The Old Swede: The Guns and The Ground
Tradition is not the past. It’s the shot that still echoes.
Feature Gunmaker
James Woodward & the Over and Under
James Woodward’s 1913 invention of the over and under shotgun reshaped British gunmaking. Unlike clunky Continental stack-barrels, Woodward's design featured low-profile mechanics, perfect balance, and refined elegance—qualities later admired by gunmakers across Europe. In 1948, the house of Purdey acquired the design, preserving it as the Purdey-Woodward Over and Under.
This summer, James Purdey & Sons unveiled the Woodward Edition, a reimagined masterpiece with scalloped edges, classic rose-and-scroll engraving, and bespoke walnut stocks. It honors Woodward’s genius while offering modern handling and precision—heirloom innovation at its best.
View the Purdey Woodward Edition
Shooting School
West London Shooting School
Founded in 1901, West London Shooting School has shaped more British sportsmen than any other institution. From Prime Ministers to professional keepers, its famed instructors and immaculate grounds—complete with grouse butts, high pheasant towers, and covert woodland offer a faithful simulation of Britain’s finest drives.
Lord Lovat and Robert Churchill were early patrons; today’s courses preserve that legacy with a blend of tradition and technical modernity. The school’s signature Pre Season Tune Up remains the benchmark for sportsmen preparing for Highland or Southern partridge.
Book at West London Shooting School
Estate Visit
Frank Boddy Mountgarret Shoot, North Yorkshire
Tucked in the folds of the North York Moors lies the Mountgarret Shoot, a storied estate where high-flying pheasant and partridge test even the surest hands. Revived by legendary shoot owner Frank Boddy, this ground has earned cult status among purists seeking bold topography and traditional Yorkshire hospitality.
Drives like Crows Nest and Greenhow Bank bring heart-pounding action, with birds surging across gorse-clad ridges on the wind. Boddy’s eye for presentation and the estate’s deep roots with the Earl of Mountgarret ensure each day is equal parts sport and spectacle.
Mountgarret Shoot
Gun Dog
Ryglen Kennels & the Rise of English Flushing Dogs
Flushing breeds are seeing a renaissance and Ryglen Kennels is at the helm. Based in Illinois but bred from entirely from British bloodlines, their English Cocker Spaniels and Springer Spaniels deliver drive, obedience, and undeniable charm. Where once pointers ruled, these compact dynamos now dominate both Southern quail courses and British walked-up days.
Their rise reflects a return to traditional fieldcraft dogs that quarter, flush, and retrieve all in tight cover. Ryglen’s selective breeding focuses on temperament, nose, and athleticism, producing dogs that work with joy and style. For estates demanding biddable, bouncy energy these dogs are the new benchmark.
Visit Ryglen Kennels
Shoot Lunch
The Classic According to JC Jeremy Hobson
Few know the art of the shoot lunch better than J.C. Jeremy Hobson, whose book The Shoot Lunch is both a celebration and a manual. For Hobson, the perfect field repast is “an occasion as vital as the first drive,” a careful balance of warming stews, hearty pies, game terrines, and well-chosen port.
His signature lunch? Roast partridge with red wine and juniper, followed by a treacle tart and cream, served in a wind-proof marquee beside a blazing brazier. It's more than sustenance it’s ritual. Hobson reminds us that the shoot lunch is where memories are salted, and tradition seasoned.
Read The Shoot Lunch Now
Quote from the GunPlow Library
“The finest shots are those who have learned patience from the moor, quickness from the covert, and humility from the empty bag. For it is not the bird that crowns the day, but the manner in which it was taken—or spared.”
— Eric Parker, Shooting by Moor, Field & Shore
GunPlow Classic Library Coming Soon
Order Shooting by Moor Here
