Nothing Says "POP" like a RWS 350

[Atchman2]

Well a lot of you know I've had some POI issues with my RWS 350 Magnum .22.  After it sits awhile it has been so far off it has been set aside for day hunting only where I can see if it is zeroed.  This time I left it for a couple days without firing it.  I thought I had it figured out the last time I shot it.  Between more practice, breathing, and making sure everything was tight AND shooting it a lot, it was shooting pretty well when I put it away.  


Here are the first two shots at 20 yards.  I was pretty happy.  

After shooting it a little more I put it back on the porch and got out my .22 TF 99.  I took the Mendoza sight back off of it to test a scope.  After a few minutes I decided I liked the open sights better and was working on it, when I saw a grackle land in the bottom lands. I figured that by the time I grabbed the 350 off the porch it would be gone, so I didn't even move and kept working on the gun.  Seconds, later, the large oak tree that is in the lowlands erupted with some racket-MORE GRACKLES!  


Here is the large oak tree.  It is easily over a hundred feet tall.  

This time I knelt down below the rail, setting the TF 99 over on my shirt.  I kept low and went into the porch and got the 350.  I knew she was dead on, so I had a lot of confidence in the shot.  

I reached up on the rail and grabbed a CPHP from the tin.  I tried to quietly cock the big magnum rifle and was trying to keep an eye on the grackles.  They didn't move.  I stayed down on my knees and put my elbow on the rail.  With my left hand open and the big rifle resting lightly in a classic "artillery" hold, I took aim at the first one.  I figured it was every bit of forty yards, so I aimed one mil dot high with my CP 4 x 16 scope.  A good breath and I shot.  The pellet went straight and true and I heard the confirming loud "POP" that you get when you hit something with a 350 Magnum.  The first grackle plummeted through the branches of the tree and into some dense brush at the bottom.  There was no movement, no flopping, nothing, it was down for the count.  

Quickly I reloaded in case I needed to shoot again.  Have observed the fall, I knew I didn't need to shoot that one again.  Instead his brother was still there!  I repeated the same hold, breathe, and fire!  Same result, a loud "POP" and another grackle heading to the forest floor.  

What many of you don't know is that before this day I have NEVER shot a grackle in TN! Now in KS I reaped a bloody harvest of them!  My TF 89 made short work of them out there.  

Anyway, I grabbed the camera and my big stick and went down to look for my quarry.  It only took a couple of minutes until I found the first one.


Grackle number one down for the count


It took me a little longer to find the second one.  It was actually behind the tree.  The wind was blowing so it must have blown it a few feet back.  


Here is my RWS 350 with both of my first TN Grackles.  

[only1harry]

Excellent shooting with the big 350 Randy!!  Congrats on your first TN Grackles too!  

What kind of spring did you put in the 350?  Is it a JM one?  I think the Centerpoint scope help and a good solid 1pc mount (which mount is it?).  The 350 needs a tune with a good lube so it does not eat scopes or shift mounts.  It looks like you are good to go now!  I had all those issues as you (except broken spring but mine was extremely bent).  It took a lightly tuned & lubed 350, a BKL 260 (6 screws) along with a good Springer rated scope, for the issues to disappear.

[Atchman2]

It is that newer JM spring for the 350s. You almost don't have to compress it to put it in the gun!  I didn't lubricate it all that much while I had it apart.  Just a little bit of moly and some heavy tar to help out the spring.   The scope mount is a four bolt mount with high rings.  The CP scope is so large you need the higher rings to keep it from hitting the barrel. 

I also installed a APEX seal.  It was exactly the same size as the stock seal.  I made sure of that before swapping them out.  My stock seal was okay though.  I didn't see any wear on it. 

I was pretty chuffed by that long distance 350 snipe.  

[only1harry]

That was a great 40yd shot Randy.  I have only made 2 shots >40yds (41 & 43yds) with a Springer, and that was with my old 350 .22.  Both times I was targeting  Groundhog (back in the summer of '07).  The 1st one, the CP went right through its head and out the neck area behind the ear and went down right away.  The other G-hog was not as lucky.  The scope had started to shift and so did the POI, so the CP hit it somewhere in the shoulder area although I had the crosshairs between eye & ear.  It did some sort of death dance and rolled around, but then ran 20+yds to its hole under the shed.  The next day it smelled around the shed, and later that afternoon the dead G-hog was about 10" outside one of the holes!  Another G-hog had pushed him out!  There was a female in there with 3-4 young ones!  It apparently wasn't its burrow but he took refuge there.  So I recovered him but he suffered a little, due to a broken C-clamp in that dang RWS C-mount the 350 came with.

When are you going to get a Chrony?  I would like to see what the velocities are with Maccari's new Pro-Mag spring which is exclusively for the 350.  Some reports I 've read say you lose 2-3fpe.  I was wondering how true that is.  In any case 20fpe is plenty for any kind of small-game hunting within a reasonable distance.  Sometimes that is what it takes to tame the 350.

[dk1677]

Nice shooting Randy! fur and feather today!  all the grackles here are at the malls ( early Christmas shopping?) saw a big flock go in to a tree where I was waiting at the drive -up at my bank

[shadow]

Look's like she's finding her target's bro, great shooting and pics. Ed

[Froghunter]

Randy,

Glad you got her on target and great read on the first TN Grackle pest control! Great Shooting!

Froghunter

[1377x]

congrats
nice wet work!

[gamo2hammerli]

Congrats...your powerful and accurate RWS 350 Magnum nailed those 2 Grackles good.

[Atchman2]

I got another one this morning! I heard some noise outside and the entire oak tree was full of them!  This time though I shot him using the TF 89.  No pictures yet, I've been too busy house cleaning and looking out the window. 

[Mpac]

I'm glad your pro mag spring worked out for you nice shooting.I know that distinct sound on a solid hit with them 350's.