Blackpowder

Well I am long in the tooth and have been shooting since 1958, started off with a single barrled Italian hammerless folding 12 bore. Moved on to an Army and Navy hammergun shortly after, totally shot out of proof and most likely true cylinder on both barrels, shot with it for 30 years nevertheless and found it astounding how far out these hopeless barrels could kill at. During this time flirted briefly with a Spanish s/s ejector, clumsy and horrible to use and found the hammer gun with practice could have a comparable rate of fire. Presently shoot with a Pape s/s ejector but still own the Army and Navy hammergun plus an English n/e boxlock

with damascus barrels. Also in the gunsafe is a BRNO .22. I am fortunate in being a member of a Shooting Association with its own pheasant shoot with 5 days a year, plus 10 Saturdays in springtime roost shooting at pigweons on surrounding estates. Over the years I have been a member of various syndicates and the current one being an excellent friendly affair with 5 shoot days a year, this brings a few return invites and fills up the winter diary to satisfaction. A bit of decoying over seed fields in spring completes the shooting year when for the main part the gun is put away and the rod picked up. Gone are the cold nights on Lindisfarne with scarcely a shot fired, sometimes indeed never a shot fired, I'll leave that to the young.

Blackpowder