Macnab

Thanks all. No big surprises but I like the story about the de-fleaing tactic. M

Thanks that was helpful. M

0.08"/0.5" in the original post, not 0.05". Not sure I could estimate 0.08" mind you. Forgot to say I have the T3 Lite for fox work and I am very happy with it, especially for the price. All you need unless you are shooting targets, or foxes over 250 yards IMHO.

Thanks again for the posts. I did a search but found surprisingly little stuff on the subject. I'll post a picture of the one I do go for in a few weeks.

Hi all. Am in the process of setting up some chicken and duck areas on the side of a pond. The area will be well fenced with fencing dug 18 inches into the ground and fencing going a few feet out into the water. But there will still be a section open to the water. Does anyone know how willing a fox might be to swim round for a meal? Bearing in mind there are dozens of rabbits and pheasants outside the pen providing far too easy a meal. I have never seen a fox in water and wondered if they have an aversion or if like some of their dog cousins they don't think twice about a quick swim for a fat chicken or duck. Thanks.

Thanks for the input. I have seen the dam working and was very impressed, although other than assurances I don't know much about the sire. I guess I will trust my instincts when I get there.

Am off to choose a cocker puppy from an excellent working bitch in the next few days. Any good tips on what to look for in the litter and what to avoid please? Prefer to take a bitch if I can, but more importantly looking for a good working dog. Thanks.

Thanks for all the replies; some very helpful, and some, how can I put this? Not that helpful. All appreciated though. Maybe I should explain. I have been shooting game for years and have good days and bad days, for no reason that is apparent to me. I am seldom the best shot of the day and seldom the worst. I can hold my own in the line. However a couple of times a year I get to shoot at some very high pheasant and partridge. Most shots come unstuck to some degree on those days (especially with differing speed of birds), but I have found that with the faster cartridges I do better than I used to at these high birds. Sure, my technique is a long way from perfect but these high birds expose any flaws in technique mercilessly. So my point is that on standard birds the faster cartidges probably don't make that much difference but on birds which are in excess of 40/50 yards up they definitely help me. These birds are so high up that after the bang there is a gap and then you can hear the pellet strike. I regularly have lessons at WLSS and have my own Acorn 65 trap, so I do put in the ground work. However there is obviously some gap in my technique when it comes to estimating lead on these very high birds with slower cartridges. The faster ones help me, simple as that. So that's what I want to get sorted in the down time between now and the season opening. Also without opening too big a can of worms, I personally think that when it comes to shooting game there is only so much you can learn from shooting clays. Not saying either is better or worse, just very different when it gets to the extremes of both. Cheers.

Hi all. Having done my usual trick and ended the season as a much worse shot than I started it, I am planning a bit of closed season improvement! I borrowed some Express cartridges from a friend towards the back end of January and they were light blue with a 1500 fps speed, and they were noticably more successful, for me at least. Unfortunately they were marked with special corporate logos etc. So, yes, I know that must mean I am usually on the back end or behind them but I would like to try and find these or any other high speed game cartridges. Anyone got any ideas??? I am talking mainly 12 bore but does anyone have a recommended very fast 20 bore cartridge?

Is it me or is anyone else having trouble concentrating on al4x's posts? My eyes just seem to wander off to the left a bit and it takes me 10 mins to read each post. Ps I have just started on a big buy of Hull Three Crowns 30g 6's with paper case and fibre wad and they are bloody marvellous

Great pictures and riveting read. Felt I was standing on your shoulder. Bet a morning of driven boar gets the adrenalin pumping!

I have just bought some n/v gear as a present to myself for a significant (and depressing) birthday milestone. It has cheered me up no end, but not sure about how the local foxes feel about its arrival... It's an imported American Gen 2+ monocular, with a scope mounting, Russian detactable laser and 4x screw-on lense. So it can be used on the scope or off it. It was extremely pricey but the effect is amazing. It can be used for spotting and scanning, but really comes into its own when it is clamped on the back of a Swarovski 6-24x50 scope. You can focus the laser and scope mag down to about 12 mag once you have spotted your fox and the little ****** doesn't even know you are there. I haven't had to take a shot over 100 yards since I started using it and you get as much time as you want to take the shot. Having said that when the laser is on it will light up foxes' eyes at least 250 yards away, and probably more but I don't have open ground any bigger than that. It takes a little bit of getting used to focussing and fiddling with the gear, as well as the sort of green frosty picture it gives you but once you are set it really is amazing. You literally feel invisible to the wildlife which is all around you.

Good man, well done. I've got the same kit and I'd be pretty pleased with that outcome!

In my experience every time you ask them you get a different answer, and none of the answers actually deal with the question. The jist of it seems to be that it's your look out if something goes wrong.

