setting out

[adam1]

I know at least some of these questions will have been asked before and have done some searches but would still like to ask them from my own perspective, i'm sure there'll be more to follow.

I intend to start decoying in the near future and am starting from scratch so i need to lay my hands on everything, i'm on a very limited budget and will have to build up my equipment over a period of time maybe even buying lesser quality second hand things to get me going then replacing later down the line.

Firstly gun choice i'm after a field gun, nothing flash just funcional, I intended to pick up a second hand Biakal and was wondering how essential you guys consider an ejector to be over a none ejector (will there come a time where i really need to reload that fast) then i've just been offered a hatsan escort at a good price, i know some hate them and some love them but i know the guy has had no problems with this one and is only selling as he does have the odd clay day round different clubs and some frown on semi autos, what are the pros and cons of semi autos, over and unders and then side by sides when rough shooting and shooting from a hide please.

As for the hide itself whats the cheapest way / product to make a usable one, is there any products that should be avioded at all costs? is it practical or maybe even benificial to make natrual hides.

Decoy selection what can I get away with in the beginning, is a dozen shells enough, i presume you will all reccomend flock.

Cammo, i've always just used army surplus for stalking rabbits, is there so much difference with the new cammo designs or is my old army stuff just as good in an effective hide, that'll do for now but im sure i'll be back with more questions soon .

Thanks for your time.

Adam

Edited May 24, 2009 by adam1

[Cranfield]

Unless you intend to do some fast shooting, an ejector is not necessary and can be a hindrance in a hide, when you are scrabbling about afterwards trying to find the empty cartridge cases.

Semi autos can give you the same problem in a hide, but the ability to be able to load them without breaking the barrel in a small hide, is an advantage

When looking for your gun, check out any secondhand Lanber Field guns, they are usually very reliable.

If you intend to own only one gun (at the moment), I would suggest an over and under multichoke 12 gauge, that enables you to cover any shooting you may want to do.

 

I use ex MoD cammo nets , they may be a bit heavier but they are very stable in windy conditions.

You can always add some extra scrim if necessary.

 

When in the hide, I would suggest that a face mask and gloves are essential, otherwise wear darker drab clothing, army camo clothes are OK, thats what I wear.

 

I would also suggest shell decoys, they are cheaper, you can carry more and on spring sticks they provide movement in the pattern.

Flocked are better, but last winter I bought some Sillosocks UV jackets from UKSW , put them on some old plastic shell decoys and I am very impressed with the way they look and work.

Have a look around Boot Fairs and the like for cheap old decoys.

You can also make your own floater for dead pigeons , have a look in the Craft and DIY section for tips.

[proTOM1]

Hi there for a start an ejecter is good but not needed so much as you think as when your decoying it is not that often you will have another bird over you decoys straight after firing having said that it does happen from time to time .Any cheap under and over will do if you have a small amount to spend as long as it fits and is in working order it will be fine for now .

 

As for what you wear in your hide as long as your hide is well made with a good back drop it does not matter i have shot from hides in the summer in just a pair of shorts with no problems at all .It is what ever you feel happy in i say .

Have a look round for decoys like said car boots and even go to a game fair some good deals to be had same with netting any type will do as long as you use other stuff i.e grass tree branches to blend your hide in more with what you have put it up against .

 

good look and read through old posts on the search bar at the top of the page that may give you some more help !

[Harnser]

Adam ,

you have been given some good advice so far and it is worth keeping an eye on the this forum as ther is allways lots of good advice on a daily basis . As for the self loader i would not advise it as a beginers gun ,i allways think that the self loader is an excellent hide gun (i know i use one ) but more suitable to the more experianced shooter . Oh and welcome to the forum .

Harnser .

[Dead-Eyed Duck]

Where are you based at? - just put the area.

 

If you are lucky an experienced gun will either invite you out and show you the ropes, or meet up for a chat. If this happens then this will save you lots of £'s - we have all bought stuff that we later find was useless, or irrelevant.

 

Don

[John_R]

i allways think that the self loader is an excellent hide gun (i know i use one ) but more suitable to the more experianced shooter

Harnser .

 

Why do you think the semi is not so good for the less experienced? I have seen this opinion mentioned before (not necessarily by your good self) and apart from the gun safety angle I have not seen much in the way of explanation.

Edited May 25, 2009 by john_r

[adam1]

Thanks very much for your replys, they are pretty much what i expected from what i have read before I posted but I was looking for conformation i'd come to the right conclusions, please can you explain why self loaders are not a good starters gun and why the o/u is more popular than the sbs.

I'm in the Selby Goole area.

Adam

Edited May 25, 2009 by adam1

[Dead-Eyed Duck]

When you are first starting out shooting you need to stick to the basics.......

 

A semi has a wonderful fiddle factor, but it is far better to buy a o/u or sbs that have a safety that comes on after every time you break your gun. In the excitement of shooting it is far too easy to forget to put the manual safety back on with a semi, plus it is too easy to forget the last round in the magazine that you cannot see.

