I've Gone Full Circle

[6.5x55SE]

My first Wildfowling gun was a AYA no 3 3" Magnum 28" barrels bored 1/4 and 1/2 choke.

Talking to a mate of similar age we both have found Moon Flighting our eyes are not what they used to be mine along with age and being a Welder .

Mate had found using a SbS he shot very well. So a PM to PW's Wabbitbosher resulted in me buying a Gun as described above ( Cheers Mick top man ).

A spray job to the barrels game on First shot killed a very high Canada in Surrey followed by a Drake Teal before i went Stalking for a Rutting Fallow Buck.

Back home and local various species of Duck game bird and pest/vermin fell victim but the elusive Pink's had alluded me in spite of a lot of effort and time.

So again this morning loading the AYA with Steel 32gm 2's and Steel 36gm's B's i with the two Lab's stood listening hoping even praying just One chance straining my eyes and ears yes definitely Pink's joy soon turned to heartbreak as they went miles from my location. Having a word with the Lab's i saw three large silent birds going to cross well out of range to my right telling the Lab's there Geese i gave them a call Nothing again call Nothing but they have turned at last they called closer and until this was my moment as they climbed with a Alarm call 32gm 2's folded two Pink's 36gm B's folded the third well i hoped jumped shouted so much you'd have thought I'd never shot a Goose.

Before i could send a Lab for the third Goose a Skien of 40+ Pink's headed straight at me getting down with the Dog's in the excitement I'd not reloaded quickly loading i was just in time to take the first Goose as you would a Driven Pheasant in front onto the second it to folded as the Dog's retrieved the Pink's my mind went back many many years recalling a similar flight and results but then the Pink's fell to Lead shot this morning Steel Shot.

Roll on next week fingers crossed the AYA will be claiming it's first Geese under the Moon

[flippermaj]

Yep, given up on my semi as well as I shoot much better with my AYA Yeoman Side by Side!

[m greeny]

Cracking read that thanks for sharing. Been using my o/u over my semi lately for wildfowling and not missing that 3rd shot one bit and today I dusted off the old zabala sbs for a rare walk about and forgot how nice they are to shoot managing to bag a big old cock pheasant and a snipe.

[marsh man]

Nice nostalgic post Boyd , a good workhorse that very rarely goes wrong , plus you have got the choice of two chokes out of the same gun .

 

Unlike the thread ( Pattern master code Black Choke ) where they had over 90 posts with every technicality about chokes under the sun and I tell yer the truth I was more confused at the end of it than I was at the beginning , What was the outcome ?

[Penelope]

[anser2]

I nearly joined you Boyd , with a AYA magnum s\s a few weeks ago , but the supplier never turned up ( he was from the Humberside and was going to visit friends local to me the other weekend and bring the gun with him ) , but i seemed to have found form with the Franchi s\a at the moment so for the meanwhile at least I will stick with it. If I sell it now I will lose quite a bit of money second hand and if I trade it in for a AYA magnum the Franchi will be worth treble the price of the AYA.

 

 

Changing the chokes down to IC seem to made a lot of difference to my shooting. Before I was using 1\2 choke and I could not hit a thing with it. I think 1\2 choke (***) was far too tight though I used to use a much tighter choke with my old Browing Gold.