Hunter Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Today, I finished my very last round of .22 LR as I was out hunting this morning after squirrels. A productive morning, seeing 5 squirrels down cleanly. But come afternoon, I had no .22lr left (300 round limmit, doh!) and a little later I got a PM from Beatingisbest asking why I never used the air rifle anymore. I told him it was a good idea and I would give it a go To be honest I have more or less forgotten the nice Raider hidden away since firearms arrived. So I got it out, blew the dust off it, and set off for a quick zero. Hmm one hole groups at 25meters. Perfect for me.. I then set of for a quck hunt. Of course squirrels! this is what I find the best hunting sport. I heard a rustle noise comming from a nearby tree, and had a quick look through the scope. There he was, a grown male squirrel nibbling away on a nice beach tree, in the top of our woods, where I shot 13 squirrels last year. Well I wasnt having any of this, and soon anough a 14.3 grain Premier was out of the barrel and silencer, on its way to do its deadly job. The pellet connected for a clean neck shot and the squirrel fell to the ground with a good thud. Into the game bag it went. Heading quickly onward towards the main woods I found still more squirrels in the area I shot this morning. I shot all 3 squirrels in the morning from one tree (proper backstops were there!) and another two else where. Unfortunatley I did not have a clean shot at any here, so I left them be, and headed deeper into the woods. I later found a couple of squizzers jumping around a tree, and when I had a chance, again set a Premier on its way up into the tree. Down with a second clean kill.. I was now feeling pleased with my luck using the Webley again. Afterall its what got me all my previous squirrels and rabbits. Here is more or less the closest point to where I shot the second squirrel.. I then headed of to the bottom of the woods, where I was unable to spot any rabbits. I had a keen eye out for a rabbit or two as I had planned on filling the freezer a little more. Sure enough, 20 meters in after a short walk, I found this doe rabbit litterly laying in the grass nibbling away. First shot missed, but a second shot was quickly sent of. Thanks to the Webley BBMF silencer, the rabbit had very little idea where the shot came from. Another clean neck shot, and this one was ready for the game bag. A quick field skin showed a great peice of meat. Wilst looking at the rabbit and wiping my still messy hands, I noticed a crow on a nearby branch. The crows are really at it this year, raiding the gardens here, and landing on our lawns. A silent phut and my second crow was down. All in all, a good even spent with the air gun, and reminded me of the uses of .22 air, I would not have been able to take any of the shots other then the one rabbit if it were not for the light, low powered projectiles of the air gun. Washed my hands, and headed home for a glass of port after a long day of course work, hunting, and gun cleening. (.22 lr bore is now shiny as a mirror, and locked away in the safe for the probably the rest of the week.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Thats some great shooting with that great looking air rifle Hunter. Lovely pics aswell, well done indeed. Wait till you get that .222 out and start calling foxes on the lamp in the depts of January. :o Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Doh! I tried some calling so far I have only managed to make every hair stand up on the foxes, and see them run off into the distance I did get one by accident though, fox number one, when I was trying to call up some rabbits from their holes.. Il see if I can find somone to teach me a few things first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 (edited) . Edited September 7, 2009 by JohnGalway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Thanks If I can keep a few people entertained for just a few minutes, then its always good to write something. Plus I can come back and read this again in a few years time.. nice memories from hunting.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sussex lad Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 the air gun. Washed my hands, and headed home for a glass of port after a long day of course work, hunting, and gun cleening. (.22 lr bore is now shiny as a mirror, and locked away in the safe for the probably the rest of the week.) Hunter, Good shooting m8 The 22Lr needs lead in the barrel so i wouldn't go to mad with your cleaning routine m8. Mine only gets clean every 500 rnds or so. Also its like a shotgun for the first 10-15 rnds until the barrel is leaded back up. Cheers, SL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 well done Hunter keep the pics coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ratcatcher Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 good shooting m8, keep it up have you been eating the squirrels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 Thanks for the replies! The only reason I cleaned the barrel was because I had just finished off a box of copper coated Winchesters. Im back to subsonic lead again Also the barrel is new, so a good clean now and then while it wears in a bit is a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ratcatcher Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 hi m8, is there any reason why you go for neck shots on rabbits and squirrels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fulltimeshooter Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 Likes being a pain in the neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 I like neck shots. There is no chance of escape.. this is just with an airgun. I have shot rabbits in the jaw/eyes and seen them run. Not for me.. Fox get shot either from the from into the top of the head, or from the side through the inside of the ear. The works best, and through many years of hunting I can promise good results with this. The ear shot also works with rabbits, but is a very small target to hit. I