bravo2

I have a Yildiz in 20g - it is great, maybe not as nice as my Beretta, but lest than half the price and seems to shoot just as well. No issues with reliability and definitely excellent value. I think you would struggle to find a new gun that wasn't safe and functional - the manufacturers would be out of business pretty quick!

If somebody wants to get into your cabinet that badly an angle grinder to the locks would probably be far quicker than searching for your keys (or a touch of oxy-acetylene), and if you have a key safe then you are just giving Mr Thief a choice of which one to get into. I reckon a good (and I mean good) hiding place is as good a way of doing it as any. Keeping them on your person is all very well but not practical for a lot of people.

Any update... the suspense is killing me!

Had this happen to me once with .223 - I had to wrap the rope around a broom handle then stood on it and pulled the barrel with all I could muster - just, and only just, got it out. If the rope snaps... well then I agree you are up the creek and might need to use some of these more elaborate ideas, but as long as there is a rope I'd keep pulling it!

As somebody rightly said - to err is human. Anybody suggesting otherwise is as big an idiot as the person who mixed up their cartridges, if not more so. No amount of checking or procedure will ever eliminate every concievable error - although clearly it will greatly reduce the chances of a mistake. Look at any accident from 3 mile island to Challenger to the surgeon who amputated the wrong leg and you will find human error as the root cause, despite seemingly robust multi-layered defences. Errors happen - fact, it doesn't matter who you are or how careful you are, meticulous safety will only reduce the chances of an error, never eliminate it.

Good suggestion if they were kept in the run, but they free range during the day so main issue now is getting one snatched in daylight. After nightfall they are locked in the coop so are pretty safe. To the person who had their cat shot - I hope the person who did it was found, there is no excuse for ever shooting a cat with an air rifle, let alone when it is on the owners property.

It is fairly simple - just a weight on a rod suspended above the pushbutton and held there with a pin, attach pin to bait. Once bait is taken and the pin pulled the weight and rod press the button and the bell goes off. I used some 15mm pipe and a bit of old lead I had lying around. The main issue is probably range - mine was only 40yds away and ok but I doubt you would get much more than 100yds (doorbell claims 150yds line of sight) and that is on full batteries. For an upgraded version you could possibly use a handheld radio and position the rod over the 'call' button, you would then get full walkie-talkie range. For the deluxe version maybe a cheap PAYG mobile phone, dial in your number and suspend over the dial button.... you could then get the alarm anywhere in the world. Here is the piccie of mine, it is heath robinson but does work, with a little extra time it could be smartened up quite a bit. I used an upturned plastic container to keep the rain off but I guess putting the whole thing in a bag or wrapping in clingfilm would work just as well and make it less conspicuous.

For anybody that is interested the answer was..... a big feral cat. Managed to trap it very easily, turned out to be the same one I had in my sights on the first night but didn't take the shot as wasn't sure if it was feral or not.... better safe than sorry though. Once I got to look at it close up there was no question so job done. Trap and bait left out for several nights now with no more takers, chickens are unmolested and no posters up saying 'have you seen mittens?'. Anybody want a loan of a decent fox trap in North Yorks give me a shout... think I'm done with it for a while (I hope).

All fair points - and yes I'm far enough away from anywhere to fire the HMR (as several dozen bunnies will testify), but about 1/2 mile away there are a few bungalows that have mostly elderly residents and I would not be happy to deprive some old dear of her only company. I think a cat is a possible culprit, but absence of collar is not reliable enough for me sorry, however if it is obviously feral then I won't hesitate.... still back to the problem that I can only really tell in daylight.

Update - the doorbell fox-alarm was really simple to make and works a treat (anybody wants photos/design then just let me know). So at 4:22 this morning it goes off and I'm at the window in seconds.... and much to my disappointment there is a black cat tucking into some lovely chicken wings. Now if I had any way of knowing for certain it was feral I would have had no hesitation in shooting it, but I wasn't about to execute somebody's pet, so I let it carry on and it ate the lot, not even a bone left when I checked at 8am! I guess my next question is, and I fear I already know the answer, is there any way of working out if the cat is domestic or feral, bearing in mind it is at 40yds in poor light? Might have to revert to a cage trap and at least then I can release any pet cats unscathed.

These are full sized rhode islands so not an easy target for a small predator. I have tried to find clues but it has been raining and snowing constantly. If bait is gone tomorrow I'll look for footprints around it. My worry is Charlie will dig under the fence and raid the coop again before I get him... Let battle commence.

Thanks for the replies - I am not 100% sure it was a fox but what else - feral cat? The coop was full of feathers and clearly there had been a disturbance - the surviving chickens had done a runner into the night, but there was only one missing, no blood or remains to speak of, just feathers. The hole they go in and out of (can't remember what they call it) is standard kind about 7"x6" and that was how it got in and out. I will try bait and stake out until the doorbell arrives... good point on lighting, might just be able to do it with light from the house as I have a reasonable scope. I'll let you know how I get on.

After two years of boasting that there are not any foxes around my place and the free range chickens are quite safe I've finally had one snatched out of the coop - serves me right I guess. Has anybody got any top tips on dealing with it, my current plan is to rig some bait up to a remote doorbell (about £7 off ebay) and when it goes off I will take it from an upstairs window. I live relatively out in the sticks and the coop is about 40yds from the house so should be ok with my 17HMR and a decent torch. My only other thought was to try and get hold of one of those traps (although they are not cheap to buy) and once charlie is imprisoned would be a simple job to dispatch. Anybody tried either of the the above or got any better ideas - all advice welcome?

Esk for me - brilliant in the cold, best bit of kit I have. Definitely wear over-trousers or gators if you are going through thorns as the sides will get shredded otherwise.