Town & Country Diary - updated by country people

4^th SEPTEMBER 2009

For rifle shooters there are a few new things out

G.M.K. have just started selling the new targets from champion they self seal the holes made from the bullet strikes shortly after you have shot them. (CLEVER STUFF)

We should have them on the shelves next week.  Take a look at the products in action on this video of Duraseal Target.

Norma have just released a NEW .243 round it’s a 75 grain V-MAX @ £23.99 A BOX

I wonder what that will do to the food chain??

On the game shooting side we have got the new beretta tweed in it is different to traditional tweed in its colour and it is also very light weight ideal for those of you shooters that don’t feel the cold.

It’s been a while since I have had chance to update this, no really, I have been really busy. Since the credit crunch it has been even harder to extract your hard earned money. In reality it appears that most people will still find some money to do what they really love doing thank fully. Shooters have always complained about the price of ammunition, all I can say is if we relied on the profit that we make on it, we would have a problem paying the electric bill each year. Rifle shooters are the worst, the way I see it is that I put through my rifles whatever I have found to group the best and if that means that it costs me 20p more each shot then so be it .

Today we received HUSHPOWERS new 20 gauge over and under. First impressions are good all we need to know is what it sounds like. It was only in the rack for 4 ½ hours, not to long by any ones standards.

I was invited out with NATHAN the other night (EDDS brother who is EVERGREEN RABBIT CONTROL.) It was a bit still so weather conditions could have been better but that's life. We shot 43 which to Nathan is nothing but I enjoyed myself. He uses a MOSSBERG pump action that has been moderated by HUSHPOWER , the 410 is a really under estimated calibre, in his hands anything within 35 yards is as good as dead.

On the stalking front it was very helpful to have MARCH, some people did not take advantage of it which is fine if you have culled by the end of FEBRUARY but there are many stalkers who have to work around a pheasant shoot.

We have had quite a few rifle shooters coming in with problems with moderators, accuracy being lost is the main one. When asked if the rifle shoots better without the moderator there answer is usually I DONT KNOW I CANT GET IT OFF. A word of advice, takes it off every time you get home from shooting. It will save you loads of agro and £££ in the long run.

ELEY have increased their range of 21 gram cartridges if your local gun shop doesn’t stock them ask them to they break clays as well as anything and save you pounds. That can go a long way with her in doors who thinks she should be obeyed.GAMEBORE are also catering for those of us watching our pennies the VELOCITY range is selling well in both fibre and plastic wadded cartridges.

HAND MADE FOX NETS these fox nets are hand made for us they are approx 6ft long with a mesh size of approx 3 inches (I don’t do metric said the chap who knits them) they have cotton draw cords and hemp is used to make the nets . We usually take ½ a dozen (that's 6 in metric) with us at least as we cover any hole within 20 yards of an earth as you will be surprised where Charlie can find a way out. Once last year we were walking through a wood I found a hole two of the blokes said "DONT BE STUPID THAT IS A RABBIT HOLE" I said stick your nose down the hole and then tell me it is a rabbit hole with that the terrier started barking next thing it was down there baying we got a 38lb dog fox out. These nets are £14.99 each purchase 3 or more p&p is free (TERRIER NOT INCLUDED)

05.08.08

AUGUST THE TWELFTH “A GLORIOUS DAY”

August 12 is the start of the grouse shooting season. Many shooters will be travelling to the moors of Scotland and northern England from all over the world. The season lasts from August 12 to December 10 on mainland Great Britain and from August 12 to November 30 in Northern Ireland..

This is a traditional sport which is mainly in the form of formal shooting from butts and started in the mid 1800s, but which is seeing resurgence in popularity, driven grouse shooting is the only commercially viable means of running a grouse moor as grouse are wild and can not be artificially reared

Red grouse are only found in the British Isles feeding on young heather, being a short-lived species, with two out of three dying within one year of hatching.

Click here to view the BASC Picking-up Code of Practice

01.07.08

WELL WHATS HAPPENING?

Down in this neck of the woods we have had some pretty bad weather, but for those of us that have a corvid population that needs controlling the laid barley has been giving us some good opportunities. It has also given us the chance to get a few woodpigeon which is always a bonus.

I have just purchased a FOXPRO FX3 which proved very productive, at first I thought it was a bit pricey but after using it a few times I have changed my mind because it is so effective, but I will be getting a re-charging battery pack for it as it seems to eat batteries after a few outings.

Once the crops start to be harvested it will be in use nearly every night as all my friends want to try it out. The last time I had so many invitations to go fox shooting was when I bought a new rifle …bonus

Good news for the shooters of any HORNADY products EDGAR BROTHERS are now importing, we have been told to expect delivery around mid JULY.

Clay shooting seems to be slowly picking up, and so it should after all it is SUMMER TIME.

GAMEBORE have just released their 12gauge SUPER XLR 21gram FIBRE Cartridge (only available in LEAD SHOT SIZE 8 ) @ £133.00 Per Thousand .For those of you who are wondering whether they are up to breaking clays , I would say how much lead do you need in your pencil ?

Recipe of the Month

STUFFED BRAISED PIGEON

Ingredients

2 Large pigeons (plucked and ready for oven)

50gm cooked ham

50gm butter

50 gm fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg yolk

1 good handful of grated cheese

Chopped parsley

Streaky bacon

1 bay leaf

1 Large glass of good fine white wine

Chicken stock

Mince the livers and ham. Heat half the butter in a frying pan and cook the mixture until brown and remove from the heat.

Add the breadcrumbs, egg yolk, cheese, parsley and season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Stuff the pigeon with the stuffing and truss.Brown all sides of the pigeons in the rest of the butter.

Place in a casserole dish and put the bacon on the pigeons, put bay leaf in dish and add enough stock to cover bottom. Cover and cook for 1 hour until they are tender adding more stock if necessary.

NOW TAKE THAT GLASS OF WINE AND DRINK

Best served with new potatoes and a red wine sauce