An Afternoon Out With Pianoman...

[andyfr1968 772]

Hi, folks.

 

I got round to Simon's at mid day to the normal warm welcome and a very welcome mug of coffee. The weather wasn't looking too good but we set off to Simon's permission. There's a track from he main road that runs for about a quater of a mile past a hedgerow down to a lovely big wood that runs along a fairly steep valley that has the river Went flowing along the bottom, it's a beautiful spot

 

The plan was to check the scopes, a bit of informal plinking then off for a mooch through the wood for the last hour or so before setting up a couple of ambush spots before it got dark. Simon had his .177 TX and I had my .177 Diana52.

 

We set up a practice spot at the edger of the wood and placed a target board 30 yards out into the feild. The weather wasn't kind, a high wind blowing steady rain into our face's and pretty bloody cold too.

 

Simon got settled down to his normal prone position with me dropping to my favoured sitting on my fat arse. Within little time, Simon was back to his normal pellet on pellet but I was shooting badly, it just wasn't gelling... I'd adjusted my 52's trigger setting yesterday to give a better let off but I was shooting like a total Muppet, about an inch was the best I could do. And I mean the best I could do..... Really badly off form

 

Anyway, after an hour of getting nowhere I decided to try the prone position for myself and after some quality instruction from Simon, I'd got my breathing and stance something like and the groups tightened up to a ragged one hole so I was happy with that

 

We went off for our mooch but by this time the weather had gone badly down hill, very windy and the rain wasn't letting up. Nothing doing in the wood, the bunnies had got more sense than us and weren't playing out. We then moved on to the edge of the wood at a part where it closely boarders a quarry, we could see loads of tracks and droppings so we set up about 100 yards apart to see if anything would show at dusk.....

 

Nothing, zip, sod all!!!! I had a squidder briefly in my scope but couldn't get a shot off in time and Simon had the same story with a pigeon. It was cold, nearly dark and very wet so we called it a day.

 

Back then to Simon's for a very well needed cuppa and a couple of Jo's lovely butties, thanks Jo

 

In spite of drawing a blank, I had a really great day out with Simon giving me some first class instruction on shooting prone which is a position I've never really had much to do with before

 

Thanks, Simon, you're a true gent

 

Cheers

Edited February 13, 2011 by andyfr1968

[davyt63 1,845]

hi andy

nice to here you two hooked up again

and had a good day out,and its good to see members spending time with each other

 

well done lads!!

 

regards

 

davy

[rossi_j 99]

Nice post andy, you two sound like you get on very well together

 

Some of the best days out I have had have been quarryless

 

Its all about the company

 

This weather is definatly seperating the men from the boys well done on braving the elements

 

.atb. .ste.

[Ron Weasley 83]

Despite the lack of action, that was a really good read. Good on you both.

[Danny R-10 16]

Nice one Andy at least you and Simon gave it a go, doesn't always come off, but nice when it does.

 

ATB

 

Danny

[pianoman 3,587]

Thanks Andy you are welcome anytime to shoot in this truly beautiful bit of God's county with me mate.

The Went valley and surrounding fields is what every shooter wishes for in a permission of his own. Miles of sprawling forest, fields full of crop and no end of quarry...and a bloody big quarry at the beginning of it all. It has been my permission since childhood with my dad really, and I have never grown tired of it or wished for more and it's a pleasure to share it with you.

 

You don't need lessons from me in respect of your hold on your rifle Andy, it looks perfectly right to me. We'll do some work on prone position again when you come over next week. This time we'll work on keeping the pressure off your diaphragm by laying slightly to one side. That's why you should raise your right knee. You'll shrink your groups to nothing out to all ranges once you know you can keep your rifle supported comfortably without compromising correct breathing.

 

It wasn't the best of weather today though really mate, with bloody cold winds and drizzling rain. The woodpidgeon I saw came right at a time when I was, rarely for me, in a sitting position and I suddenly had a screaming cramp down my right side and getting my TX200HC steady into aim was giving me hell in my right arm. The woody just looked at me and clattered off long before I could get the set-up of the shot settled. Heyho!

 

Well my rifle is stripped down still and drying off but, it was another great days shooting and talking with you Andy. I can promise you a lot more than a rare grey squirrel and better weather once the spring and early summer get here.

 

Ste you are bang on correct mate. We've hit a good friendship here I think and, Andy is a font of knowledge on the technical aspects of air rifle gunsmithing. I just know how to shoot with them.

 

Davy, I think you have all the hardy, weatherproof rain-feeding rabits down your way mate. We really went for it today in a bloody horrible downpour but, apart from the odd one scampering off out of range, we didn't see anything to report at all.

 

See you next week for more exploring and Jo's butties and coffee Andy matey

 

And thanks to you all gentlemen for the kind input from you here. It would be great to have you here with us in an honestly (normally) beautiful part of west yorkshire for a proper long range wring out of your rifles and a mootch.

 

I'll even allow pcps'....maybe! :laugh:

 

Simon

Edited February 14, 2011 by pianoman

[zini 1,939]

Very good read there from you both lads,

 

I think it's great that this section get out together and become good friends.

 

There is some quality lads in this section, true gents and talented shooters.

