CharlesP
Well-known member
Purbeck today, 100 bird Sporting. A chilly afternoon, with rain clouds threatening but no actual rain. The icy wind , obviously from Siberia, didn't spoil a great afternoon. I found myself on the same squad as our very own Schmokinn, and the seven of us braved the rural setting with some very mixed targets.
I was giving my new F3 (new as in got it yesterday teatime) its first outing. It is still exactly as "out of the box"; no fiddling with trigger, no playing about with the weighting system. It just had a quick squirt of Napier down the bores with a brush and a wodge of blue absorbent paper shoved through it and that was it, good to go. There was absolutely no need to do this of course, I'm absolutely confident that Mr Mulliner wouldn't let a gun out of his establishment that wasn't entirely ready for use in all respects.
The first half was a great run-in, most of the squad responding well to a good variety of targets, having started effectively at stand four to avoid the other afternoon squad. There were a few that fooled me, but I was revelling in my new toy too much to worry. Gosh isn't manipulating an over & under an entirely different experience when it's been semi-autos all the way for the last couple of years?
The second half, for me, was more testing. A couple of blaze crossers, fast and low, had me bamboozled (couldn't see the dam' things) and a few up on the grouse stand were beyond my capability. We did watch a gentleman whose name I don't know crack out an impressive 94. He was obviously a chap oif discrimination and taste (that's right he was shooting an F3 too).
I thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon, varied targets, a good squad, cheerful and confident referee/scorer/button man (thanks Sam), and me playing with my new toy, of which more elsewhere.
Can't wait for the next one. This year I have patiently explained to my wife that the dictates of thrift mean I must ensure greater use of my new gun; more days out shooting. Ower, Owls Lodge, Horne, Southdown, Podimore. Thje logic of this is quite clear, and she has obviously embraced it and wishes to extend the same line of though to getting the maximum poissible use from our expensive passports...,
Thanks, Purbeck. A good day.
I was giving my new F3 (new as in got it yesterday teatime) its first outing. It is still exactly as "out of the box"; no fiddling with trigger, no playing about with the weighting system. It just had a quick squirt of Napier down the bores with a brush and a wodge of blue absorbent paper shoved through it and that was it, good to go. There was absolutely no need to do this of course, I'm absolutely confident that Mr Mulliner wouldn't let a gun out of his establishment that wasn't entirely ready for use in all respects.
The first half was a great run-in, most of the squad responding well to a good variety of targets, having started effectively at stand four to avoid the other afternoon squad. There were a few that fooled me, but I was revelling in my new toy too much to worry. Gosh isn't manipulating an over & under an entirely different experience when it's been semi-autos all the way for the last couple of years?
The second half, for me, was more testing. A couple of blaze crossers, fast and low, had me bamboozled (couldn't see the dam' things) and a few up on the grouse stand were beyond my capability. We did watch a gentleman whose name I don't know crack out an impressive 94. He was obviously a chap oif discrimination and taste (that's right he was shooting an F3 too).
I thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon, varied targets, a good squad, cheerful and confident referee/scorer/button man (thanks Sam), and me playing with my new toy, of which more elsewhere.
Can't wait for the next one. This year I have patiently explained to my wife that the dictates of thrift mean I must ensure greater use of my new gun; more days out shooting. Ower, Owls Lodge, Horne, Southdown, Podimore. Thje logic of this is quite clear, and she has obviously embraced it and wishes to extend the same line of though to getting the maximum poissible use from our expensive passports...,
Thanks, Purbeck. A good day.
bit cold but otherwise top morning capped off with raiding the cake tin(s) of the, Chelsea and Shotgun bun club, thanks girls. Wish Emily and Dan all the best for the future
