THE
S HOOTING F IELD VOLUME 15
LONDON
CONTENTS
THE
S HOOTING F IELD VOLUME 15
It is a pleasure to present volume 15 of our company magazine ‘The Shooting Field.’ Luckily my role at Holland & Holland includes a lot of travel to events and promotions world-wide, and I know from the enquiries and comments I receive that this is a publication which many of our friends and clients look forward to receiving. On a general note it is good to report that recreational shooting in all of its forms continues to grow in popularity, appealing as it does to all sections of society. As with all sports and pastimes it is important that young people are encouraged to participate. Our young shots programme, held at our shooting grounds, is designed specifically with this in mind, covering all aspects of safety, etiquette and technique in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. It is a great introduction, not only to shooting, but to the way of life which it surrounds. Wildlife and habitat conservation is another area where responsible hunting makes a tremendous contribution, both locally and in some cases globally. Much research is funded and supported by hunting organisations, as a consequence many areas which may otherwise be barren are rich with wildlife. New developments at Holland & Holland include the imminent opening of our new showroom in Moscow; construction has finished and we look forward to welcoming clients from across Eastern Europe there shortly. The company continues, as ever, with an extensive programme of events, some of which you will see featured in the pages within. Our clothing and accessories range continues to evolve, and we expect to add more items to the current collection within the next twelve months. On a final note, I wish you all a ‘good season’ and trust that, wherever your shooting or hunting travels may take you, it will include a visit to one of our international showrooms, London, New York, Paris, or Moscow.
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
NEWS FROM HOLLAND & HOLLAND –––––––––––––––––––––––––– 4 Views from around the world at Holland & Holland
PARADOX ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 7 We look at the history and review the latest addition to the Holland & Holland collection
GETTING PERSONAL –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10 Meet the people behind the scenes at the Holland & Holland factory
SHOOTING GROUNDS –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 13 Change is in the air at the Shooting Grounds
SPORT & TRAVEL ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 15 A selection of the world’s finest shooting
PEOPLE & PLACES –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 18 From Atlanta to Dubai, Moscow to Germany, it’s been a busy year for Holland & Holland
GUNS FOR SALE –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 22 New and second hand guns and rifles from London, Paris and New York
ACCESSORIES –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 24 A selection of shooting accessories and gifts from Holland & Holland
7
13 C O N TA C T D E TA I L S
LONDON GUNROOM 31 & 33 Bruton Street London W1J 6HH +44 (0)20 7499 4411 gunroomuk@hollandandholland.com
NEW YORK GUNROOM 10 East 40th Street, Suite 1910 New York 10016 +1 212 752 7755 gunroomny@hollandandholland.com
PARIS GUNROOM Please contact Paris on +33 (0)1 45 02 22 02 gunroomfr@hollandandholland.com
SHOOTING GROUNDS Ducks Hill Road, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2ST +44 (0)1923 825 349 shooting.grounds@hollandandholland.com
Website: www.hollandandholland.com
Daryl Greatrex Managing Director
The Shooting Field is published for Holland & Holland Limited by Paragraph Publishing Ltd, St Faiths House, Mountergate, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1PY. Tel: +44 (0) 1603 633 808. Volume 15 published July 2007. Copyright Holland & Holland Limited. Registered office 33 Bruton Street, London W1J 6HH. Registered in England No. 661140. Tel: +44 (0)20 7499 4411. Reprinting in whole or in part any matter appearing in The Shooting Field is forbidden except by express permission of the publisher. Cover image: Paradox rifled chokes (Courtesy: Robert Pearson).
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
NEWS
JOHN BAKALL ‘UNIQUE’ IS SO often misapplied, but in John’s case it is close to being the only word to describe his long career at Holland & Holland. Those that worked closely with John will have many tales to tell of his challenging and often lateral sense of humour but above all he will always be highly regarded for his talent as a gunmaker of inventive skill. John featured in many of Holland & Holland’s brochures and articles and is usually shown hard at work with his alchemist’s brew of steam, stains, oils and polishes restoring battered gunstocks to their former glory. However, his skills and responsibilities extended far beyond lustrous finishes as in his position of foreman of the jobbing
ROBERT ‘PETE’ PETERSEN We were saddened to learn of the recent death of Robert ‘Pete’ Petersen, founder and chairman of Californian based Petersen Publishing, whose specialist titles included those such as Guns & Ammo, Petersen’s Hunting and Rifle Shooter. Bob was a great patron of the British gun trade, an avid collector and connoisseur of fine guns and he owned one of the largest collections of Holland & Holland ‘products of excellence’ commemorative issue guns and rifles. He was a true friend of the company and will be greatly missed.
RETIRES
workshop for 20 years he inspected and signed-off many thousands of guns and rifles as sound in function and safe for use. John, aged 16, joined Holland & Holland in 1960, and witnessed the many improvements to the neglected working conditions and the changes to the once again resplendent Victorian factory in the Harrow Road. This is fitting as John’s interests extend well beyond his place of work and include the local history of the area and the roads, canals and yards that typified the balance of industry and its residents. John’s 47 years of service have more than demonstrated his loyalty and pride in the history of his chosen trade, and he has
WELCOME
TO
chosen to further his respect for its traditions by encouraging his son Ian to continue the family name at Holland & Holland. He should feel proud to do so. ■
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
MARK GRIMLEY is the latest to join Holland & Holland’s ranks; we caught up with the former submariner for a chat. “I spent 12 years on nuclear submarines as an engineer. On completion of my commission I then spent four years as a start up and commissioning engineer for nuclear power stations, where I developed and eventually became site commissioning manager at Sellafield mixed oxide plant. “Because of my interests in traditional engineering I returned to general engineering in 1995 where I have been involved with companies and projects around the world, projects such as new plant builds in Canada, Singapore and China, putting into place heavy industrial plant machinery, the design and build of the west coast main line Virgin high speed train and the design and building of more down to earth projects such as London buses and JCB equipment to mention but a few. “I am a traditional engineering manager, who believes in true traditional skills of craftsmen, while at the same time I welcome technical improvements within the industry.” Mark joined Holland & Holland in September last year, fully aware of the proud traditions and heritage of the firm. “I must say that it was a pleasure and gave me great pride to be invited to join the company. I look forward to the future with
4 T H E S H O O T I N G F I E L D • VO LU M E 1 5
Above: John Bakall
great optimism, we all know that changes are afoot within the industry, customer demands are changing and ever growing pressure from modern technology means we have to change for the good of us all. “Our main stay is that we will always have craftsmen with their traditional skills and will endeavour to preserve that at the factory. “We will of course be looking at modern techniques and materials available but providing that we keep our feet on the ground, and remembering that we are here to serve a very special customer, we will succeed. “ I look forward to many challenges in the years to come.” ■
Above: Mark Grimley
NEWS
STORE
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
UPDATES
LONDON AS 2007 GETS into full swing we anticipate another busy and hectic calendar with shooting events planned in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Ireland and of course the biggest event of the year, The CLA Game Fair at Harewood House in Leeds. However as the company’s flagship store, the main focus of our work is inside the London Gunroom and ensuring we maintain the traditions and service that our clients have come to expect during the past two centuries. Continuing on from 2006, 2007 has seen a large amount of interest in the two new Holland & Holland calibres with orders being placed in equal numbers for both the .400 and the .465. There has also been large interest in the 16-bore and 28-bore cartridge. The reintroduction of The Paradox has also been welcomed by a large number of the hunting and shooting community as once again Holland & Holland continues the Henry Holland tradition of great innovation.
