Weekend with new guns.

garv123

Pump action
Since u got the rifle and shotgun thursday tonights my first night home .
Headed out this morning with 2 lads to see if there was any pheasants about. We headed out at 9 and it was 11 before we met a hen and then we went onto another stubble field with a beat field on one half with a river running along them.
the lads were very helpfull all day pointing out where i should be and been patient with me I hadnt even fired the gun at this stage. We walked along the stubble and the dogs didnt even get a scent. As we came across the end of the river hollie picked up a sent and was on a bird. She broke through the thick cover and put up a cock, one of the lads fired at her as she was flying away from him and missed, I was out in the field about 40-50 yards from the ditch, he flew up along the ditch over the river, i threw the gun up and pulled well ahead of the bird hoping for the best with a 32g 6. To my shock and to the lads shock the bird fell and bounced just out past the bend in the river which was quickly picked up one of the other dogs.
I was over the moon. first shot and first bird. He was very small though which i didnt realise when firing. walked around all day then happy out

off we went then for the day and coming up to 4 o clock we were all wrecked and so were the dogs when i spotted a cock on top of a glen out in the sun, we parked up and watched him as we went into the glen, we went down one side and the 3rd lad went to the other side. the other spaniel was onto a sent this time and took off up the glen and about 150 yards up the bird got up between the two lads and was a easy taking.

Pictures arent great. taken with my crappy phone.


.17 hmr

Yesterday we headed out to a spot with the .22mag and the 17hmr to check out 0's. We set up a 4 targets against a high bank. I said we'll fire at 50 yards first to check how far off to the left or right they are. We both fired anyway and looking through the scope i could see no hole. but i could see the magnum one. I got the lad i shoot with to fire my hmr since he'd have a better shot even though i didnt think i pulled it. bang, no bullet hole, I ran in 25 yards got prone and fired again. Heres the result.


a good 6" high, just as well we had the back stop. We adjusted it for a while and i finally got it so that i got 2 bullets touching one above the other about a inch high at 50 yards. fired at 100 and it was grand still so i left it at that.

Lamping

After I came home from pheasant shooting tonight I rang a lad im friends with who's father gave us permission to shoot on. I wasnt sure how much land he had but when we went up there tonight it was full of bunnies who were never shot at before. It was a huge area with few ditches.
The night wasnt great for lamping since we could make out cows at 200 yards with no lamp and we had shadows walking. when we got out of the car at the milking parlour i heard a vixen screeching off out to the right. I said right no bunnies for now. walked off down the path lamping seen bunnies everywhere not paying any attention to us. I got to a position on a ditch and started calling for about 20 minutes. had no luck the screeching had stopped but she was still a nice bit away, across the road by the wood we reckoned.
So off i went and took some shots at rabbits using a stake as a rest each time. (which is a horrible rest )
It was the first time this lad was out lamping so i was telling him what to do nd this wsnt bothering the bunnies. I shot 2 rabbits at around 40 and 60 yards. Aimed for the shoulders and got myself 2 headshots.
heres one

I gave the other lad a few shots too and he fired just over one who was ducking down. i took the second shot and aimed down low and hit it in the neck.
Spotted another rabbit again and i got down and used a stake again, I could't get a steady shot on it for ages, eventually i got very still on on its body, i let rip and hit it smack on.


The funny thing about that is it landed exit wound face up. the bullet hit him such a wallop he tumbled all the way around.

The cig connection on the end of the clulite i borrowed was giving wicked trouble and we had the always fiddle with it to get the light on. At this stage it was nearly ded and we were on the way home and i spotted this fella. again took the shot off a stake and hit him under the mouth.


As i stood up I said t the lad i was with give us the lamp and il see if i spot anything for you before we go, with that said i turned around and spotted a set of eyes at at leas 400 yards away:mad: I was suprised the clulite picked them up since it was nearly dead. I got down on the ditch and started calling for 5 minutes checking now and again but it never moved, I was told there was no cows there so i new it should be a fox. Off we started walking down the hill and we got within 100 yards and we saw the two pairs of eyes sitting n the brow of the hill. the clulite was in a bad way now and i just about saw two foxes in the scope but i had no safe shot. I tried calling but no luck they didnt budge. gave up in the end as the light wasnt even lighting up eyes anymore. sent a text on the way back and they're going tasting federal 100gr .243 the next night

not a bad first nights lamping tonight without the usual fella im always with.
6 rabbits in all.

love the little gun.:D

deerhunter1

good stuff well done and many more happy/safe hunting/shooting days-nights:)

declan1980

Good goin mate. First shot with the mossberg and a cock pheasant, that's one you'll never forget.
A little tip with the hmr is to zero it at 35 yards, this is the near zero for 125 yards with 17gr federal or hornady. You'll still have to check for windage at 125, but you'll easily get headshots on rabbits out to 140 with this zero

garv123

declan1980 wrote: »

Good goin mate. First shot with the mossberg and a cock pheasant, that's one you'll never forget.
A little tip with the hmr is to zero it at 35 yards, this is the near zero for 125 yards with 17gr federal or hornady. You'll still have to check for windage at 125, but you'll easily get headshots on rabbits out to 140 with this zero

I was delighted when i saw it drop. I think my jaw hit the ground harder though :rolleyes:

Cheers for that, Im going calling down to enda walsh next weekend for ammo and he said he would have no bother zero'n it. At least he'll have it bang on.

Anyone any experience using federal V-max?

Spunk84

Way to go man !!! Nice shooting, how you getting used to the pump? The hmr was a great gun bud and hope you have a fox soon with it

kildare.17hmr

well done lad good first day out! I found the best zero for me was 1.5 high at 100 yards, could aim at the center of a 3 inch target between 25 and about 170 yards and hit it so long range bunnys were handy and only about 5 inch drop at 200 if i remember right

Maudi

Hi can any body put me in touch with chaps who lamp or hunt i would love the odd rabbit or pheasant for the cooking pot im in greystones

ClarkyTrd

I'm only up the road from yourself, drop me a pm mate and I might be able to get you one over the weekend

garv123

Spunk84 wrote: »

Way to go man !!! Nice shooting, how you getting used to the pump? The hmr was a great gun bud and hope you have a fox soon with it

Ah its not too bad. bit slow to lit it and fire but thats my reactions been slow and having my hands in the wrong spot. Flicking off the safety at the moment is what il have to get used too.must look into changing it around.

garv123

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

well done lad good first day out! I found the best zero for me was 1.5 high at 100 yards, could aim at the center of a 3 inch target between 25 and about 170 yards and hit it so long range bunnys were handy and only about 5 inch drop at 200 if i remember right

We'l see if this weekend is as good

yeah i left it a bit hight myself by about 1". still think its off though so going to get it checked out.

terminator2

you should have shot the hen in that farmers yard at the back of spunks house garv:D:D rhode island red that is