Wilts#Dave Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 Well, firstly after a couple of brilliant unexpected sessions on clover we thought it would be quiet until harvest due to no flattened corn around and the peas looking quiet. However, as usual the pigeons turned up in several places and we've enjoyed some pretty decent days over the past month through lots of reconnaissance....2 days over the same field of peas that no one had bothered with, and a couple of days over standing wheat. The best one of which I managed to spot from probably a mile away driving along the valley opposite and not keeping my eyes on the road when I saw some grey specs in the distance. That was a fortnight or so ago and resulted in 103 pigeons picked using the beretta 20 bore, and a fantastic day! There is a pattern we've noticed of late though, and that is how invariably people don't seem to spot situations when we (Dad usually) have as there's not 100's on a field but strong flightlines....then as soon as we've had a decent day half the county seem to turn up and shoot the hell out of the field over the following week! Ahh well, that's pigeon shooting for you, and unfortunately we're not sole shooters on any of our ground so that's the way it goes having to gauge when to let fields build up and when not to. Tough isn't it?! Anyway, enough rambling on but that brings me to the week just gone and perhaps the chance of a first go on some stubble at last. A few fields of barley to go at, but with few pigeons on them over the first week it's easy to stop looking on them, but luckily we did. Dad had spotted a good number on a field that a couple of days previously was almost dead but a chance meeting with the contractor who told him the field was to be cultivated the next day put pay to that, so he thought. I happened to be going by that way for work and glanced at the field the next day to see no tractors and plenty of pigeons....annoying or what! So the next day I said I'd look again on the way back through and sure enough no tractor again so called Dad and he said he'd give it a go. I got to his just before he left so we left and managed to get set up by about 1.30. Magnet and flapper once again to start, heavy rain showers were a problem all afternoon and the final onslaught of heavy rain saw us pack up at 4.30 with 63 picked and a few lost in the thick woodland behind. A little disappointing given the number of birds flighting but I'm 100% sure had we shot the field the previous day when the weather was right it would have been 100+ Hushpower day ! So that brings me on to yesterday and a small half field of barley stubble I'd spotted not far from home and had been keeping my eye on. Again, dad had looked at the field the week before and it was devoid of pigeons but a chance drive by and I spotted a few at the bottom end of the field in amongst a load of crows (making them hard to spot) but a strong flightline in. The only issue was a caravan site on one side of the field just over the boundary so we had to shoot away from that and the sensible decision made to use the hushpower .410 again and give it another outing. I shot 30 on some standing wheat with it not long ago and every time I use it seem to get more and more confident. We didn't set up until 13.45 but put off plenty of birds so were hopeful we'd get a few shots. Dad had literally just drove off to park up when I saw a pigeon right on the decoys, one shot quickly loaded and the first pigeon of the day came down. With that the tap opened and the pigeons just started to come back, and with only the magnet and flapper (an old original shooters warehouse one, not the FF4) they seemed to be decoying a treat or coming over close enough for the .410 to hold its own. and hold its own it did.....I've never shot better with it and everything just clicked into place. Doubles were happening, and consistent kills at up to 25 yards more often than not along with a fair few 30yard plus shots that didn't seem possible when I first used the gun. BUT...I bought 500 gamebore magnum shells when we bought it back at the beginning of the year thinking they would last forever, and these were running out fast. The last 75 were in the bag for today and I'd used them up in the first hour and a half with a shocklingly good average. The only other shells we had were 2.5 inch fibres so I had to make the swap to these. Frustratingly I knew what would happen and sure enough the longer birds I was flattening were now being winged or feathered so I had to reduce the range again, and to be honest my average took a bit of a tumble. I got the measure of them in the end though, they were a little slower and I don't think pattern anything like as well as the gamebore but I used all that we brought with us in total (180 or so including the magnums) and stopped shooting dead on 5 o clock. Awesome afternoon and the birds had just decoyed a treat, one of those days. We only used the 10 on cradles for the pattern with literally 2 or 3 on the floor then took the rest in as we shot them, a bigger pattern just wasn't necessary! Final count up made 97 pigeons picked, with several more we couldn't find lodged in the thick hedge and 3 big old carrion crows. Ecstatic to be honest, and as good as the first tonne with the .410.....couldn't have been more chuffed with that bag. I don't think I'd have believed someone if they'd told me that's what they'd shot with the little .410 but it's do able and I can't get enough of it. And with little to noise no disturbance no problems with irate memebers of the public either, perfect !! Thanks for reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 Great write up and some good shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 Great report and an interesting read as always Dave, well shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 That was a good read and shows that, "time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted" as a clever man once said. Your success with the .410 Hushpower is also impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisdom Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 Nice article . Very good shooting with the 410 They are very underestimated in the right hands as you have proved they are highly effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 I like to think that as you have found, one thing that has guaranteed me som good bags is spotting that little wavy line of pigeons heading somewhere like ants! Usually followed by stopping in the middle of the road and getting tutted at. Did that last summer and shot 175 dropping into a maize strip, and walking into a 6" wide strip of barley and pulling the ears down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 I always enjoy your posts, Dave. Great results, well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 Yes well done to your Dad for spotting and both of you for doing so well. It is the spotting element that is missing in the lives of a lot of pigeon shooters. I suppose time restraints are mostly to blame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingmachine Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 great read great bit of shoooting well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted August 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 Yes well done to your Dad for spotting and both of you for doing so well. It is the spotting element that is missing in the lives of a lot of pigeon shooters. I suppose time restraints are mostly to blame. 100% correct JDog. And as you say time constraints often restrict the majority of pigeons shooters time spent out looking for opportunities, without which you'll never shoot decent bags consistently or very often. Of course we all get lucky and shoot good bags with little reconnaissance but they're not the rule, I enjoy the challenge of spotting a flightline or good opportunity, that often someone else may not have done! Thanks for all other replies, anyone else got a .410?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 100% correct JDog. And as you say time constraints often restrict the majority of pigeons shooters time spent out looking for opportunities, without which you'll never shoot decent bags consistently or very often. Of course we all get lucky and shoot good bags with little reconnaissance but they're not the rule, I enjoy the challenge of spotting a flightline or good opportunity, that often someone else may not have done! Thanks for all other replies, anyone else got a .410?! I have a .410 like yours and I should shortly be getting a .410 o/u for pigeon shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted August 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 I have a .410 like yours and I should shortly be getting a .410 o/u for pigeon shooting. How do you get on with the pump? Took a bit of getting used to for me but really got to grips with it now, surprised how well it shoots and the ranges it kills. Bet an o/u would be a proper tool, the pump is hard to swing onto pigeons when they're jinking around on the wind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted August 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 I have a .410 like yours and I should shortly be getting a .410 o/u for pigeon shooting. How do you get on with the pump? Took a bit of getting used to for me but really got to grips with it now, surprised how well it shoots and the ranges it kills. Bet an o/u would be a proper tool, the pump is hard to swing onto pigeons when they're jinking around on the wind! Been out again today with the .410 on a small rape stubble field and had another good session ending with 64 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muncher Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 I have a .410 like yours and I should shortly be getting a .410 o/u for pigeon shooting. Money bags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 How do you get on with the pump? Took a bit of getting used to for me but really got to grips with it now, surprised how well it shoots and the ranges it kills. Bet an o/u would be a proper tool, the pump is hard to swing onto pigeons when they're jinking around on the wind! Been out again today with the .410 on a small rape stubble field and had another good session ending with 64 I still find the pump tricky, but I can hit a few with it. I reckon I could use the o/u straight away and be pretty good with it. Money bags Ha ha. I've got a long way to go to catch up with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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