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Shot of the season


Beretta06
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No shooting today (travelling) and was reliving some of the highlights of my season. So, if you have shot game this season, what is your most memorable shot(s). For me, it was at Bowes Moor, North Yorks, in a stiff breeze back in late September. I had a reasonable view across the moor and could see out to around 150 yards. A covey of grouse appeared a long way out and was picked up by my loader and came hurtling towards my grouse butt.

 

I shot one at approx. 55yrds, changed guns, shot one at 30 and another at around 10. Changed guns again, turned and shot two more behind.

 

I have shot 4 several times, but this was my first 5! Normally, I get over excited and leave the first one too long!! It will stick in my mind for many years to come.

 

So, what's yours for this season?

 

B06

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No shooting today (travelling) and was reliving some of the highlights of my season. So, if you have shot game this season, what is your most memorable shot(s). For me, it was at Bowes Moor, North Yorks, in a stiff breeze back in late September. I had a reasonable view across the moor and could see out to around 150 yards. A covey of grouse appeared a long way out and was picked up by my loader and came hurtling towards my grouse butt.

 

I shot one at approx. 55yrds, changed guns, shot one at 30 and another at around 10. Changed guns again, turned and shot two more behind.

 

I have shot 4 several times, but this was my first 5! Normally, I get over excited and leave the first one too long!! It will stick in my mind for many years to come.

 

So, what's yours for this season?

 

B06

Nobody is going to beat that, surely! Very well done - like yon Duke Whatshisname from back in the day.

 

Mine was simple - a cock pheasant was flushed and flew parallel to, and some 30-40 yards behind, the line of guns. There were 4 guns to have a go before me but bang-bang after bang-bang happened and so it came to my peg. I dropped it dead with the first barrel. A reasonable shot, not overly-challenging, but boy did it make me feel smug. I didn't say a word of course. To sweeten it even more, my cocker retrieved it over the burn. Then just at the last, he spoiled it all by dropping it the wrong side of a fence ;-)

Edited by Piebob
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I related this on another thread a couple of weeks ago.

On our little syndicate shoot a couple of weeks ago; bitterly cold and extremely strong winds. The birds had sat tight all day and most of those which got up were whipped away fast and low, and I hadn't had a single bird over me all day. I was walking gun on the very last drive of the day, with a large wood on my right and the wind blowing straight at me as I walked. I'd turned on hearing a cock cackle as it broke cover behind me but it was well out of range, and at about halfway along the wood another broke in front but I left it for the gun standing at the far end, which he duly killed. I had more or less consoled myself with not having to clean my gun when getting home when I heard a shout from the far side of the wood and saw a pheasant break through the tree tops well in front and expected it to go the same way as the cock. It was a hen, and as I watched, it climbed and climbed and then caught the wind, set it's wings and started to curve towards me. It was a helluva height and as it continued to curve I closed my gun, stepped into its path and swept the muzzles through as it rocketed overhead like a missile, pulling the trigger as it disappeared. It folded up dead in the air and plummeted down somewhere in Lancashire :yes: and was retrieved by my nephews springer which I am babysitting, just beating my Border there (longer legs see). I have no idea what height it was, but it was certainly well up there and without doubt the highest pheasant I've shot. I've had a few lefts and rights this season; ducks as well as pheasants, and although memorable, nothing to compare to this one bird. Made my day.

Only had to clean the bottom barrel back home. :good:

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mine would be my single goose this season, not because of that fact but how it folded. 25yrds up edging 40yrds wide single shot it just gave up all signs of life when plucked 1 pellet in the chest 2 visible in neck, visible beak and head damage, just hit it well up front, just pleased I did it justice. Shot pheasant and partridge on some near gale days this season.

 

Like the way you double gun at the start, once talking to a loader who had a client who always told him he wanted it that way,

as the first birds are in the air

gun 1 bang--- change

gun 2 bang--bang change

gun 1 bang--bang.

five from the first rise of birds must take some doing to keep that hunger going all season.

congrats on your 5.

