If you're considering investing in a new gun or changing cartridges, here's what the Guns of the Shooting Times 1st 11 wouldn't be without
Stuart Clarke
Gun: 32in Zoli Z Sport choked three-quarter and three- quarter
Cartridge: NSI Sipe No. 5s
Says: “I love the NSI Sipe 5s; they are hard hitting and great value.”
George Digweed
Gun: Perazzi MX 2000 choked full and full
Cartridge: 34g Gamebore pigeon extreme No. 5s
Says: “I had extensive involvement in the design of the cartridges. The reason I use full-choke is that you need to get as many pellets as possible into the vital areas and this combination works perfectly.”
Credit: Lucinda Marland
Philip Fussell
Gun:Browning A1 with 30in barrels choked full
Cartridge: No. 71⁄2s
Says: “71⁄2s kill well out to 50 yards and that’s far enough.”
Will Garfit
Gun: Kemen 12-bore, 32in barrels choked three-quarter and three-quarter
Cartridge: Gamebore Velocity, 28g No. 71⁄2s
Tom Payne
Gun: Perazzi MX12 12-bore, 32in barrels choked five-eighths and five-eighths
Cartridge: Hull Extreme Game 32g No. 5s
Alan Wood
Gun: Beretta three-shot auto with a Hushpower moderator
Cartridge: Hull Super Fast Pigeon 29g No 71⁄2
Says: “When pigeon are really decoying, Hull does a 27gm 71⁄2 superfast, which is easy on the recoil and kills well”
Credit: Keith Sykes
Simon Ward
Gun: Perazzi MX2000S 12-bore, 30in barrels choked five- eighths and five-eighths
Cartridge: Gamebore Black Gold, 30g No. 6s (fibre wad)
Says: “I find that the BG 30g No 6s pattern perfectly through the 30in barrels with five-eighth chokes for pigeon over the decoys where most shots are taken between 20 yards and 45 yards.”
Credit: R Faulks
Rob Swift
Gun: Purdey side-by-side 30in barrels choked half and three-quarter
Cartridge: Hull Imperial Game 28g No. 5s
Rupert Godfrey
Gun: Two Miroku 28-bores, both with 30in barrels, one choked improved cylinder, and one three-quarter
Cartridge: Lyalvale Express 28g No. 5s with a plastic wad
Says: “If the birds are decoying well, I use the lightly choked gun; if they’re skirting around the pattern, I use three-quarters. I can’t find a 28-bore fibre wad cartridge that comes close to matching the performance of the Express.”