Good bag yesterday on a short stalking session.

[pianoman 3,587]

Goodmorning Gentlemen.

 

It was one of those days when you can swing time off work and get out with your rifle in good weather. I gave Andy a bell and he was over in an hour..with condition.

 

"I have to get back earlier than the usual dark hour finish. before Ten".

 

Well a few hours is better than nothing so, off to field No.1 with a batch of rifles and some assorted ammo to test. We set up targets and zeroed up.

 

Thanks to Markha's kindness, a batch of Crossman Premier Magnums and some elderly H&N FTTs from him and a tin of Accupels kindly given by Andy proved very accurate in my TX200 .22 rifle and particularly in my Wiehrauch HW80k which produced some very tight groups at 30 to 40 yards, despite a light, loose feel as I fed them into the HW80K's breech.

 

As I'm testing these, Andy hears a noise coming from the woods.

 

"Sounds like a squirrel arguing!"

 

What about I have no idea but, he wanders off into the woods with his .20cal. HW90 gas ram while I'm happily testing away.

 

Three shots came from the copse pretty quick and after about 20 minutes he re-emerges with two dead squirrels by the tails. Arguments definately silenced. What was the third shot?

 

"I lost a 3rd one down the banking. They were so busy bloody squabling with eachother they didn't see me coming!".

 

So three squirrels up, it's time to go do a bit of hunting I think! I use my HW77 and H&N FTTs zeroed at 30 metres.

 

We head to a lovely part of the permission, at the bottom of my mate's huge garden down to the woods. It gets hammered with rabbits from the woods and the valley beyond is rarely shot. I leave Andy with the garden and I wander off into the valley. This area is steep sloping ground that's broken up and not suitable for prone position. It is also heavilly cropped with shrubs and hawthorn bushes. It's lovely to stroll through but tough to shoot over. You can't remain static as it offers very limited fields of fire. You'll be waiting all night for a rabbit while dozens could be just yards away around a shrub. it's standing kneeling shots only and slow moving stalking, as rabbits can appear in tight spots in an instant and flash straight back into cover.

 

This happens within moments of working through the sloping ground around a thick Hawthorne tangle. A full grown buck ambles downslope from dense hedgerow. In the scope it is pin-sharp in focus at thirty metres. I take a standing shot, the gound is too steep and uneven to get a comfortable kneel.

 

The HW77 is Military-grade heavy. And that's why I love it. Not for the faint hearted light pcp shooter! To shoot accurately standing you raise the rifle above the rabbit and let it slowly sink, lowering it onto the rabbits head...BOP! The H&N round made a heavy, bony thwack and the buck tumbles to a level clearing about 40 metres down. I'm about to begin a gropy descent down the slippery smooth dry grass and furzes but, I spot another full grown rabbit about 55 metres on the rangefinder, or 5.5 mildots down away just clear of the undulating turf.. It's head is well up, listening, sniffing the air with all it's might to gain a position fix where this threat is coming from.

 

A silent reload, click the underlever back...the bloody thing is even more wary at the sound of it, it knows there is someone away from it.

 

I fire as before, lowering onto the head at the mildot holdover. BOP! it flips straight over tumbling downhill. I make my way slowly to where I find rabbit No1, head splattered in blood. A good kill if I say so myself! I make my way for rabbit No2. Can I find it? Like hell, it's gone down into one of the thick hawthorn clumps but it's nowhere on open ground. No point in scaring everything off for just one bunny. I put it down as 'Lost In Action' and make my way back up the slope with my rifle and first bunny. Have a rest, let the breez clear my scent and start again.

 

I almost make the summit and somewhere to leave the rabbit when, I hear Andy's rifle fire in the distance, almost instantly followed by that familliar THWACK on fur and bone! And very close above me; no more than 20 metres at most.

 

That sound brings three rabbits scuttling out of cover about 40 metres below my position. They scamper for the woodland edge on this side, two get through but one pauses and stops right within 6 inches of cover and safety. I have the rifle reloaded and still it doesn't move. It was dead in one shot before it twitched a muscle more.

 

I love this HW77 more than anything. It just puts the shot right where you want it, every time. It's an incredible shooting weapon for hunting. The rabbit below me didn't even kick or flinch when the pellet struck it hard and fast and put it out like a light.

