for target shooting because they produce neat holes on the target fonte: Shooting UK
Form of shooting in which the shooter flushes the quarry, usually using a dog, as he walks through cover fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms
Person who shoots ducks and geese on the foreshore fonte: BASC - Glossary of shooting terms