inshallah

I completely agree with your logic about power. No need to graze the limit. 10 is fine. Accuracy is everything. I don't understand how your trajectory became more loopy after increasing the power 'though ? More power, faster pellet, less drop over any given range. Or are you just saying the accuracy dropped. In which case, yes, I'd rather have 9.5 with accuracy than 11.5 and some uncertainty on where the pellet's hitting.

Why not? I was brought up on roadkill, and I still pick it up whenever I can. Had several pheasants and a partridge this winter. Often it's in great condition. If it's a bit battered then it just goes in the pressure cooker for stew, rather than a roast. I saw a muntjac by the road recently and I was on my way to visit mum. I nearly picked it up, but I though not even mum would pick up a deer. I told her about it and she said "Oh, you should have picked it up. I bet we could have got some meat off it". Great having a mad old country lady for a mother. I think she's still in WW2 rationing mentality, but I approve.

Made me laugh. Mine's just the name of my narrowboat, Inshallah.

I'd love one of those. My first car was a mk2 (500 quid), but yes, you could buy a mk1 for 70 quid in the mid 80s.

Just done a search. There's loads near me. I'll have a look next time I'm out.

I love PW, and I really enjoy reading and talking about shooting and country sports. But I do get saddened when the people who I have much in common with (country sports, shooting) so freely give racist or otherwise unpleasant comments. PW is the only place (real or virtual) where I really come across this. Most people I know would think that the racism etc. on PW is unacceptable and shocking. I also think it's a shame that shooting, which gets a bad press at the best of times, gets tainted by association. I have been put off PW a few times by unpleasant threads, but I'm still here for the moment because most of the discussion more than makes up for the bad stuff.

Has anyone tried eating one? I have heard they are nice. I'd certainly have a go if I ever shot one. I see loads on the canal I live on near Heathrow but shooting on the mooring is definitely off limits, so it's not very likely I'll get the chance.

Is the bubble wrap just an insulator to keep the frost off? Like covering your fruit blossom on a frosty night? I was surprised that there were so many frogs in there, because, as you say, I would expect them to be hiding under a rock somewhere hibernating. I don't have a filter. It's just a low-tec goldfish pond with a low stocking density. I haven't checked the nitrates etc. for years, but I don't expect there to be a problem because the fish look fine and healthy.

Clarkson: "James May will be showing vegetarians how to shoot driven pheasants, Hammond will be shooting a 4 bore shoulder mounted punt gun. At crows. And I will shoot the biggest bag of pigeons. IN THE WORLD."

81,017

Anyone got any views on melting the ice with hot water containers? I've always done it, but not so much this year because I've heard on the telly a couple of times that it's not necessary. Maybe not a fish killer, but possibly a frog killer if you don't do it?

I lost 2 fish as well. Just goldfish, but it was a shame. Probably poor water quality because of the dead frogs. I've done a big water change.

I buy it occasionally in Tescos if there is anything of interest, but it was basically the BASC bashing that put me off subscribing. I almost always agreed with the BASC point of view rather than ST. Spent my money on a BASC subscription instead.

Just fished 12 dead frogs out of my pond. What is likely to have killed them? I was wondering if they ran out of air when it was frozen over. About 6 of them were all in one corner as though they were trying to get out.

How many of us have heard the antis spreading misinformation saying that only a tiny proportion of pheasants are eaten and that shoots just bury the carcases? How many of them are vegies? How many of them eat fish? Everything about this is wrong.