Riothedog

Whatever hits the target will do. Instead of absolute power and peneratrative ability, go for the one that hits the target consistantly. That way,if you want ot do a head shot on a squirrel then that is what you will do. Accuracy equals consistancy and viccy verky. RTD

Bindi You can marry my daughter. If you like. However, it's going to cost you and she is only 8. Perhaps we could get her phased in by 2018? Regards RTD

Dear cranfield et al There was a load of information in the first post - people made a load of stuff up! "He said this so he must have one of those" is a dangerous game to play. Better to proffer your advice on the information given. This isn't having a go - I'm just defending myself. If you read the original post, my question was... I've never tuned one of these before so I'm a-hoping that some of you guys will know how to do it. You can start right from the beginning, treat me like an idiot and take it from there. And if anyone can recommend a good pellet as well - i've got Accupels, Wasp and Bisley Magnum's in the house. So far I've had loads of advice about not shooting things in trees, FAC's and nothing about pellet selection. Can I take this opportunity to thank the one user who mailed me and blackthorn, rogo and henryd amongst others for the advice so far. From what I can tell, it's fit a very greasy new spring. Get the spring from either Steve Pope, TR Robb or John Knibbs. Is that OK with you guys?

Coo! What have I started? Some of you don't read and some of you do, by the looks of it. To clear a few things up. My garden streaches over 10 acres. I am surrounded by farmland and woodland. It is very quiet. Apart from those Fu*$£*ng squirrels! I'm feeding the birds - from finches to pheasants - and the squirrels are getting fat. The HW80 I collect today is very slack. I was looking at putting in a new spring and seals to cheer it up and as I had been to a norther town recently ( mention no names ) I made the effort and walked into a famous gunshop. Their advice was to fit an Oxspring and new seals. Now remember that I have been away from springers and air-rifles in general for years - about 20 - as when you get into fullbore and ranges and deer and culling rabbits on the golf course, the airrifle issue doesnt arise. My Falcon is used on the golf course for places where I can't use a shotgun. So yes, what I want is a gun that I can leave out when I am in the house (Of course it will be locked away when I am out) and use it for vermin control in the 'garden'. think like a back yard, multiply the size of it by a thousand and then plonk it in the middle of no-where. As for shooting upwards into the trees, what an assumption. My drive is a 10 in 1 hill and I live at the top so don't worry, this is all going to be as Kosher as Christmas cake. If you hang a birdfeeder from a low branch, you get a sitting target. They feed in pairs round here - we get black squirrels too! What I am after is advice on proven methods to tune up a gun so that it shoots like a tack driver (probably the only American term that I'll ever use) and has power when it get's there. Better now? Thanks for all your help so far. FT

Before you all start, I've already got a Falcon PCP but it's on my FAC. Thing is, as I sit here I can look out into my garden (which is large) and I can see the squirrels eating my nuts. So I've got to go and get my keys from their 'hiding place' - like the wife doesn't know - and go to my gun box. Get out my FAC Falcon and find the pellets. Walk to the back door, point the muzzle out of the door and load up. Now what was I shooting? Oh yes, that squirrel that is now jumping through the branches in the general direction of 'away'. When I do catch one it's head shots at 40 yards which is cool. So, my brother-in-law has got a HW80 and I am picking it up tomorrow. I know that he's had it for years and I know that it is an old gun so I reckon that getting an oxspring (no 5, I believe) a breech seal and a new piston seal will do the trick. A bit of slippy grease for the spring and away I go. From what I can see, Moly grease is the same as Rockoil's Shockguard which is a waterproof molybdenum(?) grease. But... I've never tuned one of these before so I'm a-hoping that some of you guys will know how to do it. You can start right from the beginning, treat me like an idiot and take it from there. And if anyone can recommend a good pellet as well - i've got Accupels, Wasp and Bisley Magnum's in the house. Answers as usual please!

