tjm160

Thanks gents, sold pending the usual.

Barely worn DPM Windproof Smock 190/104 (Up to 6'3" & 42" Chest). £30 posted please.

2 x Deben Extreme Precision Swivel Tilt Bipods 9"-13", both in very good condition, less than a year old. Priced to sell at £40 each posted, or £75 the pair (originally paid £69 each).

After 120 rounds to bed in the new .22 barrel for my Sako Quad, testing 5 manufacturers rounds alongside each other, Eley proved the best for my rifle:

Barbury Castle just to the South of Swindon has a great layout and facilities, 15-20 minute drive from Cotswold Water Parks.

Indeed, Jim Wills is a top chap, he put a cast on my B525 and did various jobs for a friend. 01225 445062 http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/134132-bristol-gunsmiths/

@ Lord Geordie, very good

Three today and one back in January. Total = 271

Wow, that's some bag, well done!

Superb write up and great pictures, you have quite some butchery skills, truly inspirational! Tim

Two vixen with the .243 under lamp this evening. Total = 125

Not at all well at the moment but fed up of not being able to get out, I dragged myself off the sofa and took a trip to my local permission this afternoon. Mooching around slowly, I spotted two Roe Does just over 100m away. Not having the deer rights on the land (and still waiting for the DSC1 result to enable removal of my mentoring condition), it was at least a joy just to watch them going about their business. After 5 or 10 mins of browsing, they hopped into a small wood. I gave them a few minutes and then enjoyed a cracking hour and a half following them from a modest distance. As the light faded, I bumped another deer in a large wood and shortly after saw another two does over the top of a hedge just 30m away. They clearly sensed something wrong and hot footed it away into the brush. The sun now dropping away below the horizon, I stood on the edge of a gateway lazily watching several rabbits chasing each other around. As darkness finally fell, I made my way back towards the car across wind. On the third scan with the lamp, it picked up two sets of eyes and the unmistakable profile of two foxes, some distance away. Turning the lamp off and making my way closer, occasionally checking where they were, they were clearly trotting away, not liking the light. I suspected they may stop when they reached the hedge and was shortly pleased when my instincts proved correct. Now clearly feeling secure so close to cover, they presented broadside ~150m away. Rushing in the heat of the moment, the shot missed. A quick reload and I was surprised to see them trotting slowly and steadily, quartering towards me back across the field to the large wood, getting closer with each step. The distance down to ~80m and showing no signs of stopping, I gave 2-feet of lead and dropped the lead vixen in her tracks. The other sprinted back to where they had started. Pausing only briefly to look back before continuing down the reverse side of a hedge, I made my way over to the fallen fox. After laying her to rest, I made my way over the last two fields before the car. At the penultimate gate, I just thought I'd have a quick scan of the field on the other side. The lamp picked up another set of eyes and the clear profile of another fox ~150m away trotting towards the hedge. To far to be confident of a clean shot this time, I tracked her hoping she would stop before going through the hedge. She did and no mistake this time, she dropped on the spot: Now very tired and am sure I'll pay for the outing over the next few days, but a great time and most welcome distraction. The farmer is also very pleased with the total of five foxes taken in two outings since Christmas.

Personally and I'm sure like most of us, I 'like' and appreciate "quality". However, we can't all either afford or justify "quality". My already damaged hearing getting progressively worse, I ceased the clays and went the deer stalking route instead. I consequently, chopped my new Browning B525 in for a Hatstand and put the rest towards a Sako .243. My cabinet now comprises two Sako rifles and the Hatstand. Would I appreciate a more "expensive" shotgun; why sure. However, the pheasant's and pigeon's don't know the difference and kept properly clean, I've yet to experience a situation where it doesn't do the job for which it was intended. I have a degree of empathy with 'maintaining traditions' and wouldn't pitch up to a driven day with one, but for my purposes, stuff those who look down on the shotgun that does the job I need it to, regardless of it's cost and the badge it proudly wears.

Now sold, thanks.

Laksen Stalking/Shooting Waterproof Suit, unworn other than to try for size. £125 posted for the whole suit or £85 posted for the Jacket (XXL - 46" Chest), £45 for the trousers (42") and £12 for the cap (Large): Stalker Jacket Features Super-functional Lightwieght DWR (Durable Water Resistant) treated micro resistant CTX Waterproof, breathable and windproof membrane Equiped with CTX waterstop system Stalker Trousers Features Super-functional Lightwieght DWR (Durable Water Resistant) treated micro resistant CTX Waterproof, breathable and windproof membrane Equiped with CTX waterstop system Stalker Cap Features CTX Waterproof, breathable and windproof membrane Equiped with CTX waterstop system

