White Rabbit

I shoot an L grade MX12 like the one mentioned above. Its fitted with auto safe and I wouldn't be without it. Once used to it,it becomes second nature when shooting clays. I can't imagine how when game/pigeon shooting you can forget its on? That implies if you had a manual safety you wouldn't have used it and been happily standing there with no safety on?!! Auto safes are also beneficial when double gunning as it avoids any confusion with the loader regarding who applies the safety. In reply to the OP, Perazzi's can be retro fitted with auto safety's but its a fiddly job and I'm told quite expensive. If you had two identical game spec MX12's the one with auto safe would be worth more. (Certainly Bywell pay more when buying part exchanges). They're all different but I can't imagine there's many manual Perazzi game guns out there. WR

My line of work involves 50-60 days a season at varying shoots including a lot of the premier high bird shoots. I believe 32gm 5's kills the highest pheasant we SHOULD be shooting at. 28gm 6's kills all your standard farm shoot/syndicate stuff all day long. Which in truth is what most of us shoot most days. The whole high bird thing driven by the likes of Dave Carrie etc has now gone beyond silly. If you were out rough shooting with a mate and he shot at a crosser 80yds away what would you think? What a tool?! But apparently if its up in the air its a tremendous bird well worth a barrel! The worlds gone mad. Regarding the lack of 7's it is entirely fashion driven and no doubt given time things will go full circle. Certainly the guns I see launching 42gm 4's at out of range pheasants and go home with a flinch must decide there's another option! WR.

As someone who drinks Hen in a near professional capacity. A word of advice. If you open one of those kegs then finish it that day. I left one til the following night and it went totally flat. Broke my heart! P.s,Drink cold but not chilled.

You're problem could well be the B&P cases. The lack of a full brass head means the primer depth is entirely dependant on the plastic inner being properly formed. We've had batches with low primers so I see no reason why they couldn't be too high as well. Personally I class them as a pointless sales gimmick. Gamebore introduced Dark Storm using the same gen2 f2 powder but more of it to create a higher velocity/recoiling cartridge yet didn't use the supposedly recoil reducing B&P case. You have to wonder why? WR.

I've been bowling Rabbits over fairly well with the above load. I can't tell any difference between the hpf3's and the oro's. The oro's are meant to be 1420fps and the hpf3's 1450fps so may be punchier but hard to tell through an auto. I assumed the oro's would be discontinued with them being so similar but I may be wrong. Sure they'll make a cracking high pheasant/rough shooting cartridge. WR

I've seen tens of thousands of these cartridges used and they seem very good and incredible value for what they are. We've had them in clear,red,black and blue cases so far. It amuses me when people state they're rebadged Velocity's. They might be if they weren't loaded with 8's! Get a knife out and have a look! WR.

A real trip down memory lane! I started in 1988 with a .410 Eley fourlongs then discovered Winchester Super X with a crimp closure and compression formed case. They blew the Eleys away and I never looked back. I remember older lads tended to use the Oakleaf loaded by Wards at Stockton on Tees as have been previously mentioned in an earlier post. I'm sure they were loaded in Grand Prix cases as they were identical in colour. Black Baikal Records were also popular. Bought via mail order from Budget Guns and Tackle. Remember the adverts?! When I graduated to a twelve I used whatever I could get. Three Crowns, Kent GP turbo's,Winchester GB chasse,Eley field special special chasse etc. Into the 90's RC produced their Professional Game in a green paper case 28gm 6's. They were a lovely cart as the plastic case version still are. Shot my first woodcock with them. I did ALOT of decoying back then and kind of got stuck on Express Pigeon Specials. Still available now but they were the first pigeon branded load. Can anyone remember the gawdy yellow boxes? One overriding memory is that there wasn't much 30gm 6's couldn't handle. 5's were hardly seen around us. No one seemed to agonize over choke etc. We just went shooting! WR

Your thinking of Harlow Hill Gun Club and the pub was\is the Robin Hood. Like several other clubs in the area it lost its lease many years ago. I shot there several times at interclub shoots and they always fielded a strong team. It stuck in my mind that it was the only local Sunday club that allowed plastic wads. The regular members still seem to shoot together as a sort of roving clay syndicate as I've seen them from time to time at other shoots. I have no contact details for them as I only know them by sight. Big hats and big cigars if you remember?! Regards WR.

PM me your address and I'll stick them in the post. There's no need to reimburse me. Regards WR.

Hi Ben, It depends on the ground but your safest option is to go tomorrow night. Going out in the morning you run the risk of bumping in to it in the dark (you won't be aware you have) or he may well wind you as he comes back in to the hole. Going in the evening gives you the advantage of knowing exactly where he is and you can position yourself right for the wind. If your using a centrefire I'd sit back around 100yds. He won't immediately spot you and its a comfortable range. Bear in mind that if its definitely a dog and you've killed his vixen he won't be very predictable. Dogs aren't at the best of times but even less so with no vixen to hold him to that area. He cud well be down a hole a mile away tomorrow night. Hope this helps. Good luck. WR.

I could be wrong but I think it's the other way around. Kent is a large american company who bought Gamebore out. Happy to be corrected though. Out of interest,what are they stocking? WR.