Have a look at http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...7172349309&rd=1 Cheers all RTD

If you go to the start of this post, IR stands for Illuminated Reticule and not Infra Red. Just to clear up the mix up... RTD

Boresnake. Consistancy equals accuracy and viccy verky ~ once ever 10 rounds or so. RTD

Standard wooden stock for a ruger 10-22. I got the Ruger, swapped for a different stock, had no use for it and sold the lot. Still got the original stock though. £10 to them that want it, plus a fiver for postage unless you are local and want to pick it up from North Hertfordshire. The stock is in A1 condition and it comes with the lock and keys which you get with the gun. No use for them either! HTML links to the stock to follow. RTD

It just might be the way that you are holding it. When we realise that a gun is going to 'kick' our reaction is to hold ourselves away from the gun and then flinch when we pull the trigger. This includes closing our eyes and pushing the gun away from the body. Result? A gun which has no immediate resistance so it jumps back and hits the shoulder with great force. Ouch! We do this with shotguns when a 'mate' loads a 36g cartridge for a joke when we are learning and when we take on too big a calibre with rifles. I borrowed a Browning once which was too short and that left me bruised on my biceps so I know that it could be both. I also had a mossberg pump which used to give me nose bleeds until I worked out how to shoot with it. Anyway, ...When going on target, mount the gun into the shoulder and push the end of the barrles to the target by using your shoulder. Lean into the shot... Push your shoulder to the the target... Squeeeeeeezzzzzzzzeeee the pistol grip, head down and pull the trigger. This way, the gun is already under pressure and the 'kick' is absorbed by your shoulder. It acts as a shock absorber and not a recoil pad. hope this helps. RTD

Dear all I am in the market for a Terrier to work - beating, rats, rabbits etc, be a pet, guard the house etc. I know that virtually every terrier has got the capability to do this - it's in the blood - but a Manchester, Fox, Norfolk - something like that would be great. If you know of a litter that is due, born or ready to go, could you please drop me a line? Thanks RTD

Couldn't agree more! I've got a Steyr CISM and can do the same. I swap between Nightforce and Meopta scopes, it's supressed and sits on a Harris bipod. Great bit of kit. And, here's a row coming, if you can do that at 400 yards, why not deer? One of the biggest supporters of the 'less than a hundred yards' opinion is fear. That's all it is. And, most people only shoot out to 100 yards on ranges so get a bit over cautious when it comes to longer ranges. Know your kit and gain confidence. RTD

The exact term is 'Exit Pupil' and it is the ratio between magnification and size of the objective lens. 56mm divided by 8 is 7 and this is the magic number. 7, and it's measured in 'mm'. Your eye cannot take in a figure higher than 7mm. Ideally between 5mm and 7mm so the cone of light projected from the scopes ocluar lens coincides with the diameter of your eye's pupil at low light. Any higher is light that your eye cannot process and any lower is magnification that is not being used. And, as previously stated, it's a light issue and the higher the magnification, the dimmer the picture you will see. Adaptors. If it's a duff or poor quality scope then anything that adapts or magnifies it will only make it worse. On my Deer rifles I use Meopta which is the same cost of the rifle - or thereabouts - and on my .17hmr I have a Nightforce 5-22 x 56mm which is 3 times the value of the rifle! If you can't see it, you can't hit it. There was an issue on the placement of the reticule within the scope. Some place it before the magnification and some after. The reticule should not move when the scope is magnified. It just makes life difficult. 30mm tubes. The theory is that the light has an easier passage from the bell lens to the eye lens. Every time light passes through a lens it looses some brightness. Every time it bounces off the side of the tube, it looses some more. So, the idea is that the light doesn't bounce as much and the angles are not as sharp. This goes onto quality of the scope and explains why Swarvoski are so expensive! Good glass. Lens hoods keep out unwanted light and can be useful. I heartily recommend Meopta, Zeiss, S&B and Swarofski - anything of that standard - as scopes for everything and don't really go for the concept of cheaper scopes that are for airrifles. They are just cheaper. The dimensions don't matter if it's a peice of ****. :( It's still a piece of ****! It's like selling a lock for a motorbike. The theory is that a more expensive bike needs a more expensive lock. Baldercrap! It's not the value of the lock, it's the performance of the lock that is important. And the same goes for 'scopes and Bino's. Such is my understanding of these matters.... RTD

I use Target Sports in bolton for most of mine. I get on with them and it's usually in stock. RTD

Well I can tell you that the CLA enclosure was pretty good. Attendants in the toilets, free alcohol, waitress service - I had it all! Honestly, If I see another jug of Pimms, I'll scream! Good fair though. Not too busy, good displays and plenty of room on the different avenues which was great. Went to see Hugh F-W on one of the food stands and it was packed! Couldn't see or hear with was a dissapointment. Good day out, really enjoyed the hounds and dinner in Holme on the way back! RTD

