Reply With QuoteRoll on the 29th March
I am a bit more careful these days about posting too much information about field sports.
A few years ago, I put a video on FB of my youngest son helping to prepare a Pheasant for dinner. Turns out, my next door neighbour is an animal rights activist / vegan. It caused a few problems with differing opinions.
Yes, I shoot, shotguns only.
Current gus are Beretta Ultralight Gold O/U, Beretta 486 Parallelo and a Franchi Semi auto.
I am lucky enough to live in the countryside and know some of the local farmers, so am involved in crop protection as well as driven, walked up, wildfowling etc. My two springers are quite well trained and enjoy working with me.
I find it helps with stress of running a company, a morning or afternoon out in the fresh air with the dogs really makes a difference for me.
In the season, I dont always take a peg. I actually prefer beating with the dogs, there is just something really special to me working with the dogs, whilst having a lovely walk through the woods.
Also a member of a clay club, which I am looking forward to being able to go back there in April.
Roll on the 29th March
Indeed, got plenty booked for the return.Originally Posted by Harry Smith
Yep, our club has a day out booked. Looking forward to it
i was introduced to shooting at a very early age by my late father - my first gun was a 410 hammer gun made from a 'modified' indian rifle - single shot with a hexagonal barrel
i remember getting a BSA Airsporter air rifle and shooting at matches - bloody difficult
then progressed through many guns and the changes in the law - i loved shooting handguns - i remember shooting at a local range against a police firearms officer and i beat him very easily
years later i became a sporting agent in Scotland which gave me every opportunity i had ever craved
but i still think pigeons are the hardest thing to shoot consistently well - grouse are easy by comparison (partridge are harder)
but whilst being a sporting agent i really saw the worst in game shooters and it totally put me off any form of driven shooting - i've seen the farm cat shot and a shot taken at an osprey (yes, foreign guests) - ethically Americans are the best which surprised me to be honest because we tend to think of them as kill anything shooters
i also used to shoot sporting clays weekly, often against a former Scottish Olympic shooter - it changed my life from using a side by side to a Beretta o/u but i still cannot not hit 'bolting rabbit' clays, lol
and crossing birds were not my best - but anything low or high coming towards me was 'dead' - we used to do a competition in that we moved out of the shooting station toward the trap and at each hit you took a step forward - it was purely reaction/trigger memory shooting
but my real love is rifle shooting, sadly these days there are very few opportunities where i live - even less so for deer stalking as i now have a buggered hip
my dream gun? - .338 Lapua Magnum by AI in Arctic Warfare variant
best fun gun?
my friend has a .22 rimfire semi automatic based on the M16/M4 platform- remember 5.56mm NATO is only .223
30 round magazine
initially he had big problems with jams because the standard .22 round did not have enough 'pressure' to cycle the action - he changed to hyper velocity rounds and problems disappeared but at a cost in the price of rounds
Last edited by nick h; 5th March 2021 at 10:57. Reason: changes
Nice toy!! I had a Remi 700 highly modified by Peter Sarony that caused a lot of raised eyebrows.
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Firing big bores isn't pleasant due to recoil and muzzle blast but there is a 'big boy bollocks' factor to it and being accurate at ranges of 1000m plus is very satisfying. I like to shoot large bore handgun, when we used to be able to travel I had weekends in Czech Republic, Belgium and Malta blasting away with semi-auto rifles (AR15, VZ58 and various AK's) and a plethora of handguns. .40 S&W is a powerful round and takes some getting used to especially in a lightweight Glock frame. My favourite is a Glock 26 due to my pudgy hands but any of the Glocks are good if not especially accurate. Next Beretta 92 9mm and Colt 1911 .45 the old favourites lol.
It’s a common issue with semi auto .22s my GSG STG44 will only cycle with good quality mini mags
I don’t mind it to be honest, the better quality ammo burns cleaner and if copper jacketed does not have the horrid wax lubrication, so cleaning is easier.
