Catton Park

[meles meles]

Well oomans, we're just back from our regular visit to a shoot on the Catton Hall Estate. The rifles have been cleaned and returned to the sett armoury, a bath, well laced with Radox, is running and we're sipping a nice glass of Merlot to round off a great day. Pull up a sandbag and we'll tell you about it...


We arrived at 08:30, just as the tea urn bubbled up and so we got the first brew of the day. Carl and the Catton Crew (a nicer bunch of oomans you couldn't hope to meet) were busy emplacing the last few targets and setting up the firing points. At Catton there is an air rifle range, a 50 m zero range and, scattered hither and thither in the valleys and fields, around 40 or 50 photo-realistic targets of foxes, boar, deer and rabbits at a wide variety of ranges from 10 to 250 mards. In an adjoining valley are some longer range targets - steel plates out to 450 mards that make a cracking "DING" when struck. We like those. There are also some potatoes strung on wires and many, many clays (bright orange, thankfully) scattered across the hillsides at 300 and 400 mards. Awesome SPLAT potentrial on the spuds... There is also a woodland walk with 4 firing points and a high seat from which there are some excellent and very challenging shots at deer, fox and boar targets - at ranges from 20 to 80 mards. Very difficult to see some of 'em, let alone hit them.

At 09:30 Carl gave the safety briefing and then we all wandered off to release our canned bangs. We took our 7.5mm K31, 6.5mm Carl Gustav and 7.62 Finnish M28/76 to the top valley and began to clang away at the steel plates in the 400 mard zone. We liked that. We were soon joined by a nice ooman with a Sako in 5.56mm topped with a bit of posh Zeiss glass. We popped a few Jaffa clays at 400m, as casually as we could using our 1905 Carl Gustav, aperture sights and firing standing unsupported (though with one of Sadlers nice leather slings). The ooman was impressed, particularly when he missed with his first 5 shots.

"Something wrong with this sight," he exclaimed.

We offered to swap over and were very impressed with his Zeiss sight. Pin sharp and with a ikkle red dot glowing in the centre. We rested the bipod on a hay bale and took five shots. Five Jaffa clays exploded in sequence.

"Nothing wrong we these sights" we exclaimed, smugger than a smuggler.

The ooman then took up our Charlie G and peered through the aperture.

"Where are the clays ? I can't see any."

"Those tiny orange dots are them," we said. "Just centre them in the aperture and squeeze the trigger.

"But they are tiny. And this thing is waving around all over the place."

No clays died in the ooman's emptying of the Charlie G's magazine.

We have to confess, we did like his Sako and Zeiss. It made clay dusting very easy...

[meles meles]

Part the Second

After clanging the plates and decimating the clays, we dropped the bolts from our rifles and wandered back down the hill to the burger emporium. Secreted discreetly in a corner of the woodlands, this epicurean delight serves some of the finest burgers we have ever tasted. Deeming it to be time for elevenses, we had a wonderful beefburger, avec fromage du Cheddar et champignions, all fresh estate produce. Half the price of McDonald's fare and thrice as good. We very nearly went back for more but managed to resist. Briefly: after all there is such a thing as eleven tenses, just ask a passing 'obbit.

Refuelled, we tried our paw at the woodland walk next, amiably accompanied by a couple o' nice oomans. We took just the Charlie G, 6.5x55 and open sights being excellent for bambi bashing at close range. An hour later the targets were all punctured in the KZ and so we awarded ourselves another burger for lunch. The high seat was a great point: we managed to pop 5 rounds into a 2" circle centred on piggy's heart at 65 mards and didn't fall out when it swayed with the recoil... Did we mention Sadler does a nice sling for the CG ?

After lunch it was time for the potato shy. Ten spuds hung on cords at 175 mards and swinging in the breeze. Or gale if you prefer, the valley funneling the wind into a vortex just where Carl had place the 'taters. Proper tricksy is Carl at times... We resorted to our K31 and a 6x42 Pecar for those rascally spuds but it still took 28 rounds to despatch 'em all. In mitigation though, we were firing standing unsupported, and without even a sling. With a Sako, Zeiss glass, a bipod and a hay bale we might have done better. We liked that Sako combination.

[meles meles]

Part the Third

To round off the day, we toddled back up the 'ill with our M28/76 and decided to finish off the remaining clays at 450 mards. We have a bipod on our M28/76 and so used a convenient hay bale as a rest. An ooman joined us, using a Browning X bolt.

"What's that?" enquired the ooman.

"A Mosin Nagant, at heart, " we replied, "but re-barreled by the Finns at Woodpecker Falls."

"What is the scope on it?" asked the ooman.

"It's a POSP," we replied, "Russia's finest. Calibrated to the 7.62x54R round. Take a peek."

The ooman peeked.

"That's weird," he said. "What are all those chevrons. And the curvy lines ?"

We explained how the curvy lines acted as a rangefinder, and the chevrons offered 5 aiming points at 100 mards range extensions.

"Hmmm", he said, "but how does it shoot ?"

We clanged the 450 mard fox plate with 5 consecutive shots (secretly impressing even ourself, and wishing Blighty was there to see it.)

"Like so...."

"Ooooh !" said the ooman.

:)

[Demonic69]

Sounds like a great day stripey!

[Kungfugerbil]

Well. That all sounds bloomin marvellous. You had me at burgers but sounds like a cracking variety of targets with a bit of strolling mixed in. Fab :)

[Kungfugerbil]

Crikey, just noticed the hall is about a five minute drive from my old man's house. Well well. Was the day a badger fanciers exclusive or a public day?

[meles meles]

Most Catton rifle shoots are open events: just check out their website for dates and ring Carl in advance to book a place. They like to restrict numbers for safety, so that queues don't form at firing points and the supply of epicurean comestibles matches demand. The latter issue though does sometimes arise: the food is so good that people have been known to be a tad greedy at times. Venison burgers, for example, rarely last beyond lunchtime.

Quite a few people turn up and don't actually shoot: they just wander around savouring the atmosphere, chatting to the shooters and partaking of a nibble or two. It's a very relaxed place, and well worth the money.