Jump to content

Norfolk Ern

Members
  • Posts

    39
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Norfolk Ern

  1. Had the same issue last year.

    My son who was 10 had a go at clays, but found all of the double barrelled 410 and 20 bores he tried to be too heavy.

    After much searching we settled on a Hatsan 20 bore semi with junior stock. Nice and light, not too much recoil and he gets on really well with it. First outing saw 2 pigeons for 3 shots.

    He is slightly built and by no means in the upper size class for his year.

    Having said that, a single barreled 410 would probably suit your situation better given that you also have a younger lad as well.

    The baikal with synthetic stock seems to be a popular choice.

    If you end up with a gun which is too heavy, they tend to have to strain and bend their body to hold the weight up, which is not the best way of teaching them a good technique.

    Hope this helps.

  2. Hi Westy,

    I don't think there is one single solution that works all the time.

    I have found that different set ups are required on different days and over my time, I have accumulated a number of solutions that I can choose from depending on the situation.

    1. Rotary.

    Works brilliantly sometimes and I have found in my area that success ranges from completely mesmerising the pigeons pulling them in from a good distance to scaring the living bejesus out of them!

    I usually start off with hypaflaps which work well. I have tried dead pigeons on it, but have not noticed a huge difference between them and hypas. Positioning and decoy pattern also needs to be considered.

    2. Flapper

    Excellent piece of kit, very realistic and helps draw them in. Doesn't tend to scare them off on a bad day.

    3. Floaters

    I sometimes use the hypa flaps on these instead of rotary if I don't have dead birds. Putting these into the pattern, especially on a breezy day works well. I sometimes attach some string to one on a still day and give it a tug when a pigeon is showing an interest.

    4. Full bodied decoys.

    When the leaves are down FB's are a great help when lofted in a sitty tree.

     

    If I was to prioritise what you obtain, I'd recommend floaters first (make your own out of cut sticks or scrap tent poles), flapper (AA turbo seems to be best) and then the rotary (can't remember what make mine is).

    If you are buying flappers or rotary, remember to buy a good high capacity battery and charger.

     

    However, after saying all of that, the best piece of equipment I've invested in is a pair of binoculars!

     

    Hope this helps.

  3. I always remove and clean. If the chokes are removable, I think it best to make sure they are in good condition to prevent any issues with removal. It always gets me in the habit of rechecking the chokes before shooting as well.

    I also take my choke key with me at all times and tend to check it a couple of times during the day just to be on the safe side.

  4. Well done Tom lad... Wish my dad was like your Dad, the ****!!

    Been called worse Channa!

    I've always supported anything my kids want to do, but as far as guns go, Tom has had to prove himself to be safe before he even had a clay lesson, so the achievement is all his.

    I do work away from home a lot, so being able to spend a day in a hide with Tom having a good bit of banter and a laugh is priceless.

  5. Thanks, my lad is quite slight, so needs something light, sounds like a semi auto 20 might be good - like you I have looked for 28 bores but fairly rare, especially affordable ones. He has been using a mate's Mossberg, pump action 410 with a moderator on it. But it is unwieldy with the silencer and hard to handle.

    Yep, Tom is quite lightly built, so it took a bit of searching to get it right.

    Lightest gun was a Beretta Silver Pigeon, but I really didn't wish to take a saw to a £1400 gun stock!

    The other bonus of the Hatsan is that it comes with 5 chokes, a junior stock and plenty of spacers to adjust. All for £385 brand new.

  6. Out of interest how old is your lad? Mine is 10 and has tried .410 but I think he may be better off with something bigger, either a 20 or 28 bore.

    Tom has just turned 10.

     

    Had a lesson at Phillip Thorrolds on a 20 bore and we came to the conclusion that a 20 or 28 bore was the best way to go.

    The kick isn't excessive and he can swing the gun smoothly.

    We tried load of o/u 20 bores, but found them to be a little too front heavy for his size. Not many 28 bores for sale when we were looking.

    Also, the semi does dampen the kick, so that helps.

    Hope this helps.

  7. Had a cracking night last night on the barley stubble with Tom and his new gun.

    After quite a search, we settled on a Hatsan 20 bore semi auto with junior stock.

    I have to say, despite their budget reputation, some areas of finish - particularly on the woodwork are far better than my Beretta.

    It certainly shoots where he is looking as he shot 2 pigeons in the first 3 shots stone dead!

    Not bad considering he only had an hour on the clays 4 weeks ago!

    Needless to say, the grin from ear to ear on the photo still hasn't gone today!

    Going again tomorrow as the pigeons are everywhere at the moment.post-64452-0-91515000-1375444235_thumb.jpg

  8. They say that Norfolk men have 8 fingers on each hand...this is rubbish and insulting.

    My mate from Norfolk's got ten perfectly formed fingers........On his left foot. :whistling:

    We have saying where I come from....

    You can always tell when you are at a Fenlanders wedding....... Everyone sits on the same side of the church ;-)

  9. Hmm some good ideas, thanks chaps. I need to take him to a few more gunshops to try out a few of these. Noticed Revo do a junior version as well.

    I agree with Bruno for a first gun, simplicity of making it safe is crucial, which I think rules out the semi auto.

  10. Started my 10 yr old son off with a shooting lesson last weekend to see what he shoots best before choosing a gun.

    He shot a 20 bore well, so I'm looking out for a suitable gun.

    He'll need a shorter stock obviously.

    I'm keen on getting him an o/u due to their popularity.

    Tried out a Lincoln with 29" barrels, but found that to be a bit too front end heavy for him.

    I'm not keen on spending out on an expensive gun and taking a saw to the stock. (Yes we have tried a Beretta Silver Pigeon and came very close as it is just mouth wateringly perfect apart from stock length)

    At the other end of the scale, I've seen a Hatsan 20 bore semi with junior stock. It's not my first choice, but seems to fit & handle OK. Has anyone any experience of these in 20 bore?

    Looked at a Huglu o/u, but that weighed more than a Howitzer!

    Any other guns we should try?

×
×
  • Create New...