Davrian

Hello Grey Hawk. There will be lots of choice second hand at the price of a S200, try all your local shops to see what the have in second hand, can't beat the old try before you buy!

Ian, it was a Grey, they're easily distinguishable then! I'd rather photograph something like that to be honest, though I'm sure it would taste lovely? Knocked on another door this morning and left a permission slip to be signed looks like I've got a lot more bunnies to manage and they've asked me to take care of as many pigeons and crows as I like Before long I'll be getting the hang of preparing these pigeons then! Thinking of moving up to a multi shot now, short list is BSA super 10, Theoben Rapid 7, AA (BTAS) S410. Budget will mean its second hand though.

Thanks for the concern Ian, it was early when I posted this topic and I should have read the list of quarry before even mentioning the partridge. I wont be loosing my permission for shooting the wrong things because I don't! I do shoot Rabbits, Jackdaws, Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves and Rats all of which I know to be legal quarry, I hope to get some permission soon for Grey Squirrels which Defra have called for a cull of! If I have any doubt I'll always check first. I haven't always shot live targets, for years target shooting was enough for me, even now I'm happy shooting targets but feel like I'm doing a job (hopefully a good one) when I'm hunting. Hey everyone forget the whole Partridge thing, my mistake for mentioning it, I wont be getting a shotgun or game liecence, but I will try and identify which type it is and maybe get a picture just out of interest.

This is why I asked, So thats a no to Partridge so I wont be shooting any of those, never shot one before so never needed to know. To be honest I don't think the partridge was doing any harm on the vegi patch whereas the pigeons are!

I've only been shooting air rifles for about 18 years! easily get my shots under a 5 pence piece at 25 yards and a 10 pence piece easily out to 35 yards, if this standard ever slipped I'd stick to paper! The last couple of years I've been getting more serious about my shooting and gaining permissions for farms in the area, I prefer rabbits as I can eat them but one farmer has asked me to take care of said pigeons and doves, I'd rather be eating them than just wasting them and I'm keen to be doing things right. The wood pigeons and collared doves on the farm are easily identified and shot, the partridge will be looked up in my bird book next time I spot it (I didn't shoot it as I wasn't sure!) everything so far has been a good clean head shot but as I said have heard there are other effective ways to kill a pigeon? just want confirmation before I use them. I'm quite capable of humane hunting and pest control, I just want to refine my methods and build up a good reputation localy as a reliable and effective pest controller. :yp: Thanks for your input anyway.

I reccomend using good quality round headed pellets as they will perform much better over distance than pointed or flatheads etc. Flatheads and hollow points are great for close range. Best to stick to head shots, a chest/heart shot rabbit can go quite a distance berore it expires. Leeboy Well with a user name like that I kind of guessed! It is a completley different scenario between a .22 air rifle and an SA80, but with 7 years of the worlds finest training you should be giving us tips! I'd recommend not buying pointed pellets ever! I've found them to be highly inaccurate! Flat and round heads are great as long as you buy a quality pellet, like Daystate FT, Webley Lazadome (hope these are still going to be made?) Bisley practice ect. Did you ever do 25 yard marksman? (excuse me if this a silly question!) it used to be a standard test (in .22 at least) to get 5 shots under a penny? I've always tested myself to this, if I cant achieve this I either need practice or there's something wrong with the pellets or rifle!

I posted about the finer points of preparing wabbits a while ago and had a great response, so now pigeons and possibly doves and partridge? Firstly are we allowed to shoot pigeons and doves and partridge at any time of year? (are there seasons?) Secondly clean kills, so far I've only used head shots but whilst amongst the vegetables they tend to bob, I have read some where that the throat and between the top of the wings (shoulder blades) are good kill zones? Thirdly I'm planning on saving the breast meat for the freezer, I'd like to know the quickest and easiest ways to do this, I've never skinned a bird before (plucked a pheasant, very pleasant!) and I'm sure that other than the breast there's not much to save from a pigeon, less from a dove? Fourthly Partridge, are they legal quarry for an air rifle? and would the preparation be the same as pigeons and doves or is it worth saving more of the bird? (that's more than one question but hey!)

First bunny this year! I laid up in my favourite hole in the hedge between my land and my neighbours, half hour passed the sun was going down, the birds singing, a field mouse runs along the blackthorn to my right within reach! & a pheasant wondered past within about 5 yards (that's when you know you're still!) (the colours on a live male pheasant are amazing, don't look the same hung at the back door!) anyway all very pleasant but still waiting for a bunny, then he appears bounds out of the hedge to my far right, I was unable to swing the rifle far enough round to sight him up so just laid still thinking he may come across or a mate may pop out. No more bunnies and the one I seen had bounced out of view, then as I laid patient waiting he hopped across in front of me! he'd followed the line of the hedge round and decided he needed to sit about 6-7 yards in front of me! I slowly moved my cheek on to the stock, blast! the scope was set on 9x and the field at 7 yards was a green blur! slowly wound the scope back to 3x the bunny none the wiser, then I had to cock the rifle! ....... CLUNK!..... bunnies ears pricked up, then released the safety ........... CLICK! ....... he sits up and starts to look about ........ WHACK! It's amazing the amount of fumbling about you can get away with before they leg it! The usual one is squeezing a dead trigger then having to release the safety though.

Sorry about my ignorance! I think BATS is mildly funnier though?

The good old AA S410 keeps getting mentions, has antone got the B.A.T.S. regulated version? Snakebite whats been done to your S410? Does anyone want to sell me a B.A.T.S. S410? Thanks for all you replys people, keep up the good work.