Mini mag is my fave. As you say some stuff is so greasy it makes cleaning a chore
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on another UK forum i saw that several AI .338 Lapua Magnums were in public use in the UK - you just need access to the right range to fully exploit the rifle and a lot of money for suitable 'glass'Nice toy!! I had a Remi 700 highly modified by Peter Sarony that caused a lot of raised eyebrows
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i think there are also a few bolt action .50's in public ownership in the UK?
yes, that bloody horrible 'wax' - as you say fmj is far better
i know when my friend got his semi auto the Police showed very obvious disapproval but its fully legal
i expect before long semi auto's will be limited to a 5 round mag?
to be honest if you shoot correctly recoil is not an issue even with .50cal - and your never going to fire a lot of rounds because as the barrel heats up accuracy rapidly falls off - hence the sniper code of 'one shot one kill'
there are some very good opportunities to shoot most guns in Europe but i'd avoid Eastern Europe like the plague - i'm told in places they go way off piste' allowing people to shoot live target animals!!
favourite handgun - Sig 226 which imo is far better and more accurate than any Glock
My only experience on the subject is with the Finnish AK based assault rifles, RK-62 and RK-95, made by SAKO and Valmet. Both sport aperture/diopter sights. There are semi-auto civilian variants available. Like all AK’s they can take ridiculous amounts of abuse and still work like a charm.
I used to love shooting with them when I was doing my conscript service. Even after it for many years I went to voluntary range training a couple of times a year. Then they sadly cut back the funding and the days of nice and easy and nearly free of charge shooting were over. I haven’t fired an assault rifle in ten years. These days I go to pistol range rarely and that’s it. This thread has made me look at the Sig Sauer air pistols. They might be a good way to get back into shooting, if only plinking at the cabin. Going to a proper range seems to require too much effort.
Yep, the ranges usually tend to dictate where the clubs are, the standard mil range only goes out to 500 yds. A friend has a 338 but doesn’t user it that much, the cheaper rounds he gets are over a tenner each.
I was after a M24 SWS for years but no one would let me buy one, I wanted on because you can buy matched ammunition to the barrel and sight. They are a pain to break in initially though.
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You can buy a AI direct in any caliber you wish (to a point). A mate I shoot with bought the AXMC just before lock down. He has a .308 / 7.62 barrel and a .300 win mag barrel. He has only used it once as all the ranges are closed.
http://www.accuracyinternational.com/axmc.html
It’s an amazing bit of kit. The blast from the muzzle break is something else. It makes recoil easily manageable, I would say it recoils less than my Enfield.
the price of rounds are prohibitive - ever priced up Raufoss? - last price $65 each
M24 SWS is UK legal as its bolt action?
its legal to buy and own so you should be allowed to buy one
Last edited by nick h; 6th March 2021 at 10:22.
I've never myself heard of problems or issues with any of the countries I have visited to shoot handgun and semi-auto rifles but I'm sure there are some 'dodgy' venues in some lesser known(visited) places. Upto this year shooting abroad was very popular if you want to indulge without 'nanny-state' legislation to overcome. Northern Ireland and I-O-M are also popular but are actually no cheaper than CR or Poland to shoot. I like(ed) Belgium
as it's easy to drive to hence we take the motorhome.
There aren't any really bad 9mm handguns these days. I suppose I'm biased as I did my Tactical Handgun here http://dynamicshootingcz.co.uk/ with a Glock 17. My friend Yves (in the head pic) loves CZ and Makarov pistols and although he lives in UK keeps the majority of his arsenal in CR.
This bloody virus has spolied my plans as I had the US (Arkansas(saw) and more CR trips planned.
Last edited by Harry Smith; 6th March 2021 at 13:58.
I'm not a shooter, but I have shot some handguns on trips to the US.
For anyone who says recoil isn't a problem has never fired a Ruger Alaskan!
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gu...colt-revolver/
You can mitigate it, but it has a huge amount of energy in a small, butt heavy package...
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I think you may have been holding it wrong ... ;)
Sig P226 is a splendid pistol, not only would it group 15 under an inch at 10m but the cases all landed together neat and tidy unlike being spewed left right and centre like most.
