Horrocks

Repriced to £550 for the lot. £395 for the rifle alone.

Hello all. This is my sale. I would consider selling rifle separately. Thanks.

Selling my T-Bolt HMR. Should appear on gunwatch/private sales shortly.

I'd echo Gixer's comment on this topic, which seems the most reasonable so far. He's quite right in that the only way to settle this argument is to find a balance. When I was in my early teens and still hunting foxes (which I would love to do again, had I the balls to get up on a horse) I was far more partisan on the matter, it was when hunting was first banned and it really was and 'us' and 'them' sort of world. Now I feel less ardent about the whole thing. Like Gixer I would tend not to shoot a fox if I felt it was unnecessary, I can appreciate the animals for their natural beauty and as an image that is of the British countryside. I would also try to avoid shooting a nursing vixen if I knew there was a set in the area, because leaving cubs to starve (unless they could be found and dispatched)is unnecessary and inhumane. Despite that, they are undoubtedly a pest, and when I shot a fox last week that had wiped out a coup of my grandparent's chickens I was proud of myself, as were they. I shall soon be getting a .223 with the express aim of controlling the foxes in my area. I don't wish to eradicate them, but to control their numbers. Unfortunately the presenters on this program represent a growing number of people who are unwilling to take such a balanced view. They (and the vast majority of my fellow students at uni), represent a culture that deliberately remains ignorant of the natural world beyond their parks and back gardens, and that shortsightedly seeks to humanise a wild animal. I found the image of Brian May cuddling a fox cub, and the presenter's face melting as a result, highly nauseating. I also fail to see what they find cute about an animal that is increasingly living in squalor, surviving off the unnecessary waste of urban communities. These are undoubtedly people who also feel we should stop littering and despoiling our natural world, and therefore represent the large section of the population that wants to have its cake and eat it. Unfortunately that cake seems to be made out of self-righteousness. What I feel we shouldn't do is become self-righteous in return. Knee-jerk reactions are self-destructive, and it seems we can only reason with these people, tone down the us and them situation. I feel thats the only way to win, or at least halt this argument. Some of the comments on here, for it is an open forum, would be seen by the anti-hunting/shooting lobby to be those of gun-toting murdering hoodlums (obviously not an opinion I share). We need to be aware that such comments will only add fuel to their fire. I'm not sure this rant was was appropriate or necessary in the circumstances, so apologies, but I'm doing all I can to avoid writing an essay for my finals. Edit: Crosshair reminded me that I hadn't said which sex of Fox I shot the other day. It was a healthy Vixen, which I was glad to note wasn't lactating, so presumably her cubs would have been relatively mature. It's clear that shooting a rearing Vixen would often be unintentional and I wasn't out to demonise those who do or have. I would personally prefer to avoid doing so, but in the real-world this would often be unavoidable and in the course of shooting foxes I'm almost certain that I will do so. I also don't rely on my upkeep on things which are spoiled by foxes, so it's not absolutely necessary for me, as it is with others, to maintain a constant check on their numbers. I would defend to the hilt those who do so, including those who shoot rearing vixens due to the future danger of the fox cubs.

Thanks very much for all the comments. This does seem like a beautiful gun and one I'd love to get hold of should it remain in the dealer's hands long enough. I'd have get shot of my Winchester before thinking about getting it, money being an issue. After an experience driven shooting last week with ejectors, I don't think missing them would do me any harm. when a good few came over I found myself rushing, gaining the kind of rythm Nickbeardo mentioned would be a huge help. But what would be the disadvantages of shooting with such an old gun? I'd be using it on pigeon too (although my pigeon shooting isn't manic), would it be worth getting a newer side by side? (I'm not fussed about O/U's, when I've got enough money for two shotguns I'll get one) thanks And Aldivalloch; fantastic comment, I'm totally in agreement with you.

I don't think it's a minefield at all. The bike would be bought or picked up as is, it's up to a responsible rider to make sure the brakes etc. work. Any other arguement just implies a pointless waste of potentially retrievable products. Another example of health and safety regs running pointlessly roughshod over a totally legitimate, recycling conscious thing to do.

Any waxed Barbour is good, wind/thorn/rain proof. Just make sure you don't get one of those motorcycle jackets that are the new big thing, I keep seeing grown men wearing budgie yellow or purple versions and it makes me wince. Seems like Barbour may be going the same way as Burberry did.

