Wilts#Dave

Cracking bag, bet you were both chuffed....pigeon shooters worst nightmare the dreaded plough/discs. Bit of a bold claim to make about them being the best fields in the uk though!!

How do you get on with the pump? Took a bit of getting used to for me but really got to grips with it now, surprised how well it shoots and the ranges it kills. Bet an o/u would be a proper tool, the pump is hard to swing onto pigeons when they're jinking around on the wind! Been out again today with the .410 on a small rape stubble field and had another good session ending with 64 👍

How do you get on with the pump? Took a bit of getting used to for me but really got to grips with it now, surprised how well it shoots and the ranges it kills. Bet an o/u would be a proper tool, the pump is hard to swing onto pigeons when they're jinking around on the wind!

100% correct JDog. And as you say time constraints often restrict the majority of pigeons shooters time spent out looking for opportunities, without which you'll never shoot decent bags consistently or very often. Of course we all get lucky and shoot good bags with little reconnaissance but they're not the rule, I enjoy the challenge of spotting a flightline or good opportunity, that often someone else may not have done! Thanks for all other replies, anyone else got a .410?!

Well, firstly after a couple of brilliant unexpected sessions on clover we thought it would be quiet until harvest due to no flattened corn around and the peas looking quiet. However, as usual the pigeons turned up in several places and we've enjoyed some pretty decent days over the past month through lots of reconnaissance....2 days over the same field of peas that no one had bothered with, and a couple of days over standing wheat. The best one of which I managed to spot from probably a mile away driving along the valley opposite and not keeping my eyes on the road when I saw some grey specs in the distance. That was a fortnight or so ago and resulted in 103 pigeons picked using the beretta 20 bore, and a fantastic day! There is a pattern we've noticed of late though, and that is how invariably people don't seem to spot situations when we (Dad usually) have as there's not 100's on a field but strong flightlines....then as soon as we've had a decent day half the county seem to turn up and shoot the hell out of the field over the following week! Ahh well, that's pigeon shooting for you, and unfortunately we're not sole shooters on any of our ground so that's the way it goes having to gauge when to let fields build up and when not to. Tough isn't it?! Anyway, enough rambling on but that brings me to the week just gone and perhaps the chance of a first go on some stubble at last. A few fields of barley to go at, but with few pigeons on them over the first week it's easy to stop looking on them, but luckily we did. Dad had spotted a good number on a field that a couple of days previously was almost dead but a chance meeting with the contractor who told him the field was to be cultivated the next day put pay to that, so he thought. I happened to be going by that way for work and glanced at the field the next day to see no tractors and plenty of pigeons....annoying or what! So the next day I said I'd look again on the way back through and sure enough no tractor again so called Dad and he said he'd give it a go. I got to his just before he left so we left and managed to get set up by about 1.30. Magnet and flapper once again to start, heavy rain showers were a problem all afternoon and the final onslaught of heavy rain saw us pack up at 4.30 with 63 picked and a few lost in the thick woodland behind. A little disappointing given the number of birds flighting but I'm 100% sure had we shot the field the previous day when the weather was right it would have been 100+ Hushpower day ! So that brings me on to yesterday and a small half field of barley stubble I'd spotted not far from home and had been keeping my eye on. Again, dad had looked at the field the week before and it was devoid of pigeons but a chance drive by and I spotted a few at the bottom end of the field in amongst a load of crows (making them hard to spot) but a strong flightline in. The only issue was a caravan site on one side of the field just over the boundary so we had to shoot away from that and the sensible decision made to use the hushpower .410 again and give it another outing. I shot 30 on some standing wheat with it not long ago and every time I use it seem to get more and more confident. We didn't set up until 13.45 but put off plenty of birds so were hopeful we'd get a few shots. Dad had literally just drove off to park up when I saw a pigeon right on the decoys, one shot quickly loaded and the first pigeon of the day came down. With that the tap opened and the pigeons just started to come back, and with only the magnet and flapper (an old original shooters warehouse one, not the FF4) they seemed to be decoying a treat or coming over close enough for the .410 to hold its own. and hold its own it did.....I've never shot better with it and everything just clicked into place. Doubles were happening, and consistent kills at up to 25 yards more often than not along with a fair few 30yard plus shots that didn't seem possible when I first used the gun. BUT...I bought 500 gamebore magnum shells when we bought it back at the beginning of the year thinking they would last forever, and these were running out fast. The last 75 were in the bag for today and I'd used them up in the first hour and a half with a shocklingly good average. The only other shells we had were 2.5 inch fibres so I had to make the swap to these. Frustratingly I knew what would happen and sure enough the longer birds I was flattening were now being winged or feathered so I had to reduce the range again, and to be honest my average took a bit of a tumble. I got the measure of them in the end though, they were a little slower and I don't think pattern anything like as well as the gamebore but I used all that we brought with us in total (180 or so including the magnums) and stopped shooting dead on 5 o clock. Awesome afternoon and the birds had just decoyed a treat, one of those days. We only used the 10 on cradles for the pattern with literally 2 or 3 on the floor then took the rest in as we shot them, a bigger pattern just wasn't necessary! Final count up made 97 pigeons picked, with several more we couldn't find lodged in the thick hedge and 3 big old carrion crows. Ecstatic to be honest, and as good as the first tonne with the .410.....couldn't have been more chuffed with that bag. I don't think I'd have believed someone if they'd told me that's what they'd shot with the little .410 but it's do able and I can't get enough of it. And with little to noise no disturbance no problems with irate memebers of the public either, perfect !! Thanks for reading