My shooting was all Weaver stance which tells the time period, I watch the YT vids now where it's evolved into the fighting/Isoceles stance with much more wrapping of the frame so I expect that helps the popularity of the Glock with its lower bore axis - seems the Glock 43 is the EDC choice for many of the ex-SF guys so it must work fine.
The full factory M24 system was never allowed to be sold direct to the public by order of the US government at the time, there were a few that were available at extremely high prices for genuine ones, there were some dubious ones that had been re barrelled but I was told to stay well away from them.
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Air rifles here.
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Another “shooter here”, I mostly just do deer culling these days with a .308, but have a 22-250 and .22 for pest control.
Shotguns I just use for winged pests or once a month straw bailer in Dorset.
I did briefly hold the Guinness World Record for the Fastest 25 Clays Broken and still to this day am officially the fastest with an over and under, raised a good chunk for a cancer charity in the process.
Yes.
And yes.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Around 300 apparently. I was up late one night with BBC news on in the background and they'd been debating banning them in parliament, but that's as far as it got. It made my ears prick up as I wasn't long back from Vegas where I got to play with a M82 and a few other military grade weapons.
It actually got a bit closer than that, there was a last minute reprieve for .50 rifles but lever release / MARS rifles were made illegal (along with zombie knives and owning acid). HM constabulary are currently picking them up off owners.
Well, they say they are and often don't turn up. I got a call a few weeks ago from local FEO asking if I have got any Lever release rifles. I said "no, wadr shouldn't you know?" He apologised and said they had to ring all FAC owners with underlevers (I've got a Rossi .357 lever action(cowboy gun)) if their rifles were lever release. This is the level of knowledge and organisation in UK firearms licensing. Pitiful.
Yep! The law makers and enforcers do not understand what they are trying to enforce or ban.
The reason for banning lever release / Mars was based on a YouTube video! I kid you not.
I've not heard that before, but doesn't surprise me.
I've been a shooter since I was a boy, (am now 74) air rifles and pistols back then followed by shotguns when I was about 19 years of age. Some years later I sold my two shotguns and bought decent quality air rifles for mainly rabbit pest control on farmland. I currently have four rifles but haven't been shooting for approximately three and a half years due to having to deal with cancer. My rifles are as follows, Theoben Taunus gas ram .22, Theoben Rapid 17 pre-charged pneumatic .177, Falcon of some sort but can't remember the model, that too is a pre-charged pneumatic .177 and a BSA Super10 pre-charged pneumatic .22 calibre.
I will see if I can find the video, but it was by a well know on line reviewer, he was shown firing ‘rapidly’ (still only half the speed of a semi auto) and an MP decided that they were dangerous.
Edit found it: https://youtu.be/6XFL27CdYx4
slightly off topic but a friend went to the US and through a friend in the military had a chance to have a go with 'Simunition' training
he thought it was like paintball - no way it really really hurts if you get hit
he used current M4 carbine with an 'adaptor' to stop live rounds being inserted by mistake - this means users replicate real combat scenarios as close as possible
i'm told that Simunition is moving into Europe but cannot see it in the UK because it uses real firearms that are banned in the UK?
i'm told there is a place in France run by former UK operators to train close protection people - a long and very expensive course including everything from driving/body armour/weapons and even who to buy your clothes from that hide concealed weapons (and yes, Saville Row comes to mind, lol) - they do live fire and simunition training
lets be honest the Police do not want the public to own any guns - not even shotguns
but Police in the applications section show an appalling lack of knowledge and that i know from personal conversations with said officers
i have known two Police firearms officers operating on the front line - in truth i'd not trust either to care for a hamster, let alone be allowed on our street with firearm
their training is lacking and they do not practice enough to develop 'muscle memory'
remember when Lee Rigby's killers were shot? -was it eight plus rounds discharged and only minor wounds?
