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Browning Dirty Bird - anyone tried it?


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I spent all 3 days at the CLA looking for bargains and didn't find one that i really wanted, the mrs and kids came back with armfuls of gear and all i got was a new cap!

I went with the intention of a new PCP, fowling bag, gunslip, and above all a new fowling coat. all the PCPs were over priced, i didn't find a decent fowling bag anywhere (i'll get one online as i now know the one i want) and all the fowling jackets were not what i'm after. The contenders were as follows:

The deer hunter jackets- their gear seams well made but the jackets were either very thin, didn't have 'hand' pockets or the one with detachable liner didn't have a waterproof outer

Nomad- their smock didn't look particularly well finished and quite thin and for £230 id want a bit more! (i'm happy to be corrected there!)

Rivers west - none of the ones i found were breathable so not great for long walks or rows

 

The only one that really stood out was the browning Dirty Bird. It looked very well made and had all the features id like but i've not seen or heard of anyone in the UK trying them out. So have any of you guys got one or know another fowler that uses one? How do they stand up to the abuse? rrp is £220 but theres one on sale for £175 at the mo...

The other option i'm considering is cabelas...

Also welcome any other suggestions!

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I have a Nomad smock and rate it highly. Totally water and wind proof. Downside is its a smock! A pig to get on and off in anger but when it's cold and miserable it's the first bit of kit I reach for. I bought an extra big so as I could layer up under it but in truth have rarely had to. It's not my every time fowling jacket and never will be but Its never let me down yet in several seasons of use and abuse.

Can't comment on the dirty bird as I haven't seen or used it.

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Thanks reabrook...

I did like it but the seams on the one I tried weren't finished as well is I'd of liked and the elastic was fraying. Only small things but if I'm paying £230 I want to know its going to last and as there were things wrong with it off the peg it didn't give me a lot of confidence. Maybe just the one I happened to pick up...

I actually quite like smocks, no zips to go wrong and comfy to shoot in, I used to use a Barbour longshoreman but its just so stiff in cold weather!

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id second what craig123 says. the herters jacket is outstanding for the money. im considering buying the short wading version as a spare jacket. i have the cabelas gortex brushbuster and it is awesome. i wasnt cold or wet once last season and its totally breathable for long walks across the marsh.

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I like the look of the dirty bird stuff but i don't wanna spend loads of money on jackets that i'm gonna lay in mud with. I've just ordered a cabelas 4 in 1 wading jacket and a pair of breathable waders. The shipping and taxes in them came to over a hundred quid which i thought was pretty steep. In the reviews it seems the sizing is all over the place also so i'll be intrigued to see if anything fits.

 

However i've spoke to alot of fowlers who highly regard the cabelas stuff which is what made me go for them. I'll keep you updated when they arrive

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I like the look of the dirty bird stuff but i don't wanna spend loads of money on jackets that i'm gonna lay in mud with. I've just ordered a cabelas 4 in 1 wading jacket and a pair of breathable waders. The shipping and taxes in them came to over a hundred quid which i thought was pretty steep. In the reviews it seems the sizing is all over the place also so i'll be intrigued to see if anything fits.

 

However i've spoke to alot of fowlers who highly regard the cabelas stuff which is what made me go for them. I'll keep you updated when they arrive

 

Ive got some top of the line waders from cabelas and they really are so much better than what you can buy in this country!

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No.... but I know a man who has!!. Over priced for the quality was his choice of words. Not much else I can add really.

 

Get your gear from Cabelas....I`ve just made my 3rd order from them and have never had cause to complain. BTW.... The Herters jackets are a steal for the money. I bought one last year and its brilliant.

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Thanks for the input guys... Cabelas it is then! :lol:

I just resent having to pay the taxes and shipping but by the sounds of it i'll be getting a better item for similar or less money...

Looks like the Herter jacket is the one to go for too unless there are any other recommendations?

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I have a herter , 5 years on the foreshore and all zips, Velcro everything is in perfect working order, it let water in for the first time at the end of last season, its been washes and re proofed for £12 and its as good as new, and where I fowl is real dirty.

The only thing about it that hacked me off was the pockets would let water in but not out for some weird reason, so I would have little pools on my pockets if it hammered it down, I hope the re-proofing has sorted that little irritant.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just an update from me incase anyones interested. My stuff arrived the other day and fits absolutely perfect, infact the waders fit better than any i've bought over here. I fully expected to have to exchange the jacket for a different size as i thought i'd struggle to fit my massive biceps and ripped up abs into it to

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Hi Mike, yeah all in all it worked out at £400. If i remember correctly the jacket was 189 dollars and waders where around 200 dollars. The websites good as it calculates everything for you before you commit so you know exactly what your paying. I am really impressed though so far, shame the pounds not as strong these days

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Still not bad I suppose compared to what you can pay over here for inferior quality gear. I'm pretty impressed with a rivers west I have at the minute. It's not as thick or heavy as the eider and as it was an older model, I got it from swillington shooting supplies for about £80. That said, you can work up a sweat and it doesn't dry quickly.

 

I'm hopefully off to America next year or the year after so might stockpile some new stuff then! Do let us know how the gear performs this season - its always useful to find reviews from people who've actually used things.

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