Shootist Lord Ripon

BritChaser

BritChaser

Well-known member
A bit of hunting trivia: Lord Ripon of Great Britain claimed to have shot more than 500,000 head of game (all types including upland) between 1867 and 1923, journaling all. He is reputed to have had seven dead pheasants in the air simultaneously, a feat made possible by using three doubles reloaded and fed to him by two bearers. He is reputed to have been observed prior to a hunt in his library practicing the three-gun technique with the bearers.
 
Earl De Gray, ( Ripons actual title), shot butterfly, dragon flies, hornets, etc. to keep fit. The rooster were 5 in the air at one time. His compatriot was Lord Wallsingham, they married well, to afford this. Guests of the Royal Family, and automatic guest for shoots around the country. In those days and today, the estates sell game at the meat market, having a crack shot was good policy. He has a record of exactly how many species and number he shot. Some claim they were excessive and greedy. I am disturbed that I missed the shoot! It was a different time, and cannot be compared to present day. I sure would like to have his Purdey shotguns today.
 
Pretty impressive. I have had 3 doves dead in the air before loading my own O/U.:D
 
no wonder there are no birds to hunt, he killed all of the breeding stock, :), I can not even imagine the amount of birds that there must have been back them. I can only dream of it I guess.:(
 
By the way, they shotthose birds "as they came", high, full steam ahead, and did it with a moderate load of basically 3-1-7's, out to 50 yards! I don't think I ever shoot at 50 yard birds!
 
The fella's exploits are well known, he made sure of that, and were more an example of the excesses of Victorian and Edwardian times than anything but to rack up those numbers with hammerguns would have been something to see in progress....a dance of sorts.
Most birds killed were raised to be shot, over half were pheasants, no? and were presented well but skill certainly was developed and no doubt he put a hurting on the red grouse and black game, in the British Isles especially. Rabbits were all pre-Mixy, I reckon and I would not be surprised to see shitepokes and all else fair game to him.
However, his numbers would reduce shooting, as no or little hunting was involved, to a level of work for all involved from Ol Rip himself, the loaders, especially the drivers and gamekeepers and all others.
Interesting Time in many ways other than those excesses and I would have liked to at least have snuck a peek at those days from the sidelines, as once in a shooting butt would be enough for me. Competitions by killing that Ripon had with himself and others would soon pale for most of us.
Be also difficult to employ the idea of crop damage used at times today in South America and elsewhere.....how many pigeons did Digweed shoot in a day? I don't think he broke 1000 but, the number was up there.
Yes, once may even be more than enough.
 
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oldandnew said:
Earl De Gray, ( Ripons actual title), shot butterfly, dragon flies, hornets, etc. to keep fit. The rooster were 5 in the air at one time. His compatriot was Lord Wallsingham, they married well, to afford this. Guests of the Royal Family, and automatic guest for shoots around the country. In those days and today, the estates sell game at the meat market, having a crack shot was good policy. He has a record of exactly how many species and number he shot. Some claim they were excessive and greedy. I am disturbed that I missed the shoot! It was a different time, and cannot be compared to present day. I sure would like to have his Purdey shotguns today.
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Five dead in the air sounds believable.
 
BritChaser said:
Five dead in the air sounds believable.
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I had one opportunity.... 5 shells in the gun..... pointed birds...... but the limit was 3 :eek:. I don't think I could have done it in the air, they were flushing, to low. I guess we have the opportunity, the shooting preserves do "continental shoots".
 
BritChaser said:
Five dead in the air sounds believable.
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I hate to be a naysayer but, I don't think there is time to pull it off with roosters. Assuming he shot the farthest ones at 60 yards. In the time it would take to shoot twice, receive a gun from your assistant, twice, it can't be done. How long would it take a pheasant flying left to right at say 35 mph, get shot and continue without hitting the ground? 5 seconds? 6?. It would take at least half of that to find and shoot again. Couple seconds to receive new gun and repeat. Best case scenario the whole adventure takes 15 or 20 seconds. By then at least 2 or 3 birds are on the ground. Call myth busters.
 
Unlikely that the pheasants Ripon normally shot would be flying right to left or left to right....there would have been a wave coming pretty much head on and most likely at a distance elevation-wise.....driven off a hill, for example, with the butts spread out below.
Mention of the bird's condition as the spaniels picked-up was not likely noted in his journal either.
Plus, add a bit of healthy exaggeration at times and Bob's Your Uncle.
 
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