NEW
Top: The Holland & Holland showrooms in London
With the recruitment of Allan Utermark to the Gunroom, we are planning to expand our range of hunting and shooting accessories to meet every possible need of the hunting enthusiast. Together with Patrick Murphy and Andrew Ambrose the aim is to make the London Gunroom the
YORK
first reference point for all shooters and hunters when they come to London. Finally we would like to extend our gratitude to those of you who visited us in the past year and if you haven’t already been then please do visit the Gunroom whenever the opportunity arises. ■ Left: The New York Gun Room
PARIS
THE NEW YORK Gunroom location continues to be a great success for our United States customers and many travellers from abroad. Since our last Shooting Field update we have been fortunate enough to venture down to Chile for the first time. We hosted a sporting clays event at a traditional South American Hacienda called Los Lingues which was located just two hours south of Santiago. The event was attended by staff from London and New York and was held over a period of two days.
We met many wonderful Chileans and feel it was a great success. Additionally, with the sprawling grounds, we were able to lay out a fairly challenging sporting clays course – which most said they had never experienced shooting before. As always, our New York Gunroom’s home page is kept fully up to date, detailing all the exciting, forthcoming events Holland & Holland is offering. There is also a full listing of shotguns and rifles which we currently have to offer the Holland & Holland sporting enthusiast. ■
A VERY GOOD year for the Paris Gunroom with a real rise in sales due to new clients from Romania, Latvia, Italy, Portugal and of course Ukraine and Russia. The magazine rifles have been particularly in demand especially our new calibres .400 and .465. The 20 bore is now appreciated in eastern countries that used to shoot only 12 bore. The second hand market is also in demand. We had an exhibition in Kiev at the same period which was very successful, and our Sporting model 12 bore was very much appreciated. It was on display with our representative in this city, Safari-Ukraina. The exhibition in Salzburg was very interesting, with many guests from Austria, but also visitors from Germany and Italy visited our booth and very much liked our 28 bore shotguns. ■
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
NEWS
EASTERN EUROPE THE HOLLAND & HOLLAND showroom in Moscow continues to move ever nearer to opening, which we expect to happen later this year. The showroom itself is located at Skolkovskoe shosse 31, building 1, SportHit Complex, Moscow and will showcase the company’s finest guns and rifles. It has taken slightly longer than anticipated to open the doors to the public, but we are delighted with the look of the interior of the showroom, and look forward to being able to offer our services to the people of Eastern Europe as soon as possible. The decoration matches the style of the current gunrooms in London, New York and Paris; most pieces of furniture have been shipped from the UK, and we are sure that clients will enjoy the British atmosphere of the premises. The Arms and Hunting exhibition in Moscow was successful as usual, with clients returning to see and buy our guns, and many new ones including the current Olympic super heavy WBA boxing champion Nikolay Valuev (see below).
Many events will be scheduled both in and out of the new showroom, especially a shooting event in Fox-lodge and a number of events related to the hunting association, Safari Club, gastronomy and cigars. Our craftsmen will also attend the events and show their skills on the bench. Our rifles have for over a century been regarded as the best in the world, and are being received with equal enthusiasm at gun shows all over Eastern Europe. In addition to rifles, and especially at the gunshow in Kiev, our Sporting model 12 bore was very highly regarded by customers, and there is also an increase in demand for the smaller 20 bore shotguns, which until now have not been used in Eastern European countries. All in all, everything we are experiencing in Eastern Europe at the shows and exhibitions is very positive, so we very much look forward to the opening of our showroom in Moscow to enable us to provide our world class gun service to our customers on a year round basis. ■
EVENTS 2007 JUNE H & H Homestead Grand Masters Shoot Hot Springs VA, USA Hunting Riga, Latvia JULY Salov Prive event Hurlingham Club, London, UK CLA Game Fair Harewood House, London, UK SEPTEMBER Think First Pawling Mountain Club, Pawling NY, USA Orvis Shotgun Classic Orvis Sandonona, Millbrook NY, USA Sporting Clays & Golf Championship Homestead Resort, Hot Springs VA, USA Vintager’s World Side by Side Championships Pintail Point, Queenstown MD, USA Cancer Research Charity Shoot Prince Georges County Glendale MD, USA NT/Debra event Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds, UK OCTOBER Green Jackets Shoot Homestead Resort, Hot Springs VA, USA Arms and Hunting Moscow, Russia Millionaire Fair Moscow, Russia NOVEMBER Annie Oakley Shoot Burge Plantation. Mansfield GA, USA Hunting Kiev JANUARY 2008 Dallas Safari Club Dallas TX, USA January 10-13 International Sporting Arms & Antique Shot Las Vegas NV, USA January 18-20 Safari Club International Reno NV, USA January 23-26 FEBRUARY Lady Taveners Dinner London. UK Russian Ball London. UK MARCH IWA Nuremberg, Germany APRIL 9th Annual Southern Side by Side Championship & Exhibition Sanford CA, USA
Above clockwise: The Big 5 rifle and scope; Olympic superheavy weight WBA boxing champion Nikolay Valuev; A close up of some exquisite engraving work
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MAY H & H 4th Annual Shooting Match Dallas Gun Club, Lewisville TX, USA National Forest Foundation Shoot Pawling Mountain Club Pawling NY, USA
T H E PA R A D O X
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
PARADOX REDUX DOUG TATE LOOKS AT A LITTLE HISTORY BEHIND THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE HOLLAND & HOLLAND STABLE.
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
T H E PA R A D O X
Previous page (clockwise): The Paradox in its gun case; Broken; Paradox rounds; Closed Top: Looking down the barrels of The Paradox. Above left & right: Engraving details on this innovative creation.