Tempted! Shame your so far away! (always the way! tempting offers the other side of the country!) You do have to wonder how they do these paint jobs!

I'll be getting rid of the poor David Nickerson pellets through short range rating or put them through my pistol and then never buy them again! I had only bought them for plinking with beer cans but they are dire! Lesson learnt!

Sorry for my lenghly PM mate! I'm going out around 8pm at the moment I go to a known place where I can lay in wait, I then sit / lay still and silent untill the black birds start singing and all manner of birds fly and perch close by this way you know nothings bothered by or alerted to your presence, you always want to feel any wind or breeze on your face but patience is the main thing. Is there any chance you could build a hide? A hide need only be a piece of camo netting pegged out to lay under, but you need to set it up and leave it there a while for the wildlife to become acustomed to it. Preperation is always good, go for walks at any time of day no need to even take the rifle, just observe where holes are, look for short cropped grass or crop, dropping ect take note of wind direction so you can choose a route in to the wind to get to you lay up place. You say your goupings 1 1/2" what pellets are you using? using a good quallity pellet may improve this.

But the S410 isn't regulated! I'm sure there are plenty of un-regulated rifles out there that do the job quite adiquatley, I am very happy with my Gunpower Stealth 2000 but if I were to upgrade just wondering where regulated shots come in? Are the BSA super 10 and Theoben Rapids regulated? I'm assuming they are which is why there's a jump in price new when you start looking at rifles!

Cool so is that S400 or S200? Not familiar with the RWS 500+? I'll see if I can read up on it.

No really I'm not interested in opinions on silencers! Its definitely the action of the rifle I'm interested in! I've alerted bunnies to my whereabouts by cocking the rifle and by clicking the safety but the biggest noise is the ring that comes from the hammer! Ok so at least one bunny drops but this could alert others. So no near silent rifles then?

I'm not in any way disappointed with my rifle (Gunpower Stealth 2000 .177) I can totally dismiss the myths about the accuracy of the rifles as I can consistently put Daystate FT / Webley Lazadome through the bull of a R18 target card at 25 to 30yards. I am though considering having my cake and eat it! that's to say I'm wondering about upgrading to something with regulated shots (always consistent) and is there anything with a quieter hammer (my other post!)

In your opinion which is the quietest rifle out there? Only asking as my only consideration (I refuse to say fault) of this rifle is the metallic ring it lets off when the hammer strikes, its not that loud but wondered if anything out there was near silent? When standing to the side if someone else fires the rifle its the hammer you hear and not the shot so were not talking about silencers.

Funnily enough just yesterday I was inspecting these in a local shop and decided against them as I wasn't sure about the hollow point and the weight of them. What rifle was this with? I came away with two tins of Webley Lazadome and one of the Bisley practice all in .177 what cal are you using? I spent the afternoon doing grouping comparisons at 25 yards with all the different pellets I have found I can easily get 5 shot groups under a 5 pence piece with the Lazadome and Daystate FT (same pellet!) same with Gamo Match (not sure these are still available?) but the group moved off centre and up about 1/2" similar result and position with the Bisley practice! and cheap David Nickerson (Mole Valley Farmers!) were all over the right hand side of the target card about 3 1/4" apart! I was alarmed how different pellets can give grouping but in a different place! Anyone else noticed this? I wont be buying anymore cheap pellets though thats for sure!

I like to pace out targets at 25 35 and 45 yards any targets will do printable rabbits heads or score cards then I practice 10 shot groups using the different distances helps you guestimate range when hunting though I don't think I'd try to kill over 30-35 yards. I also have a test shot before I leave the house, at the moment its butter cups on the back lawn at about 25 yards from the bedroom window! The thing is I dont have enough pests to hunt in the area at the moment (good for the farmers and gardeners not so good for my sport!) so if I don't shoot targets I dont shoot for long periods! You can never practice too much!

Shooting Permission Title (e.g. Mr, Mrs, Ms) . . . . . . . Surname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Postcode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acreage/Hectares Authorised . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name of land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Firearm types authorised . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I am the above named person & I am the owner / Agent / Occupier / Tenant in respect of the land named above which I have given Permission to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . To shoot with the types of rifle indicated above. Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Above is the permission I've been sent, thanks. I've already been asked for a copy by a new member so figure now its up anyone can copy and paste it in to a word doc and print at will? Thanks for your reply's

Thanks for those sound words of advice, found where a printable permission was mentioned but not the actual item!

Hi all. Just secured another farm to shoot on, as with many farmers they're far to busy to sort pests out them selves! However the farm is run by two brothers who are fairly relaxed about it and have basically said I can just turn up and help myself, don't even want me to knock on the door to let them know I'm there! So I'd like to be able to print off a written permission so all they have to do is sign it? I'd feel I was hindering them if I had to ask them to write it themselves! I have seen this mentioned on another topic but can’t remember where?

I wouldn't attempt to hunt anything other than rats with a pistol! Its such a short range weapon and accuracy so far from a rifle you'll never hit the head of a bird with it! Air pistol shooting is generally over 10 yards! that's all! If you try one you'll soon find out that grouping at 10 yards is still difficult. I had a Gamo Compact which at the time was the pistol to have, still very difficult to shoot accurately! I now have the Aniks Skiff 28 shots as fast as I can pull the trigger but that's what its about really, plinking fun! I do have a lot of respect for anyone that can shoot a pistol properly though, A real art.

Really Robbo I cant stress enough: GET PERMISSION! Not only are you protecting yourself by keeping your a$$ out of court and not having your gun taken from you by plod your protecting air gunning for all of us! You really need to be responsible and read the air gun law! If you don't have permission don't shoot there!