My Guns

I wanted to give a small overview of the guns I use and what I use them for. At the minute I hold 3 guns. A semi Automatic shotgun, Over and Under shotgun and a Under lever Air Rifle.

Hatsan Escort 12g

The first thing i can say about my Escort is wow. I brought this gun for around £250 and it was 3 years old. Ive had it for nearly a year and never looked back. In terms of value for money its amazing. It has never let me down, easy to clean and maintain and isn't cartridge fussy which can be a problem for most semi auto shotguns. I wanted to find a semi auto that I could just take and the field and get knocked, bumped and occasionally dropped and still function fine.

I did look at getting a Berretta A300 which was priced at £850 but I'm so happy with the decision i made. A lot of people would turn there nose up at the Hatsan because it not as a sought after gun. But Hatsan have done a great job with unbelievable value for money. The gun comes with 5 chokes and choke key which are all the standard sizes.

To conclude the gun has great value for money and perfect for those rough shooting days out where reliability is essential. And just proves that cheap doesn't have to be nasty. Also new, the gun comes with a 3 years manufactures guarantee. 


Midland Gun Co Model 502

This gun was given to me by a friend and was my first Over and Under. To be fair its a nice looking gun and I'm not sure the age of it. Its Italian made and very well built. I'm looking to swapping her soon for a Browning 725 or 525. I mainly use it for clay pigeon shooting and occasionally take it pheasant shooting. 

All round not a bad gun but I am looking to upgrade it.

Air Airms Tx200

I used to be really into my Air Rifles I've had springers, pcps and co2's you name it I've fired it or owned it. The only one I've kept over the years is my Air Arms, its reliable and never skips a beat. It has a lovely stock and really pacts a punch. I mainly used it for rabbits which I never had a problem with from 35 yards. Its an under lever which is great in a air rifle because the barrel is parminatly fixed unlike a break barrel. Combined with a 3-9 x 40 Golden Antler scope it hold its zero very well. I brought the gun for £200 which in it condition i think was a very good deal. Brand new i think they are around £400.

  Overall would highly recommend this beauty of a springer, you don't have to worry about dive bottles or pumps you just go out and shoot. I recommend H&N Field Target Trophy pellets for best results.

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Coming soon 'Hatsan Escort' review

I am going to be doing a review of the Turkish made Hatsan Escort. Ive had this gun for over a year and online there some real mixed reviews. So I'm going to do my own and I'm really excited!

Coming soon

Pheasant season is here...at last

Well as you all know the pheasant season is well underway, and I've got quite a few shoots lined up. At the minute the weather here in the UK for this time of year as been extremely mild. This Saturday when i went pigeon shooting it was 17C, and for November thats unheard of.

Im sure you will all agree there nothings better then a cold Saturday morning with your 12 bore resting in your arm ready for the days shoot. This is the first year I've been invited on a shoot which is in a small village call East Harling. Due to other commitments I've able to attend the first few but i am going to do my first soon.

For the shoot I'm going to take my Midlands Gun Co over and under which is a golden oldie that i love to shoot with that was given to me by a friend who is now working abroad. So watch this space and i will fill you in on how i go.

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Talk Cartridges

Shotgun cartridges have so many different varieties there are different lengths, loads, calibers,  shot and wad. I don't want to bore you by going in depth of what all of these mean but i will briefly go over them to give you an idea.

• Length -The cartridge length refers to the case length when fired. This will either be measured in millimetres or inches. This is dependent on your shotgun chamber size to find this out research the manufacturer online or visit your local gunsmith and I'm sure they can help.

• Load or Payload -This will depend on the quarry, range and chamber length of your gun. For most game shooting with a 12 gauge gun, 28g, 30g and 32g would be the most common payloads. For high birds 34g would be ideal. You must remember that the use of large payloads, particularly in smaller calibers, poses some problems, especially recoil, and can cause damage to your gun.

• Calibre - The most common size is 12 gauge, with up to 50% of the overall shotgun market in the UK. The 20 gauge shotgun is favoured by shooters uncomfortable with the weight and recoil of a 12 gauge gun. The next most popular sizes are 28 gauge and .410. Each gun can have a different purpose for example 12 gauge for pheasant and .410 for rats.

• Shot - The size of the pellet/shot in the round. It means the diameter of the pellets is approx.

• Wad – This is simple there are two types, plastic or fibre. In terms of money the plastic are (a bit) cheaper, but fibre are better for the environment and farm livestock. In terms of performance I personally can’t tell any difference and I shoot with both.

GAMEBORE 'Clear Pigeon'