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Singles


TONY R
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I like to carry my old Baikal single twelve when I fancy doing a bit of simple foraging, especially in the autumn. I tend to use my blackpowder 1oz home loads as the reward/fun factor is so high. The recoil is an issue as well, the blackpowder loads have a different felt recoil, move of a shove than kick. With its 30inch barrel and a teeny bit of personalisation in stock extension and sling, my old Baikal is my 'go to' walkabout choice, leaving the semi auto in the cabinet for "heavy work" i.e squirrel drey poking etc.

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Early season when the hunger is high and the pinks are fresh in, I'll use my SP10 ....

 

Once I have a couple in the bag, I go to my single 8 ....... I don't need huge amounts of dead geese, and this is a nice way to still get out and fold the odd one up without putting over pressure on the freezer. I always have a smile on my face leaving the marsh .... even more when I have success with the big old gun.

That is probably the only reason I would consider a single, a nice big wildfowling gun to knock a few pinks down with.

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I've been having a hankering for a single lately, just to see if I can shoot one well enough to do without the second shot. I figure I hit most birds with the first barrel or not at all, so losing a tube shouldn't be too much of a handicap. I think it adds variety and challenge to one's shooting. Since I spend more time wandering the hedgerows than decoying, it's often the case that by the time I'm ready to pull the trigger on a second shot, the bird is 80-100 yards away anyway - a waste of a cartridge.

 

If anyone near Cambs has got a 20 gauge Cooey 84 / 840 or a Winchester 31A (same gun, updated by Winchester, I believe) with sound metalwork that's sitting around doing nothing, I'll pay a reasonable fee for it. I've been looking for a "project gun" to clean up and practice refinishing the woodwork. I quite fancy a single-shot 20 with a hammer - maybe something destined to be a rabbit gun...

Edited by neutron619
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I've been having a hankering for a single lately, just to see if I can shoot one well enough to do without the second shot. I figure I hit most birds with the first barrel or not at all, so losing a tube shouldn't be too much of a handicap. I think it adds variety and challenge to one's shooting. Since I spend more time wandering the hedgerows than decoying, it's often the case that by the time I'm ready to pull the trigger on a second shot, the bird is 80-100 yards away anyway - a waste of a cartridge.

 

If anyone near Cambs has got a 20 gauge Cooey 84 / 840 or a Winchester 31A (same gun, updated by Winchester, I believe) with sound metalwork that's sitting around doing nothing, I'll pay a reasonable fee for it. I've been looking for a "project gun" to clean up and practice refinishing the woodwork. I quite fancy a single-shot 20 with a hammer - maybe something destined to be a rabbit gun...

 

 

Last thing you need! :rolleyes:

 

 

Contact Wabbitbosher, he'll sort you out. :good:

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I've been having a hankering for a single lately, just to see if I can shoot one well enough to do without the second shot. I figure I hit most birds with the first barrel or not at all, so losing a tube shouldn't be too much of a handicap. I think it adds variety and challenge to one's shooting. Since I spend more time wandering the hedgerows than decoying, it's often the case that by the time I'm ready to pull the trigger on a second shot, the bird is 80-100 yards away anyway - a waste of a cartridge.

 

If anyone near Cambs has got a 20 gauge Cooey 84 / 840 or a Winchester 31A (same gun, updated by Winchester, I believe) with sound metalwork that's sitting around doing nothing, I'll pay a reasonable fee for it. I've been looking for a "project gun" to clean up and practice refinishing the woodwork. I quite fancy a single-shot 20 with a hammer - maybe something destined to be a rabbit gun...

This is an aspect i feel is overlooked by so many.

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Last thing you need! :rolleyes:

 

Almost certainly the last thing my shooting needs, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be fun in other ways... :) I could be calling an EGM of the CCPS to test drive some new 20 gauge shells before you know it!

 

Also, there is a serious point. As you're aware, I've got at least one wood-stocked gun that ought to be getting oiled / treated, but I'm too afraid of ********* it up to try it for the first time on that. A nice £20-50 gun which I won't be upset to ruin is therefore just the ticket for a practice run and if I learn more about mechanisms and refinishing stocks in the process, all the better.

 

I'll send wabbitbosher an email when I've been paid...

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join photobucket its free upload em, then post the link into your thread.

Anyway why not both at the same time one in each hand would be effective, now if you do decide to try the swing them both up and shoot them like this be sure to video it. We reallty do want to see that. :lol: :lol:

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I Still take My Fathers "Well technically Mine Now" Old Stevens 3inch Chambered hammer Single barrel out a couple of times a Season Just for nostalgic Reasons.It was my First Gun as I got it Licened under my Fathers name when I was 16yrs old' although I had shot with it in the company of my Father many times before that.! I shot most of my firsts with this gun' Pheasant,Geese,Ducks,Woodcock,Snipe,pigeons,Crows and rabbits. I used to hate the fact that I hadnt a 2nd barrel after I missed many a Bird' mostly pheasants after tramping from dawn till Dusk.

 

After I came home from manys a day out roughshooting or out for flight' My father would always Shout when he heard me coming "Hang them up" Nnowing only to well the likelihood was that I'd have nothing to hang up.I always moaned that we needed a double Barrel and he would say they are only for wasting cartridges.

And if you missed with your Shot then the bird deserved to Fly on. Thats the way he looked at it and i think their was something in this as it is a Sport after all. In saying that' He would often Contradict himself as he was a very fast reloader' from his pocket. I recall once when We were walking out to flight and a Mallard suddenly Surprised us by Jumping out of a dyke and he let it get out and fired and missed with the first shot and the duck got up into the wind and double back over us and he had already ejected and reloaded and dropped the Duck with the next Shot.

 

Well 25yrs later and She still sits in the cabinet, The hammer has been welded as it got broken,The Stock has been cracked and fixed "thats another story" and my father made and replaced the ejector from the meatal of the Springs of an Old Volkswagan Beetle " A much prized metal back then by Gunsmiths" and i have to say the one he made and fitted was much better than the original. The barrel is slightly pitted due to neglet by myself as a teenager.

 

She sits alongside three Double barrled guns and I have thought about getting it deactivated' but I cant bring myself to do it. The last time I had her out was a windy late season Evening flight..As flight time came arrived' the Cracks of the doubles and Semi Auto's echoed around the coast. My one chance was at aPack of Wigeon that came at a nice height and My Shot sent a lovely Cock bird thudding onto the Marsh Stone dead. I walked off a very contented Man.

 

I am at a stage of my shooting career that the size of the bag does not bother me "In truth I kinda always have been like that" I have shot Right and lefts of most things' Various Geese and duck species,pigeons, pheasants No Double at woodcock as yet though despite having Chances. The great thing about a Double barrel is the fact that you can usually manage to finish off a Bird only Clipped or winged by the first Shot and of course gives you a 2nd chacne if you miss with the first.

 

I'l stick with my Doubles as I never have or never will own a S/A and the old Single barrel will get its anual airing to Blow off the Cobwebs and take me back to my youth.

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