gurtwurz 792 Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 excellent work as ever lads, and a great write up again simon mate i would've commented earlier but i've been a tad busy with the pro sport... glad youre both having loads of fun putting the rest of us to shame, all the very best, wurz Quote Link to post
andyfr1968 772 Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 Nah, we're both rubbish, Wurz, we just make it all up!!!! I'm going to take a few pics on Monday and I've also got a few on my camera that I've not been able to do anything with 'cos I'm offline at home.... I'll put up a request Monday night or Tuseday to ask if some kind soul can post them for me. I can only get a very little time to have full Internet access at the moment but I'll sort something out..... Cheers!! Quote Link to post
andyfr1968 772 Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 Just to add, John, if you ever find yourself up this way, give us a shout... Quote Link to post
gurtwurz 792 Posted May 22, 2011 Report Share Posted May 22, 2011 thanks andy, that'd be great mate.now i just need to make an excuse to SWIMBO as to why we're gonna be holidaying in the dales this year. assuming i can accurately shoot out further than clubbing range that is... thanks again, wurz Quote Link to post
gurtwurz 792 Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 She Who Must Be Obeyed... Quote Link to post
theflashingblade 11 Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 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 Hi Simon Nice piece of writing. Sounds like a really good evening. Andy told me that your beloved HW tried to bite you and consequently the barrel has suffered damage. I have a spare .22 HW90 barrel. Its not great cosmetically but perfectly serviceable. If it will fit you're welcome to it until you manage to get anything better. Andy's going to pick it up tomorrow night. Got to go. The kids want bedtime stories! Cheers Paul 1 Quote Link to post
andyfr1968 772 Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 Christ on a bike, Paul, you've finally got an account!!!! :kiss: Let me be the first to welcome you, mate. Cheers!! Quote Link to post
pianoman 3,587 Posted May 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 Hiya Paul. Aye lad, I went out with my .22 HW80K as I've had a brilliant shoot with it the other night and wanted to get back into hunting accuracy with it again. Had a practice session today and the bloody oily barrel slipped out of my hand and slammed home shut. Bust! It's gone north. Bent upwards in the breech block. Just bloody thankful it didn't wreck the scope, stock and cylinder face. It's very kind of you to let me have your spare .22 barrel mate. I'm going to get a new barrel from Hull Cartridge just as soon as I can afford it. I think they are about squid. I'll try to not it slip again till I get a replacement! Heartiest sincerely Paul. It's very kind of you, and welcome to the section mate. Come for a shoot with Andy again when you can! Simon Quote Link to post
pianoman 3,587 Posted May 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 Hang on... The Flashing Blade...!? I'm still astonished you are old enough to remember that one, Don Alonzo! Quote Link to post
gurtwurz 792 Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 christ, its the infants school summer holidays all over again- that series was ace! apart from the harliquin episodes... cheers, wurz Quote Link to post
andyfr1968 772 Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 Zoro, anyone?? Quote Link to post
andyfr1968 772 Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 Paul? Is that the photo in your avatar that I took when you were going through the ford in Dobbs Park? The time when I nearly lost the 'gay mobile'??? Quote Link to post
fry 209 Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 great write up nice to read a few again. Quote Link to post
pianoman 3,587 Posted May 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 Thanks Fry mate! Quote Link to post
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