Any tips for memory loss?

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mikeygasbag
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:05 pm

Any tips for memory loss?

Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:29 am

Hi guys.

Yep, I'm still about, just!

A couple of mornings ago, Buster and I went for an early morning (3:00) wander with the Ultimate Sporter.

We drove down to a roadside pull in, close to the first field of one of my farm permissions. After about half an hour, I realised that I must have caught the cocking sidelever, as it was sticking out at a 90 degree angle. I didn't want to push it back with the mag still in place, just in case it double loaded, so took the 10 shot mag out and pushed the sidelever home. At least I knew there was one pellet in the breach.

After a further 30 minutes of not even seeing a rabbit, we moved over to the furthest fields on this permission. It probably didn't help that Buster was wearing his flashing LED collar, but his hearing and eyesight are not what they were and I need to keep an eye on where he is. I was also using my Deben Tracer torch to illuminate the way. It really was pitch black and the fields were saturated and very slippery after the recent heavy rains. The stupid thing was, I had left my infra-red head torch in the car.

Never mind, my best mate and I were out in the country, doing what we both thoroughly enjoy. These days, I usually think of an opportunity to shoot a bunny as a bonus. Once we were over the far side, I checked an adjacent field whilst standing at the galvanised 5 bar gate that blocked the entrance. As I swept the ground with the tight pencil beam of the Tracer, I spotted one rabbit running, but another had ducked down. I estimated the distance to be around the 40 yard mark and with the top bar of the gate to rest on, the very still conditions helped to make it a straightforward shot.

I sent Buster out and he gleefully fulfilled his side of the bargain. He retrieved the rabbit back to me but dropped it the other side of the 5 bar gate before squeezing between the lower bars. Me being a lazy bugger, I asked him again to fetch the rabbit. Fair do's to him, he got down on his belly, crawled just far enough under the gate to grab the rabbit, then stuck it into reverse gear to drag the rabbit back with him. Buster is now in his 13th year (he turned 12 last year), yet he still often amazes me at just how good he is at his job. Once I had bagged the rabbit up and popped it into my game bag, we wandered across to a small clearing on the edge of a copse. This is my usual last resort spot, as I have seen rabbits here every time we have visited. I don't come straight here because once I've shot a couple of bunnies, that's it for me. It's enough food on the table for us with plenty left over to add to Busters food for a few days. I don't like killing for the sake of killing and believe the highest form of respect to my quarry has to be to enjoy eating it.

After slowly stalking between the spread out trees, I got to the edge of the small copse. I know the ground here well enough to stalk without the torch, and after switching Busters flashing collar off, we were in maximum stealth mode. I took position alongside a small tree and readied myself to use the tree to support a standing shot. Switching the torch on revealed about half a dozen rabbits that were taken completely by surprise. I selected the nearest to me, gently cycled the cocking sidelever and took my aim. Using my HFT shooting techniques, I steadied my breath and gently squeezed the trigger. Normally, when I'm lamping, I can track the flight of the pellet by the light reflecting back from the pellets skirt. Nothing, and the rabbit just started to hop away. I quickly recycled the sidelever again, waited for the rabbit to stop and took aim once more. After squeezing the trigger, again, nothing. Then it hit me, that sudden light bulb moment. I thought I didn't feel that slight resistance of the pellet being transferred from mag to barrel. Yep, after checking my right hand coat pocket, the mag was tucked away inside. You silly bugger Mike, you took the mag out and forgot to replace it. DOH!!

By this time the rabbits had got fed up with waiting to be Mike and Busters next meal, and scarpered off right sharpish. I had to laugh to myself, honestly. It seems that turning 60 (I'm now 61) creates its own special set of challenges, like remembering to put the mag back in. Oh well, never mind. We didn't blank and had a super couple of hours out in the countryside when it was dark, calm and peaceful, and we had it all to ourselves.

All the best guys.

Mike.
Founder member ~ Fort Airgun Club

Air Arms HFT500 .177, Sightron SIII 10x42 MMD
Air Arms Ultimate Sporter .177, Sightron SIII 10x42 MMD

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Blackbaronfish
Posts: 3690
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:20 pm
Location: Nuneaton

Re: Any tips for memory loss?

Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:36 am

"My memory is that bad now that im sure I could organize a surprise party for myself"

Good to know your both doing well, and still shooting an AirArms 8-)

BBF
Did I mention that I'm the only one to have attended EVERY meet since we started

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Raj
Posts: 2005
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:36 pm
Location: Rugby

Re: Any tips for memory loss?

Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:07 am

No excuses, Mikey. The two of you ar turning up to the next Meet. It is only Nuneaton for goodness sake! :)
“It's the Indian, not the arrow"

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mikeygasbag
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:05 pm

Re: Any tips for memory loss?

Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:26 am

Blackbaronfish wrote:
Good to know your both doing well, and still shooting an AirArms 8-)

BBF



Hi Ray, we are both doing fine thanks.

In fact, I now own 3 Air Arms rifles:

HFT 500

Ultimate Sporter

S400 MPR

I love each and every one of them, these 3 are now my keepers.

Mike.
Founder member ~ Fort Airgun Club

Air Arms HFT500 .177, Sightron SIII 10x42 MMD
Air Arms Ultimate Sporter .177, Sightron SIII 10x42 MMD

User avatar
mikeygasbag
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:05 pm

Re: Any tips for memory loss?

Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:27 am

Raj wrote:No excuses, Mikey. The two of you ar turning up to the next Meet. It is only Nuneaton for goodness sake! :)



Hi Raj

If the date doesn't clash with any of my HFT commitments, we WILL be there.

Mike.
Founder member ~ Fort Airgun Club

Air Arms HFT500 .177, Sightron SIII 10x42 MMD
Air Arms Ultimate Sporter .177, Sightron SIII 10x42 MMD

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granville
Posts: 602
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:33 pm

Re: Any tips for memory loss?

Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:48 pm

great read .
and dinner as well .
i did forget to take any pellets with me
once . soon be 60 :(

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