ES100

I usually use mine but haven't the last couple of times and had two really good sessions (for me anyway; 18 in 2 hours one day and 12 & 2 crows in 2 hours a couple of days later). Reasons were; the bloke I share my permission with only uses a magnet and nothing else and had been out a few days before me on both locations so i thought the birds might be wary, plus I was shooting over only recently cut wheat stubble with lots of birds about and on both days there was plenty of wind and it wasn't too sunny - so good conditions. I thnk what I'm learning is a bit of thought and planning seem to help. Get it wrong more than right but learn something every time.

I shot at one on recently, a right to left crosser going fairly fast about 20 yrds out from the hide. Thought I had missed, it flew on and landed in a tree about 100 yrds away. About 10 seconds later it fell out of the tree. Went to check it straight away (in case it was just pricked, as above) and it was stone dead.

thanks guys, will report back if anything happens

Good question, I have two fields of Spring Oats on my permission, one of which I can see from the house and there are some big laid patches but haven't seen any pigeons (yet!)

10 over standing wheat Total 7389

or get a dog! i've got a staffie and a working cocker, never see any cats in our garden....

2 yesterday on clover 3779

2 this morning on rape 2514

I do have an ES100 (non FAC)...how did you guess? Off topic now but it's a great gun, light to carry and easy to strip and clean with only one mis-feed since I got it last summer (probably fired 1000+ shells through it in that time)

Thanks for all the thoughts and tips, I think it must have been one of those days where I was just in the wrong place ES100

Thanks for the thoughts, I have been shooting the field for a couple of years and thought the flight was well established regardless of wind direction, since I only saw 3 pigeons in three hours then it must have been that they were just somewhere else that day (despite scaring about 20 away when I arrived to set up and there being plenty of sprouting clover) and the wind direction was nothing to do with it. Another possibility was that I did something wrong with the hide and/or decoys and they were scared away before I saw them. For interest, the hide was at the base of a tree with a rotary about 20 yds in front and a U shape behind it made of about 20 flocked shells. Very fustrating to draw a blank and not know why. ES100

A question; are flightlines affected by wind direction? I have shot the same field three times in the last few weeks and twice the wind was coming from the East, the pigeons were coming in on a known flightline and coming into the decoys. The third time the wind was blowing from the North and the flightline seemed to have disappeared, this was despite there being plenty of pigeons around in the area generally and specifically reccying the field the day before and seeing plenty of pigeons feeding there. Thoughts?

Got my magnet from the pigeon shooter, it was £65 and spins at 45rpm with dead birds on it....didn't bloody work this morning, mainly because there were no pigeons about!

I bought this recently and has been brilliant so far, comes with a nylon strap for the decoy/pole bag & I just bungee extra stuff to it http://www.amazon.co.uk/BISON-FOLDING-FISHING-TROLLEY-PNUEMATIC/dp/B005CTXKM4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363297015&sr=8-1

2 this morning on clover Total 2064

The more I think, the less I hit

Got my magnet from The Pigeon Shooter and not had any problems so far, hopefully it will stay that way

I don't use a speed controller with my magnet I thought the idea was it went round as fast as possible (I always use dead birds)

I find that if the birds are coming into the deeks steadily I shoot much better...less pressure and you know if you miss one they'll be others along. On the days when there's not much to shoot at I do much worse..being impatient, rushing shots, not leading enough etc. Saying that I think my best ratio is probably 4:1 but have only been pigeon shooting for a couple of years so hopefully it will improve

1 this morning with the air rfile 1914

6 yesterday morning, should have been at least double that! Total 1859

Better luck tomorrow, I got a little camping stove for brewing up, with the water it adds some weight but at least you get a proper hot cup of tea - makes a big difference when its that cold

7 on Thur last week over rape 1448

Keep trying, it took me a few trys before I got the first one, now I'm hooked!

I can't argue with that logic!!!!