Townie

The Gun Shop channel on YouTube has reviewed them and compared to other makes. Worth a watch.

I was in a gunshop one day when they were stripping a semi that had packed up. The trigger mechanism was solid with muck. They squirted with a degreaser and most of it fell off immediately. A quick job that’s well worth doing.

My father served in Europe 1944 - 46. He always left the room or hid behind his newspaper when anything about Remembrance Day came up. He never really talked about it, but I think his view was that he’d spent enough time thinking about it and would rather forget. I have every respect for the feelings of those involved in war and always observe the 2 minutes silence somewhere quiet.

Not the same thing, but we have been booking properties for a short stay in southern Spain. One place in the old town in Cadiz received good reviews except for one from a chap in Indiana, who gave it one star because there was no parking and it was difficult to find, even with satnav. Errr... I don’t think they’d thought of cars in the 16th century. With apologies to our many friends from the US who would never say anything so daft.

Many years ago, Eley did the same thing with a pyrotechnic thingy in the wad. V expensive and if I remember correctly, not that helpful because the wad is slower than the shot. Never bought any, so feel free to ignore!

Thanks everyone. Plenty to think about!

Used to buy these in 10s from the sports equipment shop. Czech cartridges seemed very exotic. As ditchy says, nasty things to shoot. But not as nasty as Baikals.

Always enjoyed reading these things, so about time I contributed. Horrible weather in the south east, so a bit nervous about what to expect. I was back gun placed in a wood with the rest of the guns to the front of the wood on the first peg, so had no great expectations. As it turned out, the birds had built up speed by the time they got to me and shooting through the gap in the canopy was exciting. Two misses, two kills and half a dozen that were so fast I didn't get to raise the gun. The rain had started by stand 2 and the birds weren't interested in my end of the field, so no action. Right at the end a flurry appeared, but so low and slow that they weren't worth shooting at. Stand 3 was ducks and by now, the wind and rain were building up and the ducks moved like rockets, gaining height all the time, and so were sporting shooting (unlike some duck drives). I was in the right place and very pleased with the two I bagged. The final drive on a slope in a ride through woods. The birds decided to fly down the ride and had gained enough height by the time they reached me to be very sporting shooting. Two hens and a cock and by now, we were all thoroughly We were joined by a group of Dutch shooters who were good company. Much of the attitude to field sports in the Netherlands is dictated by the Green Left party, the name telling you all you need to know about them. Their wives joined the beaters, which led to the amusing call after the briefing 'Dutch lady beaters please follow me'. Really enjoyable day, strangely improved by the awful weather. Huge whiskey when I got home to wring out the gun and wet-through equipment.

Time to retire the ancient Barbour and I’m after a new coat. Must be waterproof and warm. Don’t want tweed and I don’t want to spend much more than £150 or so. Seeland look good. Anybody got one? BTW, I don’t want to refettle the Barbour. Waxed cotton has had its day as far as I am concerned!

Thank you Saltings. There’s a modern version from Ikea and I think I’ll be looking for something like that. I don’t visit the attic that often, so I don’t need a high tech solution. It’s just a matter of advancing years meaning that I can no longer jump into the attic with one step.

Thanks for finding. That sort of thing is in reserve if the steps are too expensive!

Our attic is accessed through a small door in the wall. I’m thinking about getting a set of steps made with a hinge at the top so the steps can be pulled out to get into the attic and then folded away behind the door when not in use. Any thoughts on how much? The steps will be a maximum of 2 feet wide. The door is 2 feet from the floor, so I’d imagine we’re looking at 3 risers. Any suggestions for a likely carpenter is SE London also gratefully received.

Completely with you on this. I’m not a twitcher, but I’m always on the lookout for interesting birds. The best spot was a pair of tree creepers in Sussex. Also delighted to see a pair of great crested grebes doing that thing with their necks in London docklands recently and a pair of hoopoes in France this year. I’m gradually winning Mrs T over.

Since retiring a couple of years ago, I call at every renewal. They generally reduce at the first renewal and I go elsewhere after the second year. Something I didn’t have time for when I was working that now gives me great pleasure. Worth signing up with one of the outfits that will change your energy suppliers too. Thieves, all of them.

No problem! My downfall is posting after a drink or several while half watching the TV.

Don’t get me wrong - I agree with you! I’ve shot plenty of ducks with the third cartridge from my semi and more than a few pheasants with the second barrel after the neighbouring gun missed. And then there was the bird that flew down the line and was missed by five guns. I wouldn’t take a semi to a driven shoot for the same reasons (don’t ask me what they are) that I wear a suit and black tie to a funeral and polish my shoes. But I wouldn’t object if others did.

I’m sure I was told many years ago in the days when we had 4+1 autos that they were frowned on because the possibility of 5 goes at a bird was considered deeply unsporting.

Ha ha well done. She doesn’t know about one and thinks the other two cost a couple of hundred each.

Told Mrs T yesterday that the 4 slabs of cartridges unloaded from the car cost £100. She was unpleasantly surprised. I also told her that 100 clays cost £10. This was in response to my constantly raised eyebrows at the price of her hobbies. I’m in favour of keeping the little lady in gentle ignorance. Any other views?

Scully’s advice for right handers to put cartridges in the left pocket is brilliant. I’ve never thought to do that, but I will this season. In response to the original point, I’ve seen everything from 28g of 7s. to 34g of 4s in the empties bin and I don’t think anyone will notice or care much (although I did think the 4s a bit of a stiff load).

A doctor of my acquaintance told me of a patient he referred to a plastic surgeon. She had ‘Gary’s pussy’ tattooed on her lower abdomen shall we say, a little above the welcome mat. She had parted company with Gary and wanted rid of the tattoo. The surgeon agreed only to remove ‘Gary’s’, leaving her with ‘pussy’, which is sort of obvious. Still makes me laugh.

All my least favourite things in one place! Well done ditchman.

I love aeroplanes. Thank you for posting.

Simulated game day in Sussex on Saturday. Touching any metal bit of the gun was a serious risk and I felt sorry for the chap with a s/s. Then home for a big dinner with too much to drink and a sore shoulder.

Thanks everyone. Duck tape and a few throws have been discussed! It’s Mrs T’s favourite because it supports all the bits that need supporting when she’s knitting.