Have you not got a 4wd or was it that muddy? At least you made something of the day, and good going for a field shot so much in that time. I'm more than likely a lot younger that you so couldn't have resisted a walk for more shooting, but can understand why you didn't....my Dad will wait for me to go with him if there's a walk involved!

And people wonder why no one wants to share pigeon shooting etc? Very hard to come by but easy to lose....shame but people like that ruin it for the genuine folk.

Not the best way to go about getting shooting in my opinion (for what it's worth)....asking if he'wants' any shooting done. The approach most likely to work would be to spot pigeons using a particular field then asking if there was any chance of a one off day to shoot some pigeons on that field only, the following day perhaps. Farmers are never short of people to shoot pigeons these days so don't 'need' anyone, knowing a bit about farming in general is a great headstart and conversation starter to give you some common ground

Have to agree with all of the above....'hitting the tramlines hard' they can't have been, regardless of the heat which is a shame for you both. The two best bags I've had over the last month were on the two hottest days I went out, but then again the pigeons were intent on using that particular field and would have done come rain or shine.

Same format as all the other iPhones but does everything smoother and quicker, camera is good too....really nice to use and screen is a much better size!

It's all very well people getting good money for 30/40 from a pub or butchers but that's not much use for someone who might shoot 1000+ a year (some people a LOT more), in which case it's simply a case of taking what the big game dealers are prepared to pay.....most hardly do it for the money but I wouldn't shoot pigeons I had no outlet for.

I've shot over peas the last two weekends running but only bags of around the 50 mark each time....they're at their highest right now so a bit of a pain for picking up the birds and that's the first time we've shot any peas since drilling. Personally I find the prime time to be when they've been sprayed and dying off (going brown), usually by that point theyve gonna over as well so a lot lower and easier to shoot so keep your eyes peeled and as Jdog said, if there's no pigeons there's no point....not a magical crop as some people say!

Second that comment, cracking shell the 26gram fibre and really hard hitting. My favourite 20 bore load though is express special game 25gram 6, such a punchy little load with minimal recoil they don't feel like they've got the poke that they have!

You really think the amount trampled down during a sessions pigeon shooting will affect the harvest that much?

I gave you some feedback on the .410? Muzzle heavy obviously but not 'heavy'. If you're remotely serious about one just go to a gunshop and pick one up, that's what I did.

Got a .410 pump for low noise pigeon hide work when I need it....wouldn't want anything bigger that's for sure! Takes a bit of getting used to swing/mount wise and it's obviously only a little .410 with a full choke so not the easiest to hit with. I love it though, really effective once you get to grips with it and the pumping etc. No need for hearing protection which is nice, and I find it a satisfying challenge!