ON A WINDY Wednesday in October 1886, Holland & Holland introduced a new ball and shotgun at their range in Kensal Green. The following morning, The Times offered an account of a gun “which combines the efficiency of a rifle and a shotgun, and discharges shot with the pattern and penetration of 12-bore and conical bullets up to 100 yards with the accuracy of an express rifle.” The Times correspondent described how ‘the operator’ had placed ten bullets into a space measuring 31/2 ins. by 4 3/16 ins. then shot patterns of “No.6 shot at 40 yards [which] beat a good cylinder by 20 percent.” He concluded by calling it “A MARVELLOUS PERFORMANCE.” The gun became a success throughout
the Empire, nowhere more so than in India where it was considered the pukka article. There a chap with the means to own just one gun might shoot sandgrouse at sunrise and bag a tiger before tiffin. Hardly
Campaign on the Northwest Frontier. Fosbery discovered that a few inches of sharp rifling in a shotgun choke was sufficient to stabilise a slug but not enough to blow a shotgun pattern. He patented his
AFTER A BREAK OF 75 YEARS HOLLAND & HOLLAND HAVE REINTRODUCED THE PARADOX surprising really since the inventor was an Anglo-Indian soldier named Vincent Fosbery. In 1863 as a Lieutenant with the 4th Bengal European Regiment, Fosbery won a Victoria Cross retaking Lalloo Ridge from Pathan tribesman during the Umbeyla
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idea in 1885. Harris and Henry Holland realised the system’s potential, and in the following year bought the rights and named it The Paradox. The last one was built in 1931, but now, after a break of 75 years, Holland &
T H E PA R A D O X
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
THE PARADOX
ON TEST
Roger Lake takes this unique sporting gun on a hunting trip
DURING MY RESEARCH on the Holland & Holland records for the upcoming book “PARADOX – The Story of Col. G. V. Fosbery, Holland & Holland and the Paradox”, I noticed that a number of Paradox were sold to the aristocracy of central Europe. This led me to think about the shooting that would have been done, a driven boar came to mind. Since I had already used two vintage hammer Paradox in Africa on plains game, where I found them very effective, this would present another venue to use this sporting gun. In 1885, Col. G. V. Fosbery patented a revolutionary design for a rifled choke to be used on ball-and-shot guns; that is a gun that can fire a bullet or a charge of shot with equal effectiveness. Holland & Holland was quick to see the advantage and licensed the patent from Col. Fosbery. This revolutionary system caught the imagination of the sporting world and in the first year and a half Holland & Holland sold more than 180. In the succeeding years almost 1600 were sold. I had been following the work of Russell Wilkin, technical director, and the factory staff in the Paradox re-birth project over the past few years. Now that the prototype was finished I felt that it needed a “field test” so I volunteered to try it on driven boar. My first step was to become familiar with the gun by shooting both shot and “ball” at the Shooting Grounds. One of the major advantages is that it is first and foremost a shotgun; it handles like one. It is perfectly balanced and comes to target quickly. After a few rounds of offhand shooting my bullet impact groups continued to shrink to the point I felt very confident with the gun. I also shot a few clays and found the Improved Cylinder chokes deadly on driven grouse and the tower clays. In Hungary I had three days of driven boar shooting and bagged four boar. My first was a large 100-kilo boar that was shot standing, being brought to bay by three small dogs, at 65 yards; he dropped at the shot. The other three were running shots at a 125-kilo sow, a 150-kilo boar with 19 and 21cm tusks and a yearling boar hit at 97 yards. I found the gun a pleasure to use. It functioned flawlessly. I can now understand why the gun was so popular with the European clientele. I have to admit that I was very reluctant to return it after the shoot. Above: Details from the Paradox. Right: Roger Lake proves the effectiveness of The Paradox with a wild boar.
Holland has reintroduced The Paradox. Originally based on a bar action hammer gun, The Paradox is currently available as a 12 bore round action sidelock, with branded ammunition from Hull Cartridge. Although the Empire and the Raj are no more, urban sprawl has created a situation where a slug with its much reduced bullet carry is a plus when controlling deer, bear or feral pig populations. Sportsmen have always appreciated the fast handling qualities of a lightweight double when shooting running game in cover. Add to this the ability to kill winged game on the same drive and you have a seeming contradiction that is nonetheless true, or in other words, a paradox. ■
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GETTING PERSONAL
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
This page (clockwise from top left): Johnny Bakall; Milan Zdvorily tree hanging; Kip O’Brien; Milan Zdvorily on terra firma Opposite page (clockwise from top right): Paul Faraway; Sam Faraway; Jason Schofield Next page: Ian Bakall; Kirsty Swan; Allan King
UP
CLOSE
POLLY BELL-HUGHES TAKES A TOUR ROUND THE GUNMAKING PERSONALITIES HOLLAND
&
HOLLAND
gunmakers are amazing people. “We know that” I hear you cry – “they are the best gunmakers in the world” – all of which I know and agree with of course. But I wanted to get to know the gunmakers as people, as individuals, as personalities. To start with there are many who joined at 16 and have not looked back – one of them retired recently, age 60. Many more in their thirties, forties and fifties remain. Kip served his apprenticeship with Purdey’s in 1964, worked a mere 20 years
there before going freelance and finally joining Holland & Holland 14 years ago. “Out of all the crafts in the factory, stocking has changed the least in the history of gunmaking.” His only complaint is that the wood is getting harder to work. I understand this because the most popular style of figuring (pattern) in the walnut stock at the moment is the more elaborate and ornate, with swirls and high contrasts. An old-fashioned stock with straight grain may look dull in comparison, but chances are it will be stronger. The more
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elaborate, the more likely the wood can split or crack along a diagonal grain. Of course the more knots and swirls, the more difficult to work the wood, but that’s why our stockers are the best – they work the most difficult wood and get the best results in the world. Also in the stocking shop is Ian Bakall, son of the great Johnny Bakall. His only complaint about working with his dad for so long is that “if I ever had a day off, he’d be on the phone to my mum snitching on me, telling her I wasn’t in. There were no secrets”. Like father like son, Ian started
GETTING PERSONAL
working at Holland & Holland aged 16 and has already given 20 good years to the craft. The foreman of the stocking shop is Jason Schofield and his entire family on his mum’s side are in the guntrade. His uncle is Ron Johnson, who blacks the barrels of many fine English guns – although it was “Grandad Stan” who set Jason off in his career at Holland & Holland. Grandad Stan called the famous David Winks here at Holland & Holland and Jason was in. The factory, as you may guess, is a male dominated environment, but there is some female company to be found in the engraving shop. Kirsty was 19 when she joined in 2001 after a jewellery course and silver smithing with engraving. She liked engraving and wanted to make a career out of it. “This is the highest you can go,” she said when I asked “why guns?” “Hundreds of people engrave jewellery but to engrave guns you needed four more
years training”. Kirsty excelled, and it took her just 18 months to progress to engrave her first gun. Sam is another talented young engraver and aged 33 he has already put in 11 years work at the Holland & Holland factory, though not all in engraving. Sam has always loved crafts and studied
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
started in the action shop with Paul but his passion is engraving and eventually he has ended up where he wants to be. Paul Faraway would be the last person to admit it, but he is becoming a legend in the gun-making world. A genius that can swipe exact thousandths of an inch from a steel component to make a perfect fit almost at will. It is testament to his talent as an
HOLLAND & HOLLAND GUNMAKERS ARE AMAZING PEOPLE for a degree in craft for three years, after which he worked as a potter. But as many artists discover, lack of funds meant he needed another job – and it just happens that his brother is Paul Faraway – one of the most skilled craftsmen in the guntrade worldwide. Sam
actioner and gun maker that he is respected both among his peers as well as among the top gun collectors in the world. The most unassuming of all of them, you will only ever hear Paul credit everyone around him and ‘the team’ who work on the guns that go through the Holland &
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Holland factory. But if there is a gun going through the factory that is different or unique, and needs special attention, Paul Faraway is your man. What could possibly top the great stories from the staff so far I thought? Well that depends on your views, but a world champion rock jumper could come pretty close. Milan Zdvorily came to London in 2002, after training as a toolmaker and gunmaker in Czechoslovakia. Speaking not a word of English, his priority was to learn the language fast. A friend asked him what had been his trade in Czechoslovakia and when he discovered he was a highly trained gunmaker, promptly took out the Yellow Pages and called Holland & Holland. Now he works in the action shop. His other hobby is rock-climbing – and rock-jumping. Since he was 13, he had loved climbing the rocks around his home in the countryside of Czechoslovakia. In 1995 he made the world’s largest rock jump (a grade 5) and since then has been cast in a movie about rock-jumpers made by National Geographic, jumping a second grade 5 jump on film for them in 1999. His nick-name is “Kyslik” which means ‘oxygen’ but I think perhaps that they should have called him ‘adrenalin’. ■ Kip would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported him during 1999 when he suffered from ill health. He has always wanted everyone to know he is truly grateful.
