Advice, which gun for wildfowling??

[carpentermark]

Im' looking to do some wildfowling this year (first time).

Whats the best side by side 12b to buy for wildfowling?

Looking for something second hand, -£300, good condition and steel proofed.

28" barrels 14.5"+ LOP.

Giz a clue?!

Cheers.

[carpentermark]

?

[-Mongrel-]

To be honest mate, most fowlers I know use a semi auto or O/U, hence maybe why you are getting little response.

 

All I would say is any gun that you can shoot straight and that you don't mind wrecking (because the marsh and salt air decimates any unprotected metal) will do the job. I use an old Beretta A302 semi auto that cost me £300 and gives me that 3rd shot, the barrel is now painted with high temp black paint as the salt was causing loads of rusting. Does the job for me.

[carpentermark]

To be honest mate, most fowlers I know use a semi auto or O/U, hence maybe why you are getting little response.

 

All I would say is any gun that you can shoot straight and that you don't mind wrecking (because the marsh and salt air decimates any unprotected metal) will do the job. I use an old Beretta A302 semi auto that cost me £300 and gives me that 3rd shot, the barrel is now painted with high temp black paint as the salt was causing loads of rusting. Does the job for me.

thanks for the reply mate.

i already have a webley and scott 810 synthetic semi which is steel proofed, but to be honest i HATE it!

just really want a sxs for widfowling and didnt know whether aya or any others make a 3" chambered steel proofed gun which i should keep my eyes open for?

[Sx3 clay breaker]

Sx3 all the way

[trapperdan]

look for a aya matador in 3" my dads got 1 and its a fine gun.

[Thunderbird]

I've got an AYA no.3 which is a magnum chamber with approx 1/4 chokes which will take a variety of wildfowling loads. I'm going to take it out next season to the less mucky spots.

 

I've also got an old Remi 1100 which I don't mind getting a bit dirty. I'll be taking a few oily rags out there with me tho

[chrispti]

Sx3 all the way

 

We know you harp on about how good your dads sx3 is, (cant be that good if it starts jamming after 50 shots) but, have you ever used any other autos

[littlerob]

zabala sxs in 3inch and 3.5 inch mite be able to get one for that money

[Thunderbird]

We know you harp on about how good your dads sx3 is, (cant be that good if it starts jamming after 50 shots) but, have you ever used any other autos

 

50 shots? Wildfowling? I'm doing something wrong

[chrispti]

50 shots? Wildfowling? I'm doing something wrong

 

 

Thats the beauty of an auto, 3 shots at every passing bird

 

Cor . . . that could be expensive

[Tis1979]

To be honest mate, most fowlers I know use a semi auto or O/U, hence maybe why you are getting little response.

 

All I would say is any gun that you can shoot straight and that you don't mind wrecking (because the marsh and salt air decimates any unprotected metal) will do the job. I use an old Beretta A302 semi auto that cost me £300 and gives me that 3rd shot, the barrel is now painted with high temp black paint as the salt was causing loads of rusting. Does the job for me.

Hi mate, is your 302 steel proofed, I ask because I have one and don't think it is, but might get it done.

[carpentermark]

zabala sxs in 3inch and 3.5 inch mite be able to get one for that money

Thanks mate i'll keep my eyes open for one.

[littlerob]

did see one on here for asle and a few if i can say on gunstar and gun tranger hope this is not a breach in the rules

 

thats tradder

[Wurzle]

Wildfowling= muddy and wet.

Get a gun that's not going to bother you getting it wet and muddy.

[carpentermark]

Wildfowling= muddy and wet.

Get a gun that's not going to bother you getting it wet and muddy.

I realise that mate thats why the £300 or less price tag.

cheers.

[Fatcatsplat]

Zabala - One step away from a Baikal, but seeem to bombproof and take magnum steel loads.

[ayano3]

It depends on what you call Wildfowling ?? Is that coastal Wildfowling or inland duck shooting. What ranges will you be shooting at ie over decoys or flighting ??

 

If I was shooting inland ducks over rivers etc I would be looking at a nice AYA No.3 Magnum that takes up to 3" cases but would not use the real heavy stuff like on the marshes.

Now if you mean 'Real Wildfowling' I would say something that takes the heavier loads of stell. 3" or 3 1/2" chambers, something you dont mind getting soaked through and occasionally mud spattered (thats very often off the dog), and something you shoot well with. Its no good buying something that ticks almost every box but dont suit you of fit properly. You may only get the odd shot here and there and they are never easy, so its important you are confident with your choice of gun as it could be many many hours before your next shot.

