Is anyone still buying side by side 12 bores ?

Anymulewilldo · Jan 21, 2022

ollie989898 said:
I will never understand one thing, I had a guy who went all over Somerset shooting vermin for me where I spotted them on people's crops. He would have endless days of very busy shooting, mostly on pigeons or crows.

I never understand why vermin aren't more sought after for shooting, beats paying £30 a bird for it.

Don’t know about other areas but the balls up with the general licences a couple of years back put quite a few of the old guard pigeon shooters off around here. They packed up as they said it just wasn’t worth the hassle of some pillock reporting you and getting a police visit. It’s happened to me when I was shooting Canada geese, it certainly knocked my keenness too go out at home with the gun. Especially when the CC of Cheshire at the time was vocally anti firearms and was recorded as saying they didn’t see why any of us needed too poses guns at all.

Clive · Jan 21, 2022

yellowbelly said:
Bloody hell. Is there no end to your talents?

You never told us you'd shot at the Olympics. Did you get a medal?🎖

I got nowhere near the Olympics !! the issue / controversy was with the model of gun - the Beretta DT11 12g IIRC which is what I use - I did make England selection at skeet a couple of years ago though, couldn't commit the time to take it further however, you need to be putting 500 plus cartridges a week into practice at a level where anything less than. 98-100 ex100 isn't good enough, work, kids and ££ all get in the way of that........ along with not being quite good enough, it's a mind game at that level and I struggled with that bit somedays

Dry Rot · Jan 21, 2022

ollie989898 said:
I will never understand one thing, I had a guy who went all over Somerset shooting vermin for me where I spotted them on people's crops. He would have endless days of very busy shooting, mostly on pigeons or crows.

I never understand why vermin aren't more sought after for shooting, beats paying £30 a bird for it.

I've shot pigeons from towers in plantations in the NEScotland. My host was talking about the best days he had with a few friends and how many boxes of cartridges they'd got through. It didn't sound much until the penny dropped that he was talking 250 to a 'box', not 25, all to be carried up a rickety ladder to the platform so the growing tips of the confers, and the pigeons, were at eye level! The best shooting I have ever experienced. Thankfully, I wasn't paying!

Clive · Jan 21, 2022

britt said:
An old boy that I knew had a side by side 16 bore with a .22 rifle barrel on it, I think it was french and quite common when made. A very versatile gun, just not much choice in cartridges.

I shot wild bore in Romania years ago and used a side by side gun there that was 1 barrel 12g (slug) and the other was 30/08 cal rifle

Anymulewilldo · Jan 21, 2022

Dry Rot said:
I've shot pigeons from towers in plantations in the NEScotland. My host was talking about the best days he had with a few friends and how many boxes of cartridges they'd got through. It didn't sound much until the penny dropped that he was talking 250 to a 'box', not 25, all to be carried up a rickety ladder to the platform so the growing tips of the confers, and the pigeons, were at eye level! The best shooting I have ever experienced. Thankfully, I wasn't paying!

To avoid confusion we call them “slabs”

Anymulewilldo · Jan 21, 2022

Clive said:
I shot wild bore in Romania years ago and used a side by side gun there that was 1 barrel 12g (slug) and the other was 30/08 cal rifle

That does sound great sport. But the wife has forbidden it expressively.

Bill dog · Jan 21, 2022

I’ve a William Evans in my stash, I’ve been looking after it for years for a pal who is in the army. I thought it was just a plain old gun, until this thread popped up, and I Googled the maker !

Best get it oiled !

Clive · Jan 21, 2022

Anymulewilldo said:
That does sound great sport. But the wife has forbidden it expressively.

fortunately I was invited by a friend who lives there so didn't cost me (directly anyway !)

we were all give hand guns as well in case of Bear attack !!! didn't see any though !

Dry Rot · Jan 21, 2022

Sorry, guys, but I would still pass up any type of shooting to go out with a hawk and a couple of dogs for an afternoon!

(But they'd need to be good dogs and a fit hawk!).

smcapstick · Jan 21, 2022

Old side by sides are like Whitworth spanners. Nice… but completely useless and worthless unless you find the one chap in ten million that is in the market for them.

I’m that chap

smcapstick · Jan 21, 2022

I should add, I prefer a sbs. I don’t like super light game guns. I like a bit of heft - long barrels, pistol grip, Beavertail fore end.

Tricky to locate on this side of the Atlantic.

David. · Jan 21, 2022

Dry Rot said:
I've shot pigeons from towers in plantations in the NEScotland. My host was talking about the best days he had with a few friends and how many boxes of cartridges they'd got through. It didn't sound much until the penny dropped that he was talking 250 to a 'box', not 25, all to be carried up a rickety ladder to the platform so the growing tips of the confers, and the pigeons, were at eye level! The best shooting I have ever experienced. Thankfully, I wasn't paying!

They shoot lots of pigeon in France I believe, using a similar system, platforms, hides, etc in the canopy of woods.
I have an idea they are called palombieres or similar?

Pieces_of_Eight · Jan 21, 2022

smcapstick said:
I should add, I prefer a sbs. I don’t like super light game guns. I like a bit of heft - long barrels, pistol grip, Beavertail fore end.

Tricky to locate on this side of the Atlantic is tricky.

Are you Elmer Fudd?

smcapstick · Jan 21, 2022

Pieces_of_Eight said:
Are you Elmer Fudd?

In spirit, yes. In tongue, no.

Ffermer Bach · Jan 21, 2022

britt said:
An old boy that I knew had a side by side 16 bore with a .22 rifle barrel on it, I think it was french and quite common when made. A very versatile gun, just not much choice in cartridges.

Combination gun - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ffermer Bach · Jan 21, 2022

Anymulewilldo said:
To avoid confusion we call them “slabs”

that sounds like we called a crate of beer from the drive through in Australia "slab of pee"

Anymulewilldo · Jan 21, 2022

smcapstick said:
Old side by sides are like Whitworth spanners. Nice… but completely useless and worthless unless you find the one chap in ten million that is in the market for them.

I’m that chap

My dad has got terrible lately! He keeps buying “new” guns! The latest one is an 1860 hammer gun. Proper BP job. Beautiful gun, and brilliant too watch the clouds of smoke last week when we were all on peg. He’s well into his home loading as well. Some mixes work, some….. well it would be easier too just throw the lead at the birds!!

Hampton · Jan 21, 2022

Clive said:
fortunately I was invited by a friend who lives there so didn't cost me (directly anyway !)

we were all give hand guns as well in case of Bear attack !!! didn't see any though !

Did you do it off turrets or standing on the ground.
A friend of mine did it years ago when he used to write for the shooting times. Said it was fantastic

Anymulewilldo · Jan 21, 2022

Hampton said:
Did you do it off turrets or standing on the ground.
A friend of mine did it years ago when he used to write for the shooting times. Said it was fantastic

The lad I know who went said it was off low high seats, like 6ft up. Said it was brilliant sport until a boar gutted one of the dogs and when the bloke hit it with a stick too get it off the boar set about him. It was that bit that made the Mrs say I wasn’t allowed to go have a crack at it!

David. · Jan 21, 2022

I'm surprised that more people are not killed on boar drives, plenty on YouTube, all swinging through the line, and shooting through trees, with guns dotted about.
Looks a bit too gung ho for me.

Is anyone still buying side by side 12 bores ?

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