GETTING PERSONAL
THE WONDER To know which trees will harvest great gun blanks requires a tremendous amount of skill, but to start with it matters where they were grown, which side of the mountain, age, bark colour, roots, rocky area, soil without rocks or stone. Trained walnut tree experts dig around the base of the roots of the oldest and potentially best trees to find out their suitability for gun blanks. The expert takes a large stone and knocks around the tree and exposed roots to listen for echoes and can deduce from the sound whether there are imperfections in the roots, such as stones, or cracks or gaps and hollows inside the roots themselves which would prevent the root being used for gun blanks. All this is done without harming a living tree and if the tree proves unsuitable for gun blanks, it is left standing. Occasionally, if a tree is deemed suitable for gun blank use all the dealers will go to the location and bid for the tree while it still stands. These trees are only found on the highest plateaus of north eastern Turkey, a 3 hour drive from the nearest village and up to 10 hours on foot into the hills – nowhere near civilisation and the only people around are PKK Kurdish terrorists. Most of the trees used are dead or past their fruitful years. They are dying, with broken branches or infections. Walnut trees are replaced and walnut plantations are in operation for most of
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OF
WALNUT
the walnut industry, but these trees are usually no good for gun blanks as they grow too straight and have no colour contrast. Although the entire tree is used, only the root holds the best grade blanks. Approximately one tonne of walnut root gives 25 to 30 gun blanks. The remaining pieces of walnut are all used and made into gear lever heads, furniture accessories, knife handles, pistol grips and parquet flooring. Small, ugly infected roots can give amazing black/red/yellow colour stocks. Only very experienced people can cut into the roots as it is experience that dictates which angle to cut, how to look at the root, see the roots point of view and what it means. They can’t see into the root, but by reading the small branches on the outside can give the cutter an idea of how the grains are moving, uniting and turning or crossing Inside the root. After cutting the blanks, they are steamed for two days to remove any sap. Then the ends of the blanks are dipped in melted wax to prevent the blank drying out too quickly. Then they are all stacked out of the sunlight in a windy place for six months to dry, after which they are planed and graded. Only the very best “exhibition grade” stock blanks are used by London’s best gunmakers, and of these, Holland & Holland, being the largest, will enjoy first pick of what is available.
SHOOTING GROUNDS
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
THERE
IS CHANGE AFOOT AT THE GROUNDS JOHN HARDING LOOKS AT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
THE
FIRST
THING that recent
visitors to the Grounds will notice are the new high tower shooting stands on the right of the central pathway. Completed late last year, they represent an example of achievement over adversity. We started them at the end of an incredibly dry spell but it immediately started raining and continued throughout the construction. Once finished and the
grass seeded we then went into another drought. The amount of earth that was moved was amazing and underneath the completed structure is a network of steel bars and wires to keep it all stable and to allow for the complex drainage system to be installed, ensuring that the stands remain dry in all weathers. We have also just taken delivery of
another 20 automatic traps and Chris Bird, our chief instructor, has spent a significant part of the ‘quiet’ season during the winter designing a number of new shooting layouts to complement the existing stands. Following the refurbishment in our Lodge mentioned in the last issue, the range Below: The Gunroom in the Shooting Grounds Lodge.
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SHOOTING GROUNDS
of guns offered for sale has greatly increased, but always remember, if you cannot see exactly what you want we will be more than happy to obtain it for you. One of the significant advantages of buying your new or pre-owned gun from Holland & Holland is the facility of trying the gun before you make that final decision. Of course the Shooting Grounds provides all the necessary facilities throughout the process, from the first viewing to a shooting test, gun fitting and adjustment work to the final shooting. All under the watchful eye of one of our professional instructors. ■ For further information call the Shooting Grounds on +44 (0) 1923 825 349 or Email:
© ANDERS CLAUSEN
shooting.grounds@hollandandholland.com
Left: Andrew Perkins giving tuition ; Above: In full swing ; Below: The new high tower stands.
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S P O R T & T R AV E L
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TOP SHOOTING INVITATIONS WHAT IS THE IDEAL SHOOTING INVITATION: GROUSE AT WEMMERGILL, DOVES IN ARGENTINA? SARAH FITZPATRICK COMPILES THE ULTIMATE LIST – WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM FRIENDS. AMONG THE dross of brown envelopes and credit-card come-ons sparkles the occasional hand-written nugget. Every shooting invitation is special and to place any sort of relative value on them is pointless; a morning’s ratting can be infinitely more fun than a driven day among the soulless. But as the golfer hankers for St Andrews and the sailor dreams transatlantic, so the shooting man cannot avoid thinking how he would cope with the most testing of game were the golden moment to occur. We asked some old hands what would constitute a dream invitation. After we’d flushed out most – but not all – of the shameless hints, these were their choices. JONATHAN KENNEDY Clegg Kennedy Drew
Gunnerside, Wemmergill, Knarsdale and Weardale in the north of England and
Mayshiel, Edinglassie and Raeshaw in Scotland. For me grouse are king. So much goes into making it a success but most of all relentless year-round keepering and the owner host is invariably the force that makes this magical world tick. It is the invitation that makes the pulse quicken and sends a frisson down the spine. One day is fantastic but a two-day invitation is heaven – time to settle in and savour without rushing back to the real world. Bliss – what life is all about. Wild partridges at Narborough, family days at Beachamwell, Richard Stanton at Snettisham and Ian Mason at Hillingdon. The people, the variety of countryside and different ways of doing things make Norfolk hosts many of the keenest shots in the land – a county full of character where barely a square inch is untended for shooting. Pigeon in Hampshire and David Dixon in Norfolk, snipe on Victor
Beamish’s “circuit” in Co. Tipperary, Ed Dashwood’s skirmishing days at Slebech, West Wales, John Plumptre’s marsh in Kent, Max Bond’s species day (21 this year) at Necton in Suffolk. These are the days that just hit the spot. The mix is what makes it.
