GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: Nickelsig229 on September 05, 2016, 08:42:05 PM
-
Thanks to the forum for tips and info. I've been busy the past two weekends getting my first airgun set up and preparing for some pests that have been raiding the garden. I went with a marauder .25 with hawke airmax 6-24 and used jsb diabolo heavy mk2's.
After getting a feeder set up, and zeroing for 25 yards I finally got a chance to make use of it today. While I'm not keeping 1/4 inch groups at 25 yards, I am showing improvement and have something to contribute.
These were taken today while sitting on my back deck, enjoying the great weather, 76 degrees, light breeze from the tropical storm that went out to sea and partly cloudy skies.
I want to thank members for their tips, especially with pushing me towards chairgun, it made understanding what I needed to do much easier. The visualization using the app is great, it shows you what your reading so you can easily understand "doping".
This guy ate it at the feeder which is about 18 yards away. He was looking me dead on and he died instantly. He bleed out a bit on the feeder perch but then some muscle twitch caused him to fall off. He was 3/4 of a dot hold over. Really not that big a deal, but like I said, I'm new.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/Nickelsig229/20160905_174044_zpsioz2t2d2.jpg)
His buddy wasn't long after. He climbed up the stairway to the feeder, took a hit and tumbled down the stairway to the feeder. that's what the piece of wood is in the picture. The same 3/4 dot hold over.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/Nickelsig229/20160905_174054_zpsmyl1buzq.jpg)
This next guest was hard core. I hit him solid eating an acorn about 23 yards out and he limped 5 yards before resting for good. At 23 yards I just cheated the zero up the slightest bit.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/Nickelsig229/20160905_174024_zpsofobavgk.jpg)
And the last of the day was climbing up a tree close to 29 yards out and he took it tough. He didn't die but couldn't move so I took a second shot at him on the ground. I used the zero on him, but I flinched and didn't get a kill shot.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/Nickelsig229/20160905_174000_zpstg1zxn8a.jpg)
I'm sure none of this is exciting to you guys, but for me it's a big deal. This is proof positive that I'm on the right track to getting rid of pests destroying the fruits and vegies we work hard to grow.
-
Good job Anthony. Keep practicing and work on your follow thru during the shot cycle and you will get better.
-
Well on your way. Nicely done.
-
Anthony,
It reminds me, and others I'm sure, of our first shots on pests and game. It never gets boring. Thanks for sharing your first ones with us.
Dave
-
Anthony,
It reminds me, and others I'm sure, of our first shots on pests and game. It never gets boring. Thanks for sharing your first ones with us.
Dave
For sure. We all start somewhere at different ages and its always good to see the newcomers doing a good job of making ethical clean hits so again good job Anthony ;)
-
Good shooting Anthony! Your on the way
-
Tree rats beware, Anthony is in town!
-
Way to go Anthony. Good pics too.
-
Good shooting. Keep after em.
Jeff
-
Nice shootin', the stew pot will be full tonight. It will get easier for you as you do it more. ;)
-
Tony, nice work indeed! Don't sell yourself short. Keep at it, and I'm sure that .25 Mrod will become a second extension for you.
-
Great shooting and pics and squirrels can be just as tough as bigger small game when trying to put em down.
Many of our hunt brothers here harvest barrels of nutter's and are proud to do so and post their harvest here and you should be as well. ;)
We look forward to your future hunt post and keep after dem pest >:(. Ed
-
Every successful kill is a "big deal". I've gotten 100's of squirrels now but I still take pride in every clean kill. Great job.
With a stock Marauder you may want to try the regular JSB Match Diabolo Exact King 25.39 Grain pellets. They will give you a bit more muzzle velocity which will help flatten your trajectory and most Marauders seem to like them (quite good groupings). If all your shots are 40 or less this may not be the way to go (stick with the heavies) but my gun loves the regular JSB's.
-
Nice shooting. Are you using some kind of shooting platform or rest? Back in '79 I lived in Hamden and had a buddy that repaired guitars in Wallingford. Now I'm too old to remember his name. :( :)
-
Nice shooting. I am always happy to hear of another tree rat bieong the dust.
-
Good shooting! Gotta love a .25 mrod, my brother recently picked one up, doing some amazing shots out to 100yds!...still stock form too.
-
Nice shooting. Are you using some kind of shooting platform or rest? Back in '79 I lived in Hamden and had a buddy that repaired guitars in Wallingford. Now I'm too old to remember his name. :( :)
There is a joe's guitar shop, he gave me lessons 15 years ago, not sure if that's who your thinking of.