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As someone who has loaded on grouse, trying to convince the gun to take the birds far out in front so that can be achieved , can be difficult, unless you are experienced on grouse. Most guns, new to grouse ,try to take them like pheasants and that is far too late.

Edited by pontbeck
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My shot of the season was not really my shot!The shot was actually taken old farrier when he shot his first ever pink. Nothing exceptional about the shot,maybe 35 yards. But to see the guys face and to witness his excitement after all the travelling he did to join us on the wash far outweighs any shot I've taken this season.

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My shot of the season was not really my shot!The shot was actually taken old farrier when he shot his first ever pink. Nothing exceptional about the shot,maybe 35 yards. But to see the guys face and to witness his excitement after all the travelling he did to join us on the wash far outweighs any shot I've taken this season.

Well said Graham.

I would say my shot of the season was the one that put that first foreshore pinkfoot in the bag , it was such a relief to see it dead in the air and know I had done it before it hit the ground.

My best shots , well two best shots really as they were on par with each other were the two pinks I shot on a evening flight down sheps , they were both on the high side as they normally are coming back on but both folded stone dead and seemed to take a age to hit the ground .

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My first right and left of woodcock is the most memorable of the season. I was walking up snipe and had a couple in the bag when a pair of woodcock got up just a few yards in front of me. The first one dropped going away from me then I turned and dropped the other one as it went to the left and behind me. The hound retrieved the second one but neither of us could find the first one, max couldnt pick up a scent at all and I was beginning to think I had missed!! There was a burn along side me but I was sure the bird couldn't have been near it but sure enough I found it about 30 yards down the burn.

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So far a hen pheasant, I was an end walking gun, hen flew out wide of the line, not high but miles out. I thought I would salute it, swung through it, kept going touched off 30 gr of 5s through 1/2 choke and what seemed an age later it folded stone dead. A conservative 70 yards. My dog cleared a netting fence with barbed wire on top to pick it. 10 mins later I had another but no quite so far, maybe 55 yards.

 

However my highlight of the season was yesterday. I was not actually shooting myself but was acting photographer and do anything man, stop, pick up, wind the guns up a bit, driver, did most of it, benefit of being in charge. After the final drive we are looking for a wing tipped hen from an earlier drive. Meg my oldish lab must have put it out of the hedge about 100 yards from us where it flew up toward the drive it was flushed from, the dog followed it into the hedge at about 600 yards from us. A couple of minutes later the dog is running right to left along the gun line to another hedge about 200 yards away, that made her about 700 yards away in a straight line maybe a shade more. Couple of mins later we see her running back to us, when she got down to about 200 yards it looked through the long lens on the camera like she might be carrying something. She then had a netting fence, ditch and thorn hedge followed by another netting fence with barbed wire. She found a hole under the second fence and came scampering up the field with holding a lively hen by its backside, probably pulled from a bush or rabbit hole, and it had a damaged wing tip. That is without doubt the finest retrieve I have ever seen in over 50 years of shooting. Ironically she had cancer this summer and tomorrow was probably going to be her last day but she has come into season today. Luckily it was witnessed by one of my guns who had his own three labs out. While I took some pics of her coming coming back to my shame I did not video it.

 

A

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A lone cock pheasant that decided to fly down the length of the steep sided valley we where all stood in expecting the birds to fly across the valley. I was peg 6 of 10 and this was the first drive of the day, it flew over 5 other guns who decided to leave it as to high I raised my deniuative 28 bore pulled ahead of the bird about a coach length bang a noticble delay later it folded it's wing and dropped landing stone dead next to peg 7s spaniel.

I reckon it was around 110 foot up, got my confidence up that day!

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So far a hen pheasant, I was an end walking gun, hen flew out wide of the line, not high but miles out. I thought I would salute it, swung through it, kept going touched off 30 gr of 5s through 1/2 choke and what seemed an age later it folded stone dead. A conservative 70 yards. My dog cleared a netting fence with barbed wire on top to pick it. 10 mins later I had another but no quite so far, maybe 55 yards.