 

Winchester SX2 Super Magnum is my choice of gun for 'Real Wildfowling'

[mpk]

Anything that you can afford to get abused. Auto's and pumps usually fair better mainly because you can get the synthetic or camouflage. Also the felt recoil (although it doesn't bother me) is a lot less with an auto than with a "fixed action" sxs or o/u firing the heavy fowling loads.

 

I own a sxs as well as an auto and used to own a pump. I actually managed to get a little surface rust on my synthetic auto this season due to salt so i dread to think what the salt air would do to a standard blued sxs. I do own some non toxic to have a go with my aya sxs but can't bring myself to do it as i know it will be the day i fall bottom over breast in a muddy pool. That will be the end of my loverly woodwork.

 

I know the matador is supposed to be quite good(i have never seen one) also i know of couple of gunmark kestrels that have faired well on the marsh over a few years (sxs).

 

if it was my choice i would stick to the auto( although i would love an old 8 bore somewhen) for the above reasons plus the extra shot is always handy in a marsh environment were the retrieving can be difficult. Plus the steel proof is a newer thing and the older sxs don't generally have it. Other forms of shot suitable for older guns start to reach ny on the £40 + mark for 25. whatever you do don't by something that you will kick yourself for months when it gets dropped in the mud My choice for coastal "fowling " is a beretta urika 2.

 

goodluck

Edited April 9, 2012 by mpk

[-Mongrel-]

Hi mate, is your 302 steel proofed, I ask because I have one and don't think it is, but might get it done.

 

No mate, it isn't. However having taken advice I run 'normal' steel loads through it with no adverse effects to date. Basically it boils down to no HP loads and no more than half choke, which I find is too tight anyway.

You are of course limited quite a lot by chamber length but wildfowlers have for years managed without 3 1/2" chambers and I managed perfectly well last year. At the end of the day it's a £300 gun, IF it does get damaged in the long term then I'll not be crying too hard if I have to scrap it.

 

That said, it survived two full submergences (one as I tracked a duck a little too far and quite literally rolled off my perch in the middle of a gully and into 18" of icy sea water, oh my mate did chuckle...for about 20 minutes! ) as well as being rolled around in the mud on several occasions and the only time it jammed was when I thought I'd get away with giving a muddy (dropped ) cart a quick wipe over then into the magazine, it declined to fully come back out due to the small particles of grit I'd missed, causing it to jam in the tube!

[Thunderbird]

I have been told by a very well known gunsmith that my 1100 (qtr choke) will take steel up to about 32/36 no problem.

[Guest cookoff013]

buy a pump action shotgun.

[washerboy]

http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/shotguns/395908/Yildiz_Eleganta_12bore_shotgun_review.html

[Thunderbird]

When I take my Remi out I was thinking of whether there is some way of protecting the blued barrels.

 

Would a layer of something like Vaseline help or would that do harm??

 

I'm not that bothered if the Remi gets mucky but I do wonder if any preventative steps can be taken. After all it's only comparatively recently in the sport that synthetics have been available.

 

Just a thought.

[carpentermark]

Thanks for all the replies chaps but lets keep within the original question please: "Whats the cheapest SIDE BY SIDE for less than £300?"

 

 

Sx3 all the way

 

"Whats the cheapest SIDE BY SIDE for less than £300?"

 

 

 

It depends on what you call Wildfowling ?? Is that coastal Wildfowling or inland duck shooting. What ranges will you be shooting at ie over decoys or flighting ??

 

If I was shooting inland ducks over rivers etc I would be looking at a nice AYA No.3 Magnum that takes up to 3" cases but would not use the real heavy stuff like on the marshes.

Now if you mean 'Real Wildfowling' I would say something that takes the heavier loads of stell. 3" or 3 1/2" chambers, something you dont mind getting soaked through and occasionally mud spattered (thats very often off the dog), and something you shoot well with. Its no good buying something that ticks almost every box but dont suit you of fit properly. You may only get the odd shot here and there and they are never easy, so its important you are confident with your choice of gun as it could be many many hours before your next shot.

 

Winchester SX2 Super Magnum is my choice of gun for 'Real Wildfowling'

 

I mean 'real wildfowling'

"Whats the cheapest SIDE BY SIDE for less than £300?"

 

 

buy a pump action shotgun.

 

"Whats the cheapest SIDE BY SIDE for less than £300?"

 

 

http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/shotguns/395908/Yildiz_Eleganta_12bore_shotgun_review.html

 

Very nice let me know if you see one for £300 or less.

Edited April 9, 2012 by carpentermark