Absolutely agree. Moderators are immersion killers in my view. Not only because they're non-traditional but also because they're just plain ugly and as you mention, give the rifle the appearance of an assassin's weapon. If you were employed to cull a herd or slaughter a truck-load of vermin or something like that then yes, I can see they'd have a place, but not on a hunting rifle. Not in my view.

Also, it's been my experience that a single shot won't, in many circumstances, spook red deer in areas adjacent to your immediate hunting ground. A volley of shots will do it for sure but a single shot typically won't.

There are a couple of things that make me feel somewhat uncomfortable about the UK shooting experience. Aside from having to pay (which I understand is a necessary evil in that part of the world) I abhor the widespread use of moderators and I also find the seeming ubiquity of 'gun bags' out in the field weird. I don't know why you'd want to carry extra 'stuff' into the field but it's almost as though the individuals concerned are a bit embarrassed to be seen with a rifle. Maybe there's a very good reason for it that I just don't 'get' but it just seems odd to me.

I just thank Christ I live where I live and have the ability to roam over vast areas of public land with gay abandon - rifle in hand.