Wilts#Dave

Yes, as mentioned steel bio-wad. I was invited on a corporate day earlier in the year and was handed two boxes of said cartridges, light as a feather and when I read the box thought ‘oh dear’. Just used one of the knackered school guns that didn’t fit very well but was amazed how well they killed all the targets on the 50 bird layout we did. Obviously not 50 yard plus midi’s etc but usual straw bale type ranges with one longer going away target and I dusted plenty. I would have dismissed them immediately had I been given any choice but was pleasantly surprised……for anyone starting out / recoil sensitive or just bog standard type targets they are absolutely fine.

Absolutely smashing Jdog, I’d choose to shoot 58 pigeons roosting over 100 decoying any day. A successful outing!

I must say, with the amount of cartridges they must buy I’m always a bit surprised at how expensive they are and why anyone would bother unless they lived a really long way from an rfd (who are always cheaper from my experience). The last time I went up to just cartridges was when they had a bin ends offer on that was a ridiculously good price, but this was a good number of years ago…..they never do them any more and just seem to charge top money for everything!

Doesn’t seem fair does it!

Personally never found taking the magnet in to draw more pigeons, though as you describe some days the shooting it offers you is challenging to say the least. There’s not always a reason you can find as to why some days the same setup will pull every bird in confidently and others it just won’t! I do firmly believe the magnet/rotary will offer you more shooting over the majority of days than not using one. However on the right day in the right place most setups will ‘work’ ! Glad to hear you’ve got some to go at though, you’ll be having a bumper day before you know it.

Nice one, any bag of that size is most enjoyable over winter rape in my opinion.

I’ve had some reasonable success shooting a couple of roosting flight lines over winter, more so than usual. Have never managed access to any significant flailed game covers over the years but see many golden opportunities on them every year. They certainly draw pigeons like nothing else at this time of year so I’m sure you’ll have much more success over the coming weeks.

Love a spot of flightlining…..you must have left a (good) lasting impression Jdog!

I stayed at another hotel in Hurghada last November, Jasmine Palace if that’s any help?!

Likewise, would be most enjoyable I’m sure of that. Before we know it spring drillings will be here, and winter shooting a distant memory again! Great that you’re chipping away at them on the rape, certainly tests even the most seasoned pigeon shooter.

I remember Dad buying one of the first ones when Phil Beasley started marketing them. Very expensive and heavy we took it out the first time and didn’t think much of it initially, but quickly worked out how much closer it needed to be and from then on using one transformed our shooting once we got used to how differently they came in. Rarely shot bigger bags prior to the magnet but the 100 plus days went up sharply so as you say they really were mustard back then! Personally still get on just fine using one and would rarely not use it or rely solely on decoys if I didn’t need to. On the occasions where it’s either broken or the battery ran out the pigeons have noticeably slowed up being pulled as well to the pattern but that’s just my findings and as many others do I’ve shot plenty of pigeons so not a ‘newbie’. Likewise I’m not a fan of flappers, never had much success with them over the rotary where as others swear by them…..everyone does things differently and as long as you’re happy with the results you get who’s to say what’s right and wrong when it comes to decoy set up? You’ll get there Jdog, we all started somewhere. Perhaps I could accompany you sometime to tell you where you’re going wrong?

What do you enjoy watching? A matter of opinion of course, I wouldn’t watch bowls but do enjoy the snooker and darts even more so as it’s over much quicker and more exciting to watch! Much harder than it looks to play as well 😂

Keep well PC and all the best for your upcoming treatment. Those pigeons are getting too much of a break without you around full time!

Quiet here on the rape, untouched so far really. To be fair I’ve not shot a good bag on rape for some years now, but they all come out of the woodwork in the spring. A roosting flightline i shoot every year is always busiest in December then drops off, shot 55 in just over an hour on the best afternoon this time which is the most I’ve ever shot there…..but they certainly weren’t coming off rape ! Always amazes me how some shoot bigger numbers on rape in other areas, but that’s pigeons for you.

Used to use the plastic wad as that’s all they ever sold but agreed a great shell. Used tens of thousands of them over the years, shot some flighting pigeons not long ago with them and pulled down some crackers!

Agreed. Sadly can’t obtain them any longer for a decent price but up until a year or so ago I used to buy the load you’re describing from a small local gun shop, RC2 competition loaded in 6 shot…..for some reason they weren’t much over £200/thousand for years, the last lot less than £250/thou. They were just that, their budget clay load in a 6 and were absolutely mustard on pigeons!

I only ever use 1/4 and 1/2 and generally the quarter choke first…..wouldn’t believe some of the ranges I’ve killed flighting pigeons with the open choke barrel, usually with 28g 6 or 29g 6’s. Personally don’t think pigeons need the firepower to bring down the bigger birds that a pheasant does for example. Great weather this week for roosting/flighting…..good luck 👍🏼

Lovely little early morning session there Jdog. Not seen any hitting the rape at all in any numbers here, but I’m sure that was plenty to make it an enjoyable spell and not have to kill your self getting them off the field.

It’s amazing how the numbers don’t always tell the full story of how successful you’ve been. Flighting / roosting is so dependent on how they come over that day, some days you can fire fifty shots and end up with 20-30, another day you’re lucky to get into double figures…..all part of the fun!! Well done again Jdog.

Cracking weather for a spot of roost shooting today wasn’t it, a little too windy if anything. I finished up from work early and had an hour on a flightline before it got dark and picked 20 exactly. As you say each bird was well earned ducking and diving in that wind! Haven’t got any taking an interest in rape yet, more’s the pity.

I was amazed at how much more gun the 28g feels over the .410 and only use the high pheasant 23g shells. I only use mine on pigeons but at normal ranges out to 35/40 yards it really does kill like a 12 bore, and plenty of longer ones. Shot several 200 odd days with it this year and it’s so soft to shoot there’s zero fatigue either. The lead ban and price of cartridges is an issue to be fair, I order in a thousand or two at a time if they haven’t got any but they’ve gone up a lot in the few years I’ve been using one so I still use the 12 bore a fair bit too. They really don’t do they. Online / marketing of the super hot game shells has a lot to do with it, people are convinced into thinking they won’t be able to kill anything with less than the punchiest most expensive 32/4/6 gram etc etc.

Can understand using one for its lighter weight, I don’t need one for that but they’re a joy to shoot. Personally wouldn’t and don’t think you need to stuff a 28g load through them but personal preference I suppose…..see plenty of guys pillow casing 30 yard pheasants with 36g 4’s etc so I guess that’s the same 😂

You won’t need anything else! Fired a fair few thousand of these through mine on pigeons and it absolutely flattens them with barely any recoil. 5’s are very effective too, what I would use on pheasants. I’ve got a beretta silver pigeon, lovely light little gun…..a pleasure to shoot all day! Enjoy your 28 bore experience 👍🏼

Sometimes those walk rounds turn into the most enjoyable forays don’t they. Love the smaller bores, extremely effective and satisfying to shoot!

Great to hear you’ve been out again, and well done on the fitness regime…..commendable and hopefully you’ll be back out with the regularity you’re used to very soon! Nice that BB invited you out, bet that was a nice phone call to receive. Pigeons thin on the ground here aLao although I could have shot some big numbers on maize where I used to have permission frustratingly. Shot a cracking 35 on my usual roosting flightline 10 days ago, if the wind and rain return again I’ll give that another go!