JONATHAN YOUNG Editor, The Field
Gunnerside. Shooting grouse requires about the same concentration as playing chess on a motorbike: a moment’s lapse and they’ve hurtled over. So you never can concentrate on the maestros of our sport, which is akin to wearing a blindfold at Wimbledon. A great invitation, then, would be to study Gunnerside’s maximum potential realised by the best grouse-shots Below: High birds challenges.
– one of the great shooting
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
S P O R T & T R AV E L sublime sport. A corrupt Macnab. Shooting a deer, a brace of grouse and catching a salmon is the modern definition of a Macnab. Tricky? Yes – but much depends on the size of your wallet. To poach all three, with the keepers and owner pre-warned and up for the game, would be a very different challenge. Why corrupt? Grouse never featured in the original John Macnab. Lanarth is on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. In heavy woodcock years the ’cock gather there in great numbers. An invitation to shoot here would be something to bang on about until the grandchildren tell you collectively, and rightly, to shut up. Northern Irish snipe. For those who’ve never visited it, Northern Ireland is frightening: you can’t step into a rural bar without bumping into ultra-keen sportsmen whose extraordinary appetite for quality
watery wasteland is an extraordinary place to be stranded on a lump of salting well over a mile from the shore. Walking up snipe over pointers. Two guns, a dog each and off you go for miles and can get to the 18th-century scene on your table mat. Quality pheasants among good friends. Staying in a fine period house and strolling out from breakfast to draw pegs for the home coverts takes some beating. It reaches its zenith when you know, and like every gun are familiar with, the lie of the land and have learnt a bit about the shoot management from the keeper. “Quality pheasants” are the ones I get a jitter about when they first appear but do manage to kill cleanly. I like a rattling good lunch followed by one good drive to end the day. If all five invitations arrived for the same day I would tear my hair out but I think I’d have to go for the grouse.
SHOOTING GROUSE REQUIRES ABOUT THE SAME CONCENTRATION AS PLAYING CHESS ON A MOTORBIKE in the business. It would be a big grouse year, early September, and the line would include Hugh van Cutsem, the Percy brothers, Jonathan Kennedy, Peter Schwerdt and Edward Dashwood. Just watching that lot try to beat each other to draw, coupled with Robert Miller’s hospitality, would make most mortals happy to leave the gun at home. Well, almost. Sandringham. Whenever I see The Prince of Wales receiving another mauling from the tabloids I think of the solace that must be Sandringham. Some of its beats are pretty much devoted to wildfowling and to flight pinkfoot geese on its lonely marshes must be memorable. Finding the right present for your host would take some thought, though. West Barsham. Like many shooting men, I have a collection of pre-Fifties tomes that reflect on the grey partridge’s long-ago status as the bread-and-butter gamebird. To shoot them in the English way, in front as they break over A-line hedges, is a form of artistry that few of us will ever master. But at West Barsham in Norfolk you would have a glimpse of this
rough-shooting is only equalled by their capacity to down pints and trebles. The next day, they’re as right as old sixpence but you wonder why the snipe are flying in couples.
CHARLES NODDER Rural affairs consultant
Any driven grouse invitation. I’ve never shot at a driven grouse. As a beginner, I would favour terrain that gives the guns just a bit more time. Forgiving company would also be essential – including the keepers. An invitation to shoot driven wild greys. The excitement is out of all proportion to the numbers shot. Spice is added by the scarcity of such sport these days and knowledge of the hard work necessary to make it possible. I would be confident there was a genuinely shootable surplus before accepting. “Medway Mud” as Mike Swan couches his generous invitation wildfowling on the fore-shore in Kent. It is a superbly organised private marsh. A mixed bag of five or six species is a high probability. During a tide flight in daylight hours, this
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JAMES CHAPEL Estate agent
Grouse: although Wemmergill, Allenheads and Gunnerside often make the headlines, Knarsdale holds a very special place for me. An invitation to shoot on the High Beat (and, if lucky, drawing Peg 4) would be extremely difficult to turn down. All five drives on this beat produce very exciting grouse, although the two afternoon drives are probably the best. Pheasant: this is an extremely tough decision – the Westcountry, Welsh Borders, Scotland, and so on, all have fantastic shoots. However, I prefer North Yorkshire not just for the quality of the sport but also the genuine friendliness of the people. Of all the Yorkshire shoots, I believe that Garrowby would be the ultimate undeclinable invitation. Epic pheasants in truly beautiful countryside with excellent hosts. It is rumoured that the Earl and Countess of Halifax do let the odd day, but you would be extremely hard-pushed to meet someone who has taken one. A combination of “dead man’s shoots” and “best kept secrets”. Partridge: again, a large
S P O R T & T R AV E L
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
Far left and left: When out in the field a dog is always a man, and a woman’s, best friend
category of great shoots to choose from. However, for an unbeatable combination of great hospitality and awesome birds I would hope for an invitation to shoot the top beat of Lord James Percy’s Linhope shoot. The Lodge is one of the most comfortable I have ever stayed in and the birds some of the best I have seen. A bizarre sense of masochism is required to stand at your peg for The Bowl but there are lots of opportunities to hit at least one. Linhope days are let but again it is “dead man’s shoes”. Snipe: everyone has their favourite places to see and hopefully shoot snipe. Some of the best locations are rarely discussed outside closed circles. I have never been to Bodorgan on Anglesey but have been told by a number of true aficionados that it is the Mecca for those who value this sporting bird above all else. I am assured that no such thing as a “let day” has ever taken place but extremely rarely the opportunity to take a gun or two comes up at a fund-raising auction. Wildfowling: perhaps not an obvious choice, but the right invitation to shoot wildfowl on the foreshore is, to some, to be
prized beyond all else. Without naming names or giving away secret locations, there are a couple of private marshes on the East Kent coast to which I’d drive (and have driven) through the night to make a morning flight. Teal, wigeon, gadwall, pintail, and so on, and a truly amazing flight that really lasted all day.
