flippermaj

So does anyone know what the actual risk to human health is of eating these very small fragments of lead ?

Are these the equivalent of UK feral? The birds seem a bit daft as the guys are in full view?

Went for my first summer foray for the pigeons this morning and was flighting a few along the shoreline not to far from the Cromarty Bridge on the Black Isle and what came and cruised along the tree line but a young Sea Eagle. Well thats what it appears to be to me. It spent about 3 mins just stationary in the strong breeze some 30 yards from me. Took some photos and video with my very old phone so the quality isn't great but what a sight. I have seen them a fully grown on the wing in Skye but didn't realise there were any in this neck of the woods. It is a Sea Eagle isn't it, had a white tail and was defo an Eagle if not a Sea Eagle? On the pigeon front managed 7 in a very strong wind giving tricky flighting conditions.

Up in Inverness https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/534736971731628/. A dozen flocked pinks I think. £100

Mitsubishi ASX petrol model. Good ground clearance and high ish driving position. Boots not massive, good economy and if you get the right model, heated seats auto lights hilll start etc. No spare wheel though, you can purchase one though.

Finally an update for you eager folk!!!! The gun remand in the gunsmiths for nearly 4 months awaiting a part that has still not arrived so I put post in the Wanted section to see if anyone had a spare trigger group. Well thanks to a fine member on here by the name of Mellors I got more than a trigger group, I got a whole Armsan 612 camo verison but with broken bolt. Not only that but a handful of spares and chokes all chucked in and the whole lot was for free, what an amazing result so thank you Mellors!! I not only swapped the trigger group over but also the camo barrel as it will with stand the rust a bit better than the original matt black one I had. It's definately one of a kind now with a camo barrel and trigger group and I still have the other gun for spares!

Might work out cheaper for all if you could just post the trigger group up as no need for rfd transfer fees?

Hi Mellors, That is a sad tale indeed! I would like to take you up on the offer if you are okay to rfd it up (at my expense) as I live in Inverness? cheers mark

My gunsmith has been trying to get a new shell lifter for my Armsan A612 for 3 months with no joy from the UK importer. Does anyone have a gun they are breaking who could sell me either the lifter or the complete trigger group? Cheers Mark

With the outlander when you turn on the heater it switches to ICE

Wife has a Mitsubishi Outlander phev. A great car for a family and as she only drives around town most days she can drive on the battery nearly all day, battery only range is about 18 miles. True it only does about 26 or so miles to the gal on petrol only though. I was very impressed at the driving experience under battery power plus all the gadgetry to try and recharge the battery while on the go.

Well as there haven't been many posts of late I am forced to write one! I had planned a morning on the drillings but work got in the way so I was only left with an hour in the afternoon. As I walked down to the bottom of the field 60 or so pigeons flew out of the trees and away to a wood about half a mile away. As it was bright and sunny with not much wind I wasn't sure any would come back so sat about to see what would happen, one returning bird in 10 mins was enough encouragement for me so I chucked out 8 shell decoys and waited! I was keen to get a shot as after a long bout of Gunnitus which resulted in the purchase of an Armsan 612 from the Jan Holts auction (still in the gunsmiths awaiting a shell lifter so yet to be used!), a Benelli Supernova which I just found too big and heavy but very well built, I was back out with my Winchester SXP pump which I daftly sold two years ago and bought back last week! So the first bird came in while I was putting the net up so left un-saluted. The next pair, dropped the first but failed to connect with the second. The next hour produced what I would call a steady stream of birds but for those further South I suspect it would have been too slow and wouldn't have warranted the effort! You have to remember that up here in the far North (Inverness-shire) any more than a brace is a good days pigeon shooting and a red letter day is if you get into double figures! Being back with the SXP was great and after an hour the tractor came into the field to finish rolling it so with 8 in the bag for 13 shots including a right and left plus a sitter that doesn't really count I left with nearly a red letter day! As you can probably tell from the photo, the gundog is also the family pet as is the way with Cockers!

Well I took the Benelli out for a test today. Put 7 gamebore 3 inch steel carts and 1 Winchester 3.5 inch steel cart through and all cycled fine so it must just be the extra high brass cheddites it doesn’t like. I did some rough and ready patterning and I was impressed with the factory half choke, as good as my kicks hi flyer extra full in the sx3.

