What to wear for informal syndicate?

[Dave at kelton]

Get to to the midlands game fair for cheapest in country clothing. Last big fair of the season so always bargains to be had. For me it’s breaks, check shirt, tie and v neck jumper. I always wear leather boots and gaiters but that is for comfort. After that whatever warm waterproof coat that suits your pocket. If the weather is fine a good waistcoat or quilted jacket will be fine. Most general country stores country shows or even market stalls will do them cheaply if you cannot get to the Midlands. I would always want to try on before I buy.

[scotslad]

Must admit i never wear a tie, don't even own 1.

I do often wear breeks and waistct/gillet and am tdy but i fail to see how partially strangling myself shows the birds any more respect.

Seen plenty of guns over the years dressed to 9's show birds absolutley no respect (inc wearing a tie) infact i quit a shoot last season just for that reason and i've been going there for over 30 yrs as beater/keeper/picker up

On my own syndicate i have no problem if boys wear cammo either, as lng as safe and actually show the birds respect i have no problem

 

Some like to slag sportsman gun centre but usually it has some very cheap deals going, esp on end of line stuff if ur a funny size (skinny or fat) but even there budget range HSF is pretty good for the money.

I needed a new waistcoat for last year and got 1 for 30 odd quid, prob done 50 odd days last year with it (and a lot of that fighting throu Sitka Spruce plantations) an it still looks pretty smart. Expect to get another 3-5 yrs out of it, can't go wrong at that money.

Have bought some very good deerhunter stuff off them too for not a lot of cash

[Bumble]

Moleskin breeks, checked shirt (Rydale are spot on), jumper if really cold, gilet & tie. Nothing too expensive, but smart and practical 

Edited August 19, 2018 by Bumble

[MisterGain]

With aplogies for any thread hijack, I too am looking to get some new kit as I've a couple of driven pheasant shoots booked this season.  Not looking to spend a fortune and whilst wanting to look smart I certainly won't be attending any grand shoots.  If possible I'd prefer not to look like an utter newbie even if that's pretty much the truth !

I'm sorted for wellies, shirt, tie, hat and waterproof coat so thinking of olive/loden moleskin breeks and some sort of green based tweed vest (Hoggs of Fife Harewood) - would that be generally acceptable?

As an aside, my Browning 725 sporter has extended chokes - is this a game shooting faux pas?

Comments and generally sensible comments welcome!

Thanks

[Jason_ox]

12 minutes ago, MisterGain said:

With aplogies for any thread hijack, I too am looking to get some new kit as I've a couple of driven pheasant shoots booked this season.  Not looking to spend a fortune and whilst wanting to look smart I certainly won't be attending any grand shoots.  If possible I'd prefer not to look like an utter newbie even if that's pretty much the truth !

I'm sorted for wellies, shirt, tie, hat and waterproof coat so thinking of olive/loden moleskin breeks and some sort of green based tweed vest (Hoggs of Fife Harewood) - would that be generally acceptable?

As an aside, my Browning 725 sporter has extended chokes - is this a game shooting faux pas?

Comments and generally sensible comments welcome!

Thanks

I think you’ll be fine with what you have suggested. I don’t see anything wrong with extended chokes, but I’m not everyone else. We had a guy shoot on ours who uses the exact same as you, no one was any the wiser! Good luck 

[Rewulf]

On 19/07/2018 at 22:04, ehb102 said:

 

Respect for the quarry. You are taking the lives of lots of living creatures, respect for the quarry is part of what differentiates sporting shooting from a massacre. 

Quite.
That glimpse of tie and and a well dressed gentleman looking down 2 barrels at you, just before he puts 32gm of no 6 into you, means all the world to a pheasant or partridge.
Nothing else will suffice, when sending them to game bird heaven ?

Pigeons on the other hand are far less discerning, a bit of rough old camo and a semi auto, and they are well happy.

[Walker570]

NOT moleskins breeks or trousers. If they get wet you will have hypothermia.  Either a pair of waterproof shooting trousers or wool.

With regard to the shotgun, that one will do fine. Yesteryear saw very few O/Us but now it is the opposite, unusual to see a SBS.

Early season...September into October on nice days at partridge I wear an American style upland shooting vest over my shirt, it doesn't look like a skeet vest and is much more pleasant than the warm coat I wear later on and more practical than just shirt sleeves, so , yes, a shooting vest/gillet is useful, even later in the year if the weather is favorable.

[MisterGain]

34 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

NOT moleskins breeks or trousers. If they get wet you will have hypothermia.  Either a pair of waterproof shooting trousers or wool.

With regard to the shotgun, that one will do fine. Yesteryear saw very few O/Us but now it is the opposite, unusual to see a SBS.

Early season...September into October on nice days at partridge I wear an American style upland shooting vest over my shirt, it doesn't look like a skeet vest and is much more pleasant than the warm coat I wear later on and more practical than just shirt sleeves, so , yes, a shooting vest/gillet is useful, even later in the year if the weather is favorable.

Thanks for the advice Walker 570.  I was thinking moleskin breeks to avoid the matching tweed vest and breeks look which felt a bit sartorial overkill for me!  I'll have a look at waterproof options...

[Walker570]

4 hours ago, MisterGain said:

Thanks for the advice Walker 570.  I was thinking moleskin breeks to avoid the matching tweed vest and breeks look which felt a bit sartorial overkill for me!  I'll have a look at waterproof options...