 

Don't worry about having a off day Andy mate we all do from time to time. I started off good with a 49 metre bunny the other night then had another 48, quite a few 35 s and under then missed about 7 bunnies straight after each other some sat at my zero range to before coming good again with a 35m and then a 20m bunny to finish with.

 

I got well stressed at myself and annoyed as them type of shots i normally take easily but later thought about it and them rabbits lived to fight another day which means they will now breed and make more rabbits for us to shoot the next time.

 

It's not all about the bag or bag size sometimes just being with good friends is more important.

 

Well in lads. 5 stars from me

 

*****

 

Si

Edited February 14, 2011 by zini

[pianoman 3,587]

Well said Si and thanks mate.

 

You want to get up to join us and come shoot here when you're home from Germany mate, this is really just a fraction of land my permission covers

It's a bit more of a dampener when I've been out on my own and found absolutely nothing about; or pulled off a hell of a shot and nobody saw it! But, it's great to have a mate, regardless of a bag or not, to share the walks and target shooting with. I think Andy does himself down a bit here. I've seen him shoot before and he's nobody's beginner. He has an elegantly correct hold on his .177 cal. Diana 52 sidelever which really needs nothing added or taken from it. But sitting in a buffeting wind liked a weather cock (!) was likely responsible for his pellets hitting loose-to-right of target. As beautiful as the countryside of my permission is, it is a tough terrain for air rifle shooting. Vast acres of gently rolling, open land with no natural shelter from the winds and rains except into the forestry and the valley slopes. This is why I always lie prone, to present as small a profile to the prevailing winds as possible, my pellet trajectory low to the ground/head height of my quarry and keep a rock steady aim and my groups to single holes.

 

It's another matter into the woods and the leeward slopes of the river valley. This is riven with rabbit warrens as it shelters them leeward of the prevailing winds. A silent stalk, or a well cammo'd hide here often gets me good bags but, they weren't playing in the rain when we were there.

 

Still, it's a poor cloud that has no silver lining.

 

I spent a great day with a good mate anyway. We found the access to a stretch of land alongside a large quarry that used to be a meadow full of rabbits until about 7 years ago. The signs of a large, healthy warren still thriving was all there and no evidence that anyone has been shooting over it in recent years. This is where we split up and set up for hunting. Andy sighted his squizzer and I my woody along here but, given these were the only things we saw with any earthly hope of a game-shot, it was probably a clutch at straws anyway! But this will provide some great rabbit shooting to come. It certainly did years ago!!

 

And the lightweight green, Swedish army parka I got for under twenty quid new, and German Army Ski cap at a local army surplus store recently, really did keep me warm and dry regardless of the soaking it all took!

 

ATB

 

Simon

Edited February 14, 2011 by pianoman

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hi Simon and Andy.

 

Great posts guys, and as already said, sounds like you two are becomming good friends, and shooting buddies, brilliant.

From your description, the permission sounds lovely.

 

Wont be long now before those warm summer days and evenings are with us again.

 

Enjoyed the read.....SP incomming.

 

 

ATB

 

 

Bill.

[pianoman 3,587]

Thanks for this Bill mate. That's very kind of you.

Si had it right when he said there are some quality lads, true gents and talented shooters on this section. Andy certainly is one of all three!

 

All the best to you too mate.

Simon

[pianoman 3,587]

 

 

Don't worry about having a off day Andy mate we all do from time to time. I started off good with a 49 metre bunny the other night then had another 48, quite a few 35 s and under then missed about 7 bunnies straight after each other some sat at my zero range to before coming good again with a 35m and then a 20m bunny to finish with.

 

I got well stressed at myself and annoyed as them type of shots i normally take easily but later thought about it and them rabbits lived to fight another day which means they will now breed and make more rabbits for us to shoot the next time.

 

It's not all about the bag or bag size sometimes just being with good friends is more important.

 

Well in lads. 5 stars from me

 

*****

 

Si

Hang on here a minute! :laugh:

Is this really your idea of an off-day Si?? Hmmm??? Bloody hell mate I wish I had days as crap as this! :laugh:

[zini 1,939]

Simon,

 

You should of seen me mate. I was well pis-ed off with myself especially after missing so many on the trot. I actually thought that i had knocked my zero off some how and said to Davy "if i miss this next 20 metre bunny Im off home", (joking of course).

 

Thank goodness i nailed it in the brain

 

Si.

[pianoman 3,587]

Fair play Si mate :laugh:

 

It really is a downer when the rabbit sport's well on, your rifle and scope is singing like a bird in your hands one minute and then...it all goes apparently wrong. That's why I love air rifles mate. You never quite get them absolutely, predictably sussed out the way you can with full-bore cartridge rifles and shotguns.

 

Still, what you miss today is always sport for tomorrow :toast:

 

Cheers mate.

 

Simon

[Webby1 34]

nice read

 

thanks for sharing

[andyfr1968 772]

Thanks for all the kind comments, fellas

 

As a few of you have already said, sometimes it doesn't matter to come back empty handed. In spite of the shitty weather we had a really good day out.

 

I learned a lot from Simon about how to shoot a springer prone and even though my own form was rubbish on the day, at least I've learned some new things. We were going to have another go tommorow but the weather forcast's rubbish so we'll leave 'til the weekend so finger's crossed.

 

Thanks again to Simon for shareing his beautiful permission with me and thanks again to you all for your comments.

 

Cheers