The Sipe-ist

Wait until they have got wet and softened. It will be a completely different story then.

I think judging pigeon numbers is a very hard thing to do because we are only able to assess numbers when they are congregated on fields. As others have already said pigeons haven't fed on rape much this year at all, or last year for that matter. I am a farm manager and dead keen pigeon shooter so watch for pigeon activity constantly. This is my best guess as to what is happening. People have replied to this thread correctly stating that the pigeons disappear from the fields when there is a heavy acorn or beech mast harvest and have also said the birds have been on ivy berries as well. I totally agree, and would go further to say maybe in a drought year or more importantly a year with a lot of sunlight the ivy berries, that in most years pigeons will only feed on when other food sources are not readily available, are packed with protein and instead of being a fall-back food become the most attractive to them as their primary food source. Further more, if your local population is thinly spread over the vast number of trees/hedge rows that support ivy then you do not notice the total numbers easily. I know when I have launched scaring rockets over rape fields to move on a small gathering of pigeons thousands appear in the sky from all around. When the ivy berries are exhausted I predict you will see thousands of birds from apparently nowhere. It is just my opinion and probably wrong and that wouldn't be the first time.

This type of target is nearly always missed over the top because people tend to follow the target with gun on the upward part of it's flight and then when taking the shot the gun momentum pushes the shot over the now levelling or dropping target. My preferred method is to watch the target to the gun and don't address the bird until it is over it's peak. It is one presentation that until just before addressing the bird and pulling the trigger following the target doesn't help at all.

100% it is not wheat. I have to admit I don't know what it is, but I agree with whom ever it was that suggested they come from a tree or shrub/bush. If you look closely many have still got the fresh stalk attached whereas others have obviously been on the ground for a while, the stalk having lost it's sheen and colour and some have chitted and grown a shoot. They could even be weed seeds of some sort; but I know it is not wheat.

For what it's worth, I think your current choice of cartridge is a good one. I cannot and don't intend to back my preference up with factual proof, but I have shot many thousands of pigeons in my time with most types, weights and shot sizes I could lay my dirty little hands on (except steel) and although I have had considerable success with 7 1/2 shot my conclusion, regardless of price is that RC Sipes in 32g 6 shot are consistently the hardest hitting cartridge I have ever used. Hence my forum name. I believe RC 6 shot is actually UK 51/2 shot which again with absolutely no real evidence to back my claims,I believe to be the best shot size to maintain pattern density with sufficient impact to kill pigeons at very long ranges. Just personal observations gathered through years of pulling the trigger in the field. I must add I no longer use Sipes because I only use fibre wads for all but clays these days (finding a good fibre wad replacement has been a major problem). So Malcolm forget your cartridge doubts, you are not using the wrong loads.

The traditional 1 1/16 oz or 30g 6 shot game load wasn't arrived at by accident, they are probably the best compromise and the best all-rounder. So they are what I would advise most people to use, especially a relative beginner using a side by side. Having said that because I use a heavy O/U recoil isn't an issue and because I like clean kills at longish ranges I use 32g 6 shot for most of my live bird shooting, only straying from them for specific reasons.

It seems to me the original point has not been addressed.The problem sounds to me to be head lifting during or at the moment of firing the gun. A comb raiser may be a good starting point if a shooters eye alignment is too low, but it sounds like the problem re-occurred after the comb raiser was used.To me this would point to one of two things, either it is an aversion to recoil (which could still be a gun fit issue) or looking for the result of the shot before it has been fully completed (similar to lifting your head when hitting a golf ball). The best advise as usual though is go and see a decent coach.

I spent a few years with a single BSA Snipe, 30'' full choke barrel. It taught me loads.When you haven't got a second barrel as back up it tends to make you focus properly on your shot !!

Sunday 10.30 and can't wait !!

The extended tree bud/new leaf season has been the culprit this year. Ash leaves are still being munched on now, but not for much longer. So I for one will expect pigeons to start hitting the peas hard, and I think you will find peas will still feature highly on the menu, along with spring rape or mustard if you are lucky enough to have some available.

Colin , who is one of my best shooting mates , didn't run the shoot. He lived and worked on the farm that owned the ground. It was run by Pymy (I forget his first name) and I think it was Arthur Par, but I could be making that up. It was an awful long time ago.

I cannot believe these arguments still rumble on. I don't want to take sides or disagree with anyone but here are a few of my views on the subjects. Pigeons are called wood pigeons for good reason. It is their natural habitat and therefore they are very capable of getting a good living from there. This year though 'mother nature' has been ultra kind and supplied copious amounts of acorns and beech-mast (most of which has long since gone) Another natural food are ivy berries, they are in my opinion an odd subject. I believe in some years they are full of protein and therefore pigeons love them, and other years they contain much less 'goodness' and are less attractive in consequence, and are only eaten in hard times when other food sources are not available such as following significant snowfall. The reason they vary in their nutritional value I think is probably due to the weather in much the same way as wheat will vary it's protein content largely because of conditions, despite farmers providing what should be sufficient nitrogen to achieve high protein levels every year. Rape is the most controversial and frustrating crop, and some of the varied opinions probably arise from a multitude of year to year differences. Again I think the green stage of the crop varies from season to season because of many factors. There are varietal differences without doubt but also other things such as agrochemical usage ( which can alter a fields attractiveness overnight ) will all have an influence.It is a fact that modern varieties of OSR are not toxic to the 'woody' anymore as the nasties have been removed, making them more palatable to both pigeons and humans ( hence all of the rapeseed oil you can buy from Tescos now-a-days ). I also know that sometimes pigeons not only seem to like rape but even prefer it to peas before they pod-up!! They even continue to feed on the lower leaves when the plants are over a meter high, dropping into the tramlines to continue to feed on it. There are many other comments I could make but I think that is enough from me. I speak as a farm manager of a big farm and as a former semi-professional pigeon guide and a life-long pigeon shooting fanatic. I sincerely hope this post doesn't trigger lots of personal snipes as these are just my personal honest opinions and are in no way intended to be inflammatory. The Sipe-ist

personally I think they are over rated !!!

You should certainly get advice from a professional or at least someone who's opinion you can trust. I also think putting several hundred shots through it before doing anything drastic is sensible because I think it is also common to divert your focal attention back to the gun and not the target when using a new gun. Good luck.

I am intrigued, please expand on why you would change to 6 shot for roosting?