 

Like most shooters I thought I was totally safe. Many. many years ago I bought my first semi (it was a 5 shot - before you needed a fac for this).

 

I got back home one day after shooting and when putting the gun back in the cabinet I found that i had left one round in the magazine - thought that I had completely emptied it, and hadn't.

 

Even now I remember feeling cold and my hair stood on end.

 

I sold it the following day, and didn't buy another semi for many years.

 

Most accidents happen with empty guns

 

So, start off with something simple and safe, and then when you have the experience move up to a semi if the need arises.

 

Don

Edited May 25, 2009 by Dead-Eyed Duck

[badger.22cal]

Hi adam,

 

Im also new to decoying ,ebay is the place for secondhand and new decoys i got 9 full bodies and 13 shells and a net for £54 posted to my door and have built up from there.

 

Camo is just practical as long as you keep your movement to a minimum you should be ok, i always add whatever vegetation that is growing nearby to my hide to help it blend in, but take care not to destroy the hedgerow.

 

As for guns im no expert yet but my gamekeeper pal told me to spend as much as i could afford, and have a really good look. I had my mind set on a winchester 101 with about £500 spend but then a bargain popped up and i bagged myself a brand new miroku MK70 for £700.

 

Good look bud

[henry d]

.......As for the hide itself whats the cheapest way / product to make a usable one, is there any products that should be avioded at all costs? is it practical or maybe even benificial to make natrual hides. At this time of year nature is making the best hides available, however ex-MOD nets are cheap and stable and easy to add vegitation to.

Decoy selection what can I get away with in the beginning, is a dozen shells enough, i presume you will all reccomend flock.Nope, just re-spray the deeks with flat matt paint.

Cammo, i've always just used army surplus for stalking rabbits, is there so much difference with the new cammo designs or is my old army stuff just as good in an effective hide....Yep, top gear and mostly suited to spring through to early autumn.

Thanks for your time.No bother

Adam

[Harnser]

Why do you think the semi is not so good for the less experienced? I have seen this opinion mentioned before (not necessarily by your good self) and apart from the gun safety angle I have not seen much in the way of explanation.

Read dead eye ducks post above . All so by having a self loader you will be restricted to what shooting you can do . Self loaders are not nomally accepted in the driven shooting world and the rough shooting syndicate . All so the cleaning and stripping can be fiddly and time consuming and bloody irritating . All so the problem of clearing the gun after a jam . You may have to field strip the gun to get a jammed shell from the gun and chance dropping bits on the ground . Nothing worse than a shell jammed across the carrier and having to winkle it out .

I think a simple sxs or over and under more suitable for a beginner .

Harnser .

Edited May 25, 2009 by Harnser

[John_R]

Thanks for that. I solved the suitability problem by having both O/U and semi , and chose a Benelli for ease of cleaning/maintenance. The O/U came first, but the semi followed within a few months.

 

To pick up on one of dead eye duck's points, not all O/U or SxS have auto safeties, something with which the Original Poster may or may not be aware.

[adam1]

Double barrel it is then, if im honest it was my preference anyway but the Escort at good money caught my eye,

Please could you point out why most of you prefer O/U to a SbS though is there a practicle benefit or is it just a cosmetic choice.

By the way, nice forum to be on if I can say that without seeming a creep.

Cheers

Adam

Edited May 25, 2009 by adam1

[groach1234]

Please could you point out why most of you prefer O/U to a SbS though is there a practicle benefit or is it just a cosmetic choice.

Cheers

Adam

 

To be fair most people would argue that the side by side is better looking cosmetically. Anyway the reason that I prefer the O/U to the s/s is that it gives less recoil as they tend to he more heavy so that is good for clays also people tend to shoot better with an o/u as it is more easy to judge lead as the barrels block less from view. However the key argument for the S/S is it is more easy to reload. Anyway thats why i feel most people opt for a O/U but, although I use a O/U now but when i can afford it, i will get a nice s/s.

Hope this is of some help,

 

George

[banger316]

If your after cheap camo netting and decoys I get mine from

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/default.aspx

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

Bino's & watch.

I walk the dog past my one shoot everyday & always stop & look over the fields for a few minutes in the summer when the boundry grass is long.

In the winter I walk the boundry with the dog.

Over the years I've been shooting over the farm I've spent more time watching & takeing mental notes.

Most of the local guys around here also have permission & only go at harvest & not the rest of the year because there's nothing there !!!!!!!!

I shoot quite often for an hour or two from autumn to spring, one for the pot is good enough for me but i also shoot the corvids over there plus the odd rabbit.

I see where to go & when while others see nothing.

It's no secret, just take your time, build your kit up as you go along & learn how the local wildlife live out in the fields.

I take secueters with me & snip out hidey holes at good spots, a few snips a day to make it & less snips to maintain or improve..

Basic but very effective cammo & sometimes a decoy or two.

I use sitty trees or flight lines so can keep equiptment to a minimum, but then again, one for the pot requires less kit than a full on with decoys day.