Semi auto prejudice,

[HantsRob]

On 03/11/2021 at 22:37, Rob85 said:

The only place I don't think they belong is on a formal driven/walked up game shoot, but thats just tradition really. 

The funny thing about shooting is that everyone talks about progression and needing to get new people into the sport. Ironically it is some of the traditions that holds it back from being more mainstream.

I have no issue with people like the dress up in tweed, and the food and format. But how many people are technically drink driving home from an exquisite shoot? Also, look at policeman officers and fireman officers, their uniform changes to be practical but retain a degree of ceremonial dress for certain occasions.

The only downside of a semi at a driven shoot would be needing to find the cartridges, and the thought that it's a poor show to have 3 shots on a bird? If I clipped a bird on a second shot, I'd rather be able to have a third to humanely kill the bird.

I do wonder how much tradition is choking the sport and keeping it somewhat elite, over encouraging new shooters. 

[Scully]

4 hours ago, HantsRob said:

The funny thing about shooting is that everyone talks about progression and needing to get new people into the sport. Ironically it is some of the traditions that holds it back from being more mainstream.

I have no issue with people like the dress up in tweed, and the food and format. But how many people are technically drink driving home from an exquisite shoot? Also, look at policeman officers and fireman officers, their uniform changes to be practical but retain a degree of ceremonial dress for certain occasions.

The only downside of a semi at a driven shoot would be needing to find the cartridges, and the thought that it's a poor show to have 3 shots on a bird? If I clipped a bird on a second shot, I'd rather be able to have a third to humanely kill the bird.

I do wonder how much tradition is choking the sport and keeping it somewhat elite, over encouraging new shooters. 

It genuinely doesn’t bother me what anyone uses to shoot with, even on formal driven days.

There’s no reason why those with SA’s couldn’t restrict themselves to two shots, although they may feel under gunned when faced with a double ejector double gunning or a double ejector with a loader! 

On our rough shoot there are pumps, autos, sxs’s and OU’s, and although you don’t often see autos or pumps on our driven syndicate days, they aren’t frowned upon at all. 
I know it’s not traditional, but neither was smokeless powder or hammerless guns at one time. 
 

[BlaserF3]

Most of these opinions are just opinions, I shoot an auto all the time at clay grounds as I've had enough of recoil.

Do you know that everywhere I shoot does not complain about me using an auto.... I wonder if it's because I'm paying for the privilege of using the facilities they provide for me to use 😲

[redial]

Good point.

[BusterB]

1 hour ago, redial said:

Good point.

There’s always a bit of bias against the semi … especially with any jam or fail to fire at clays. What suites one person not necessarily the other … a gas semi great for reducing recoil but also the devils love child to another. I know people hate my using one and been shooting with them for many years.

Though I favour the semi I do understand that it’s not as safe as an over under. However many semi are synthetic with great ease of adjusting fit … my scores got smashed with a lovely beretta o/u and gave it a year … went back to semi and finally got scores back up again. 
 

Clays or quarry … better fit, better mount, better shooting… my semi does it and with less recoil (better shoulder too)

[HantsRob]

5 hours ago, Scully said:

It genuinely doesn’t bother me what anyone uses to shoot with, even on formal driven days.

There’s no reason why those with SA’s couldn’t restrict themselves to two shots, although they may feel under gunned when faced with a double ejector double gunning or a double ejector with a loader! 

On our rough shoot there are pumps, autos, sxs’s and OU’s, and although you don’t often see autos or pumps on our driven syndicate days, they aren’t frowned upon at all. 
I know it’s not traditional, but neither was smokeless powder or hammerless guns at one time. 
 

I’ve never heard anyone ever speak like that about a traditional hunt day. Very refreshing, Thankyou. 
I’d agree not as good as double gunning or a loader. 
 

may I ask why we don’t see more practical shotgun shooters with an FAC and higher load ability on a game day? The higher cart count and insane reloading skills they have would make for a really interesting watch. Or is that a step too far? To be fair I’d love to see that tried. 
 

still just a n00b and may have been done many a time. 

[ChrisO]

The vast majority of semi shooters I see, simply do not pick up their empties, they don’t even try.

 

[Newbie to this]

11 hours ago, BusterB said:

Though I favour the semi I do understand that it’s not seen to be by some, as safe as an over under.

Corrected it for you, one empty gun is as safe as another, regardless of it's action.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Newbie to this

[Old farrier]

7 hours ago, HantsRob said:

I’ve never heard anyone ever speak like that about a traditional hunt day. Very refreshing, Thankyou. 
I’d agree not as good as double gunning or a loader. 
 

may I ask why we don’t see more practical shotgun shooters with an FAC and higher load ability on a game day? The higher cart count and insane reloading skills they have would make for a really interesting watch. Or is that a step too far? To be fair I’d love to see that tried. 
 

still just a n00b and may have been done many a time. 

Probably because it’s a sporting day out not a competition to see how many dead birds ar on the floor 

and to be honest I doubt with a high capacity gun you would beat 7 dead in the air or 16 dead in a minute 

[Scully]

17 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

Probably because it’s a sporting day out not a competition to see how many dead birds ar on the floor 

and to be honest I doubt with a high capacity gun you would beat 7 dead in the air or 16 dead in a minute 

This. Driven shooting has a bad enough reputation as it is, without turning it into a competition. 🙂

[London Best]

9 hours ago, HantsRob said:

 

may I ask why we don’t see more practical shotgun shooters with an FAC and higher load ability on a game day?

