Bear68

@enfieldspares. A point of fact; the announcement made regarding the 'voluntary' phase out of lead was not made by BASC alone. Signatories included the Countryside Alliance, National Gamekeepers Organisation, GWCT, Scottish Association of Country Sports and several others.

That's a really nice looking gun. Are the barrels clean and free of pitting?

They're great little guns; have fun using it.

Yes, it was. They reduced the price recently, and temptation got the better of me.

The 2008 recession meant I had to sell my AYA No.4/53 in 20 bore. It was a decision I'd always regretted, but I turned 55 earlier this week and have just bought another one as a present to myself (this one won't be going anywhere):

I have a Hardy Bros 16 bore with damascus barrels. I looked into resleeving it; the cost was several thousand pounds from memory. I decided it was cheaper to buy bismuth cartridges.

I have a Silver Pigeon Classic and also a Silver Pigeon 3. I think the handling and finish of the Classic is better. The wood is also much more attractive on the Classic.

My 'proper' first gun was an AYA Yeoman Ejector bought in 1985, but I've used over and unders for over 20 years. Maybe it's nostalgia or possibly a mid-life crisis, but I've just put a deposit on an AYA No.3......all I need now is some Eley Grand Prix or Impax (preferably paper cased) and I'll feel like I'm 17 again!

Thanks, gents. That's good to know.

I'm considering buying a 20 bore sxs for walked-up and driven game (not high birds). The gun I'm looking will be fine for standard steel. How effective have people found steel 20 bore cartridges for this type of shooting? The alternative is just to go for 12 bore.

Usually 44" / XL.

Thanks, I'll have a look at both options.

I need to buy a new coat for game shooting, picking up and stalking. My budget is £200 - £300 max. Any recommendations would be appreciated; looking for something that is waterproof, wam and breathable. Thanks.

Thanks; it does. There's something about using an old English gun that is very special.

The Pattern B looks very similar to a Hardy 16 bore I bought two years ago. It's very light and handles beautifully and I've shot some memorable birds with it. I'd be interested to know the date of the catalogue, please.

I'm thinking about buying a field version of the above. I believe the pre-2019 version had Optima chokes, and the newer version has Optima HP's. Is there any practical difference between the two, particularly regarding the use of steel shot (following this week's announcement). Thanks for reading.

Well, I tried them both today and decided to go with the Miroku. Thanks for all the replies to my original post

Thanks, will do.

That's very much the dilemma that prompted my original post. I suppose the bore dimensions is probably one of the main concerns for me, although I shoot with a back-bored Browning 525 and have never noticed any real difference between fibre and plastic wads so am probably over thinking the issue.

Thank you for the replies; sorry, a busy day with the family yesterday. I've shot Browning / Miroku guns for nearly 20 years, and am likely to stick with one or the other. I've handled a Crown at my local gunshop, which I really liked, and am waiting for them to get an MK60 for comparison. They do have a second hand CG Invictus on the rack which I'll also have a look at. I've only seen Chapuis guns on the internet, and although I like the styling and the idea of having a made to measure gun appeals, I don't really know anything about them; how are they for reliability and availability of parts etc?

I've saved for the past few years to buy a higher grade gun for game shooting. I prefer fixed choke guns, and have narrowed the options down to one of the above with 30" barrels. An MK60 is around £2700, and the Crown is nearly £2000 more. I normally use fibre wad cartridges; I think (?) the Miroku is back bored, and the Crown isn't. Apart from that, I like the solid rib and the rounded fore-end on the Crown, but it's a lot more to pay for a few cosmetic differences. Is there anything else I should be aware of? I'd appreciate your views; either gun will be the most expensive I've bought, and I intend to keep it for the rest of my shooting life.

I've always preferred fixed choke shotguns, but they now seem to be a rarity unless you are looking at a Beretta EELL or similar at £5000+; that's a lot more than I can afford, but is there anything out there in the £2000 to £3000 bracket? I hit 50 recently and would like to treat myself to a new gun but trawling through guntrader hasn't produced anything.

Yes, I had that done to my Browning 525 by Jim Wills in Bath.I had the stock refinished and a few other bits done; it was a few years ago but think it was less than £200.

Benelli Supernova; I haven't used it yet, but hope to tomorrow. Last time I shot a pump action was a very long time ago.

I had a Yeoman ejector; bought it new in about 1985 and traded it in for a new Aya no4 a few years later.