ben0850 Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Evening All.. I'm after some opinions and thoughts on the most efficient lamping method for rabbits (on foot). I do most lamping either on quad or in the land rover until this time of year when I need to be into the middle of our winter sown crops. At this time of year I walk the arable crops lamping with a bipod (laid in the mud) or knelt using the rifle sling wrapped around my wrist (think it's a little like HFT position)... My lamp setup is a Deben tracer max pro ontop o the scope with battery on a webbing belt, red filter and stock mounted dimmer etc.. The issue is the general weight of the set up, not getting a shot on due to the lie of the land V bipod. I have tried sticks / tripod but find it cumbersome with my lamp setup and to be honest by the time I've messed about I may as well have emailed the rabbits a Christmas card! Any thoughts? What do you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Take a friend to man the lamp :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Mule Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Evening All.. I'm after some opinions and thoughts on the most efficient lamping method for rabbits (on foot). I do most lamping either on quad or in the land rover until this time of year when I need to be into the middle of our winter sown crops. At this time of year I walk the arable crops lamping with a bipod (laid in the mud) or knelt using the rifle sling wrapped around my wrist (think it's a little like HFT position)... My lamp setup is a Deben tracer max pro ontop o the scope with battery on a webbing belt, red filter and stock mounted dimmer etc.. The issue is the general weight of the set up, not getting a shot on due to the lie of the land V bipod. I have tried sticks / tripod but find it cumbersome with my lamp setup and to be honest by the time I've messed about I may as well have emailed the rabbits a Christmas card! Any thoughts? What do you do? I feel your pain mate, I also suffer from what you describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 You need the sticks , try punching a few targets to get you used to them and go from there . Wouldn't be without my sticks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1979 Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 i used a deben max lamp for years, i was a good set up for lamping rabbits 60-80 yards, on my .22lr. which is a light rifle. Never used sticks or bipod just knee down to take the shoot. It work well for me, but im shooting more foxs and greater distances i have a xsearcher or sometime my mates ns200 either on the .22lr or for longer distance we use .22 hornet or .223. but i use sticks or bipod now. The xsearcher is nice and light though, so that helps atb simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 The only weight issue I see is the battery, I have a Max Pro with the old style Lead Acid, on a belt strap, you get used to it! Yes, there is a wire from the battery to the lamp, but again, get used to it. Why does a battery on a belt cause you issues getting a shot off, if the battery is the problem get one of the new lighter types. This setup has been used by many people to great effect over the years, I make no suggestion it is perfect, but it most certainly is usable and effective! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyb79 Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 The nightmaster 800 (or similar) is an excellent lightweight lamp for that. No wires or big battery to lug about. I've been shooting off a tripod stick for a while but I've ordered a set of quad sticks as I'm not a fan of laying in the mud unless absolutely necessary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTS Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Night vision not an option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben0850 Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Cheers for the replies. Dekers I would agree the battery weight doesn't cause me too much grief as I have it within a webbing set up but I do find the lamp, wire connection unwieldy when I have tried using sticks in the past... Perhaps I need to get the sticks back out and persevere as the bipods no good on our flatter arable fields as often the rabbits disappear from view once laid prone. More practice with the sticks methinks.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shropshire_Lad Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 For what its worth I have shot Rabbits for years on my own with a rifle mounted lamp The last few with Salop Sniper off here . When on my own I put the sticks under my right arm pit ( I'm left handed ) and walk with the rifle and lamp shining forward, scanning every 30-40 yards then turning it off to move on once more. The fun begins when you start to shoot a few ! hocked and slid onto the sticks to carry is easy but know you have to slide them off to use the sticks for a shot. It can be done and I have shot over twenty on my own but does become really hard work, a shooting buddy is the way to go for lamping ;-) atvb Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) Cheers for the replies. Dekers I would agree the battery weight doesn't cause me too much grief as I have it within a webbing set up but I do find the lamp, wire connection unwieldy when I have tried using sticks in the past... Perhaps I need to get the sticks back out and persevere as the bipods no good on our flatter arable fields as often the rabbits disappear from view once laid prone. More practice with the sticks methinks.... Reusable Velcro tape (often used in IT applications) is very handy for keeping the lead in place. Yes, these units have a lead, but care with the routing helps, I hear where you are coming from but people (me included) use these very successfully with sticks, bipods, freehand etc.. Some people here have suggested a lamp man, never worked for me, and of course that means you can't go out alone, I much prefer lamp on the gun, but each to their own! Gun mounted Torches are getting better and better, some are very good already, this will eliminate the lead, so may be worth considering if all else fails! Edited January 16, 2014 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 I lamp resting the forearm