While my Armsan is still in the gun shop waiting parts I have managed to get my hands on a nearly new Nova. It is as good as brand new, looks like it has only fired a couple of test shots. Anyway, took it to the clays today and it cycled low brass carts a dream. Then took it roost shooting and the only carts I had where some 70mm Cheddite Elite 36 grm No 4 lead high brass, a bit over the top but gave them a go. Every time I fired and tried to pump it it was as good as jammed up, it took a lot of force to pump it making it unusable. Still managed 4 pigeons though! I got back to the car and ran some of the low brass clay carts through it and it cycled fine, stuck a Cheddite high brass in and it jams up. Anyone had similar problems? I am hoping it is just the Cheddites it dioesn't like but I am surprised it is fussy. My normal wildfowling loads would be Gamebore 3 inch and 3.5 inch steel shells, does any one with a Nova out there run these and are they OK? I have read of some new guns needing the chamber polished out a bit (usually cheap Remmingtons) but I thought Benelli was supposed to be a quality gun? Any suggestions welcome! Cheers Flipper

Looks a good job. Out of interest did you take the stock off the action to do the work or leave it all complete and work on it like that?

I thought about trying to bend the shell lifter but then thought better of it. It is now at the gunsmiths, called them today and they are waiting on parts, not sure what parts but I will update you all when I get it back!

So I investigated further today and fired some 3 inch steel and 70mm 42grm lead loads through it. Jammed every time and it was clear to see why. Every time the next shell was lifted up to be loaded it didn't get lifted high enough to line up with the chamber, or it was prevented from being lifted high enough by the bolt coming forward to early. I have posted a picture below of where the shell is when it jams and you can clearly see the miss alignment. I also noticed that the shell lifter sticks out below the lines of the gun when the bolt is fully home. So I took it to the local gun shop so that I could compare it to a working one! The shell lifetr should not sit as low as it does. Also the bolt release button worked fine on the new ones so there is clearly something wrong with mine. It's still with the gunshop but does anyone have any ideas whats going on to cause this miss alignment?

HantsRob, thanks for the info, if I can get it to cycle reliably I may be in touch about a choke or two! Cheers

So I have taken a dip back into the "dark side" and have my hands on a used Armsan a612. It looks to have done little work so I took it as it was for a few test shots with Eley eco steel 32grm Out of a dozen or so shots it failed to load the second cartridge most times. The spent cartridge ejected just fine and the second one cycled up but failed to chamber, it was fully visible as the mechanism stopped with the bolt back and the cartridge up and almost in line with the chamber but not moved forward. I took it home and stripped and oiled it as it looked bone dry and it was clean anyway but I gave it the once over, checked the ports, O ring etc. From new do these Armsans need any running in? I may try a box of 36grm steel through it tomorrow. A couple of other questions. The bolt release button is very hard to press in compared to other autos I have come across, the easeiest way is to slightly pull the bolt back with one hand thus releasing some pressure on the bolt release button and at the same time with the other hand press the bolt release button. Is this normal, seems a bit of a faff? The sling swivel stud is missing from the stock, I guess it has been ripped out and the thread wrecked. Would the best fix be to get a replacement and araldite it in place? Finally, it only came with one choke that has 5 notches marked on it, it seems very open, anyone know what choke the 5 represents? Cheers Flipper

I have put a lot of gamebore steel 32grm 4s and this year eley 32grm 3s for the geese. Mine is choked something like quarter and full. No issues with mine and steel.

Hicky, I have the exact same model of Yeoman. Not many of these about, it is an excellent gun, I use mine for everything including geese on the shore, enjoy it!

Hi there, is the light full a steel proofed choke?

JDog, I don’t post much but I really look forward to your excellent and witty posts. I do envy your pigeon numbers, don’t get half the chances and numbers up here in the frozen North! Regards Flipper

Had to at least get out of the house today! No guns today, just the spinning rod. Thought I would do well not to blank but plenty of small pollack and collies about, kept 3 as my fish freezer is low. All caught at Neist point Skye.

As smoker smith says, just try it! Will probably be fine, take it to the clays and 😊