target practice (stopping pellets)

[bb89 0]

not sure where i should have put this but...

 

i want to start rabbiting next year (or whenever my shooting is accurate enough!) but until then i need to practice on targets.

 

i live in the country, surrounded by farmers fields which often have livestock in them but i have a very long garden, long enough to practice 20-40 yard shots.

 

my question is:

 

is there some kind of netting/ boards i can use to stop pellets should i miss the target? i plan to get a pellet catcher, but want to be safe if i miss them.

 

alternatively, as i plan to ask the farmers if i can hunt their land should i go straight to them and ask to use an empty field for practice?

 

thanks for your help

[venomviper 129]

hi ya buddy

i tend to use a 8x4 sheet of hard ply cut in half this way it stops the pellets going through i also use cut offs to make it more like a box shape this way if you get a pellet fly it will only hit the sides.

if you have people living next door advise them that you will be shooting and after you stop shooting tell them

 

plus get yourself into 10mtr shots to see were the pellet is going then work your way back to 20mtrs this you know your hitting the backstop and you know were the pellet is going then work back to 25mtrs this would be good for your zero plus it will also show you if you have mildots on your scope what range and mildots you use ie close range high long range low on your mildots

then keep going to till you until you feel happy that you can hit the target every time you shoot but beaware that you may get a flyer pellet this happens when the skirt could be damaged or your hand might slip buddy

enjoy yourself to matey it takes time but the more you get the target the more excited you get bud this could also cause a flyer matey so breath in nice and easy and take the shot again

 

and then once you are happy and feel that your safe in shooting get some knock down targets something a little different bud then do the same again

i hope this helps you pal

 

and always think safety guncare and are you in the right mind to shoot today (meaning in a temper/not happy on this day/or mum and dad brother or sister wife has been bugging you all these can chage the way you hold the gun.

 

be safe shoot well and look forward to seing some posts from you matey

 

all the best

 

shay

ATEO Instructor

airgun marksmanship/vermin pest control

[davyt63 1,845]

hi buddy

4 concrete paving slabs,3 sides one for the roof.set this up at your zero range! this will be more than enough for a pellet back stop.

then if you need to put targets out at different ranges,use a couple of house bricks,or a pellet catcher they are easy enough to move around!

 

but make sure you let your neighbours know what you are up too!

 

Davy

[bb89 0]

thanks those are really good suggestions, i will be sure to let the neighbours know!!

 

venomviper, your advice is really good, much appreciated!

 

davy, what is my zero range?

 

i know i have a very long way to go, and the time it takes to be hunting-ready will vary for every person, but how long should i expect it to take for me to ready for rabbiting?

 

ps thanks for all the help, the site is very friendly and everyone very helpful

[davyt63 1,845]

thanks those are really good suggestions, i will be sure to let the neighbours know!!

 

venomviper, your advice is really good, much appreciated!

 

davy, what is my zero range?

 

i know i have a very long way to go, and the time it takes to be hunting-ready will vary for every person, but how long should i expect it to take for me to ready for rabbiting?

 

ps thanks for all the help, the site is very friendly and everyone very helpful

 

hi buddy

what cal are you using??

 

Davy

[bb89 0]

i just got a .22 bsa lightning

Edited January 1, 2012 by bb89

[davyt63 1,845]

hi buddy

right .22 due to the power curve most air gunners zero at between 25/27yds ,or 30yds.

i zero my .22 @ 30yds because its always the way I have done it,and if I am using a mildot scope. I am at 5yds increnctments

(sorry about spelling)

 

30yds is cross hairs.35yds will be 0.5 mildot,40yds will be 1.0 mildot and so on,then you got the guys who zero at 25mtrs this i am not sure of .as i work in yds, others work in mtrs.

 

but a well known air gunner Jim Tyler always zerod his .22 at 26/27yds with great affects.and then you are not far of your kill zone at different ranges.due to less power curve.

 

if this this makes sense? if not PM zini he will help you out!

 

hope this helps!

 

Davy

[bb89 0]

hi buddy

right .22 due to the power curve most air gunners zero at between 25/27yds ,or 30yds.

i zero my .22 @ 30yds because its always the way I have done it,and if I am using a mildot scope. I am at 5yds increnctments

(sorry about spelling)

 

30yds is cross hairs.35yds will be 0.5 mildot,40yds will be 1.0 mildot and so on,then you got the guys who zero at 25mtrs this i am not sure of .as i work in yds, others work in mtrs.

 

but a well known air gunner Jim Tyler always zerod his .22 at 26/27yds with great affects.and then you are not far of your kill zone at different ranges.due to less power curve.

 

if this this makes sense? if not PM zini he will help you out!

 

hope this helps!

 

Davy

 

that makes sense, but how do i zero a rifle to a specific distance? and if i zero it to 30 yards, and my target is 40 yards do i shoot by the mildot above or below the crosshairs?

 

i assume i will pick these things up during target shooting

 

thanks again

[davyt63 1,845]

hi buddy

right .22 due to the power curve most air gunners zero at between 25/27yds ,or 30yds.

i zero my .22 @ 30yds because its always the way I have done it,and if I am using a mildot scope. I am at 5yds increnctments

(sorry about spelling)

 

30yds is cross hairs.35yds will be 0.5 mildot,40yds will be 1.0 mildot and so on,then you got the guys who zero at 25mtrs this i am not sure of .as i work in yds, others work in mtrs.

 

but a well known air gunner Jim Tyler always zerod his .22 at 26/27yds with great affects.and then you are not far of your kill zone at different ranges.due to less power curve.

 

if this this makes sense? if not PM zini he will help you out!

 

hope this helps!

 

Davy

 

that makes sense, but how do i zero a rifle to a specific distance? and if i zero it to 30 yards, and my target is 40 yards do i shoot by the mildot above or below the crosshairs?

 

i assume i will pick these things up during target shooting

 

thanks again

 

hi

did you read what Shay wrote,its all there! your club will help you too!

 

but I will tell you how I do it,set an A4 piece of paper up at 10yds.get your self settled and bench rested.make sure you have a good back stop!!!

 

remove turret caps

 

put the centre of the cross hairs on the centre of the paper,and take a shot! make sure you keep your eye at the scope till the shot has landed and your finger dose not move of the trigger,this is follow through watching you point of impact!!

 

now this is where it can be tricky ?

if you have you hold steady,and turn/click the elevation turret till its in-line with the pellet hole.

 

now take another shot,and repeat the same process but with the wind age turret! turn/click till its in-line with the pellet hole.

 

now once you have done this it will be a fine tune to get them in a tight group! once you are happy with the group, usually five pence piece size.

 

 

work back to 15yds,20yds,25yds,with out adjusting turrets on route to 30yds. make a note of where the pellet is landing till you get to 30yds. on your way through to 30yds you will see the pellets impact change this being hold under/over .

 

right your at 30yds now you have to adjust the turrets to the centre of the scope! this being your zero?

 

then if you want to shoot further say 45yds then just apply the same process!

you can adjust fine tune,on the way out to 45.or make a note. but same rule applys to o

 

its a bit early for this after a night on the JD.

 

but i hope i have made some sense?

 

this is the way i zero,others will have different ways! some zero from long to short & some from short to long

 

but this is how i do it

 

Davy

[The one 8,598]

I zero mine from the bottom garage to the top one 23 yards three off cuts of ply stop nearly all the pellets

[The Duncan 802]

bb89 nice starter rifle, the Lightning and .22 is the best calibre for a springer IMHO as it goes off sweeter with softer recoil than a .177

 

Cheers

 

Duncan.