HENRY MOUNTAIN Formerly of Frontiers International
Wemmergill Moor in Co Durham is one of those names whispered in hushed tones, being historically one of the great moors. It is still one of the producers with an annual bag of close to 3,000 brace. Since 2003, the lease has been held by Michael Cannon, who owns several other top-quality shoots. His enthusiasm for shooting is infectious and his pursuit of the best is unparalleled. It is a reasonable assumption that Wemmergill will have more care and attention lavished on it now than ever before. Grogarry Lodge on South Uist specialises in providing top-quality snipeshooting over many acres of marsh just
inland from the windswept Atlantic shoreline. Wild and intrinsically exciting, with their unpredictable flight, snipe rank a close second to grouse in my shooting desirability stakes. Grogarry, unusually, prefers lines of seven guns, and being the type who enjoys an element of physical exercise during the course of a shooting foray, its mixture of driven and walked-up shooting fits the bill perfectly. There could be few better invitations than to the comforts of Grogarry Lodge and a wilderness such as South Uist in the company of guns who know and appreciate their specialist sport. The company you are in while out shooting must rate as being as important as the sport itself. An invitation to Middleton estate in Hampshire, owned and run by Richard Wills, would have me scampering to clear the diary at a moment’s notice. It is the company of friends and family that forms part of the attraction of a day at Middleton and it is not unusual to have three generations of Wills out participating in the day. Actively involved in The Game Conservancy Trust, Richard is acutely conscious of conservation issues and has done much to encourage English partridge over the years as well as improving the shoot immeasurably. Shooting doves at Pica Zuro Lodge in Cordoba, Argentina. An invitation to shoot there would be the perfect antidote when the European season is closed. Having been there many times my enthusiasm for dove-shooting has not waned. The informality of this sort of shooting and the chance to let your hair down is so liberating and there can few better opportunities to sharpen your shooting skills. Owners David Denies and Fernando de las Carreras set the benchmark for all other contenders. The lure of Argentine hospitality, legendary beef, robust wines, good living and, of course, quality shooting and I would not need to be asked twice before packing my suitcase. ■ Words courtesy of The Field
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
P E O P L E & P L AC E S
PEOPLE & PLACES It has been another busy social year for Holland & Holland with many shooting and fundraising events. Here are a selection of photographs from events across the world. Apologies for not being able to feature all of them and many thanks to all those who took part in them and made them memorable days and evenings. We are always happy to accept photos from anyone attending events and we look forward to seeing you as soon as possible at one or more of the exciting activities planned for the rest of the year.. ■
Game Conservancy Christmas drinks Another successful evening was held at the Mayfair showrooms in December in aid of the Game Conservancy Trust. Bryn Parry and Giles Catchpole were among the many guests, along with England Rugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson. Bryn donated an original sketch especially for the event to be auctioned, whilst signed copies of their latest book Dog Training with Mr Perks were sold all in aid of the GCT.
Nuremberg 2007 Clockwise: Lucy Asprey, Bryn Parry and William Asprey; Roger M. Mitchell, Andrew Moorfield and Richard Finston; Mia Martin, Tanja Gullestrup and Jolanta Jones; John Wilson, Linda Stuart and Steve Thompson
RAFT
Above: Guests at last year’s event Below left: Team MASHAM and The Floaters being presented with their competition prizes by Patricia Gaynor, wife of Alan. Below right: Instruction
Each year, usually in June, RAFT holds its Annual Charity Shoot at Holland & Holland in memory of Alan Gaynor, a past supporter of this event. This hugely enjoyable day is now in its tenth year with many teams coming year after year. The highly qualified instructors seem to be able to coax the very best from our guests.
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Below: Pierre Bernstein and Sebastian Trabelsi at IWA, Nuremberg 2007
Shooting Sports Trust Below: Allan Utermark, Warwick Dauncey, Steve Davies & Armen Boldy represented Holland & Holland at the Shooting Sports Trust
P E O P L E & P L AC E S
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
Saracens stars swap rugby for shooting Holland & Holland recently played host to a shoot organised by England internationals Hugh Vyvyan and Dan Scarborough, two stars of the Saracens rugby team. Attended by Saracens players and club sponsors, the afternoon was blessed with glorious weather and all participants agreed that a great time was had by all. After the shoot, guests sat down to a traditional hog roast dinner.
Clockwise from left: Chrissie Alexander and Roger Mitchell; Stuart Clark; Ben Skirving (Saracens and England) Kevin Sorrell (Saracens and England); Fabio Ongaro (Saracens and Italy); Richard Hill (Saracens and England); Paul Gustard (Saracens) Kevin Sorrell (Saracens and England) Dan Scarborough (Saracens and England)
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
P E O P L E & P L AC E S
17th Atlanta Charity Clays Shoot As always, this multi-day March charity event held in and around Atlanta, Georgia, was a huge success attracting over 350 people. The event consists of a Gala Party and Silent Auction, a “Gold Day” for premium level event sponsors and the main sporting clays tournament, held respectively at the Foundry at Puritan Mill, Arrowhatchee, and Burge Plantation. At Arrowhatchee participants were provided a number of unique activities including a 5stand, shot with a selection of provided Holland & Holland guns in various bore sizes. This year we had the services of Holland & Holland’s chief instructor Chris Bird providing instruction and gun fittings. The event raised $215,000 for various childrens’ charities in the Atlanta area.
Clockwise from top: Guy Davies, Sandy Morehouse and Daryl Greatrex, Atlanta Charity Clays; H&H Team at Atlanta Charity Clays; Andy Sherwood, Think First 6th Annual Sporting Clays Freedom Shoot; Bill Luce & Robert Pearson, Think First 6th Annual Sporting Clays Freedom Shoot; Watching the scoreboard, Dallas; “The Guns” at Dallas; Amy Thomas, Atlanta Charity Clays Opposite: Holland & Holland Managing Director Daryl Greatrex supervising German Claro Lyon host and Manager Director of Hacienda Los Lingues, shooting a .270-bore Holland & Holland Magazine Rifle; Guy Davies, David Cruz, Daryl Greatrex and “Guns”, Chile; Andrew Ambrose, David Cruz, Russell Wilkin, Daryl Greatrex & Guy Davies, 2007 Safari Club International; Daryl Greatrex with Wanda Hutchinson, winner of the H & H auction prize, Atlanta Charity Clays
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P E O P L E & P L AC E S
Middle East
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
