Getting back out there...

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sss360
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:19 am

Getting back out there...

Thu Jun 15, 2017 8:24 am

Hello All :)

It's been a while since I've either been on the forum or out hunting, mainly due to travelling a lot this past 12 months for work. My role has recently changed slightly and the travel has relaxed now, so about four weeks back I had the urge to get out and deal with the overrun of rabbits that are currently plaguing my favorite permission...

It was a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon and after about 30 minutes the first two rabbits presented themselves at around the 40 yards mark. Both were too busy eating and enjoying the sun to notice me, laid up further along the hedgerow, and the whisper quiet S410 took the first one down - a nice clean pellet behind the eye. The second, about 7 yards away from him, hadn't even noticed that his mate had dropped so another JSB exact was dispatched his way and hit home nicely. Two down already, I was happy to start stocking up the freezer.

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I finished the afternoon off with a bag of 5 rabbits, getting another three over the next hour or so.

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Well, that was it. It had been so long since I'd been out hunting I'd forgotten how addictive it was. I was also shocked at the amount of rabbits running riot over the poor farmers fields :oops:

So, I decided that I'd tackle the hedgerow next to the nearest crop field. This is a tricky task with the sub 12 as there is no cover to either approach or hide behind to get within suitable range. No problem, I thought, the next outing will be with the HMR 8-)

I popped down mid-week with the rimmy, very excited about the prospect of getting some more rabbits for the freezer. The permission I was on was the site of a motte and bailey castle so there are lots of raised areas to shoot from providing the perfect backstop for the rimfire rifles. I positioned myself around 75 yards from the nearest rabbit hole and waited. Over the next 30 minutes two rabbits had ventured out and had an unfortunate (for them) encounter with a 17 grain projectile. At that range they are alerted to the crack of the bullet going through the speed of sound, but don't bolt as they can't really tell where it's coming from (or what it is).

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While I was waiting for the next bunny I noticed a female pheasant wandering around the grass... A shame it's not the season for it!

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More outings followed, all with pleasing results. I love hunting with my sub 12, but there is equally enough room in my cabinet for the HMR. Between the two I'm covered from 15 yards right the way through to 115 (and that's just going by the point blank range, the HMR is such a flat round you can shoot it way out if you have the right conditions and know the holdover :)).

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It's safe to say, the rabbit population has been thinned out a bit and I'm back to being in the dog house for spending too much time hunting :lol: I'm now anxiously awaiting harvest time so I can get out with the decoys and get some pigeons - one of my favourite meats! This year I'll be using a different tool than the S410 though...

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Hope everyone is getting out and enjoying the weather this week! Happy shooting 8-)

Cheers,

James :)
Keep the change, you filthy animal.

Air Arms S410 Carbine .177, Hawke Sport HD IR 3-9x50 AO Mildot, Weihrauch Moderator
CZ 452 .17HMR Varmint, Hawke Sidewinder 10x42, SAK Moderator
Baikal E27 O/U, 12G

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Timmytree
Posts: 969
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 11:50 am

Re: Getting back out there...

Thu Jun 15, 2017 4:36 pm

Nice!
Rabbits are starting to show again on my permissions but still nowhere near the numbers of 5 or 6 years ago. Add to that her Ladyship is a bit fond of rabbits so as I prefer horizontal jogging to rabbit meat I've only removed the odd 1 or 2. All my usual wheat and barley fields are down to maize this year so pigeons will be short as well. Maybe I'm getting soft but I enjoy watching as much as shooting nowadays.

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

Re: Getting back out there...

Thu Jun 15, 2017 5:35 pm

So nice to see you on here again, James. We are all still here ... knocking about as usual. Good work on those pests, mate. And do call in again if you are in the area like last time :)
“It's the Indian, not the arrow"

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sss360
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:19 am

Re: Getting back out there...

