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Second time lucky


Old Boggy
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On Wednesday I decided to go out again to a rape stubble I shot over last week, but noticed that it had been partly disced. Not normally a problem as a light discing still encourages the pigeons, but the massive discer that my farmer friend uses goes a fair bit deeper and most spilt seed is lost. I then decided to check whether further discing would take place that day, so popped into the yard only to find that the discer was out of action. Not good for the farmer, but good for me I thought. I was told not discing today, so made my way to my chosen hedgerow. Upon driving across the field to my spot there were three paramedics attending someone on the ground right in the middle of the field and about 100 yards to my proposed hide position. Most strange as this was nowhere near any footpaths. 

I watched for a while having noticed two ambulances and two paramedic cars in the lane the other side of a large field of uncut wheat which the paramedics must have crossed to reach the unfortunate person. Another ambulance then appeared on the lane from which I entered the field and not wishing to intervene at the scene, I then drove over to this ambulance to advise that he could drive over the rape stubble to recover the person, who by now was on a drip. He decided that there were enough in attendance and proceeded to drink his coffee !

By then, as it appeared to be taking some time, I abandoned any idea of shooting and drove back to the farm to advise them of the incident and to confirm that to the best of my knowledge, no-one had been shot and that I will leave shooting to another day.

Due to family commitments, Thursday was out, so the next available day for me was yesterday (Friday).  I was most anxious to get out if only to try out a newly acquired sweet little 16g side by side that I had picked up the previous day. No further discing had been done so I went to the farm to see whether any would be carried out and was told that they had only just fixed the machine and that they would be starting around 1pm. As this is a fairly large field (70 acres) they would be carrying on from the opposite end to which I would be setting up and would not reach my position by the end of my proposed short session finishing around 3.30.

The wind, or light breeze, had gone round from SW the previous days to Easterly, which wasn`t ideal for my hide position as it meant any pigeons coming in would be from behind and going away shots tend to be my nemesis. However, I was in the shade of the hedge and the light breeze in my face made conditions quite comfortable. The rotary and a flapper were therefore set quite far out to make sure that they were seen by any approaching birds giving them space to drop in from behind. 

There was a definite line into the field but this appeared to be about 100 yards to my left, but well out to the side of the hedge so there was nothing I could have done about that but only hope that some would come my way. That line I soon found out was over a broad front so I was soon into a bit of action but only after several passed over high. The first shot with my `new` gun brought the first pigeon to bounce onto the stubble. A confidence builder I thought, only to be followed by an easy miss in front and another pull on the front trigger having been recently used to using my 20g single trigger O/U. A good talking to soon rectified this error and I was then shooting pretty well (for me anyway) and brought off a couple of pleasing right and lefts. Birds were now coming in from my left giving some easier shots than the going away shots that I find quite difficult, although I was very pleased with some of those. 

I could hear the discer getting nearer but being over a slight brow, could not yet see it. My farmer friend said jokingly (I think) "I don`t mind you shooting the driver, but please don`t scratch my tractor ".

My short session of two and a half hours was enough and I had 25 on the clicker so decided to up stumps.

All in all, it was an absolute joy to be shooting the SxS which I find I can get onto birds quicker than the O/U so the gun seems to suit me very well. I shoot lefthanded and the gun has a very slight cast off, which I will cast on myself with the aid of my home made jig and a rag wrapped around the hand of the stock soaked in linseed oil and heated with a hot air gun. Not rocket science with a straight hand stock.

If the photo appears, thanks to John`s (Marshman) easy to understand instructions to me on how to post a photo, it shows 24 and another was picked on exit from the field. However, Like Marshman`s recent post, my marking of the bird falling way out was absolute **** and it was nowhere near where it fell stone dead.

As a rider to this, much of the spilt rape seed had already germinated and I was surprised to see so many birds still on the field. My experience says that volunteer rape is not their chosen food. Others may find differently.

Also, I have yet to find out what happened to the unfortunate soul laying on the ground or how he/she happened to be there.

Thanks for reading.

OB

 

 

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Edited by Old Boggy
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nice looking birds .......nice and healthy:good:

the gunsmith i use....wraps the stock piece to be bent with hessian cord....then lights the oil dripper...wait till it heats up and starts the dripper off on to the hessian cord...leaves it for 3 hours then starts to screw the clamps in to start the curve...continues with the dripper (hot)...then turns it off and takes the cord off and leaves it for 24 hrs...then unclamps......

the modern way is using an infa red lamp...............heard of no end of complaints with damaged stocks from that method...(i think they try and do it too quick)

Edited by ditchman
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4 hours ago, ditchman said:

nice looking birds .......nice and healthy:good:

the gunsmith i use....wraps the stock piece to be bent with hessian cord....then lights the oil dripper...wait till it heats up and starts the dripper off on to the hessian cord...leaves it for 3 hours then starts to screw the clamps in to start the curve...continues with the dripper (hot)...then turns it off and takes the cord off and leaves it for 24 hrs...then unclamps......

the modern way is using an infa red lamp...............heard of no end of complaints with damaged stocks from that method...(i think they try and do it too quick)

Due to the heat, I was conscious of the birds being flyblown so took some in and put them under a wet hessian sack. As it turned out, there were no blow flies but plenty of wasps on the ones left out in the field when I went to pick up. Rather have wasps than blowflies.

I did see them using the infra red lamp either side of the stock method at a Game Fair some years ago.

Only tried the heated up oil soaked rag method on straight hand stocks and it has always proved reasonably successful. Depending on the grain etc, it sometimes requires a second go as spring back is quite common. Patience and time is very important and not putting too much force on the stock is the key. I now leave it in the jig for a couple of days and that seems to prevent or at least reduce any spring back. 

OB

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2 hours ago, Cranfield said:

 

I am glad you enjoyed your sbs experience, they are great fun and make a nice change of view.

 

Thanks Brian,

I have shot with side by sides all my life and have only used O/Us within the last five years, but always retain at least one SxS to use. This one however, seems to suit me well and will probably be used now more than the O/Us.

Hope that you have settled well in your new abode.

Regards,

Chris

5 minutes ago, marsh man said:

A very interesting detailed report Chris , it will be good to find out what happened to the person who needed medical treatment , did he / she rang them ? , or another member of the public ? , very intriguing , I would guess heart attack .

I cannot imagine anyone other than the person involved calling the ambulance as it was a pretty remote spot and well away from any footpaths.

I'm eager to find out and trust that all was well in the end.

No one at the farm has heard anything yet.

 

2 hours ago, ditchman said:

Aliens.....................

Or even Norfolkians :yahoo:

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