Drayman

Wet, sunny, wet, overcast, wet, sunny, wet, ...... you get the picture. Forecast is for more rain as the day goes on. At some point you are going to get wet - preferably on the inside. It's not that warm either - but we are a bit soft in the south. Regards from a puddle in Surrey.

As always, horses for courses. I've got my eye on a pair of Leicas if "the boss" will take the hint. But over the years my most used pair of bins are some old compact 8x25 Tascos that cost a tenner. They live in my shooting jacket along with cartridges, dirt, snot rags, packs of sweets and anything else that gets stuffed in the pockets. They aren't the same as top quality bins but they do the job very well and if they get dropped in the mud I won't be upset. And, for the cost, they are surprisingly good. As they're small they are there all the time and are no effort to carry. So by all means get the best you can afford and enjoy them, but stick a pair of no-money 8x something compacts in your jacket and you'll be surprised how many times you use them.

Before you worry about changing eye dominance I would go back to some basics. Pick a couple of stands that are relatively easy and get someone, preferably a coach, to watch you. There are loads of things you could have changed over time without realising it. Just for example, not pointing your foot where you want to break the clay, not picking the gun up with both hands as you mount and so on. Take a bit of time to recheck as from what you've said it isn't changing eye dominance. Just to give you my own example. Shooting teal stand on rapport. I normally have no real problems with this clay but on one day missed time and time again. One of the group is a coach and noticed I wasn't bringing the front of the gun up i.e. I was bringing the gun up mainly with the stock hand. I was also dropping the gun quite low between shots. So, picked the gun up level with both hands and didn't drop it more than 9 inches from the shoulder between shots. Result - hit everything that followed and then shot the stand as pairs. The thing is, I thought I hadn't changed anything.

RSPB site is always a good start. http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/families/divers.aspx

This weekend I saw my first swallows for this year - 5 miles from Guildford. There are baby Robins in the nest on the side of the house. And nearby water has Mallard ducklings everywhere. Spring has more than sprung.

You should try Surrey. £1000 +vat m2.

If a company comes up with a tax avoidance scheme they have to tell the HMRC about it so that HMRC can shut the loophole. And he says he's shocked - dumb, more like it.

If you go to Bisley, and assuming you haven't been before, you MUST have your SGC AND your insurance to use the pay and play (sporting layout). As HDAV says, check the times and days as they don't shoot all of the time - it's mainly mid week. Drive in to the main entrance and follow the road to the end. You'll see William Powells just to the left and next to them (left side) is the lodge where you sign in and get your dongle. The sporting layout is back out the main gate, turn left, and down the road a bit on the left in the woods - they'll give you directions. Depending on the weather the most you'll need is stout shoes as the place is well kept. Plenty of variety but too many "going away" birds, but then you just choose what you shoot. Easy to button for yourself as they have delay timers on all stands. Just keep a count of the "no birds" for when you return to pay. All the birds are described on the stands. However, if you want to see a bird first it will count on your tally. There's a grouse butt and high tower right at the end so you might want to walk through first to see what's available. Have fun, Chris

A Song Thrush. Last year one was singing outside the window all day long so I recorded it on the phone. Trouble is if I'm outside and the phone goes off I just think there's a thrush nearby and forget to answer it. Mind you, it's funny to watch folk look up when it goes off in a public place.

I think the bit we are missing is what causes the problem. All of the general creams will give symptomatic relief. They will be absorbed and the skin can absorb a vast array of chemicals - part of my job. Some of the steroid creams will change the skin but even those won't continue to work if you haven't diagnosed the underlying problem. So tell us more about the problem, when it occurs, when it doesn't etc. Does it affect just your palms or the fingers too. Is it just dry or red as well - can you post a picture. Just as an example, I worked with epoxy resins for many years. They didn't cause me any problems at the time. Now, if I mix even a little araldite and get some on my finger tips the skin will go dry and break up and flake in a day or so. The simple cure is for me to wear gloves when I use any epoxy resins - problem solved. I'm not saying this is your problem but you need to sort out the cause or actual skin condition. In the meantime, almost any of the suggestions should give you some relief . lanolin based products, shea butter products, Neutrogena's Norwegian formula and so on, should all be a help. And using sand paper may be making the problem worse.

