SEPTEMBER has offered the best chance of seeing some summer weather in recent years and many will be hoping for an Indian Summer after the serious flooding in Ireland that has had disastrous consequences for farming and game life.

I always enjoyed a spot of pigeon shooting in September but I can’t do that any longer in the Republic as the humble pigeon has found its way onto the game list. This is reminiscent of the problems created by a too centralised Government in Europe that doesn’t understand that circumstances differ from place to place never mind from country to country.

What suits Tuscany may not suit Tipperary and I’d hate to try growing grapes in the north of Scotland but that seems to be the thought process used by the Brusselcrats.

I rarely go after ducks on September 1, or even into October, and the belief that there will be none left is far too frequently spread by some shooters as an excuse for their own greed. Why not leave the ducks until they are worth shooting for the table? Flappers provide little sport and less eating anyway!

Target shooting

I am getting plenty of target shooting at the Dublin Target Sports Club range and I may even be improving, although I don’t expect to make a competitive team at my stage in life but I will enjoy myself.

Having been brought up in shooting by some older and wiser hands, I have always been careful about cleaning a gun and I have acquired a collection of rods, jags, mops and brushes to suit various bores and calibres over many years. Now I have just tried the ‘Boresnake’ for the first time and it certainly does a good job.

The countryside has a nasty habit of depositing various forms of dangerous debris in the barrels if you’re not careful and it is one of the most effective ways of causing a serious accident.

Snow, mud, leaves and all the other odd bits and pieces found in the countryside can effectively cause enough blockage in a barrel to lose you not only the barrel but also a hand or a couple of fingers. A clean gun is just the same as a clean machine – it works better!

Even with modern ammunition there is going to be some fouling and, whilst you’re unlikely to have to resort to kettles of boiling water as the old black powder men did, money and time spent on proper cleaning is well worthwhile.

Be careful of using aerosol oils or lubricants as some contain propellants which won’t help the woodwork and may not be at all suitable for a gun. Buying a good gun oil or bore solvent is essential if you want to protect your valued firearm.

There is a growing interest in what might be described as vintage or classic rifles in the Republic and many Lee Enfields and Martinis have been put back into good order but covering this story deserves a lot more space so I will write about it shortly.

To many shooters these guns have a special attraction as they were once the top of the range for many of the world’s armed forces and, being well made, they have stood the test of time.

To give you a taste of what I might write about, take a look at the photographs taken at the first shoot organised by the Vintage Classic Rifle Association of Ireland. You can feel that woodwork, can’t you?