I got a Labranial off a game keeper mate and called her 'TAXI' You stick your hand up, whistle and what's the next word you say? Sodding mental. Always out to please though. I got the guts of a Labrador and the brains of a Springer in this one. "I'm just off to go and get you something, don't know what, don't know where but I'll be back. Don't know when or where but you wait here" and with that, off she went. 2 Hours later..... Sold her in a pub to a lad who I now go shooting rabbits with for fifty quid and she's just had a litter of pubs that he has sold for £150 each! ******! Useless worker, time to go. Down to one Lab now who does the lot. Lies on the sofa, steals your dinner, bites the kids, sleeps on the bed when you're out... RTD

There is a lot of confusion over the identification of this family of animals and it's really quite simple. "Whats the difference between a ferret and a polecat?" "One is 'weasely' recognisable and the other is 'stoatly' different!" :thumbs: Or :*) Perhaps it's the way I tell 'em... RTD

I've used graphite powder before now - works well. doesn't heat up or attract dust. same gear the you should lubricate locks with. FT

If you ride a motorbike, you wear a helmet. and it's going to be either an Arai or a Shoei. I wear a Shoei. If you shoot shotguns, it's either a Browning or a Baretta. I shoot a Baretta. not that these two are linked but you will either suit one or the other. Arai's make good toilets for cats and Brownings make good firewood RTD

Don't know about that Gemini. I have a golf course which has farmland on 3 sides. In for renewal at the mo and asking for a .17hmr. Plod says it shouldn't be a problem but, wait and see. Ask nicely and you shall receive! RTD

Oh - nearly forgot! Moderators - absolutely, definatley. Ammo. Ask to buy at least 500 and hold at least 700. Buy all your ammo out of the same batch and don't mix one batch with another. Change brands at your peril! RTD

Save yourself a bundle and drop the .243. They are at the end of their performance for Deer and the .223 is more than adequate for foxes and other vermin. Make sure that you cover each calibre for target shooting and foxes, other vermin and deer shooting (only use what' applicable). That way you can get expanding ammo on your ticket as well as the pointy stuff. I was told by a dealer that .243 was the 'perfect' round for deer. Car dealers will tell you that this particular car is 'perfect' when they are trying to sell it. They can tell you all about it but they can't drive to save their lives! I ended up with a cheap Remington which I changed the stock, trigger and barrel on to make it perform and it cost me a fortune. I found that my .243 was better suited for lower weight bullets because at 100grains, you are at the volatile edge of it's performance. Better performance to be had with 80 - 90 grain bullets. For deer, better to go for a 6.5 x 55 or .308 and use a softer load to get better performance. Interior ballistics on the 6.5 and the .308 are better, less kick, ammo's about the same price - especially if you load your own - exterior ballistics are better (legendary, that .308) with both bigger rounds being flatter trajectory wise and terminally, the 6.5 and the .308 will do a far better job on deer than a .243. Having said that, there is no deader than dead and my .243 took out loads of roe and fallow but, I find my Tikka 6.5 gives me even more confidence and it works straight out of the box - so much cheaper than a doctored Remington. The .308 Steyr I use for targets now as the Tikka does such a good job with everything else. Don't bother with the T3 though, build quality of a Trabant. Masters are so much better - get a secondhand one. If you want a different round to look at, try 25-06 , .243 Ackley Improved or any of the Winchester magnums which come in .223, .243 or .25. The improved version of the .243 and the WSSM both take the round up a level. The .25 looks peachy. RTD

My FAC is in for renewal at the minute and I too am asking for a .17 HMR. I am looking at a Weirauch. Check out the HW66 http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/englisch/e_s...ite/e_index.htm They have got such excellent triggers! My brother in law (a registered gun dealer) can get them - they are all imported from Germany. I've got a nightforce on a .308 that I am going to replace with a meopta and then put the nightforce on the Weihrauch. FT

I've got a Baretta AL390 and wouldn't change it for the world. RTD

Sorry... Did I say 'Hares'? I meant 'Bears'! Do car headlamps qualify? :*) RTD