Elliott 436 Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) The father-in-law to be came up from London on Friday afternoon and after 24hrs I was already feeling the urge to escape from shopping and coffee shops to a more stress free environment out in the fields where everything seems to make more sense. What is it with the materialistic nature of people today, when did we feel the need to spend upwards of £12 on three cups of coffee? Maybe its just me. Anyway it got to 6pm and I couldn't resist the temptation anymore '"I'm off out for a walk" I said, Sarah knew I was referring to shooting. I recently purchased a Hawke Digi Nite Eye which I mounted on the HW100KT and needed some calm conditions to calibrate the scope. The weather wasn't too favourable for that kind of work so I opted for the Dave Hall tuned HW77K. It needed some more lead down the barrel and I needed the practice. On arriving at the permission I checked the 25m zero and it was smack on. I had a little play shooting paper at 35 & 45m to check the aim points on my Hawke Frontier 3-9x40 but as expected the wind played havock the further away I took it. After around 20 minutes of plinking I decided to visit the bottom field in the search for rabbits. As I arrived I spotted one 1/2 - 3/4 grown rabbit and two small kits feeding in the bottom corner of the field. The rangefinder told me they were 72m away so a slow stalk down hill, along the hedgerow, commenced. I arrived at what appeared within range and all three rabbits remained busily feeding on the short grass. I dropped to my knees, slid off the Jack Pyke game bag and got into the prone position for a steady shot using the game bag as a rest. Slowly I pulled the rangefinder out of my pocket and zapped the largest of the three rabbits at 35m. The shot was on and I needed one mil dot holdover at x8 magnification. I lined up the shot, squeezed the trigger and missed! What the?! My breathing, trigger technique, hold and follow through were perfect and I'd missed Not to be deterred I waited in the hope of a second attempt which came 15 minutes later and appeared to be the same rabbit. Oblivious to my presence, it skipped along and out of the hedgerow before stopping at the exact same spot as before giving nice side profile. Thinking it was definately in the bag I took the same shot only to see the rabbit run away again. Whst the hell was going on? I stood up and zapped the range again only to see 25M flash up on the rangefinder! I could only assume due to the steep slope and my prone shooting position the lazer shot 10m over the rabbit, bouncing back as 35m! I could have quite easily given it another half an hour and bagged it but I thought it would be more sportsman-like to let it go for another day. It obviously wasn't meant to be its day today. On the way back I noted 3 kits running around the owners garden and made note to concentrate more on this area in future, but maybe leaving the young to grow a little larger. Another trip out tonight might be on the cards.. the misus' sister has just arrived for the afternoon.. I may be becoming a little antisocial! Edited July 15, 2012 by Elliott Quote Link to post
Pelletpower 203 Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Nic read mate! I would have been spitting feathers if the range finder had done that to me ATB Jamie Quote Link to post
Mawders 595 Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Nice write up dude and lovely rifle, just can't beat a pocket full of pellets and a lovely springer in your arms. 1 Quote Link to post
risingfriend 1,042 Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 nice looking rifle mate and nice read Quote Link to post
doyley 116 Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 great read mate cracking rifle to ATB jamie Quote Link to post
Probuk 93 Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) That is one nice fence mate..Nice one Atb Marty Edited July 15, 2012 by Probuk Quote Link to post
Elliott 436 Posted July 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 That is one nice fence mate..Nice one Atb Marty she has horses! Quote Link to post
StevoSmith 147 Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Nice write up dude and lovely rifle, just can't beat a pocket full of pellets and a lovely springer in your arms. Couldnt agree more mate.....cracking rifle the 77 Quote Link to post
Probuk 93 Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Ya cant beat a good old fence to lean thing's on...and that is a cracking fence, infact i think its the best fence iv seen for a longtime 2 Quote Link to post
zini 1,939 Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Nice read that Elliott bud . Ive had laser skip myself lots of time and missed due to it . Its not such a big problem with .177 but .22 can be a pain if it happens. Good on you for giving the rabbit the day off after your second attempt. Si. Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 He may have given it the day off Si, but I bet it's card is marked for next week!!! Quote Link to post
porkycrook 466 Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Great read, but i am a bit confused about the fence. I can understand that the lady keeps horses but what i cant understand is why is the holes so small, can the horses get through the holes? Quote Link to post
ftm 3,357 Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 great read mate at least you didnt "big it up" and say you dropped this bunny /that bunny a good honest read that probably happens to all of us at one time or another your day will come little bunny!-billy Quote Link to post
Probuk 93 Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Elliot...Been looking at that profile Picture, how have you managed that lol. At first i thought it was a pheasnt by the fence but a closer look has revealed a human somehow sticking out of the ground Marty Quote Link to post
Elliott 436 Posted July 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) Thanks chaps I really enjoy writing it up and taking the pictures Elliot...Been looking at that profile Picture, how have you managed that lol. At first i thought it was a pheasnt by the fence but a closer look has revealed a human somehow sticking out of the ground Marty Ha ha, that was a picture my dad took of me with the HW100KT just before I shot a rabbit on the railway embankment opposite. The land dips quite low so you can only see my top half. Lovely little permission that one, only around 12 acres but has an abandoned railway track on one side and a golf course on the other.. plenty of rabbits Edited July 16, 2012 by Elliott Quote Link to post
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