Took my Beast out for a Zeroing session

[Phantom 631]

After a costly, time consuming, stupid mistake this morning I figured I needed a bit of fun.

As the weather was dry (all be it a bit windy) I would take my Springer out to the horse paddock and have a play with her at 30 yards.

 

I haven't used her since the neighbour has his hissy fit about his coffin dodger wife being terrified to go out of the house when I was shooting in the garden.

 

So I grabbed the part used tub of FX Pellets and off I wandered. Got to the paddock and all the ponies and foles are near the gate. I climbed over and headed to the far end in the hope they would leave me in peace.

Got my portable backstop fastened to the fence with the raised embankment behind and noticed a warren at the other side of the fence going into the embankment (guess who's gonna be sniping over here in a day or two ).

Placed my A4 crossed paper on the backstop and paced out some very long paces to 15 paces. I reckoned that as last time I had used the 19 I had very tight groups at 10M so this would put the pellet on the line but maybe a little low.

1st two shots were bang on the centre of the cross, third pellet went a little skew-wiff

Cool, looks like I've not lost my touch with my springer

 

Decided to send another 5 pellets down before I went out to 30 good strides They went all over the fecking place Left, Right, Low, High WTF?

Perhaps I had lost touch with the springer after all:cry:

Another 5 pellets were squeezed off and the paper was beggining to look like a blunderbus had been used:o

 

This was really beggining to me right off, so I laid the springer on the deck and walked over to have a look at the target. The pellets were in the putty at all sorts of angle's Side on, front on, some up some, down.

Pulled the putty apart and fingered out a pellet that had a shaved head and a chunk of the skirt missing

 

They were obviously clipping the AA Silencer I had put on the end!!! The first 2 were perfect, but the recoil had obviously moved the silencer which I had to shim into position so it wouldn't clip.

 

I took the silencer off and put up a new Zero target, fired the gun and it was just a touch low, again I launched a pellet and again it landed just a touch low and just touching the other pellet I had previously fired. I made the adjustment to bring it up into the 15mm black centre of the cross and put 3 pellets all in the black centre.

I then paced out another 15 large paces and turned to face the target. I launched another 3 pellets all landed about an inch and a bit low. The grouping was a little wider and just a touch to the right (I put it down to the increased). I again made the adjustment and the pellets were landing on the centre of the target elevation wise but again the wind was still strong from the left and the pellets were all landing at the right of the centre spot.

 

By this time I had developed a bit of a headache so I went to mark out 30 good paces from the main warrens and place some markers out ready for tomorrow (weather permitting).

After doing this, I noticed the schoolies crossing the foot bridge over the A63 so I went and sat in the hedgerow until they had all passed.

It was about half hour before the masses of teenage brats passed entirely and the clouds had been gathering and light was getting really low I picked up my pack that I had put all my gear into and picked up the rifle to put into her slip when I saw a light coloured object move from the direction I had been aiming at my targets. I looked over and sure enough I could just make out the form of a little bunny. The wind had died down again but it did look a little further away I made my way slowly over to where I was in-line with my 30 paces marker and shouldered the 19. Looking through the scope I could clearly see this was a very young bunny and I questioned wheter I would be able to pull off the shot from standing at such a small target with a springer. "Course you can" the voice in my head said "Bring it on" it continued

I thought well if I miss, I miss but go on, give it a go, what you got to loose?

Concentrating on my breathing, letting the gun rest on the palm of my hand and the stock not pulled into my shoulder too tightly I gently squeezed the trigger. Bunny sprung into the air moving forward as it did so.

It landed on its side back leg kicking wildly then slowing down as the leg lowered

Walked over to retrieve my prize from where it lay, no longer breathing.

 

The Pellet had hit just a touch lower than where I was aiming and thats what I like about a .22 slug, the energy transfere had caused enough shock to kill the brain outright, even though the pellet had not actually penetrated the brain as can be seen from this pic.

 

 

Phantom

Edited November 24, 2009 by Phantom

[stealthy1 3,964]

Shot! I keep meaning to take my HW77 out for a whacking session to stop it getting fat

[bedrock 16]

I’m always surprised how lazy shooting a pcp makes me a few good sessions with a Springer teaches me how to shoot properly again. The old Springer certainly looks like it can do the damage. atb John

[zini 1,939]

Nice write up Tony

 

Its good to see that the springer is still doing her job and nailing bunnies.

 

Sorry for my ignorance mate but what gun is a 19?

 

Nice shooting as well mate.

 

Si

[davyt63 1,845]

nice read that tony,and a good result at the end,which i still had my AATX200HC .22

regards

 

davy

[davyt63 1,845]

Nice write up Tony

 

Its good to see that the springer is still doing her job and nailing bunnies.

 

Sorry for my ignorance mate but what gun is a 19?

 

Nice shooting as well mate.

 

Si

 

hi zini

me tinks its a SMK 19

regards

 

davy

[Marksman 934]

why is it other people always come back with a bunny after a zeroing session, when I all come back with is an A4 piece of paper with a big hole in it and the satisfaction I put it there???

 

Good shooting mate!!

 

Darryl

[venomviper 129]

good shooting buddy

and nice read up to i took my hw97 out this mornin after work and your write the good old springer does bring you back to ground level and shows you just how easy the pcp's are.

keep the good shooting going.

 

venomviper

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hi Tony.

 

You nabbed that nipper in the noggin....no nonsense

 

Great write up enjoyed the read.

 

 

ATB.

[Phantom 631]

Cheers guy's

 

Zini, Davy is correct it is an SMK XS19.

 

I've not tuned her yet other than put a couple of strips of thin rubber between the action and the stock, which has taken the kick down a bit and really dampened the sound that is transfered through the stock.

 

I love shooting springers and out of all the ones I've owned over the years this one is my favorite. I will be keeping this one for a good few years yet.

 

It took my first load of bunnies; all good clean head-shot kills, as well as turning that rodent inside out:clapper:

 

Thanks again guy's

 

Phantom

[wabbit slayer 16]

Nice shooting and nice to see a wabbit that aint got mixy for a change.

[ian118118 10]

mate iv got a xs19 (smk 19) and can i just say i highly reccomend the logun penetrator pellets (the 16.0gr ones), if they are anything in your 19 like they are in mine you will be amazed by them.

 

iv tried about 10 different pellets including accupell,air arms field ect.. but nothing compared to the logun ones.

 

i will never choose a different pellet for my air rifle after using these

 

A.T.B

 

ian

[jackinbox99 41]

What a shot! Dont you love it when that happens! Unfortunately I zero my gun in my back garden and the chances of me ever seeing a bunny in there are next to zero! Still, ive had it before tho when in the field, im shooting at targets and next min bunny ears appear behind my target! Excellent!!!!

[blackstaff 488]

Nice read, if only we could all have these ' Zeroing ' sessions !!

[Phantom 631]

mate iv got a xs19 (smk 19) and can i just say i highly reccomend the logun penetrator pellets (the 16.0gr ones), if they are anything in your 19 like they are in mine you will be amazed by them.

 

iv tried about 10 different pellets including accupell,air arms field ect.. but nothing compared to the logun ones.

 

i will never choose a different pellet for my air rifle after using these

 

A.T.B

 

ian

 

Thanks for the tip Ian

I usually use AAFD's in 5.52. I figured as I still had half a tub of the FX's I'd use em up

 

I'll try to get me some of the Penetrators and give em a try

 

Phantom