Hunting with the HMR

[SportingShooter 0]

I have been meaning to go and use the HMR for a bit now and in the last few days I finally had the chance with the fine weather and still days.

 

Friday was a beautiful day down here and it was very still, so the perfect day for the HMR. After I finished work, I went off as usual to my part of the shoot and instead of taking the 12 bore I took the Rimmy. I turned into the farm and began to drive down the lane, which is around half a mile long and is lined on both sides with various trees all the way along. The first thing I saw was a Carrion sitting in a tree as I drove down, and what did I need, the shotgun, Typical!

I drove on. I jumped out of the car, loaded up and took a few spare rounds with me. I was on my way to checking the first of my Larsens (which are still catching well) when I spotted my first opportunity. A very long shot at Magpie, he was around 140 yards away, so I cranked up the scope to x9 and took aim. I flunked the shot missing over his head, way too much holdover, but I’ve never seen such a scared Magpie, Bugger!

It wasn’t the last. I had checked all my traps and just went for a walk around. The weather brought out the best of this ground, the amount of wildlife there could be appreciated fully now, the amount of rare songbirds I saw was incredible, Firecrests, Treecreepers and many others.

I walked around the fishing lakes that are here and considering the day, I was surprised to see them empty and devoid of a single fisherman. The lake I was walking around is about 90 yards end to end and I spotted a squirrel hopping around on the other side, so I steadied the rifle on his engine room and Bang!, Smack!

F****n hell he was in half, first squirrel I’ve shot with the HMR. I was grinning from ear to ear, I hate the Greys they are a my greatest menace.

I was happy enough and decided to carry on, I walked for another 15 mins or so and rounded a corner of a long hedgerow. I saw a Carrion this time, another fairly long shot, about 120 yards. I was sure I would miss as with the other, but I had a go.

No real holdover this time, I aimed at his neck and fired, Smack! again. The little 17gr bullet had slammed him in the centre of his breast and just made great mess of him,

At this point it was just coming to dusk and I went home pleased as punch with my small bag and knowing if the weather kept up I’d be back soon.

 

I left the place quiet on Saturday but returned on Sunday evening about 6.

This time I took both the shotgun and the rimmy just in case that crow was sitting in the tree on my way down the lane. Typical! Damn thing is not only on the ground but yards away. I tried to get out and load the rifle but he had gone before I took two steps. He is a clever one but he’ll make a mistake one day they always do.

I carried on and parked up as usual but this time I took a different route around the place, walking some bits which I only rarely go to. It was like a goldmine for vermin over there, I had been wandering where they were all coming and going from, now I think I know where.

Let me set the scene, I am walking in camouflage along hedgerows which all have 12ft high privet trees and so provide a great cover to shoot through. I looked through a gap in the hedgerow about half way along and spotted a magpie. After the incident on Friday I was determined not to miss another. I lined him up on x6, he was about 90 yards away and I pulled the trigger. Smack! YESSSS. Success! A very satisfying spread of black and white feathers about the place.

I picked it up and bits of him were dangling about, I chucked him in the nearest hedge and carried on walking around my discovered goldmine. I walked into the next field, this field is full of springs and is constantly wet, I walked the remaining hedgerow on this side of the field and saw something moving about 100 yards in front of me.

He he he, another Grey tree rat was moping about in front of me. I aimed for his head this time, being cocky, having had three good shots in the past few days. Bang, Pop!

It sounded like his head had popped like a small balloon, when I went for a closer inspection , I was none the wiser as his head had disappeared. I was gleaming again, one each of my most hated quarry. By this time it was getting to the dusk so I began to walk back to the car.

Excellent!! Who happens to be out when I’m walking back to the car, Charlie.

At first he was 250 yards away, well out of range of the Rimmy. I tried my luck by walking back into the previous field and walking along a hedgerow parallel to the field which Charles was hunting in. I walked about as far as I dare and it turned out I was that far from him, about yards. Still my longest shot with the HMR at a fox.