Will Garfit may well recommend 7.5's but he currently uses Gamebore Velocity. They're actually 7's! The majority of my decoying is Jackdaws and having used every load from 30gm 7's to 36gm 4's the 7's gave the best kills by a country mile. Cost isn't an issue for me. I always used 32gm 5's but was astonished at how well 7's performed. I now use 28gm 7's for all decoying and bread and butter game. I'd use 30gm but they're hard to find. I still use 5's but only when better penetration is needed ie.walked up game,but I know its at the expense of a better pattern. Well known UK 7 shot user's include Will Garfit,Phillip Russell and the late John Humphreys and Archie Coates. They'll have shot hundreds of thousands of pigeons between them and I'm sure they could afford game loads if they were needed! If all the lads using continental clay loads (UK 7's) used Eley Impax 7's (basically the same load but labeled as a game cartridge). No one would bat an eyelid! WR

Looking forward to seeing them finished. They're fantastic guns and a pleasure to own. I shoot a 30ins L Grade MX12 Game gun. Its my pride and joy. If I'm having a quiet drive I just stand and admire it! Are they game or sporter spec? I wouldn't go down the briley route personally. Why complicate such graceful guns! I went for 3/8 and 5/8ths in the end and that suits me perfectly. Perazzi's tend to shoot tight patterns and pattern well with fibre loads with having a tight bore diameter. What cartridges are you going to put through them? I've found RC Sipe 32gm fibre 5's pattern well and I use them for everything right through now. Best of luck with them and enjoy. Get some clays shot before next august and hit the ground running! Regards WR

Evening All, Require some bedding work on a centre fire rifle and a service. Has anyone used Emma Custom Rifles in Darlington? They're local to me but can't find anyone who has used them in the past. Wary of going anywhere with a rifle without a recommendation and Riflesmiths in the North East seem to be few and far between. Regards WR.

The last batch I bought was last spring. Three cartridges in one case had no pellets in, (They were rolling around loose in the bottom of the box) and the clouds of confetti were horrendous. I'd have taken them back but we needed them that day. I emailed Hull but was ignored. Up until that point I'd found both weights to be great cartridges. I'd happily never use Hull again after that performance but I use a game gun and can't find a cartridge on the market that comes close for smoothness. WR

Morning All, My other half used to use the 21gm version until last year when they started throwing clouds of confetti all over the place. I was using both weights and had the same problem. We ditched them for another brand but Hull are much easier to buy locally. Does anyone know if Hull have sorted the wad problem and are the current batches performing OK? Would like to know for sure before I buy another batch. Regards WR.

Thanks for the replies lads. Bought a pair of Highmoors last night and a pair of Svartz insoles. Really pleased with how they look and seem to be well made. Took them out for 5-6 miles this morning. The top of my right foot nipped abit for the first 1/2 mile then after that they were perfect once the leather had given. Found the laces too short to double knot so they gave me a longer set FOC and a tin of wax for nowt. With the discount I got on the boots it made the £25 insoles free aswell so I'm happy with the deal. Looking forward to a long hard season in them and seeing how they cope! Regards WR

Morning All, Looking for a new pair of boots and fancy a change from Miendl Dovre's. (my last pair rubbed the tops of my toes) Does anyone have a pair of Altbergs? I need something in a wide fitting,,high leg, and with a rubber front to stop the heather stripping the leather. The Highmoors seem to fit the bill but I'd like some opinions on them please? They'll be worn Grouse beating 6 days a week so need to be able to take some abuse. Regards WR

Yeah,no brainer. You send your best competitor based on current form and thats Abbey by a country mile. She must be gutted. Another four years to wait. Was delighted it was going to be televised aswell. Might aswell walk the dogs instead! WR

Athletes are walking out, I'm I the only one thinking Lee Evans "Gonorrhea!" If you've seen him you'll be smiling!!! WR

This topic usually ends in a verbal punch up but I would hazard a guess that with cheddites being a foreign load they are most likely loaded with 28 gm 7's.(a game load, hence the good kills). As are kent velocities, hence their reputation as a hard hitting load. Infact the last test I read on Velocities the tester found them to be loaded with nearer 29gms of uk 7's! They are designed for the american market. I'm a 32gm 5 man myself so I'm running for cover! WR

Sold! Thanks very much. We'll give it a try. Cheers WR

Morning, As above really. Anyone tried the new Evo's yet? Heard they are now on sale at around £180 for the 28gm fibres. Meant to be abit slower than White Gold/Just Cart CSP's but thought they'd be worth a try with being well priced. They're the replacement for the old XLR range which I never found particulary low recoil hence why I just stuck with White Golds or CSP's. If they kick abit you might aswell have the performance to match! Regards WR.

Morning All, Looking for somewhere to shoot this sunday after our CLA weekend is no more. Anyone go to Blackpool regulary? Used to go years and years ago but understand if has changed since then? Would like to shoot 100 ESP practise if that's possible? How many stands are usually on and are the targets any good? What's it like for price? Allways enjoyed shooting there when I shot registered. Regards WR.

I'm a sucker for sniper programmes and books and find the stories told fascinating. Re. Sundays programme, all seem to be highly trained and competant individuals but I did have my doubts over the SWAT sniper at an armed stand off.(can't remember his name or the place) Gunman is outside a building holding a gun to a hostages head and is expected to shoot. The sniper is instructed to take him out with a head shot. BANG - No reaction, the sniper assumes he's hit the glass doors behind the gunman. BANG - Another miss,assumes he's done the same again. The desperate gunman is getting more anxious but doesn't pull the trigger on the hostage. At this point a fellow SWAT member points out to the highly trained marksman that he is,in fact, drilling holes in a low wall just infront of his muzzle! Said marksman then raises his rifle and drops the gunman! He said in his interview he was glad he saved the hostages life!! Glad my life wasn't in the hands of that clampett! I'd have said he was very lucky! You'd have expected a mistake like that to end up with alot more dead. Don't know what Carlos Hathcock would have made of that!! WR