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kenj

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Everything posted by kenj

  1. It's now February since my original post on smoking trout in a chimenea and this week with a rainbow out of the freezer to bake, I decided to see how I would get on with a frozen trout, not a fresh fish. I prepared it as my blog post http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/hot-smoked-trout-in-a-chimenea/ and left it over night in the fridge, before lighting up the chimenea this afternoon. I usually leave the trout to hot smoke for about 30 mins, but today left it for an hour, as cool air was being drawn into the chimenea. Testing the trout after this time proved it to be perfect, wh
  2. If you can afford the rifle and the extras, go for the PCP. Advantages are no recoil, hence no mechanical "clang" from the spring. Likewise much better targeting, due to no rifle bounce from the spring. Also most PCP's these days come with a magazine, ideal for that second shot. I have two PCP's, a Webley Viper .22 and a Career 707 carbine FAC in .22, but I still use my old Relum Z2 .177 springer, which is still knocking over squirrels, rats and pigeons. Never tried it on a rabbit. It's still on iron sights too. http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/the-rifles-cz-relum-177-springer/
  3. Having just enjoyed rabbit loins again today, I've updated the recipe slightly, with an added suggestion for winter. This dish is worthy of Jamie's kitchen! http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/baked-rabbit-loins-in-pesto-and-bacon-parcels/
  4. I have both .22 lr (Magtech 7022 semi auto) and .17 HMR (CZ452) and often take both with me on some permissions, where there are a mix of open and enclosed fields. I prefer to use the .22lr, as it's quiet and cheap, while ideal for poking round corners and a head on, head shot to a rabbit, leaves the meat intact and saleable. The HMR is perfect for side on head shots only, on rabbits at ranges well beyond those of the .22, while out in the open with educated rabbits. I carry .22 HV yellow jackets for fox, but wouldn't attempt a shot beyond 60 yards, while the HMR dropped one at yards recently
  5. My CZ 452 doesn't have a thumb hole stock and the trigger needed a spring kit. It does have a 16 inch heavy barrel and with a Harris bi-pod is as accurate as the guy squeezing the trigger. Best value for money HMR on the market. My review : /http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/cz-452-varmint-17-hmr-rimfire/
  6. I'm a bit late to this post, but if you are just out to catch a few carp, not specimen hunting, I suggest going for bread, as suggested by andy97. Last week I fished a local pond and fished 5mm pellets of bread on a small waggler rig with a pole. It was a slow starter, after feeding a couple of balls of a 50/50 mix of liquidized bread and Supercup ground bait. This was the net of fish I took in four hours fishing, having lost a couple of lumps. The secret of winter bread punch fishing is to only feed, when the bites drop off. In the end I had them queueing up, but rain stopped play. More p
  7. I've just bottled my second batch of cider, three dozen pints. A new shooting permission had so many apples in a small orchard, cox's and brambleys, plus another unknown sweet rough skinned variety, that the lady was almost pleading for me to take them. Even giving loads away, I still had enough for another five gallons, when mixed with a couple of bags of crab apples from her hedge. It seemed a pity to waste them. When bottling, the taste test gave a sweet cider, which already has a nice dry bite at the back of the throat. Should be great after a few months maturing.
  8. I paid £100 for my Magtech 7022 several years ago and I wouldn't be without it. It prefers Eley subs, but I don't seem to be able to find any locally, so following meeting up with Deker, I went to RWS subs and I can't complain about them. The trigger I lapped in with valve grinding paste and it's now much better. Look at this lot. Most of these were shot in a matter of minutes using my Magtech 7022 in the foreground, the rest with my CZ452 HMR. It's ideal for poking round a corner and surprising a few rabbits. This summer I had a red/green dot sight on it for fast, close range work. I've
  9. There are so many good bunny burger recipes on this forum. I usually mince mine with smoked bacon and chorizo for the fat content and extra flavour, but meat from a cumberland sausage is next on the list. http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/bunny-burgers-with-chorizo/
  10. Sounds like you've done it right NC Boy. I got another load of apples from one of my permissions recently, the lady was almost pleading for me to take them, so decided to do another batch of five gallons, a mix of bramleys, cox's and green crab apples. November is a bit late for cider making, but did my first racking last week and it already tastes good. I put in 4 oz of sugar each gallon to up the strength and make it a bit sweeter. The cider I made in October is clear and golden and I'll bottle it next week. Once you've made your own, you'll never waste money on Strongbow again! My press is
  11. Firearms licensing is so random. I was on a new permission in South Bucks with my local F.O. for him to pass it for rimfire. I'd had my license for three years and he suggested I go to an open ticket. I sent in my license with a covering letter and got back the open one within weeks. Sounds like it's a lot harder these days to get anything done. When I changed areas to Berkshire, it took prompting from Bucks to get a visit from the new F.O., who tried to get me to reduce the amount of ammo I held. Maybe I just had a good F.O. in Bucks.
  12. See how you get on with the HMR Lee. Was it a 452? I can take short range shots with the HMR, while if out round the farm with the .22, I'll often see a rabbit at HMR distances, which I don't have a chance of hitting. It depends on where you are shooting, open land HMR, enclosed with cover .22. If I chopped in my semi Magtech, I'd go bolt action CZ.
