A Passion Renewed

Long time no post,

Having gone the last 6 months without a single outing or shot fired of the air rifle my shooting partner and I decided we reunite our passion of the sport. Due to working commitments and life in general getting in the way it had felt like a life time since I was last out with just my rifle for company. 

So a quick conversation with the land owner of a new permission we secured before going MIA for 6 months and it was still game on. Good news no less because if we had lost this one then I really would have struggled to find another like it. 

The owner of the land farms the many acres and has problems with rabbits in some of the fields along with problems with the grey squirrel who are descending from the small patches of woodland and making it into his many outbuildings and chewing through telephone cables and causing general damage and mess. The landowner also farms cows and which leads to problems with the avian pests eating and defecating in the food and around the cow sheds. So with many pests under the general license that need to be dealt with this permission should prove fruitful and supply many hours of sport for me and my shooting partner. 

So Sunday 19th Jan came around and it was time to get the kit together and await my pick up. The poor air rifle bag had a thick layer of dust on the top of it but a quick check inside revealed the beauty that is the AA Pro Sport with her walnut body.

Arrived at the farm at about 10am and decided we would probably need an extensive zero check and refinement due to having not fired the rifles in 6 months. 5 minutes late and without a single adjustment the Pro Sport was still pellet on pellet at 30 yards using Falcon Accuracy Plus pellets. A joy to behold, a joy to fire and a joy to own was all I could think about the Pro Sport.

So then quicker than I thought it would take it was time for a mooch around and get familiar with the new permission. lovely countryside and probably about 160 acres in total to  play with which consisted of a mixture of fields and small wooded patches.

I am very much a seasonal hunter and will target my vermin based upon the time of year. I always endeavour to tackle the greys when its the colder months due to less foliage and leaves in the trees.

We were not disappointed on this outing. Every small wooded area we approached had greys scampering around the woodland floor and chasing each other around. The first wood I counted 4 squirrels but just out of range at the 60 to 70 yard mark. It was difficult to get closer as it meant jumping a barbed wire fence without being noticed. I spent what felt like an eternity trying to scale the fence without moving to sudden or making to much noise. Eventually I had cleared the fence only for a bloody cock pheasant to come racing across the wooded floor like bloody road runner gobbing off and spooking all the squirrels into the trees. I waited a short while but they did not come back.

We moved on across the field to another wooded area safe in the knowledge that this farm had a strong grey infestation upon its acreage. The next wood proved more fruitful where a steady stalk and waiting game paid off with two greys falling victim to the Air Arms onslaught. one after the other in quick succession, my shooting partners shots almost timed to perfection even though we were 30 yards apart and unaware of each others targets. Both greys falling instantly from their branches onto the floor without a twitch.

We collected the pair and stood telling each other our tales of the shot chuckling away when Mawders spidy senses started tingling and the distant rustling alerted us to another incoming grey. As if by magic another good sized squirrel came bounding along the tree line completely unaware of its friends fate just ten minutes before. I waited for this one to stop and thats where I took aim. I judged the shot to be 40 yards at least and when looking through the scope all I could see was the squirrels head side on through a hole in some thick twigs blocking my view of the whole squirrel. This was going to have to be a well placed shot if ever there was one. I dropped to the kneeling unsupported position and took aim. The balance of the Pro Sport makes unsupported shots so much easier as all the weight is evenly distributed throughout the rifle. I took up first stage and still the shot was still on so I slowly squeezed off the second stage and heard the unmistakable crack of pellet skull and then saw my target fall from the branch without a twitch.

He was instantly picked up and placed with the previous two for a photo opportunity.  

This was certainly proving a brilliant shoot. The afternoon went on in much the same style and in total 7 greys were cleared from the permission, one of which was not retrievable due to it falling in a massive steep ditch covered in brambles and the like. Here are the last 3 that were taken before it was deemed a wrap and a return to the warm for a roast dinner waiting for us.

God its good to be back. Happy hunting everyone.