ANGOF
01-10-2012, 10:24 AM
This section of the forum seems very quiet so heres a write up from this mornings hunt ;)
Havn`t been over to my coastal permission for an early morning foray for over a month and since the forecast for the rest of the week is wet and windy i decided that this morning would be my best chance to get out there.
I switched pellet brand a few weeks ago on advice from Rommel at Helston Gunsmiths. Ive been happy using Falcon Accuracy Plus in 5.52 head size since getting my .22 HW80 and i like to stick with one pellet type so i know its trajectory and how it behaves at the ranges i shoot at. Rommel shoved a tin of H&N Field Target Trophy in 5.53 head size inot my hands and said " these are what you want to be feeding that 80 of yours, if you dont like them i`ll refund the money." Cant argue with that and at £9.50 a tin they are a quid cheaper than the Falcons .
Put a couple hundred thru and didnt even have to change zero on the scope plus same holdover as the Falcons so all was good. I did notice they hit the spinners at lot harder than the Falcs did.
Anyway arrive at my permission at 6.50 this morning, park up beside some allotments that i also keep an eye on and wait for it to get light enough to see. Peep over the hedge and see a small rabbit at 30 yards leaning on the hedge for support i take a nice headshot. when the H&N FTT hit home boy did it give a loud crack ! Next field i can see a big rabbit feeding about 40 yards away, ive got plenty of cover and close the range down to 30 yards to be sure and it to was added to the bag.
Feeling happy now i decide to check out the small woodland patch at the other side of the farm, Its a wind break about 50 yards wide and about half a mile long. Its home to the local squizzers as well as magpies, Jays and Woodys.
Had my facemask and gloves in my picket so put them on and made my way slowly thru the trees stopping every 10 yards or so watching for movement. Still to much leaf on the trees really and the pigeons and squirrels saw me first and made there escape. I was about half way when some movement caught my eye. A squizzer was making its way thru the tree tops. It got to about 20 yards from me and stopped, big mistake it caught my H&N FTT just behind the ear. I thought the rabbit skull made a loud pop but the impact on the squirrel skull was twice as loud and sent up a bunch of unseen woodys about 30 yards away. Carried on slowly thru the trees and saw more movement ahead i had to shuffle around a tree to get a view of where i thought the squirrel had gone and it spotted my movement and clamp down onto a branch about 30 yards away. steadied myself against a tree and it to came tumbling down to the forest floor.
Was well chuffed at such a nice morning so started making my way back to my bike. Was walking up a long lane when up ahead i could see a rabbit about 55 yards away just sitting stock still by the hedge. Filled with confidence from my mornings shooting i decided to try the shot from 45 yards which is my maximum distance that i know i can hit from a kneeling posistion. It was a great shot and when i paced it out it was 47 yards so my range estimation was good as i only use the MK1 eyeball for range finding.
So 3 rabbits and 2 squirrels. What a fantastic morning and i think i`ll be sticking with the H&N`s
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa124/angof/001-72.jpg
Havn`t been over to my coastal permission for an early morning foray for over a month and since the forecast for the rest of the week is wet and windy i decided that this morning would be my best chance to get out there.
I switched pellet brand a few weeks ago on advice from Rommel at Helston Gunsmiths. Ive been happy using Falcon Accuracy Plus in 5.52 head size since getting my .22 HW80 and i like to stick with one pellet type so i know its trajectory and how it behaves at the ranges i shoot at. Rommel shoved a tin of H&N Field Target Trophy in 5.53 head size inot my hands and said " these are what you want to be feeding that 80 of yours, if you dont like them i`ll refund the money." Cant argue with that and at £9.50 a tin they are a quid cheaper than the Falcons .
Put a couple hundred thru and didnt even have to change zero on the scope plus same holdover as the Falcons so all was good. I did notice they hit the spinners at lot harder than the Falcs did.
Anyway arrive at my permission at 6.50 this morning, park up beside some allotments that i also keep an eye on and wait for it to get light enough to see. Peep over the hedge and see a small rabbit at 30 yards leaning on the hedge for support i take a nice headshot. when the H&N FTT hit home boy did it give a loud crack ! Next field i can see a big rabbit feeding about 40 yards away, ive got plenty of cover and close the range down to 30 yards to be sure and it to was added to the bag.
Feeling happy now i decide to check out the small woodland patch at the other side of the farm, Its a wind break about 50 yards wide and about half a mile long. Its home to the local squizzers as well as magpies, Jays and Woodys.
Had my facemask and gloves in my picket so put them on and made my way slowly thru the trees stopping every 10 yards or so watching for movement. Still to much leaf on the trees really and the pigeons and squirrels saw me first and made there escape. I was about half way when some movement caught my eye. A squizzer was making its way thru the tree tops. It got to about 20 yards from me and stopped, big mistake it caught my H&N FTT just behind the ear. I thought the rabbit skull made a loud pop but the impact on the squirrel skull was twice as loud and sent up a bunch of unseen woodys about 30 yards away. Carried on slowly thru the trees and saw more movement ahead i had to shuffle around a tree to get a view of where i thought the squirrel had gone and it spotted my movement and clamp down onto a branch about 30 yards away. steadied myself against a tree and it to came tumbling down to the forest floor.
Was well chuffed at such a nice morning so started making my way back to my bike. Was walking up a long lane when up ahead i could see a rabbit about 55 yards away just sitting stock still by the hedge. Filled with confidence from my mornings shooting i decided to try the shot from 45 yards which is my maximum distance that i know i can hit from a kneeling posistion. It was a great shot and when i paced it out it was 47 yards so my range estimation was good as i only use the MK1 eyeball for range finding.
So 3 rabbits and 2 squirrels. What a fantastic morning and i think i`ll be sticking with the H&N`s
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa124/angof/001-72.jpg