Advice on starting hunting

ChrisBarrett7

Hi all, I'm 16 (nearly 17) and I'v been shooting for about a year now mostly rough shooting (crows, magpies etc) and a bit of clays. I really want to get involved in game shooting but I don't know where to start. I won't be able to get my own gun dog as we have too many dogs already and I won't be left. I plan on joining my local club but I really need some advice before I do anything, especially since I'm planning on upgrading my gun (to a Baikal MP153 Semi Auto). Please help, Thanks!

yubabill1

Gun clubs will be having agm's around now, so if you're going to join - get cracking.

Enjoy.

ChrisBarrett7

Thanks for that. How much would membership cost roughly?

deerhunter1

ChrisBarrett7 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm 16 (nearly 17) and I'v been shooting for about a year now mostly rough shooting (crows, magpies etc) and a bit of clays. I really want to get involved in game shooting but I don't know where to start. I won't be able to get my own gun dog as we have too many dogs already and I won't be left. I plan on joining my local club but I really need some advice before I do anything, especially since I'm planning on upgrading my gun (to a Baikal MP153 Semi Auto). Please help, Thanks!

It is normally pointless going hunting/shooting without a dog. Best of luck anyway

ChrisBarrett7

deerhunter1 wrote: »

It is normally pointless going hunting/shooting without a dog. Best of luck anyway

Yeah I thought just as much. I'd say I'll stick to decoying and hopefully go out hunting with a friend or something. Thanks anyway

TicTacDoc

try a gun club also, you might be able to get out with a more experienced chap with a dog and also decide if its for you or not

ChrisBarrett7

TicTacDoc wrote: »

try a gun club also, you might be able to get out with a more experienced chap with a dog and also decide if its for you or not

Yeah that's probably what I'll do. I love shooting anyway so if I can't get game shooting I'll work around it by hunting vermin or clays.

duckman!!

ChrisBarrett7 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm 16 (nearly 17) and I'v been shooting for about a year now mostly rough shooting (crows, magpies etc) and a bit of clays. I really want to get involved in game shooting but I don't know where to start. I won't be able to get my own gun dog as we have too many dogs already and I won't be left. I plan on joining my local club but I really need some advice before I do anything, especially since I'm planning on upgrading my gun (to a Baikal MP153 Semi Auto). Please help, Thanks!

Baikal MP153 Semi Auto

If your going to use this gun just for hunting its a good gun,
but it will cause you nothing but heartache when shooting clays!
It has problems recycling 28g clay rounds.
I had 1 and got rid of it for that reason, and i no a few others who did the same.

but like i said if its used for hunting its a good gun!!!

ChrisBarrett7

duckman!! wrote: »

Baikal MP153 Semi Auto

If your going to use this gun just for hunting its a good gun,
but it will cause you nothing but heartache when shooting clays!
It has problems recycling 28g clay rounds.
I had 1 and got rid of it for that reason, and i no a few others who did the same.

but like i said if its used for hunting its a good gun!!!

Thanks for the advice man. I'll be trying it out on saturday anyway and I'll know then what I make of it

cookimonster

I shoot the MP153 and all though its crude and its technology is dated it does the job. In respect of clay shooting there's two things to note, if the gun is new, it needs to be broken in. If its already been well used then no problems but don't leave it too long between cleaning if your going to use 28g in it. Once its regularly cleaned it will cycle anything.
This is my all round gun but I hunt more now than I shoot clays, but I have shot a lot of clays with this gun.

Would I recommend it to you?, no, not if your going to get into clays.
You will shoot clays with any type of shotgun, but you will shoot them better with a u/o 12g multi choke gun.
If your going to shoot more game than clay get what ever you want. But with a 50/50 mix of clay and game I would still recommend the o/u for more versatility.

ChrisBarrett7

cookimonster wrote: »

I shoot the MP153 and all though its crude and its technology is dated it does the job. In respect of clay shooting there's two things to note, if the gun is new, it needs to be broken in. If its already been well used then no problems but don't leave it too long between cleaning if your going to use 28g in it. Once its regularly cleaned it will cycle anything.
This is my all round gun but I hunt more now than I shoot clays, but I have shot a lot of clays with this gun.

Would I recommend it to you?, no, not if your going to get into clays.
You will shoot clays with any type of shotgun, but you will shoot them better with a u/o 12g multi choke gun.
If your going to shoot more game than clay get what ever you want. But with a 50/50 mix of clay and game I would still recommend the o/u for more versatility.

Thanks for the advice much appreciated. I wouldn't be shooting a huge amount of clays only a small bit, it's more help on game shooting I need though I'd be fairly alright when it comes to the gun side of it. Sound

cookimonster

ChrisBarrett7,

Did you get a go of the MP153, if so how did you get on?