GBS Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 The gun is only 125 years old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.philmypower. Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 What a lovely gun, I would like to own something like that one day, looks mint condition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 What a beautiful gun. Who was the maker? Is it nitro or BP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBS Posted August 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) It is an early Holland and Holland Royal Ejector. Nitro proof, sleeved and in the classifieds.... works though! GBS Edited August 15, 2011 by GBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 Beautiful looking gun and great condition for its age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 Do you have the other one? And how was the day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBS Posted August 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 (edited) We have been shooting the moor for four years now. The family of the friend who organises it have been going for 60 years or so. The moor is in west Wales, it is unmanaged with only a smattering of sheep to keep the grass down. It is about 1000 acres (I believe) but used to be considerably larger. Much of the neighbouring land has been planted with trees and the heather has vanished. There were four of us shooting this year with four others walking. There were no dogs. It takes about 2 hours to cover most of the moor with the youngest and fittest being sent to the boundaries and steeper slopes. After 2 hours I was exhausted, sodden with sweat and seriously regretting the half dozen pints of "butty bach" in the excitement of the previous night. We put up a covey of 7 or 8 after about an hour. It split into 3 groups, two trios and a singleton. The singleton flew down our line and was saluted six times before continuing in 100% good health. You only have to hesitate for a moment and they are out of range. We then walked the steepest (and most heathery parts) of the moor and saw nothing more although I think we all fell over at some point. Upon approaching the vehicles two birds got up but as we had bunched up and there were others standing by the cars a shot was not possible. We stopped for a much needed drink (oddly the coke was more popular than the beer) before three of us decided to walk the last eigth or so of the moor to see if we could put something up. Five minutes from the cars a single got up and was shot, as this was being picked a pair got up and one was shot whilst I missed a long shot (I was right flank and it was away to the left but both other guns were unloaded and picking birds, i missed with both shots. Then, we were all unloaded and another got up, I stuffed one cartridge hurriedly into the gun and missed again. I had now had five shots and no bird to show for it. Then another singleton got up, I hit it hard with my first shot but it carried on so I gave it the second and it dropped dead. (the single cartiridge in the photo is misleading, there should have been 7 empties really!) We have an unwritten rule that we are allowed one bird each so after 10 more minutes we called it a day. Most of the moor had been covered anyway. Even so, a bag of three is a good haul with the previous three years yielding a 2, a 3 and a 0! We then spent two days fishing (the wye and the irfon) and between the six of us fishing caught one grayling and three trout/salmon parr no larger than a fishfinger! A thouroughly enjoyable sporting weekend on a shoestring. GBS Dunkield - no, I don't have number 2 but as this one has been sleeved and re-stocked it is likely to be very different if it still exists! Edited August 15, 2011 by GBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock11 Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 What a cracking day and I bet your grouse gave you more pleasure than if you had been out on a 100 brace day in the north of England or Scotland. I have had some tremendous walked-up days in Dumfries & Galloway and in Inverness-shire - the best day ever we had 12 brace but I will always remember my first grouse - missed by three other guns, winged by my second barrel - keeper's dogs could not find it but my lab then did - priceless. Followed by my younger son shooting his first grouse not far away a few years later. My gun was also English but William Evens, not Holland & Holland. Shooting at its best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadge-it Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 Hi,what a great day out do you use beaters or do you use pointers,ive done alot of beating for the duke of northumberland for grouse had days but great to see the birds,have you had the gun long ,and if have had it a long time and your shooting well job done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBS Posted August 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Hi,what a great day out do you use beaters or do you use pointers,ive done alot of beating for the duke of northumberland for grouse had days but great to see the birds,have you had the gun long ,and if have had it a long time and your shooting well job done Hi, No, we didn't have any dogs with us this year but they would have been useful. We did have a dalmatian and a Jack Russell one year but they were not a lot of use! I change guns regularly but this was the first time i have used the Holland. Grouse wrapped in bacon with roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes, roast courgette, green beans and a blackcurrant reduction (oo err) for supper, very nice! GBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 The gun is only 125 years old! That is a lovely looking gun. I was helping blackgun "JOE" at the British SxS Championships at the weekend and he was shooting an 1818 Fry Hammer gun 20g, fantastic little gun and again, like yours in superb condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 That is a lovely looking gun. I was helping blackgun "JOE" at the British SxS Championships at the weekend and he was shooting an 1818 Fry Hammer gun 20g, fantastic little gun and again, like yours in superb condition. 1818? Is that a typo Terry? If not it would surely have to be a flintlock to breech loader or a flintlock to caplock to breech loader conversion. Whichever it is, pics please Bakerboy or BLACK-GUN, I'm a bit of an old gun fetishist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 1818? Is that a typo Terry? If not it would surely have to be a flintlock to breech loader or a flintlock to caplock to breech loader conversion. Whichever it is, pics please Bakerboy or BLACK-GUN, I'm a bit of an old gun fetishist I will see if Joe can get a picture up. I am only going what I was told, unless of course I misheard. Come back to you soon. Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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