 

However my highlight of the season was yesterday. I was not actually shooting myself but was acting photographer and do anything man, stop, pick up, wind the guns up a bit, driver, did most of it, benefit of being in charge. After the final drive we are looking for a wing tipped hen from an earlier drive. Meg my oldish lab must have put it out of the hedge about 100 yards from us where it flew up toward the drive it was flushed from, the dog followed it into the hedge at about 600 yards from us. A couple of minutes later the dog is running right to left along the gun line to another hedge about 200 yards away, that made her about 700 yards away in a straight line maybe a shade more. Couple of mins later we see her running back to us, when she got down to about 200 yards it looked through the long lens on the camera like she might be carrying something. She then had a netting fence, ditch and thorn hedge followed by another netting fence with barbed wire. She found a hole under the second fence and came scampering up the field with holding a lively hen by its backside, probably pulled from a bush or rabbit hole, and it had a damaged wing tip. That is without doubt the finest retrieve I have ever seen in over 50 years of shooting. Ironically she had cancer this summer and tomorrow was probably going to be her last day but she has come into season today. Luckily it was witnessed by one of my guns who had his own three labs out. While I took some pics of her coming coming back to my shame I did not video it.

 

 

 

A conservative 70 yards you thought you would salute it and then one at 55yds and how many birds do you shoot through the season at those ranges for them to go off and die in pain.Not a good shot, a lucky shot.Lucky for the pheasant, because it died quickly.Any youngsters or new game shots reading this it aint big and it aint clever

Edited by geordieh
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At Wemmergill in September shooting at one covey I fluked two with my first shot in front, another two fluked with my second shot in front, changed guns and shot one behind then missed with my fourth shot at a rapidly disappearing and depleted covey. All of the birds were dead which is not always the case with multiples.

 

None of the above were particularly difficult. My shot of the year, as opposed to season, was of a pigeon, one of four shot in a very strong wind a couple of months ago. I connected with it at about 40m having given it a lot of lead and it landed dead a long long way away. It was only the speed of the swing that got me anywhere near that bird.

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My shot of the season was not really my shot!The shot was actually taken old farrier when he shot his first ever pink. Nothing exceptional about the shot,maybe 35 yards. But to see the guys face and to witness his excitement after all the travelling he did to join us on the wash far outweighs any shot I've taken this season.

Very nice of you to say that 😄

I must say I enjoyed the moment as it was my first pink foot and the memory will be there for many years along with other firsts

Made all the better by knowing many try for years to get one

Also the relief of not having to explain to the PW masses how I missed 😗😃

Thanks again Ayano3

 

Still time this season for more memorable birds

All the best

Of

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I can't decide between two.

The first one would be small bore day on the Crown. I was pegged between maglad and magman (both exceptional shots). I was amazed at the birds they were dropping and "poaching" from me, so I decided if I can't shoot the birds coming to me, I'll poach theirs. Anyway the shot was a cock crossing some 30 yards out and 30 yards up. I lifted my single barrel pee shooter to it as it was passing me expecting maglad to drop it. He was mid loading at the time so I swung through and took it as it was on its way to magman (closer to him than it was me) :ninja: it dropped stone dead by his feet :lol: he had mounted on it but didn't get chance of a shot :yahoo: SORRY

That set me up for the rest of the season :yes:

 

The second was on a different shoot (walked up). We had been walking all day and not had a shot at anything, then as we were pushing through a turnip field, the gun to my lefts dog flushed a cock pheasant which crossed around 55 yards in front. As it broke cover, Todd to my left, saluted it as I lifted my gun. It carried on and when it was right out in front of me, I pulled the trigger and watched it fall :yahoo: then to make things even more memorable, I had the little dog (Indy) with me and she successfully retrieved the pheasant. That one shot made the whole day worthwhile and I drove home with a smile on my face and a pheasant for the pot :)

 

Both memorable for different reasons.

Having read it back, I think the second has it :good:

Edited by shoot and be safe
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