Thu Jun 15, 2017 6:36 pm

Timmytree wrote:Nice!
Rabbits are starting to show again on my permissions but still nowhere near the numbers of 5 or 6 years ago. Add to that her Ladyship is a bit fond of rabbits so as I prefer horizontal jogging to rabbit meat I've only removed the odd 1 or 2. All my usual wheat and barley fields are down to maize this year so pigeons will be short as well. Maybe I'm getting soft but I enjoy watching as much as shooting nowadays.


Thanks, TT. Hopefully you get enough pigeons to keep you satisfied :)
Keep the change, you filthy animal.

Air Arms S410 Carbine .177, Hawke Sport HD IR 3-9x50 AO Mildot, Weihrauch Moderator
CZ 452 .17HMR Varmint, Hawke Sidewinder 10x42, SAK Moderator
Baikal E27 O/U, 12G

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sss360
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:19 am

Re: Getting back out there...

Thu Jun 15, 2017 6:39 pm

Raj wrote:So nice to see you on here again, James. We are all still here ... knocking about as usual. Good work on those pests, mate. And do call in again if you are in the area like last time :)


Glad to here all is an normal with the AAOC, Raj. I'd love to pop in for a cuppa, it's always fun. Besides, I need to see the finished stock that you were making! :)
Keep the change, you filthy animal.

Air Arms S410 Carbine .177, Hawke Sport HD IR 3-9x50 AO Mildot, Weihrauch Moderator
CZ 452 .17HMR Varmint, Hawke Sidewinder 10x42, SAK Moderator
Baikal E27 O/U, 12G

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james79
Posts: 249
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:59 pm

Re: Getting back out there...

Thu Jun 15, 2017 11:17 pm

Very very good to see you returning to the fold (especially with a hunting write up :) ). I'm another that's been a bit remiss as far as posting on here of late due to a variety of reasons (new insomsiac baby, irritable wife, health etc ) but I also dugout the rifle recently and got her zeroed in so I'm ready to go and with any luck will also hopefully be posting some long overdue tales of my forays around the farm :)
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool

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

Re: Getting back out there...

Fri Jun 16, 2017 5:13 am

Nice to see a nice refreshing write up 8-)
Well done

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

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sss360
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:19 am

Re: Getting back out there...

Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:29 am

james79 wrote:Very very good to see you returning to the fold (especially with a hunting write up :) ). I'm another that's been a bit remiss as far as posting on here of late due to a variety of reasons (new insomsiac baby, irritable wife, health etc ) but I also dugout the rifle recently and got her zeroed in so I'm ready to go and with any luck will also hopefully be posting some long overdue tales of my forays around the farm :)


Congrats on the new baby, james79, I hope you find the time to get back out there soon. I've got so much on at work at the moment it's easy for me to also say I've not got enough time to go out and shoot, but there is genuinely nothing else that relaxes me like shooting does :)
Keep the change, you filthy animal.

Air Arms S410 Carbine .177, Hawke Sport HD IR 3-9x50 AO Mildot, Weihrauch Moderator
CZ 452 .17HMR Varmint, Hawke Sidewinder 10x42, SAK Moderator
Baikal E27 O/U, 12G

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sss360
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:19 am

Re: Getting back out there...

Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:29 am

Blackbaronfish wrote:Nice to see a nice refreshing write up 8-)
Well done

BBF


Cheers, BBF - Nice to see you're still keeping control of this bunch of rabble :lol:
Keep the change, you filthy animal.

Air Arms S410 Carbine .177, Hawke Sport HD IR 3-9x50 AO Mildot, Weihrauch Moderator
CZ 452 .17HMR Varmint, Hawke Sidewinder 10x42, SAK Moderator
Baikal E27 O/U, 12G

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eboswan
Site Admin
Posts: 3222
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:16 am
Location: swansea

Re: Getting back out there...

Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:37 am

Good too see you have returned home :lol: enjoyed the read thank you :D
IS MY SIGNATURE BIGGER THAN RAYS. Cz 452 american .22+sak mod
S200. .177

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