The GunsOnPegs Podcast

Diggory Hadoke returns for a dive into vintage guns: how an air rifle, an eccentric primary school teacher and a childhood spent taking old farm guns apart led to a life as a gun dealer, writer, archivist and vintage gun expert. We ask what makes a gun “vintage” rather than simply old, and whether the best sporting guns were effectively perfected before the Second World War. The conversation then turns to steel, bismuth, proof marks and whether vintage guns are still worth owning in the non-toxic era.

Diggory Hadoke joins George and Chris to answer three listener dilemmas about the unwritten rules of shooting: what does it mean if you're invited to “have a go” on a family shoot, and is there a correct way to issue an invitation? What do you do when a dream loading trip clashes with your significant other's significant birthday? And do we have a duty to speak up if we see something on a shoot day that feels wrong?

D'Arcy Wyvill's family have owned the Constable Burton estate for centuries, so he's better placed than many to offer a view on why the shooting community (and the countryside in general) value tradition and heritage so very much, and what makes a shoot a place rather than an event.

The wide-ranging conversation also covers sustainable shooting, the legacy of the British Game Alliance and why so many see Yorkshire as the ultimate shooting destination.

D’Arcy Wyvill of Constable Burton joins George and Chris to tackle some correspondence. Should you avoid certain colours for certain quarry, and is there a 'wrong' sort of green for a fieldcoat?

The episode then turns serious with a listener’s suggestion that new guns should pass a practical safety test before shooting driven game, prompting a proper discussion about low birds, loaders, common sense, clay-ground habits and D’Arcy’s own experience of being shot on a grouse moor.

We interrupt your normal programming for a very important emergency episode.

With the news that Defra has launched a 'call for evidence' on all aspects of game shooting, Chris and George are joined by BASC Chief Executive Ian Bell, who helps us to understand what it all means, and how we can all help.

BASC'S ADVICE ON HOW TO FILL IN THE CALL FOR EVIDENCE:

https://basc.org.uk/thevoiceofshooting/

George and Chris are joined again by Marc Newton, Managing Director of John Rigby & Co, for the full Rigby story: how a country-mad teenager went from Saturday boy at Orvis to apprentice under Paul Roberts, then found himself at 25 being asked to relaunch one of Britain’s great gunmaking names. Marc explains how Rigby returned to London, and how the company rebuilt its reputation by making rifles that were true to the brand’s dangerous-game heritage.

The conversation ranges from Jim Corbett’s legendary .275 Rigby apprenticeships, and how animal-rights squatters nearly left the next chapter of Rigby's story unwritten. Plus Marc shares a Desert Island Shooting that turns into a love letter to safari and cold beer, and the people we hunt with.

George and Chris are joined by Marc Newton of John Rigby & Co for an episode that begins with alcoholic iced tea, Tusker beer, shooting drinks and the question of whether alcohol helps or hinders your shooting.

The correspondence starts with a listener heading salmon fishing and wondering what to give generous hosts when whisky, wine and sloe gin feel a bit obvious.

There’s also advice for a soon-to-be father trying to make the most of his last child-free season.

Finally, the team hear from a listener who actually followed GoP’s advice and hosted a game barbecue, converting friends with wild boar burnt ends, Korean fried pheasant, venison backstrap and the promise of stalking trips to come.

George and Chris are joined again by Carlo Beretta to discuss the extraordinary 500-year history of Beretta, from Bartolomeo Beretta’s 1526 contract for arquebus barrels to the company’s place today as one of the great names in global gunmaking. Carlo explains what it means to be the sixteenth generation of the family, and how the company balances heritage, industrial production, hand craftsmanship, robotics and AI.

The conversation ranges from the enduring appeal of the Silver Pigeon to the company's special 500th anniversary projects. Plus: AI wood grading, the most beautiful shotgun Carlo has ever seen, and a Desert Island Shooting that returns, fittingly, to home, friends, food and family.

George and Chris are at the Game Fair with Carlo Beretta. Beginning with rally clays and Carlo’s first impressions of the great British countryside gathering, there’s also discussion of Italian outdoor shows, Carlo's family vineyards Franciacorta, local beer, and the pressure of shooting well when your surname happens to be Beretta.

The correspondence takes the conversation into the etiquette of walked-up shooting, Italian hunting culture, dogs, and what British shooters might learn from Europe. A second listener letter describes the extraordinary demands of getting a Dutch hunting licence, prompting a debate about whether the UK’s low barrier to entry is a blessing, a problem, or a missed opportunity.

Part two of the Game Fair live show sees us tackle one of shooting's most hotly contested questions - where's the best place in the UK to put gun to shoulder? We settle the debate once and for all using a highly democratic approach.

We also bid au revoir to three very special people in the podcast's history...