Sporting Gun UK – May 2019

Great subscription deals at http://www.sportinggunsubs.co.uk MAY 2019SPORTING GUN 13

Shootingprofile

ammoreoftheriflemaninthefamilyasI

enjoyallaspectsoftheprecisioninvolved.

Werunballisticsandreloadingcourses,

whichhaveprogressedintoa precisionrifle

club.Gettinginvolvedwithdeerhappened

The working man’s

gun shop

SGmeetsMartinandChris

Lamb,thefatherandson

whorunTheCountry

SportsShopofNewton

AbbotinDevon

“Forme,thepleasureisinthe

processthatleadsupto pulling

the trigger,notthekilling”

Passionate advocates: Martin and Chris Lamb

Howoldisthebusiness?

Martin:Westartedbyfocusingonfishing

tacklebutaddeda fewairgunstotest

themarket.Localshootersresponded

positively,sowemovedintoSection 1

and2 firearmsin 2010 andthe shop has

transformed since then.

Whatareyourshootingbackgrounds?

Chris:I prefertheshotgunsside;I lovemy

clayandgameshootingandreallyenjoy

thesocialaspects.BothDadandI believe

inthe‘killit,cookit,eatit’philosophy.

I havea deepinterestinthetechnical

sideoffirearmsandspenda lotoftime

researchingandlearningmore.

Martin:I startedofffishingbutmy

grandfather set up targets in the garden

leavestheshopwitha shotgunthatfits.

Looksandbrandtakesecondplaceto

whetherornotyoucan expect to hit

somethingwithit.

Chris:Nomatterwhatyourshooting

discipline,you’llfindsomeoneherewho

canchatabouthunting,clays,precision

shootingorreloadingandansweryour

questions.Theresidentgunsmith is another

great source of advice.

Whatdoyouthinkarethebiggest

challengesfacingshootingtoday?

Martin:Thepublicperceptionofshooting

andhuntersingeneral.Despitethefact

thatwedoaninvaluablejobpreservingthe

countryside,peoplearefedsomefunny

ideasaboutus.Also,it’sdifficulttoget

youngstersinvolved.I’dliketoseemore

positivestories.Therelationshipbetween

shootersandnon-shootersismuch

betterontheContinent.Overhereweare

portrayedassenselesskillers,butnothing

couldbefurtherfromthetruth.Forme,the

pleasureisintheprocessthatleadsupto

pullingthetriggerratherthanthekilling

itself– andputtingtheresultsona plate.

Chris:I’mconcernedaboutreducing

environmentalimpacts.Inparticular,

I’dliketoseetheendofplasticshotgun

wads.Leadisalwaysgoingtobean

issueandalthoughit’sveryquietonthat

frontatthemoment,we’vegottokeep

developingalternatives.Shootersneedto

getawayfromanimageofusingoutdated

technologyandbecome more obviously

forward-thinking.

Whatarethetrends in the shooting

retailmarket?

Martin:Nightvisionisdefinitelythebig

thing,withtechnology improving and

pricesreducing.

Chris:Brandsarebecominglessimportant

andthemodernshooterismuchmore

interestedinwhattheygetfortheirmoney.

Thereislessofa qualitygapbetween

high-endandentry-levelkit,which is

The premises, like the owners, are down to earth getting better all the time.

formetoshootatwitha little.177Webley

Juniorairrifle.Seriousshootingcamelater

anditwasa surprisetolearnthatmostof

our early fi shing customers shot as well. I

almostbyaccidentbutI developedan

almostovernightpassionforthemand

todayI findmyselfchairmanoftheBritish

Deer Society’s south-west branch.

Andyouareafamilybusiness?

Chris:Verydefinitely.I startedworking

herepart-timeafterI finishedmylast

A-level exam and I’ve been here ever since.

Whatcanreadersexpectiftheyvisit?
Martin:Weareproudtobeknownas
‘theworkingman’sgunshop’.Westock
productsthatpeoplecanaffordbutmore
importantly,dothejob.Wetakespecial
ANDREW SYDENHAM care to ensure that a customer always