Hi All,

Great news, we have had confirmation from the estate on the dates for the AR stalking weekend, and we have settled on March 28th-30th 2008. The location will be In Baldock as previously discussed and target species will be Fallow and Muntjac, bucks and does.

Cost will be £250 per gun to Include:

· 4 Outings In A High Seat
· Breakfast After Morning Stalks At Shooting Lodge
· Dinner After Evening Stalks At Shooting Lodge
· Some Snacks Through The Day At Shooting Lodge
· Drinks, Including Beer, Wine And Soft Drinks.
· Use Of The 100m Rifle Range
· Trophy Fees for all Does & Spike Bucks.

This will NOT include:

· Hotel Accommodation
· Transfers From Home/Airport To The Lodge And Back
· Rifle Import Permits, (Additional £15)
· Rifle & Ammunition To Be Supplied By Each Individual
· Trophy Fees For Bigger Trophy Bucks.
· Venison To Be Taken Home , (May Be Bought From The Estate)
· Anything Else That Isn’t Included That I Forgot To Add Here!!!


So far I have the following on the List:

Fallow Buck
IanF
Artemis
Nightwalker
Puntgunner
Paulhed
Rarms
MarkH
Gerry Merry
Alex Y
Griff
Jon2
PeteE
ClaretDabbler
Brass Thief
308 Mate
Solvi
Mr Rigby
Arild Iverson
Husqvarna M98
MHO
StuC
Gerry

As mentioned in the previous thread some conditions have been applied by the estate:

· Everyone must shoot a 3†group of 3 shots out of a high seat on the range at 100m.
· Arrival on Friday afternoon at about 12pm-1pm in time for; meet and greet, the shooting test and safety briefing. Departure will be on Sunday mng after breakfast/lunch


Thanks to everyone who has offered help. At the moment the estate has a number of ghillies available, so we’ll keep you posted on anything we need. One thing though is that we probably want to avoid to people arriving early at the lodge as we’ll be setting up in the morning. Feel free to hook up at the hotel though if you arrive earlier in the day.

Regarding the Temporary import permits, I will be sponsoring a group application for all the participants coming from abroad. If you need a permit could you please let me know and we can exchange personal details via PM. I’ll get the Permit sorted and sent out to you in advance.

Accomodation is at the Baldock Hinxworth Travel Lodge. Go to www.travelodge.co.uk/find_a_hotel/hotel/hotel_id/5/BaldockHinxworth to book hotel accomodation.

All payments are required in advance, except for trophy fees on beasts shot, which wneed to be paid in cash to the estate. If you could arrange to pay me, then I can go to Rio… ahem, I mean pay the estate.

Let me know if I missed anything out.

Regards,
FB

OK!

Confirm IanF & Artemis for the NEW weekend dates!

Accommodation booked, and will be bringing own rifles and ammo!

Rgds Ian

Fallow Buck,

Can I confirm the four outings will be Friday and Saturday evenings, Saturday and Sunday mornings? I may need to depart on the Sunday by early afternoon.

I should be able to confirm my availability for the new dates within a day or so.

Regards,
- stu

Stu,

Yes the outings are friday night saturday morning and evening and sunday morning.

Rgds,
FB

FB,

New dates noted and leave booked already...

I've asked Don or Saeed to pin this thread to the top so it can be used to keep track of the arrangements. I'll lock the other thread to ensure no one posts on there in error,

Regards,

Pete

I will have to withdraw my interest I am afraid FB. I am off to SA the next weekend and I dread to think what the other half will say if I tell her I am hunting the above weekend as well!

Have a good one though

It's my birthday that weekend. Excellent.

FB, when do you need the cheque?

Mine too Claret!
you really just have to go when it"s your birthday!
good shooting

excellent, looking forward to it already.

hopefully booking accommodation tomorrow for myself and nightwalker.

when and where do you want the rest of the money FB?

