Author Topic: My progress as a new airgunner (Read 3764 times))

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

LDP · « **Reply #1 on:** September 05, 2016, 08:48:36 PM »

Good job Anthony. Keep practicing and work on your follow thru during the shot cycle and you will get better.

aceflier · « **Reply #2 on:** September 05, 2016, 09:06:33 PM »

Well on your way. Nicely done.

daytime dave · « **Reply #3 on:** September 05, 2016, 09:14:54 PM »

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

LDP · « **Reply #4 on:** September 05, 2016, 10:22:39 PM »

Quote from: daytime dave on September 05, 2016, 09:14:54 PM

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

dk1677 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 05, 2016, 10:33:00 PM »

Good shooting Anthony! Your on the way

ssbn617 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 05, 2016, 10:36:11 PM »

Tree rats beware, Anthony is in town!

Tater · « **Reply #7 on:** September 05, 2016, 10:44:17 PM »

Way to go Anthony. Good pics too.

longislandhunter · « **Reply #8 on:** September 05, 2016, 10:49:46 PM »

Good shooting. Keep after em.

Jeff

maraudinglizard · « **Reply #9 on:** September 05, 2016, 10:57:16 PM »

Nice shootin', the stew pot will be full tonight. It will get easier for you as you do it more.

beachgunner · « **Reply #10 on:** September 06, 2016, 10:00:17 AM »

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.

shadow · « **Reply #11 on:** September 06, 2016, 05:42:12 PM »

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

Jr_Explorer · « **Reply #12 on:** September 06, 2016, 11:11:18 PM »

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.

GD Giles · « **Reply #13 on:** September 07, 2016, 10:20:11 AM »

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.

Terrance Smops · « **Reply #14 on:** September 07, 2016, 10:48:04 AM »

Nice shooting. I am always happy to hear of another tree rat bieong the dust.

WiseGuy · « **Reply #15 on:** September 07, 2016, 11:13:23 AM »

Good shooting! Gotta love a .25 mrod, my brother recently picked one up, doing some amazing shots out to 100yds!...still stock form too.

Nickelsig229 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 07, 2016, 11:58:10 AM »

Quote from: GD Giles on September 07, 2016, 10:20:11 AM

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.

Wildcatter · « **Reply #17 on:** September 08, 2016, 03:58:44 PM »

Give em heck, bro.

Nickelsig229 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 08, 2016, 08:09:40 PM »

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?

Atomic Powered Gruds · « **Reply #19 on:** September 09, 2016, 03:48:25 AM »

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!

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My progress as a new airgunner

Author Topic: My progress as a new airgunner (Read 3764 times))