Michael Yardley

Michael Yardley

Mike Yardley, the author of a dozen books and more than two million words of journalism, is one of the world’s best known writers on sporting guns and shooting technique. He’s a graduate of London University and Sandhurst. His books include: Positive Shooting, The Shotgun: An Instructor’s Handbook & Backing Into the Limelight and a biography of T.E.Lawrence. He has broadcast much on terror, made films on JFK and RFK for the Discovery Channel, and was a main contributor to the Oxford History of the British Army. He has 70,000+ Twitter followers. He is also on Facebook and Linked in.

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Smith & Torok .410

This test gun is a London-made 30in .410 side-by-side sidelock by Smith & Torok. It is made on the Purdey-Beesley self-opening system with a rounded action bar. Maker Alex Torok…

Pheasant

To think too much at the wrong moment and stop mid-swing or as you pull the trigger, may be noted as amongst the cardinal sins in shooting (breaches of safety…

Beretta 687 EELL ‘Classic’

This review focuses on the aesthetically modified, version of the well-established and popular Beretta EELL over-and-under. Designated the 687 EELL ‘Classic’, the gun under the spotlight is a 20-bore with…

Yildiz Pro 20-bore

The Yildiz Pro 20-bore in depth This test looks at a type of gun that I have long used for much of my own game shooting: a 32in 20-bore over-and-under.…

Purdey Trigger Plate 28-bore

The test gun is a 28-bore Purdey Trigger Plate, or PTP, over-and-under. It has 28in steel-proofed, Teague-choked barrels and a narrow, subtly tapered, solid sighting rib. The non-selective single trigger…

Blaser F16 Game 20-bore

This month’s test explores the new 20-bore Blaser F16 Game. Our specimen – weighing 7lb 6oz – has 30in barrels and fleur-de-lys steel proof for 3in chambers. The single selective…

high birds pheasant shooting

Here are 10 basic tenets to help you judge range and shoot high birds. (Read more on shooting high birds here.) 1.Make sure your gun fits well  A low comb…

pheasant shooting

Different types of birds need addressing differently and your forward allowance should vary accordingly. What is forward allowance? It is allowing for the forward movement of a bird – in…