My first shooting wirte up

[Ice]

Well im not creative writer so dont expect massive detail, that will put you at the location, however i will endevour to do my best.

 

As you may of noticed if you spend much time on here, i purchased a Miroku on wednesday and took it home yesturday dinner time itching to take it out on my first ever shotgun hunting trip.

 

I avoided calling in sick in the afternoon as something tells me that work would have seen it as a bit suspect

 

As soon as the buzzer went 4.30pm i was off in the car, grabed a sarnie on the way home, ate it driving to save time, got changed quicker than a performing artist, loaded up and out the door (with the biggest grin on my face )

 

Picked my shooting buddy up (he is yet to get his gun but we have been shooting air rifles with eachother for years) and ventured off to the farm, around 340 ish acres were told by the farmer.

 

Just to put you in the picture, the farm is totally encolsed by its land, so naturally the track down to the house is around .25 of a mile long.

 

Upon getting there the farmer tells us to give the first field on the left a try and there is often a handfull of rabits kicking around, so we naturally take up the scent.

 

They sky was grey and feeling very close as if thunder was around the corner so, we booted up, coated up, loaded up and set off.

 

Typically as with my first time clay shooting, the heavens opened up, we sat for 5 - 10min as the shower passed and set off once more, this sudden down pour was enough to absolutly soak the knee high crops which were growing in the field, so it was like walking through a swamp, soaked from foot to knee, unfortunatly it also seems the rain was enough to send the rabits running for the burrows as we didnt see a single one :o

 

Never the less not down heartened we strived on, and the first target was in sight, between 40 and 50 yards away sitting upright aware of our presence, i selected top quarter choke barrel, took aim (slightly above the top of it's back) and with a slow gentle squeeze of the trigger, the primer was struck and a 28grm load of a number 6, was sent screaming towards it's desination, me being a total nubie to shooting rabits with a shotgun missed of course the bleading shot screamed straight over the rabit to where i had aimed, and the lucky rabit ran for cover. As i said earlier, im used to hunting with air rifles, and at that distance, any air rifle shooter will know to slightly elevate the shot to allow for drop in trojectory, me being the plank i am assumed the shotgun would also need the same elevation, how wrong was i

 

Nevermind lesson learnt, aim straight at the beggers, even at that distance.

 

Was an extreamly poor night for the rabits as i think the weather must have put them off, 1 hour later and the next target is spotted, around 70 yards away, just to the right and upwind of some branches the farmer had been cutting and piling up, so with this advantage, we move around slowly and quietly to a position where the rabit could not see us, and that we could move closer undetected. 30 yards away now, selected bottom barrel half choke and with a slow smooth elevation of the gun, i stood up and in a split second the target dropped instantly on the spot, with the echo of the shot ringing out accross the countryside, My first shotgun rabit kill . I was buzzing, felt good as it was only my second shot.

 

Gave up on the rabits at this point, as there wasnt many out to play really, and the ones that were decided they didnt need a shot shower and quickly made for cover, so eager to try some roost shooting we headed to the woods, where we dispatched a total of 22 pigeons and 7 crows all sheltering from the rain (sounds impressive i know but considering we fired around 120 shots, i think its pretty pathetic lol)

 

So soaked to the skin, we decided to call it a night happy as larry with my new purchase, and excited to get out again, hopefully without the aid of the rain this time.

 

The farmer was well impressed with the bag, and told us anytime we want to shoot to just carry on, and have fun.

 

I couldnt get over how hard to hit the pigeons in flight it was, totally different from clay shooting, the speed at which they can change direction is amazing, bloody great fun though and i cant wait to get some decoying on the go!

 

Anyway i think thats enough for now, you guessed it im off around to my mates house tonight where we are going to have a go at cooking the rabit, never ever tried it before either of us, so the how to skin / prep thread has just been printed off, along with a recipe, dont know why we never kept them before either, think it was because we were shooting to eradicate them as opposed to sport shooting.

 

Thanks for all the help with everything ive questioned, think im hooked on it now so id imagen ill be posting on here for a few years to come now

 

The gun is a Grade 5 Miroku 3800 SW, fixed choke 1/2 and 1/4, was using 2.5" 28grm no 6's

[WGD]

Excellent write up from the man who professes not to be a creative writer.

 

Sounds like a good couple of hours, with more to come.

 

Cook the rabbit for a LONG time, many people only cook for an hour or an hour and a half, just enough time for the meat to be a bit rubbery - better two and half to three hours, time for a few beers before you eat

 

WGD

[Cranfield]

When you shoot a few rabbits, always offer the Farmer a couple, he will probably say, "No thanks", but at least you offered.

He will remember that.

[Ice]

When you shoot a few rabbits, always offer the Farmer a couple, he will probably say, "No thanks", but at least you offered.

He will remember that.

 

 

Advice taken