I've replied to other similar threads with the same answer but falls on deaf ears....magnet and a floater or two in close, flattening a small square for the magnet will cause negligible damage in the grand scheme of things. Then it's discipline and waiting for the birds to commit and shooting them in close (closer than normal), mark each bird and go straight out as soon as you shoot one. I've yet to have a farmer with a problem with that technique, and have shot 100+ on plenty of occasions doing just that. Just you being there for the day without shooting will put the pigeons off so there's no need to blast away at any pigeon within 50 yards you're never going to even attempt at retrieving? I have to say though I never use a 12 bore for this sort of shooting as its massive overkill...we'll take a 20 bore with light loads or now the pump .410 we've got.

We've only used gamebore magnums in it so far and fired around 250 shots. When you're stood next to it/firing it there is a crack but it's just that and no 'boom' like a non moderated gun....more rifle like. Certainly no need for ear protection which is nice and if you're stood down wind the other side of the hedge or something you wouldn't notice it go off. Will definitely give us opportunities to shoot in places we otherwise couldn't or wouldn't because of the likely hassle it would cause from the noise! Try one I'd say, but be prepared to take a bit of a hit in the kills/shots ratio especially when you start stretching the range or the birds are flaring away.....I've only used it twice so far but managed 58 on the second trip and can honestly say i haven't been so chuffed since first shooting a decent bag as a youngster.

Thanks for all the replies....my Dad and I certainly are a great partnership when it comes to pigeon shooting, We've been going together for over 20 years and rarely go on our own these days. I have to be honest and say I reap the rewards of his reconnaissance especially now he's retired! There's usually at least one field that rewards us with more shooting than we expected every year and often when you least expect it....guess that's why I still love it as much as I did when I was a young lad, never get bored of it.

Well it's been a fair old wait to get out again since the spring drillings, so I'm pleased to have something worth reporting once again! After an 'ok' winter on the rape, we were looking forward to a particular farm planting a 90 acre block of peas.....so were pretty gutted when at the last minute it ended up going into oats and spring barley. We managed one outing on barley to give the new hushpower .410 pump its second outing and managed a great bag of 58, but that was the end of that and we were left thinking it would be a long wait till harvest or maybe the chance on some laid corn. A chance trip to the wholesalers for some bits and a single pigeon diving across the road and disappearing down the valley on a farm we shoot occasionally caught my eye and was enough to warrant me stopping on the way back for a closer look. This farm is only small and they rarely plant any arable crops due to them being sheep farmers primarily, but we have shot bags in the past on the fodder crop/clover and this was exactly where that pigeon had obviously been heading. A quick scan through the binoculars and I could see a good number feeding on a field of clover with others joining, so a quick call to my reconnaissance man (Dad) and he was to check it out properly. It turns out he'd checked the fields a fortnight previous and there hadn't been a pigeon on it so he was a little surprised but sure enough there was plenty there when he looked too. Upon asking the farmer though, it turned out two guys had already shot the field just a few days earlier and in his words 'they were going hell for leather at them all afternoon' haha. This dampened our spirits a little but the next day they were still on it so I finished early on the Friday and we decided to give it a go. The field is surrounded by woodland which usually holds good numbers, and apparently the estate on the top side of the wood where we don't have access to had a 100 acre block of peas in that had been shot heavily, so more than likely drove the pigeons onto the clover. Day 1 I was at Dad's for 10.30 and we were at the farm and set up for 11.30 with the magnet and ff4 flapper. In less than 5 minutes the first bird swooped down across the field which was shot, with 4 or 5 more in quick succession. For the next 2 hours the action was steady with few lulls for more than 10 minutes but dried up until around 4.30 when the birds started to move again when the shooting picked up eith another 30 or so shot between then and 6 o clock when we packed up. The final pick up saw 88 pigeons in the bag along with a lone carrion crow and Jackdaw. A smashing day in the sweltering heat, I shot pretty well, hitting out some crackers which were all easily picked with a grass ley behind meaning I could take on anything within range. After a couple of months off I was so chuffed with the bag, even more so given the field had only just been shot (farmer wasn't sure we'd get much) Day 2 Well, the following week (Thursday just gone) we had gone to farm after work to check out shooting a few crows around the farm the farmer had asked about but with none there we decided to check the clover again just out of curiosity. This was 7 o clock and to our surprise there was 100+ happily feeding away, an almost identical picture of the week before! Dad checked it again on the Friday and sure enough still there so we said we'd give it another go on Saturday.....only we couldnt' set up until 1.30 this time as they were holding a function over lunch. Still, we often don't start till after lunch so off we went and got to the field for 1.30 as promised.....couple of hundred feeding and plenty joining and in the air, apart from the wind direction things looked good once again. We decided to set up on the other side of the field in a much better concealed position with shade from the sun, albeit with the wind quartering at us from in front. Magnet and flapper set up again and hide built, Dad was parking the 4wd at the field entrance and I hadn't even got the semi auto loaded when the first pigeon was on the decoys, luckily taken with one barrel as I only had time to get one up the spout! The difference today was Dad had brought the hushpower pump .410 for a go so the plan was to shoot some and get a good decoy pattern out then any closer decoying birds would be taken on with the .410 . It didn't take long for me to shoot 20 or so and get the cradles set up with some decoys and the pigeons started decoying a treat, better and better as the afternoon wore on. The first time Dad had used the .410 properly and he shot great....they really are great little tools when you get the hang of them, and he accounted for between 20 and 30 pigeons no problem at all. I took advantage of the 12 bore and took the longer shots to make up the bag, once again there was grass behind us so plenty of overhead shots were taken and picked no problem. They kept coming with no real lulls until we shot the last bird at bang on 6 o clock. Another fantastic day, and it felt like it had been busier than the previous week......which the count up confirmed, 104 pigeons picked with only 3 or 4 at most lost in the hedge/ditch. Couldn't believe it, what a day and all from one small field of clover that has been shot 3 weeks on the trot! Dad's now on the lookout for some laid barley to give the .410 another go...... Thanks for reading, Dave.