I'm shooting with my forearm on the railing of my deck. I did purchase a caldwell shooting front rest bag that I hope to velcro down to the railing then have a more stable shot. It should be here today.
-
Give em heck, bro.
-
Four more today, No pics I didn't want to bore people.
I tried some Predator polymag 26gr and the trajectory was pretty much the same as the exact heavy. 4 pellets, 4 kills, one was iffy though, he bounced around about 5 yards before he came to a stop. I wanted to put one more in him but he was flopping non stop, by the time he did stop, there was no reason to give him another touch.
Here's something interesting. We put a little door on the feeder made from home depot paint mixing sticks the second night. The squirrels figured out how to open it, so the third night my pop put a more elaborate door covering the feeding hole from a piece of 1 inch pine. The squirrels couldn't open it, so they chewed through it, and part of the base of the feed hole. We are trying a small steel bracket tonight.
Do the squirrels forage at night?
Also, would squirrel carcass be good bait for raccoon or possum?
-
Do not think they are nocturnal, most if not all are diurnal as far as I am aware. Raccoon and opossum are omnivorous scavengers so if its around where they are active and the birds and other scavengers don't get to it first I don't see why it wont work. That sounds like a great and meaty rifle you got!
-
You're definitely getting the job done ;D
-
I think the guitar repair guy's name was Jim. He'd be pushing 60 by now, at least.
Tony, from what you're describing it made me think of my two favorite air gun hunting channels on youtube,
This one is simply Squirrel Hunter - From Britain and a typical video is 20 minutes long. They have videos about feeders and bait stations and how they typically set up a blind at a distance of 25 yards or so from the station and just wait for the squirrels to come get the bait. They will also show other benefits of being outside and observing nature like deer, game birds they don't shoot, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMuDvc7quBoy-tzr_rP0wA (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMuDvc7quBoy-tzr_rP0wA)
This is Average Guy Airguns. His early videos are done with close to what you have, a .22 Mrod. He set up 2 bait areas in his backyard and the shooting frenzy begins. I think he was shooting close to 200 squirrels a year there but he's recently moved and now he's using an Impact. Graphic and gore rival Scarface, you've been warned.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaCU2Cr1ZERjlT2ER36tl1Q (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaCU2Cr1ZERjlT2ER36tl1Q)
Maybe you'll get some good ideas from these channels.
-
I learned something today. Diurnal - of or during the day
I had never heard that term before, thanks.
The steel door worked, also, 2 of the 4 squirrels from yesterday are missing, So now I need to figure out how to place them in a lit area with a door knocker set up. I don't have money for a night vision set up right now, so I'm hoping a flood light provides enough light to get a shot off on a possum or raccoon.
-
I think the guitar repair guy's name was Jim. He'd be pushing 60 by now, at least.
This one is simply Squirrel Hunter
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMuDvc7quBoy-tzr_rP0wA (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMuDvc7quBoy-tzr_rP0wA)
This is Average Guy Airguns.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaCU2Cr1ZERjlT2ER36tl1Q (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaCU2Cr1ZERjlT2ER36tl1Q)
Maybe you'll get some good ideas from these channels.
When this all started we just weren't getting satisfaction with traps so Dad found "Squirrel hunter" on youtube. I wasn't interested, I've been shooting centerfire for 20+ years. What would I want to bother with bb guns for. I was wrong.
He showed me the video, and I couldn't believe this guy and his brother were having so much fun, and solving pest problems at the same time. I watched more and more and found Average guy, ted's holdover, pcphunter, and airgun hunter extreme, as well as others.
I had to get involved and I'm glad I have. Being able to go out my back door into the yard and shoot all day for fraction of the cost is worth it alone. Getting rid of the pests is a bonus. We are just starting out, but already my parents are hopeful. They can see how this is more effective then traps around the yard. And they tried a lot of home remedies, like nuts soaked in anti freeze, rat poison, pest poison, whatever other old world superstitions they could think of, nothing has had a clear and tangible impact as the air gun.
I even have a play date (I'm laughing). My nephews are coming over to Play "battleship" and "darts" target games I got from PA.
-
Air guns provide a perfect solution to pest control that powder burners cannot. They are very affordable when compared to PB's for plinking, and convenient. Backyard range vs someone else's range and the associated fees, hearing protection, etc.
I have been using a two-pronged approach to squirrel control; traps and shooting at feeder and as opportunity strikes. Traps are effective for those very timid squirrels who avoid the feeders. I don't use poisons. They are too indiscriminate and can end up in the food chain that harm beneficial animals.
