game shooting with a semi

[coupe312]

After the first pheasent shoot of the season, all the guns have been asked not to use 3 shot semi as they are not safe.

 

i feel that as long as a flag is used to mark it as empty and stardard saftey as employed when any gun is apply. Then using a semi should not cause a problem. just seams harsh for people that shoot them.

( i use a o/u)

 

my opinion is that every gun is has potensial to be dangers regardless od semi. sxs or o/u if standard safe practise is not followed.

 

whats your thoughts

[steve_k]

i shoot a semi... cant stand using anything else...

most places i shoot dont care... just a little strange, as for safety the gun is always pionting up in the air and the slip is always over my peg... so when the drive is finished it goes straight back in (after unlaoding obviously)

so there really are no safety issues

unless that is not the norm...?

 

sk

[henry d]

The only gun I have mistakenly been negligent with was an OU, I forgot to unload it after a fox drive and I only found out after a bumpy ride in the back of a landy

 

I have never done it with the semi as I always stick a cartridge sideways in the breech when it is not loaded, that way I and all around are in no doubt as to whether it is unloaded or not.

[Miroku Mike]

I guess if part of you shoot is a walk up rough shoot, they are not the most favourable guns.

 

When crossing liggers dykes etc you cant break them.

 

Only reason i can see, is the fact of,

 

if you own the auto you know you wont do nothing stupid,

 

and you have good gun eticate and sense.

 

The bloke standing next to you,

 

or on the other side of the dyke, as your passing your gun over to him doesn't.

 

I personally think this is the problem,

 

you have to really trust people with a killing machine in their hands,

 

and when you dont know them that can be hard.

 

Thats just my opinion though, and thoughts that have crossed my mind when i have shot with strangers.

[Lloyd90]

The new Beretta semi can be broken apart lol.Gun looks MINT! Its called the UGB25 Xcel

Its friggin SWEET! lol

[Brisa]

A gun is only as safe as the person holding it. I would prefer if at a very quick glance I know that the boy next to me was safe. Don't want to be looking for flags and half stuck out carts etc. The person I go shooting with the most uses a semi and I trust him 100% as it is him that has helped me along in shooting and installed 100% safety into me.

 

But at a clay ground/rough shoot where I might not know everyone around me (and there is nipple heads in every sport) I would personally rather they could break thier guns for my peice of mind. I have nothing against semi's and I am 90% sure it will be my next path but I don't trust many people with my safety. When its out of your hands your asking for trouble.

[Andy W]

I know what you mean about safety, I trust myself with a semi but always doubt others and I am always looking to see if the breech is open and am always conscious of which way the barrels are pointing of other semi users guns, I did have a brown trouser moment when a kid pointed a semi at me while loading it on a skeet range.

 

Regarding which way to hold it, I check the bolt is open when I remove mine from the slip and then place it barrels pointing down resting on my boot.

 

Regarding those new break barrel semis, they had them on trial at Doveridge last week, £2 for 10 shots, my mate tried one and said it was horrible, he prefered my Benelli M2.

Edited November 6, 2008 by Andy W

[Greenhunter]

There are people, me included, that shoot a semi because the lighter recoil is more comfortable.

I've got arthritis in my hands for instance, so shooting a number of shots with a s/s or O/U is painful. This affects my accuracy as you might imagine!

I've given up even thinking of driven pheasants as, in my experience, its so looked down upon, rightly or wrongly!

[neil smith]

This subject has been done to death on other forums I have visited, the bottom line is, its the shooter who can be unsafe & is no fault of the gun when its used properly eg; checking the gun is empty when negotiating obsticls, keeping your finger out of the trigger guard until the sights are aligned with your target & most importantly being very aware of your muzzle direction at all times.

 

A semi is no more unsafe than any other type of shotgun its simply a training issue for the operator, some shoots have experienced people who have not been as safe as they should have been & thats not an option when your handling this type of shotgun, as a result game shoots tend to say "no auto's" because they do not know how experienced a stranger is.

 

If there was a system of training in place for game shooters to prove there competency then it would be an easy thing for anyone to say "Im safe with a semi I have a certificate or whatever to prove it"

 

I suspect on many shoots its also down to the "old hands" wanting to keep it as traditional as possible, I do not game shoot any more as I prefer my auto to any of my other guns & so use it elsewhere, if you cant find a shoot willing to allow you to use one then try a different branch of the shooting sports as there are many & vote with your feet, I did.

 

N

[chris921]

plus its just the done thing like saying why where shooting clothes ie tweed when on a shoot because you feel more relaxed in a tracksuit lol plus all the saftey aspects i think the main reason is the way it looks

[ferretman]

The new Beretta semi can be broken apart lol.Gun looks MINT! Its called the UGB25 Xcel

Its friggin SWEET! lol

you a right lil gangster ant ya mate lol

[pavman]

hey why not just turn up with a Gatling gun and hand grenades in a pair of coveralls whilst listening to AC DC on your I Pod and get your mates to phone you every 10 mins and talk really loud whilst waiting for a shot

 

 

 

Chav tastic

[MC]

Sounds like you have been to a "Mafia" shoot day before.

