LeedsZeppelin

I can second that. I shoot Yorkgate fairly often. It's not the flashiest of grounds and has minimum facilities, but what they do they do well and at a decent price. The clay presentations are excellent and varied, they change on a weekly basis, and there is always something that will challenge you. The staff are friendly and attentive too. I'm not sure if they are serving food at the present though. They closed the kitchen at the start of the pandemic. You can get a hot or cold drink and snack though.

I wonder if they'll try and return them when they realise how many misfire and fail to eject.

It could be worse, it could be swapping bodily fluids with John Prescott! For my job, - rent free cottage, flexible hours, final salary pension, private healthcare, located in a lovely part of the country.

It's just an excuse. It's amazing how many people complain that they cannot sit in their garden on a Sunday morning in winter, because they can hear shooting in the far distance. What really boils my p!ss is when someone moves into the area, and then complains. A shooting ground local to me had to reduce days last year because a new resident in a neighbouring village lodged a complaint, then rallied around the local community for support. That shoot has been running, with no history of complaints, since the late fifties! On the subject of televised shooting - they would need to add some glamour like they did with darts. Loud intro music, lazer light shows, garish costumes, and alter egos for the shooters. Picture the crowd jeering as Ben 'The Bad Boy' Husthwaite dressed head to toe in motorcycle leathers, metal chains, a red mohawk, and face piecings, is walking to the stand carrying a sawn off Krieghoff that shoots flames, whilst 'Bad To The Bone' blasts out of the speakers. The crowd's jeers then turn to cheers as Queens 'We Will Rock You' denotes the entrance of George 'The Dragon Slayer' Digweed, dressed head to toe in faux-armour carrying a Perazzi made up to reassemble a claymore sword. It would be epic.

"With a built-in camera and computer, the gun can teach its users how to shoot " That's exactly the gun I've been waiting for!

That may be the case in normal times, but many forces are using COVID and the 'state of national emergency' as an excuse to postpone grants. You can almost gauge which forces don't want to issue tickets by seeing who was using the excuse to close applications.

Some gun cabinets that are passed by the FEO could be 'opened' with a drill and some decent tin snips. But most burgers are not interested. Your low level burgler, who is wanting to feed his crack habit, is after something quick to grab and easy to flog. Cash, jewellery, electric goods etc. A 'professional' burgler will target things of high value. Car keys being a preference, but will take other things if opportunity arises. They know that firearms are not worth the hassle or extra time in prison if caught, so will leave them be. I've even heard accounts of gun cabinets being broken into but guns left behind by the burglers. Those that actually want your guns will take them, no matter what. If you have bank vault they will tie up your wife and threaten to pour boiling water over her head unless you surrender access.

I wear Sealskinz shooting gloves. Trigger fingers and thumbs fold back and are held back by magnets, although I can load and shoot without opening them.

Simpler for whom? It's not simpler for me, that's for sure. Look, the conversation has gone full circle now. At the start I said I wouldn't leave my ticket or car keys as collateral with someone I don't know, nor trust to keep them safe, so I would simply shoot elsewhere. Nothing that has been said has changed my mind. If they cannot fathom how to stop people cheating them, then more the fool them. How can I trust their procedures ensure no-one cheats them out of my car keys as well?

I've used both systems without issue, and also without leaving my ticket or car keys as collateral. R&ASC appear to have a decent system. That sounds pretty easy to prevent. Permanently mark every dongle with a number. Take a name, SGC number and telephone number upon registering, and note the dongle number. At the end of the day see what is missing, then contact the user reminding them to pay. If they still don't want to pay then blacklist them and contact the police giving their name and SGC number and report the theft of the clays. Alternatively, make the layout of the ground so that they have to pass the office on the way from the last stand to the carpark. Ensure that any staff at the ground gently remind anyone they see heading that way that they need to pay. Most people that would do this are opportunists. If you make it difficult to do, or have a risk of repercussion, they will either start paying or shoot elsewhere.

If you fancy shooting competitively at some point, then I'd suggest joining the CPSA. You will be able to enter their registered shoots where the results go online, and the CPSA tracks your results to give you a class and ranking. The CPSA insurance is on par with BASCs, and even still includes legal cover.

If there was never an issue with them disappearing why keep people's car keys as a ransom? If people were returning dongles but were not paying, I suspect it is more likely to be the staff that are dishonest.

Is this still available?

I like Adnams Ghost Ship. A good honest pale ale. The missus and I had a couple of the kegs over Christmas. The home kegs are good, but nowhere near proper draught beer. I find them a bit fiddly to operate too. Drink it fast, it loses it's carbonation after a day.

With respect, I'm not sure what you are disagreeing with. I wouldn't leave my ticket, or car keys, with someone I don't know. There are plenty of other grounds that don't ask this when I shoot there. It does sound like your business partner couldn't keep track of running a business, hence why it got in such a state. Why would you let customers help themselves to cartridges, and is that even legal? It appears you turned things round for the better though. I know people can be dishonest and some will take the **** if you let them. A shooting ground local to me had a very noticeable decrease in clay usage once the Claymate card system was installed, so clearly some people were paying for a round of 50 and shooting way more. With a mix of recording clays called for and more diligent staff he has noticed an increase in profitability. I wouldn't give my car keys either. If people leaving without paying is such a common problem, then maybe they need to change their procedures. If dongles are going missing, why not structure that it into the pricing? I don't recall ever being asked either. Maybe we have honest looking faces.

If I came across that I'd get back in my car and never return. I'd probably offer a compromise of me paying upfront for a round of clays, but I'd rather give my money to a business that shows a little trust, there are still plenty around.

That doesn't seem right to me. I wouldn't be letting them keep hold of my ticket and they have no right to ask to do so. In fact, it could be argued that it would put you in breach of Section 48 of the Firearms Act 1968.

I know rough shooting with a limit of two people is acceptable if available locally, but I thought driven shooting or shooting in a team was now off the cards in England?

I'm seeing a lot of driven game opportunities advertised for the last few weeks of the season, but I thought they were not allowed due to current restrictions? Some are even advertising for full teams. Are these keepers flaunting the law to minimise financial loses, or am I missing something?

If you shop around the different shooting grounds, that price could start looking expensive. The ground I usually shoot at is priced at 22p per clay for ESP, albeit it is a different part of the country and doesn't have the facilities that Bisley offer.

I've been playing that on guitar for longer than she has been alive, and she is still way better than me. Just to rub salt into the wounds she can also play on multiple instruments. Big thumbs up from me.

Thanks for the suggestions, that has given me a few others to look at. I've been after a Model 23 for a while, and thought i had bought one twice already but both deals fell apart. I've missed out on another due to not being able to travel, and seen some that looked promising but ended up being dogs. It has been a stressful search, hence why I am broadening my options. I could go to about £2250 if it was really needed and the missus isn't looking, but that would be the top of my budget.

I just prefer having such features as ejectors, multichokes and single selective triggers. I also prefer the feel of some kind of pistol grip as opposed to straight stocks and I've never liked splinter forends. Out of interest, what would you say the benefit of a double triggers is?

I'm still on the lookout for a side by side. Preferably with single trigger, multichokes, steel proof, ejectors and a pistol grip/POW stock and decently sized forend for my fat fingers, such as a beaver tail. Anyone know who are making such guns, preferably in the £1000 - £1500 bracket?

Depends how water proof you want them - rainproof or submerge proof. I like Sealskinz, but with the fold back fingers they ain't completely waterproof, but definitely rainproof and windproof. I did shoot in a blizzard earlier today and my hands kept warm and dry.