adam f

Can the guys who simply answered 'Beretta' tell us why they are so 'awesome'?? I know they are probably the most popular shotgun in the UK by some way, but it always makes me smile when I see the usual - Beretta and nothing else line trotted out. Personally I think the older guns and the newer guns over say £3k so the EL and EELL are superb pieces of kit - but recently I was in the market for a 20 bore and looked very hard at the Silver Pigeon range - very dissapointing, bulk made on a factory production line came to mind. Very poor wood to meatl finish, horrible lazer cut engraving, very average wood and an action that so so stiff I had to brace it against my knee to open. The same shop had a full range of Ceaser Guerini's and what a contrast - very pretty guns, well finished, great attention to detail, nice wood work on all models and an action that felt like a German car - solid and clunky, just right. Not saying Beretta's are bad guns and yes sure they will always hold a sell on value, but consider looking at what else is available and I think you'll be surprised. Personally I really like to be stood there with something a little different.

I had a day out with the Okehampton Woodcock Club yesterday with a view to joining and shooting a bit over the season with them. A really great experiance - proper hunting, true wild birds in a stunning setting, mixed woodland and forestry in the middle of Exmoor just outside of Okehampton, Devon. My mate Gary and I met with 5 of the others in a Little Chef for brekkie around 9am before heading out into the plantations and starting shooting around 10am. The plan was shoot one, beat one so with 2 teams of 3 and Barry floating in-between we cracked on. Dale had been insistant on explaining to us that these were wild birds and it is early in the season so dont expect big numbers. He also explained it was hard going. On the first drive we flushed 5 birds in all but none made the bag - they dont get the repuation of being hard to shoot for nothing! Still it was an awesome sight to be beating through such amazing woodland and then the clatter of wings before the majestic woodcock dips and curls around the tree tops! Second drive drew a blank, third drive and Stu's cockers put up a bird that was dropped and signalled a proper start to the season! All in all we managed 9 drives through the day and everyone had at least a couple of chances - but boy are they tough to shoot. Dale dropped a couple of cracking birds that others in the line had missed - he's a mean shot with that little 28 bore! I have shot woodcock before but only when they have flushed out of a pheasant drive - being on a proper day for them was a completely different experiance. I managed to break by duck on the last drive of the day - dropped it with the first barrel, broke the gun to re-load just as another flushed behind! - a chance of a left and right missed! To finish the day we stayed for the evening flight - an awesome way to finish off, stodd in the halflight awaiting the birds heating out to feed. The flight was breif, maybe 10 mins but hectic, we saw maybe 6 where I saw stood, I had a cracking chance at a pair but fluffed both but Gary next door managed one as did a few of the other guys. We finished with 9 Woodcock and a squirrel, we flushed / saw 32 birds in total, which is great for so early in the season. Cant wait till next time.

It was a great day. Thanks Dale, Gary and I really enjoyed it and will be back soon. I'll put a more detailed report in Sporting Pictures for all to read.

Thanks Paddy - the whole family enjoyed looking that those. Poor Bam - youre right she is HUGE! If her pups are half as gorgeous as her they will be stunning. Good luck this week - look forward to the news. Adam

Yep it's my Rizzini 12g

Do you chaps just breast mallard out or do any of you bother plucking the whole bird? I did a few tonight and was surprised how small the frame is under all that plumage!?

Yesterday saw the first day out on our little syndicate. A really super day, a great craic, we finished on 42 head which is a respectable return for the first day. I started pretty poor and missed a couple of really easy driven birds which I was dwelling on, but once I got into the swing I dropped a couple of crackers. Best memory of the day will be my first ever duck - a blinding shot as they passed over on the wind some 40yd up, dropped it with the first barrell - boy was I chuffed! Roll on 2 weeks time.

I'm sure I've seen somewhere blue pin feathers removed from a Jay the way you would for a woodcock? Is this correct? I couldnt easily find them earlier?

About the same mate, just slightly more.

I've only had it a few days. I had a round if clays today with it and was impressed. It benefits from 30" barrels to help it swing as it's so light. The wood to metal finish good and everything works as it should. Little detas like the Prince of Wales stock, sideplate, unvented barrels etc all add up to a pretty little fast handling field gun. I'd say £1.1k is a fair price if it's in good nick. Go and have a look?!

I think they started making them mid 2000 from what I could find on the web, so not that old. http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/186285-rizzini-artemis-20g/ Nice well made gun, well balanced and a nice alternative to a Beretta. PM if you want anymore info.

Where in West Wiltshire are you?

Hi Tom, That's a nice offer. There arnt a massive amount of people on here from Dorset TBH - not compared to the rest of the country. I have made several really good friends and had some great shooting over the few years Ive been using PW. It's not clicky on here, but just be aware that whilst you have offered shooting in return, most of us are wary of people that join the forum and their first few posts are asking for shooting. We ALL want more shooting (well most of us!) and as you know it is hard won and gained, have a search around the Shooting Wanted section and youll see what I mean. Use the forum, keep and eye out, make friends etc and it will come. When I first got my SGC I thought I'd never get anywhere to use it, now Ive got about enough - a few years making links, swapping favours and it all comes good. ATB Adam

Thanks for all the input. It's a little pretty 20g field gun so I dont want a big mechanical looking jobbie - as good as I'm sure they are. I also want a perminant solution so a slip on one isnt for me. It's looking like a timber one I think. I'll take a look at the stockmaker website.

