Wilts#Dave

Ahh, those fires whilst considered very out of date and old fashioned don’t half do the job! My parents always had one when we were kids, and I had a slightly nicer looking one in my first house built in the mid 90’s…..as you say will heat a whole room up in 5 minutes, couldn’t stand to keep it on high for long! Perfect should there be power cuts.

Try your local game dealer 👍🏼

Cracking stuff. Love pulling them off a flightline, satisfying when it works! I shot a cracking bag last year decoying on a grass field on the flightline to standing wheat, it’s amazing to see them decoying in when it’s clearly not where they want to be. Well done, you had to use your knowledge to get a bag there 👍🏼

Nicely done Jdog. Those 2 hour sessions of yours are certainly fruitful, most enjoyable having a busy couple of hours than slogging it out for a few more over 8.

Lovely report. As you say, sometimes it isn’t just the numbers that make it enjoyable and you can only shoot what’s there too (especially when you’re limited time wise)!

Shot a white woodie many years ago, but never one dark like that….looks like one that’s soaking wet 😂

Very common here too. The rape stubbles are often knee high and a pain to walk in and drive over…..they go over the stubble with the topper soon after combining generally, to make cultivation easier! Much nicer to shoot over once it’s been shaved off

Well done Jdog. Glad to see you managed to get amongst them with Jacko! There’s still rape stubble here but they haven’t got on it at all really with this wet weather, which is a shame as it’s generally one of my favoured stubbles to shoot over. Hope you’re having a good summer shooting season in between the rain!

I agree. Last year it was blistering hot conditions every time I was out, rape seed in particular is so small it germinates quickly with rain and they won’t peck around trying to pick it up when the ground is wet. Shame, but that’s pigeon shooting isn’t it….can never expect the same every year!

I was very much looking forward to the rape stubbles, last year I had several 150 plus days but this year as everyone has said the floor was damp and green when cut so the pigeons barely touched it! Has a couple of hours on one patch as a back up one afternoon and they never returned (shot 4) and that was that. Really odd and disappointing summer so far really, the weather certainly hasn’t helped. Hoping the beans will produce this year! Had a good afternoon on a small strip of peas a couple of weeks back and a 40/65 since but was certainly expecting more!

Great decoys I thought, a little expensive but in the grand scheme of things hardly out of reach. Shame, I think they had supply issues from what I always read from them (constantly waiting for stock). I guess they were managing to get them made very cheaply making them profitable and perhaps they can’t get them made so cheaply any more, always seemed very popular though!

I know what you mean there, takes some getting used to not having the louder bang and recoil but once you get used to them it’s amazing how well they kill and how quick they are to whip up in the hide! My 28g astounds me how it drops them, and cleanly too. I’m not saying I’d take it on real high flighting pigeons or pheasants but out to 35/40 yards it really does kill as well as the 12 if you’re shooting straight! Lighter to carry as well (and the cartridges).

The small bore cartridges are much more expensive sadly, no economy versions. A lighter small bore is very nice to shoot though, definitely quieter and after a busy day you barely know you’ve fired a shotgun! That’s interesting, hadn’t realised that! There’s no way an o/u .410 firing heavier shells is as quiet as the hushpower…..much nicer to shoot though, I must say I don’t love the way the mossberg’s handle! The noise does depend a lot on terrain as well to be fair.

What makes yours have more power and range than the off the shelf hushpowers, out of interest? Cracking little calibre the .410, I must admit I haven’t used my hushpower pump for some time but did manage to shoot just under 100 with it when I used it a lot. I do find them awkward to shoot consistently but very effective when you’re on them, but since buying an o/u 28 bore I don’t think I’ve used it!

Haha, this made me smile. I always tell my other half I don’t expect I’ll be back too late only to roll in at 7/8 o clock. I must admit I struggle to tear myself away when they’re coming in, you get in the zone and lose yourself…..my favourite way to unwind.

Absolutely. 24/5g plenty to kill well through a 20 bore with little recoil. A few years back I used a .410 a fair bit and like you found that 7’s killed really well, my cartridge of choice then was the Gamebore magnums, 16g and by god didn’t they kill some good birds! I bought a 28 bore Silver Pigeon a few years back now, and that’s my favourite gun to use now…..found Hull High Pheasant 23g absolutely flatten pigeons at range even, and barely recoil. I shouldn’t have been surprised I guess but it seriously impressed me, so light and quick to whip up I love it in a pigeon hide! The only downside is cartridges have gone up at an alarming rate, I had to pay £445/1000 very recently.

My Dad used to do the same with his 20 bore, 28g RC were what he used and that was that and he often said they were a bit thumpy through his lightweight Beretta. Since found that 25g loads are much more pleasant to shoot a lot of and kill just fine (I guess I might step up to 28g if I had to use one on high pheasants). Give some Hull High Pheasant 25g a try, lovely smooth shells!

It’s just not necessary is it and defeats the object for me…..funny how people try and stuff the biggest load they can through smaller bores then claim either how effective they are or how bad the recoil is! I’ll just use the 12 bore if I think I need to use heavier loads, but the small bores with lighter loads when there’s little felt recoil are just a joy to shoot…..it’s amazing how well they kill if you can shoot straight.

Absolutely. We can all click away till our hearts content, that pigeon you took a feather out of is definitely gone down etc. Game shoots are even worse for guns after a drive claiming they’ve killed more than they have! We only count what we pick the same as you, and try and avoid dripping them where they can’t be picked which is only a matter of a little restraint. I’d get no pleasure in killing 100 but only bringing home 10.

They certainly like to have their cake and eat it! I’ve not come across many likeable ones that’s for sure, not when trying to buy a car/van off them anyway 😂

My comment was a little tongue in cheek to be honest. No I don’t believe they are, not quite sure if they think folk will be be extra impressed if they mention an over inflated ratio but you’re only kidding yourself I guess!

Ahh the pillowcase shot…..enough feathers to stuff a duvet / I think you were on that one / try and shoot them a bit further out next time!

Never bothered using 28 gram loads in 20 bore as the light gun I use recoils enough to put me off on a busy day. Never used many clay loads on pigeons, didn’t get on overly well with them when I tried some years ago. Saying that, I think I’d be more confident in using them nowadays…..used a lot of 7’s through the .410 and was amazed how well they performed, it’s definitely a lot to do with how they pattern. Small bore cartridges in particular are getting ridiculously expensive now, I bought 1000 for my 28 bore the other day and paid just over £440 / 1000. The same shells back at Christmas were £385 and a fair bit less than that the summer before!

Absolutely. How these folk shoot 100 with 105 shots etc I don’t know (and I consider myself a reasonable shot). Dad takes great pleasure in letting me know what he thinks when I miss doing as you describe!

It’s just great when a plan comes together! I had a nice afternoon a week ago where I was expecting them to come back thick and fast, only to grind out 50 odd by 4.30 for the tap to turn on and they decoyed lovely for the last 2 hours when I shot another 100 plus. I find it quite often at this time of year where they’ll pile in for a last feed if you sit it out. Well done 👍🏼