Oddly enough, it is likely that a ‘practical shotgun’ would not be, err, practical.

[Windswept]

9 hours ago, HantsRob said:

may I ask why we don’t see more practical shotgun shooters with an FAC and higher load ability on a game day? The higher cart count and insane reloading skills they have would make for a really interesting watch. Or is that a step too far? To be fair I’d love to see that tried.

 

I don't think they are legal for game shooting. PSG, clays and pest controll only as far as I know.

[Gordon R]

Quote

 

There’s always a bit of bias against the semi … especially with any jam or fail to fire at clays. What suites one person not necessarily the other … a gas semi great for reducing recoil but also the devils love child to another. I know people hate my using one and been shooting with them for many years.

Though I favour the semi I do understand that it’s not as safe as an over under.

 

This bias must have passed me by in the last 40 odd years of clay shooting. 

A semi, a pump, a S x S or an O/U are all safe so long as you don't leave shells in them and you keep it pointed away from any person. It isn't the gun that alters the safety level, it's the person using it.

[Old farrier]

6 hours ago, London Best said:

Oddly enough, it is likely that a ‘practical shotgun’ would not be, err, practical.

Possibly more practical to have two barrels and two different amounts of choke giving the user a better choice for the try of birds presented 

im pretty sure you would need to get it on your fac to shoot game birds with any thing more than 3 shots and pretty sure your not allowed more than 3 shots for wildfowling 

[Scully]

8 hours ago, London Best said:

Oddly enough, it is likely that a ‘practical shotgun’ would not be, err, practical.

Not to mention illegal also. It is illegal to shoot game with a S1 shotgun. 

[Gas seal]

I use a semi auto. I’ve not done a lot of clay pigeon shooting maybe ten times including twice this year. This summer my friend suggested we have a go we went to the ground in Frodsham. He made enquiries about times and guns, he would be using a muzzle loader l would be using a semi auto. He was told that is ok and not to use more than 28grams of shot bring your license and come on a Wednesday. The other shooters were friendly and fixed the card on some of the machines for us. My semi is a very lightweight 28gauge no one complained they were interested in the gun until my friend started to load his gun. When we went to pick up my empty cartridges the man who was in charge of the traps said to leave them he picks them up later. When my friend fired his muzzle loader they just stood back and watched the smoke. We had a good day out and went back a few weeks later. Again it was friendly but when I was shooting in front of the office a man said I wasn’t to be using a semi. We thought the rules had changed and my friend asked at the office and was told semi autos are allowed as it’s a practice day. I also shot my.410 pump action no one frowned just a bit of a cheer when I hit two. It may be different in a competition with semis . We will be going back to the ground it was a good day.

[Westley]

20 hours ago, BusterB said:

There’s always a bit of bias against the semi … especially with any jam or fail to fire at clays. What suites one person not necessarily the other … a gas semi great for reducing recoil but also the devils love child to another. I know people hate my using one and been shooting with them for many years.

Though I favour the semi I do understand that it’s not as safe as an over under. However many semi are synthetic with great ease of adjusting fit … my scores got smashed with a lovely beretta o/u and gave it a year … went back to semi and finally got scores back up again. 
 

Clays or quarry … better fit, better mount, better shooting… my semi does it and with less recoil (better shoulder too)

ANY gun is only as safe as the person holding it  !

[London Best]

2 hours ago, Scully said:

Not to mention illegal also. It is illegal to shoot game with a S1 shotgun. 

Surely not IF you can get your FAC conditioned for it?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

5 minutes ago, London Best said:

Surely not IF you can get your FAC conditioned for it?

Now that would be an interesting chat with your FEO.

 

Well I want to shoot 9 shots at driven pheasant.

 

Really, why do you need to do that?

 

End of conversation!

[London Best]

2 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Now that would be an interesting chat with your FEO.

 

Well I want to shoot 9 shots at driven pheasant.

 

Really, why do you need to do that?

 

End of conversation!

I did say IF!

I had a .375H&H magnum conditioned for Deer, Foxes and AOLQ, and that is nothing unusual. I never even asked for the rest, just deer.

[Scully]

15 minutes ago, London Best said:

Surely not IF you can get your FAC conditioned for it?

If it’s not legal then it’s not legal, I would think. 

[London Best]

42 minutes ago, Scully said:

If it’s not legal then it’s not legal, I would think. 

I can’t think which act makes it illegal.

Immoral and unsporting, yes, but not actually illegal under Act of Parliament.

[Newbie to this]

https://www.gov.uk/hunting/Birds

From reading this, with a shotgun it's ok but not a firearm.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Newbie to this

[London Best]

5 minutes ago, Newbie to this said:

https://www.gov.uk/hunting/Birds

From reading this, with a shotgun it's ok but not a firearm.

I read that, but there are plenty who have S1 shotguns for pigeon/crows.

[Newbie to this]

5 minutes ago, London Best said:

I read that, but there are plenty who have S1 shotguns for pigeon/crows.

I suppose because, although on an FAC, it is still a shotgun 🤷‍♂️

Edited November 6, 2021 by Newbie to this