Another John the Scottish 'keeper story that sticks in the mind no matter how much I try to forget ....
We were on a driven shoot in Dumfries on the Stairs estate, and I was shooting with a single trigger Rizzini O/U (sorry purists) as flank Gun. Three quarter choke and full using Eley nickel plated trap cartridges. A hen bird slipped out to the side about thirty plus yards off and I shot at it ..... with both barrels, the bloody thing double discharged. It's fair to say the hen was hard hit.
John walked over with it and held it up shaking it so everyone could see there wasn't an unbroken bone in it's body; I swear it rattled. "Eugene, Ahm nae sure, but this burrd appears tae be ******* deid!" Oh the shame of it.
Anyway after that I just loaded the one barrel and things went reasonably well until the last drive which was a down the length of a steep wooded hillside. Virtually all the birds come down the line of the Guns so it was a bit of a killing drive and not exactly my idea of fun, so I (hero) decided to be really selective and only go for the truly high stuff.
Well pride cometh before a fall. A cock bird, a real skyscraper came down the line (I was again the outside or last Gun) and nearly everyone had a pop and missed. He was going like a train, dropping down the hill with wings set, and a bit of a curl on him, a stonker.
"Come on my beauty, come on." A classic gun mount, faultless footwork, perfect timing on the trigger and CLICK. I'd loaded the wrong barrel.
I knew what was coming and it did; "Eugene, everybody made a bollix of that cock, but nae one made a bigger bollix than you just did. We'll see ye in the pub and your buyin'!"
Some days go better than others.
Eug
Last edited by eugene molloy; 07/16/16 02:47 AM.
