Uncle Albert

I've read of ratios of 4:1 up to 10:1 in favour of Isopropyl alcohol. Which one is correct?

I've read of ratios of 4:1 up to 10:1 in favour of Isopropyl alcohol. Which one is correct? I've read of ratios of 4:1 up to 10:1 in favour of Isopropyl alcohol. Which one is correct?

Before you start, make sure you read the literature. Lyman's, "ABC of Shotshell Reloading" is a good one. Make sure you keep to their recipe and stay clear of the maximum powder charge until you are confident. If you are determined to get to your chosen speed then you will need a crono. Be careful though.

Yea, put me down for 2 double XL, one red and one blue.

Nip down the chemist and pick up a box of Citric Acid (AKA Lemon juice) You won't need much, about half a teaspoon full for 200 cases. Don't leave them in too long as it will leach the tin out and the cases will look more copper coloured. Dave

I have dealt with John from FE for some time. He is a perfect gentleman and will go out of his way to help. If you ordered Hazmat products then it is probably down to the courier. Dave

I use "Jungle Formula, Maximum". It seems to do the trick OK, even if it does smell a tad rank. Get it from the chemist. Dave

I've got a feeling that this is an accident waiting to happen. Don't play about with this, it will only put you in hospital.

Hiya Claycracker As has been said, Clay and Game has some information. Otherwise, have a look on John's site at Folkestone Engineering Supplies. He has some loads published on there. Good bloke to deal with and a mine of information. You won't go far wrong there. I use him but then again he is relatively close. I've never used brass cases. I get all my old hulls from the clay ground. You have to be choosy though. Don't get any that are rusty or wet and stick to one make, it saves a lot of hassle. Dave

Hiya and welcome to the nut house.

Welcome to the nut hutch from another member of the Essex fraternity. There's quite a few of us on here. Dave

+1 for The Fennes. Another good shoot is just over the bridge at Dartford but you would have to be accompanied by an instructor. Easy to get to. Literally first exit as you come off the bridge. They have everything there, 14 Sporting stands, 5 Skeet ranges, 2 DTL, 2 ABT, 2 Compac ranges. Very friendly and well worth a visit. Regular competitions. Dave.

Welcome to the nut hutch.

Hiya and welcome to the nut house. I sometimes shoot clays at Dartford but have been out of action for a few months with an injured finger. You'll learn plenty from the guys and girls on here.

Welcome to the nut house!

Welcome to the nut house! Make sure you get your cabinet installed before your interview with the FEO (Firearms Enquiry Officer) and don't forget the security requirements in the notes with your form. You'll be lucky! Don't want to dash your hopes but I've heard of some folks waiting 9 months for a first grant. Keep your money in the building society earning interest until it arrives on your doorstep. Don't mean to say you can't make a nuisance of yourself looking round though. Have a look in a number of shops. Think carefully about new or second hand. There can be quite a difference in price. Benefit of new is you know how it has been treated and looked after. Generally speaking, with second hand, the cheaper they are the worse condition they are in. Compare the selling price with the new price. If you can, try before you buy when you get your ticket. What do you want it for, game, pigeons, rabbits or clays? Have you any ideas on make, budget, over/under, side by side or semi-auto?

The bolt for my rimfire is kept in a pouch made of Cordura, the same material as my gun bag. At home it is stored, with ammo and mag, in my ammo safe. This is just habit so I think nothing of it. Why give any scrotes a helping hand.

Are any of them good for getting rid of ivy as well. I've tried everything on the blood stuff, even Sodium chlorate, but nothing seems to kill it. I tried a specific ivy killer but it had no effect whatsoever. Anybody recommend something?

Give Clay and Game a bell. They should be good for recipes but you need to see what your local RFD has in stock. Avoid the American powders as they are usually twice the price of European prices. Vectan and Maxan powders are both good. Don't try using "Near as" parts as they may not fit. I use Folkestone Engineering Supplies for my powder, wads, primers and shot. Us softies down here (South of Watford Gap) have more of a choice with regards to supplies so there is some competition. Get all your supplies from one source and preferably from someone who knows what they are talking about. Been down that road, never again. If you are ordering powder and primers by post then you will have to pay HAZMAT charges of about £40.00. PITA I know so I drive down when I need powder and primers. Shot and wads can be sent by courier at reasonable cost but if you can get to the RFD then it will be much better as you can pick his/her brains. Best of luck, have fun and don't forget, you are dealing with explosives so take care and follow the recipe exactly. Forgot to mention, there's nowt wrong with using hulls from the local clay ground. That's all I use. I find that Fiocchi FBlue are good. The wall seems to be thicker. Reload them a couple of times and then chuck them. Whatever you use, make sure you pick them up when they are dry or let them dry at home. Stick to one size (I suggest 70mm) and get the recipe for that size hull. Avoid the hulls with a plastic insert in the base e.g. Gamebore as they can be difficult to reload. Avoid any hulls that show signs of rust and any that are split. Check what most shooters use at the ground and stick to that brand.

No two rifle barrels will shoot one round the same. My CZ likes Wini subs and hates Eley subs. They tend to stop cycling or cycle inconsistently. It's a case of trial and error. As they are cheap enough, get a number of boxes and try them until you find one that suits your barrel.

I use a small home safe I got from Argos for the bolt and ammo for the 22lr and use a metal ammo box bolted to the floor for shotgun shells. FEO perfectly happy with both.

Have a look at #### down in Folkestone, on the web. He is possibly the cheapest for supplies and if you give him a ring he will send you a list of recipes. I get my supplies from him and he is very reliable. Ideally, get hold of someone locally to show you the ropes but beware, it is very addictive. The Lee machine does produce very good carts for clays and game. It is limiting though as you cannot easily change the setting of the machine and you will find yourself upgrading to another press. I did, as I gained experience, and went for a MEC press. Get a recipe and stick to it as you are dealing with explosives. The powder burns but the primers explode and can really ruin your day so care is the watchword. Make sure you read your reloading manual at least three times before starting. Powder and primers are better bought face to face otherwise you will have to pay Hazmat charges of about £40 for mail order which makes it very expensive. Best of luck and I look forward to hearing how you get on. Uncle Albert.

+1. They have to issue one by law. If you are a member of BASC, give them a ring and report it. Write to PCC for your area and complain to the Chief of police and, if necessary your MP. That should get things moving. There is a stipulation that you must be in possession of a current certificate or lodge your guns with a Registered Firearms Dealer until your certificate arrives. Don't take no for an answer. My FAC ran out last September and I sent the forms in April. Come the expiry date a temp certificate arrived on the mat. I had already had to hand my expanding rounds in to my local RFD. 12eks later my new certificate arrived.

Depending on the size of the cabinet, you may want to drill the door and fix a handle so you can open it. Be warned also, to get a cabinet large enough to allow for future additions. Many people, me included, have fallen into that pit. I started off with a 3 gun cabinet and have had to upgrade to a 5 gun cabinet. It is an addictive hobby and you don't want to be having to shell out more for a larger cabinet. Uncle Albert

All motoring offences must be declared no matter how long ago they were. Just give an approximate date but state that it is approximate. If you look further down the form you should see that it is an offence not to declare an offence and could taint your application. I seem to remember some good time ago someone was prosecuted for not declaring an offence, though I may be wrong. Uncle Albert