Today's effort.

[Ron Weasley 83]

Had an early start this morning. Had a job booked in for 8.30, but thought I'd call in at a small bit of permission I have on the way and see if I could bag a few bunnies. Left the house around 4.30ish, got to the site around 5.15. First thing I saw out of the passenger window of my van was a large buck rabbit about 20 yards away. I cursed my lack of electric windows in the van, and got out, took the R10 out of it's slip an loaded up. To my surprise, the bunny was still there. I took a supported shot, leaning on the bonnet of my van. Nothing. It didn't even twitch. Cycled the bolt, took the next one, and saw the pellet strike the ground about 2 feet in front of the rabbit. The rabbit sat still for the next couple of seconds, and then gave it the legs. I was pretty p****d off, as the rifle has just come back from BSA for the second time. Turned out that my silencer had come about half a turn loose. This rectified, I checked my zero by shooting some clumps of earth that I'd paced out at 30yards. I decided to give it 10 or 15 minutes to settle down, so poured myself a coffee and sat in my van for a bit.

 

That done, I had a bit of a mooch around the paddock. At one stage last year I was shooting 4 or 5 rabbits a night here, but the owner has since fenced the paddock off, much to my annoyance! The only real problem he gets now is in his garden. I approached, and saw bugs at what I estimated to be 25 yards. I gave it one mil-dot hold under, and watched the pellet sail straight over it's head. As the rabbit bolted, I was confused so paced it out. In doing so, spooked another three in the garden that had been obscured by a hedge. Turned out it was closer than I estimated, 19 yards!! Dammit!

 

Had a wander back over to the paddock and dropped this woody on the ground at 32 yards (paced).

(photo in the back of my van).

 

Gave it another ten minutes, had another wander, but saw nothing. Time was getting on by now, so I had to get moving to my job.

 

Now some of you may have read my post about a rat job I'm doing that I'd managed to bag a bit of shooting out of. Second visit today. I turned up just as the customer was feeding her chickens. She'd seen several already that morning. I approached the enclosure, and saw a couple running around. Got myself in position, this was my line of sight:

 

Within about three minutes, the first rat appeared, but it ran behind the trough, and then off again quickly. Came back a couple of minutes later, and took an 4.52mm FX in the skull from my new Ultra for his troubles. Sat it out for another 40 minutes, but saw nothing. Customer came over for a chat, and after she left, I decided to check my traps laid on the initial visit (this lady was particularly anti-rodenticide), to keep disturbances to a minimum. That done, I settled back into my chair. About 20 minutes passed, and a quarter grown rat appeared at a feed-bowl about 5 yards in front of me. (just on the left as you look at the picture). I could see it's front half, as it was bending over the bowl. As it was so close, holdover was needed. I settled the centre of the crosshairs on the top of it's back, and squeezed off the shot. It stopped instantly, shot in the back of the neck. Another 20 minutes and another appeared, about 6 inches to the left of the same feed bowl. Before I could shoulder the Ultra, it disappeared, but I was confident it'd be back, so I watched through the scope. Sure enough, he reappeared 90 seconds later, and with a touch less holdover than the last one, was shot straight between the eyes.

 

Left it at that as I had some other jobs to get to, but here's a picture of the three, with a couple from my traps and my new Ultra Tactical in the back of my van.

 

 

I'm really impressed by the little Ultra, and I'm quite sure if I'd taken just that out today, there'd be at least a couple of bunnies to add to this write up. I'm going to spend a bit of time paper punching with R10 and getting comfortable with it again - and working on estimating distances over the next few days!

 

*edited to correct typo

Edited July 27, 2010 by Ron Weasley

[hunter1989 91]

hi mate

 

nice read up and shoot

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hi Ron.

 

 

Good post mate, and nice pictures too.

Hard luck on the Bunnies, but they will be there next time

 

Im sure that the inland Revenue/accountant, would appreciate the need of a range finder for your work

 

 

Bill.

[falcongit 242]

great shooting bud,you will get bugs next time mate,great write up.SP awarded.

 

sym

[Ron Weasley 83]

Thanks fellas.

 

Bill, I will definitely be adding a LRF to the armoury, but the impulse purchase of the Ultra has put the mockers of that for the time being...and now I'm wondering whether I should prioritise a LRF or the A&M treatment to the R10.

 

Decisions, decisions.

[Ron Weasley 83]

great shooting bud,you will get bugs next time mate,great write up.SP awarded.

 

sym

 

Thanks Sym

[tdesnos 6]

Unlucky with the bunnies mate. Glad the rats were the recipients of your frustration though

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Tris

[gurtwurz 792]

like they say ron, theres always next time for the rabbits buddy, and at least the rats eased the pain eh... the ultra looks a little gem too mate, i like the idea of a tactical stock, specially over winter to save the endless oiling!! nice work mate, slut point for the great piccys and write up pal

 

all the best, wurz

[stealthy1 3,964]

Well done Ron, have a slut for the rats

[Phantom 631]

Nice going there Ron

 

Great shooting at those filthy vile creatures

 

Can't understand why the land owner is anti toxin though unless she fears her stock will suffer if injested.

Mind you Lead is just another form of toxin aint it

 

Phantom

[spike25blue 55]

Nice write up Ron I would go for the A&M treatment + he is my father inlaw

 

Atb Ron

[spike25blue 55]

Nice write up Ron I would go for the A&M treatment + he is my father inlaw

 

Atb Rob

[lamping rabbit 11]

nice shooting there pal .

 

love shooting rat .

 

happy shooting

[Ron Weasley 83]

Thanks for the SPs.

 

Wurz, as I said in the original post, I'm very impressed with the Ultra. My local gun shop is turning them out very cheaply at the moment, and I just couldn't resist. I teamed it up with literally the cheapest scope they had in stock, a Hawke something-or-other 3-9x40 IR (which I'm also really impressed with, by the way!), and it's amazing. I'd definitely recommend them.

 

Phantom, this particular customer originally didn't even want me to kill them! (She openly admits that she is a bit barmy!) I've convinced her now that rodenticide is the best option for an infestation of such a size, but hopefully I'll get to pop a few next week too.

 

It's been a few years since I've shot any rats, and I really enjoyed taking these out!

 

Rob, are you on a commission? Haha. It'd definitely in the pipeline, don't worry.

[spike25blue 55]

No buddy not on commission mate but do use the workshop to make the knives that I do

 

And he looks after my hw100 and s510 for me

 

Atb rob