CAs every year I was invited to hunt in England by my friend Vittorio Marzotto together with some shooters of the Fiamme Oro, as well as Benedetto Barberini and Claudio Fanfarillo, craftsman and excellent manufacturer of hunting and shooting rifles.
The hunt took place according to the English tradition with small drives on mixed game, mainly pheasants but also partridges, ducks, pigeons and woodcocks.
Of course wind, water and sleet enlivened the three days of hunting in the green Suffolk countryside, but we know that in England this climate is normal and we were well equipped.
Mauro De Filippis and Daniele Di Spigno had sent a good quantity of Fiocchi hunting cartridges to our host, which we gladly tried.
The first day, considering that we were in an area where generally the shots are abundantly over thirty meters, we used the 12 g JK6 with 34 gauge and the classic 32 g Golden Pheasant with 67 mm case length, therefore also suitable for old English rifles, while for the 20 the choice fell on the HP of 30g.
Mauro who shot with the JK6 says “despite the weather conditions are not optimal, the Jk6 proves to live up to its fame, a very soft and fast cartridge at the same time. Pretty tight rosé so I recommend it for shots not too close "while Daniele chose the Golden Pheasant finding them soft and fast, with always clean felling and a mallard, who had the misfortune to pass over them during a drive, really detached from the stars with applause of all the hunters present. Personally I had opted for an old Franchi Condor cal. 20 and I used the HP, certainly very performing cartridges, perhaps more suitable for an over-and-under than a shotgun, but they allowed me some nice shots and of course some inevitable pans, even if I don't think they depend on the cartridges ...
The second day we dedicated the morning to ducks, the company is located along a river and the grounds are particularly humid with the presence of several lakes, some in the woods, others in more open areas, on each one there are some huts, well camouflaged, arranged to be used with different wind directions. This season rich in mallards but with the presence of some gadflies, wigeons and geese. In this case we all used the semiautomatics, Beretta, Franchi and Benelli exclusively with the 32 g lead n. 3, in England, lead is forbidden in hunting for waterfowl. Undoubtedly the steel does not allow exaggerated shots, but within 35 meters they proved to be excellent cartridges, with clean knockdowns even on the mallards that are notoriously tough. In the shots in the water, to finish off the inevitable fallen ducks still alive, it also happens with lead, we appreciated homogeneous shot patterns unlike the old steel cartridges which often showed considerable "holes".
THEon the last day there were four mixed drives, where in addition to the aforementioned cartridges we also tested the dispersants, for the 12 gauge the 34 gram Traditional Dispersanti and felt wad while for the 20 gauge the 28 gram Beccaccia also with felt wad . Then for more strained shots, especially for pigeons, we opted for the powerful HP 37 grams cal. 12 with PLC wad. The dispersants in both calibers immediately proved to be excellent first barrel, especially for those who happened to be in the "narrow" places in the woods, where several woodcocks came out and scrambled through the trees, while the HP 37 grams were deadly even on the tallest pigeons. .
They were three days of hunting with hunters and real sportsmen, with Vittorio's always exceptional hospitality, all in the name of a beautiful hunt, with "real" game, where quality is appreciated more than quantity, even if this last was of all importance. Of course with such a company, considering that Sundays are not hunted in the UK, we ended up confronting ourselves on the platforms of the itinerant route of the High Lodge Leisure of the famous sporting champion, John Bidwell. Our attention was immediately focused on the “Tower”, a pylon from which some targets over 50 meters started, which also put our champions to the test.
In England we have the opportunity to appreciate what return can give a correct private-type hunting management, during our travels by car, everywhere you can see pheasants and partridges as well as the inevitable wood pigeons, this because the game represents an important source of income for the farms and each tries to manage in the best way. Abundant launches in spring, with open-air aviaries, fight against pests, crops to be lost, hedges to protect from winged predators, conservation of the territory, all of which generate jobs and an important economic return for the whole area. Even hunters benefit from it, the game is always abundant and of quality, certainly not free, but among hunters' associations and various organizations, all enthusiasts manage to get their own space. Here the Hunter is seen as an indispensable figure in the rural world, therefore respected and not pointed out as a murderer, as often happens with us.
Perhaps we should begin to take an example from other European countries and begin to value hunting and consider it a resource and no longer as a problem or a patrimony to be taken.
Features Cartridges Flakes Used:
- golden pheasants
Wad: plastic
Case: 12/67
Lead: 32 g
Pellets: n. 6
Speed 390 m / s
Pressure: 680 bar
- JK6 34
Wad: plastic
Case: 12/70
Lead: 34 g
Pellets: n. 5
Speed 400 m / s
Pressure: 650 bar
- Traditional Woodcock 28 Dispersant
Borra: felt
Case: 20/70
Lead: 28 g crushed
Pellets: n. 7
Speed: 405 m / s
Pressure: 920 Bar
- Traditional 34 Felt Wad
Borra: felt
Lead: 34 g
Pellets: n. 6
Speed: 380 m / s
Pressure: 640 Bar
- 20 HP
Wad: plastic
Lead: 30 g
Pellets: n. 5
Speed: 410 m / s
Pressure: 930 Bar
- 37 HP
Wad: plastic
Lead: 37 g
Pellets: n. 5
Speed: 400 m / s
Pressure: 700 Bar
- Steel Shot from 32
Wad: plastic for steel
Shot: 32 g steel
Pellets: n. 3
Speed: 410 m / s
Pressure: 830 Bar
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