off the back of my wrist and holding the lamp sideways by hand (with my lighter rifles and shotguns) or with a scope mounted lamp(with the heavier ones). I sometimes use sticks when I feel the shots might be long but holding off my wrist I can shoot running bunnies with the .22 - I cannot do this with sticks which are better for the long range shots. Sometimes I take a partner out but its twice as much noise and slightly unfair if they don't get any shooting, though I could do with a lift with the lamp foxing after next week (when the mood reduces) coz I am under the physio for my shoulder again and have a fox about. The new batteries are awesome I wear one on my belt, those who remember the heavy and leaky lead acid motorbike batteries and latter gel type burglar alarm batteries wired in series to make up 12volts with connections that often failed at precisely the wrong moment. will agree there is some great kit out there (issue is now everything you can lamp knows what a lamp is and means when it shone around the fields) Not a fan of vehicles lamping they do more damage to the ground than the vermin mostly and scare a lot of stuff away with the noise, rabbits run like heck as I drive down the front field at night (and I never shoot from the car) yet I get little reaction to other illumination on foot until I start shooting a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 For what its worth I have shot Rabbits for years on my own with a rifle mounted lamp The last few with Salop Sniper off here . When on my own I put the sticks under my right arm pit ( I'm left handed ) and walk with the rifle and lamp shining forward, scanning every 30-40 yards then turning it off to move on once more. The fun begins when you start to shoot a few ! hocked and slid onto the sticks to carry is easy but know you have to slide them off to use the sticks for a shot. It can be done and I have shot over twenty on my own but does become really hard work, a shooting buddy is the way to go for lamping ;-) atvb Paul. Not a very safe method really as you never know what will show in the lamp. What if you shine on somebody even if you weren't expecting them to be there, you will be pointing a gun at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Not a very safe method really as you never know what will show in the lamp. What if you shine on somebody even if you weren't expecting them to be there, you will be pointing a gun at them. This is very true, though thousands of us do it- I chose not to do it in the main or with a closed bolt without one up the spout. its best to choose you location and time as well. The best answer is two lamps one being hand held but that is real hard to handle in the dark and might actual lead to a dangerous slip in judgement. I fully except threat I could fall and close the bolt / fire the round that was striped from the mag and chambered in the process but then again people have been shot by a gun being discharged during a slip or fall anyhow with a chambered round and applied safety and you have no real control over were it points in that instance. A fact to consider though non the less and one of the factors in why I learned to shoot off my wrist out of preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Not a very safe method really as you never know what will show in the lamp. What if you shine on somebody even if you weren't expecting them to be there, you will be pointing a gun at them. Doesn't seem to affect the sales of gun mounted lamps/torches. Safety can be debated at many levels, I have not heard of anyone being shot by someone scanning with a lamp on their rifle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Crikey, next we'll all be writing risk assessments before leaving the house. Lamping is more risky of course, but if you are scanning with a scope mounted torch, you are possibly in more control of the gun than if you are trying to wield a gun and a separate lamp about swinging it all over the place to get into position. Tough call I guess, but I find that I have a scope mounted torch which I use to take the shot, but I have also a hand held that I spot with. I walk to various 'spotting' landmarks I use, such as an old trailer on the edge of the field which I can get to in the dark. I then put gun on bipod and scan. If I need to move in closer, I put hand held in jacket pocket and move forwards with rifle scope mounted torch at the ready for when taking a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 For what its worth I have shot Rabbits for years on my own with a rifle mounted lamp The last few with Salop Sniper off here . When on my own I put the sticks under my right arm pit ( I'm left handed ) and walk with the rifle and lamp shining forward, scanning every 30-40 yards then turning it off to move on once more. The fun begins when you start to shoot a few ! hocked and slid onto the sticks to carry is easy but know you have to slide them off to use the sticks for a shot. It can be done and I have shot over twenty on my own but does become really hard work, a shooting buddy is the way to go for lamping ;-) atvb Paul. Take a friend to man the lamp :-) As said above, Life lamping is so much easier and safer in a pair. Shooter - with rifle and shooting off sticks, also gives a safer angle bein up on sticks as opposed to bown on the ground at a shallow angle. Lamper carrying lamp (lightforce 140 is mine and Shropshire Lads lamp of choice) also a stick to hock bunnys to carry on. This is the safest way to do it with two pairs of eyes and two people making obsticle crossing easier and safer. If alone and scanning for bunnys with a scope mounted lamp then the safest thing is to do it with an empty chamber and only rounds in the Magizine, so on spotting a bunny you can get steady on the sticks and then chamber a round to shoot. Theres no question over Shropshire Lads safety in the field, he is excellent and has kindly taught me loads. Also shooting with him in the morning ATB Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 I use this tripod for shooting, and it's excellent. No faffing about with it, just open it, rest the rifle on it and shoot. Many other's will testify to the ease of use with this