If you are not planning a whole season of driven or semi driven days then splashing out on a pair of tweed breeks is overkill. There are some smart waterproof trousers...not over trousers which will do the job and you can wear them for all occasions.  Whatever, have fun.

[panoma1]

21 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

If you are not planning a whole season of driven or semi driven days then splashing out on a pair of tweed breeks is overkill. There are some smart waterproof trousers...not over trousers which will do the job and you can wear them for all occasions.  Whatever, have fun.

I recently bought a pair of Seeland Woodcock waterproof breeks for dirty weather days! Normally wear barbour lightweight breeks for warm dry weather days! I have some tweeds but feel a bit overdressed in em! So don't wear em!

[MisterGain]

Thanks all, have been looking at the Seeland Woodcock breeks so think that may be the way forward.

[Proudly]

Our shoot was very informal. A couple of the older fellas like the shoot captain wore breeks & shooting socks. Dressed head to toe in Barbour which is local to us. Nobody was bothered what you wore. I preferred to be dry & comfortable. Its fine standing on a peg but when you’re part of a very informal shoot without beaters & you’re crawling though thick cover, working your dogs the clothing comes before tradition. You can still respect your quarry without dressing like a Lord.

[scotslad]

20 hours ago, Walker570 said:

If you are not planning a whole season of driven or semi driven days then splashing out on a pair of tweed breeks is overkill. There are some smart waterproof trousers...not over trousers which will do the job and you can wear them for all occasions.  Whatever, have fun.

Nowadays u can buy a cheap of the peg pair of breeks for as little as £30 brand new.

I have a few pairs of HSF dunbar? breeks dunno if they still do them but a funny brown colour and a funny waterproof material so not tweed, but really liked them. used them a lot beating on a shoot where u all piled in the back of LR110's usually 6-8+ in back plus the same ammount of dogs so dogs climbing all over ur legsand quite a muddy shoot, mud just wiped off easy. Weren't the best looking breeks but were very practical.

That sportsmans sells HSF brand an normal price for tweed breeks is about 30-40 quid, for value, comfort and just beating in they're far better than any trouser u'd buy at that money

 

With even cheap breeks its surprising how comfortable they are to be in, hick enough to take a bit of whins/brair's and also stand a good soakg without u bothering too much.

I often wore a set of base layer/merino leggings with breeks on top and rarely bothered puttingwaterproof trousers on and always felt comfortable (usually beating or picking up so walk a fair distance)

 

[Walker570]

Totally agree with you BUT as good as breeks even plus 4s are, they could not be called the sort of attire you could wear everyday which was my point. Walk into the pub on a Friday night in breeks and you might get your leg pulled.   Of course for any breeks you have to add the cost of a couple of pairs of long socks which are not cheap these days.  

[Westley]

On 19/07/2018 at 21:53, Walker570 said:

It's called 'tradition', sadly becoming very rare in this country of ours.  Saw a scruffy MP sat behind Boris during his speech with no tie today, totally out of order.

AND, the Leader of the Opposition looks like a certain 'magazine seller'  !

[www.sparky]

i am another one that wears a tie! its makes a that day little bit more special,

[yorkshire graeme]

If your after some cheaper waterproof trousers take a look on eBay for percussion Marley trousers. Had mine for two seasons, walk dog in them etc and they’re spot on in thick cover and have never leaked. Just ordered another pair, 40 quid delivered.  

[Rob525]

Wear what you feel comfortable in at the end of the day. I also wear a nice shirt and tie as its not just about the shooting for me its an occasion. It also does fit with tradition and makes it feel that bit more special in my eyes.

[Nmb]

We have a syndicate with 26 memebers and we have all sorts of clothing on show during a shoot day!

personally I like wearing tweed breeks and waistcoat (with tie) as I like the traditional look when shooting and for me nothing is better for getting through a tangle of brambles than a decent pair of tweeds!

I have various deer hunter and seeland kit which I wear occasionally during the season and for stalking and pigeon shooting etc.

if I was to recommend a novice on clothes I'd say buy a good pair of wellies and then buy some cheap to mid range olive or green waterproof trousers and jacket.

fancy socks and shirt and tie or optional but depends on what you fancy I guess!

 

 

 

[welshwarrior]

I wear tweed plus fours a shirt and tie not necessarily checked just a normal shirt if that’s what comes out the cupboard, a fleece Shoffel style gillet and flat cap.  

If cold or wet add a green waterproof or wool jumper. I go to everything from the local farm armed ramble to some of the smartest shoots in the country and never feel or look out of place. 

[Salop Matt]

Our DIY shoot is in formal and I wear a cheap pair of Moleskins, cheap check shirt and NGO tie, also wear a cap and a green Gillet (unbranded). Footwear either wellys or boots.

I wouldn't wear camo or jeans. I believe no matter how big or small the day you should make some effort and respect the game and the land.

[PPP]

Full tweeds for driven days, moleskin breaks and schoffel gilet for rough stuff, always shirt and tie, usually boots unless heavy ground then wellies.

[haynes]

We had to 'have words' with a new gun on our little farm shoot when he turned up in blue jeans, rigger boots and a black donkey jacket. Next shoot it looked like he was a model from the Barbour catalogue. 

Even us beaters are better dressed.