Shooting good at last? Kinda
I decided to have a look out with the rifle after being Ill for a few days. I’d tested It previous and was running sweet on the targets at last!! I changed pellets and the top hat Isn’t getting all junged up now so perhaps It was a dirty pellet combined with the lube I was using? I don’t know but these ones seem to do the trick with my new valve head.
Back out and just stepped out the door when I saw the first potential kill. Got as close as I could, Loaded up, aimed just above It’s head and let a pellet fly. It came crashing down and wasn’t going anywhere! The dog was still onto It fast to make sure allthough I think she was alittle disapointed that It wasn’t a squirrel 😆
Back to the testing today, I thought I’d try a higher fill pressure off 165 to my usual 150 bar. Few shots over the chrono first and then I drilled some paper. As you can see not too good untill the last target so perhaps that was my sweet spot kicking In or me settleing In 😆
Still got abit more testing to do and It was quite windy when I did that last target. I’ll try a fill of 160 bar, test power and keep running untill I get tight groups and then check my bottle pressure.
So far It seems to run accuraely on the light side of what I want. Perhaps my 60g hammer Isn’t heavy enough to keep the valve open for the same time consistently when there’s 180 bar of air trying to escape? So much testing to do but such bad weather 😆
Laters,
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I’ll get a short clip over to you In abit. I’ve a longer one that amate filmed which Is of my bitch and the black one running. Plenty of misses In both but the land Isn’t great for lamping, Very hilly and very easy for the dogs to stumble If a rabbit bolts down hill.
I’ve been out using one of those rat atack types and didn’t like It. It produced plenty of smoke but It gassed most of us out too and stunk! We didn’t get many bolters either till we put the rat attack away and they brought the JCB out 😈
You should get yourself a rat pack set up, convert an old chainsaw engine to a smoker and go find some rats 😀 I’d send you some DVDs over on ratting, rabbiting etc but think shipping would nail me! You got some great quarry to run over there though, Yotes, pig. I’d love to go out with a good pack of dogs after them, especially on some large pigs. I’ve got DVDs from Oz on It and It looks great fun, Mental but great fun. I really should organise something, Hunting with dogs, Bow/shooting those asian jumping carp, Try out some noodling to allways wanted to do that. Plenty of other stuff aswell, Perhaps one day hey 😉
Funny you mention it. I’ve got a “rat pack” setup. Though, we don’t have access to Rat Attack Smoke Fluid. I did some searching on the UK boards and found mineral oil being used in the smokers. It worked like a charm.
PM me with the info on the DVDs. I’m sure we can work something out. In the meantime can you upload your own videos for everyone here to watch. Most folks aren’t aware of the hunting ways the Brits use. I think quite a few would get a kick out it!
Here’s the smoker I’ve been using for quite some time now. I got it used off of Ebay for $23 shipped. The deal was too good to pass up. I also have a hose extension that is not pictured.
I bought a video camera and have a few clips of the dogs lamping If you want me to send them over. I’m no spielberg so there not much good. I keep meaning to mount the camera to my lamp as I lamp alone and can’t hold camera on aim and keep the lamp on the rabbit, slip dog carry catch, You get the idea…:lol:
You should get yourself a rat pack set up, convert an old chainsaw engine to a smoker and go find some rats 😀 I’d send you some DVDs over on ratting, rabbiting etc but think shipping would nail me! You got some great quarry to run over there though, Yotes, pig. I’d love to go out with a good pack of dogs after them, especially on some large pigs. I’ve got DVDs from Oz on It and It looks great fun, Mental but great fun. I really should organise something, Hunting with dogs, Bow/shooting those asian jumping carp, Try out some noodling to allways wanted to do that. Plenty of other stuff aswell, Perhaps one day hey 😉
I agree, the action shots are tough to get. I’m sure I get more excited than my dog when a rodent flushes. It’s funny how a 15 oz. animal can really get the blood going!
I love plugging into YouTube-UK and watching all the ratting and ferreting you do over there. I’m very jealous of the Brits in that respect. Your sport has simply refused to catch on in the US. People think, “Rats, eeew.”
Yes, your Pitbull ban stinks. They are truly a loving dog and tenacious hunter. It takes only a few idiots to purposely raise a dog with HA for the breed to get stamped with a scarlet letter. We deal with BSL (breed specific legislation) as it is aimed at specific cities and counties. Washington is in the top ten States with the most city ordinance bans. It’s a real shame.
Cheers, Brad
Thanks FWB. You’ve sussed me on my location 😆 I’ve literally tons of pics on my PC. I’m usually out and about with the camera In the summer so allways getting more. I tend to miss the action shots though as I’m either In the middle of bramble patches or just stood In watching In amazment.
Your Palynn looks nice. Alot of people over here cross the pure bull over a greyhound and work them on the bigger quarry allthough hunting bigger quarry, hares and for some reason mice? with dogs was banned In 2004…….