My HMR was my first and is still my "go to" rabbit rifle. I always intended to add a .22 and will be doing so in due course, for where the considerably quieter .22LR (subsonic) round is more preferable to 100-150yd (HMR) shots, albeit sacrificing a little range (max 100yds). Why not apply for both to keep your options open as has already been said. If you also purchase a Sako Quad, you can readily swap barrels without having to purchase a second rifle. The Quad's are more expensive than e.g. the CZ45X that many favour, but the added quality and flexibility was worth the extra for me. Would also recommend asking for .22RF (rimfire) on your application, as opposed to .22LR (long rifle). This would leave you open as to whether to purchase 22LR or .22WMR. For your use, WMR wouldn't be my preferred choice (but the best of .17 HMR, .22LR and .22WMR for fox) and is far too noisy for a main rabbit gun (a friends WMR was significantly louder than my HMR and would always clear the field - he chopped it in for a .22 LR in the end). However, especially if you do go for a Sako Quad, you could even opt for .17HMR, .22LR and .22WMR barrels (so long as you apply for sufficient extra barrel slots). It is a bit of a pain needing to change zero or scopes for the different barrels, but is a cost effective solution for having additional calibres without having separate rifles/scopes for each.

Yes please Jonty, PM on way.

Hearty congrats fella both on the new permission and fantastic first outing. Thanks also for showing what can be done with the HMR on foxes. Do you always headshoot with the HMR?

Congratulations, well done fella, must be glad you had the HMR in the hide along with the 12-bore

Thanks gents, can't wait to get out again Equally, will try to be a little restrained so as not to end up "training" them to avoid the lamp

A great day today. I cooked venison cottage pie (more of my first deer - fallow buck, shot in October) to a Gordon Ramsey recipe for dinner and was delighted to find went down a storm with our friends, their kids and ours. Combined with a venison medallions on a bed of wild mushrooms recipe cooked for my 40th birthday a few months back, that’s two recipes in the bag and confidence on the up in advance of DSC1 next month (hoping to secure the stalking rights on my permission once 'qualified'). My shooting buddy and I then popped out for a first attempt at lamping. We agreed a plan and stepped into the first field. The plan promptly gave way to a furious next half hour which led us in a completely different direction to what we had planned. A number of sets of eyes shone in the lamps, including two rabbits and the unmistakable front-on double eyes of a fox. Popping the .243 up onto the sticks, the view through the scope confirmed, at a distance of approximately 100 yds. After unsuccessfully composing oneself, the heart going like the clappers, I loosed the first round. A resounding thwack confirmed a solid hit, but not seeing the strike given the recoil and smoke/steam in the cold still night air, I was disappointed to find on making my way over, that it hadn't been a clean shot. After a thorough search including two neighbouring fields, we had to give that fox up as lost. Over the next few fields I was amazed at the number of foxes seen (at least half a dozen). All at some distance and none responding to calls. My buddy bagged a rabbit with his .22, but I was fast thinking that a confirmed first fox with a rifle was not going to be tonight. However, the lamp picked up another set of eyes ~180 yds away just inside a hedge which the scope again confirmed as a fox. Now very steady and calm, aiming in the centre of the chest and knowing the shot would fall pretty much centre of the cross-hairs (with plenty of margin for error up or down should I have mistaken the range), a gentle squeeze and another solid strike. This time making my way over, I was delighted to find the fox (a very good condition vixen) had dropped on the spot, the round hitting squarely in the chest right on the point of aim. My first fox since three with the 12-bore over two decades ago. We decided to make our way across one last large field making our way back towards the car. A stretch of woodland presented another set of eye, but too far away and again no response to either fox caller, other than something making a squeal in reply. Almost to the edge of the field we gave it one last scan and my buddy picked up another set of fox eyes just 50 yds away, again just inside a hedge. Rifle onto sticks and scope picture confirmed another fox and another gentle squeeze was rewarded with another solid strike although I must have pulled the shot slightly as it fell low and the fox did a runner. On catching up with it 30-yds into the next field, I was amazed to find it had made it that way with half its stomach hanging out. However, number two in the bag and this time a bigger and even smellier Dog fox. Now I was very much regretting forgetting the game bag and leaving the camera in the car, the carry back proving quite exhausting A cracking night, much learned and looking forward to going back for the others over the coming months.

1 Vixen (180yds) and 1 Dog (50yds) via lamp this evening. Total 10

Hearing of all the issues with HMR is certainly disconcerting. Equally, I've shot ~1,200 rounds of Hornady HMR this year without incident. My shooting buddy started with a WMR and has since swapped for an LR as the "boom" made even my HMR sound like a popgun. Every time I let him lead round a field, he cleared it with his first shot. I don't contest the useful ballistics of the WMR or that it has it's place, but I would certainly choose HMR or LR over a WMR unless funds and slots were no object.

Indeed and interesting to hear others have experienced problems after cleaning. I'm not fastidious, but do clean mine regularly. However, the plastic around the cleaning rod is extremely chewed and from some of the posts above, I wonder whether part of the cause of the wear on the rifling. What other options are there to using a rod? Will a pull through readily drop through such a fine bore?

Haha, brilliant story, thanks for sharing. A (gun) dog remains on the wish list, as the kids and I have yet to convince the missus.