have found this takes out most of the central nervs, and prevents any twitching after death. On squirrels, the neck shot is very reliable as their heads are very tough with muscle, and thick skull. When using the air rifle I tend to go for this as it requires very little power. But then again, whatever works for you, stick with it. Taking the life of even a pest requires respect, in order not to cause the animal extra suffering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 I like neck shots. There is no chance of escape.. this is just with an airgun. I have shot rabbits in the jaw/eyes and seen them run. Not for me.. Fox get shot either from the from into the top of the head, or from the side through the inside of the ear. The works best, and through many years of hunting I can promise good results with this. The ear shot also works with rabbits, but is a very small target to hit. I have found this takes out most of the central nervs, and prevents any twitching after death. On squirrels, the neck shot is very reliable as their heads are very tough with muscle, and thick skull. When using the air rifle I tend to go for this as it requires very little power. But then again, whatever works for you, stick with it. Taking the life of even a pest requires respect, in order not to cause the animal extra suffering. Good man Hunter , keep up the good work, your doing very well. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatingisbest Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 a little later I got a PM from Beatingisbest asking why I never used the air rifle anymore. I told him it was a good idea and I would give it a go See i knew it would pay off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flash Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 are you sure the pm wasnt an advert for the supersport beatingisbest, maybe hunter misunderstod your reverse physchology. nice one hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezney Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 Good shooting! Bet it felt a bit weird going to back the old air rifle after .22lr action Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 Thank Yes it was a really weird change back from .22lr.. Just a little phut, and you can see the pellet fly. I thought something was wrong and worried about the gas pressure.. nope, all fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezney Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 Hehe yea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 Hi, Good shooting, well done. I have just been on holiday for a week and was on a french trip to france for the day yesterday so for 2 days I had got up at 3:30am to catch full tide for fishing and 1:45am to go on a french trip. Got up late today at 7:45am to go to my Grans expecting the place to be crawling with vermin. I was just checking the fence line in the chicken pen for holes made by badgers which let the foxes in armed only with a heavy metal pole and wearing a white tee - shirt I spotted the grey of the Grey Squirrel 50 yards away assuming it had spotted me and pegged it. I slowly walked out of the pen and into the house and put on my camo jacket and grabbed my S410 which had a loaded mag near by and walked back out. I never run while shooting because the adrenelien makes your aim shake. I entered the chicken pen silently and crept up behind the chicken house and rested the S410 on it looking through the scope on 9 mag and spotted that there was 2 squirrels chasing each other round a small tree stunted by squirrels barking it. I then walked crouching (not dancing actually crouching ) towards a couple of small oak trees 18 yards away from where they were. I sat down here and watched them chasing each other around. I put my hand in a fork low down in the tree and rested the gun on it. One of the squirrels paused to the right of the tree, a .22 AA Field stopped him. Then his mate who was 10 yards away from him in the copse came over to see why he was having a lie down. Phut... he was down as well. Me and my Dad have prepared them for eating for the first time ever as your meal when you did it looked nice and they and now two 3/4 squirrels are in the freezer. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 Hi, Good shooting, well done. I have just been on holiday for a week and was on a french trip to france for the day yesterday so for 2 days I had got up at 3:30am to catch full tide for fishing and 1:45am to go on a french trip. Got up late today at 7:45am to go to my Grans expecting the place to be crawling with vermin. I was just checking the fence line in the chicken pen for holes made by badgers which let the foxes in armed only with a heavy metal pole and wearing a white tee - shirt I spotted the grey of the Grey Squirrel 50 yards away assuming it had spotted me and pegged it. I slowly walked out of the pen and into the house and put on my camo jacket and grabbed my S410 which had a loaded mag near by and walked back out. I never run while shooting because the adrenelien makes your aim shake. I entered the chicken pen silently and crept up behind the chicken house and rested the S410 on it looking through the scope on 9 mag and spotted that there was 2 squirrels chasing each other round a small tree stunted by squirrels barking it. I then walked crouching (not dancing actually crouching ) towards a couple of small oak trees 18 yards away from where they were. I sat down here and watched them chasing each other around. I put my hand in a fork low down in the tree and rested the gun on it. One of the squirrels paused to the right of the tree, a .22 AA Field stopped him. Then his mate who was 10 yards away from him in the copse came over to see why he was having a lie down. Phut... he was down as well. Me and my Dad have prepared them for eating for the first time ever as your meal when you did it looked nice and they and now two 3/4 squirrels are in the freezer. FM Well done, happy eating. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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