Gregthegreat Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I've recently moved to Exeter and fortunately managed to pick up a 55 acre permission which includes a chicken farm. It's made up of fields which are roughly 5-10 acres each, all grass and mostly used for horses. They also have hedged banks around the edge of them which means that there's plenty of opportunities for safe shots with the .223. I took the .22 on my first visit and had a handful of rabbits whilst on foot checking out the boundaries. I popped up there tonight for my second visit and took the .223 with me. After an hour and a half or so on foot I'd seen a fleeting glimpse of one charlie who clearly didn't like being lit up and another on a neighbouring field who was downwind and wouldn't come to the call. I decided to get in the Trooper and head to the furthest corner in the top field and sit and test a tenterfield type call I'd recently made. After 10 minutes or so of calling, I spotted a set of eyes around 150m away and coming straight towards me. I could tell from it's motion it was a fox but it didn't appreciate being lit up with the white light of the torch so I switched to the gun mounted lamp with an orange filter. It had stopped in the middle of the field and was flitting left and right trying to suss me out but with continuing calls it started coming in again not minding the orange light. At around 100m I ID'd it through the scope, placed the crosshairs between it's eyes and took the shot. I heard the round connect and drove down to where it fell. It turned out to be a decent size dog fox and I'd hit it just above the left eye which is the same as the last I shot on another permission. A bit of a re-zero clearly required but I was happy. I packed up 10 mins later after checking nothing else was coming in. All in all a good night and I'm made up that the call is highly effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.philmypower. Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Nice 1 pal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david hunter Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 saved a few chickins there well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazofboro Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Well done mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyotemaster Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Welcome to the Watch and good job on the fox. At 100 meters you could have a little wind drift, say an inch or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Welcome to the Watch and good job on the fox. At 100 meters you could have a little wind drift, say an inch or so. My thinking is the same as Timothy's here mate! If your bullet impacted just an inch to the side of where you aimed that is pretty good shooting! Did you make a mental note of which way the wind was blowing at the time, if it was a right to left wind then that would explain the difference between the point of aim and the point of impact with the bullet impacting just above the left eye! Even so, just for piece of mind and to help build your confidence up it might be worth checking the zero of your scopre/rifle with three or four shots on a paper target when there is little or no wind! Well done on getting the fox anyway, keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregthegreat Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) Cheers guys. I don't believe the wind to be a factor though. It was different directions on the two occasions and at 100 metres it would have to be a strong cross wind to affect the bullet that much. Forgive me for sounding arrogant, I'm a light/medium weapons specialist in the Marines and teach/coach/mentor etc. I'm going to check zero when I can next get on the range. Edited November 18, 2011 by Gregthegreat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon123 Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Well done :good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadge-it Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Good crack on what happened Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Mule Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 I bet your chicken farmer is also 'made up' :unsure: (hoping I got this right and you're not a transvestite that likes lurking in dark fields with guns ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregthegreat Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Well my heels did get a bit stuck in the moist turf but I managed to fashion a lace doyley to spread the load. Mind you my dress became awfully scruffy in the brambles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker3 Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 well done buddy nice fox to get why tho if your in the marines were you shooting with a 223 would they not give you a wee shot of a 50cal for a night at the foxes or call in fast air to drop a 1000lber on him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Cheers guys. I don't believe the wind to be a factor though. It was different directions on the two occasions and at 100 metres it would have to be a strong cross wind to affect the bullet that much. Forgive me for sounding arrogant, I'm a light/medium weapons specialist in the Marines and teach/coach/mentor etc. I'm going to check zero when I can next get on the range. In my reply where I mentioned about possible wind drift I hadn't taken into account the fact that you said that the previous shot was roughly the same amount off the point of aim. With this in mind I have to agree that it may well be that your scopes have crept a little and could do with re-zeroing. I was not questioning your abilities or skills when I wrote my reply, just adding my thoughts. I have enough confidence in my rifle set ups to know that they don't slip off zero unless they take a fair old knock but even so I like to take them out and check the zeroing now and then on a paper target just so that I can continue having total confidence in my equipment and know that if a shot that I take is a little off target it is likely to be down to (possibly) wind drift or (And more likely in my case) the fact that I might have "pulled" a shot, which let's face it, no matter how good our marksmanship and shooting skills are we are all capable of doing occasionally. As an instructor/mentor you must agree that we are all capable of pulling an occasional shot now and then, after all we are only human! I do have to stand by what I say though in respect of the fact that I believe that wind drift is possible with just about any "standard hunting calibre" to a varying degree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12borejimbo Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Good shooting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Mule Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Well my heels did get a bit stuck in the moist turf but I managed to fashion a lace doyley to spread the load. Mind you my dress became awfully scruffy in the brambles. I know I started this, but that is a mental image I could do without Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeshooter Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) you wish a big spoon to eat all that humble pie PRICELESS but ! A 55 grain .223 round fired down range at over 3,250 FPS for example. With only a modest 5mph cross wind that little .223 bullet will be pushed over 1/2″ off target at only 100 yards. While that might not seem like much, consider that a 10mph wind will result in the same round being pushed more than 1 MOA at any range ATB PAUL Quote " GREGG I'm a light/medium weapons specialist in the Marines and teach/coach/mentor etc"end In my reply where I mentioned about possible wind drift I hadn't taken into account the fact that you said that the previous shot was roughly the same amount off the point of aim. With this in mind I have to agree that it may well be that your scopes have crept a little and could do with re-zeroing.I was not questioning your abilities or skills when I wrote my reply, just adding my thoughts. I have enough confidence in my rifle set ups to know that they don't slip off zero unless they take a fair old knock but even so I like to take them out and check the zeroing now and then on a paper target just so that I can continue having total confidence in my equipment and know that if a shot that I take is a little off target it is likely to be down to (possibly) wind drift or (And more likely in my case) the fact that I might have "pulled" a shot, which let's face it, no matter how good our marksmanship and shooting skills are we are all capable of doing occasionally. As an instructor/mentor you must agree that we are all capable of pulling an occasional shot now and then, after all we are only human!I do have to stand by what I say though in respect of the fact that I believe that wind drift is possible with just about any "standard hunting calibre" to a varying degree! Edited May 14, 2013 by peeshooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly321 Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 good shot mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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