This is now on Ebay starting at £50. If a PW member buys it I'll chuck in the postage.

Penn 330 GTI level wind multiplier. Made in the USA In very good condition. The mono on the spool is just for backing. Price £75 including normal post.

A bit far away but Reigate Arms Company (in Reigate of course) made and fitted a pin for my 425 for £25. Dropped it in on a Tuesday, picked it up Thursday (closed Wednesday!). I think the number id 01737222998

I presume this has been posted but just in case so we can all get back to normal http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/03/30/uk-britain-fuel-strike-idUKBRE82T0DY20120330

Have to agree. ~80yds and below - 22. 100yds and up .17 Keep in mind that with the predicted dry summer, short grass and hard ground will make the 22 bounce. I've taken rabbits (well a couple) at 90 yds with the 22 but to be honest the hold over was a bit of a guess. Might be worth doing a bit of pacing on your permission to see what the likely distances are. If you are at the 100yd plus range then rabbits don't seem to mind the extra noise of the 17. If you miss (which of course none of us ever do ) then the rabbit seems to sit there with a "what the **** was that" kind of posture, and then starts eating again. Have a look at these two sites. Up to you if you read all the text but scan down to the graphs and you'll see how much difference there is between the 22 and 17 trajectories. http://www.gunsmoke.com/guns/1022/22ballistics.html http://varmintal.com/17hmr.htm

Not so. It's well known in the liver of rabbits. I'm not saying this one is or isn't but would agree that whatever they have they stay out for Charlie. Might be interesting to know what the ground is like, other livestock, wet or dry etc.

Just comparing the two. My CZ 22 just goes "click" and the rabbit falls over . The CZ17 HMR goes bang and has a small amount of kick (in comparison). Add that to the extra distance and it just adds to the skill needed for accuracy. All my shooting is done without a rest (standing, kneeling etc.)

My two penneth: 22rf. Very quiet, good if you are eating the rabbit, worth experimenting with different ammo, ideal tool up to 70 yards. But ricochets even off of hard short grass. 17HMR. Comparatively very loud, better over longer distances, harder to be accurate (distance, kick, cross wind etc.), rarely ricochets, But does a lot of damage to meat. Both are good calibers but horses for courses.

I would have thought Coccidiosis.

I quite like cats but I don't want one. Why? Because I don't want cat **** on my garden and I don't want fledgling birds killed by them; both of which we get every year. There's nothing much wrong with cats, or any pets. It's the attitude of the owners that perplexes me. I can't imagine any of them ever saying, "let's get a cat and while we are choosing, we had better let the neighbours know we are expecting to turn their garden in to a toilet". 'And if you enjoy watching the birds nest in your garden we are going to introduce a predator just for our own amusement". Of course, you could put a large bell on the cat to give the birds a fighting chance or you could pay for any deterrent the neighbour might need to keep your cat out, but no, that would be too much consideration for others. Or you could make amends by compensating for the imposition, but somehow I doubt any cat owner would think of that. So if you want a cat, that's fine by me - Just take responsibility for it as I don't want to share it.

We used to let ours free range but they would end up in the neighbours gardens about 3 gardens away. Clipping their wings is a waste of time as they walk everywhere! They would always potter back at the end of the day. If you let them free range in the garden they will suddenly take a liking to a particular plant or veg crop while you're not looking. Result - no plant! You'll also have to deal with foxes. Ours are now in a big run and coup with bushes and shrubs. They are easy to keep and friendly but don't expect them to pay for their keep.

I have shotguns and section 1's. When my son applied for his SGC the FEO (Surrey) wanted them separated. He was realistic about it but said that's what needs to happen. The other way to think about it is if, for any reason they check to see what your wife has access to it could be the end of both your and her certificates. Even if the FEO says it is alright, the day it goes wrong it will be down to you.

If they work for you - then they work for you, and I suspect they are made to a high quality. But I've just been through their website and looked at their "science" and claims and most of it is absolute boswelox! I would love to see their data but, somehow, I doubt they would share it! As always, you pays your money and you takes your choice.

If you are on other forums there will be no harm passing on the link. They need about 93,000 signatures to get it debated in the house. Time for the power of the people to show. Cheers, Chris

cheers guys, keep it going.