BUT in support of the police i do see their worries because if they kill somebody their whole life is put under a microscope by legal vultures which is why they hesitate before taking a shot
Last edited by nick h; 8th March 2021 at 08:49.
i used to do a lot of culling in Scotland - started with a .270 which i hated and then moved to .308 because its so versatile
i'm now back in Notts and something needs to be done as populations are out of control especially muntjac - bloody things are walking down the roads and causing accidents
i hit one about 100yds from my house - thank God i drive a Range Rover and the car suffered no damage - but the deer was so smashed it was not suitable for the kitchen
muntjac is superb eating - best of the lot but roe comes a close second
we do a roast haunch as it’s decent size for 2, usually though I make biltong from my muntjac as it’s delicious
shame you have to shoot it or buy from a game dealer - as said previously round here they are a real pest
fallow are also getting out of control because the big estates refuse to allow pretty much any culling because its 'politically sensitive' - we also have red deer in notts on same estates
lets be honest - deer are a pest without predator control they run riot - and yes, its a problem caused by humans killing the natural predators
look at Yellowstone - the elk were out of control and destroying habitat before wolves were reintroduced and now the Yellowstone eco system is improving
Last edited by nick h; 8th March 2021 at 09:58.
Must bloody hurt then, I can recall the bruises from paintball!
Sure they weren't reading a Ben Hope novel?
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Ooh, how does that work?
I have seen people doing it with a semi auto, where a reloader is popping a cartridge in after each shot. But never seen it done on an over under.
We made this video on the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ-c...ustinOwenVideo
The times have tumbled to around 30 seconds now with the use of a semi, the rules were a bit basic, only 2 shells in the gun, shop bought shells, and a couple of other simple ones.
I have bought a couple more, the Sig X5 and the Beretta 92sf XX Treme and I can say the Sig X5 is amazing for a pistol, it can give a 1-2" group at 25m with a little adjusting of the rear sight and the Beretta isnt bad either with its red dot, but the X5 is amazing for targets.
20210305_152204 by danger_mouse1964, on Flickr
it apparently hurts like hell which is why its so effective in training - nobody inc the best operators will take chances they would not take against live roundsMust bloody hurt then, I can recall the bruises from paintball!
Sure they weren't reading a Ben Hope novel?
M
some operators claim in unprotected areas you get a bruise the likes of that when shot with real ammo and wearing body armour - very big bruises
a lot of padding inc full face/neck helmets and a groin 'box' - also i think lighter body armour ie not ceramic plates
i have read that novel - and no but it may have a ring of truth as do many novels use source material?
Last edited by nick h; 9th March 2021 at 08:09.
seriously a 1 - 2" group at 25m with the Sig X5 capsule air pistol?I have bought a couple more, the Sig X5 and the Beretta 92sf XX Treme and I can say the Sig X5 is amazing for a pistol, it can give a 1-2" group at 25m with a little adjusting of the rear sight and the Beretta isnt bad either with its red dot, but the X5 is amazing for targets.
experts testing in You Tube vids at 8m cannot beat that because when chrono is used there is quite a fluctuation between shots which kills any accuracy - but they are not target pistols but 'toys' when you cannot own the real thing
i have a Walther CP99 - only good point? - feels good in the hand
i can do that with a Sig P226 with 9 x 19mm on a good day, lol
Last edited by nick h; 9th March 2021 at 08:18.
Walther LP400 with custom Rink grip. It’s a lot more accurate than I am. I struggle to shoot better than about 540 at ISSF 10m.
Last edited by Groundrush; 9th March 2021 at 09:57.
Very nice!!Walther LP400 with custom Rink grip. It’s a lot more accurate than I am. I struggle to shoot better than about 540 at ISSF 10m.
Must have been a fluke then, there were a few more cards with zero groupage but this was the best one I saved 3"
20210308_164105 by danger_mouse1964, on Flickr
^^^^^^^^ nothing wrong with that grouping ^^^^^^
I had to make up some .308 copper rounds recently as one of my clients insisted on non lead shot on their grounds, managed a 3/4 “ group off the bench at 100m, was happy with that from home loads!!
well done, thats incredibleMust have been a fluke then, there were a few more cards with zero groupage but this was the best one I saved 3"
but as you say there were other cards with zero grouping hence its not reliably able to produce excellent grouping
Been busy shooting this over the past few weeks, lovely thing to shoot.
1 by danger_mouse1964, on Flickr
Last edited by Dangermouse64; 11th July 2021 at 09:54.
Very nice too.
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