chesterse

A great classic gun, I've got one which was my father in laws, he bought it second hand in 1959. I've shot thousands of pigeons with it over the years. The one being advertised is a king compared to mine which has cammo tape around the barrels to stop them flaring. They are a really solid gun which will take any amount of abuse.

I've been beating on two shoots on a massive estate in South Lincolnshire and hardly seen a pigeon. Beans sitting on on the surface and not a bird in sight!

They come with two different length recoil pads and an adjustable trigger, both of which will affect the length of pull and the fit of the gun. I would check this out re. the gun you like. I would have thought you could find a very good example a lot under 2K more like £1400-£1500. Also it's not all about age but more about use and condition.

Can't agree with the comments on Cambridge Gun Club, it's one of the few grounds where there is serious investment a going on. There is a little bit of "work in progress" , but every time I go which is every few weeks there is some improvement made. The staff are really friendly and they have a huge range of targets to shoot at, so if they don't change them every week, there must be plenty to go at. If membership prices are too expensive, then don't become a member and pay the extra few bob for a round. Any ground becomes familiar so a group of us try to go somewhere different every week over a month then start again, by that time things should have changed a bit. Sporting Targets is on the whole excellent but they have been established a number of years.

By maintaining anonymity that's how beater's avoid it! Agreed we don't need the hassle.

Instead of beaters getting involved in declaring their names, ni numbers and paying tax, would it be possible for a large commercial shoot to pay the tax for them and keep the beater's pay the same and at the same time maintain their anonymity For example if the shoot normally have 10 beaters per shoot, being paid £25 each. The shoot would then pay say a token 20% tax for each beater, ie £5 for each beater = £50 per shoot. Would this not be a simple way around all this cr*p?

I've shot thousands of Olympic 8's at all levels of sporting competitions and have always found them to be an excellent shell. I also use Fiocchi Top Ones in 9's for close and medium range birds showing plenty of belly. They are also excellent, in fact with my tightly choked fixed choke gun the clays are often "balls of smoke". IMO there is no need to pay more for so called superior cartridges.

I use cotton wool and then muffs on top but I guess I am a real oldie.Seriously everyone look after your hearing, even with the above protection I shot 2000 cheap shells which were really loud and this brought tinnitus (ringing in the ears) on which is now permanent and very difficult to live with.

I've tried the plastic version and they seem very similar to Eley Olympics!

Orston shoot on a Wednesday, 40 bird sporting, 25 Sportrap, skeet and most of the trap disciplines. The food is good too. It's not that close to Boston but there are not many other options.

One commercial shoot I used to go on is paying the same as last year £25 but asking for Ni number and full details. Another commercial shoot I'm due to go to next Tues - the keeper has still not heard from the boss about what's happening. A third small farm shoot is carrying on as usual!

As far as I am aware they are only available from the States. I had two for my Benelli auto and they were excellent and good value for money. I had the extended non ported ones designed for sporting clays.

What are the tax people going to think/do when they suddenly get possibly thousands of people suddenly taking up beating! Would not be surprised if a lot of questions are asked!

Wish you had this for sale a couple of months ago when I was looking for one. I did buy one but although a nice gun it is not in such original condition as yours. Looks like a terrific buy for someone, they are classic guns and great clay buster. IMO yours is the best spec. ie 30" and not ported.

I lived in Hertfordshire for about 25 years and for the last 10 years have lived in south Lincolnshire, believe me the pigeon shooting is loads better in Herts than my part of Lincs. You would not think so with Lincs being mainly agricultural but I think that is part of the problem, the birds have too many acres to choose from. There are a lot more trees in Herts. which helps along with the smaller fields etc. It took me quite a while to get shooting but you do have to work at it. My first success came when I met a local farmer along a footpath whilst walking the dog and got talking to him, he let me have a go on one of his fields where he was having pigeon crop damage. I was so pleased to get to shoot that I wrote him a letter of thanks after the day. Delighted to get the letter he rang me up and said I could shoot on his farm anytime I liked. I got more shooting through networking , anytime it looked like I met someone who might be linked to farming I would bring the subject up.

Anyone got a Daytona trap pad they could sell me?

They are normally like mine factory fitted rhino chokes - do look like Teague chokes though!They are a quality gun similar to a perazzi including a drop out trigger. Mine would have cost new about £4.5K so a second hand one at £1.5K is good value IMO. As mentioned, There are several places that can do maintenance if need be including Ladbrook an Langton in Radlett. Only thinking of selling mine as have moved onto an auto now and it's not getting used.

I've got one I could sell; 31" Sporter factory rhino multi choke, £1500 if anyone interested.

S.Lincs between Sleaford and Bourne

I would recommend Beretta, either an Outlander A300 which you can pick up new for not far off £800 or a second hand Uirika 2. Either way I would go for the 30" barrel to give a bit of extra weight. Pre fit recoil pads then can be added to give the best length of pull. Downside, they do take a it of cleaning. Very comfortable guns to shoot.

Whilst it is true that most beaters are interested in eating and drinking, a fair proportion are not interested in shooting!What's so difficult about paying an extra 20%? 20% of £25 = £5 x say 10 beaters = £50 per shoot, ie not even the cost of shooting a couple of birds!

It does look like it is hardly worth it! The shoot I go on pays £25 by the time you take 20% off for tax and the cost of diesel etc it's doing it fot the pleasure of it but I don't see why beaters should subsidise shooters!

Sounds like they could see you or as has been discussed before sometimes the arms of a whirly can flash in the sun(assuming you we're using one) Also sometimes unless you are right under a flight line they will not even pull 50 yards off it. Another possibility is that they were on their way to another field/ crop which they preferred and were not actually feeding on your field. Anyway 32 does not sound like a too bad day to me, I know if things had gone right you could have shot more but there is always another day!

If they take Ni number etc. I shall want the minimum wage!