Long Range Squirrel Snipe

[Atchman2]

The weather here has been HORRIBLE and my MS has been acting up a lot.  That has kept my hunting way down despite it being the perfect time of the year.    SO I have been doing some stuff to get ready for Thanksgiving and acquiring points to be used in exchange for more hunting days with the wifey.  

I took the bow out for just about an hour the other night after it stopped raining.  It had been a few days since I'd been over to "The Subdivision".  What a time not to have an airgun! It was squirrel infested!  In fact I couldn't resist trying to shoot one with my "Judo" point arrow.  He came bouncing over a log about 10 yards away and down the hill.  

Now this is where you learn something about shooting AND the reason why I'm wasting your time pointing this out and hopefully you will learn something that I learned first hand.  When you shoot a bow, air rifle, muzzleloader, etc, the scope or sights are just higher than the barrel or arrow.  I was taking deadly aim on this squirrel with the compound bow. When he stopped to grab something I unleashed! I heard the most horrible racket and the entire blind shook!    You guessed it I hit the rolled up flap from my Ameristep ground blind. Now I have about 8 holes in it AND I missed the squirrel.    I know a couple of other guys on the forum have shot their window sill or even their windows before, but this was the first time it has happened to me.  

Yesterday I was doing the dishes.  The rain stopped just for awhile until the evening when it came a torrential downpour!  In fact the sun came out a scant few minutes too.  Down in the low lands I've put up a mega feeder. I can put 20 pounds of sunflower seeds and corn in it with ease.  There has been a squirrel though that has started gnawing open the feeder hole to get the seed to come out faster!  I've been playing cat and mouse with him for a few days, but he "was" on to my tricks.  I even shot at him with the bow.  

As I'm washing dishes, I happened to glance out towards the lowlands and there he was!  Now I knew if I went out the usual door he would be gone.  So I crept around to the other side of the house and grabbed the TF 89 that was sitting next to the door for just such an occasion.  

Instead of going out the door to the deck, I cracked open the kitchen door on the end of the house.  Normally I wouldn't shoot from there because it extends the range by another 10 yards to the lowlands and there is more brush in between.  On the other hand I had my beloved Shadow-tuned TF 89 .22 and it rarely lets me down.  I loaded it up with a Benjamin PCP 14.3 grain hollow point.  It is probably the same as a CPHP. I bought some to try them at the new Academy store in Knoxville.  When it was nice I sighted the TF 89 in with them at 20 yards.  

So I leaned on the edge of the door and got in a good offhand position.  With being able to lean I'm pretty solid.  I put the mil dot one over on the squirrel's head.  There was a wind from left to right but with how it swirls here I didn't try to compensate it would be a miss or a hit.  Knowing I'd have to put it right on the spot, I took an extra long time to control my breathing and lightly squeezed the trigger.  There was a short delay as the pellet had to travel further than usual.  I hear a soft THWACK over the wind noises and he just crumbled to the ground!  I did shoot again just in case, but it was over with one well-placed shot!  I've shot squirrels a couple of times from over 40 yards before over at "The Bluff", but it has been awhile. I went to grab it fast before that stupid cat saw it!  





I've got to admit that is some excellent shot placement, semi off-handed with a springer at over 40 yards.    


This is a picture from earlier in the year. You can just see a white door to the right of the photograph.  That was where I shot from and from this spot it is another 10 yards over to the feeder.  


My TF 89 next to my RWS 350.  The TF 89 has a Leapers 3 x 9 x 50 non-AO scope on it with a 35 yard parallax. I don't even think they make that scope anymore.  My TF 89 is a LOT more beat up now than it was in that picture! I've dropped it, fallen with it, etc, even bent the scope cover back with a pair of pliers and it still keeps on ticking.

[dk1677]

Great shooting Randy!

[shadow]

Great shooting and pic's bro. Ed

[redone1992]

Great shooting

[Air Rifle Hunter]

 Excellent shot! That's a good shot with a springer any day of the week!

[jonnnyboy]

Thats a fat squirrel Randy and a great shot.  Sorry about the new 'shooting holes' in your blind.  You obviously have the tf89 dialed in; I bet all the other squirrels are running in fear!!

joe

[HauntedMyst]

Very nice shot!

[only1harry]

Excellent 40yd shooting Randy!!  The Springers look great together

[Wingman]

Sweet shooting..

[mr1000fps]

great shot ! and nice pics of the nut crackers

[gamo2hammerli]

Excellent shot.  1st he gets his 3 deers and now he`s making the squirrels tremble with fear.  heh heh

[Snaab9-2]

Excellent shooting!

[Atchman2]

Excellent shot.  1st he gets his 3 deers and now he`s making the squirrels tremble with fear.  heh heh

Thanks man!  I've got a squirrel honey hole over where I deer hunt. I'm waiting though for deer season to wind down and then I'm going to go squirrel hunting crazy! Unless they are just totally destroying the bird feeders the ones locally are going to start getting a free pass.  I've shot so many and have too many "in stock" so to speak.  Just heard though of a family that may want some game meat.  I'm going to make a large donation of squirrel!  They are also getting the next deer.