I'm wondering if anyone out there has any old (preferably road) bikes they want to get off've their hands? I'm at uni down in Reading and myself and a couple of my mates want to get cycling together, obviously cost is an issue so they don't fancy the expense of new bikes (I'm already accounted for). I'm a dab hand at getting bikes back in working order so perhaps some of you have got a bike out back that perhaps has been sat outside for a while/ isn't worth the trouble of putting up on t'internet? As a general rule they don't deserve to head to the skip and I'd appreciate wiping the cynical smiles off've my friends faces if I got them a couple sorted. I've tried the dump but frustratingly health and safety is an issue, ridiculous really. I guess we're looking for medium sized men's road bikes, any age. Many thanks, do drop me a PM if you've got the kind of thing I'm after. I've got my car down in Reading so can drive, and I'm back in Essex quite a bit if anyone in that general region has one lingering about. Josh Edit: oh, obviously if you wanted some cash for them/it that would be fine, depending on the condition of the bike ie. how much we'd have to spend to get it road worthy.

Mentioned losing my Winchester pigeon grade the other day in return for something with a little more gravitas/was lighter, more wieldable etc. A quick search on Guntrader came up with this, a George Bate and Co. non ejecting side by side: http://www.guntrader.co.uk/GunsForSale/110909141807337 Any feedback, has anyone out there had much experience with non-ejectors, is it infuriating. I read somewhere that you could buy a good gun for less if it was a non-ejector? thanks

Hello All, A few months ago my grandfather gave me the above shotgun, his sight and willingness to get out and about are fading whilst mine are increasing so he passed this one on to me. I've had mixed results on pigeon with it which has led me to think the stock is far too long. It's been lengthened so I assume that the owner previous to my grandfather was a giant as I'm over 6ft and it's got a good 2 inches of extension on it. I went on a Pheasant shoot unexpectedly earlier this week so borrowed my host's game gun, which came loosely under the heading of english game gun, i.e. a light and relatively short, pointable sxs. After lunch my father turned up with the winchester and I found that my shooting drastically tailed off. The Winchester was noticeably longer, heavier and despite being clearly meant as a game gun (its a SxS) I found it less comfortable than my host's gun. It seems that this gun was some kind of balance between a skeet and a game gun. Anyway, after my experience I've been turning over the option of selling it on and getting a lighter English game shotgun, or getting it fitted to me and trying it out, despite the expense that generally entails. What I was wondering was whether anyone out there has used these Winchesters before and what success they had with them. Being rather a heavy gun and myself intending to get more into pheasant and Pigeon shooting, would a lighter SxS be of more use to me? many thanks.

hear hear.

Not once did I question your actual competency to hold an FAC, i disagreed with the way you responded to Newportshooters question, and i disagreed with what some of your posts inferred. Also with the manner in which you addressed the issue of .22lr, it's quite clear you didn't actually mean it in the way it was interpreted by me, just as I didn't mean to suggest that you shouldnt be holding an FAC. I honestly believe that if we stepped back a little we'd agree with alot of what the other has said. I'm sure I tried to make a point at the start, which you haven't adressed.

Look up Vipa, I've already posted them.

So what?! If i heard someone with a FAC in .22lr saying it wasn't a 'real' gun, I would approach them, and if i thought their approach to firearms lacked the respect these things are due, I would THINK about reporting them. That said i am NOT going to report anyone for what they say on a forum!

and here. i would expect a responsible FAC holder to treat all firearms the same and with equal respect as potentially lethal weapons. You're quite right about a .308 causing more actual damage, but what's that got to do with it?! a .22 is still perfectly capable of killing someone! it should be treated as such, a potentially dangerous piece of kit that needs to be approached with care and responsibility. And I would also argue that your reaction to Newportshooters original post has been consistently bullying. You told me to read yours, I have, now read Newports, mine and the others that have come close to trying to actually approach the subject about which he was speaking, rather than getting stroppy and browbeating him. there is a serious question posed by this post and its not about breaking down solidarity within the shooting community or making it impossible to get military looking weapons. perhaps more about questioning their application and the image they create when used in the field rather than in the shooting gallery of a practical comp, also the image they give of the sport to younger people (yes younger than me) coming up into it.