tripod. http://www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk/product/224e5f5e35c2fb6065276234/HSF+Tripod+Shooting+Stick/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 You need the sticks , try punching a few targets to get you used to them and go from there . Wouldn't be without my sticks +1...I use a c/fire rifle with mod 170 lamp + battery and quad sticks for shooting foxes out well beyond 200 yards. Using my little rf .22 is just the same except lighter. Practice is the key...with quad sticks the weight is taken by them, leaving you just to re-adjust for the next shot. 2 examples of friends who have shot a lot of rabbits for a very long time scoffed at how I go about things...they both know use a set up close to mine for rabbits. Giving things time is the key.... TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Two things I would suggest. Talk to sirgoldalot on here - he does very, very good torches to mount on scopes - no battery. There are also telescopic tripod sticks available from bushwear, called 'trigger stcks'. Just pull the trigger, the three legs drop down forming a tripod which is a stable platform to shoot from. Very reasonable from sirgoldalot and the triggerstick is £90 from bushwear - dispense with the bipod ubtil its drier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Doesn't seem to affect the sales of gun mounted lamps/torches. Safety can be debated at many levels, I have not heard of anyone being shot by someone scanning with a lamp on their rifle! No it doesn't and I do use a scope mounted lamp to shoot with but I also have a smaller (size not power) one in my pocket for spotting/sweeping. Do deerstalkers scan the landscape with the rifle mounted scope or do they use binoculars? Doesn't affect the sales of scopes to deerstalkers either. It's not the done thing because of safety reasons to check you grounds with the scope so why would you do the same with the lamp on a rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Maughan Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) Have you heard of T20 red led torches? I have one on the gun, another in my pocket and a pair of sticks, not quads. I walk the fields with the rifle on my shoulder via a sling and do the lamping with the spare T20 from my pocket which has the beam defocused just enough to pick up eyeshine out to arounf 80-100yds. A quick scan of an area to spot the eyes then off with the light and walk towards the eyes until in range. Of the shoulder and into the sticks with the gun, point it where I hope the rabbit will still be and then on with the gun T20, aim fire. If other rabbits are near but out of range I will then walk into range using one hand on the sticks while keeping the forend in them, reposition and fire again. If on the stick and then the rabbit has gone you can either scan using the gun or the other T20 from your pocket, the pocket T20 is also used for picking up. Unless the rabbits you have are extremely lamp shy you will get within 40-50yds easy enough and a head or chest shot from sticks shouldn't be too difficult for most unless its really windy. Ive done all the bigger battery type lamps for years, this new breed of LED torches have really made things a lot easier and at around £40 each you are good to go for around £120 with 2x T20's, a gun mount, batteries and a charger. Edited January 17, 2014 by Alan Maughan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 No it doesn't and I do use a scope mounted lamp to shoot with but I also have a smaller (size not power) one in my pocket for spotting/sweeping. Do deerstalkers scan the landscape with the rifle mounted scope or do they use binoculars? Doesn't affect the sales of scopes to deerstalkers either. It's not the done thing because of safety reasons to check you grounds with the scope so why would you do the same with the lamp on a rifle. Feel free to do as you please. I use headlamps and torches and nightvision and lamps and binoculars and stars and streetlamps, etc., I also check with the scope day and night and a gun mounted lamp, there are no safety issues if you do it right, and it is far easier than a lamp man, you have the light where you want, when you want every time, not just when your lamp man is awake! Most stalkers and many general hunters use binoculars because it is easier and quicker lifting and using them than the gun, simple as, it isn't a safety measure, it's a practical issue. What exactly would you suggest everyone does with a nightvision scope then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Feel free to do as you please. I use headlamps and torches and nightvision and lamps and binoculars and stars and streetlamps, etc., I also check with the scope day and night and a gun mounted lamp, there are no safety issues if you do it right, and it is far easier than a lamp man, you have the light where you want, when you want every time, not just when your lamp man is awake! Most stalkers and many general hunters use binoculars because it is easier and quicker lifting and using them than the gun, simple as, it isn't a safety measure, it's a practical issue. What exactly would you suggest everyone does with a nightvision scope then? Possibly have a NV spotter. Dsc1 & 2 class the use of binos as a safety measure as well as a practical one. How often has somebody scanned with a lamp or binos and seen someone in the picture. I personally wouldn't like it if someone was scanning with a rifle and it pointed at me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Possibly have a NV spotter. Dsc1 & 2 class the use of binos as a safety measure as well as a practical one. How often has somebody scanned with a lamp or binos and seen someone in the picture. I personally wouldn't like it if someone was scanning with a rifle and it pointed at me. Neither would I, but you do not simply wave the rifle around wherever you like, there are plenty of places and ways and opportunities to use a gun mounted lamp perfectly safely, and if by any chance someone did come into the frame, they would not know anyway, you don't see a rifle when someone is shining a lamp in your face, which may possibly be a shame, as anyone I found whilst scanning should not be there so deserves the fright of their life, in the hope they don't come back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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