-Mongrel-

The final decision was correct undoubtedly. You can not have a large, powerful, aggressive, untrustworthy dog around kids, end of. It also wouldn't be fair to pass it on and make it someone elses problem even with their knowledge, can you imagine how you'd feel if it did serious damge to them? That said, what went on to bring on this set of problems will probably never be known, but, the fact that Kent has now had two of his dogs take chunks out of him would suggest a training problem perhaps? I've also had dogs since I was 12, I'm now 43 and not one of them has ever tried to bite me. Not saying I'm a great dog man, but purely suggesting there may be something awry in Kents training protocol...or he's plain unlucky. I too have been on the sharp end of Kent's superior and arrogant posting style and attitude. The man doesn't seem to be able to accept he may not be the foremost expert on any given subject. I deal with it by generally refusing to respond to his posts and keeping my thoughts in my head.

All of the above is correct. As stated, shut the water supply to the WC and flush it before shutting the power off, foolproof then. One flush won't overfill the pan anyway.

Last Sunday I picked up a shotgun and tried to shoot a moving target with it. I've never been so embarassed in all my life!

No idea mate, sounds almost as boring as snooker on the telly to me.

Yeah, the fitting is a bit of a problem, but without a treatable cause, there's nothing I can do about it and the occasional probelm doesn't justify getting another gundog apparently! It's only my 2nd visit to the marsh this year, work has been very restrictive but thankfully now back to normal, so I can get out regularly again.

Well, finally got out this morning. Dog was fully recovered (thanks for asking). Wind was whisling across the marsh still, the tide was approaching high and there was not a bird to be seen in the air. Day started to break and at last one or two birds began to take to the wing...straight down the centre of the channel about 150 metres out. A steady trickle of birds lifted off and headed out into the estuary over the next half hour or so with nothing coming anywhere near. I decided to get my gloves out of the bag as they were beginning to chill, reached round for them and opened the bag up, pulled the gloves out and looked up, to see a pair of teal come past me with the wind up their tails about 2o yards away! I grabbed the gun, mounted and swung onto the rapidly receding birds, pulled through them and let two shots rip, both of which missed!!! And that was the last birds I saw in range. Such is 'fowling! I prefer a lower tide to be honest, it lets me get closer to the channel which is their preferred route and gives a couple more chances, retrospectively the other side of the channel would have been better, but I've sat on the other side to see more birds flight the side I was on. I now need to have a think about the why's of that, for future use. A disappointing flight if I'm honest as I had high expectations, might help if I could shoot straighter though, I always struggle to adjust from clays to live and need three or four sessions to start hitting things. Onnward and upward!

Let's just think on a bit here. What are you trying to do? You are trying to store your keys securely. Plenty of people have their keys in the office desk drawer, or the bedside cabinet or similar. If, like me you figured that was maybe a little too easy, then you may have bought one of these £50 safes, and bolted it down somewhere inaccessible and hidden, then that's an improvement. With regard to mine you'd get neither a angle grinder or leverage for a pry bar on it, but that's not the point, I'm not storing the Crown jewels in it am I? The only other person who knows where it's located is the missus..and she neither knows the number or how to break into it. If someone's in your house wih the necessary to break into your keysafe, why would they bother? Surely they'd just break into the gun safe?

Not just you mate, my lab had a mini fit last night. It happens occasionally. We have had it investigated but they can't find anything so it's just something we live with. However, it does knock her back for about 12 hours, as such, we'll be looking to get out tomorrow morning instead of today...if nothing else, it will be windy...like severe gale force windy!!!

:lol:

Great shooting, I'll be happy to do half as well in the morning.

I don't think so. I think he dresses, walks, acts and speaks that way just for the camera. It's all just a show for publicity IMO.

LOL, by jove I do believe you may be right, I was on a Google page for Becky Mantin and thought "That's a wholesome and attractive pic, I'll use that one!", she'd still get my best attention...as would Becky!

How would you justify needing a FAC shotgun? I can see it would be useful, but I shoot 'fowl and rough shoot vermin. As such, it's rare that I actually need more than three.

Best of British in sunny Wales, hopefully we can trade stories tomorrow eve! ;-)

Off onto the marsh myself tomorrow, due to be blowing Force 4, but will be high tide so the beggars may just choose to sit on the water!

Bloody prancing queen gets right on my tits!

That's the ends of your collarbones, most of us have enough meat that they don't protrude in such an unsightly way. I must admit, very pretty facially, but she could do with a few more pasties a day! Becky Mantin is more my type of woman... Lara Lewington would do too...

There were a few late ones that were made with 3" chambers but they are few and far between. The other salient point if someone did want a 3" gun for 'fowling is that they aren't actually proofed for steel....not that you can't put steel through it, but they aren't proofed.

I've had both and currently have a Hatsan Escort. There's nothing wrong with either but the 20 year old Beretta felt better built. However, I still have the Hatsan because it can shoot 3" cartridges and I go wildfowling. The options for 2 3/4" steel cartridges were severely limited particularly in the bigger shot sizes. If you are sure you are only going to shoot pigeons and clays then the Bereta will do you well and you won't be sneered at by the idiots at the clay ground. If you might want to use 3" cartridges at some point get the Hatsan and some skin thickener!

You have PM

The only bad thing I've heard said about the HW's is about their weight. I have shot but not owned one so I can't comment on how much of an issue that extra weight may be when you've carried it around for a couple of hours, very accurate gun though.

As all of the above will be, the following is my personal opinion, established through my experiences in the field and on the targets. .177 is easier to shoot, especially if your range judgement isn't spot on. It is also as lethal as .22. Yes, the .22 is a bigger heavier pellet that carries more energy, and yes, the .177 can sometimes punch through, but I've yet to see a cleanly through head shot rabbit run away. It doesn't matter whether the pellet destroys the brain or tears 50% of it out the other side, the end result is a dead rabbit. Accuracy is everything, if it's in the right place the rabbit will be killed and I find that more consistently achieved with .177. I've had Air Arms S400, Daystates Mk3, BSA's Ultra, a Logun S16s, and a couple of others in various flavours. I regretted selling the S400, it was astonishingly accurate and easy to shoot. I've now settled on a AirArms S510 in .177. It's fantastic and I'd happily recommend it or the S400/410 over any of the others.