Quick Question

[NitroUK]

Hi All

 

After reading the Codes Of Practice i need a little advice.

 

Firstly it is regarding

 

Principal quarry for air rifles

 

BIRDS: crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, jays, woodpigeon, collared doves, feral pigeons.

MAMMALS: brown rats, grey squirrels, stoats, mink and rabbits

 

 

I have decided that i will only be shooting these species as i beleive they are on the vermin list and are free to shoot all year round without seasons, Am i correct? I recently had a little bother regarding shooting pheasent out of season, Fortunatly no pheasent were shot but on not fully understanding the correct law it was at the time a possability. After my near error i have decided that i will leave all game speceis alone and i will stick to vermin and vermin alone so that no trouble may be caused. So if someone could clear this up for me it would be much appreciated

 

 

Secondly on reading about the correct kil zone for animals i see that it states

 

For birds, head shots are effective but difficult because the target area is very small and rarely holds still. Shots to the breast or body cavity give a bigger target area but remember that dense feathers or a crop full of grain will limit the pellet’s effectiveness. The area under the wing is a good place to aim for.

 

I was just wondering if someone could help me with the shot placement for under the wing as i have always gone for the head shot if anyone is able to make some sort of diagram up it would be a great help

 

Many Thanks

 

NitroUK

[BSA Shaun]

Go for the head mate, if poss, it ensures a clean kill.

 

However, under the wing go for where the wing joins the body, just under

[airssassin]

I recommend that you buy a copy of Total Airguns: the complete guide to hunting with air guns by Pete Wadeson. I bought this book when I was starting out and it talks you through what you can shoot, how to hunt them and where to shoot them. All quarry are different.

 

For example, the best place to shoot a squirrel is the back of the head or top of their neck. For wood pigeons, aim for their heads, under their wings about half way along their body (from underneath), between their shoulder blades from behind or above, or from the side just in front of their wings (tricky shot). Never try to shoot a woodie from the front into the chest as this does not stop them with a 12ft/lb air rifle and will cause suffering (they wear bullet proof jackets ). With crows, magpies and feral pigeons you can shoot them in the chest as they are more fragile. Rats are best shot in the heart or brain. Rabbits always headshots and always between the eye and ear or from behind into the back of their head. If you follow these rules it doesn't matter if you shoot .22 or .177 or what pellet you use. Domed will give the best accuracy and seem to produce as clean a kill as any other pellet.

 

I hope this helps. Get the book as it has some useful diagrams and when you are finished with it you can sell it online for not much less than you paid for it

[Vagabond]

Good advice Mate! Get yourself some life size targets to practice on. You can PM me with your email address and I'll send you some to print off. I use them for plinking and they give me good practice at keeping my aim in. Practice your head shots until you are confident. I place them at different heights and distances. A little trick I do and works well for me is, when shooting birds (only the ones on the vermin list) if they are feeding ie. head bobbing up and down, sight the position of it's head when it is in the upright position. Then when you are ready, clear your throat just load enough to get it's attention and not so loud as to scare it. He will instinctively look up and then BOOM!! let rip.

 

Good on you Mate

[NitroUK]

Thanks alot for the advice lads

 

Vaga you have a pm :blink:

 

NitroUK