  13. I would say consider the type of ground and shooting situations you want the rifle for. As in my earlier post, the semi auto Magtech .22 was probably the cheapest .22 around at £100, but it has given good service with no frills attached. It has good accuracy when rested, or used with a tactical sling, while offering a second, or third shot without taking your eye off the target. In situations like in the previous photo, when confronted by multiple targets, you can't beat the fire power from a semi auto. If you are looking for an accurate, reliable rifle for considered shots out to 60 yards, go
  14. I have a Magtech 7022 .22 semi, which is reasonably accurate for bunnies out to 60 yards with a scope and quiet with a moderator. Mostly used around the farms using single shots. It prefers Eley subs, but I can't get them, so RWS subs are the next best with just the odd non ejected case. Recently I got some new permissions with a lot of rabbits in groups and it has worked well fitted with a decent red/green dot sight. It's much easier to move from rabbit to rabbit with this sight, although I miss a few in the heat of the moment. The semi auto worked a treat in this situation, picking of
  15. Back in the distant past, a couple of my mates had Crossman pump up rifles with the restrictor valves blanked off. They used prometheus pellets to shoot pheasant and geese at night. Their added trick was a squirt of model aeroplane fuel in the cup of the pellet. I watched one shoot a pigeon at 30 yards in a tree with these pellets and it blew the wing off. With the fuel it sounded more like an HMR. Those were much less enlightened times and wonder what they would have put out over a chrono. I still have some of the unskirted "tin" pellets, which I tried in my Webley Viper .22. They were calle
  16. I still use my Career 707 .22 carbine in fact just the other day. http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/shin-sung-career-707-22-carbine-rabbit-clearance/ Check it out, I'm told it's a good read. I replaced the tank seals and the pressure gauge seals last year. I visited the local plumber's shop with samples and picked them for under 2 quid. When I bought mine secondhand, the transfer port was about 5mm (80lb) and illegal. T.E.Robb in Essex had various spares available then, but it was several years ago. I bought a new transfer port from him, with a 1mm hole to bring it back to 12lb. I
  17. My CZ 452 in HMR was touching down the right hand side from new. I found a variation in accuracy, when aiming to the left on the bipod. This was probably only a few thou at the barrel, but an inch at 100 yards. I took off the stock and removed enough wood to allow a thick piece of card to freely pass round the barrel down to the receiver. No more problems. More rabbits shot yesterday at 120 yards. As Dekers said an alternative is to raise the whole action on spacers. I wasn't that clever. It was a long time ago and I don't remember any issues with screws.
  18. Hi Daz, These new permissions I am now treating as one. The original farm with the 1 acre paddock and about 30 acres edged by woodland and a scrapyard. A private house with an acre garden and orchard with a 10 acre paddock backed by scrub land. Another farm with 150 acres, small fields, paddocks and barns over various terrain, covering small gullies and valleys. The small farm and private house have already commented on the lack of rabbits on view, while at the larger farm, I am working out from the farmhouse, where the owners are also pleased with the results so far. Due to problems with tra
  19. I've been making cider for years and it's not difficult and doesn't need any special equipment. This is my rig, a home made press using a car jack and a garden shredder. Demijons with air locks, or a barrel with a tap are a must. Check out my blog post: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/cider-bottled/ I make about pints a year. Once through the processes, don't attempt to drink any until the summer, if possible. Look on it as an investment. I'm drinking two year old cider at the moment. Better than shop cider and most pubs any day. Good luck, it's worth the effort.
  20. Sorry Daz, I've just read your post. The pastry recipe and method are on my pasty blog. http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/rabbit-and-pigeon-pasty-with-chorizo/ I'm no chef, but it's easy to do. Just measure out the quantity of flour, sprinkle the salt over, then rub in the cubes of butter with your fingers. It will go like bread crumbs. Then add water in small quantities, working it into a ball. If you put in too much water and it goes sticky, just sprinkle over some more flour. This mix makes biggish ball, that's why it needs to be divided to make it easier to roll out. Once you'v
  21. Daz, I'm down to my last pasty, only shooting big rabbits at the moment for sale. I've sold another 18 this week. When I get down to the smaller bunnies, it'll be pie and pastie time. That new permission a couple of weeks ago, has spread to two others down the lane and another owner wants to talk. She has apples for my cider making too. It didn't take long for the surviving rabbits to get jumpy. I have a quick walk round with the .22lr semi auto, get two, or three, then it's back to long range stake outs with the HMR. Enjoy the pasties. Ken
  22. I use a BEL burger press (had it years), which is still available, along with the grease proof papers. I used to use a manual meat grinder, but now have a 1200W Elpine, which speeds up the whole process. This comes with sausage attachments and three sizes of blades. Not tried sausages. Regarding these burger pastie mixes, I've just done another 26 quarter pounders, still used the chorizo, but added two table spoons of sweet chilli instead of the Worcester sauce. These burgers are good hot , or left to cool with salads, etc. Have a go, they're worth it. Pastry is up to you, it's easy enough. I'
  23. Hi Daz, My butchers have never asked for a licence. I've been selling rabbits long before these "new" laws came in. I only paunch the rabbits and would not sell any that were gut shot, or had signs of mixy, spots on livers ,etc. It's a bit like landowners, who are not interested in Firearms Certificates, they just want the rabbits. Regarding burgers, etc, I have some recipes on my blog. Try these: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/bunny-burgers-with-chorizo/ http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/rabbit-and-pigeon-pasty-with-chorizo/ http://www.urbanfieldsportsm
  24. I've just been on the phone and got £2.00 a rabbit from another couple of butchers within 5 miles, which will take care of 30 a week, until I've thinned this lot out. Hope mixy doesn't beat me to it. You guys with a surplus ought to try making burgers and pasties, they store well in the freezer.
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