That's what you get for using automatic weapons
You can guarantee it was a semi-auto shotgun. They'll have been out with 7-shot guns that are (in the minds of those with limited intelligence) too much of a pain to unload when crossing a fence.
There isn't a reputable shoot in the UK that will allow a semi-auto out (with occasional exceptions for old but trusted shots who can't handle the recoil of a regular gun). You can't see for certain whether someone else's gun is unloaded unless they've got a breech flag in it (which is a pain), and unloading can involve emptying the three cartridges from it. In the UK we quite rightly understand that pheasants are one of nature's less dangerous beasties, and therefore two shots should be more than enough.
Sounds like his dogs are probably more trustworthy with guns than he is.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
