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Confession.


London Best
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Well, I have today given a new meaning to the term ‘half gun’. I have literally taken a half gun on a day’s pheasant shooting.

I was a guest on a friend’s day in Leicestershire, on a shoot I had not visited before. I always use a motor case to transport my game gun because, 1) I’ve got one and 2) less chance of breaking the gun than if it was in a slip. So, I took the gun from the cabinet and broke it down. I looked through the barrels and noticed a couple of streaks I had not noticed after last use/cleaning. So I put a rod through them and made them right, then closed the case. 
I would love to have seen my face when, after a raucous breakfast which set the tone for the day, I got booted up and went to put the gun in it’s slip only to open the case and find.......just a pair of barrels! I had left the stock/action on the bench. 

Of course, the P***taking was merciless all day, and will be for the rest of my life.

Fortunately, a non-shooting guest had his 20bore Browning with him and was able to loan me that with a bag of cartridges. The gun felt really strange to me and only came up properly with great care, unlike my own which I can throw up with impunity. I was very grateful for the loan but went to the first drive not expecting much success, more so when I saw the steep bank of trees over which the pheasants were about to fly. 
I was pleasantly surprised when the first bird folded dead. Then another, and so on throughout the day. More P***taking, saying I should buy the gun (not a chance), but I was astounded at how well I did with a gun that just did not feel right.
The day was only a smallish 100 bird day, with six small drives. The bag was 107.           I managed 4/7, 3/6, 0/2, 5/9, 5/8, 1/1. This is just about spot on what I have averaged this season with my own gun. But I still won’t be buying an O/U, because, during a flush I know I would have likely got off 50% more shots with my regular gun. No matter, an excellent day with good food, good shooting (the team just beat 3 for 1), well presented birds, and above all great company, (the p***taking ********!)

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Ahahahahahaha! Still I went out one day and took my 6mm Remington out only to find I'd brought the bolt for the .270 WCF with me! It happens to all. It even happened to Richard Hannay!

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It was now that I made an appalling discovery. I had felt my pockets and told Angus that I had plenty of cartridges. So I had, but they didn't fit... I remembered that two days before I had lent Archie my .240 and had been shooting with a Mannlicher. What I had in my pocket were Mannlicher clips left over from that day... I might chuck my rifle away, for it was no more use than a poker. ]

Fortunately, a non-shooting guest had his 20bore Browning with him and was able to loan me that with a bag of cartridges.

Not yellow cartridges too? Oh! How simply horrid! LOL!

Edited by enfieldspares
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9 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

Ahahahahahaha! Still I went out one day and took my 6mm Remington out only to find I'd brought the bolt for the .270 WCF with me! It happens to all. It even happened to Richard Hannay!

Fortunately, a non-shooting guest had his 20bore Browning with him and was able to loan me that with a bag of cartridges.

Not yellow cartridges too? Oh! How simply horrid! LOL!

Having done something similar I have never since kept the bolts separate from the rifles.

Yes the cartridges were yellow! 
I was very surprised that they worked.
I never even looked what brand or shot size.

27 minutes ago, Scully said:

Sounds like a good day eventually LB, and that’s good shooting with a familiar gun, let alone an unfamiliar one. 👍

Thanks Scully. It really was a most enjoyable day all round.

10 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Ask our mutual friend about arriving at Gatwick Airport on route to Texas in his Range Rover only to find we had left both our rifles on our kitchen table.  Thirty years does not dull the expletives echoing around Gatwick Departures Lounge:lol:

He was the host yesterday. 

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9 hours ago, London Best said:

Having done something similar I have never since kept the bolts separate from the rifles.

Yes the cartridges were yellow! 
I was very surprised that they worked.
I never even looked what brand or shot size.

Thanks Scully. It really was a most enjoyable day all round.

He was the host yesterday. 

Oh I bet he was very understanding about it. Not one to take the proverb.....

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You would think after a lifetime of shooting you would by now remember to take the main ingredients for a days shooting , you would think so but leaving a item behind must happen to just about everyone , when I first moved my pigeon gear was scattered about around my garage until I put it in some sort of order , until I got it sorted it was a rare occasion when I remembered to take everything required , I went with Alan ( Lakeside ) twice and once I forgot my magnet and the second time a seat to sit on , with no seat I thought I would try kneeling in my hide on a fresh cut barley stubble field , the first five minutes were alright and then stiffness set in , after half an hour that was it , I then had to resort to plan B , I went and got my motor and reversed sideways to a large bale , then I put the hide around my tail gate while I sat in comfort , some Pigeons were not going to be fooled , but many more were and we had a very good afternoons shooting .

An item I once left behind that was more important than my gun was my dog , no not at home but at the game dealers .

I was doing a little job about 9 miles from Pettits of Reedham and had my boot full of Pigeons and the dog I had then sat on the back seat of my estate car , after we got the pigeons out I left the boot open while I went in the office to get my money , after we had a longish yarn I came out and shut the boot , I got as far as Acle which is about 7 miles and I just happen to look behind to see if my dog was asleep , no dog , I stopped to see if he jumped over and gone into my boot , no no dog , I done a two point turn and got back to the dealers in record time , went running into the office to see if anyone had seen him and low and behold he was sitting in the office without a care in the world , another lesson learnt and five or six dogs later I have never again left my dog behind , well up till now that is :good: .

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