Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Edinburgh Rifles managed to find me a left handed Franchi Affinity - a plastic fantastic steel shot proofed shotgun for use in the mud. I have struggled for the last few season to hit anything with an AyA no3 Magnum - just didn't fit. My other guns are too nice for wildfowling and. An use v expensive Bismuth.
I picked it up and Lunchtime. By 2pm had cleared my desk, and the noble hound was still sulking. I didn't take her on Monday when I went out with a gun. She hasn't looked at me since.
So off to the marsh we went. First impressions of the Affinity - very light and pointy. Had a pocket full of 3" steel shot cartridges and a few v light 24gm loads. Tried these first on a few snipe that jumped up on the grassland on the way down. Cycles these light loads beautifully and no more recoil than a 410. Snipe got away though.
Onto the marsh proper. Hound quartering too and fro looking for more snipe put up a couple. Look of disgust as I didn't even fire. We settle down at the edge of the saltings by a washed up tree and wait for sunset and the top of the tide. Plenty of widgeon flighting. Had a crack ata couple but a bit on the long side.
Dog quivers and gets excited. A flight comes towards us. Down - we freeze until they are in range and jump up - they swing off to the right - about half a dozen - swing through and two shots and one falls into the incoming tide couple of hundred yards out. Nandi heads straight for it - first 150 just bounds through the water, last 50 swims. It's her first proper long retrieve. Plenty of other duck in range but hold off. She has the duck and brings it back in straight to me. What a dog. She is exctatic, tail going always. Go on she says - do it again.
A few flights come past - miss. Then a single one, first shot sends it verticle, second drops it. Down 100 yards way across a gutter. She is straight after it. And back she comes. We have a few more shots and then put one more widgeon in the bag as it's dark. Hound happily asleep and dreaming on the way home.
So a good day all round. Nice way to christen a new gun - very happy with it. Points well and even with heavy cartridges, no recoil to speak of. And all that training over the summer seems to have paid dividends. She can find deer and pick up ducks!
I picked it up and Lunchtime. By 2pm had cleared my desk, and the noble hound was still sulking. I didn't take her on Monday when I went out with a gun. She hasn't looked at me since.
So off to the marsh we went. First impressions of the Affinity - very light and pointy. Had a pocket full of 3" steel shot cartridges and a few v light 24gm loads. Tried these first on a few snipe that jumped up on the grassland on the way down. Cycles these light loads beautifully and no more recoil than a 410. Snipe got away though.
Onto the marsh proper. Hound quartering too and fro looking for more snipe put up a couple. Look of disgust as I didn't even fire. We settle down at the edge of the saltings by a washed up tree and wait for sunset and the top of the tide. Plenty of widgeon flighting. Had a crack ata couple but a bit on the long side.
Dog quivers and gets excited. A flight comes towards us. Down - we freeze until they are in range and jump up - they swing off to the right - about half a dozen - swing through and two shots and one falls into the incoming tide couple of hundred yards out. Nandi heads straight for it - first 150 just bounds through the water, last 50 swims. It's her first proper long retrieve. Plenty of other duck in range but hold off. She has the duck and brings it back in straight to me. What a dog. She is exctatic, tail going always. Go on she says - do it again.
A few flights come past - miss. Then a single one, first shot sends it verticle, second drops it. Down 100 yards way across a gutter. She is straight after it. And back she comes. We have a few more shots and then put one more widgeon in the bag as it's dark. Hound happily asleep and dreaming on the way home.
So a good day all round. Nice way to christen a new gun - very happy with it. Points well and even with heavy cartridges, no recoil to speak of. And all that training over the summer seems to have paid dividends. She can find deer and pick up ducks!
