Hunting At Range.

[mark williams 7,563]

On one of my permissions there is a huge tree surrounded by lots of cover to set up in and take a few wood pigeons.

There are no townie wood pigeons amongst them and the slightest movement seen by them and they are away.

The huge tree is exactly 26 yards out to 39 yards either side of centre and the HW 100kt .177 picks them clean at these ranges with both heart/ lung, or head shots .

There is an every day sized Oak tree to my right and is approx` 50 yards to 55yards from centre and no chance of any concealment to hide in. So it means 55 yard shots on average, some a tad more.

One of the lads on here mentioned the other day, would i take long range shots and i said no, as fieldcraft should get me a lot closer. Well in this situation it won`t and i wonder wether to take the shot or not, out to 55 yards + .

So i`m going to go out to this spot over the next few days, the hw 100 is putting all shots inside a 5p coin at a 36 yard zero off the Primos sticks, so i`ll calibrate and see what size groups are achievable "IF" it`s a still day.

The next question is, if the accuracy is good enough (which i`m sure it will be) would i take a heart/ lung shot ? - NO !

I am more than confident a head shot out to 55 yards on a pigeon is instant despatch but nothing else.

 

 

Perfect practice, makes perfect (usually)

 

 

I`ll see the group sizes first

 

P.S - this situation in shooting is not helped by the movements, noise required in cocking a springer, hence the PCP.

- all ranges noted from my "top of the range, range finder"

[charlie caller 3,654]

At the end of the day if you can head shoot them they will drop my personal limit is 40 yards (self imposed) however as I have said before a few months back, my mate who is a good shot wounded a pigeon due to his scope being off (since transpired it was knackered) the pigeon flew into an Ash tree, a long way off, but as I cant stand to see anything suffer, and trying to get closer would have probably scared it off, I decided to take the shot, a body shot at that, as that is all I could see, so up goes the .177 Cometa Lynx a bit of hold over, thwack, a stone dead pigeon hit the deck, I stuck a stick in the ground and measured it later with my mates rangefinder, 67yards exactly, not bad I thought for a sub 12ftlbs air rifle,obviously it helped being .177 so I would say body shots are not a complete no no either mate.

[just-A-snap 1,269]

If you are going to attempt a shot like that then when will it be a good time? After any amount of practice the day will have to come when you take it, that is if you do. It is one that you have to judge to jump in head long or not at that moment.

Good luck

[Zimpara 99]

Charlie I thought it was 68 paces? about 55metres? I may have misread original post though.

Great shot none the less.

 

My rifle has zero penetration at 60-70 metres. Accurate enough to hit a telegraph poll at 70m with 2foot holdover

Edited November 5, 2015 by Zimpara

[David.evans 5,323]

Mark

Good post mate , and a lot of answers will be coming your way

I think only you can answer that

Put some targets out at 60 yards and see how close you get to the bull

The rifle has the power to drop stone dead pigeon/ rabbits at that range , weather conditions allowing i.e. Wind

Would be the maim factor, and a clear shot

And right or wrong I have took the shot at 60 yards , and a clean kill was the end result , head shot only tho

Your mill dots won't come into it to much as you can zero out to really to 40 yards if you want to

That's my zero range with .177

To answer your question, it's down to you Mark and if you feel comfortable/ confident, and your hitting the targets

Why not

Atb

Dave

[charlie caller 3,654]

Charlie I thought it was 68 paces? about 55metres? I may have misread original post though.

Great shot none the less.

 

My rifle has zero penetration at 60-70 metres. Accurate enough to hit a telegraph poll at 70m with 2foot holdover

Yes you are correct it was, but I am 6'1" and have a bloody long stride, so my paces are pretty much spot on for yards borne out by the stick in the ground and later rangefinder measurement@ 67 yards, pretty handy for zeroing my stalking/foxing rifle, as I dont own a rangefinder (hmm xmas is a coming) I can stride out a hundred,two hundred,three hundred, pretty much within 5-10 yards everytime,not a shot I would attempt with an air rifle normally, but from a humane perspective, I had to have a go.

[Zimpara 99]

Ahh got you! Yeah partner has a 6ft1 stride and I take 2 paces to cover one of hers. Lol :-)

[bigmac 97kt 13,821]

Once came across two rabbits sitting side by side and if i broke cover they would of fecked off so lay prone took the first one then the second used half way over third mill dot rifle was zerod at 35 yards both dead with kill zone shots

 

Vis paced it out and it was 70 yards two shots two kills

 

the first and second just lay down no kicking or jumping and thats not the best one,s iv done with a sub 12 rifle

 

but ill keep that one to my self but lets just say a 12 sub air rifle is capable of a lot more than we think a hell of a lot more

 

Iv not shot at that distance since nor am i my eye site is not that good any more lol

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[j j m 6,589]

ive took some long shots as long as your sure you can take it out with a clean kill i go for it,if theres anything like twigs or anything in my way i dont t take the shot

[David.evans 5,323]

Sorry Mac

But your telling porkers

Yove for got the range work we done together

65 yards , 12 mm bolts heads , and you never missed ,

So it can be done , as I've said under the right conditions

Atb

[bigmac 97kt 13,821]

Phew i thought you were going to tell them the cal there

[David.evans 5,323]

Thanks Mac

I forgotten that bit

177

Enough said

Sorry pal , but marks right !

[ghillies 209]

a wee but in here.. the difference between 50 and fiffy five is a complete miss, the diference at 65 is 'hu? whered that go' lol..

 

seriously i'd sugest to forget 'groups'...theyre very fationable but..non the less you need to shoot your pellet at the pellet hole to get a true sence, it aids yu long turm no end.

 

one of the better 'practices, is take out the daizies... no measuring, its 'there' shoot it. then do some range stuff with a tape measure out to yards.. in .177 a good pellet and gun tune, is an exstreem on feather, i mean extreme..65 is erghhh very doable on a rabbits bonce but you'll be wanting a heavy pellet like jsb's i think, they seam to hold a bit longer and wack better downrange.

(wait till you can mentaly see the pellet..if you perseive/see its going quite downwards and forwards youll find the heads then.. thinking its a horozontal tragectory will bug the tits of yu trying to find the pellet to find the mark. its dropping down on top of them basically, even more so in a .22)

 

all said and dun, theres more un way to skin a cat so have fun with it..

 

edit, 12mm bolt heads? nice confermasion lolol.

Edited November 6, 2015 by ghillies

[Zimpara 99]

Bigmac shoots and eats 12mm bolt heads... Well ard'!!! Lol ;-)

Edited November 6, 2015 by Zimpara

[ghillies 209]

If you are going to attempt a shot like that then when will it be a good time? After any amount of practice the day will have to come when you take it, that is if you do. It is one that you have to judge to jump in head long or not at that moment.

 

Good luck

inevitably at 15 yards same can be said....its all in the head is it not? ooooo i cant do that i carnt i cant i cant i cant you cant i cant.....try that for som negative shite lol. in oposition we have im dead good i am i am dead good me im dead good...side of a barn guy...

in the middle..hmm wander what i'm capeable of? try it n see...and go from there. does yu home work...

 

 

p.s. usualy rhymes with 'how good are your eyes'.

Edited November 6, 2015 by ghillies