 

I picked it up presently and once again, groped and slipped my way back up the steep slope to the top. That brings me back to my mate's garden. Andy sees me and appears at the far end. He's a good 60-odd metres away from where he fired his shot and the rabbit he took out at that distance is dead, tumbled into a very decorative, very festive and very impregnable Holly bush. It was a definate hit but, I know from old experience of shooting here, this bloody bush has lost me more tumbled shot rabbits kicking and bucking into it than anything. He makes his way over with a shot full grown rabbit. Had we have been able to recover

 

It's half-past eight and the sun is mellowing low. There's not a breath of breeze and Andy has to call time! Bugger!! Oh well. In just over two and a half hours we got a bag of 3 squirrels and three full-grown rabbits to Andy and three full grown rabbits to me. Home and a cooked supper together from the good Jo and our day came to a close.

 

Andy took the pics and these will be up before long!

 

Thanks for reading chaps.

 

Simon

[millsy44 72]

Good detailed write up simon, could picture all the shots perfectly, i love doing my write ups just as much as i do my shooting, SP for you matey

 

Atb peter

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hiya Simon.

 

As always excellent detailed write up.

Sounds like you both had a great outing, congratulations on some nice shooting too.

Look forward to seeing the pics when their up.

 

SP..... nice one.

 

 

ATB.

 

 

Bill.

[rossi_j 99]

See other thread for comment :laugh:

 

I knew wich ever one I wrote on, everyone else would write on the other

 

Nice shooting chaps

 

.atb. .ste.

[markha 99]

What a lovely write up mate, well done, have a point and glad the pellets got used.

[pianoman 3,587]

Now how the bloody hell has this post ended up appearing twice in the section? Bloody computers! Anyway thank you all, Peter, Bill, Andy and Mark for your kind responses.

 

And Mark;

Just to say thanks again mate, so kind of youy to help a fellow shooter out like this. The Crossman Premier Magnums were not a success with the HW77 mate, but, my TX200 .22 rifle loved them. Much better than Air arms Field 5.51mm and they were a pretty safe bet! I have resolved to keep with the .22 H&N Field Target Trophy for the HW77 and just put up with any inconsistencies as they manifest. The majority of these rounds are extremely accurate and powerful to the limit with this rifle and it just loves em! So what can you do?!

 

My FAC HW80K REALLY loved them and the Accupells that Andy gave me yesterday. At 30 metres with near 19ft/lb they punched right through a 3/4 inch MDF block like rimfire shells and printed really neat, sub-1 inch groups at 35 and 40 metre targets. I can't wait for the mid-summer Rats at the field Beet store at 20 meters or less with this cannon and these Magnums. It really thumps the hell out of them with H&N Trophys as it is! I was going to sell my HW80K to someone with the right legal ticket but, I'm going to keep it.

 

Come on Andy, where's the pics laddie?!

 

Simon

[andyfr1968 772]

I'll try to get the pics sorted tommorow. I'm still off line at home so I'm stuck using my phone just now.

 

I'll be at a mate's so I can use their computer and email them to someone (Mike..?) if they'd be kind enough to post them for me??

 

Cheers.

[pianoman 3,587]

Good-oh mate. By the way Andy, I left my bag of test pellets in your car I think. Senior moment, y'know

 

Simon

[andyfr1968 772]

Yup, I've just found them. I'll drop them off at your's next week.

 

How are you fixed for Monday?

[pianoman 3,587]

Monday's sound for a shoot Andy. Usual time? Bring your camera again mate, It would be good to show pics of the valley and the terrain we hunt over.

 

Simon

Edited May 20, 2011 by pianoman

[andyfr1968 772]

We have a plan...!!

[venomviper 129]

hi ya simon

well what more can i say to that great write up pal

andy was only saying about your shooting outings the other day and how much he like them it's good to see people getting out together for a good shoot it's what makes it a true and honest sport/hobby/job for all of us

great write up and and sp for it too simon

 

all the best

 

shay

[TheYorkshireHunter 2]

Monday's sound for a shoot Andy. Usual time? Bring your camera again mate, It would be good to show pics of the valley and the terrain we hunt over.

 

Simon

 

 

CAN I COME TOO HAHAHAHA :whistling:

[pianoman 3,587]

hi ya simon

well what more can i say to that great write up pal

andy was only saying about your shooting outings the other day and how much he like them it's good to see people getting out together for a good shoot it's what makes it a true and honest sport/hobby/job for all of us

great write up and and sp for it too simon

 

all the best

 

shay

Hi Shay.

 

Thank you so very much, that's really kind of you to say sir!

 

All the best.

 

Simon.

 

 

 

Yorkshirehunter/Sean.

 

Come over for a shoot sometime and let's see what you've got downrange. Andy is a cruel taskmaster of a range-captain mind! It was hitting pop-bottle tops clean off stones at a measured 50 metres this session!

 

Simon

[j j m 6,563]

good write up bud