Back to glorious basics

[silentshot1 206]

As some might know from the Technical section, my AA S410 busted about a week ago and since noticing, I reverted back to 'Old Faithful', my Venomed HW77 K .177.

 

I headed out on Monday afternoon, full of retro joys and with a freshly bought tin of AA Field to check the zero and go retro blasting long eared crop scoffers, with some 23 year old German engineering, improved on by an original British upgrade, brilliant!

 

... OR NOT, as the case was! As I set about zeroing I suddenly discovered how inaccurate, cumbersome and down right heavy the jumped up hun had become. First I blamed the scope, followed by the pellets, the gun and finally the wind direction, all over five days of utter frustration and paper punching. I couldn't hold the zero long enough to be accurate, groups were splitting as quickly as a Sugababes line up, generally a bit of a mare and me looking at kissing goodbye to two of the best summer shooting weeks, waiting for my S410 to return from Hailsham.

 

I thought I'd have one last try on Saturday afternoon and finally realised the problem...... me, obviously! Where I hadn't shot with a springer for 7 months, my body had forgotten how to cope. The extra weight in my arms, the vibration of the recoil, even the fit in to my shoulder had all become foreign due to shooting a PCP and suddenly on Saturday afternoon, I finally caught on and started punching some decent groups. Full of confidence I wondered to a known warren and bagged myself a three quarter grown bugs. That was it as it was pushing on and as the HW77 has no mod, one shot can clear the upward slopes of the bunny kingdom for an hour!

 

I went out again today, with the hun on my back, for a proper Pigeon session (my favourite). The Rape field I shot over in the winter had just been harvested and I had watched Pigeons dive bombing it yesterday so figured it might be a winner. A quick check of the zero at 30 meters, all happy so off I went.

 

I set up under some oak trees that border the field, using nothing but the shade and head to toe camo as a hide and spread some decoys in to the wind with the furthest at 45 meters, lent back against the tree and waited.

 

 

Within 15 minutes, two car crappers landed in the pattern, simultaneously. They pranced through the decoys as though visiting the Tate, as they went behind my 30 meter marker I decided the shot was on, I gently took up the first stage, through the second stage, CRACK, crack, and two pigeons flew off. May be due to excitement, I missed both pigeons but managed to bag my own decoy MORON! A whole straight through it's neck.

 

I waited another 45 mins, with bag loads of interest from low flying Meshershits but none landing. A few moments on and without a sound victim one landed, I watched him through the scope as he went about the pattern, pigeons can't half motor on their legs when your trying to follow them surreptitiously through a scope, with a 12 1b combo in your hands! At last he stopped and got his head down for a nibble, he was partially covered by the rape stalks so I had to wait for him to pop his head up then Crack, an AA Field head ache cure found it's way through his neck and he just fell forward dead.

 

After another hour and three shots deflecting off stubble, pie filler two arrived, I picked him out of three at 35 meters and sent the AA field straight in to his lower neck, at which point he took off, flew 200 meters and over the MoD fence and dropped. A cracking shot but no chance of recovery. another 15 mins of watching feeding frenzies around me and number three turned up, duplicating number two but only getting about 10 meters before dropping stone dead. Number four was the only tree shot of the day at about 15 meters and 45 degrees from behind. He dive bombed straight in too the thicket of stingers and brambles behind so was left for gone.

 

Only a brace recovered but for some reason, one of the best days mooching I've had in months, I utterly loved every minute.

 

 

Sorry to have blabbed on, but still on a rush, just a brilliant day!

[Phantom 631]

Excellent write up SS Really enjoyed the read

 

Sounds like the kinda fun day I am eager for on my new permission

 

I must admit, I have only shot my springer once this year and that was at paper as I knew I would have lost my touch with it since getting lazy with a pcp.

 

Having watched Si (Zini) last week with his springers, I really must get back to basics, but in an urban shoot they are not the best tool for the job where as the Super Quiet S200 is.

 

Think I may actually take the springer out to the paddock sometime this week and have a play with some more paper punching and perhaps a bunny or two for my new ferrets when I get them.

 

Phantom

[luke2009 9]

good write up SS atb on your next mooch

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hi SS.

 

Brilliant write up mate.

There is deffinatly somthing about Pigeon shooting, sat there all quiet, then you hear the flutter of wing's.....and you freeze in antisipation.

Can tell from your post you had a real buzz out there.....nice one

 

Have a slut for a good post and excellent shooting too

 

 

 

ATB>

 

 

 

 

Bill.

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

good write up and im sure a few of us have shot there own decoys before

[Ron Weasley 83]

good write up and im sure a few of us have shot there own decoys before

 

Funny Aaron, because I'm not quite as convinced!

[matt_hooks 188]

Silent, it's a good job iPhone screens are wipe clean, tea is difficult to read through!

 

Good kill on the decoy! Proves they're realistic I suppose! Haha.

[stealthy1 3,964]

Nice shooting SS, have a slut for your effort

[johnboy19 38]

Great read mate. SP coming your way

[pest hunter 151 15]

A good read mate and a good pair (I mean the woodys ) SPA mate