The Middle East continues to be a very important market for Holland & Holland. John Stevenson visits clients in the region on a regular basis maintaining existing relationships as well as introducing the company to new clients in a region that is developing at an extraordinary pace. Throughout last year the Shooting Grounds hosted members of Royal Families, Prime Ministers, Presidents, Ministers and private clients from around the region making Holland & Holland the destination for clients interested in shooting. Top left: His Highness Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin
Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani and John Stevenson in Doha, Qatar Bottom left: His Highness Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan and John Stevenson in Abu Dhabi Top right: His Highness Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Khaled bin Hamad Al-Thani, Doha, Qatar Bottom right: John Stevenson and Eva McGaw at The Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
GUNS FOR SALE
GUNS FOR SALE A SELECTION OF SPORTING GUNS AND RIFLES AVAILABLE FROM OUR LONDON, PARIS AND NEW YORK GUNROOMS
NEW GUNS IN LONDON (all prices subject to the current rate of VAT at the time of purchase) SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUNS Holland & Holland 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotgun 28” HNG 022 £53,450 Holland & Holland 20-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotgun 28” HNG 111 £50,740 Holland & Holland 28-bore ‘Royal Deluxe’ Sidelock Shotgun 28” HNG 110 £57,210 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotguns 28” HNG 056 for the pair £99,060 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Royal’ Deluxe Sidelock Shotguns 28” HNG 005 for the pair £111,100 Holland & Holland pair of 20-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotguns 29” HNG 094 for the pair £111,100 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Round Action’ Shotguns 28” HNG 082 for the pair £57,230 OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUNS Holland & Holland 20-bore ‘Royal’ Over-and-Under Shotgun 29” HNG 074 Holland & Holland 20-bore ‘Royal Deluxe’ Over-and-Under Shotgun 28” HNG 073 Holland & Holland 12-bore ‘Sporting Deluxe’ Over-and-Under Shotgun 28” HNG 109
£63,005
£67,520
£48,900
Holland & Holland 20-bore ‘Sporting Deluxe’ Over-and-Under Shotgun 28” HNG 084 £49,885 Holland & Holland pair of 20-bore ‘Royal deluxe’ Over-and-Under Shotguns 28” HNG 103 for the pair £130,000 Holland & Holland pair of 20-bore ‘Royal’ Over-and-Under Shotguns 28” HNG 108 for the pair £136,850 Holland & Holland pair of 20-bore ‘Sporting Deluxe’ Over-and-Under Shotguns 30” HNG 105 for the pair £95,750 Double rifles Holland & Holland .300 Flanged ‘Royal’ Double Rifle 24” HNDR 005 £83,545 Holland & Holland .375 Flanged ‘Royal’ Double Rifle 24” HNDR 003 £83,835 Holland & Holland .465 ‘Royal’ Double Rifle 24” HNDR 002 £84,685 Holland & Holland .470 “Royal Deluxe” Double Rifle 24” HNDR 032 £90,415 Holland & Holland .500/.465 ‘Royal’ Double rifle 24” HNDR 012 £84,685 BOLT ACTION MAGAZINE RIFLES Holland & Holland .275 ‘Bolt Action’ Magazine Rifle 24” HNSR 014 Holland & Holland .300 ‘Bolt Action’ Magazine Rifle 24” HNSR 037 Holland & Holland .375 ‘Bolt Action’ Magazine Rifle 24” HNSR 035 Holland & Holland .400 ‘Bolt Action’ Magazine Rifle 24” HNSR 036
£19,375
£18,165
£19,740
SECOND HAND GUNS IN LONDON SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUNS Holland & Holland 12-bore Boxlock ejector 28” CM 486 £3,750 Holland & Holland 12-bore ‘Badminton’ Sidelock Shotgun 30” HSHG 415 £5,000 Holland & Holland 12-bore ‘Badminton’ Sidelock Shotgun 26” HSHG 379 £8,750 Holland & Holland 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotgun 28” HSHG 331 £18,000 Holland & Holland 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotgun 26” HSHG 360 £15,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotguns 25” CM 485 for the pair £45,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotguns 28” HSHG 346 for the pair £54,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotguns 29” HSHG 290 for the pair £68,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotguns 30” HSHG 398 for the pair £80,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Royal’ Sidelock Shotguns 28” HSHG 393 for the pair £95,000 Holland & Holland pair of 20-bore ‘Royal Deluxe’ Sidelock Shotguns 26” HSHG 359 for the pair £65,000 Holland & Holland pair of 20-bore Royal Deluxe Shotguns 28” HSHG 424 for the pair £90,000
£19,740 OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUNS Holland & Holland 12-bore ‘Sporting’ Over-and-Under Shotgun 28” HSHG 337 £33,000 Holland & Holland 12-bore ‘Sporting Deluxe’ Over-and-Under Shotgun 30” HNG 095 £30,000 Holland & Holland 20-bore ‘Sporting’ Over-and-Under Shotgun 29” CM 455 £35,500 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Sporting Deluxe’ Over-and-Under Shotguns 30” CM 479 for the pair £60,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Sporting’ Over-and-Under Shotguns 28” HSHG 411 for the pair £65,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-bore ‘Sporting Deluxe’ Over-and-Under Shotguns 30” HSHG 413 for the pair £87,000
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GUNS FOR SALE
RIFLES Holland & Holland .375 ‘Royal’ Deluxe Double Rifle 26” HSHDR 5107 Holland & Holland .244 ‘Bolt Action’ Magazine Rifle 24” HSHSR 0723 Holland & Holland .458 ‘Bolt Action’ Magazine Rifle 24” HSHSR 0722
£42,000
£12,000
£12,000
NEW GUNS IN NEW YORK SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUNS “Round Action” 12-Bore Side-by-Side 30” HNG7040 “Royal” 20-Bore Side-by-Side 28” HNG7005 “Royal” 20-Bore Pair Side-by-Side 28” CM784
$62,500 $93,000 $190,000
OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUNS “Sporting” 20-Bore Over-and-Under 28” HNG7044 $72,500 “Sporting” 20-Bore Over-and-Under 30” HNG7049 $83,280 “Sporting” 12-Bore Over-and-Under 30” HNG7038 $87,900 “Royal Deluxe” 20-Bore Over-and-Under 29” HNG7041 $127,000 “Royal Deluxe” 20-Bore Over-and-Under 29” HNG7042 $127,000 “Sporting Deluxe” 12-Bore Pair Over-and-Under 29” HNG7020 $165,000 MAGAZINE RIFLES “Best Quality” .300 H&H Magazine Rifle 24” HNSR7033 “Best Quality” .400 H&H Magazine Rifle 24” HNSR7048 DOUBLE RIFLES “Royal” .500/.465 Double Rifle 24” HNDR7046 “Royal Deluxe “ .470 NE Double Rifle 24” CM785
$39,000 $46,525
$170,600 $210,000
SECOND HAND GUNS IN NEW YORK SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUNS Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Royal” Shotgun 26” CM741 Holland & Holland 8-Bore “Hammergun” Shotgun 34” CM805
$22,500
$27,500
Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Royal” Shotgun 27” CM701 $30,000 Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Royal Deluxe” Shotgun 26 1/2” CM745 $38,000 Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Royal” Shotgun 28” HSHG716 $38,000 Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Royal” Shotgun 28” CM788 $39,900 Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Royal Deluxe” Shotgun 28” CM736 $45,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-Bore “Royal Brevis” Shotguns 29” HSHG727 $85,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-Bore “Royal Deluxe” Shotgun 28” CM779 $90,000 Holland & Holland pair of 12-Bore “Royal Deluxe” Shotgun 30” CM764 $95,000 Holland & Holland pair of 28-Bore “Royal” Shotgun 27” CM780 $99,000 Holland & Holland pair of 20-Bore “Royal Deluxe” Shotguns 28” HSHG768 $180,000
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
J. Purdey & Sons 12-Bore “Best Quality” Shotgun 30” CM801
OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUNS Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Sporting Deluxe” Shotgun 29” CM797 $67,500 Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Royal Deluxe” Shotgun 29” CM782 $103,000 Holland & Holland 28-Bore “Royal Deluxe” Shotgun 29 1/2” CM783 $124,000 SINGLE BARREL SHOTGUNS Holland & Holland 12-Bore “Super Trap” Shotgun 32” CM806
$17,000
DOUBLE RIFLES Holland & Holland .458 “Royal” Double Rifle 24” CM786
$85,000
DOUBLE RIFLES - OTHER MAKERS A. Hollis & Son .470 “Boxlock” Double Rifle 26” CM758
$42,000
MAGAZINE RIFLES - OTHER MAKERS Cogswell & Harrison .375 H&H “Best Quality” Magazine Rifle 26” SHSR722
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUNS - OTHER MAKERS Webley & Scott 20-Bore “Model 700” Shotgun 26” SHG799 J. Blanch & Son 20-Bore “Boxlock” Shotgun 28” CM776 William Evans 12-Bore “Boxlock” Shotgun 28” CM800 Masters 20-Bore “Highest Quality” Shotgun 28” CM803 W J Jeffery & Co 12-Bore “Best Quality” Shotgun 28” CM804 Boss & Co. 12-Bore “Best Quality” Shotgun 28” CM802 Westley Richards 12-Bore “Sidelock” Shotgun 27 1/2” SHG793
$47,250
$6,250
SECOND HAND GUNS IN PARIS $6,250
$7,000
$7,750
$11,500
$18,000
$41,500
$45,000
All prices exclude tax SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUNS Royal 12 bore, 28”, royal scrolls, colour hardened Pair of 28 bore Royal, 28”, royal scrolls, brush bright 28 bore, 28”, game scene, brush bright OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUNS Royal 20 bore, 28”, acanthus leaves, brush bright Sporter, 20 bore, 28”, best quality, colour hardened DOUBLE RIFLES 300 FL bore, 24”, scrolls, brush bright MAGAZINE RIFLES 244 bore, 24”, HHQD scope mount 300 bore, 24”, HHQD scope mount 375 bore, 14”, HHQD scope mount
73,290S 160,000 J 91,500 J
100,590 J 53,300 J
123,900 J
32,700 J 32,700 J 33,300 J
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
AC C E S S O R I E S
THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION
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A SELECTION OF ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE ONLY FROM HOLLAND & HOLLAND GUNROOMS
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AC C E S S O R I E S
HOLLAND & HOLLAND
1. Shooting mugs (Six styles) £10 each 2. Half leather bound game books £140 each 3. Leather cartridge bags £295 or £325 each For 75 or 100 cartridges
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4. Full leather bound game book £165 (Large) £80 (Small) 5. Shooting glasses and case £70 6. Silver position finders £195 7. Shotgun certificate holders £15 + £20 8. Cleaning kit £285
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9. Oak and leather cartridge magazine £1,850
Holds between 250 and 300 cartridges. Available in dark brown, burgundy and tan.
10. DVDs
Straight Shooting (Part of a set of 6)
£30 each
Holland & Holland “Royal Gunmaker”
£30
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11. Cartridge belt £85
Sizes S, M, L, XL For 12, 16, 20, 28 bores and .410
12. Full leather bound photograph album £120
For further details on our entire accessory range, please visit: www.hollandandholland.com
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HOLLAND & HOLLAND
OPPORTUNITIES
OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE SHOOTING GROUNDS 2007/8
THE GREEN FEATHERS LADIES SHOOTING COURSE 2008 For many years a traditionally male dominated sport, shooting has undergone something of a revolution in the past few years. In increasing numbers, ladies are taking up the sport and proving that they are not only the equal of their male counterparts, but in many instances, better. In recognition of this, we introduced the Green Feathers Programme in 1995 with the intention of encouraging the lady shooter. The courses have now introduced over 1000 ladies with little or no experience to the pleasures of shotgun shooting and many of them have now struck up lasting friendships with other course members. The course comprises three one-hour lessons, followed by a competitive morning’s shooting at our grounds, and concludes with a buffet lunch. The winners are invited to a ladies only game shoot during the season hosted by Holland & Holland. Next year’s Green Feathers course will run from February 1st, with the final taking place in late April 2008.
The cost of the course, which is featured in the Shooting Gazette, will be £250, including all tuition, gun hire, clays and cartridges, and hearing protection. Places on the course are on a first come, first served basis, and are limited in numbers.
SILVER FEATHERS
The Silver Feathers programme is designed for previous participants of Green Feathers and is run concurrently with the Green Feathers course. It provides additional tuition for lady shooters wishing to further their expertise, following participation in the Green Feathers scheme. Organised in the same successful format as Green Feathers, Silver Feathers provides three further lessons with our professional instructors. All participants are then invited to a shoot in a 50-bird competition, which is followed by lunch and prize giving. The cost of the course will be £250, and again early booking is recommended.
AND ALSO... YOUNG SHOTS DAYS It is with the younger generation that the future of shooting lies and as such it is incumbent upon organisations such as ours to ensure that the skills of shooting are passed down through future generations. To this end Holland & Holland are leading the way in providing both the facilities and the courses for the young shooter and actively promoting their cause to a wider audience. The young shots courses provide youngsters of both sexes with an introduction to shotgun shooting, as well as information on such topics as; gun safety (on which we place great importance), quarry identification and fieldcraft. For the period of the course we provide all the necessary equipment, including
a suitably sized gun and eye and ear protection. The next course will take place at the Holland & Holland shooting Grounds at Northwood in December 2007. Places on these courses are always in demand and early booking is strongly recommended. The cost of the young shots day will be £95 inclusive of all equipment and lunch.
SYNDICATE SHOOTS
The syndicate shoot provides an ideal way for shooting syndicates to brush up their techniques, as well as providing a useful pre-season get together. The shoots are available with one instructor for three hours at a cost of £349 between February and August and £363 between September and January.
Extra instructors are available at an additional charge. All types of clays can be presented, from fast grouse, through partridges, to high pheasants.
TWO FOR ONE
Take advantage of our very popular ‘two lessons for the price of one’ offer during January, February, March and April. This offer is limited so early booking is advisable.
GIFT VOUCHERS
An unusual, but always very welcome present, gift vouchers are just the thing for the shooting man or woman for almost any occasion. Again, available either by post or personal callers at the shooting grounds.
For more information on any of the above, and should you wish to be added to our mailing list please contact us on 01923 825349 or by email: shooting.grounds@hollandandholland.com 2 6 T H E S H O O T I N G F I E L D • VO LU M E 1 5
MAKERS OF THE FINEST SPORTING GUNS & RIFLES IN THE WORLD 3 1 - 3 3 B R U T O N S T R E E T, L O N D O N W 1 J 6 H H • T E L : 0 2 0 7 4 9 9 4 4 11 E M A I L : g u n r o o m @ h o l l a n d a n d h o l l a n d . c o m • w w w. h o l l a n d a n d h o l l a n d . c o m