shalfordninja33

Thanks. I'll take another look on Saturday.

Another local! Sounds like you had a good day too. Yes we were at the top of the airfield. We considered splitting up but it was as much about the social aspect as the sport. This👍 A great day!

The farm my uncle works on had drilled two fields of wheat on Wednesday and the pigeons had found it over the last day or so. We arrived about 9am to a still day with a few pigeons flighting around but no flight line to speak of. Made the decision to set up under a row of leylandi that a number lifted out of when we arrived. Out came the hide, whirly and 6 frozen birds on cradles. Everything was quiet for the first 45mins then groups of 6-10 start to float over the decoys from behind the trees. Shot 10 or so over the next hour, had a tidy up and made a slight adjustment to the pattern with a few more fresh birds added to it. Traffic then picked up with birds coming in from all directions committing to the pattern and whirly in small groups. It carried on like this until about 1.30pm when there was a noticeable slowing down in the traffic. A brief scout up and down the trees established that the pigeons had taken to feeding on the adjacent field and the far end of the field we were in. we could have split up to keep them moving but this was a social occasion as much as anything. I have a young family and we haven't shared a hide for 10 years or more. It reminded me of being a kid again when we used to share one regularly, a great way to catch and up enjoy shooting in each other's company. Hide etiquette wasn't forgotten, safety is paramount, although more than one bird got a double dose from the 20s! Stuck it out until 2.30, we picked up 88 for 194 shots, really great way to spend a Saturday, a decent bag for the game dealer was a bonus.

I have a Seiko SKX007J and its a pretty good timekeeper, one small movement to get it running and it's away. It was about £180.00 from Creatonwatches online 18 months ago. Really solid for the price, loads of reviews online, general consensus is they're great value for money.

https://www.creationwatches.com/products/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2110&page=2 this? Seiko 5 automatic

They're not to everyones taste, I quite like the quirky Soviet styling, have you considered a Vostok? Russian mechanical military style, Not expensive. £40.00 depending upon how extravigant we want to be. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Watches-Parts-Accessories/14324/i.html?_sop=15&LH_BIN=1&_from=R40&LH_ItemCondition=1000&_nkw=vostok&_dcat=31387&rt=nc&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=30&_udhi=95

Halifax, part of Lloyds are pretty good, I arrange a days simulated game shooting each spring and ask people to pay the money into my day to day account. it doesnt have any more than £1k in it at a time and most transactions are under £100.00. The last two years when I've tried to pay the depost, £2k ish by card over the phone it's been declined immediately. I called the bank when it happened and they explained that as it's a much higher amount than the usual tranactions it's blocked pending approval, reassuring if inconvenient at the time. I now transfer the money online.

Cylinder and 1/4 in my O/U 12 for a s long as I can remember, 3/8 or 3/4 in my auto for decoying or charlie. Purchased a 20 bore a month ago and have 1/4 and 1/2 in that at the moment, I may change it to Cyclinder and 1/4 or 1/4 before the game season. I'm putting 26gm RC 7's through it and I'm concerned that the pattern may be too open with Cylinder, I'll shoot some paper before making any changes.

Its along shot but depending upon your line of work you may be able to find someone that has an industrial sonic cleaner. The insdustry I work in uses them for cleaning machine parts. The one we use is big anough to sit in, I work with a few rifle shooters and we pop all the mods in there at once, they come out like new.

I had exactly this 2 years ago.

last few minutes of this video has a pattern test. 28gm 1/4 choke is pretty much the same though either.

I've just got a Beretta 690 in 20 bore. I put 1/4 and 1/2 in it for roost shooting at the weekend 26gm no7 RC JK6 and it killed really well. Comfortable on the shoulder, I'm converted! Most of the guys I shoot with that use 20s shoot 1/4 & 1/4.

I took the plunge and bought a beretta 690 field in 20 bore. Had my first outing with it on Saturday roost shooting and took 8 pigeons and two crow for 14 shots. Really pleased with it, I’m left handed and this is the first l/h gun I’ve owned, it feels very natural to shoot.

2 more this afternoon with the 20 69

Today was a good day! Snuck out at lunchtime to collect an order I placed at the weekend. After a few last years off I’d been hankering after another 20bore. I have a 686 in 12bore and felt it was getting a bit heavy carrying around on our syndicate days. So I’ve treated myself to a 690 field 1. Got some JK6s arriving from JC tomorrow. Cant wait to get out with it at the weekend!

Iv'e got a slab of Hull three crowns that I use in mine, they must be 30 years old but they work fine and kill ok. I only few it a few times a year.

Thanks! Yes, the guy was keen to have it in his personal collection. It only came into the shop as I wasn’t prepared to leave it in the car. After I told him what was in the slip he was dead keen for a look! In my very limited experience the newer models feel slightly larger in the hand and don’t feel quite as solid. In terms of mechanical reliability I’ve seen a few with ejector issues but none that don’t work at all.

I have a 1989 686 onyx. I bought it from my uncle in the late 90s. It has the worn but cared for look these days, the blueing is worn and has a slight patina on the action. Looks all the better for it in my view. It just feels right. I took it to a local gun shop yesterday along with another gun that I was using as a trade in, I was heading out roost shooting straight after, the dealer was more interested in whether or not I was prepared to part with the onyx! The golden era of berettas in his words. For me it’s a lifer, I bought it in my late teens, I’m 42 now and it’s not going anywhere. It’s had one service in that time and been faultless. It will see a little less use in future as I’ve just ordered a 690 field in 20bore for my driven shooting. But for engaging high roosting pigeons and corvids of an evening it will definitely get a run out.

Thanks Scully, great to compare real world experiences. These were hull hp 32gm 5. I’ve used their 30gm 6s bird shooting as long as I can remember through 1/4 and 1/2 in my 686 and it kills as far out as I’m confident in shooting. . These rabbits were shot off the polaris at night between 20 and 30 yards using my al391 and my mates 1100. No real science just a general feeling after over a number of weeks that out of the slabs the farm were supplying for the job, sometimes plastic sometimes fibre, the better cartridge to kill ratio came on the nights we used plastic. I borrowed a friends 20bore for roost shooting last Saturday and I used a box of 28gm RC T3 (plastic) followed by a box of 28gm HP Extreem (fibre) I felt the RCs hit harder than the hull regardless of the difference in felt recoil. Although I believe in that case the difference in brands accounted for much of it. Every RC cartridge I’ve tried has felt hard hitting in comparison to pretty much every other brand I’ve used.

I've had a similar experience with rabbits, same brand/shot size/weight cartridge, the only difference being plasic or fibre wads. I definately had more runners with the fibre, plastic seemed to hit harder and stop more the first time. I assume the plastic holds a slightly tighter pattern giving the impression of more choke. I use fibre exclusively for game and I believe slightly more choke helps with fibre.

2 last night roost shooting 202

Four more crows last night roost shooting. 20 bore had a run out this time. 1/4 & half choke though the sp1. 28gm RC T3 6s and 7s 👍 25

Had another 6 roost shoot lasting night waiting for pigeons. In that situation I find hiding behind a tree best, then shooting them as they fly past, so satisfying watching them fold up! I used my 20bore last night with 28gm RC T3s in 7 or 6. Furthest was around 35yards. RCs certainly hit hard. 😁

I’ve seen more this year on our syndicate in Essex than we have for a long time. Used to have a shoot on site policy to help keep the coursers away, we stopped that about 3 years ago and they’ve recovered really well. The coursers are back as well 😢