-
I learned something today. Diurnal - of or during the day
I had never heard that term before, thanks.
The steel door worked, also, 2 of the 4 squirrels from yesterday are missing, So now I need to figure out how to place them in a lit area with a door knocker set up. I don't have money for a night vision set up right now, so I'm hoping a flood light provides enough light to get a shot off on a possum or raccoon.
Tony you should look into some rifle mounted lights that are red and or green. There are some very cost effective ones out there especially if you dont need allot of distance from it.
-
I learned something today. Diurnal - of or during the day
I had never heard that term before, thanks.
The steel door worked, also, 2 of the 4 squirrels from yesterday are missing, So now I need to figure out how to place them in a lit area with a door knocker set up. I don't have money for a night vision set up right now, so I'm hoping a flood light provides enough light to get a shot off on a possum or raccoon.
Tony you should look into some rifle mounted lights that are red and or green. There are some very cost effective ones out there especially if you dont need allot of distance from it.
Do those filters not scare the raccoons away while allowing enough light to see them through the scope? I have a couple fenix pd35ue that can definitely throw more then enough light and it looks like the filters are cheap for it. Which filter would be better?
-
I know the purpose built lights that come in red or green laser or led lights seem to work very good. A couple buddies have used filters for night time coon hunting in the woods that had success. If they are cheap enough I would get red and green and see if one works better than the other.
-
well played tony
-
and you jumped right into the dark side!!!!
'
-
grab an rws34 in .22
and sample the piston side too!!!
-
Bandit's are pretty comfortable with most lighting and stationary lighting is better if you plan on sniping em. I've tried all the colored lighting and what works best for me is just a LED lamp off a headlamp.
I've pesting night critters for many moons as they say and the LED lamp strapped to a tree and lighting the bait area has helped me harvest countless critters over the years. Ed
-
grab an rws34 in .22
and sample the piston side too!!!
I don't know. I was using my dad's remington/daisy powerline 1000 .177 and it is not the easiest gun to shoot. The first shot I almost dropped it out of the rest when it sprung forward. I wasn't expecting that. I tried reinstalling his scope due to it being canted. I wasn't having fun with it, in fact I used every curse in the book on that thing. It could just be the quality, it is an economy gun with an even cheaper scope, so I wont rule others out, but right now my opinion isn't so high.
-
Looks like a good hunt to me. Squirrels are my favorite thing to hunt. Gets my blood pumping! Nice shooting.
-
If your interested in making your own nightvision here is a very popular forum.
http://www.nightvisionforumuk.com/viewforum.php?f=29 (http://www.nightvisionforumuk.com/viewforum.php?f=29)
Lots of information and you can save a ton of money over store bought equipment.
-
grab an rws34 in .22
and sample the piston side too!!!
I don't know. I was using my dad's remington/daisy powerline 1000 .177 and it is not the easiest gun to shoot. The first shot I almost dropped it out of the rest when it sprung forward. I wasn't expecting that. I tried reinstalling his scope due to it being canted. I wasn't having fun with it, in fact I used every curse in the book on that thing. It could just be the quality, it is an economy gun with an even cheaper scope, so I wont rule others out, but right now my opinion isn't so high.
I have to agree that springers are a P.I.T.A. if/when they have issues like the cheap guns so often do. But with a springer that is dialed in- there is no sweeter shooting experience. And usually it just needs a de-bur and proper lube with fresh seals. $10 worth of parts and an hour of your time can transform a gun that jumps forward out of your hands into a different rifle altogether, and it is very satisfying when you do it yourself.
A pro tuned rifle is even better ;)
-
Rabbits can be and Coyotes are "Crepuscular"(most active at twilight hours) though can be seen at all hours. Nocturnal Diurnal and Crepuscular are the three main terms but I am pretty certain there is more like some animals become more active depending on moon phase such as new or full moons such as jelly fish and other deep sea animals.
You could pick up one or a few cheep solar lights (probably Ebay but sometimes stores are cheaper). Leave them as is and place them close to the bait or put some red or green tape/paint around them to tint the light. Most things will not be bothered if it comes on at dusk and stays on but they may be skittish at first until they are use to it that is why tinting might be of use.
Edit: Just saw Shadows post and feel a bit silly as he said something similar. Do not know how I missed that.
-
Great job Anthony! Nothing ever boring about hunting with an air rifle. Guys on here love hearing and seeing hunting pictures because many of us hunt and pest also. Personally I go out in the wooded areas to hunt them. They are a good way to get practice in for other hunting, plus they are pretty tasty! Keep up the good work and practicing.