badsworth

Yes - it is definately mixxy I am afraid. It is now much more advanced and looks much more typical (see photo). A week ago around about 50% of the bunnies `I shot had it. Today it is more like 75%. Their eyes are now bloodshot and their private parts are really swollen. It is amazing that they are still so alert. With eyes like that they cannot see me, but their hearing is just as good as ever. Any noise on the approach and they still try to get down their burrows. I am shooting all I can (25 this morning) but it gives me no pleasure to see them in this state and I won't be eating them for many a month. The fact that this burrow is so densely populated is helping it to spread quickly - another arguement for keeping the numbers tightly controlled. B

Sorry to go 'off topic' - but who makes 56g BBs??? Express used to make 53g BBs but have dropped the load to 50g now. B

"here are our demands, free michael barrymore!" **** :good: ALLAHU AKBAR!!!!!!

Here is a useful link about Mixy; http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rwf/article...anding_myxo.htm B

I think it is a myth - we had it here three years ago and now it is back again. I shot 86 bunnies over the weekend and around half had mixxy in its early stages (not quite the blodd filled eye stage). Very sad to see and it means I won't be eating rabbit for a while! B

Two Bottles of Cider and a 'Grumpy Old Man' mug - can't understand why! Oh and permission to ditch them all and go foxing tonight. Shame it is P....ing it down! B

Has anyone tried a BSA Sweet 22? The idea of being able to 'dial in' the corrections necessary for various weights of .22LR bullet sounds pretty amazing. They are budget priced, so I imagine that optical performance is rather basic, but the concept seems rather good. Does anyone know of any other scopes that offer a similar facility? B

I've been hitting the bunnies pretty hard lately because they really need to be thinned out. I shot 55 yesterday and 35 this morning - but almost half of them were diseased. It did not appear to be Mxymatosis - the eyes were not blood shot but instead they were misty or white and sighless in the latter stages. The condition of the fur was appalling - coming out in clumps and lots of bare patches. It looked if anything like the Mange. Anyone got any idea what it could be? Can bunnies get Mange? There have been a lot of mangey foxes round here lately. Can it be passed between species? I'm afraid I don't fancy eating any bunnies until this clears up. It was avery saddening sight. Any clues? B

I am afraid that's absolute rubbish too - reloading for Shotgunners saves little and is a load of hassle - it is only worth it for specialised rounds and large bores. I know - I've been ********* around with it for ages trying to get the bits for a subsonic 12g BB round. Hushpower make subs for .410's - safer and probably as cheap as anything you can do yourself. Give them a try first.

Becoming the worlds greatest Superpower! The Dragon has woken and is spreading its wings! New cities growing up all over the place and consuming resources at a pace you would not believe. Doing business with all the states that the west will not touch as well as those we rely on - like buying up all the oil and gas they can get. Hope they stay friendly!!!! B

Jobs around the house! Depends what jobs you have in mind. With subsonic cartridges it is about as loud as an unmoderated air rifle - and yes much quieter than a moderated .17 HMR but louder than a moderated .22 with subs. With standard cartridges it is quieter than a standard s/g but louder than subs. One problem is that you can only get subsonic carts in 6s and 7.5's or 8s. I'd like to see some in BBs or No 2's for Charlie. Some Hushpower users load their own in big loads but you really have to experiment with the ingredients to get it right. It isn't any cheaper than buying factory stuff. It is a useful piece of kit once you get used to it. It is heavy (relatively) and the thick mod places the front bead a bit high - meaning you shoot low unless you learn to compensate. I recommend them for those with a yen for something as bit different. Hope this helps. B

I forgot to mention this earlier - the optics on the Leica are so good that I no longer bother to take binoculars with me when I go shooting. It is x7 mag and that is good enough. B

On my other mods I use bicycle inner tubes - makes them quieter and protects them. I guess it would have to be one from a motorbike or moped for a 12g Hushie - I am still looking for one. Grease the mod before you fit the tube to protect the metal.

If you buy a Lee Anniversary Kit it comes with a very reasonable manual. Make sure you don't buy military brass - the cases are thicker, hold less powder and operate at higher pressures (for instance, .223 civilian is NOT the same as 5.56mm Military - see the sticky elsewhere on this site!). When you have used up whatever brass you have from factory rounds and need to buy some - get Lapua. They are pricey but way better than the competition and can be re-loaded more times. B

Go for a Lee Anniversary Kit, a powder trickler, and a set of digital callipers (Flee-Bay) and you will have kit that will last you a lifetime unless you are loading for a club or your mates. Lee kit is easy to use, great value and all you need for 95% of shooters. B

I have a 12g Baikal Hushpower. The Mod needs to come off EVERY time it is cleaned - and it is easy. The mod unscrews and a tissue soaked in gun oil can be rubbed over the OUTSIDE of the barrel to get rid of the powder residue - otherwise it will corrode. Baikals/Pedrettis are as tough as old boots - but they need to be kept really clean or they will rot. B

What Gen model of the Merlin is it and where did you buy it from please? Good shooting - I'm jealous! B

Leica 900 - worth every penny - but wish it was cheaper! B

I reckon it is the best externally lubed .22 available. I dont use it because I stick with copper washed so that I can swap between subs and hi- velocity rounds , but if I used only subs I would use Lapua. B (CZ 452)

I wrote a review for Amazon - and for some reason it never appeared. I agree (mostly) with the review that is on there. Sean Frain is not a shooter but hunts with dogs and does not know much about shooting. Buy the Robert Bucknell book - three times the price but one hundred times the value. And I've been hunting for a secondhand copy on e-bay for three months. The last one went for £36 + postage - more than the new ones. Ridiculous or what? But that's e-bay! Buy a new one - you won't regret it. They are not especially well bound - and SH copies fall to pieces - but the content is brilliant. B

This forum is for people who shoot live creatures - perhaps you should find another one that upsets you less! B

CCI subs in my CZ for most things and a spare mag with CCI stingers or velocitors for Charlie if he shows up. Because all CCI rounds are copper washed (not greased) you can swap between types and the gunfires true from the first round (but the hi velocity rounds have a different trajectory so you need both sets of data).

I thought it was an ENTERTAINING programme - but not an excellent one. They admitted at the begining that footage of lots of different foxes had been used to create a tale about a fox familly - e.g they edited together lots of different footage of many foxes to get the tale they wanted. I thought many of the human characters were playing a part (even if they weren't pro actors) and some of the bits were staged - like when the marksman and observer, who both have NV equipment snipe from a bedroom with the room lights on!!!!!!! What would that do to your NV scope and why illuminate yourself to the fox? No, it was an interesting tale told with lots of bits of odd footage designed to look like a documentary, but it wasn't. It was worth watching though! B

Eley 'Fourlong' .410 catridges used to be 2.25" long - even though it said 2.5" on the box. This allowed the owners of some older shotguns to sneak in that little extra bit of load. Horror of horrors - at the weekend my son tried to load some in his folder and found that the blighters have grown to the full 2.5" and will not fit in his gun anymore! He is back to a measley 9 grammes of lead! Has anyone else noticed this and does anyone know why it was done! Any suggestions on any other heavier loads by other manafacturers? B

Welcome back TT - we have missed your input on this forum! B