I took my time over the shot, Charles wasn’t going anywhere. I cranked the scope to x9 and took very, very careful aim at the middle portion of his head. I steadied myself and got the rifle as still as possible, my heart at this point was pumping adrenaline at and alarming rate, I gently squeezed the trigger which seemed to be set at 20lb. It broke and was followed with a what sounded like a very loud smack, my heart was still racing like crazy. I looked through the scope again and he was lying on the ground motionless. I went back into the field to examine it; he was a fairly young dog, probably last years. The bullet had done its job and had entered in the right place. What a fantastic evening, by now darkness was looming and I went home.

 

After the previous days events, I decided to have another look with the Rifle on Monday evening. It was about 6:30 when I arrived. Shotgun at the ready for my crow on the lane. Bloody Thing!, he sure knows how to pick the moments. Two ramblers walking down the lane, which is a footpath. And you know what he sat there all the time the ramblers were too near and shot off as soon as they were gone.

They say crows are clever but this one was taking the proverbial p**s.

I moved on as usual and parked up. I asked my mentor to come with me this time so I could use the .222. He arrived just after me and off we went I had the .222 at first while my mentor carried the HMR. I took him to the patch I had been on the previous night. It was a fair walk but we enjoyed it as the weather was, again, fantastic, with all the wildlife singing its heart out. We were walking along the same hedgerow that I had shot the magpie through and he spotted a squirrel about 220 yards away. A nice long shot with the .222. I aimed straight at him, the zero on the .222 is ½†high at 150 yards now, I re-zeroed last week. I got down on the ground and put the bipod legs out. I took aim, steadied my breathing and the Rifle, Booom!, unmoderated .222 echoing around the countryside.

I watched the whole thing through the scope, he had flipped about 6ft in the air. We walked over to inspect, he had been vapourised, there was a hell of a mess on him, the upper right half of him was completely gone, the rest was like a pile of sludge being held together by the fur.

I swapped over now, back to the HMR. We walked for what seemed like miles and saw nothing. We just about rounded out last corner before going back to the cars and we both saw two carrions sitting in the field. Right we thought, one crow to each Rifle. They were both about 120 yards away from us, the other side of the hedge. We both took careful aim, safeties off and on the count of two, One, Two, BANG, BOOM! The rimmy had gone first followed by the centrefire. More importantly, 120 yards away were two very dead crows, one was obliterated the other just scratched compared to the other. Grinning like Cheshire cats, we walked back to the vehicle, with some hunting banter on the way.

It had been an excellent weekend with the HMR and the added range bonus of the .222. Practice makes perfect, the HMR will be seeing a lot more action if the weather stays fine.

 

Regards

SS

P.S Just a couple of Picture of the ground.

[TOMY,HMR 0]

Well done mate, thats a good write up. You got some tidy looking ground there!! Cheers

[sounder 9]

great write up ss thats good shooting mate nice photos

 

cheers sounder

[kimberman 0]

Great write up and great pictures - you make me feel homesick.

[dwighet 1]

nice week end SS...Still smiling i bet.....

[jamie g 17]

nice one mate you cant beat a walk around with the hmr looking for the odd crow and other vermin sat out

with out a clue whats coming there way

Edited May 13, 2008 by jamie g

[Rudedog 0]

A great read thanks for sharing mate and well done.

[Mr_Logic 5]

Good going, that ground does look nice.

[gilly-93 31]

good one pal nice write up...

[snapper5 0]

Great read SS. Good idea to see what your shooting ground looks like too. I'll try and do the same next time.

[SNAP SHOT 194]

Nice few days shooting there mate well done.

[Guest JohnGalway]

Very enjoyable few days out and about I'm working too much to get anything done at the moment. Building up the cash for new nasties for the foxes and vermin

[SportingShooter 0]

Thanks all, It was an exceptional weekend, you dont get many of them.

 

Any more kit JohnG and you'll be dangerous!

 

Regards

SS

[Guest traceyg]

well ss you were right 1500 words but it was good mate well done