After some advice? Ive got a new shotgun with a decent bit of wood, but the LOP is only 14" and I shoot with 15" So I need to extend the stock 1". My dilema is that as opposed to other guns Ive extended with rubber heel plates, this has a nice timber heel plate, so I'm not sure the best way to do it to keep the gun looking good? (as it cost a few £'s I want to make a nice job on this) As I see it I can: Add in a 1" piece of walnut between the stock and current pad, but then I get 3 pieces of timber at the end of the gun... or Forget the current pad and create a new 1.5" timber pad... feasible but then I need to chequer cut or groove the base... plus it wont take knocks that well.... or Forget timber and add a massive 1.5" rubber pad.... will look nasty but functional.... or Add a 1" shim and then a rubber pad.... a bit of a compromise?? What do the PW members think?

After some advice? Ive got a new shotgun with a decent bit of wood, but the LOP is only 14" and I shoot with 15" So I need to extend the stock 1". My dilema is that as opposed to other guns Ive extended with rubber heel plates, this has a nice timber heel plate, so I'm not sure the best way to do it to keep the gun looking good? (as it cost a few £'s I want to make a nice job on this) As I see it I can: Add in a 1" piece of walnut between the stock and current pad, but then I get 3 pieces of timber at the end of the gun... or Forget the current pad and create a new 1.5" timber pad... feasible but then I need to chequer cut or groove the base... plus it wont take knocks that well.... or Forget timber and add a massive 1.5" rubber pad.... will look nasty but functional.... or Add a 1" shim and then a rubber pad.... a bit of a compromise?? What do the PW members think?

Peathag, I very nearly bought a higlander but the one I found had a deposit on it. I really liked the solid rib the Macnab had and the case hardened action - but either way they are a stunning gun and very good value. Adam

After a real hankering for a 20g O/U after borrowing a mates 686 Special a few times, Ive had a real tough tasking trying to find one I like. The 686 Special Beretta in 20g with long barrels is like trying to find rocking horse poo - and whilst I could literely take my pick of new 686/687 Beretta's the new ones didnt inspire at all - poor finish IMO and typical of high volume production. The older guns are also hard to find. Anyway - Ive always had a place for Rizzini and the higher end guns seem to be getting alot of press coverage in the mags recently so I stumbled across the Artemis by B Rizzini. After a heap of searching the web I found a few guns and ended up buying this little beauty from Ian Coley Sporting today. I'm very impressed. A proper small frame 20g action, a reasonable piece of timber and very well finished off both the scroll work and the timber to metal finish. Cant wait to have a walk around with it later this week!

Thank you. Yeah - I really like them, OK they dont have the following like Beretta and Brownings and they do make a few nasty guns, but pick your model carefully and you can have something very special that not many others have. The 12g was my first shotgun so will always have a place in the box and the Artemis was a treat to myself today - cost about 7 times as much as the 12g but it is a stunning little shotgun.

A few more added since last time... now I know why everyone said buy the biggest cabinet you can when you start out... it gets addictive! From the top: Hatsan Escort 12g 28" E Rizzini Sideplate 12g 28" B Rizzini Artemis 20g 30" CZ452 Style 22LR SAK Mod AGS Scope CZ455 Thumbhole 17HMR SAK mod Nikko Stirling Nighteater 6-24x50 Air Arms S410 Classic .22 Hawke Sport Scope

All good input and lots of varied opinions on this. I'm never rude when I ask, and if you dont ask you dont get! I understand the need to make a profit and that small businesses are up against the internet etc - which is why I try and support them. Anyway - hats off to Ian Coley Sporting. Travelled up there today to look at a gun, a great shop, great service and very friendly. I liked the gun - we had a chat about price, after a small bit of haggling we met half way and he chucked in a few boxes of carts - all in all I saved about £100 on a £1200 gun - I left with a gun I love, pleased that Ive got a bit of a deal and they have a sale and a happy customer who will defently use them again! Win - win!

No 2nd hand. They wanted the same price as the same gun is advertised in the gun mags for. IE I can buy the same gun brand new for the same price.

You can't compare a £1000 shotgun to shopping on tesco. I'm all for supporting my local shop. However I also fish and would never pay the mark up price on a fishing rod or reel, why should shooting be anything different? Tackle shops routinely discount. I also sell building materials for a living....and discounts are how we work! I was in my local gun shop recently and they bought a cz452 in .22 off a young lad for just £80 ... I saw it in there for £350 the next visit... People need to make a living granted, but all I'm saying is why are they so short sighted? The gun I was looking at was £1500, had they taken say £50-£100 off I'd have bought it.. Even a slab of carts thrown in.... But nothing!!

Both shops and each time I've tried it's been with the owner, still no joy. Doesn't bother me I'll take my business elsewhere, but it does baffle me!

With the exception of Sportsman, I've been amazed at the refusal of gunshops to offer any discount? In the past 2 years I've bought 4 guns and each time I've tried to buy from my local shop, but when they mark up some 20% more than private sellers and the best I've had offered was £20 off a £1500 gun it gas always baffled me!? I was stood there with the cash today and £20 was all they would budge... Crazy!!