hide shooting with an auto

[westley]

i totally agree with using safety preferably auto safety when in the field

Bloody Hell Ian, they will be telling us to "Get a room"  next  !

 

[ips]

ha.

I never ever use safety at trap because its just not needed but walking about and moving around in a wood or a hide or indeed on a driven day when one has to raise the barrell to the ready position avoiding guns and beaters etc safety is an absolute must Imo. As for autos even more so and I am suprised my one is not auto safe

 

[ChrisPackham]

ha.

I never ever use safety at trap because its just not needed but walking about and moving around in a wood or a hide or indeed on a driven day when one has to raise the barrell to the ready position avoiding guns and beaters etc safety is an absolute must Imo. As for autos even more so and I am suprised my one is not auto safe

Good point, another reason why clay guns shouldn't be used for game shooting, in addition to it being cheating/uncouth ?

 

[Nicko]

Well I went in the opposite direction yesterday and took my beretta 682 pigeon shooting for a change.  OMG I had forgotten how much better I shoot with my O/U.  I am not the best of shots but managed 49 birds in just under two hours.  And the best bit was the fact the empty cartridges were all in the rubbish bag when I had finished and I didn't spend ages on my hands and knees searching for them.

I am going again today and I will be taking the 682 for sure.

 

[philpot]

I love corvid shooting from the hide and do it as often as possible. The auto is ideal apart from sending empty shells into the crop and that is part of my reason for going back to an o/u for hide work BUT that said if it works for you Ian...........spot on.

I made a separate support rest for the gun rather than leaning it against the hide poles because they get caught in the netting and quite often are not where you want to stand the gun. These are very good used on a hide pole or a totally separate pole .

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hide-Pole-Tray-Table-Gun-Rest-Stand-Net-Coffee-Tea-Holder-Pigeon-Shooting-A1/191261874605?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

I use both full body flocked decoys and shell but the full body are way better, no need to make a pattern either, just put them out facing different directions as crows will be found in the fields in this manner. Any shot birds are just positioned on the ground to fill the picture and a flapper can be a great advantage but you need to break the wings when mounting them on the flapper. If not, you can burn out the motor as rigor mortis sets in.

The most important thing is to keep a low profile as corvids have fantastic eyesight so movement needs to be slow with very stealthy gun mounting, a camo sleeve on the barrels is a help I find. Try to get some sort of seat, I bought one of these which is superb for uneven ground, carrying loads of stuff inside and a bag hanging off the back with 8 decoys in, more expensive than a plastic bucket but bloody comfortable. Just take out the tackle trays leaving a decent cavity for netting etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TF-Gear-Compact-Carp-Match-Specimen-Commercial-Seat-Box-RRP-99-99-EX-DEMO/311477680156?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Last thing, treat yourself to a camo leafy mesh suit, look a pratt but they work and you stay cool and of course wear extra garments underneath if needed. I usually wear shorts and tee shirt underneath this time of the year and they are worth every penny, I would not want to be without one. Like this but mine is a Deerhunter, similar thing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3D-Leaf-Hunting-Ghillie-Suit-LLCS-Camoflague-Suit-Shooting-Stalking-camo-suit-/272359590796?hash=item3f69e58b8c:g:5LAAAOSwxg5XxvV6

Enjoy it mate and hope that helps a little.

Phil

 

[ips]

very useful info phill thanks for posting.

I have found out that there crafty beggers, even sending a look out to keep an eye on me ?

I have cammo net but its not big enough, camo shirt and face net. Made some rag decoys which I think look ok.

 

[philpot]

I agree, the hide is simply not big enough, I ensure that the hide goes all around me for total cover and add a bit of long grass or a leaf cover branch to soften the look so that it becomes more of a fixture. Not always possible but I try to set the hide up a day or two before shooting so they are very used to it being there. This works well for me as I am able to sit the deeks no further than 20-25yds out which means the birds will come in close, always good for a crap shot like me.  :wacko:

I bought one of these from a garden centre as a quick hide for air rifle shooting but as yet not tried it out, could be useful on the edge of a wood however.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Expanding-Artificial-Leaf-Outdoor-Garden-Trellis-Screening-Fencing-Wall-Covering-/112412964903?hash=item1a2c55b827:g:9QwAAOSwi7RZH1L2

Phil

 

[ips]

yep.

I now have the gap covered with branches but I am aware its not ideal and needs to be bigger / better ?

 

[ChrisPackham]

Buy the longest net you can find and wrap it around all five poles so that you have a background. With the net you have make a roof, both of these things make a huge diffference to my decoy shooting.

 

[Brand New]

AND I have read on here it does not take much to break an auto, it happens all the time  !   :angel:  

I just have to say that I cringe when I read about the non use of the safety on a FIELD gun. Call me 'Old Fashioned' but I was brought up on guns that all had an auto safe. As such, I learned from the start to operate the safety catch as the gun was being mounted, a bit like the trigger finger was always on the trigger guard until the gun was in your shoulder, then it moves to whichever trigger you intend to pull. For these reasons, I am able to switch from one gun to another in my collection without any hang ups. I KNOW when I am using a double trigger auto safe gun and shoot it accordingly. If I go to my gun cabinet now, I know that my clay shooting guns will all have the safety OFF.  I laugh when I read about "I can't shoot a double trigger gun, I can not shoot a gun with an auto safe"  etc. etc.  As to leaving the safe off in a pigeon hide, unless your hide is the size of Wembley football stadium, I do feel it is a recipe for disaster. I fully expect to be bombarded now with "I am as safe as houses" routine, but maybe it is just as well you do shoot alone  !

I like this post. I too am keen on the safety catch issue. Friends tell me that they switch the safety off before they even get to the clay shoot. I switch the safety off when I call PULL. After I have fired both barrels I put the safety back on. Thats how I was taught as a lad and thats how I will always shoot.

Shot a SbS Thursday with auto safety and loved it. Shot badly but thats just me.

 

[westley]

I like this post. I too am keen on the safety catch issue. Friends tell me that they switch the safety off before they even get to the clay shoot. I switch the safety off when I call PULL. After I have fired both barrels I put the safety back on. Thats how I was taught as a lad and thats how I will always shoot.

Shot a SbS Thursday with auto safety and loved it. Shot badly but thats just me.

If I went to my gun cabinet now, my CLAY shooting guns will have the safety catch OFF. There is no need whatsoever to even have a safety catch on a gun, purely used for Clay shooting. My guns are carried in a gunslip, to my car, from my car around the shooting ground and then back to my car. EVERY time my gun is being removed from the gunslip, it comes out already broken or the bolt back. It is then loaded when in the stand. My finger only enters the trigger guard as I call for and shoot at the targets. The gun is then, either bolt back or broken, put back into the gunslip and taken on to the next stand where the same routine takes place. It is then taken home, stripped and cleaned during which the safety catch is applied (just in case I catch the trigger and the hammer falls). Once back together the safety catch is pushed off and the gun put into a gun sock and then into my cabinet. Should you be in a Competition and try to fire a gun with the safety on the Referee will check your gun and the target  will be called LOST.  An easy mistake to make during Comps.