doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com First Grouse hunt in Scotland (long w/pics)

Joe,
I'm curious..did you use your Turner exclusively or did you also have the Chas. Lancaster with you?

And Toby....some pics of your Blanch would be nice ;-)

Dustin

Proof again that we are two countries separated by a common language.

Joe, you did it up right combining grouse guns, quail guns and Damascus. Sounds like a great, economical (shells) trip.

LeFusil,

I used the Turner exclusively. It is proofed for 850 bar 2 1/2 shells. We shot off the shelf 12s.
The Lancaster stayed at home. I looked at a pair of F. Williams BLEs. Sadly, one gun had 14 thou in one barrel, so I passed on them.
We did stop by Holt's office on the Sandringham Estate and looked at the guns for the Sept auction. It was tough to pull me out of that room. Out of a wall of SxS, I picked the nicest engraved gun I saw. It was a Boss SLE. I can pick-um. I just can't afford them (yet).

Joe
Joe

Joe,

THank you for taking the time to post the story and photos. What a lovely time!

Joe,

Who would one contact to try and schedule a shoot? Without being to bold, what is the rough daily cost?

I spent 2 day rough shooting at CraigAdam estate several years ago and would love to go back again.

Thanks

Jerry

Dustin,
Here are some pix of the Blanch. I should point out that this is my 'Falling in ditches gun'! ie. not a gun of great condition nor beauty but it serves the purpose for rough shooting, long walks and beater's days very well.
The gun dates from around 1890 but it is very difficult to pin down with Blanch guns as their records were lost in the 1940's.
It has been restocked at some distant time with a rather plain piece of wood but that is no bad thing for a day to day gun. Barrels are original length but are TIG sleeved steel to damascus, 2 3/4" chambers and 0.010" & 0.020" chokes with long forcing cones. Weighs about 6 1/2lb. Serial no. 5702.





The view shows a fairly common quirk of the Blanch back actions from around this time. Both Perkes and Deeley's patents for ejectors are shown on the action flats which may reflect the fact that they were locked in a legal duel over the ejector patent used in this gun at the time of its manufacture!

This is the classic forend catch used by Blanch extensively from the mid 1880's and to around 1915. Often assumed to be a Blanch patent, the 'J Blanch & Son's Improved Snap Bolt' is actually only a re-shaped Scott forend patent no. 615 of 1876, reflecting the origin of most of these guns.

Here is another Scott patent, the Gas Check. It comes in a 1, 2 or even a very rare 3 groove form and usually caries the patent 'Use No'.

Jerry,
Cost was �130 plus tip for the dog handler and I felt he had really earned it.
The grouse were charged at �130 for the first 1 1/2 brace, �95 per brace thereafter, no bag limit but the 'industry standard' seems to be a maximum of about 10 brace on a perfect day with really good dogs and average or better guns.
It is blindingly expensive and I am not sure I would do it again. I really am not a 'lead enema' type shooter, I am not fast enough, nor proficient enough, to take the birds at a range that means a kill or miss and the tendency must be to prick a lot of birds if taken at range. I had anticipated a range of different shots other than pure driven, dictated by the wind and contours but was only presented with straight going away birds which was a disappointment.
Furthermore, I would have loved to have been able to take my lab to pick up with however this was gently discouraged as the GWP's that were is use would handle everything. Furthermore, my dog is by no means totally steady and to have had him bumping the coveys would have made the day tricky.
Having been there, I can see that keeping one's mutt on a lead over very difficult terrain would have been the final straw on a wonderful but exhausting day!
if you are seriously interested I can put you in touch with the truly wonderful dog handler, Roy, or the lady dog handler who organised it all for me. Both work at the highest level and come highly recommended. Send me a PM.

Toby,
Thanks for the info. I am interested for maybe 2012 or 2013. Going to Africa in May 2012 so that will shoot my wad for a bit. I have been to Craigadam Estate for rough shooting about 5-years back. My wife and I toured Ireland and Scotland and had a wonderful time. We really enjoyed Scotland and want to go back and see some of things we missed because we tried to do to much.

The idea of a grouse hunt is something that you want to do for the experience, not for the bag. When combine a shooting experience with a nice vacation (or holiday as they say in your country) it doesn't seem so expensive.

Jerry

These are the posts that I like, Joe. What else did you find to do when not walking those little hills? Eat anything you'd like to mention? I'll be over later in November. Regards, Christine

Hi Christine,

The holiday was a zig-zag across the UK and Scotland. We mixed up hunting with sight seeing. (I got my 1st senior discount!!)
Our first big stop was Sandringham Castle in Norfolk for a tour.

The next day found us in North Yorkshire touring Fountains Abbey.
The Abbey.
.
The monks storage spaces.

Then we headed west to the town of Ravenglass in the Lake district to try the 15" mini-steam train.

Our next stop was the Ayershire region of Scotland for a try at Roe Buck stalking with a moderated .243 rifle.
me

Toby with his Ruger #1


We toured Culzean Castle between Roe stalks.


We rented an old Scotish farm house outside of Tomintoul as base camp for Red Stags and Grouse.


After Grouse shooting, we toured the Forbes castle, 7 floors and dungeon.


We tried many new dishes, but left haggis for another trip.

Joe