5 More Fluffies For The Hw100...

[Daz39 962]

A second trip up to work last night provided a few lessons and another decent bag. After last weeks 11 bunnies, I couldn’t wait to get back down again last night. Just gutted that for the moment, the HSE manager wants me to prove myself before he’ll let me bring a buddy down.

 

I turned up around 11:30 last night and again saw 3 rabbits run away as I pulled into the car park. I went into security to log in and looking on the cameras I could see a bunch of rabbits on the lawn again. I tried the shooting out of the security building again, but this time, as I opened the door, it let out an almighty squeak and the rabbits were away.

Rather than doing the sensible thing of zeroing the scope, I went off chasing the rabbits on the lawn. Over the next 45 mins I successfully stalked 4-5 rabbits, but missed on every damn shot. I had a problem with the new lamp I had bought, it was one on a low fixed mount and was putting it’s beam too high above the scope point of aim. Hence I couldn’t pick out eyes in the darker areas. Luckily most of the perm is light enough to shoot without a lamp. After missing the 5^th rabbit I did what I should have done at the start of the night and zeroed the scope…which after all the messing about with the lamps, was shooting 1”+ too high. I also switched to a higher mounted lamp which now put the beam in the right spot. Next week, I have found a quiet spot to zero in and I’ll do it before looking on the lawn!

 

Right, now zero done I went off round the back of the site. I was seeing similar numbers of rabbits, groups of 2-3-4 here and there, but man they were way more skittish last night than last week and when I did use the lamp, they were off. I managed a couple of shots on slightly longer distances and missed. I was in a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad place!

About halfway round the back there is a court yard (in dark so lamp needed) and on shining the lamp saw 2 sets of eyes. Now this court yard has no grass, so I had no idea why the rabbits went in there, BUT, I also knew there was no way out. The rabbits ran to opposite corners, I took the one on the right with a standing unsupported shot from 25 yrds. The one on the left was next to go, sadly it moved when I took my first shot kneeling, and I hit it mid-flank. I quickly slotted the next pellet in the HW100 and within 3 seconds had taken number 2 out with another 25 yrd head shot. Phew, not blanked and 2 rabbits up.

 

Back round to the front lawn where the rabbits were running when I was still over yrds away. I walked around once and as I got back to the security building, I saw one of the rabbits back out on the main lawn so I went after it, trying to stick to shadows. It ran off when I was about 50 yrds away to a clump of trees, so I decided to lay up. Within 5 mins he was feeling brave and came back out onto the lawn. Now I wasn’t lamping so he obviously didn’t see me. It took me a few moments to find him in the scope, but number 3 head shot went down at 34 yrds in the middle of the lawn.

 

After dropping number 3 with his mates I went back round the back of the site. I noticed a group of 6 rabbits sat in the road, but there was no way to get close to them without walking through one or more spot lights. I tried to hug a building and sneak a look round the corner but all 6 ran, sadly for one of them, he only ran to the fence line. I went prone and just stuck enough of the rifle and me round the corner to spot him. My jacket must have scraped on the ground because he stood up at a noise and pop, I took a 43yrd (paced) head shot for number 4.

 

I managed to scare the other 5 rabbits off as I went to collect him (they were another 10 yrds further away but I hadn’t seen them). I managed to miss another 4-5 rabbits at longer distances than I should have attempted, but the 43 yarder had given me unfounded confidence!

 

As I walked round the back of the main processing plant I noticed a shadow in the corner of my eye, on turning left there was a rabbit around 30 yrds away sat on some stony ground. I rested my rifle on some pipework, no lamps again, and took the 5^th rabbit again clean head shot. I walked around to collect him and saw another pair race off in the distance.

 

I chased the other 2 and tried to take a covert shot between two IBCs, again no lamp needed. I had a great view, but the pellet clipped the metal frame of the IBC and flew off lord knows where with very little power left.

 

I took one last shot at a rabbit from round a corner but he darted off just as I took a shot.

 

When I looked at my watch it was 4am and time to walk away. On signing out in security, again, I could see 4-5 rabbits on the lawn but resisted the temptation to chase them. I was exhausted and had rabbits to clean.

 

 

I went to work hoping to grab at least 5, so was happy with the bag. Enough to keep work pleased, but not too many as to wipe the place before I get to take Mac & the lads up! One of the rabbits was a pregnant doe so I am expecting the patter of tiny feet anytime now!!!

[Matt Smith 143]

As ever, brilliant write up fella I'm guessing it's not going to take long for them to work out the red light means they're about to get pellets winged in their direction.

[Mawders 595]

Nice write up pal, it always puts you on the back foot when you miss a few to begin with but good to see you persevered. I learnt a long time back to check zero on every outing! The journey to the permission can knock the scope just enough through vibrations of the car to mean the difference between a kill and a miss.

 

Mawders

[Daz39 962]

Cheers guys. The place was bouncing again, see 40+ easy but they did their best to make it a bit tougher. Hardly use the lamp at all Matt. It's so bright with all the security lighting. Of the 16 I shot, no more than 5 NEEDED a lamp. You can shoot without no bother.

I normally zero every trip too, it's just there are rabbits next to security so you kinda wanna shoot them and not scare them off. Will zero before I go to security next time!

[risingfriend 1,042]

Good write up and shooting Daz

[Gaz 177 263]

By the sound and look of things you've got yourself a good permission there Daz

 

Nice shooting and a good write up

[Daz39 962]

Gaz, yeah dropped on here!

12 foot security fence and 24 hour on site security, so no poaching.

No one else on shooting.

No muddy fields, all nice lawns, verges and roads.

Plenty rabbits with a nature reserve I can't shoot for them to replenish stocks in!

Lucky lucky boy!! Just want to get some of the boys down to say thanks for taking me out over the last 6 months.

[Daz39 962]

Cheers RF

[moxy 617]

Nice write up again Daz.

[Daz39 962]

Thanks Moxy!

[The one 8,511]

Aye nice read mate

[Stuart1985 256]

good read good lesson learned also

[bigmac 97kt 13,811]

Shud of known better zero every trip iv taught you better than that ,plus stay calm and don't let the excitement of so many rabbits rool your head take your time if they don't know you are there, then take your shot you missed a few and i no you are better than that iv seen you shoot HELL I TAUGHT YOU and if they are getting skittish put your storking skills into play and stop taking long distance shots at rabbits that you know you are not going to hit it achieves nothing but to scare them away and makes them skittish when they do come back out well thats my rant and rave over with for the five you did get good shooting bud but you shood of got more atvbmac

[Daz39 962]

I know Mac. I need to zero before I go to security! It's like you shooting the paddock before zeroing can't help yourself when they are sat there!

 

Don't worry, you are there in spirit every trip in am heeeeed! Haha.

 

2 more trips and I'm going to push again to get you up.

[villaman 9,983]

Get a Pulsar N550 or N750 then you will double your bag ,as you seem you cant shoot more than 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice shooting