[malkiserow]

I am getting a vision of only fools and horses episode of Del arriving for some shooting with Micky's gun as it is his day off (sunday!)

[Lloyd90]

you a right lil gangster ant ya mate lol

 

Haha , na its just a nice gun Id still prefer a Benelli M2

[andovian]

I do think its down to the shooter not the gun

 

but

 

I have had the mispleasure of shooting with some strangers before and I wouldnt have trusted them with a stick let alone a shotgun

[CharlieT]

hey why not just turn up with a Gatling gun and hand grenades in a pair of coveralls whilst listening to AC DC on your I Pod and get your mates to phone you every 10 mins and talk really loud whilst waiting for a shot

 

 

 

Chav tastic

 

 

Fantastic.......................best post in years, says it all.

[Mungler]

All been done before. These threads end up in a big spat about how semi auto shotguns are frowned upon by tweed wearing Tarquins who drive big expensive Range Rovers (and who probably work for BASC ) yadda yadda fight the power anyone got a copy of Socialist Worker handy etc.

 

I trust me with a semi auto or pump but no one else. I would not take a semi or pump to a driven day because there is a sense of tradition and yes I wouldn't want to offend the host or look like I wanted to stick out - lets face it, you take a semi to a driven day you must want the attention and everyone there asking you why you want to buck the trend. My SBS was second hand and cost a couple of hundred quid and you can get a brand new Baikal sbs for a couple of hundred quid. Remind me, what is the cost of syndicate membership or the average driven day?

 

Back to safety, I can see if an O/U or SBS is safe from 50 yards because it will be broken in half. I can't do that with semis and flags etc.

 

I have a pump and an FAC semi neither of which I would use on a driven day. Incidentally, clearing both guns down is nowhere near as quick as breaking a gun in half.

[Andy W]

Took a bit of searching but heres the only fools and horses episode in question http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SF4YMTfcysc

[Cranfield]

I have never been a member of a syndicate that would accept a member using a semi auto, or a pump and likewise, I have never attended a days formal game shooting that would have permitted those guns to be used.

 

I really think this old chestnut of a question is academic.

 

Buy a days game shooting and turn up with a semi, I guarantee you will not be shooting that day.

[coupe312]

Most people opions seam the same as mine. its the person not the gun thats unsafe

 

Think me and my freind will be looking at new syndicate next year or just drop down to one syndicate shoot.

 

shame it has to go that way. what anoys me most is the shoot own won't say who's complained

[pavman]

Most people opions seam the same as mine. its the person not the gun thats unsafe

 

Think me and my freind will be looking at new syndicate next year or just drop down to one syndicate shoot.

 

shame it has to go that way. what anoys me most is the shoot own won't say who's complained

 

Why should he, it will only start a row

 

as has been said, you may feel you are safe but unless you are a walking gun or on the peg you must have your gun broken thus all can see at a glance you are in safe mode,

 

if you dont agree with that simple rule for the peace of mind of all others then it would be easy to draw the conclusion you are the type of person who is not fully on board with the safety of all on the day, that view may well be wrong buts its one folk will none the less have, I share the views of the tradition and sporting etiquette and if anyone turned out on a game day I was on with a semi auto I make no bones about the fact the shoot captain and the offender would be consulted and my opinion shared

[malkiserow]

Some thoughts....

 

Would you attend a funeral in fancy dress?

 

Would you go to a wedding in your speedo's?

 

Sometimes it is right to uphold tradition for a variety of reasons regardless of personal thoughts, we live in a society.

[pavman]

Some thoughts....

 

Would you attend a funeral in fancy dress?

 

Would you go to a wedding in your speedo's?

 

Sometimes it is right to uphold tradition for a variety of reasons regardless of personal thoughts, we live in a society.

 

 

very well put sir

[al4x]

I have never been a member of a syndicate that would accept a member using a semi auto, or a pump and likewise, I have never attended a days formal game shooting that would have permitted those guns to be used.

 

I really think this old chestnut of a question is academic.

 

Buy a days game shooting and turn up with a semi, I guarantee you will not be shooting that day.

 

 

same here, semi autos just don't fit in with the tradition of game shooting, I've never been on one where you wouldn't get told to go home if you turned up with one. Call it snobbery but its far more down to tradition and I know even on beaters days most beaters take the effort to wear tweeds and make it an occasion. If you don't like it then set up your own syndicate and allow it but I can guarantee that once you start using semi's and wearing camo that you might as well have a day out doing vermin shooting.

 

On the safety issue well we tend to use autos on vermin days but they will all be people the keeper has shot with before and who he judges safe as you will be in a line driving towards other guns and you will be taking animals on the ground so safety is paramount. So i don't have an issue with autos safety wise but I do always treat them as though there is one up the spout.