Back up at the shoot

[Dervburner 2,549]

Squirrels keep coming, I’ve topped my feeder up that I was shooting last Friday, it was empty again on Sunday and half way down again yesterday. I’ll check it again tomorrow, it’s looking promising at the moment.

[Stavross 15,622]

Shoot bramble gin coming along nicely, looks like vimto, I’m glad I never took the old girls advice and made a pie with them

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

2 hours ago, Stavross said:

 the fallow start rolling the feeders around unless they are nailed down 

We need to roll some of them over

[Stavross 15,622]

13 minutes ago, FOXHUNTER said:

We need to roll some of them over

I’ve seen that nice buck again on the field at the back of the farm and there’s been quite a few doe’s over the piggeries, not long to go now for them as well, everywhere you walk there’s slots, now I’ve got feeders out I’ve got a good idea where to look for them,  I’m free most weekends so whatever suits you, with a bit of luck I’ll have my binoculars back from repair next week as I managed to bust them, good job vortex come with a lifetime warranty 

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

The rut should be going now , you free this weekend?

[Stavross 15,622]

Yeah, I should be, I’ll give you a ring towards the end of the week and we’ll sort something out

[Dervburner 2,549]

One on the track earlier, two off the feeder this afternoon, only had an hour but it was a bit slow. Only picked one, other landed in the brambles. Cuppa time now

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Dervburner

[Stavross 15,622]

A quick trip up to the sheep farm tonight for a go at the rabbits again, I took little Hugo’s dad with me and just one rifle, the .17hmr for some long shots, taking turns to shoot we gave up after 14 as the rain was getting heavier, not a bad hour out, only missing 2, 1 each, he missed his in spectacular fashion, after 8 shot the little fluffy bugger deserved to live  

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

I'm just back in too , popped to a farm that hasn't been shot for 18 months due to covid , wouldn't believe it as it started raining when I pulled in to the farm. Had a quick call but the drizzle was a pain so came home.

[ianm 2,594]

Seeing as it was a dry day i thought i would take the opportunity to try some steel cartridges on the pigeons. These cartridges are loaded just down the road from me and the company is called Empire. I have been using their lead cartridges for a couple of years but decided to try their steel out. They are 29grm 5s and in a clear case. Because it is steel (which is copper coated) you get twice as much shot as lead. The birds weren't feeding on the stubble but it doesn't matter at this place because there are a couple of decent flight lines and if you set up decoys there is a good chance of pulling a few birds in for a shot. I spent a couple of hours shooting and to say i am impressed with the cartridges is an understatement. They are very fast (1650fps) and kill cleanly at good ranges. They work well in my AYA yeoman sxs which i had the full choke barrel opened up to half. So now it is half and half choked. I also tried my Winchester 101 lightweight with improved cylinder and quarter choke. It produced some really good kills at range. I am going to use these for the game this season as well as for the ducks. I had a bit of a strange thing happen as well today. At one point a buzzard came hurtling over the trees to my back and dropped straight on one of the half shell flocked decoys, no doubt thinking it had got a meal. I don't know who was more surprised me or the buzzard. The bag wasn't massive but enjoyable all the same, 14 pigeons, 2 jackdaws, 1 magpie and a jay.   

[BenBhoy 4,706]

6 hours ago, ianm said:

I am going to use these for the game this season as well as for the ducks.

Just had a quick look at them - only thing that put me off is do they only come in plastic wad? IMO plastic wad is worse for countryside/environment than lead shot. 

[Dervburner 2,549]

2 hours ago, BenBhoy said:

Just had a quick look at them - only thing that put me off is do they only come in plastic wad? IMO plastic wad is worse for countryside/environment than lead shot. 

Therein lies the rub......

[Stavross 15,622]

I’m not into this ferreting, all this for a bloody rabbit

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

Commitment Did you get it , hope there was 4 backed up in a stop end

[Dervburner 2,549]

11 hours ago, ianm said:

Seeing as it was a dry day i thought i would take the opportunity to try some steel cartridges on the pigeons. These cartridges are loaded just down the road from me and the company is called Empire. I have been using their lead cartridges for a couple of years but decided to try their steel out. They are 29grm 5s and in a clear case. Because it is steel (which is copper coated) you get twice as much shot as lead. The birds weren't feeding on the stubble but it doesn't matter at this place because there are a couple of decent flight lines and if you set up decoys there is a good chance of pulling a few birds in for a shot. I spent a couple of hours shooting and to say i am impressed with the cartridges is an understatement. They are very fast (1650fps) and kill cleanly at good ranges. They work well in my AYA yeoman sxs which i had the full choke barrel opened up to half. So now it is half and half choked. I also tried my Winchester 101 lightweight with improved cylinder and quarter choke. It produced some really good kills at range. I am going to use these for the game this season as well as for the ducks. I had a bit of a strange thing happen as well today. At one point a buzzard came hurtling over the trees to my back and dropped straight on one of the half shell flocked decoys, no doubt thinking it had got a meal. I don't know who was more surprised me or the buzzard. The bag wasn't massive but enjoyable all the same, 14 pigeons, 2 jackdaws, 1 magpie and a jay.   

Good shooting Ian, some of the steel I’ve tried have been absolutely shite with very poor strike energy. I’m eventually going to have to go down the same route with my ugartechea sbs as it’s half and full, but I don’t know if it’s worth it for the value of the gun?