Accommodation booked and ready to roll!!

quote:

Mine too Claret!
you really just have to go when it"s your birthday!

and mine's on the 27th, the day before we arrive!

- stu

The new dates collide with working scedule, but I´m working on it.
Hopefully I´ll be able to make it.

I have made sure to initialize the process of getting an Eu gun pass, could take up to 6 weeks to clear here in Sweden.


Confirming date and interest.

/Christian

Rats, I have a schedule collision with those dates. It is sad, but to be prudent, I'll have to pass.

Pity, I would really have liked to share a beer and spin a yarn with you guys.

- mike

Hi All,

Arild has just mentioned that his flights into Stanstead are late in the evening so he is likely to be coming out on the Thursday night.

I thought if, anyone else that is flying into Stanstead either on the Thurdsay evening or the Friday mng, posts the time their flights arrive we might be able to get a couple of groups together to hire a car for the weekend. This should work out relatively cheap rather than everyone trying to get there on their own.

I think there will be a few arrivals on Thursday evening at the hotel so there could be a few preliminary beers!!

Rgds,
FB

I'm confirming my attendance.

Hi Kiri,

Just dropping you a line to confirm my attendance.

Once again, as i am located just around the corner, I am willing to help out in this mammoth task.

keep me posted .............

I`m trying to sort out the details but when must i say if i can go or not , for booking and paying the trip?

(Trying to get a job now and might be moving here and there first for it )

Just checking dates Guys

Mark

I will be there on friday morning, landing at Stanstead

I shall be joining the Northern Irish party. you known what that means...... us 3 are going to have to get the spades out and dig up are old AK 47s and 3 hole's!!!

....& here was I, thinking you folks moved to Black & Deckers years ago!

Rgds Ian

308, is"nt your plastic 6.5 a Black&Decker?
good shooting

Made room reservations and payment, got a family room.

Plan to arrive on friday around lunch.

/C

It qll sounds good then!!

We still a couple of people to come back (bang in the middle of holiday season I would think) but we're looking like the 20 spaces will be filled.

For any of you that are in the EU looking to import rifles, then as mentioned you will need the EU pirearms pass. My local police office has said that they are happy to accept notarised copies, I will double check this before I start collecting details from everyone to send off the application.


Anyone not in the EU will need a copy of proof that they shoot or membership of a shooting club.

I'll get more details soon when we get the ball rolling

Ian and I will be looking at using theblack and decker guns to nail the little critters down in advance of everyones arrival!! One through the ear should do the trick...

Flight and motel room booked and confirmed.
Will be needing gun permit.
Arriving the 27.

There had better be some good articles come out of this. I am up in Scotland looking down on you lot. really, really pi##ed off that I can't make it. So the next best thing is to read about it. I'm just hoping that our illustrious moderator takes his camera, you never know he could spot a fox!

Have fun you buggers

John

FB, Just confirming that Alex Y has taken care of our rooms.

Look forward to further info, what sort of woods are the seats in, overlooking fields or in woodland rides. Reckon the crack will be good, will be nice putting faces to names...

Nightwalker

We have 14,000 acres to play on - and fifty odd high seats to choose between. Its fair to say you will see every thing from 50acre fields to 30m wide forest rides.

The ground will have been fed for a month prior to our party going out to play, so hopefully there will be plenty deer in evidence.

It is a cull hunt primarily - the FMD issue has not helped us reduce the numbers on the ground. Certainly, if you are in a position to grass a few Fallow from the herd - then your efforts will be appreciated!

Any other info I could help with? Just ask!

Rgds IanF

Ian.

I will most likly bring my 308 Win it´s a sako Varmint, what is the minimun bullet weight and so on?

I am currently getting a 130 grains TSX load together, would it be permissable to hunt with?

Best regards Chris.

quote:

Originally posted by Husqvarna M98:
Ian.

I will most likly bring my 308 Win it´s a sako Varmint, what is the minimun bullet weight and so on?