Mines done abit of rattin amougst other stuff. I love a days rattin and so does she, Nothing like seeing grown men jumping around screaming because a rat has just bolted In there direction 😆
Looks like you got yourself a very fine sight hound or “Lurcher”. Your dog’s mixture of Whippet and Grey really comes out in the photos. Those pictures were great. Especially the pounce! Please, keep those pictures coming.
❓ With your pics of a Lurcher, Jills being cared for outside, pelts, and use of certain vernacular, I’m going to guess you’re posting from the UK maybe. ❓
I’ve got a Pit-mix I’m slowly breaking to become a ratter. She’s fast as grease lightning for a large dog; 70 lbs. I have her getting after Voles and mostly Brown Rats right now. Lots of running and flirt pole training to keep her agility above par.
Here’s Palynn just before some Vole hunting
Here she is attempting to look tough (lol)
Thanks Mam. I allready have a few spacers In but will try the higher pressure and If It’s all over the place I’ll get some more spacers to try. From a 165 bar fill to the 130-135 bar end pressure there was about 3 ft/lbs difference but usually only about 3 fps variant between shots from the little testing I have done over the chrono.
The breast meat Is the only part I use. Very quick and easy to cut off with hardly any blood. I’m not a lover of red wine or much of a cook but I’ll save up a few breasts In the freezer or get out one night to bag a few and have to try that as It sounds quite nice.
Those arn’t hares either and they weren’t shot, Your not very good at this game Verd are you 😆 Your forgiven as the camera angle Is bad. That was the result of a few hours lamping with the dog. I like lamping with the dog, seeing the dog jinx and fallow the rabbit, getting inbetween the rabbit and cover before picking It up gets my pulse racing. Seeing her course anything gets me going.
Our hares are much more brown than the rabbits. You can see a young hare amoungst these rabbits, second from bottom on the right. I wasn’t out for hares and I mistook this one for a rabbit that nights lamping..
Here’s her hunting partner getting out turned. Still bad quality but one of the only half decent action shots I have.
Wood pigeon, eh? Hmm… and Wikipedia says…
Very cool! Never shot one of those! How is the breast meat? I’ll wager a good
bacon wrap and 24 hrs in a red wine sauce would change your impression of
the bird’s palatability. 😉 😀
Good shoot’n on the hares as well! We mostly have swampies and jacks out
here… I do love a good rabbit. Add beer and pommes and you’ve got yourself
a REAL meal! :18
fusion, I was having that problem at higher fill pressures.
It would make my groups spread high and low like that. I found that
it was that the hammer wasn’t consistantly opening the air valve….
If you add a spacer behind the
hammer spring or even behind the hammer, it will help the
hammer hit the breech harder and help with consistancy at
higher fill pressures and down through the lower pressure
range, Even though it may use more air and hurt your shot
count, it could even give you a greater number of accurate
shots than you are getting now even though the total shot
count might be less…Check your fps over the chrony…If
you are getting large deviations from shot to shot, that would
explain why some shots are higher and others are lower than
average….
Thanks FWB. Kinda, only 1/4 whippet with measures of collie and greyhound thrown In. Got her to help with the rabbits but I like a dog to have a go at everything so started taking her with the air rifle and she liked It. Isn’t too keen on feather but loves fur, espially squirrels. When I get a runner she comes Into her own 😉 She’s even marked them up trees that I have gone past before and I can send her In to cover to make a bit of noise to try and push the squirrel from the ivy or over heavy foliage. Works well for me anyway 😉
It’s a wood pigeon actually Verd and yup there edible. We get ferals too and those arn’t edible, As you say full of crap and they carry alot of disease. I’ve had wood pigeon a few times but wouldn’t say there the nicest thing ever. OK for a change but I wouldn’t pay to eat It. That one went In to the ferrets and they seem to love It 😀
That was a nice clean kill fusion. Beautiful dog too. Whippet??
Nice rock dove! Are those edible in your area or are you too close to a metro
and find the gullet packed with city crap? ❓ If their full of grain, they are
excellent spitted-out with a nice dry rub.
Good shoot’n, btw. 😉
I somethimes wonder 😆 She ripped a big hole In an old feather duvet earlyer today. Feathers all over her and she just looked up at me tail wagging asif to invite me to her new fun game 😆
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I’ve been out using one of those rat atack types and didn’t like It. It produced plenty of smoke but It gassed most of us out too and stunk! We didn’t get many bolters either till we put the rat attack away and they brought the JCB out 😈
Oh, boy! I totally understand. I made that mistake also the first time I used it. The little trick I found was to give the trigger only two or three pumps. Then I set the smoker down and wait for all the buggers fleeing the ship. 😀
I use my smoker mostly around residentials. We don’t have a lot of rolling hills with rats like you do (very jealous :wink:) I think the sound of a trimmer or chainsaw engine might be too loud. Sure, mine is stinky. But, it’s very stealthy. 😀
Cheers, Brad