What's wrong with adjusting your shooting technique on laid corn to getting the birds to commit to the decoys and taking them closer so there's at least a chance of finding them without too much trouble? Letting go at long crossers constatntly etc that are never going to be picked is just irresponsible in my opinion, but that's only my take on it morally. I'm well aware of the crop protection aspect but being there all day and shooting maybe 20 or 30 less isn't going to make a huge difference. It's not my favourite shooting by any means but that's just how we deal with it, take the 20/.410 which makes it as much fun as blasting the long birds with the 12!

Did very well considering the circumstances, I'd have probably got ****** off and gone home after that! Tried our .410 pump twice now and shot 58 the second outing but they are hard work to shoot consistently, think the pump action bit makes it harder than the silencer unbalancing it. Dad had the pleasure (and challenge) yesterday. Haven't seen anyone shoot better with one than in your videos, nice work. Very satisfying making a bag with one though!

I've never understood how people find their birds when they leave picking up till the end? If I'm shooting on any sort of crop that means I can't easily see the pigeons that fall I'll go out and pick them up either every half a dozen or so shot or in thick barley/peas every time I shoot one. It may trample a little of the crop down and obviously won't shoot as many by leaving the hide so regularly but I only ever count the number of birds I take home not just ones I might have dropped. I'm gutted if I leave with more than half a dozen lost birds!

Been in that situation countless times and it's so frustrating, and always when it's the hottest looking field/day!! But on the other hand we still manage plenty of good days throughout the year by constantly keeping an eye on fields of interest to hopefully spot situations before anyone else. We don't have sole permission on any of our farms but can't help thinking it's almost a selfish attitude to try and negotiate such terms, whilst it would be nice it can end up making whole areas in accessible for all but one person....how does anyone else ever get going when it's like that? Whilst it's really down heartening when you turn up the find someone else shooting the only time it really grinds my gears is when it's a guide we have turn up on the stubbles with a load of foreigners that always seems to ruin a good day at least once a year....never see him on rape of course! Must have been great when it came to watching fields knowing you could let numbers build and pick the right days etc etc.

Don't think he's ever got on top of orders, the ff5 coming out isn't the reason. Unbelievable waiting times in this day and age but I did and can't fault the product either, really well made. Needs to be manufactured on a much bigger scale of demands are to be met really....great position to be in as a business!!