I am currently getting a 130 grains TSX load together, would it be permissable to hunt with?

Best regards Chris.

That sounds good chris I'll be shooting 130gr TSX hopefully too.

Rgds,
FB

The UK stalker will use anything from 243 85gr to 30-06 165gr (leaving aside us 9.3/375 weirdos! )for this purpose bearing in mind the various terrain and the size differential (muntjac about 9kg max and non trophy fallow about 50kg max)Massive penetration is not required as I would imagine the estate wants saleable carcasses so shots into the vitals by conventional angles are likely sought.

Kiri - a thought - will there be a chance for stalkers to use the range after the obligatory 3 into 3"? I bet the moderated rifles will draw a lot of interest. There are likely to be a lot of different (and quality?) rifles about which would be a unique opportunity for people to look at and try something not normaly available where they come from.

Also there really should be a photo and prize for the best group and a public naming and shaming of the worst (note unfortunately I cannot be present )

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
The UK stalker will use anything from 243 85gr to 30-06 165gr (leaving aside us 9.3/375 weirdos! )for this purpose bearing in mind the various terrain and the size differential (muntjac about 9kg max and non trophy fallow about 50kg max)Massive penetration is not required as I would imagine the estate wants saleable carcasses so shots into the vitals by conventional angles are likely sought.

Kiri - a thought - will there be a chance for stalkers to use the range after the obligatory 3 into 3"? I bet the moderated rifles will draw a lot of interest. There are likely to be a lot of different (and quality?) rifles about which would be a unique opportunity for people to look at and try something not normaly available where they come from.

Also there really should be a photo and prize for the best group and a public naming and shaming of the worst (note unfortunately I cannot be present )

Adam you are spot on!! I visited the local trophy shop last week for a trophy for the best group and a tankard for the worst to drown his sorrows with, (use throughout the weeekend will be compulsory!!), If anybody is wiling to run a book, can I put some money on me getting the tankard pls!!

There should be access to the range all day saturday between stalks.
I'll check with Ian and see what he suggests.

Rgds,
FB

Is it ok to use my 300WM with some light bullets?
I just love my SAKO

Sure thing Solvi - just not too light and fast - the carcasses are being culled for meat, and detonating a Muntjac would not be a good move!

I'm happy with a 150gn in 30 cal - but 165 is very popular as an all round option. If you are going much lighter than this - consider downloading to match velocity with expansion. Majority of shots at Baldock will be 60 -150m.

Rgds Ian

Right, Ian,
Shoot a Reindeer last weekend with 180g Norma Oryx and will be using the same load when I go hunting in Lithuania, with some local friends that I took shooting in the beginning of august, here in Iceland. We went after some seals on islands on the west cost.
After my trip to them, I will start to experiment with some 165g loads for the AR tour in March

Solvi,

the 180's will do the business if you wanted to use them. Of course if you fancy working up a new load this could be a good excuse!!

Could you post a thread about the Reindeer hunt? Do you have any photo's?

Rgds,
FB

Not big, but ok.

FB,how large an expedition would this be from the US?dont know of any flights to Stanstead,most to Gatwick.what is airport nearest to estate in Scotland?thanks.BEST,kim

Hi Kim,

This would probably be a daunting trip to come all the way from the states. I don't think there are any spaces left just yet although I'll be checking this out this week and closing the list, so the reserve list will likely come into play.

However if there is a space available I can probably line up some stalking for you to add a couple more days somewhere if you are interested. You could fly into either Gatwick or Heathrow and hire a car for a few days while you are over.

Scotland is a LONG way away. Oh and they all talk funny up there so stick with flying into the London Airports!!

Best regards,
FB

Hi FB

Thanks for the PM but I will have to withdraw from what will be I'm sure an excellent weekend.I will be skiing across the Handangervidda in Norway the week before.
Lifes a bitch or what.

Mark