Double gunning day....

[Britsmoothy]

...on the crows again.
I knew it was going to be busy on this maize stubble, the farmer was texting me how the whole field was covered in them!
I built the blind in the dark the evening before and returned just as first light was arising. I put the deeks out in the dark got in the blind and loaded the charged Pedersoli 70's made sxs.
I also had a breech loader with me anticipating it being busy!
The Pedersoli did some amazing shots and some silly misses but that's OK. I was shooting #5&#4 shot out of it at around 1&1/8oz loads.
The shooting for the first 2 hours was frantic. I had to for go loading the muzzleloader half way through the sequence and grab the unmentionable. A strict concentration was needed to resume loading in a lull of activity.
I think I only got it wrong once with discharging a blank . Loading cost me many birds really but hey, nothing beats a muzzleloader for grins
I started shooting just after 7, it steadied off around 9, the birds slowed down to a stop between 9 and 11am so I packed up.

95 birds down and a squirrel.

I do like to see a filthy muzzleloader .

All the gear was away and gun cleaned just gone 12pm.

 

[smo]

You are the Man!

Congrats on another fine hunt and well told …

 

[andy52]

Honestly, we have crows here but lordly never in that kind of numbers. Did you take them on the wing or were some on the ground.

 

[sawyer04]

Dag gum Brits, you must have looked like Yosemite Sam in that gun battle.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Honestly, we have crows here but lordly never in that kind of numbers. Did you take them on the wing or were some on the ground.

All wing shot except for the very first bird, it swooped into the decoys, looked at them puzzled but I could not shoot it (I had stood up at this point) due to shooting up my decoys....some more, then it hopped away from the decoys and the Pedersoli boomed and that was that. Never saw me but then again, I do cover my face.

 

[deermanok]

Looks like you done good.

 

[Winchester97]

Darn, that is absolutely awesome! Great job.

 

[bushytail]

That’s a LOT of crows! Nice shooting!

 

[.36Rooster]

You are the Man!

Heck yes he is! Set up his blind the night before in the dark, and then came back out next morning before sunrise and put up his decoys in the dark too! I just cannot imagine so many crows.

 

[William Lincoln]

And Crows are smarter than parrots--very foxy birds. Must have had great blind.

 

[Bigpete]

Hooly dooly thats a lot of crows ! Have you ever tried eating them ? They're actually not bad. Out of interest,you're breech loader has hammers too,which I find VERY interesting,what make is it ?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Hooly dooly thats a lot of crows ! Have you ever tried eating them ? They're actually not bad. Out of interest,you're breech loader has hammers too,which I find VERY interesting,what make is it ?

By rights Pete I can't tell you it's a Russian Tula toz66 12g NE here so I won't
And, no way am I eating crows, I've seen what they peck in!!!

 

[Bigpete]

By rights Pete I can't tell you it's a Russian Tula toz66 12g NE here so I won't
And, no way am I eating crows, I've seen what they peck in!!!

Very nice. I'm not allowed to tell you I have and use a hollis and sons circa 1920s that's in similar configuration.
I kinda get it about the crows,but I also think,well,pigs eat whatever rubbish they can,no one bats an eye,crayfish and crabs eat rubbish too,people pay good money for them,heck,even chickens eat rotting flesh given the chance and its a rare person who knocks back a roast chook,so why not try crow ? I can honestly say,the ones I've eaten I rate as being a lot tastier than pigeon.

 

[jdw276]

All wing shot except for the very first bird, it swooped into the decoys, looked at them puzzled but I could not shoot it (I had stood up at this point) due to shooting up my decoys....some more, then it hopped away from the decoys and the Pedersoli boomed and that was that. Never saw me but then again, I do cover my face.

Went through a few pounds of powder and shot with nary a miss! Ha.....10 pounds of shot and same for powder? Lot to carry in for a shoot but obviously well worth the fun you had.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Very nice. I'm not allowed to tell you I have and use a hollis and sons circa 1920s that's in similar configuration.
I kinda get it about the crows,but I also think,well,pigs eat whatever rubbish they can,no one bats an eye,crayfish and crabs eat rubbish too,people pay good money for them,heck,even chickens eat rotting flesh given the chance and its a rare person who knocks back a roast chook,so why not try crow ? I can honestly say,the ones I've eaten I rate as being a lot tastier than pigeon.

Good points, maybe one day I will pluck up courage, lol, see what I did there

 

[Britsmoothy]

Went through a few pounds of powder and shot with nary a miss! Ha.....10 pounds of shot and same for powder? Lot to carry in for a shoot but obviously well worth the fun you had.

No sir. I took about 40 philes of shot @1&1/8oz.
40x1.125=50÷16=3.125lbs. Just used a normal size flask of powder. Still some left. I use very fine powder so I use less volume to shot.
The other birds were shot with a breech loader.

 

[3Setters]

Thats a lot of crows, shooting, and reloading in a few hours time

 

[jdw276]

Thats a lot of crows, shooting, and reloading in a few hours time

And a lot of fun i bet. I forgot about that other gun used to take down a couple of em.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thats a lot of crows, shooting, and reloading in a few hours time

It was very frantic, I lost many opportunities whilst loading the muzzleloader. A quick look around and the sky would be clear but just as I am powdering the barrels a crow would come barrelling in from nowhere! I often had to abandon it and reach for the breechloader but every sequence of loading the muzzleloader I would mutter is condition to myself to remember what phase it is in should I be disturbed and have to grab the breechloader.
I needed a trusted assistant to load two muzzleloaders alas though I have none.

 

[3Setters]

Hah, my dogs stare at me like I'm a fool when I make them stand while I reload. Being new at it, it doesnt go very fast yet.