Not sure this really answers the question but for what it's worth I regularly carry my gun on the bus and train. I commute through Gatwick to the West End of London daily, and have often carried my shottie in a metal case through Gatwick past dozens of armed Police and sniffer dogs, sometimes the same at Victoria. I then carry it on the bus up to Green Park and back. It is always broken down, locked in the case and without any ammo on my person. I carry my license in case I am stopped and am confident this would be fine if I was ever stopped. However I stand to be corrected.

If you do get your scope and rings sorted out may be worth keeping it all in place with one of these seat mounted cradles. Haven't tried it myself but looks simple enough and whatever set up you end with best not to chuck it around more then necessary http://www.lamping.co.uk/gun.htm

I bought that exact set up a couple of months ago and have been very impressed with it, but would say this about it - Feels a bit odd waving the rifle around to begin with. It definitely needs a dimmer switch put into the circuit (no I haven't got round to it yet). The belt battery pack is a pain in the *rse. Not only is it bloody expensive, it feels pretty heavy after an hours walking and as I wear it outside my coat (easier to stop it slipping down) it seems to make getting into pockets for calls etc a real struggle. One last thing, try and get them to give you another mount for the scope so that you can switch between rifles without having to change the mount.

Thanks to everyone who's chipped in. It seems I won't have the luxury of trying out too many options for the time being. I can only get 55gr or 40gr Federal ammunition from the guys I use at the moment. Might take a while but I will keep experimenting as I find the odd one of the Power Shoks way out of line. Last weekend I got six consec shots within a 2p piece then three way out (2 inches out at 100 yards?) Good fun getting a through few the barrel though.... M

Thanks that's great as it has answered my next question about reloading and how to get started. Seems like the logical progression, especially if you can't rely on being able to buy the same ammunition twice. And frankly anything that helps make me 33-50% (depending on how you look at it) more accurate is good news in my book!

Looks like I was being a bit naive and expecting to have some choice. From what I can gather talking to a few RFD's I will need to take pretty much what I can get so am starting off with a couple of boxes of Federal Power Shok 55 gr rounds. Will put a few through it on Sat am before the big match.

Should really have thought of that one myself! Thanks.

OK thanks folks. I'll put a few different ones through it and see how they get on. Need to get a move on as our pheasants are disappearing fast....

I'm sure this has been well covered on here but a few searches haven't really shown anything up. I am picking up a Tikka T3 Lite in .223 (1 in 8 twist) on Saturday morning. I will be using it for lamping foxes at max 200 yards (mostly 80-150 yards). Rather than do too much experimenting with ammunition can anyone tell me from their own experience what I should be trying to buy (make, grains, tips etc), rather than buy 300 rounds of the wrong thing and clog up the cabinet? Any pointers well received. Thanks

Loving this whole thread. Pure genius, especially the paranoia and the PM threats!

Don't want to break up the party but my experience of going from 12 to 20 last season wasn't great. It may well be my fault and may be more of a problem of changing from s/s to o/u but for what it's worth here is my experience. I have shot game (driven and walked-up) for 20 years with an old Italian s/s 12 bore, which I inherited. Not a classic English gun by any means but reasonably capable and I could hold my own in the line with it (it doesn't even have an ejector system). I used Three Crowns 30g 6's. Then I decided it was time to get a proper gun which fitted me, so I bought a 20 bore Silver Pigeon with 30" barrels and multi-choke, with extended stock to fit me (I am 6'4" with arms like a gorilla). It swings beautifully, but turns out not to be appreciably lighter than the 12 bore and with no less recoil, that I can feel at least. I am using Three Crowns 26 g 6's. I wish that I had actually bought a second-hand light old English s/s 20 bore for walked up days as the SP is not noticeably easier to use and just as heavy on a long walk and I am finding it very difficult when raising the gun to switch from s/s to o/u. I am having what i can only describe as a 'double take' to pick up the barrel ends, which puts me off my swing amd loses me a vital split second. We all know people who like to try and make life more challenging for themselves. My father-in-law has bought a pair of 28 bore s/s Arrietta's with 32" barrels and uses them for high pheasants. He was a great shot with a 12 bore but now he has to settle for the odd bird, and I suspect quite a few pricked birds glide on into the bushes. So to get back to the topic Yes it kills just as well as a 12 bore when pointed in the right direction, but the 20 bore Berretta - doesn't feel any lighter - doesn't feel like less recoil - if you are hitting them with what you have got then don't change a winning formula - it might well be that you get less 'pricked' birds but I haven't personally noticed this - 12 bore is still by far and away the most popular size for game and there must be a reason for this I guess it all depends what you will be using the gun for and what type of gun you have been shooting up to now. Funnily enough I am off to the West London tomorrow for a long session to try and figure out whether to persevere with the SP or go back my old gun and put the SP down to experience. And before I get loads of replies saying the the issue is not 12 vs 20 - I know that. It is probably many other things instead. Just putting my personal experience of making the change up here.