Going Back To Hunting With My Springer

[eat4peace 21]

When I was about 10, I became the proud owner of a .22 BSA Supersport -and it would turn out to be the rifle from which I learned the art of shooting and hunting through countless hours spent in the countryside surrounding my home in rural Wiltshire.
7 years on, and hunting and the countryside are still my passions and as such, I have moved on to PCPs, with a .177 Daystate MK3 being my current hunting rifle. However, there's just something about the challenge and the art of hunting with a spring air rifle which nothing can beat so I decided to pull out the Supersport once again, though these days it's fitted with a lovely Nikko Stirling Gold Crown 3-9x42 rather than the 4x32 scopes or iron sights I used fairly sucessfully as a kid.
Despite the odd scratch and dent, the rifle still looks and shoots a treat and after a fair few hours practicing and re-training myself with hold, trigger control and follow through (all of which become sloppy through shooting PCPs) using the rifle's favourite Bisley Superfields, I was punching some lovely little groups at 25 yards.

So I started small and did a bit of static hunting in a small copse shooting some woodies comign in to roost. I bagged myself 3 woodies and missed plenty more (Still a bit slack on my rifle hold ) but the challenge is all part of the fun, so I did some more practice and yesterday I had a small mooche around the same permission on my doorstep which I used when I was a kid, and managed thses two big greys.
Absolutely stunned at how accurate this little workhorse still is and I can't wait to get back into using a lot more

 

 

 

This is one of very few photos I have of my Supersport back when it was my only hunting rifle.
this was about 4 years ago when I was 13.

 

 

As I'm new to this forum, I'd love to hear from anyone else who hunts with a spring rifle in these times dominated with PCPs
Thanks for reading,
Ed

 

 

[j j m 6,555]

its nice to see you using a springer any one can shoot pcps but not a lot of people can learn the art of using a springer properly,ive just sold a air arms pro sport and a hw which i used for nearly all my shooting,in now doing a lot of trapping so not using guns as much,good luck and enjoy your gun mate

[woodcote1 88]

Good read mate and great shooting .

[Mawders 595]

Brilliant read pal, its lovely to see the older spring rifles getting more attention these days! I've always been a spring piston man, moved across to pcp last year to see what the hype was about and soon hated it so moved back to spring after only a few months.

 

That's some good shooting on the squizzers! My Fav vermin to shoot!

[woodcote1 88]

Nice to eat as well.

[Jay Argh 6]

Have had a couple of goes with my mates pcps.....was very inpressed with them both, but, for some reason I can't bear to part with my noisy old Webley Vulcan.

 

Something about the weight, the feel, or maybe the big 'clang' whenever I fire it.

 

To me, with my limited experience, it just feels like 'proper' hunting.

[eat4peace 21]

Brilliant read pal, its lovely to see the older spring rifles getting more attention these days! I've always been a spring piston man, moved across to pcp last year to see what the hype was about and soon hated it so moved back to spring after only a few months.

 

That's some good shooting on the squizzers! My Fav vermin to shoot!

 

 

Nice to eat as well.

 

 

 

Cheers guys, squirrels are certainly challenging little critters to shoot -one of my favourite game species to hunt too.

These two went into a stew of mixed game including rabbit and some pheasant.

I think I might dedicate my next post to a bit of game cooking as I always think it's a shame when people miss out on the delicious free meat on offer from hunting.

[eat4peace 21]

its nice to see you using a springer any one can shoot pcps but not a lot of people can learn the art of using a springer properly,ive just sold a air arms pro sport and a hw which i used for nearly all my shooting,in now doing a lot of trapping so not using guns as much,good luck and enjoy your gun mate

 

That's very true, using PCPs for so long made me very sloppy with my Springer, it's a real art to master shooting one, but if you do they are 10 times better than any PCP in my opinion.

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

ive had a few supersports and lightnings. cracking little guns

[fry 209]

"When I was about 10, I became the proud owner of a .22 BSA Supersport" this got me thinking a long time ago " This is one of very few photos I have of my Supersport back when it was my only hunting rifle.

this was about 4 years ago when I was 13." hang on a minute its nearly brand new you lucky ba@@@rd your 17!!! wish i was 17 again! but back on topic there is a certain extra level of satisfaction making a good shot and clean kill with a springer good shooting!

[Mawders 595]

Very true fry I thought that as well haha, it was 16 years ago roughly I had a BSA supersport! My first proper rifle!

[eat4peace 21]

"When I was about 10, I became the proud owner of a .22 BSA Supersport" this got me thinking a long time ago " This is one of very few photos I have of my Supersport back when it was my only hunting rifle.

this was about 4 years ago when I was 13." hang on a minute its nearly brand new you lucky ba@@@rd your 17!!! wish i was 17 again! but back on topic there is a certain extra level of satisfaction making a good shot and clean kill with a springer good shooting!

 

You are correct haha, I'm 17 and that's why I'm still hunting the same permission as I did when I was 10! Though I'd say 7 years old is a fairly modertae age for a springer so it's doing pretty well considering it's had no real maintenance done to it.

Yeah, I agreee, something about the recoil hitting your shoulder followed by the thwack of a pellet hitting it's target is so satisfying.